Indian Navy says Naval LCA too heavy, will look for alternative

Chief of the Indian Navy, Adm. Sunil Lanba, has ruled out the deployment of the HAL Naval LCA on his aircraft carriers.

Indian Navy [CC BY 2.5 in or CC BY 2.5 in], via Wikimedia Commons

Lanba said India’s indigenous fighter aircraft is too heavy and his service will be acquiring a carrier-borne fighter from abroad in five to six years time.

Despite the setback, Lanba said the navy will continue to support the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in its research on the Naval LCA.