In a major development for the Indian Armed Forces, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the top decision-making body in the South Block (headquarters of India's Defence Ministry), has given a go-ahead to the acquisition of 97 new Tejas Mk-1A warplanes for the IAF.
Additionally, an upgradation program for the Su-30 MKI fighters was also announced by the DAC.
Both developments are vital for the IAF, considering it operates approximately 260 Su-30 MKI warplanes.
On the other hand, the procurement of 97 Tejas aircraft would help the South Asian nation's sky-guarding force in boosting its depleting fleet of squadrons.
The estimated cost of these fighter planes is pegged at $7 billion.
Modi Gives Thumbs-Up to LCA Tejas
Interestingly, the DAC's clearance for the latest batch of LCA Tejas combat jets came only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his thumbs-up to the homegrown fighter.
Recently, Modi took to the skies in a Tejas during his visit to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru. HAL is the manufacturer of Tejas.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a sortie on the indigenously built light combat fighter aircraft Tejas.
© Photo : Twitter/@narendramodi
"Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential," Modi posted on X (former Twitter).
How Will Latest Acquisition of Tejas Jets Impact IAF's Fleet of Aircraft?
As per an IAF assessment, it requires at least 42 squadrons to ensure India's national security.
However, the IAF has only 31 squadrons operational at present. Furthermore, three more squadrons of MiG-21 Bison are set to be phased out by 2025, as per an official statement.
Two squadrons of the Tejas Mk1 variants are already in operation with the IAF while a purchase of 83 LCA Mk-1A fighters was announced by the country's Ministry of Defence in 2021.
Top officials of the IAF, including its chief Vivek Ram Chaudhari have publicly stated that the Tejas jets are set to become the backbone of India's fighter fleet.