India’s LCA Tejas set to debut in foreign air

Five Tejas aircraft will take part in the exercise Cobra Warrior 22 at Waddington in the UK.

About Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas:

• The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas was conceptualised in the year
• LCA Tejas was designed and developed by India’s HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited).
• It replaced the ageing Mig 21 fighter planes.
• It was in 2003 that the Light Combat Aircraft programme was named ‘Tejas’ (meaning radiance in Sanskrit) by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• It is the second supersonic fighter jet that was developed by HAL (the first one being HAL HF-24 Marut).
• Tejas is a single engined, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter.
• It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS)with associated advanced flight control laws.
• The aircraft with delta wing is designed for ‘air combat’ and ‘offensive air support’ with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles.
• Extensive use of advanced composites in the airframe gives a high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life and low radar signatures.
• Aeronautical Development Agency is the designated project manager for the development of LCA.

About Cobra Warrior Exercise:

• The Cobra Warrior Exercise is one of the largest annual Royal Air Force exercises and aims to train both pilots and other air specialists in planning and executing complex airborne missions.
• The Indian Air Force will participate in the multi-nation Air Exercise named 'Ex Cobra Warrior 22' at Royal Air Force Base in Waddington, United Kingdom. 
• The Cobra Warrior exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and share best practices amongst the participating Air Forces.
• It will help enhance combat capability and forge bonds of friendship between the participating Air Forces. 
• The exercise will serve as a platform for LCA Tejas to demonstrate its manoeuvrability and operational capability.

About Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL):

• It was started way back in December 1940 at Bangalore by industrialist Seth Walchand Hirachand with the support of an American aviation expert, William Douglas Pawley, who was the director of the erstwhile Harlow Aircraft Company, California.
• It was a quantum jump for India at a time when it was not even manufacturing an automobile or a bicycle.
• In January 1951, Hindustan Aircraft Limited was placed under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• The government-owned company mainly engages in aerospace activities and is presently involved in the fabrication & production of aircraft, design, helicopters, jet engines & their replacement parts.
• It has many facilities scattered throughout India including Bangalore, Kanpur, Nasik, Koraput, Korwa, Lucknow, Kasaragod and Hyderabad.

About Aeronautical Development Agency:

• Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is a Society under the Department of Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
• To undertake, aid, promote, guide, manage, co-ordinate and execute research in aeronautical science, design and development of various types of aircraft and rotorcraft.
• ADA is responsible for:
• Co-ordinated management of full range activities leading to development of advance technology flight vehicles.
• Promoting development of a national base in Aeronautics.