The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Air Force to integrate advanced weapons and sensors into the Tejas light combat aircraft.
ADA, a premier organisation operating under the administrative control of the Department of Defence Research and Development, is mandated to advance the Tejas aircraft program.
In the current warfare landscape, there is a continual need to upgrade the aircraft's weapons and sensor suite, as highlighted by the Ministry of Defence. To address this, ADA has initiated the transfer of know-how for integrating weapons and sensors to the Software Development Institute (SDI).
The move aims to empower the Indian Air Force to independently conduct sensor, weapon integration, and flight testing, thereby enhancing the operational capabilities of the Tejas-LCA fighter, as stated in the ministry's release.
The statement emphasised ADA's successful development and type certification of Tejas LCA, with an impressive track record of over 10,000 incident-free flying sorties.
The Indian Air Force has already established two squadrons of this fighter aircraft, and the induction of twin-seater aircraft is currently underway.