LCA Tejas Still Not Combat-Ready, Another Deadline For Final Operational Clearance Missed

The indigenous Tejas fighter, first approved in 1983, has missed yet another deadline to become fully combat-ready. After several target revisions, the government had repeatedly declared over the last couple of years that the jet would get its final operational clearance (FOC) by June 2018.

But the single-engine Tejas is still far away from achieving the FOC, amidst galloping costs and operational concerns, say defence ministry officials.

The estimated overall development and production cost of the first 123 light-weight Tejas – only nine delivered till now in their initial operational clearance (IOC) configuration – has also zoomed past Rs 75,000 crore.

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