Bangalore, June 19: Tejas, the country's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, will break the sound barrier and fly at supersonic speed in the next two weeks, a top Defence Ministry official said today. "It (breaking the sound barrier) will happen in two weeks," Dr V K Aatre, scientific advisor to the Defence Minister, told reporters here.

He said a final decision (on the supersonic speed flight) would be taken at the review meet of the LCA project at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is building the aircraft, later this week.

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ADA has successfully flown two technology demonstrators of LCA since its maiden flight in January 2001 and the first prototype version was expected to fly later this year.

Aatre said that the next round of tests of the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile, Brahmos would be held after the monsoons.

He said further tests on an advanced digital version of the Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA), Lakshya would be held later this year.
"There were several tests of Lakshya during April. We have evaluated and found it successful. We will hold further tests later this year," Aatre said on the sidelines of the inaugural of the "National seminar on smart materials, intelligent structures and systems in civil engineering".
Bureau Report