BANGALORE: In a significant step towards India's foray into the fighter jet programme, the first ground run of the Limited Series Production Aircraft (LSP-1) of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was conducted successfully at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) production facilities in Bangalore Complex earlier this week.

Major event

This ground run is a major event in any production programme running concurrently with the development of prototypes. The aircraft has already undergone extensive ground testing of various systems before undertaking this event.

During the ground run, the aircraft behaved "very well as per the specifications," according to a HAL news release.

The LCA production team will be producing seven more aircraft under the production plan by 2008.

As per a contract signed between HAL and the Indian Air Force last year, the first batch of 20 series production aircraft will start rolling out of the HAL facilities from 2009-10 with a planned production rate of eight aircraft a year.

The LCA, which has been beset by delays due to a lukewarm association with foreign collaborators, over-estimation of the project's complexity and American sanctions after the '98 Pokhran nuclear tests, is expected to replace the MiG-21 fighters.

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