March 04, 2013: The LCA Tejas showed off some of its operational prowess at the recent Iron Fist fire power demonstration over the Thar Desert—the platform was fielded after the IAF expressed keenness in seeing the aircraft perform alongside other inventory types. The LCA Tejas fired an R-73 missile and dropped precision guided bombs during the demonstration. With the platform now on a final leg ahead of the second phase of initial operational clearance (IOC-2), a critical review of lessons learned from the testing of the Tejas was presented recently as a paper at Aero India by the man who leads the flight test programme on the Tejas at the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) and Aeronautical Development Agency.

In an insightful paper on the aircraft and lessons learned from it, Air Commodore K.A. Muthana has delved into never before areas that could prove to be crucial for future development programmes—including higher defence management, clarity on standards, clarity on path certification, clarity on agencies involved, involvement of the Indian Air Force from the ab initio stage (which he observes was absent), evaluation of prototypes and, crucially, the process of transition from design to manufacture. As an individual who perhaps knows the Tejas as a machine better than anyone else from a pilot's perspective, the paper could prove to be the beginnings of a more elaborate review of the Tejas programme at large, and feed into future developments like the all important Tejas Mk.2 and the futuristic AMCA. Says Air Cmde Muthana in his paper, "The Indian light combat aircraft (LCA) was conceived in the early 1980s and is now on the threshold of entering squadron service. The legacy of this aircraft’s development has resulted in true challenges to deployment being faced at a very late stage. There are even insinuations that this aircraft has been more of a success to the scientists in lab coats than to the war fighter in flight suits. True; this fine aircraft has been hostage to a series of systemic shortcomings. There are significant lessons here for the Indian aviation industry. It is vitally important that these lessons are imbibed in order to move forward coherently in building a strong aeronautics industry in this country." He ends by saying, "Tejas is a wonderful flying machine. It deserved to be in squadron service years ago. Remedial action on many of the shortcomings commented upon, if implemented even now, will favorably impact timelines for IOC and FOC of the Tejas Mk 1 aircraft. Favourable impact on Tejas Mk 2 and other future programmes will be enormous."