Important Facts For Prelims
Naval Variant of LCA Tejas
- 16 Jan 2020
- 1 min read
Why in News
Recently, the naval version of the indigenously built Mk1 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) landed for the first time on an aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya.
- This has taken India into a select group of nations — the US, UK, Russia, France, and China — that have developed aircraft capable of landing and taking off from the severely constrained confines of an aircraft carrier deck, which is barely 200 metres long.
- The Naval LCA-Mk1 made its maiden flight in April 2012 and two prototypes have been flying as part of the development.
- The Tejas, or ‘radiance’, is an indigenous fighter aircraft jointly developed by Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is the smallest lightweight, multi-role, single-engine tactical fighter aircraft in the world and is being developed in single-seat fighter and twin seat trainer variants for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
- INS Vikramaditya (a former Russian ship) is the newest and largest aircraft carrier to join Indian Navy in 2013.
