Defence minister A K Antony will preside over the ceremony at Bangalore. But, as earlier reported by TOI, the single-engine Tejas will not become fully combat-worthy anytime before end-2015. It was in January 2011 that Tejas had got IOC-I, which was initially heralded as the full and final IOC by the combine of DRDO, Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd till better sense prevailed. The fighter can be certified as fully airworthy only after it passes the IOC-II stage now.
The IAF will induct 40 of these Tejas Mark 1 fighters. The light-weight Tejas will be ready to go to war only after the final operational clearance (FOC), which will include integration of all weapons and other systems to ensure it can fire guns, rockets, laser-guided bombs and BVR (beyond visual range) missiles as well as undergo air-to-air refuelling.
The FOC, as per the current timeline, will take place in December 2014. IAF hopes to eventually induct 140 of Tejas Mark-II fighters with more powerful engines.
The fighter did achieve another significant milestone on Saturday with the launching of an infrared seeking air-to-air missile that hit the target with precision and destroyed the target, said the DRDO statement.
When the Tejas project was first sanctioned in 1983, the initial project cost was pegged at Rs 560 crore. The overall programme will now cost upwards of Rs 25,000 crore if the naval variant, trainer and the failed Kaveri engine are also taken into account.
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