In a huge fillip to the Make in India defence scheme, the government gave the green light to the acquisition of a further 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The green light was said to have been given at a high-level meeting on Tuesday, paving the way for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to go ahead with production. The new order follows the earlier agreement for 83 LCA Mark 1A aircraft worth around ₹48,000 crore.
The new acquisition will escalate the IAF’s plan to phase out the ageing MiG-21 fleet, which will be phased in the coming weeks. Officials state the step would also give a big push to indigenous manufacturing, bolstering small and medium defence industries across the country.
Backed by the Defence Ministry and the Air Headquarters, the Tejas program has grown to become one of the pillars of India’s aerospace self-reliance. The fighter plane is fitted with state-of-the-art avionics, next-generation radar systems, and over 65% indigenous components, and is therefore one of the major programs under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always stood in support of HAL’s revival, pushing for indigenous development of fighters, helicopters, and engines. He even went to the extent of flying in the trainer variant of LCA on a sortie, the very first time an Indian PM flew in a warplane.
The plans for the higher order were hinted at initially by retired Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on a foreign tour, where he asserted India’s determination in increasing its indigenous fighter capacity.
In the years to come, HAL will likely place orders for over 200 LCA Mark 2 aircraft and the upcoming fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), solidifying India’s place in advanced defence manufacturing.