Lockheed Martin, along with UK-based firm Wem Technologies, is reportedly planning to build a new facility for weapons integration for India’s light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The proposed weapons integration facility will be built in the West Godavari district at a cost of around INR21.35bn ($318m), The Press Trust of India reported.
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was quoted by the news agency as saying: "We have decided to allot 350 acres of land for this facility spread over Vatluru and Bhogapuram villages near Eluru in West Godavari district.
"In the first phase, they will invest Rs635 crore and provide employment to 650 persons.
“In all, 2,510 jobs will be created when the facility becomes fully operational.”
The single-seat, single-engine, lightweight, high-agility supersonic fighter aircraft Tejas has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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By GlobalDataTejas' night vision compatible glass cockpit features Martin Baker (UK) zero-zero ejection seats.
The cockpit also has two colour liquid crystal multifunction displays, a head-up display and a liquid crystal return-to-home-base panel and keyboard.
The aircraft can be fitted with air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles, precision-guided munitions, rockets and bombs.
Its hardpoints can also carry electronic warfare, targeting, surveillance, reconnaissance or training pods.
As of June 2016, Tejas had flown more than 3,000 test flights up to speeds of Mach 1.4.
Image: Tejas at Aero India 2009. Photo: courtesy of Rahuldevnath.
