The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ landed in Leh this week for a round of cold weather trials that have been termed ‘satisfactory’ by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Two prototypes of the Tejas programme, PV 3 and LSP 2, underwent a series of tests at Leh to test their capability to operate in extreme cold conditions and to make an assessment of the aircraft performance in ‘rarefied atmospheric conditions’. The objective of the current phase of flight trials at Leh is to expose the onboard systems to extreme low temperatures. The tests were carried out in temperatures ranging from -5 to -20 degrees Celsius.

“The event holds a lot of significance. Leh airfield in Ladakh region, situated at an altitude of 10,600 ft, is one of the highest airfields in the world,” the DRDO spokesperson said. “As per reports received from the trial location, the current phase of the flight trial is progressing well with aircraft and systems performing well. The aircraft were soaked overnight in cold weather at a temperature of around -20 degrees Celsius and powered up next day for operation,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier, in June, the fighter had undergone a round of hot weather trials at the Nagpur Air Force station. DRDO officials had said that ‘a first look at the test data indicated that all the trial objectives were met satisfactorily’. The LCA, which fired its first air-to-air missile in October 2007, has been under development for over 23 years and has consistently missed deadlines. The aircraft is expected to enter service by 2012 but will not be fully operational till 2015.