India to build strike aircraft

India's aeronautical development agency (ADA) will build a single-engine fighter aircraft for the Indian Navy with advantages like landing and take-off from a small-sized aircraft carrier, its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project director said in Hyderabad yesterday.

The fighter aircraft will be able to take off at short notice and provide effective support to the army and the air force as well he said revealing "the first clearance" for the aircraft project to be undertaken with the joint support of the navy and the federal government "was expected soon." The navy variant of the supersonic lca would be produced in 2006.

Limited production of the lca for the Indian Air Force would begin in 2006. At first only eight LCA's will be manufactured and before that seven prototypes would have to be test flown.

The lca technology demonstrator-II was successfully test-flown on June 6 and the third prototype will be test flown before the year end.

The ADA will also develop a 120-seater multi-role transport aircraft for both defence and commercial use its director said.