Ramping up Tejas Production to 40 Per Year : HAL Must Redeem Itself
By Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
By end of 2020, there will be a total of 272 Sukhoi MKI serving with the Indian Air Force that comes to 15 Squadrons or with just one reserve per squadron we may have 16 operational Squadrons. At that period of time we should be having 6x Jaguar Squadrons of DARIN3 standard, 3x upgraded Mirage 2000, 3x Upgraded MIG29s, 4x MIG27 and 6x MIG21 Bisons, a total of 38 fighter squadrons.
To these 38 will be added 2x Squadrons of Tejas MK1 and 2x Rafael Squadrons (the second one will be firming up ). Though the figure of 42 Squadrons looks comfortable on paper, the 10 squadrons of Bisons / Bahadur are actually even beyond their last leg and need rapid replacement.
HAL has confirmed that its Bangalore LCA-Tejas Production line will attain the capability to produce 16 aircraft per annum. The Nashik Plant which currently produces 12-15 Sukhoi-30MKI will also change over from Su-30 to LCA-Tejas. The initial capacity can be ratchet up to 24 per year and even further in case required.
So now what is needed is for the IAF to give the green signal to MoD and the Ministry has to issue firm orders for production of TEJAS as under
(a) up to 2020………40 x Mk1 ie 2xsquadrons from Bangalore line
(b) 2021 to 2025…… 80x Mk1A ie 4x squadrons from Bangalore line
(c) 2o21 to 2023…….60x Mk1A ie 3x squadrons from Nashik line
(d) 2024 to 2030…….160xMk2 ie 8 Squadrons from Nashik line
(e) 2026 to 2030 …….100 Mk2 ie 5 Squadrons from Bangalore line
Out of the above 22 Tejas Squadrons, without fail seven squadrons will be exported to Vietnam and another country. In case more orders are there then productions numbers will be increased to meet the demand or even handed over to a private company. Other wise HAL will just make another 180× TEJAS upto 2035 of MK3 variety. Mk3 will be with Kaveri engines.
Beyond 2035, Tejas line can be closed and wait for the next LCA that should be SHREYAS. Mean while production of Our own AMCA should also be starting up and designing of the first Indian AHCA to replace Sukhois should be starting.
In 2035 the IAF line up should look something like this :
(a) Sukhoi MKI …..15 Squadrons
(b) FGFA……………..09 Squadrons
(c) Rafael…………….04 Squadrons
(d) MIRAGE2000…03 Squadrons
(e) Tejas Mk1 A……06 squadron
(f) Tejas Mk2………..09 Squadron
(g) Tejas Mk3 ……….09 Squadron
(h) AMCA…….05 Squadron
The AMCA production will first aim to bring the IAF to full strength of 65 Squadrons needed for defending a two front war and also having the capability to simultaneously strike deep inside on both the fronts.
At the same time provide close support to land battles and sea battles from Arabian Coast to Malacca and beyond. Next AMCA will start replacing the Mirage and a few Squadrons of Sukhois. The ideal mix for IAF should be
LCA……30 squadrons
MCA….21 Squadrons
HCA…….15 Squadrons
