New version of Tejas: HAL rolls out 16th LCA for IAF
Bengaluru, Mar 25: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Monday announced the production of 16th light combat aircraft "Tejas" as per the target.
The city-headquartered public sector company said the customer flights would be completed by the end of this month.
HAL in a statement said it has orders from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for 40 LCAs (16 each in Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operation Clearance (FOC) configurations and eight trainers) and the 16th LCA was as per the target till March 31.
The aircraft was inducted into the IAF squadron Flying Daggers on July 1, 2016 and given the FOC last month, signalling its combat readiness.
The FOC involves addition of key capabilities to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) aircraft, which in the main are Beyond Visual Range Missile capabilities, Air-to-Air Refuelling, Air-to-Ground FOC earmarked weapons and general flight envelope expansion.
HAL said LCA production was started in 2014 and in five years, it reached a current production capacity of eight aircraft per annum.
A second production line had been established at the Aircraft Division here which was carrying out structural assembly, final assembly and equipping of the aircraft, it said.
The statement said two LCAs will be flying at the Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Expo (Lima- 2019) in Malaysia beginning tomorrow.
HAL team will be providing the technical support at the show, the company said.
During the Aero India show here last month, Army chief General Bipin Rawat flew in Tejas and described it as a "wonderful" aircraft.
It was during the Aero India show Tejas MK-I was given the final operation clearance by the defence ministry.
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Ranchi: Temple guard bludgeoned to death during robbery attempt, 3 held
Ranchi (PTI): A 60-year-old security guard of a temple in Ranchi was bludgeoned to death with a stone during a robbery attempt, police said on Saturday.
The incident happened late on Thursday at the Jagannath Temple in the Dhurwa Smart City area, they said.
"Three persons were arrested on Friday for killing the security guard. They confessed to the crime and told police that the victim had identified them. Therefore, in fear of being caught, they killed him by attacking him with a stone on his head," SSP Rakesh Ranjan said.
"Thereafter, they took money from the donation box and fled the scene. Two of them have criminal antecedents," he added.
Ranjan said the investigators recovered Rs 3 lakh in cash that had been robbed, the stone with blood-stained marks, and the iron rod used to break open the lock of the donation box kept there.
An FIR in this regard was lodged at the Dhurwa police station, he said, adding that the accused were sent to judicial custody by a court.
