With the IAF needing over 300 domestically produced fighter jets over the next 15 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the functioning of public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru tomorrow. - File photo
Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, November 24
With the IAF needing over 300 domestically produced fighter jets over the next 15 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the functioning of public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru tomorrow.
“He will visit and review the functioning of the HAL manufacturing facility, including the facility for Tejas jets,” officials said. HAL produces the light combat aircraft Tejas. The first lot of 40 jets have been inducted into the IAF.
As per the plan, from February next till 2038-39, India needs to produce over 300 Tejas variants.
The figure includes the confirmed order of Rs 48,000 crore for producing 83 Tejas Mark 1-A jets, an advanced version of the existing Tejas which has better avionics, radars and weapon-carrying capacity.
The IAF is seeking 100 more planes of the same variant and is also looking at a future order of 130 Tejas Mark-2 jets with a more powerful engine.
The prototype of the Mark1-A version is already flying. A series of validations are being done and deliveries of the 83 jets on order are scheduled to commence from February next, the HAL has announced.
The plan to buy additional Tejas Mark1-A was announced in Spain in September by the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, after receiving the first C-295 transport aircraft.
“Apart from the 83 LCA Mark 1-A jets, we are moving a case for around 100 more aircraft,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari had said.
The Tejas was developed as a replacement for the large MiG series of jets, including MiG-21, MiG 23 and MiG-27, with the phasing out of these aircraft.
The IAF has 32 squadrons against the 42 mandated by the government to tackle a collusive threat from China and Pakistan. The number could go down to 28 squadrons by 2024-25 when all MiG-21s are phased out.
In August, the IAF Chief had reviewed the production of the Tejas Mark 1-A..
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