There Are Issues, But We’re Reasonably Happy: IAF Vice Chief On Tejas IOC

I asked IAF vice chief Air Marshal PK Barbora this morning about rumoured issues that the service had with the LCA Tejas IOC parameters. Here’s his reply in full: “Any venture of this nature, making a product from scratch always takes time. It is not only in India, even Western countries have taken 15-20 years to produce an aircraft. India’s first venture has taken time. Ultimately, we are reaching the goal that we had looked for. Albeit a little late, but it’s coming through and it will definitely help us move into the future. [Regarding the specific issue of IOC], there are no serious problems that we visualise that cannot be tackled. There are issues. For the IOC part of it, we are quite reasonably happy. Hopefully by the end of next year, we would have formed the first squadron. We would have flown the requisite number of hours which we have stipulated for ourselves. For stability, we are planning initially to have them in Bangalore. Teething problems will be there. But we will resolve them.”

Air Marshal Barbora, an experienced fighter pilot, retires at the end of this month. Livefist wishes him the very best.

Base Image by Pavel Romsy

37 thoughts on “There Are Issues, But We’re Reasonably Happy: IAF Vice Chief On Tejas IOC”

  1. If BJP had not resorted to monkey business of exploding atom bombs just after coming to power, Tejas would have been ready a decade ago. It is due to stringent sanctions imposed on India after those expensive "Diwali" firecrackers that Tejas and other critical projects took a direct hit. This is a perfect example of what happens when monkeys handle the joystick.

  2. With China about to fly its 5th gen fighter, how much sense does it make to allocate the resources on a generation old plane rather than scrap it and go for AMCA.

  3. Every nation has to face delays in military projects it is good to see we are man enough to admit it. Several china propagandists have ridiculed Tejas for slow development but they forget how many failures china has faced. Their J-13s were in development for nearly 20 years and then the plan was scrapped. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. While Tejas is a 100% indigenous design the J-13s were simply reverse engineering of Migs but they even failed at that after putting 20 years in copy/paste!

  4. Hi Shiv,
    Whats your take on the chinese fgfa pictures floating around on net ? Will surely like to hear something on this expert blog of yours.

  5. My only point against the Tejas is that although it looks very cute but almost not menacing.

    To resolve this teething problem, I suggest a big artistic 3-D sticker of SheshaNag should be painted over it.

  6. What is the use of this Late crash aircraft (LCA) IOC ? After getting IOC ? some other issues ? after that some other issues ? end of the days its going to be issues only …
    After all that issues are rectified ? its going to placed in Sulur air force station at coimbatore TN.
    Is it sourrounded by Pakis and Chinkis ? May be they want to keep this LCA in a safe place during the time of war. So that we can say we did not loose any LCA during the war ?
    We are just wasting the Tax payers money. God please save the Public and IAF pilots from this Late crash aircraft.

    DONT WASTE TAX PAYERS MONEY IN THE NAME OF R&D

    Regards,
    TAXPAYER

  7. DONT WASTE TAX PAYERS MONEY IN THE NAME OF R&D
    Regards,
    TAXPAYER

    Even if you tie down the Caps Lock key on your keyboard and hammer away, the GoI is not going to waste of our taxpayer money on keeping brokers like you in business. Sorry fake taxpayer, the LCA is best run combat aircraft program in the last 10 years, evidenced by the Iven C. Kincheloe Award presented to Wg.Cdr.Rajiv Kothiyal, IAF by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, for his leadership of the test program of the LCA.

  8. @ anon 4:43
    If the BJP did not resort to this monkey business India could never test its advanced nuke technologies. China had resorted this monkey business for 42 times and PORKESE for first time; leave apart the USA & RUS. Now come to LCA…If India did not test its nukes perhaps Tejas would have cleared the FOC BUT WITH FOREIGN HELP WHICH CONTRADICTS THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THIS PROJECT…THAT IS INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT. And u never know how much technological advancement India has gained during those black out years. So think before posting comments.

  9. What is amusing in case of the Tejas is that even before Mk. 1 has achieved IOC, the Indian Air Force is contemplating Mk. 2.

    Which clearly means that it is not happy with the current version.

    Start work on the MCA and deem this a technology demonstrator.

    Just because it was made, does not make it a good enough reason to buy it.

  10. annon@4:43:

    Keeping aside politics, What India did in 1998 is absolutely good. If sanctions were not imposed, we would not have developed FBW system and critical avionics in LCA. It is for good that ADA was put to test and time has extracted the best out of Indian scientists @ADA and DRDO.

    Again, I am not RATshakers, who go on kiss DRDO's *** for every bit of news. I support Drdo only when it is genuine to support.

  11. @Anon 4:43

    I am not a BJP patron, but you should probably try to see why a fully "indigenous" fighter program took a hit because of sanctions.

