Cmde Balaji takes over as ADA director

Tribune News Service

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Bengaluru, July 3

Commodore CD Balaji (retd) today took over as the Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Programme Director, LCA (light combat aircraft).

While the Union Government has earned itself some notoriety for keeping scientific and defence research institutions headless for long durations, it acted with alacrity in choosing a chief for the ADA. PS Subramanyam, who got three extensions to prolong his service with the ADA, finally superannuated on June 30 and Balaji was appointed in his place soon thereafter.

Balaji, who did his Master’s in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, was commissioned into the Navy in 1978. He is a specialist in naval aviation. He served as the Air Engineer Officer of the INAS 310 (Alize aircraft) for about 3 years on aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

He joined the ADA on deputation in 2002 for development of a naval variant of the LCA. As the project director LCA (Navy), he was responsible for the maiden flight of the naval variant of LCA (NP1) in 2012 and the maiden ski jump launch of a naval variant prototype in December 2014.

He was also instrumental in building the shore-based test facility, replicating an aircraft carrier with ski-jump for take-off and arresting gear for recovery of the aircraft, at the Goa naval air station.

Besides the LCA and the naval variant of the fighter jet, Balaji, as the ADA chief, will have to take care of two more ambitious projects critical for IAF’s future. These are, the Tejas Mark II (with a powerful new engine and advanced avionics) and the advanced medium combat aircraft (a fifth-generation fighter that is slated to enter IAF’s service around 2025).