Air Force to buy 40 fighter aircraft
During Aero India, the primary vendor for the HAL LCA, namely the IAF, agreed to the intial order of 20 + 20 a/c. This represents satisfaction with the product and confirmed committment to the last phase of the induction process: end-user trials wherein IAF trains and integrates itself with the LCA type while giving feedback back to HAL for its 'second tranche'/full-scale production and subsequent induction
The initial aircraft tender cost is only $22.8mil, and is expected to be lower with full-scale production. These a/c will be inducted in 2008 with the GE-F404-IN20 engine, and full production from 2010 with Kaveri.
India developing LCA trainer version
HAL is developing a Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) for the LCA. It is also developing a Combat Attack Trainer (CAT) which will replace the Hawk AJT by 2010.
The LIFT will be like other IAF aircraft-specific trainers (MiG-21 Mongol, etc.) in that it will be operationalized in wartime, whereas the CAT, Hawk, while potentially operationalizable, likely will not be.
Images of the CAT
7 LCA prototypes to fly by March next year
The seven prototypes will hurry the clearance process, which will be completed by 2008.


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