Ministry of Defence on September 25 signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A for Indian Air Force. The order is for 68 fighters and 29 twin seaters, along with associated equipment, at a cost of over ₹62,370 crore (excluding taxes). The delivery of these aircraft would commence during 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years.
The development came just a day before the formal retirement of the MiG-21 aircraft by the Indian Air Force. A decommissioning ceremony will be held on Friday in Chandigarh along with a ceremonial flypast.
The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and control surface actuators will further strengthen the Aatmanirbharta initiatives, MoD said in a statement.
The project is being supported by a robust vendor base of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in the manufacture of detailed components. The production is expected to generate close to 11,750 direct and indirect jobs per year for the duration of six years, giving a major boost to the domestic aerospace ecosystem.
The acquisition, under the ‘Buy (India-IDDM)’ category of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, is in line with the Government’s thrust on indigenisation. The LCA Mk1A is the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed & manufactured fighter aircraft and will serve as a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF.
Delivery of the aircraft on schedule will depend on the supply of GE-F404 engines by GE, which has been delayed by over a year. The American company has promised to deliver two engine every month. HAL is expected to receive 12 GE-F404 engines by the end of this financial year. India has also selected the GE-F414 engine for the LCA Mk2 and AMCA aircraft with proposal to manufacture in India, but a deal has not been finalised yet.
