Revealing that India's first indigenous aircraft carrier will be ready by 2020-end, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba also said the Navy is committed to operationalize TEJAS Navy when it is ready for deck based operations.
"We are committed to indigenisation. We have supported the LCA Navy project and we will continue to support it," he said.
Admiral Lanba said the Navy has already paid its share of costs for the LCA Navy program, which was around 40 per cent of the total project cost for Mark I of LCA, that is around Rs 600 crore. The Navy is supposed to pay 60 per cent of the cost of the Mark II of LCA.
He said so far the Indian Navy has given around Rs 300 crore for the project, and the transfer of the remaining money is linked to the project's milestones.
"The indigenous aircraft carrier is due to be inducted in 2020. I need deck-based jet fighters by then. The LCA Navy is nowhere on the horizon. At present, it cannot be operated from the deck. It still has to go through carrier compatibility trials; it is underpowered; it cannot take off with ordnance. I need a fighter which can operate from an aircraft carrier and is combat-capable," he said.
"It is a good plane to fly, but what I need is a deck-based fighter that is combat- capable. We are committed to this project. As and when the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Aeronautical Development Agency produces an indigenous deck-based fighter jet, we are willing to induct it. The first indigenous aircraft carrier is designed to operate MiG29K and LCA, so we need deck-based fighters for it also," he added.
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