Come January, the Indian Air Force's (IAF) wait for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A may finally end.
The defence ministry had, in 2021, signed a contract with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 83 indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern 4+ generation fighter aircraft. Under the contract signed then, the deliveries were to be completed in eight years.
However, due to various reasons, primarily the delay in GE Aerospace delivering the F404-IN20 engines, the delivery of the fighter jet to the IAF missed deadlines. The deliveries were to begin in February 2024.
Now, a report in The Print, quoting sources, revealed that HAL will begin handing over the fighter jets in the beginning of 2027, possibly in January itself.
Two requirements related to the Tejas Mk1A had been pending, including one or two functions or capabilities linked to the Israeli-origin radar, a source told The Print, adding, "The software and integration issues are being fixed. Some concessions from the IAF may be involved. These will be addressed after the first one or two jets are handed over, informed by the IAF’s use of the jet.”
The fighter aircraft, which is expected to serve as a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF, will be equipped with critical operational capabilities of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite and Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR), making it a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF.
Noting that the fighter jet programme is about to meet certain major requirements, the source said, “If everything goes to plan, the first one or two jets could be handed over in January itself, ahead of the Aero India 2027 aerospace and defence exhibition.”
Besides the order placed in 2021, in September 2025, the defence ministry had inked another deal for an additional 97 Mk1A aircraft, including 68 fighters and 29 twin-seat aircraft, along with associated equipment.
Earlier this month, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, in his address after taking over as IAF chief, had said Tejas Mk1A and II, among other home-grown solutions, are the force's highest priority. "The Tejas Mk1A and II, the AMCA, Indian sensors and Indian weapons are our highest priority. We will fight with Indian solutions, and we will hold them in numbers that meet sustainment and operational demands," he had said.
