The Defence Ministry has issued a tender to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a public sector firm, for the procurement of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets manufactured in India, anticipated to amount to over Rs 65,000 crore. This marks the largest order for indigenous military equipment ever to be placed by the Indian government.
The Defence Ministry recently dispatched the tender to HAL, granting them a three-month window to respond. Government officials informed ANI that the initiative aims to replace the Indian Air Force’s fleet of MiG-21s, MiG-23s, and MiG-27s, which have either been decommissioned or are slated for retirement in the near future.
ANI was also told that the indigenous fighter aircraft program, strongly supported by the Defence Ministry and Air Headquarters, will significantly promote indigenization and provide substantial business opportunities to small and medium enterprises engaged in the defense sector across the nation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been advocating for the revitalization of HAL, which has secured contracts for manufacturing various indigenous fighter aircraft, helicopters, and their engines under his administration. The Prime Minister himself undertook a sortie in the trainer variant of the indigenous fighter, marking the first such instance by an Indian Prime Minister in a combat aircraft.
The decision to procure 97 additional LCA Mark 1A fighter jets was initially disclosed by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari during a visit to Spain, where he highlighted plans to bolster indigenous fighter aircraft orders. This decision followed a comprehensive review meeting of the indigenous fighter jet program, chaired by the Air Chief and involving all relevant stakeholders, including HAL.
The previous order for LCA Mark1A comprised 83 aircraft, with the first delivery expected in the coming weeks. LCA Mark 1A represents an advanced version of the Tejas aircraft, equipped with superior avionics and radars compared to the initial 40 LCAs supplied to the Air Force. The indigenous content in the new LCA Mark1As is projected to exceed 65%.
This program epitomizes the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, signifying India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector. Additionally, HAL is poised to secure contracts for over 200 LCA Mark 2s and a similar number of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.