Indian Air Force Set To Deploy Indigenous LCA Tejas On Border With Pakistan In Rajasthan, Gujarat

The Indian Air Force plans to station the domestically manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) at forward air bases in the western region. This move aims to strengthen IAF's defence capabilities against Pakistan and compensate for the gradual retirement of the older Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets.

A squadron of LCA-Mk 1, currently stationed in Sulur, Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to be moved to a frontline fighter base in Gujarat. Additionally, the first squadron of the more advanced LCA Mk-1A will be raised at an air base in Rajasthan, Hindustan Times reported citing an official.

The LCA Mk-1A is an upgraded version of the LCA Mk-1.

The Indian Air Force is likely to start forming the LCA Mk-1A squadron once Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-run aircraft manufacturer, hands over the initial aircraft in February 2024.

“Two air bases in the western sector, which earlier operated MiG-21s, are being readied to induct LCA Mk-1 and Mk-1As. The Mk-1As will progressively be deployed at forward air bases to enhance IAF’s combat capability,” a second official was quoted in the HT report as saying.

Currently, the IAF operates two squadrons of LCA Mk-1, both based at Sulur. Each fighter squadron comprises 16 to 18 jets.

The number of LCAs in the IAF's fleet is expected to rise with the induction of 83 Mk-1A fighter jets from 2024 to 2028. These aircraft were ordered in February 2021 for Rs 48,000 crore.

In early October, IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, revealed plans to purchase an additional 97 LCA Mk-1As, estimated to cost around Rs 67,000 crore.

HAL can produce 16 LCA Mk-1As annually in Bengaluru, and a new production line in Nashik will increase this capacity to 24 jets per year.

This expansion will allow HAL to deliver all 83 fighters by 2027-28, one year earlier than the agreed schedule. Prompt delivery is crucial for the IAF, which is currently facing a deficit in fighter squadrons.

On 4 October, HAL handed over the inaugural trainer version of the LCA Mk-1 to IAF chief Chaudhari in Bengaluru. This dual-seat aircraft is designed primarily for training purposes but can also serve as a combat jet.

It is part of a previous order of 40 Mk-1 jets, including both initial operational clearance (IOC) and the advanced final operational clearance (FOC) models – the first versions of the LCA.

Out of these 40 Mk-1s, the IAF has inducted 32 single-seater jets and established two LCA squadrons in Sulur. An additional seven twin-seater jets are scheduled for delivery to the IAF by March 2024.

The LCA is poised to become a key element of the IAF's combat strength in the next decade and beyond.

The IAF, ranking as the fourth largest air force globally, plans to operate around 350 LCAs (including Mk-1, Mk-1A, and Mk-2 models), with a third of these already on order, some already in service, and the remainder a major part of the air force's modernisation strategy, with plans for future contracts.

The newer models, Mk-1A and Mk-2, will boast significantly enhanced features and technologies compared to the Mk-1 variant.

The leadership of the IAF strongly supports the LCA programme. In a recent review, IAF chief Chaudhari described the fighter aircraft as a leading example of the IAF's push towards indigenising its combat fleet.

The IAF might place orders for over 100 Mk-2s, with these aircraft expected to be production-ready in five years, according to HT.

In June, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US, GE Aerospace, a top global aircraft engine manufacturer, and HAL signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington to manufacture F-414 engines in India for the LCA Mk-2.

The F-414 engine is an advancement from the F-404 engine used in current LCA models. Producing these engines in India will increase the domestic component of the new fighter jet to about 75 per cent, compared to 55-60 per cent in the LCA Mk-1A and 50 per cent in the existing Mk-1 model.

Initiated in 1983, the LCA project was intended to replace the MiG-21s. The IAF raised its first LCA squadron in Sulur with two aircraft in July 2016. The current Mk-1 and Mk-1A models are set to take over the roles of the MiG-21 fighters, while the Mk-2 variant is intended to replace the air force's MiG-29s, Mirage-2000s, and Jaguar fighters, which are due to be retired in the upcoming decade.

In late October, the IAF retired one of its last three MiG-21 squadrons. The most recent MiG-21 Bisons retired were from the No. 4 Squadron located at Uttarlai in Rajasthan.

The remaining two squadrons, stationed in Bikaner and Suratgarh, also in Rajasthan, are scheduled for retirement by 2025.

The recent crashes involving several MiG-21s have drawn attention to India's longest-serving fighter aircraft, raising concerns about its safety record and prompting discussions about the IAF's strategy to replace these older jets with newer models.