The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday inked a contract with the state-run aviation behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the acquisition of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A fighters for the IAF.
Among the 97 LCA Mk1A warplanes will be 68 single-seater aircraft and 29 twin-seaters, in addition to the equipment associated with them. The first of these combat jets is set to be delivered to the IAF in 2027-28, with the last of these aircraft under the contract being supplied in six years' time.
Among the 97 LCA Mk1A warplanes will be 68 single-seater aircraft and 29 twin-seaters, in addition to the equipment associated with them. The first of these combat jets is set to be delivered to the IAF in 2027-28, with the last of these aircraft under the contract being supplied in six years' time.
"The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and control surface actuators will further strengthen the Aatmanirbharta initiatives," the MoD said in a statement.
The overall cost of the contract is pegged at $7.03 billion.