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The Indian Air Force (IAF) is now planning to place orders for around 100 more LCA Mark1A fighter jets, news agency ANI has reported. This comes after India achieved a remarkable feat after Chandrayaan 3 made a successful landing, the indigenous aerospace sector sector is now lookimg to receive a major boost. The IAF plans to buy more Made in India LCA Mark1A fighter jets and replace the MiG-21 fighter jets.
As per the report, this proposal has be submitted to the Defence Ministry and all other stakeholders in the national security establishment.
This decision also comes at the time when IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari held a review meeting of the indigenous fighter jet programme with all entities involved including the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Defence official said, “The Indian Air Force 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.”
The order would mean that the LCA Tejas fighters would renter the Indian Air Force in very large numbers. The IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark-1A and at least 120 LCA Mark-2 planes in the next 15 years.
The last order for LCA Mark1A was for 83 aircraft which was placed in February 2021 for ₹48,000 crore. The first plane would be delivered around February 2024 and it is an advanced version of the Tejas aircraft.
The LCA Mark 1A plane has more advanced avionics and radars than the initial 40 LCAs being supplied to the Air Force. The indigenous content in the new LCA Mark1As is going to be more than 65 per cent.
The IAF chief in the project review meeting stated that the LCA has been the flag bearer of the force’s efforts towards the indigenisation of its aircraft fleet.
The programme has been the harbinger of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of the nation. More importantly, it is a flag bearer of India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector. During the review, it was brought out that all contracted fighter variants of the LCA Mk 1 had been delivered to the IAF. Representatives of HAL had assured the chief of the timely delivery of the contracted twin-seaters in the coming months, as well. Further to the LCA Mk 1, 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft have also been contracted by the IAF in 2021.
The Chairman and Managing Director of HAL had assured those present that the deliveries of this advanced variant of the LCA would commence by February 2024.
(With inputs from ANI)
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Updated: 25 Aug 2023, 06:35 AM IST
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