Six Squadron Of Tejas With IAF Before 2025
By end March 2021, HAL plans to complete delivery of all 40 Tejas MK1 to IAF . Now the defence ministry on Wednesday has cleared the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A advanced Tejas jets from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the proposal would be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval soon as per a ministry spokesperson.
The orders to HAL will be worth Rs 38,000 crore, and will spur HAL to streamline its complete production procedure at its facilities. Once things are streamlined then HAL will have to gear up for production for probably another 240 Tejas Mk2 beyond 2024 . Additional new orders may also be expected for both MK-1A and MK2 from the armed forces of certain friendly foreign countries , already showing interest in this fighter .
“While orders of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, the Defence Acquisition Council paved the way for procurement of 83 of the more advanced Mk-1A version of the aircraft from HAL by finalizing the contractual and other issues,” the spokesperson said after a DAC meeting.
He said the purchase would provide a significant boost to the Make in India initiative.
The deal for the 83 Mk-1A jets will take the total number of Tejas MK1/ MK1A ordered to 123.
The 20 LCAs already handed over to the IAF are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the 20 more to be delivered by March2021 in advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations. Subsequently the IOC fighters too will be upgraded to FOC standards.
The LCA Mk-1A will come with additional improvements over the FOC aircraft, making it a very advanced fighter in its category with longer range missiles and significantly improved maintainability.
HAL is expected to deliver the first Mk-1A jet to the IAF three years after the deal is signed.
HAL must aim to now increase the production rate to first 24 a year and then to 32 fighters per years .
The Mk-2 jets should form the bulk of the IAF’s combat squadrons as it attempts to make up the shortfall in its fighter fleet, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.
The Mk-1A jets will also serve as a stepping stone for the Tejas Mk-2 fighters on which the IAF has placed high hopessaid Bahadur .
The Tejas Mk1A and the Tejas Mk2 should help the IAF to reach 45 squadron at the earliest and then the IAF has to move towards attaining 54 squadrons and finalky 63 squadrons .
HAL therefore must ensure a standardized production line and iron out all kinks . In case exports orders are received then time lines have to be maintained properly .
The DAC, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, also approved the acquisition of indigenous military hardware worth Rs 1,300 crore including aerial fuses and twin-dome simulators for the IAF’s Hawk trainer aircraft.
The council also approved an amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2016 to enable review by a ‘costing committee’ of bids submitted by joint ventures of defence public sector undertakings/Ordnance Factory Board /Defence Research and Development Organisation from whom purchases are made on a nomination basis. “This will bring about more transparency in costs and compress the timelines for negotiation of the contract,” the spokesperson added.