    In my humble opinion, the nuclear tests were good for India as it is only after that the world started seeing us differently.
    Before that we were just another country.

  12. i dont know anything about defence technology…although being a masters in production engineer..i would only say..this is good…at least we are learning…just becoz of the incompetent GOI babus we are facing this day….but i do believe that what ever little LCA (Late Crash Aircraft)!!!! has achieved..has indeed created a solid knowledge base…which we can put to use…through our life time and gen next…….. you see we were always taught in our basic elementary school …. "knowledge is POWER"….hope you chinki – paki…copiers have that enough knowledge how the Xerox machine works!!!!!!!!

  13. I am the TAX PAYER and every day my brethrens are all getting killed by human bombs. My country is devastated by flood. I am getting rapped by every other day. Why the hell india is spending this much money on defence. We need help and help us with food and shelter.

    TAX PAYER

  14. – If India had not declared its atomic status, we would be worse off. There is no point comparing nuclear power to conventional aircraft. Merits/Demerits of atomic power declaration is a separate topic altogether.

    – We have to learn to walk before we learn to run. Let India develop what it can before getting into 5Gn.

    – Any investment we make in the industrial/defence base is money we save from being spent on foreign purchases. Self reliance, no arm twisting, no poodle-ism, etc. Limits are endless.

    – If the Taxpayer is so concerned about his/her taxes going waste, go fight against the political class which is draining the country of its wealth. They are the neo-imperialists. Not the scientists who work on making a better India.

  15. @Anon 4:43

    I suppose your priorities are in the wrong place. I think it was wise enough for the govt. to bravely go for the nuclear tests and establish India as a superpower with a credible nuclear detterent which is good enough to make any of our regional threats stand back.

    Just think even if the LCA had been in place, what amount of teeth could it add to our forces?…Its just an interceptor/Air superiority fighter which India already possesed at that time(Considering the formidable strength of our Mig 29s)…So you should give it a thought before you judge someone as "Monkey with a joystick", as some of us might be the "monkeys with the keyboards",… ain't that right frnd??!!

  16. If BJP had not resorted to monkey business of exploding atom bombs just after coming to power, Tejas would have been ready a decade ago. It is due to stringent sanctions imposed on India after those expensive "Diwali" firecrackers that Tejas and other critical projects took a direct hit. This is a perfect example of what happens when monkeys handle the joystick.
    ===================================
    lol shivji how can this stupid baseless comment get approved??
    firecrackers??seriously??
    get your priorities straight up anonymous guy..period!!

  17. Hi, Shiv can you please IP ban this fake Taxpayer or at-least check carefully before publish his comments. I have no doubt it's a jealous paki sitting duck in its salwar-kamiz with a massive beard while murmuring surah and cursing India with all its passion. I have seen this kind mad-mullah in our country…. always anti-India from the core of their heart and spewing hatred against India in the public. They simply can't tolerate anything good or bad about India…. sorry for being offensive but i'm really pissed of them.

  18. I find it funny how these LCA threads always end up being the same!

    1) Some Einstien will blame the BJP government.

    2) The TAX PAYER will make some lousy comments.

    3) Some bored people will actually take the comments of the TAX PAYER seriously and personally and try to abuse him.

    4) Some other idiots like me will scroll through the entire thread trying to pick out something useful.

    So today I felt compelled to write this! In any case, here's to democracy and freedom of speech and all that!

    For those being cynical…admit it, at least as a country we're heading in the right direction!

    For those taking anti-remarks personally…relax people!

    And to everyone – lets raise our hats to the LCA.

    Der aaye – durust aaye!

  19. Some random anonymous person said:
    If BJP had not resorted to monkey business of exploding atom bombs just after coming to power, Tejas would have been ready a decade ago. It is due to stringent sanctions imposed on India after those expensive "Diwali" firecrackers that Tejas and other critical projects took a direct hit. This is a perfect example of what happens when monkeys handle the joystick.

    I am reminded of the statement "If my aunt had a dik, she would have been my uncle"

  20. Shiv,

    Please let us know about what transpired between BAE and HAL over Hawks….how all the problems simply vanished. Do write about it.

