http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=577853
Already running 10 years behind schedule, the country's prestigious Light Combat Aircraft Tejas would be carrying only "limited weaponry" when they get ready by 2012.
As the first of these indigenous fighters strive for initial operational clearance in 2010, experts have come up with sudden complications that Tejas' US aeroengine GE404 does not have requisite thrust to give it power to carry its full load of weaponry, highly-placed sources said.
Tejas, on induction, were slated to be armed with air-to-air beyond visual range missiles, air-to-ground missiles and full complement of heavy and medium precision and cluster bombs.
But during the recent weaponisation of the fighters, experts have found out that Tejas, with the present engines,
cannot carry its full load of armaments including crucial missiles.
"LCA's present GE404 engines give a thrust of only 80-85 kilo newtons, while the weapon payload of the fighter needs a thrust of 95-100 kilo newtons," a source said, indicating the initial 40 Tejas fighters of the IAF, when inducted, would only be "weaponised to a limited role".
India's defence planners have already started negotiations with US company General Electric, Snecma of France, Rolls Royce of UK, European defence consortium EADS and Russian NPS-Saturn on "co-development" or "technology transfer" of a more powerful aeroengine for Tejas.
"As things stand, there is no way that the initial batch of Tejas fighters would be powered by any other engine than GE404," the source said.
Under an agreement signed with Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the first 40 LCA fighters are to be powered by GE404.
The American company makes more powerful GE414 engines, which power the US Air Force's mainstay F-16 fighting falcons, the European consortium also makes EZ-200 engines for the Eurofighters.
Other companies who have the capability to make such engines are Rolls Royce, Snecma and NPS-Saturn.
But the official said that future Tejas fighters would be fitted with more powerful engines to give them capability to carry full complement of strategic weapons.
Sources said the final clearance for the Tejas would come by 2012 and Air Force would be in a position to operate LCA squadrons by 2015-16.
I had made some points in BOLD now what is "crucial missiles" and "strategic weapons". Can some body please elaborate.