The 48-member committee headed by Lok Sabha member Squadron Leader Kamal Chaudhry has also been told that the induction of the AJT is projected in the Ninth Five Year Plan.

Maintaining that it was not satisfied with the ministry's reply, the committee has observed that government should take steps for induction of AJT "urgently" and in a time-bound manner, taking into consideration all the available options.

AJTs are required to improve training of IAF pilots and minimise accidents due to human error and prevent loss of fighter pilots.

According to the ministry, one of two Russian manufacturers has offered joint manufacture of AJT with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which has also submitted an offer for designand development of an indigenous AJT.

Amidst all this delay, the standing committee on defence has also expressed doubt over MoD's claim that India's light combat aircraft (LCA) will be inducted into the IAF by year 2003 and regretted the considerable time and cost overruns on its development.

The committee has said all out efforts should be made to meet the situation created by restrictions on getting hardware and technology inputs for the LCA project.

"If necessary, the defence ministry may make additional funds available to ensure timely completion of the project," the committee said in its report presented in Parliament on Friday.

As the prototype of LCA is yet to fly, the committee said it did not find the reasons given by the ministry convincing so as to satisfy itself that the scheduled induction of LCA by 2003 into IAF will be possible.

As against the scheduled first test flight of LCA in early 1997, the ministry told the committee that the development flight test of LCA has now been plannedin the first half of 1999.

However, the ministry said there is no change in the schedule to induct LCA into IAF by 2003. The ministry said the indigenously developed first LCA was undergoing engine ground run and other safety tests for undertaking its maiden flight.

The second LCA prototype is in the final state of assembly, it said, adding that in a limited area of flight control, there was a joint development programme between a US firm and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

"There is a US sanction and a national team has been formed to combat the situation and make LCA ready for user services as planned," it said.

The much publicised LCA project was sanctioned in 1983 with an original cost estimate of Rs 560 crore. The first flight was scheduled for 1991.

The cost was later revised to Rs 2,188 crore in June 1993 with revised schedule for the first flight in June 1996.