New Delhi: The defence ministry Thursday sealed a Rs 62,370 crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
The signing of the contract came over a month after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi green-lighted the mega procurement.
The delivery of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would commence in 2027-28 and the supplies will have to be completed over a period of six years, officials said.
“The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin seaters, along with associated equipment, for the Indian Air Force, at a cost of over Rs. 62,370 crore (excluding taxes),” according to an official readout.
It is the second such contract awarded to the state-run aerospace behemoth.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for procurement of 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF.
“The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64 per cent, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021,” the defence ministry said.
“The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and control surface actuators will further strengthen the Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) initiatives,” it said.
The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF’s MiG-21 fighters.
“The LCA Mk1A is the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft and will serve as a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF,” the ministry said in the readout.
The sealing of the contract comes a day before the IAF bids farewell to MiG-21 fleet.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the supply of the aircraft by the HAL would enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force to continue their “unhindered operations” and strengthen defence preparedness of the country.
“This contract reflects the trust and confidence of the Government and the Armed Forces in the indigenously developed aircraft ‘Tejas’, which will be the mainstay of the IAF in the years to come,” he said.
The ministry said the project to procure the 97 Tejas jets is being supported by a robust vendor base of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in the manufacture of various components.
It said the production of the jets is expected to generate close to 11,750 direct and indirect jobs per year for the duration of six years, giving a major boost to the domestic aerospace ecosystem.
“The acquisition, under the ‘Buy (India-IDDM)’ category of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, is in line with the government’s thrust on indigenisation,” the ministry said.
The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons have gone down to 31 from officially sanctioned strength of 42.
Tejas is a multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
It has been designed to undertake the air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
PTI