Watch: First 'combat worthy' Tejas flies for 40 minutes

BENGALURU: The first Final Operational Clearance (FOC) variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighter aircraft , the SP21, took to the skies for the first time on Tuesday (March 17), paving the way for 15 more fighters in this class.Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which is working on rolling out the FOC variants of Tejas, is targeting 15 fighters by April 2021.The SP21 was piloted by Air Commodore (retd) KA Muthanna on Tuesday. The aircraft took off at 12.24pm and landed 40 minutes later."As per the schedules, we should be able to roll out the 15 fighters in FOC configuration by end of the 2020-21. Today's flight was a major milestone given that we were able to roll out the plane in about 12 months of receiving the SOP from CEMILAC," one HAL official said.Tuesday's flight is the first step in a series of things lined up to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) raise a second sqaudron of Tejas in Sulur, Tamil Nadu. The first squadron of Tejas — Flying Daggers — is already operating from there.On February 20, 2019, the IAF had finally agreed that the indigenously developed and built Tejas was combat ready, and received the ‘release to service’ certificate—which means the fighter got the final operational clearance (FOC)—from DRDO , whose lab Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) designed the aircraft.The aircraft, which was first conceived in 1983, is being produced by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Although it was conceived in 1983, the project was only sanctioned in 1993.The FOC and release to service happened close on the heels of the final DAL (Drawing Applicability Lists) of Tejas was released to HAL on December 31. This meant that HAL could go ahead with the production of the aircraft in FOC configuration.Answering a specific question on whether the Tejas was combat ready, then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa said:“...Like I had told you, the proof of the pudding is in eating. You saw how much the aircraft could fly and the number of sorties it could generate during Gagan Shakti, which was in April 2018. And during Vayu Shakti we showed you how accurately this aircraft could dispense weapons on the target. So that is the proof,” he said.Further, HAL is currently awaiting formal orders for 83 Tejas MK1 fighter aircraft, which will have improvements over the FOC variant. As reported by TOI, the cost of the programme is likely to be Rs 39,000 crore.