In a piece of good news for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the first batch of domestically manufactured Tejas Mark 1A fighter aircraft is expected to be delivered within the next two to four weeks.
Officials told the media that all experiments that involved flying the planes with their full payloads are deemed to be over.
The Tejas Mark 1A fighter aircraft is reportedly equipped with the GE F-404 engine, one of the reserve engines of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to receive 83 brand-new Tejas Mark 1A aircraft from HAL.
A significant problem for HAL has arisen since the American company General Electric (GE) has not been shipping these engines as claimed, citing issues in the global aviation industry.
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For a total of Rs 46000 crore, the Indian government asked HAL to produce 83 Tejas Mark 1A in 2021. Their supply was supposed to begin in March 2024, but the paucity of engines made this impossible. It was therefore feared that delivery of the first fighter plane would not occur until November.
As per the deal, HAL would deliver 12 jets to the IAF by March 2025, the end of this fiscal year. This jet’s two-seater trainer was given to the Indian Air Force in October of last year. Tejas Mark 1A was capable of towing more than five tonnes of weaponry. It is equipped with upgraded electronic warfare and radar equipment, as well as an ASRAAM missile for air-to-air combat. In the future, it might also be outfitted with the Brahmos NJ.
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