The Indian Air Force is set for a capability enhancement with the addition of two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets in October. LCA Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
State-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) confirmed that the two fighters will be added to the IAF fleet next month. HAL said it received one jet engine from American defence major GE Aerospace and another will be supplied by the end of this month, which will power the two jets.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF. The delivery of the jets to the IAF was delayed owing to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the fighters.
"HAL has received the third GE404 engine for LCA Mk1A. One more engine is scheduled to be delivered by the end of September. Engine supply chain improvement will pave the way for LCA Mk1A aircraft deliveries," a spokesperson of HAL said, reported PTI.
The government had recently approved an additional batch of 97 Tejas fighters at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore. The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF's MiG-21 fighters.
The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has gone down to 31 from the officially sanctioned strength of 42.