    – Manne

  21. its nice to hear TEJAS has got its IOC,a big big n timely boost 4 our engg n scientist.
    Its time now 4 dm to bend their back give IAF a truly 5th gen craft.tejas was started frm scratch so it took its time,can call it as a learning curve.
    Coming years will definately tell tejas is worth the effort.
    We have learnt d art now we haveto master it

  22. To The Anonymous MONKEY @ 4 : 43 PM

    Mr Monkey ; YES Sir If you DONT understand the importance of the Nuclear tests YOU are just a MONKEY

    The IMPORTANCE of the Nuclear tests are as follows

    1 . After 9/11 and the global paranoia over Weapons of Mass Destruction ,INDIA could never have DECLARED itself a Nuclear Weapons STATE

    2 . India ( and Pakistan riding piggy back like a MONKEY ) is the ONLY country Which has stood FIRMLY against the NPT and DEFIED the world

    3 . Our Nuclear weapons are a detterence against the Chinese N weapons SO THAT in future China doesnt threaten to NUKE INDIA

    4. The Civilian Nuke Deal implicitly acknowledges INDIA'S
    Nuclear Status

    By giving India the Nuclear deal; AS a ONE Time Exception ONLY has the WORLD ; "BENT" its OWN rules

    SO basically INDIA has GATECRASHED in the nuclear CLUB

  23. Tejas Mk-2 as per sources will incorporate advanced technology developed keeping in mind MCA over a decade has a parallel in-house development, now officially known has AMCA.

    India currently is working on Indigenous AESA with inputs from an international partner (read Israel). Officials close to the program have told us that major new avionics will be ready for the aircraft within next two or three years, Tejas Mk-2 will have a lot of key elements which will find its way into FGFA and later into AMCA.

    Tejas MK-2 will also have a newly laid out cockpit layout with higher computing power since it will also be housing a new mission control computer. Samtel Display Systems (SDS) is also working on touch-based Multi Function Displays (MFD) for Tejas Mk-2 which will later find its way in AMCA too .

    Tejas Mk-2 will also see structural changes in the aircraft which will be noticeable in wider wing span to carry extra weapons load along with extra fuel. Aircraft will also have larger air intakes to let the high thrust engine generate additional power for the aircraft. Engine change for Tejas Mk-2 will result in the rear fuselage being changed too .

    Commonality between Tejas Mk-1 and Tejas MK-2 will be digital Fly by Wire (FBW) Flight Control System (FCS) along with some avionics which both aircraft will share, but sources also told us that FBW Software will require some modification in them to support the structural changes which Tejas MK-2 will have.

    When asked about development of Tejas MK-3 sources told us that it all depends how Tejas Mk-2 develops and how IAF responds to it. Further development can happen, but AMCA will be the logical choice if it comes out in time for IAF rather than Tejas MK-3 .

    Source: SECURITY (Security and defense news magazine) October-2010

  24. LOL! My calling BJP a Langur brigade has stirred a hornets nest.

    Well me hearties, what's the point of testing a device that we had tested 2 decades ago?
    WHat are the chances of a full fledged war, let alone a nuclear war in this day and age?
    What is the immediate threat to India's security : high prices of hydrocarbon based energy which is seriously threatening India's economic development or nuclear bombs in neighboring countries? We all known our security lies in nuclear power which was denied to India due to these useless tests.
    Not only Tejas but several other projects both civilian and military were effected bcoz of the sanctions. We developed FBW tech due to USA's assistance. Today it's reliability is questionable bcoz we were booted out halfway due to BJP langur's monkey business of using atoms bombs as firecrackers to celebrate their victory.
    Finally which project do you think is 100% indigenous? Fyi, F35 is a souped up Russian Yak 141.LOL!
    Our immediate priority is social and economic development not military superpower wet dreams when highest number of poor people live in India.
    Our biggest threat is India collapsing like USSR. Almost 80% of India is facing serious insurgencies. So biggest threat is not Pakistan or China but internal turmoil leading tp India breaking up into 30 different parts.
    (Shiv I have used some strong words, but pls allow this post).

  25. This is a very encouraging response from Air Marshall Barbora.

    For the first time, a top ranking IAF oficer has publicly not only come out in full support of the LCA, but also embraced it into the IAF !! This is in stark contrast to the icy response by IAF CAS Mr. Nik, who was very discouraging.

    Now we shall see if Rajat Pandit of ToI(let) newspaper, and Manu Pubby of the Indian Express dare to publish this news even after getting their pay-packets from Rosoboronexport and Lockheed respectively.

    Thanks.

  26. Well me hearties, what's the point of testing a device that we had tested 2 decades ago?
    WHat are the chances of a full fledged war, let alone a nuclear war in this day and age?"

    So in your opinion the Tejas should have been built to be used by the P&T dept to deliver mail, since it won't be needed for war.

    Your English is better than your logic Sir.

  27. lca tejas is our own whatever be thedate it comes .atleast we have our own tech. and it is our 1st step towards technical freedom

  28. Stuffed Porky Burger

    This taxpayer does not understand how much the nuclear tests has helped us to stand up against the Chinese and porkistanis. These tests ere far more important then the LCA getting delayed by a year or two ( Anyway we already have our indigenous LCA as well). It seems that this taxpayer is not an indigenous person but a variant of the Porkese /Chinky design system. Bansh Him !

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