OREANDA-NEWS.Indian Air Force (IAF) placed order for 20 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas in Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) configuration and 20 more Aircraft in Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration. LCA, Tejas has already achieved IOC in December 2013 and FOC is likely to be achieved by end of 2015. The first of the IOC standard aircraft has been built and successfully completed its maiden flight on 30th September 2014. This aircraft will be handed over to IAF by March 2015 after some upgrades. The second aircraft will also be ready by March 2015 for maiden flight. The first 20 aircraft will be built by 2017-18.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Chand Nath and Shri Mullappally Ramachandran in Lok Sabha today.