India's homegrown fighter jet, the LCA Tejas, is set to pack a more powerful punch with the arrival of the Al Tariq long-range precision-guided munitions (LR-PGMs).
Al Tariq-LR precision-guided bombs are produced by the United Arab Emirates-based weapons manufacturer Al Tariq, owned by the Middle Eastern nation's state-run defense behemoth Edge Group.
On Tuesday, the Edge Group confirmed that it has successfully carried out a maiden round of feasibility assessment for the incorporation of Al-Tariq precision-guided bombs on the Tejas MK 1 combat aircraft.
"We are proud to be associated with HAL in this strategic campaign to offer high-technology solutions to the Tejas customers in the region," Theunis Botha, CEO of Al Tariq said in a statement on Wednesday.
Al Tariq is targeting the third quarter of next year for equipping the LCA Tejas with the company's LR-PGMs, the defense manufacturer added.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturers of the LCA Tejas, and Al Tariq, which is a joint venture of the UAE's Edge Group and the South Africa-headquartered Denel, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard in February.
As part of the deal, Al Tariq will also market India's domestically produced warplane in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region besides offering its own weapons as part of the package.