New Delhi. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scored another first with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) carrying out a successful nighttime “arrested landing” by the Indian Navy at Shore Based Test Facility INS Hansa, Goa on November 12.

The landing at 1845 hours was to demonstrate the ease of handling and confidence achieved in arrested landing technologies of the indigenous aircraft being made at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The LCA which is made in India and designed and developed by Indians has been showing success at critical tests which are being carried out for the Indian navy.

Recently, in another first, the naval prototype-2 had successfully completed the cycle of launch and recovery necessary for aircraft carrier operations in a single sortie off the ski-jump. According to DRDO officials, “Series of tests have been carried out successfully and now with the “arrested landing” at night time this is another major success.” The tests for the Indian Navy are carried out with the involvement of other agencies including DRDO, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The team of LCA has been involved in not only conceptualising but also experimenting with the complex software modes which are very important for the unique Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) concept of aircraft.