Another Milestone Missed, Panic Button Pushed On Tejas

TEJAS LSP-2 AT IOC-1 CEREMONY / PHOTO BY SHIV AROOR
There's been a typical but welcome flurry of dates and excitement about the Light Combat Aircraft, which usually happens when there's a change of guard at the DRDO. First, Defence Minister AK Antony on May 29 declared that certification of the platform needed to speeded up so that it was delivered to the Indian Air Force, fully cleared, by the end of next year. Then, with the change of guard at the DRDO, there was talk of moving up the IOC-2 deadline to September-October this year. I hate to be a stick in the mud, believe me, but I think we can all be pretty clear that 30 years have proven how futile it is talking dates and deadlines when it comes to the Tejas. Instead of getting swept away by illusory milestones, it's important to quietly finish the job and deliver. It stopped being a joke over a decade ago. Now, here's a quick round-up of the latest developments:
The LCA Navy, as I've reported here before, is on the drawing board for a re-designed landing gear that's seeing a deep degree of involvement by EADS. It's only had four flights, the last one in July last year. More on that soon.

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