Senior Egyptian officials visited the production lines of the light combat aircraft (TEJAS MK-1A) and the advanced light helicopter (ALH) in Bangalore earlier this week as the Arab country seeks to muscle up its air force with new platforms and is exploring various options, including Chinese, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

To be sure, Egypt is known to have been in talks with China for a possible acquisition of its J-10 fighters, which took part in the Egypt International Air Show held at El Alamein international airport from September 3 to 5.

India showcased the ALH at the Air Show.

The TEJAS MK-1A and ALH have been designed by state-run aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is pursuing opportunities to sell TEJAS and helicopters to several countries and has been in talks with Egypt for likely orders.

Egypt projected a requirement for 18-20 light-weight fighter jets and an undisclosed number of multi-mission helicopters, said one of the officials cited above, who asked not to be named, on the sidelines of Tarang Shakti 2024, the biggest multilateral air combat exercise to be hosted by India, which concluded on Friday.

“TEJAS MK-1A and ALH are among the HAL products that can meet the needs of several air forces that are planning to modernise. We are keeping our ear to the ground and exploring avenues for export,” said a second official.

HAL plans to create a new vertical to push exports. It has proposed setting up the vertical under a CEO-ranked officer who will report directly to the chairman of the company.

To be sure, the TEJAS MK-1A program is moving at a sluggish pace and the Indian Air Force is concerned about possible risks a delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to its combat effectiveness. The issue has been flagged to HAL, which has been nudged to execute the ₹48,000-crore contract for 83 fighters on time.

Speaking in Jodhpur on Thursday, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari pitched for setting up multiple production lines for TEJAS MK-1A to meet the air force’s growing requirements (it plans to order 97 more aircraft soon) as well as cater for potential exports, suggesting that the defence and aerospace industry could play an important role in charting the way forward.

“”How to go about it is a challenge that the industry needs to address and come up with a solution. It could be some kind of public-private partnership, a joint venture or any model currently available with the industry, and HAL needs to take the lead on this,” he said.

To be sure, HAL has set up a new production line in Nashik for TEJAS MK-1As to meet IAF’s growing needs. The State-run firm says it can build 16 TEJAS MK-1As every year in Bangalore, and the Nashik line will help it ramp up production to 24 jets.

IAF, the world’s fourth largest air force, is expected to operate around 350 TEJASs (MK-1, MK-1A and the future MK-2), with a third of those already ordered, some inducted, and the rest figuring prominently on the air force’s modernisation roadmap and expected to be contracted in the coming years.

On Thursday, defence minister Rajnath Singh said Tarang Shakti 2024, with 28 global air forces as participants, reflected the growing stature of the country’s armed forces, adding that foreign militaries must take a good look at and study the capabilities of the local aerospace industry.

Agencies