New Delhi: Days after the government auditor questioned the delay in producing the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), a defence ministry official said the first squadron of 18 aircraft will be delivered by 2017-18 — a good 17 years after it first took to the skies.

“The initial operational clearance was obtained in December 2013 and the production of Tejas has commenced. The first squadron is expected to be delivered by 2017-18,” a defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“Efforts are under way to enhance the production capability,” the official added.

However, full operational clearance for the LCA is still pending and is now expected by December 2015.

A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled in the just-concluded budget session of parliament, said that due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of the LCA, the Indian Air Force (IAF) are forced to take alternative and temporary measures such as upgrading its MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Jaguars and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs. 200 billion (Dh11 billion) and revise the phasing out of the Soviet-era MiG-21s.

The LCA programme was sanctioned in 1983 with a development schedule of eight to 10 years against the IAF’s requirement of induction by 1994.

Subsequently, the project missed many deadlines, mainly on account of design changes necessitated due to changes in weapon requirements, non-availability of the indigenous Kaveri engine, delay in completion of work packages and the like.

The CAG report also criticised LCA for its limited “operational capabilities” and being “overweight”, largely due to the 53 concessions/permanent waivers the project had undergone.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha last week, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had blamed factors such as “non-availability of trained manpower, non-availability of infrastructure and test facilities, unanticipated technical complexities faced in structural design and non-availability of critical components, equipment, or material and denial of technologies” by advanced countries.

He also blamed “enhanced user’s requirements or change in specifications during development, increase in the scope of work, and inadequate production facilities at HAL [Hindustan Aeronautics Limited]” for the delays.