India plans to crank up Tejas production to stem IAF’s depletion in fighters
Story by Rajat Pandit
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India plans to crank up Tejas production to stem IAF’s depletion in fighters
NEW DELHI: With US major General Electric promising the revised delivery of aero-engines for Tejas jets from March onwards, India plans to progressively crank up production of the much-delayed indigenous light combat aircraft and stem the rapid depletion of fighter squadrons in IAF.
Tejas-manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) already has three Tejas Mark-1A “ready in the flight line”, which will be fitted with the GE-F404 turbofan jet engines once they begin arriving in March. “HAL will have five Tejas Mark-1A jets and four trainers ready by March-April. If the GE engines begin coming, fitments can be done in a few days,” a top defence official told TOI.
While integration of advanced electronic warfare systems and the Israeli radars on the Tejas Mark-1A has been completed, work is underway to soon also test-fire the indigenous Astra air-to-air missile from the single-engine jet, which undertook its first flight in March last year.
The delivery of 99 GE-404 engines, which HAL contracted for Rs 5,375 crore in Aug 2021 but has been delayed by almost two years, is all-important. GE has now promised to begin the delivery next month, with 12 engines to be delivered in 2026, and 20 every year thereafter, another official said.
Depending on the supply of engines, HAL contends it can progressively scale up production to 20 Tejas per year, and then to 24 per year, with the third production line now functional in Nashik to add to the two existing ones at Bengaluru.
“The first Tejas Mark-1A should roll out of the Nashik line in a month or two. HAL is also sub-contracting private companies to build wings, fuselages and the like. If they deliver, Tejas production can even go up to 30 per year,” he said.
The wait, however, has been excruciating for IAF. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh just last month publicly expressed frustration at the huge delays in the 4th-generation Tejas fighters, while China recently displayed two new 6th-generation fighters.
IAF till now has got only 38 of the first 40 Tejas Mark-1 fighters ordered for Rs 8,802 crore under two contracts inked in 2006 and 2010. The first “improved” Tejas Mark-1A jet, out of the 83 contracted from HAL under the Rs 46,898 crore deal in Feb 2021, will now hopefully be delivered in a couple of months. The order for another 97 Tejas Mark-1A fighters for Rs 67,000 crore is also in the pipeline.
These 220 jets, along with 108 Tejas Mark-2 variants with more powerful engines, are critical for IAF, down to just 30 fighter squadrons when it is authorized 42.5 to tackle the twin challenge from China and Pakistan.
HAL and GE, of course, are now conducting the final techno-commercial negotiations for co-production of the GE-F414 engines in India, with 80% of transfer of technology for around $1.5 billion.
These engines, in the 98 Kilonewton thrust class, will power Tejas Mark-2 fighters for a longer combat range and greater capacity to carry weapons than the existing fighters.
In Aug 2022, the cabinet committee on security had cleared the development of Tejas Mark-2 with prototypes, flight testing and certification for over Rs 9,000 crore.
While the long-delayed Tejas Mark-1 (13.5 tonne weight) was meant to replace obsolete MiG-21s, the Mark-2 variant (17.5 tonne) will succeed fighters like the Mirage-2000s, Jaguars and MiG-29s in IAF’s combat fleet.
