New Delhi: To boost the strength of Indian Air Force, ministry of defence is looking for more Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A. A long awaited $5.2 billion contract for 83 indigenous LCA Tejas Mk.1A jets is ready in all respects and is likely to be awarded to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by December, this year.
Five Rafale fighter planes had landed in India and joined Indian Air Force only about a fortnight ago.
The Final paperwork for the deal is reportedly complete and awaiting clearance from the union Ministry of Finance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 73rd Independence Day said the deals to buy LCA Tejas aircraft and indigenous attack helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF) were close to fruition.
Indian Air Force and Defence Ministry are likely to opt for the Mk.1A jets because these were superior quality jets both in terms of performance, weapons and avionics capability as well as crucial maintainability.
The HAL chairman R.Madhavan had told the media last month that the unit was ready for launching production as soon as the green signal was available. “Production rate was an issue two years back. FOC (final op clearance) came last year. We have delivered the first aircraft within 12 months. As far as numbers are concerned, we have completed deliveries of the IOC (initial op clearance) aircraft. We have to deliver the 16 FOC aircraft and awaiting clearance for the 18 trainers. For current order we are going at 8-10 aircraft per year. Our target rate is 16 per year, for which a second line has already been set up now. We can easily ramp up to 16-20 per year as and when we receive the order for the 83 LCA. We were expecting it around August but the Covid19 pandemic may delay it by a couple of months,” he said and expressed the hope that by December the final clearance would be received.
_VINAYAK