Naval version of LCA rolled out

Bangalore: India's first indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designed specifically for the Navy, rolled out from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility here on Tuesday.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony described the milestone as “memorable” and urged the project team to conduct the first flight of NP1, the LCA trainer aircraft (Navy), by the year-end. The LCA has to undergo systems integration tests, ground runs, taxi trials and eventually flights, before it will be ready for deployment, officials said.
The aircraft, developed under the auspices of the Naval Programme of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), will fly with a U.S.-made engine. It has been designed to make ‘ski jump' take-off and arrested landings aboard an aircraft carrier. A source in the ADA said the aircraft required “a new design” that would “knock out 300-400 kg from the next prototype.”
The NP2, the aircraft being specially designed for the Navy, is expected to fly for the first time in 2011, sources said.
07/07/10 The Hindu

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Categories: New Jul 2010