LCA: News & Discussions: 15 August 2017

[srai]

Okay 16 by 2019, I am happy enough. ...

FWIW at 16 LCA/year, India will have more production capacity than the Rafales (9 to 11/year)

[JTull]

Okay 16 by 2019, I am happy enough. We are looking to export the Advanced Hawk no? We would want to keep capacity just in case of sales I imagine.

So, HAL won't setup a new line without orders or investment, but it'll keep one idle in hope for more orders? That's tremendous waste of resources.

1350cr is for HAL before it moves a muscle but expects the private sector to cough up all investment to scale up production of their workshare.

[suryag]

SP5 flew ... congratulations

[KBDagha]

Great news! Any link?

[srai]

Okay 16 by 2019, I am happy enough. We are looking to export the Advanced Hawk no? We would want to keep capacity just in case of sales I imagine.

So, HAL won't setup a new line without orders or investment, but it'll keep one idle in hope for more orders? That's tremendous waste of resources.

1350cr is for HAL before it moves a muscle but expects the private sector to cough up all investment to scale up production of their workshare.

Ask a private player to setup production lines for LCA without further orders (or piecemeal ones), let’s see how many will step forward

[ashishvikas]

Great news! Any link?

Long awaited LA-5005 (SP-05) flew for the first time yesterday. After couple of regular production sorties, she will be with flying daggers.
Jai Hind.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 9156428208

[JayS]

^^ Jay, as per information shared by journalist M Anantha Krishna, who was ex Public Relationship Officer at HAL, the newest line of 8 is not the Hawk Line, but another greenfield project supposed to come up at Doddanekundi across Old Airport Road where the HAL New Management Academy is.

The area in Google Maps shows open land unlike the highly crowded neighboring Marathahalli.

How they move Tejas across a very crowded Old Airport Road is another question, ofcourse.

My take as stated earlier was to finish Hawk assembly quickly, transfer jigs & other equipment for maintenance to the IAF 5 BRD at Sulur, Coimbatore already managing Jaguars and common Adour engines, and go full stream on the Tejas

I remember to have read this one also, or maybe that was something else. Had came across 3 different locations by that time. Then I had given up. When it comes up, we will know, where for sure.

If at all thats the final location, transferring Tejas wont be an issue. They can do it in Night. Roads are wide enough there, for a trailer. And distance is not much to HAL airstrip.

BTW I thought that land belongs to Indian Army. There is a sign board there somewhere saying 'this land belongs to Army'. I was surprised when I saw it. May be incorrect board.

PS: This is one of many news saying new line would come at Hawk facility: http://www.janes.com/article/73293/hal- ... hree-years

[JTull]

SP5. Yay!

[raj-senthil]

SP5. Yay!

Sir, any update on SP7? Is it with service now?

[Indranil]

Second line is at Erstwhile hawk facility, run by erstwhile hawk-production line runners.

SP7 is with squadron.

[Rishi_Tri]

Why did SP5 fly after SP7? Different production lines? I think the reason was posted here but can't find it. Tks

[Indranil]

^^^Yes. SP5 is from the second line. It was "ready" since middle of last year. It kept coming up to the flight line, but not clearing HSTT. It was finally handed over to Line 1 near the end of January to take it past the line, which it has done now. I am sure the knowledge has been absorbed by Line 2 guys and you should see SP8 join the flight line pretty soon from Line 2, and SP9 from Line 1.

[Rakesh]

Indranil, I cannot remember who posted this on BRF....but someone was maintaining a running tally of SP aircraft that have joined No 45 Squadron. I am thinking, we need to keep a tab going and also a definitive post on the two production line capacities. That info should be in the beginning of a new Tejas thread. And each time a SP aircraft is added to No 45 Sqn or production capacity increases, we need to edit that post. This will be good for reference. What do you think?

[Kartik]

Glad to hear that SP-5 finally flew. Once handed over to No.45 squadron, that'll be 7 SPs plus 1 trainer in service.

Can someone find the number that HAL had said would be delivered by 2017 fiscal year end, which is March 2018 and less than 2 months away now? Was it 11 airframes?

IR, will SP8 and 9 be flown before March 31st?

[Kartik]

Rakesh, it was Ashishvikas who had posted it on BRF. And I agree, we need to maintain a running tally of the number of SP fighters joining No.45 Squadron and with their first flight dates preferably. It's the only way to be accurately tell how the production line ramps up.

Ashish had posted this earlier, I'm just adding SP-5 to the list.

