BANGALORE, Dec 10: The spectre of India's much delayed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), loomed large over the National Seminar on Flight Testing organised here on Wednesday, with a strongly worded keynote address by former vice-chief of Air Staff Air Marshal (retd) P M Ramachandran questioning the pace and scope of its development, and A P J Abdul Kalam passionately standing by his team, saying that the craft will be inducted into the Air Force in 2003. Ramachandran minced no words in giving voice to a wide-spread perception that the programme was still slipping. "I visualise the LCA test programme in its totality (including weapon systems, radar, etc) as a very large task for which the projection of five to seven years is too optimistic, and it could stretch for ever if resolute and extensive preparations are not put in place with utmost urgency."

The first flight of Technology Demonstrator (TD) -1, was being repeatedly postponed, and was now expected in late 1998. "But the date for induction into service after certification is still being held at 2005. A committee had also been tasked to examine the feasibility of bringing forward the induction date to 2003."

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