New Heights: LCA Navy Prototype NP5 Successfully Completes First Flight!
LCA Navy Prototype NP5 Successfully Completes Maiden Flight: DRDO
Marking a notable milestone, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval trainer prototype NP5 successfully concluded its maiden flight on Friday, as officially declared by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in an official statement.
The flight was skillfully piloted by Captain Amit Kawade of the Indian Navy and Wing Commander Siddarth Singh (RETD).
The aircraft’s takeoff took place from the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) Airport at 1420 hours.
“The LCA Navy is a collaborative effort between the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL. The initial trainer prototype NP1 conducted its maiden flight on April 27, 2012, and the fighter prototype NP2 replicated this feat on February 7, 2015. Both Naval Prototypes (NP1 and NP2) achieved significant milestones including ski jump take-off and arrested landing demonstrations at the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) in Dabolim Airport, Goa, and operations from indigenous aircraft carriers. The aircraft demonstrated 18 arrested landings and ski jump take-offs from INS Vikramaditya in January 2020, showcasing its hot refueling capability as well,” stated a DRDO release.
In aviation, the term “ski jump” refers to an upward-curving ramp that allows an aircraft to take off from a runway that is shorter than its required takeoff distance.
More recently, the LCA Navy actively participated in carrier trials from INS Vikrant, accomplishing 10 successful ski jump take-offs and arrested landings on February 6 of this year. “A momentous achievement was marked when the LCA Navy became the first indigenous fighter aircraft to land on the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant,” affirmed DRDO.
Incorporating advanced technologies like a Fly-by-wire flight control system, a glass cockpit, and sophisticated mechanical systems, the LCA Navy is engineered for smooth operations in both day and night conditions. It encompasses state-of-the-art hands-free ski jump take-off and landing flight control modes. The LCA Navy Prototypes are specifically designed for compatibility with carriers and are capable of participating in combat missions using Air-to-Air weapons. The recently introduced NP5 prototype is poised to engage in field and carrier operations from both INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant in the coming times.
NP5 incorporates all enhancements identified during the exploitation of NP1 and NP2, and it is a production-ready aircraft,” the release elaborated.
Captain Kawade (IN) shared his satisfaction with the aircraft’s handling qualities, expressing that all anticipated test points had been successfully addressed.
DRDO officials added, “The addition of the NP5 aircraft to the LCA Navy prototype fleet will significantly expedite flight testing activities, providing crucial insights to designers for the development of the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), a prestigious future carrier aircraft program of our nation. The LCA Navy also serves as an effective training platform for Indian Navy pilots for carrier-based operations.”
The TEDBF program involves the development of a multi-role combat aircraft tailored for the Indian Navy.
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