Last Updated: 01 February 2004

NAVAL LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT

The Naval LCA is intended for carrier operations aboard the Indian Navy's future Air Defence Ship. At a press conference in Mumbai on 06 January 2004, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh stated that two prototypes of the Naval LCA have been ordered and the first flight of the aircraft is expected in 2007. He also stated that the aircraft is expected to be operational by 2009-10. At a lecture program on 20 December 2003, Kota Harinarayana - who was Project Leader of the Light Combat Aircraft program - stated that 30 Naval LCAs would be produced in total for the Indian Navy's Air Arm. That would be sufficient to equip at least two squadrons worth of aircraft.

The aircraft is designed to have additional aerodynamic surfaces for improved aircraft carrier landing performance, nose droop for improved cockpit vision during landing approach, wing leading edge vortexes (LEVCON) to increase lift during approach, arrestor hook, a strengthened spine, a longer and stronger undercarriage and the nose wheel steering will be powered for deck manoeuvrability. Canards will be included at the front, and these will be extended for landing, in order to reduce speed faster for carrier operations.

The aircraft will have a wing span of 8.2 metres, a length of 13.2 metres and a height of 4.65 metres. Launch speed over a 12º ramp is 100 knots and recovery speed during a no-flare deck landing using arrester gear is 120 knots. Aircraft carrier take-off mass is projected to be at 12,300 kg and aircraft carrier maximum landing mass is projected to be at 9100 kg. Designed to be supersonic at all altitudes, the aircraft will be powered by a Kaveri engine. The features of the engine include a 3 stage fan; 6 stage HP compressor; cooled single stage HP and LP turbines; modulated after-burner and a fully variable, convergent-divergent nozzle. The Kaveri will have a dry thrust of 52 kN; reheat thrust of 81 kN and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 7:8.