Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
India's LCA Tejas successfully completes first ever mid air refueling trial
India's LCA Tejas successfully completes first ever mid-air refueling trial: Details, Highlights
India's indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, was successfully refueled mid-air by a Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 tanker on 10th September 2018.
The mid-air refueling was a part of a ‘wet contact’ trial for LCA Tejas MK-1.
The Russian-origin tanker refueled the fighter plane, piloted by Wing Commander Siddarth Singh, with 1,900 liters of fuel at an altitude of 20,000 ft. This new move demonstrated a key capability sought by the Indian Air Force.
The successful test carried is seen as a significant achievement and a major step towards the final operational clearance of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
The air-to-air refueling capability for LCA is a ‘force multiplier’ for the IAF, giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for a much longer period of time.
The pivoted range and endurance in the air is expected to provide IAF a host of options in exploiting the operational potential of the LCA as well as to participate in international exercises without having to stage through several locations en route.
