LCA TEJAS MK I - DIFFERENCE BETWEEN F.O.C AND I.O.C AIRCRAFT

The final operational clearance or FOC aircraft of LCA Tejas has several additional capabilities compared to the initial operational clearance or IOC aircraft - the primary one being a more advanced missile capability with a significantly enhanced range.Listing some of the more advanced capabilities of the FOC aircraft of LCA Tejas, an official release stated that it has more advanced features like: Beyond Visual Range Missile capabilities, Air-to-Air Refuelling, Air-to-Ground FOC earmarked advanced weapons and delivery system, and general flight envelope expansion.

The Indian Air Force recently placed an order of 83 advanced FOC aircraft of the LCA Tejas. Speaking about the order and the air force's future plan, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa said: "Not only will we have to induct the LCA Tejas MK II, we will, in the days ahead, replace the Jaguar, Mirage and MiG 29 fighter jets." The air chief added that "After that we will go ahead with the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft."

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The military aviation regulator had given the initial operational clearance or IOC to LCA Tejas in 2013, and inducted it into the Indian Air Force's 45 Squadron in July 2016 to prepare for combat readiness.

"The 45 Squadron has since flown over 1,500 sorties during the trials without a single hitch," the document said.

LCA TEJAS - COMBAT READINESS

Calling the LCA Tejas's FOC aircraft a "major milestone", Air Marshal BS Dhanoa said, "You saw how much the the aircraft could fly, the number of sorties it could generate in exercises 'Gagan Shakti' in April 2018 and in 'Vayu Shakti' in February this year.""In the Vayu Shakti exercise we showed you how accurately this fighter jet could dispense weapons on the target. We also demonstrated how the aircraft can not only sustain a very high sortie rate, but can also carry out very accurate weapons delivery," he said.

"It is a fighter jet and behaved like a fighter. It did well both in air-to-air combat, as well as air-to-ground combat," the air chief said.

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