India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is producing around eight Tejas, a single engine multi-role aircraft, annually and the defence ministry wants it to increase the number to 18 planes per year.
"We are very confident that Tejas Mark II will be a big leap forward to fulfil the single engine fighter requirement of the forces," Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Monday, adding the government was also considering export potential of the aircraft.
The HAL is investing Rs 1,300 crore (USD 199 million) to augment the existing infrastructure so that production of Tejas can be increased to 24 aircraft per year by 2021.
HAL has recorded its highest ever turnover of over Rs. 18,000 crores (USD 2.7 billion) (provisional and unaudited) for the fiscal year 2017-18.
HAL had reported last year’s turnover as Rs. 17,605 crores (USD 2.82 billion). During the FY 2017-18, the Company has produced 40 new aircraft/helicopters and 105 new engines. The Company has also carried out overhaul of 220 aircraft/helicopters and 550 engines, HAL said in a statement Monday.
The Company has received order of 41 Advanced Light Helicopters and 8 Chetak helicopters from Indian Armed Forces in the FY 2017-18. In the other major achievements, the Company received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) certificate for its Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Certificate of Airworthiness for its civil variant Dornier Do-228 from DGCA, acceptance of Mirage 2000 upgrade by Air HQ after its Final Operational Clearance, first successful run of Hindustan Turbo Shaft Engine -1200 and successful test firing of BrahMos missile from Su-30 MKI etc.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had ordered 40 Tejas Mark-1 version. A request for proposal (RFP) was issued to HAL by the IAF two months back for the procurement of 83 Tejas of the Mark-1A version at a cost of around $7.7 billion.
Sitharaman said the government was examining how to increase the production of the LCA, adding a number of countries have shown interest in procuring the aircraft.
The defence minister's remarks came amid reports of a view in the defence establishment that Tejas was not enough to maintain IAF's combat readiness and it needed to quickly procure a fleet of foreign single engine fighters to deal with any possible security challenges facing the country in the wake of the dwindling size of its fighter fleet.
The Indian Air force has committed to buy 324 indigenously-built Tejas Light Combat aircraft (LCA), which also includes 201 upgraded versions of the aircraft, to make up for the fast-depleting number of fighter squadrons. According to a report by Times of India, IAF has “firmly committed” to 123 Tejas jets at present, which will come at a cost of over INR 75,000 crore (US$ 11
Indias Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas demonstrated a hot refueling capability meeting a major requirement of the Indian Air Force Inching close to Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the Tejas, its manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) carried out a hot refueling, which means to fill fuel while the engine is on, followed by a sortie at HAL airport, Bengalore yesterday. The system performance during the refueling session was in-line with design requirements and was satisfactory
The Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, General André Lanata flew the Indian Air Forces domestically built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft on Wednesday during his visit to an Air Force station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The Indian Air Force (IAF) in a tweet said, “The Chief of the Staff of French Air Force, General André Lanata, while on a goodwill visit to India, flew a sortie in ‘Made in India – LCA Tejas Aircraft at AF Station Jodhpur, today”
The US Air Force Chief of Staff General David L Goldfein has flown the Indian Air Forces domestically built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft from an Air Force station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This was the first time that a foreign military head has flown the fighter aircraft
Indias first home-grown fighter jet, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will participate for the first time in Indian Air Forces biggest air exercise called ‘Gaganshakti to be held sometime in March-April this year. According to a report by
The Indian Air Force is likely to depute an officer of air marshal rank to head Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme. The head of LCA division is currently an officer at the executive director level and programme director of ADA, an H-level scientist, may then report to the IAF official who will be given command, if the plans take off smoothly,
Indias indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be equipped with a long-range missile of the Meteor class for enhanced capability. The missiles are required to be equipped on the 83 Mark 1A LCAs for which an order has been placed by the air force with the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, government sources told
The Indian Air Force has test fired an Israeli Derby Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile from its domestically grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas to demonstrate safe operation of the aircraft during missile plume ingestion into the aircraft engine under worst case scenarios. The missile was launched from LCA Tejas from the firing range off the Goa coast
The Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to procure approximately 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. The RFI has sought information from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on the specifics of the aircraft for both single engine and twin-engine fighter jets
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