HAL set to deliver 2 Tejas Mark-1A jets next month

New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) Two Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets will be delivered to the Indian Air Force next month by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), officials said on Thursday.

HAL said it received one jet engine from American defence major GE Aerospace and another engine will be supplied by end of this month which will power the two jets.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

The delivery of the jets are facing delays primarily due to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for supply of its aero engines to power the jets.

HAL will deliver two Tejas Mk-1A jets to the IAF next month as one GE 404 engine has come and another being supplied by end of this month, officials said.

"HAL has received the third GE404 engine for LCA Mk1A. One more engine is scheduled to be delivered by the end of September. Engine supply chain improvement will pave the way for LCA Mk1A aircraft deliveries," a spokesperson of HAL said.

Last month, the government approved an additional batch of 97 Tejas fighters at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore.

The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF's MiG-21 fighters.

The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons have gone down to 31 from officially sanctioned strength of 42.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.

It has been designed to undertake the air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles. PTI MPB KVK KVK