New Delhi: Showing confidence in the indigenous LCA Tejas, a day after the fighter jet successfully fired the Astra indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa, the Indian Air Force plans to place orders for around 100 more LCA Mark1A fighter jets. This will give a major boost to indigenous aerospace sector.
The decision to buy around 100 more of these planes came around the time when Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari held a review meeting of the indigenous fighter jet programme with all entities involved including the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The additional buying of these Made in India aircraft will assist IAF replace the MiG-21 fighter jets in its fleet. The IAF has submitted the proposal to the Defence Ministry and all other stakeholders in the national security establishment.
“The Indian Air Force has decided that it would buy around 100 more of these highly capable LCA Mark-1A fighter jets from the HAL. The proposal in this regard has been submitted to the Defence Ministry. The project is expected to receive clearance soon to give the biggest ever boost to the private defence aerospace sector,” according to defence officials.
During the review, it was brought out that all contracted fighter variants of the LCA Mk 1 had been delivered to the IAF. Representatives of HAL had assured the chief of the timely delivery of the contracted twin-seaters in the coming months, as well. Further to the LCA Mk 1, 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft have also been contracted by the IAF in 2021. The Chairman and Managing Director of HAL had assured those present that the deliveries of this advanced variant of the LCA would commence by February 2024.
The order for 100 LCA Mark1A fighter jets would make way for fighter jets re-entry into the Indian Air Force in very large numbers. In the next 15 years, the IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark-1A and at least 120 LCA Mark-2 planes. The last order for LCA Mark1A was for 83 aircraft and the first plane would be delivered around February 2024.
The advanced version of Tejas aircraft, LCA Mark 1A has more advanced avionics and radars than the initial 40 LCAs being supplied to the Air Force and will have more indigenous content. The LCA Tejas programme has been the harbinger of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of the nation. More importantly, it is a flag bearer of India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector as well as the force’s efforts towards the indigenisation of its aircraft fleet.
