Tejas Mk 1a Fighter Jet. File | Photo Credit: Hind
The Cabinet for Safety (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the order of 97 LCA Mark 1a fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday (August 19, 2025).
The defense official confirmed that the CCS project was clarified and described it as the main support of the government initiative in India. The aircraft will be made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
This means the second order for the original LCA Mark 1a fighters. In February 2021, the government issued an order of 83 aircraft worth about 48,000 GBP Crore.
The program will allow the IAF to discard an aging fleet of MiG-21, which is to be retired in September this year. According to officials, this project not only strengthens indigenization, but also creates significant business for small and medium -sized enterprises in the defensive sector.
However, development comes at a time when the questions persist over the capacity of the Hal to meet the delivery timelines for 83 LCA MK-1A to order.
In March this year, Hal received the first American GE engine for the program. Earlier, in August 2021, the company signed a contract of 5,375 GBP with GE Aerospace for 99 engines F404 to power the tajas MK 1A.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh recently conducted a telephone interview with US Defense Minister Pete HegSeth, during which both leaders reviewed ongoing and upcoming initiatives to deepen his defensive cooperation.
Published – August 19, 2025 23:08
