IAF Chief Raha To Fly LCA Trainer in Bangalore Today

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, is slated to fly the trainer version of the indigenous fighter, the LCA, in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning.
It will be the first time that the Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ is being flown by the Chief of the Air Force, for whom the aircraft is being developed, an official said. The sortie is a restricted event at the HAL airport and is a significant step in the story of the light fighter, which is undergoing the last few fitments and trials before it joins the Air Force.
The LCA is being developed in three versions, for the Air Force, the Navy and as a two-seater trainer, by the Aeronautical Development Agency. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is currently producing it in small batches.

Air Chief Marshal Raha is due to meet the LCA team and visit the fighter facilities at HAL. He is also scheduled to take part in the graduation ceremony of test pilots at the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment.