LCA Tejas Mk.1 at Aero India this week
Battling its notorious and long-spiralling depletion in fighter aircraft squadron strength, the Indian Air Force is is believed to have firmed up plans to order at least 50 more LCA Tejas Mk1A jets from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. These would be in addition to 83 Mk1A jets currently on order as part of $6.5 billion contract signed in February 2021.
The IAF operates two squadrons of the LCA Mk1 in Sulur in southern India, with a total of 40 aircraft across operational capability tiers on order. The Mk1A is a significantly improved iteration of the Tejas that’s better armed, better performing, superior survivability and avionics and crucially easier to maintain and turn around. You can read our detailed piece on improvements the Mk1A brings to the table here. The first LCA Mk1A jets are slated to be delivered to Indian Air Force in the first half of 2024.
Adding numbers to the LCA order book has been obvious option in front of the IAF for years now, though Air Force HQ has preferred to hedge amidst frictions with HAL on production rates and ongoing ambiguity over the faltering MRFA contest, a quest to add 114 foreign fighters from among a stack of seven competitors from the US (F-15EX and F-21), Russia (Su-35 and MiG-35), Sweden (Gripen E), France (Rafale) and Germany (Typhoon).
Given budgetary constraints, it’s unclear if the IAF will commit to the 50 additional LCA Mk1As before most of the 83 from the original 2021 contract are delivered. The IAF has been in extended discussions with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA — the agency effecting the Mk1A improvements) and HAL on the planned additional order. HAL hopes to close a deal for 50 more Mk1As by 2024-25, though there remains little clarity on when that will happen. The original contract for 83 Mk1A jets took eight years to come to fruition. This Livefist tweet from 2013 was from a time before the Mk2 was watered down to an Mk1A variant.
. As I say our Great PM and this honest government will do the correct things. Just have patience brothers, we are well on our way towards becoming 100% self-reliant in defence.
