LCA Mk 1A

Procurement of 83 LcA tejAs mk 1A cLeAred

Clearance of the deal for 83 LCA Tejas Mk 1A will be a major step forward in the ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme aimed at achieving the national goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat

January 13, 2021 will be indeed a Red Letter Day in the 1A a significantly more potent platform that should meet with history of the Indian aerospace industry as well for the Indian the operational requirements of the IAF. The earlier version, Air Force (IAF) as it was on this day that a long awaited pro- is already in service with the IAF, with the second squadron posal by the IAF to procure 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) being operationalised by the Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. BhadTejas Mk 1A fighter jets from the Indian aerospace major Hin- auria, Chief of the Air Staff, on May 27, last year. As the IAF dustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), was formally cleared by the was not totally satisfied with the capabilities of the LCA Mk 1, Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister its production was limited to 40 aircraft, just enough to equip Narendra Modi himself. The deal valued at `48,000 crore is the two squadrons. largest indigenous procurement so far in the history of the IAF Even though it has taken the aerospace industry nearly four and the Indian aerospace industry. The combat platform being decades to offer a modern combat aircraft to the IAF, it has happrocured, has been designed, developed and manufactured pened at a time when the IAF needed such a platform urgently. indigenously and in this particular deal, some major companies Efforts by the IAF over the last two decades to procure modern in the private sector as also hundreds of SMEs and MSMEs will combat aircraft to sustain its fighter fleet at the authorised level be involved. It is estimated that over 50,000 new job oppor- of 42 squadrons, has been partially successful with the induction tunities will be created in the of just two squadrons of Rafale country through this procure- jets from Dassault Aviation of ment. This will also be the France. In the meantime, the first procurement under the strength of the combat fleet category “Buy (Indian-Indig- has dwindled to 32 squadenously Designed, Developed rons as against the authorised and Manufactured)”. The plat- level of 42 squadrons. Inducform will initially come with tion of 83 LCA Tejas Mk 1A an indigenous content of 50 will help the IAF enhance the per cent which will progres- strength of its combat fleet sively be increased 60 per cent by five squadrons. The major by the end of the programme. advantage is that since this

Alongside the deal for 83 platform is being produced by LCA Tejas Mk 1A, the CCS has the Indian aerospace industry, also accorded approval of the the IAF can easily place orders project to create the required for more of this aircraft or its infrastructure at the airbases more advanced version in the where the LCA Tejas Mk 1A LCA TejAs Mk 1A CoMbATAirCrAfTiN ACTioN future. The IAF thus can now squadrons will be deployed hope to restore the combat as well as at the selected Base fleet to its full potential. Repair Depot (BRD) of the IAF to enable it to carry out periodic Despite the fact that the deal is only for 83 LCA Tejas Mk 1A servicing at the airbases as well as major repairs at the BRD. combat aircraft, under the prevailing deficiency in the combat This will facilitate the process of maintenance of the fleet as fleet, it will still be a major boost for the combat capability of well as help the IAF to ensure enhanced flight-line availability the IAF. In addition, it will help in arresting further fall in the of the aircraft. strength of the combat fleet due to the retirement from service

The LCA Tejas Mk 1A variant is an improved version of of the ageing fleet of MiG-21 Bison followed by the six squadthe LCA Tejas Mk 1. The LCA Tejas Mk 1A is a state-of-the-art, rons of Jaguars. This deal will also be the first major step in modern, fourth-plus generation, single-engine combat aircraft the ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme recently launched equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, by the government to achieve the national goal of AtmanirbBeyond Visual Range Missile, Electronic Warfare Suite and is har Bharat. As described by Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence, endowed with Air-to-Air Refuelling capability that will signifi- induction of the fleet of the LCA Tejas Mk 1A, will indeed be a cantly enhance its operational range. Compared to the LCA game changer for the Indian aerospace industry. SP Mk 1, the Mk 1A has 43 improvements that were projected by the IAF. These improvements have made the LCA Tejas Mk —By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)