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Thursday, Apr 03, 2008
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Tejas: ADA looks to Boeing to provide help

Ravi Sharma

BANGALORE: The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence laboratory behind the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), could soon be turning to global aerospace major Boeing to help them with the aircraft’s flight testing programme.

Officials from Boeing met with designers from the ADA on Saturday for what could be the final round of discussions on aspects and scope of the consultancy, and on contractual negotiations.

It is hoped that the consultancy from Boeing will help expedite the number of sorties that are to be flown in each phase of flight testing as the ADA attempts to obtain initial operational clearance (IOC) for the Tejas. ADA’s latest revised schedule speaks of a 2010 deadline for IOC. Boeing, which has the requisite experience on flight test programmes like their F-18 Hornet, will provide the ADA with inputs on points in the flying envelope that flight tests will have to be conducted. This will avoid unnecessary flights, saving on both costs, and even more importantly, time, enabling the ADA to compress the LCA’s flight test programme. ADA had selected Boeing after finding that the American firm’s technical proposals were the most suitable in the global tender that was sent out two years ago. Lockheed Martin and the European consortium of EADS could be called for talks if those with Boeing fail.

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