LCA Navy's second fighter ready to take off

India’s second home grown carrier-borne fighter aircraft is expected to fly within a month, but its induction into the Navy is still several years away.

“The NP (naval prototype)-2 is now ready. It is undergoing ground testing. The first flight is likely in the next 15-20 days,” K Tamilmani, director general in charge of aeronautical systems at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told Deccan Herald here.

The first Light Combat Aircraft of the Navy, NP 1, flew on April 2012 for 22 minutes after taking off from HAL airport in Bangalore. NP 1 was a two-seat trainer whereas NP-2 is a single-seat fighter.

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