At least six Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March 2026, according to CB Ananthakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) (DK Sunil). The announcement was made weeks after Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari expressed concern about the indigenous fighter jets' delivery schedule delays.
GE Aerospace, based in the United States, failed to deliver the necessary F404 engines on time, which was the main reason for the delay in handing over the LCA Mk-1A jets, Sunil confirmed in an exclusive interview with media. Only one engine has been delivered thus far, despite the aviation major's initial commitment to supply the engines in 2023. “Every company faces its share of challenges. In the case of the LCA Mk-1A, we have completed the aircraft manufacturing. As of today, six aircraft are lined up. But engine deliveries from GE Aerospace have not happened as scheduled,” Sunil said.
He clarified that GE's production problems after the COVID-19 pandemic and the departure of a number of senior engineers were the main causes of the delays, which had a ripple effect on the company's supply chain. Sunil did, however, convey confidence that things are now getting better. "GE Aerospace's technical problems have been resolved. In order to deliver the aircraft to the IAF within the fiscal timeline, we anticipate receiving 12 engines this fiscal year," he promised.
Subject to GE's timely engine deliveries, HAL plans to produce 16 Tejas jets in the next year. In February 2021, the Ministry of Defence and HAL inked a ₹48,000 crore agreement for the purchase of 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft for the IAF. Plans are also in motion to purchase an additional 97 Mk-1A aircraft, which is expected to cost ₹67,000 crore.
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An indigenously developed single-engine, multirole combat aircraft is the Tejas Mk-1A. It is anticipated to take the place of the Indian Air Force's ageing fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets. These inductions are considered essential for preserving combat readiness because the IAF currently has 31 squadrons, far fewer than the authorised 42. With sophisticated radar systems, electronic warfare suites, and a wide variety of contemporary weapons, the Tejas Mk-1A is built for air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and strike operations. The plane was praised by Sunil as a "world-class" platform. It is a very powerful aircraft with a full complement of avionics and weapons. Our Air Force will benefit greatly from it," he said.
Sunil also revealed that several foreign countries have shown interest in the Tejas aircraft. “We are in discussions with multiple nations. Hopefully, there will be a breakthrough soon,” he added, without naming the potential buyers. In addition to the Tejas, HAL recently secured a major order from the defence ministry for the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand. The deal, worth ₹62,700 crore, aims to strengthen India’s combat capabilities. Deliveries for the Prachand helicopters are scheduled to begin in 2028.
The Prachand is India’s first indigenously designed and developed light combat helicopter. It is capable of high-altitude operations, with a service ceiling exceeding 4,500 metres, making it suitable for deployments in mountainous and hostile terrain.
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