TEJAS is set to emerge as the cornerstone of IAF’s combat power in the coming decade and beyond

The defence ministry could award HAL a contract for 97 more TEJAS MK-1As worth ₹67,000 crore by the year-end to strengthen the air force’s capabilities

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Thursday pitched for ramping up production of the locally made light combat aircraft (TEJAS MK-1A) to meet the air force’s growing requirements as well as cater for potential exports, suggesting that the defence and aerospace industry could play an important role in charting the way forward.

“The issue is matching production capacity with our requirements,” Chaudhari said at a media briefing at the conclusion of Tarang Shakti 2024, the largest multilateral air combat exercise to be hosted by India, at the Jodhpur airbase.

His comments come at a time when the TEJAS MK-1A program is moving at a sluggish pace and IAF is concerned about the possible risks a delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to its combat effectiveness. It has flagged the hot-button issue to the manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), calling for timely execution of the ₹48,000-crore contract for 83 fighters.

“We could diversify and have multiple production lines for the aircraft. 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,” the IAF chief 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 Bengaluru, and the Nashik line will help it ramp up production to 24 jets.

The defence ministry could award HAL a contract for 97 more TEJAS MK-1As worth ₹67,000 crore by the year-end to strengthen the air force’s capabilities.

TEJAS is set to emerge as the cornerstone of IAF’s combat power in the coming decade and beyond, as previously reported by HT.

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.

The performance of TEJAS MK-1 (the first variant) at Tarang Shakti was exemplary, he said. The first phase of the exercise was held at the Sulur airbase in Tamil Nadu in August. Chaudhari had then said TEJAS, the smallest fighter in the Tarang Shakti drills, showed size does not matter as it executed a variety of ‘blue force and red force’ (friendly and hostile) missions along with bigger and modern global fighter jets.

The second and final leg of Tarang Shakti began in Jodhpur on August 30. Seven global air forces, including those from the US, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Greece, deployed their air assets for the exercise.

IAF has already inducted 36 of the 40 TEJAS MK-1s ordered earlier. These are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations -- the first variants of TEJAS.

The TEJAS MK-1A on order is an advanced variant.

A question mark hangs over HAL’s ability to meet the delivery timeline of the 83 TEJAS MK-1As on order. Many in the air force are sceptical about the TEJAS MK-1A deadlines being met, and one of the main reasons for that is the lingering delay in the supply of the F404 engines to HAL by US firm GE Aerospace.

However, there is a sliver of hope for HAL.

GE Aerospace has conveyed to HAL that it will start delivering two engines per month for the TEJAS MK-1A project November 2024 onwards, officials aware of the matter said. The single-engine MK-1A will be a replacement for the IAF’s Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter.

HAL plans to create a new vertical to push exports as it pursues opportunities to sell TEJAS and helicopters to several countries. It has proposed setting up the vertical under a CEO-ranked officer who will report directly to the chairman of the company.

(With Inputs From Agencies)