2017: Eventful for Military Aviation
While the Indian government has initiated steps to address issues related to strengthening the capabilities of the Indian armed forces, much still remains to be done
The year gone by has been eventful for military aviation not only across the globe, but for India as well. With the escalating confrontation between the United States and North Korea and the aggressive moves by China to dominate the South China Sea, the level of tension globally and the possibility of a wider conflict breaking out has been increasing. Closer home, the stand-off between India and China at Doklam and the perpetually burning fire in Jammu and Kashmir, the deteriorating security scenario in the region has also been a matter of concern. While the Indian government has initiated steps to address issues related to strengthening the capabilities of the Indian armed forces, much still remains to be done. Some of the developments in this regard during the year 2017, have been catalogued in the succeeding paragraphs.
RFP FOR 83 LCA ‘TEJAS’
In December 2017, Indian defence public sector major the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 83 LCA Tejas aircraft from Indian Air Force (IAF). The new proposal will populate four fighter squadrons of the IAF and the production will begin after from 2019-20 after completion of the Final Operational Clearance (FOC). The