Aircraft Aircraft No. First Flight Pilot
TD-1 KH2001 04-Jan-01 Wg. Cdr. Rajiv Kothiyal
TD- 2 KH2002 06-Jun-02 Wg. Cdr. Tarun Banerjee
PV-1 KH2003 25-Nov-03 Sqn. Ldr. Suneet Krishna
PV-2 KH2004 01-Dec-05 Wg. Cdr. Vikram Singh
PV-3 KH2005 01-Dec-06 Gp. Capt. Harish
LSP-1 KH2011 25-Apr-07 Gp. Capt. AP Singh
LSP-2 KH2012 16-Jun-08 Wg. Cdr. N Tiwari
PV-5 KH-T2009 26-Nov-09 Gp. Capt. R Tyagi & Air Cmde Rohit Varma
LSP-3 KH2013 23-Apr-10 Wg. Cdr. G Thomas
LSP-4 KH2014 02-Jun-10 Gp. Capt. Suneet Krishna
LSP-5 KH2015 19-Nov-10 Lt. Cdr. Ankur Jain
LSP-7 KH2017 09-Mar-12 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal
NP-1 KHN-T-3001 27-Apr-12 Commodore J.A. Maolankar (IN) & Wg. Cdr. M Prabhu
LSP-8 KH2018 31-Mar-13 Air. Cmde K A Muthanna (Retd)
SP-1 LA-5001 01-Oct-14 Air. Cmde. K A Muthanna (Retd)
PV-6 KH-T-2010 08-Nov-14 Gp. Capt. Vivart Singh & Gp Capt Kabadwal
NP-2 NAVY-3002 07-Feb-15 Capt. Shivnath Dahiya (IN)
SP-2 LA-5002 22-Mar-16 Gp. Capt. K K Venugopal (Retd)
SP-3 LA-5003 28-Sep-16 Air. Cmde. K A Muthanna (Retd)
SP-4 LA-5004 03-Mar-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd)
SP-6 LA-5006 30-Jun-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd)
SP-7 LA-5007 12-Dec-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd)
SP-5 LA-5005 02-Feb-18

[Rakesh]

Beautiful list Kartik! I had a hard time remembering who posted it. Kudos to Ashish Saar and You. This really needs to go in Page 1 of this thread OR in a new thread, along with current production capacity. And when each new milestone is achieved, we just update it. I am waiting for Indranil's input on this.

[Indranil]

Admiral,

At some point, I would lose track (a good thing). If we can move from tracking number of aircrafts in a squadron. to number of squadrons in the force, it will be a great thing. I am just keeping track now to dispel "1 aircraft delivered in the last seven month" rhetorics.

Kartik,
I think they promised 11. Frankly, that was an optimistic target. But, SP5 happened. I don't see them getting there before April. I expect SP8 and SP9 to join the flightline before the end of this month and SP10 and SP11 by end of April. Let's see.

[Rakesh]

At some point, I would lose track (a good thing). If we can move from tracking number of aircrafts in a squadron. to number of squadrons in the force, it will be a great thing. I am just keeping track now to dispel "1 aircraft delivered in the last seven month" rhetorics.

I fully agree. I am just seeing so many posts - of which I have contributed to as well - asking how many SPs are there now? Each time a new SP joins, that is the standard question asked. So if we can have a running (and up-to-date) total going, that would be great. I know Ashish had posted this earlier, but for the life of me I could not remember on which page of this dhaaga. If it is on page 1, then it will be easy to remember for oldies like me and easy to update the list.

[Indranil]

Go ahead. YOu have the powers

[fanne]

Line Aircraft Aircraft No. First Flight Pilot Squadron#
Line 1 - SP-1 LA-5001 01-Oct-14 Air. Cmde. K A Muthanna (Retd), 45
PV-6 KH-T-2010 08-Nov-14 Gp. Capt. Vivart Singh & Gp Capt Kabadwal, 45
Line 1 -SP-2 LA-5002 22-Mar-16 Gp. Capt. K K Venugopal (Retd),45
Line 1 -SP-3 LA-5003 28-Sep-16 Air. Cmde. K A Muthanna (Retd), 45
Line 1 -SP-4 LA-5004 03-Mar-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd), 45
Line 1 -SP-6 LA-5006 30-Jun-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd), 45
Line 1 -SP-7 LA-5007 12-Dec-17 Gp. Capt. KK Venugopal (Retd), 45
Line 1 AC div - SP-5 LA-5005 02-Feb-18 xxx, 45

[Rakesh]

Thanks IR. Starting a new thread with the above info from ashishraval, Kartik and fanne.