IAF Set to Procure Over 100 More LCA Mark-1A Fighter Jets At A Cost Of Over $8 Billion

In a significant event in India's aviation domain, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to procure approximately 100 more LCA Mark1A fighter jets, reported ANI.

The IAF's intention to acquire these indigenously manufactured aircraft, designed to replace the aging MiG-21 fighter jets in its fleet, has been formally submitted to the Defence Ministry and relevant stakeholders within the national security apparatus.

The decision to acquire an additional fleet of approximately 100 LCA Mark1A jets came during Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari's review of the LCA programme.

Officials confirmed that, "the IAF has decided that it would buy around 100 more of these highly capable LCA Mark-1A fighter jets from the HAL. The proposal in this regard has been submitted to the Defence Ministry. The project is expected to receive clearance soon to give the biggest ever boost to the private defence aerospace sector."

This procurement signifies the increased confidence of the IAF in the capabilities of the Tejas fighter jet and in HAL's ability to complete the order on time.

With this order, over the next 15 years, the IAF is poised to possess a total of more than 220 Tejas jets, including 180 Tejas Mk-1A and 40 Tejas Mk-1 jets.

Notably, the most recent order was for 83 LCA Mark1A aircraft, with the first delivery scheduled for February 2024.

Tejas Mk-1A is an advanced version of Tejas and is equipped with advanced avionics, sensors, and radars. It will have more than 65 percent of its content sourced domestically.

During the review, it was also confirmed that HAL has successfully completed the delivery of all single-seater fighter variants of the Tejas Mk-1 jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

HAL's representatives assured the Chief of the Air Force of the timely delivery of the contracted twin-seaters in the upcoming months. In addition to the LCA Mk 1, the IAF inked a contract for 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft in 2021.