CONCLUSION

On the occasion of the LCA Mark-1 getting IOC, then Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne had reportedly stated, “The final goal for all of us is not just LCA Mark-1, but LCA Mark-2. While our air warriors are fully geared up to induct and operationalise the two Mark-1 squadrons, IAF keenly looks forward to induction of four squadrons of LCA Mark-2 as the final version in its projected force structure.” The future trajectory of the LCA Mark-1A and Mark-2 is not yet convincingly certain and, even if all the items in HAL’s wish list for LCA Mark-2 are ticked off successfully, it is not meant to perform like the Rafale or the Su-30. But, if inducted in large numbers to arrest the depletion of combat squadrons, it would still make a difference to the IAF in the event of a two-front war. Indeed, if the numbers are adequate, even with its modest performance, the LCA Mark-2 could make a significant contribution to averting an ignominious IAF performance in the aerial war.