It was 'textbook landing': DRDO sources on naval LCA Tejas testing

The maiden "arrested landing" of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on Friday at a shore-based test facility in Goa was a "textbook landing", DRDO sources said.

The first naval prototype (NP-1) of the Naval LCA -- a twin-seater -- made a "successful landing" on a 90-metre stretch after being flown by a pilot for about 40 minutes, they said.

"A normal LCA needs a runway spanning about 1-km for take-off and landing. But, for the naval variant, the take off stretch is about 200 m and landing needs 100 m. Today, the NP-1 made its maiden arrested landing, and it was a textbook landing," a DRDO source said.

An arrested landing is one in which an aircraft on course of its landing is decelerated with the help of wires from underneath while it moves on the runway.

"The landing took place at our SBTF (shore-based test facility) at INS Hansa in Goa. The touchdown was at about 11:45 am and the landing was at a very steep angle. This will pave the way for this indigenous ...