Explainer: After 40 years, just 40 aircraft – Issues delaying the production of Tejas fighter and the impact on IAF

The government has accorded final approval for the acquisition of 97 indigenously developed Tejas Mark-1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which over a period of time, will give the much-needed fillip to the Indian Air Force’s depleting squadron strength.

The LCA programme was initiated way back in 1983 as a replacement for the MiG-21, the last of which will be decommissioned in September 2025 after emblazoning the skies over the Indian subcontinent for 60 years.

However, after over four decades of design, development and limited production, only about 40 Tejas fighters, including trainer versions, have been inducted into the IAF, against a projected requirement of about 325 aircraft including future more advanced variants like the proposed Mark-2.

At present, two IAF squadrons – No. 45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers based at Sulur Air Force Station, and No 18 Squadron, the Flying Bullets at Naliya Air Force Station, operate the Tejas Mark-1 variant.

How the Tejas project evolved

The single-engine, light, multirole fighters are designed for air defence as well as ground attack roles. The Mark-1A variant that is now being procured is an upgraded version with more advanced avionics and electronic warfare measures.

After the LCA programme was launched in 1983, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was established the following year for executing the project. In 1986, the government sanctioned Rs 575 crore for Phase-I of the Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED).

The project definition phase commenced in October 1986 with France's Dassault-Breguet Aviation being selected as a consultant for design and systems integration. In 1989, state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was assigned the task of aircraft fabrication and the first technology demonstrator (TD-1) was rolled out in 1995.

On January 4, 2001, the maiden flight of TD-1, a successful 18-minute sortie from Bengaluru took place, marking a major milestone in the project. This was followed by a flight by Prototype Vehicle (PV-1) in 2004 that had upgraded features and the first supersonic flight by PV-3 in 2007.

The first Limited Series Production aircraft (LSP) performed its maiden flight in April 2007. A total of seven LSP were produced which were extensively used for systems trials and weapon testing.

In 2011, Tejas was granted the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC), implying that the fighter was fit for limited operational use by the Air Force. In January 2015, the first series production aircraft was handed over to No.45 Squadron IAF and two aircraft were formally inducted into service on July 1, 2016.

In September 2018, the Tejas successfully completed its mid-air refuelling trials, among the last steps required for the aircraft to obtain its Final Operational Clearance (FOC). In January 2019, HAL received the go-ahead from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification to commence production of the FOC standard Tejas.

A naval variant for the Tejas was also developed which carried out flight trials from INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, but the Navy opted out of the programme over delays and technical reasons and instead favoured a new twin-engine naval fighter being developed by the DRDO.

Reasons for the delay

That the LCA programme has been delayed is officially acknowledged. HAL chairman DK Sunil has cited challenges relating to engines, radar and missile integration as reasons. The supply chain issues with the US General Electric F-404 engines that power the Tejas is the most significant cause of production being held up.

The indigenous Kaveri engine being developed for the Tejas faced significant technical hurdles and funding shortages, resulting in the programme being abandoned and leading to reliance on foreign suppliers. Closing down of some production lines in the US and non-availability of components from third party vendors led to delays of over two years in the delivery of F-404 engines.

Tejas, a 4-4.5 generation (G) aircraft is India’s second indigenous fighter after the HAL-made HF-48 Marut, a second generation jet from the 1960s. The abrupt transition from 2G to 4.5G after a long gap and lack of continuity in the evolution and expertise in design and development and inadequate technological base also led to delays in the project’s formative years. Development of advanced systems like fly-by-wire, flight control, multi-mode pulse Doppler radar and digital engine control took their own time.

Mid-way revisions of technical specifications and incorporation of additional features to meet the constantly evolving operational requirements of the IAF that required significant re-engineering, bureaucratic hurdles, funding, and sanctions imposed on India after the 1999 nuclear tests are other contributing factors for the delays.

Impact on IAF capability

 The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, has also voiced his concern over the programme slipping way past its original timelines. “The timeline is a big issue,” he had said at a recent public event, adding that not a single project that he could think of had been completed on time.

When the last two MiG-21 units, No. 3 Squadron, the Cobras and No. 23 Squadron, the Panthers finally fly into the sunset next month, the IAF will be left with just 29 squadrons against its authorised strength of 42 squadrons. This, defence experts have repeatedly said, is a cause for serious concern, given India’s security challenges and the dominance of air power in contemporary warfare.

Besides the Tejas Mark-1, the IAF’s current fighter fleet consists of MiG-29, Su-30, Mirage-2000, Rafale and Jaguar. Baring the Rafale, the other aircraft are also ageing with their service span being between 25-40 years. Over the past decade, several squadrons of aircraft like Mig-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27, which formed an important strike and air defence element have been retired.

Ramping up production

The government has stated in Parliament that Tejas is not a replacement of the MiG-21 as initially envisioned, but is now considered as an integral part of the IAF’s overall modernisation effort and fill in for various other aircraft.

In January 2021, the government approved the procurement of 83 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft, including 10 trainer versions, from HAL at a cost of Rs 48,000 crore. This was then the largest-ever indigenous military aviation deal in India. The latest approval for 97 more Tejas has been pegged at Rs 62,000 crore.

HAL has three production lines for the Tejas, with two located at Bengaluru and the third being recently certified at its Nashik plant. The combined production capacity of these three units is 24 aircraft per year.

According to reports, HAL plans to deliver 12 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft in 2025 and aims to increase production to 20 aircraft annually from 2026 and 30 aircraft per year by 2027. The increase in production rate will be supported by outsourcing the production of some structural components and sub-systems to the private industry.

Engines remain the prime concern in the production of Tejas. General Electric has reportedly committed to the supply of 12 engines by the end of 2025. The company also plans to scale up deliveries to 20 engines in 2026 and to 24 engines per year by 2027.

India also plans to co-produce the more powerful F-414 engine through the transfer of technology, which will replace the F-404 and also power the Tejas Mark-2 that is under development as well as the proposed indigenous fifth generation fighter.