Jitendra J Jadhav Appointed as New Director General of Aeronautical Development Agency
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Jitendra J Jadhav appointed as Director General of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). |
| Effective Date | September 11, 2024. |
| Experience | Nearly four decades in aircraft design and development. |
| Previous Roles | - Scientist/Engineer 'E' at ADA (1999) - Project Director (LCA AF MK1) (2013) - Director & Programme Director (Combat Aircraft) (2022) - Director of CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (2016-2022). |
| Key Achievements | - Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) - Development of critical systems for Tejas - Military Type Certification of Series Production Trainer (SPT) - Maiden flight of Naval Prototype (NP5) - First arrested landing of LCA Navy on INS Vikrant - Maiden flight of Tejas LCA AF Mk1 A - Progress in LCA AF Mk2 and AMCA projects. |
| Accolades | - DRDO Scientist of the Year - DRDO Agni Award for Self-Reliance - Fellowship of INAE - Fellowship of Royal Aeronautical Society (UK). |
| Immediate Focus | - First flight of LCA AF Mk2 (late 2025) - Advancement of AMCA project. |
| Long-term Strategies | - Policy reforms - Expansion and upgrade of laboratory capabilities - Integration of AI/ML and MUM-T techniques. |