BENGALURU: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh Sunday — Jan 4, 2025 — stressed the need for strict adherence to delivery timelines, warning that delays could affect IAF’s operational readiness, even as he congratulated ADA on the completion of 25 years of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas flight. Inaugurating the two-day national seminar “Aeronautics 2047” here, Singh said meeting committed schedules was critical at a time when the operational environment was rapidly evolving and the IAF’s requirements were growing.Aeronautics 2047 will also trace the journey of LCA Tejas from early design sketches to operational squadrons. Designed and developed by ADA, Tejas has completed more than 5,600 successful flight trials. “More than 100 design and development centres, including govt laboratories, academic institutions and industry partners, have contributed to the programme. The effort led to the development of several niche technologies such as carbon composites, lightweight materials, fly-by-wire flight control, digital utility management systems and a glass cockpit, enabling Tejas to emerge as a fourth-generation fighter aircraft,” the ministry of defence (MoD) said. The LCA-Mk1A, an advanced variant of Tejas, is expected to serve as a key platform for meeting the IAF’s operational requirements. The LCA-Mk2 and the naval variant are currently under development. The seminar features a series of technical talks by engineers, test pilots and scientists closely associated with the Tejas programme.According to ADA officials, the LCA programme has helped India build both capability and capacity to design and manufacture fighter aircraft domestically. So far, 38 aircraft, including 32 fighters and six trainers, have been inducted into two IAF squadrons.Secretary, department of defence R&D, and DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat, stressed the importance of developing indigenous, cutting-edge technologies to reduce dependence on imports. This, he said, “was central to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047”.The seminar brought together experts from industry, academia, government laboratories and the wider aerospace community. Discussions are centred on the future trajectory of Indian aeronautics, with sessions covering next-generation aircraft manufacturing and assembly, digital manufacturing, advanced aerodynamics, propulsion systems, flight testing techniques, digital twin technology, certification challenges, flight control systems and avionics, maintainability of fighter aircraft, artificial intelligence in aircraft design, and precision manufacturing for actuators.As part of the event, public sector undertakings, defence PSUs, private industry and MSMEs are showcasing indigenously designed products and systems for airborne applications. Go to Source
