State-run aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to begin critical trials of its new light combat aircraft Tejas (LCA Mk-1A) in January 2025, which will include the aircraft’s indigenously produced Astra It also includes testing of beyond-the-visual-visual-range missiles. It will include a locally manufactured electronic warfare suite and the Israeli Elta radar, as it targets a March 31 deadline to deliver the first fighter jets to the Indian Air Force after completing the necessary certifications. Government officials familiar with the matter said this on Tuesday.
At the same time, HAL is in talks with US company GE Aerospace to expedite deliveries of F404 engines for the new aircraft, and earlier this month, senior Indian officials visited the US to confirm that 404 production resumed in 2016. We plan to evaluate the line directly. The facility is located near Boston, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Also read | Question marks remain over delivery schedule of new Tejas fighter jet
GE has not given a delivery schedule for the 99 engines it has ordered, but the U.S. engine maker told an Indian delegation led by HAL chief DK Sunil that production issues have been resolved and that the first It indicated that supply of units could begin in 2020. In March 2025, HT learned.
The first few LCA Mk-1As will be delivered to the IAF with spare engines and will be replaced by F404s once GE starts supplying them.
“The upcoming Astra missile launches, testing of the electronic warfare suite and ongoing software updates on the new system are the final processes before HAL delivers the first LCA Mk-1A to the IAF, and the IAF will provide certain We hope to deliver the product with sufficient capacity.” “Although the project has been plagued by some delays, HAL has the capacity and capacity to pick up production once the F404 engines start arriving,” said one of the people quoted above. The electronic warfare suite consists of radar warning receivers and advanced self-protection jammers.
Also Read | 7 Facts About Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Used by Indian Army
The first aircraft will be handed over to the IAF in the desired configuration by March 31, he added.
The IAF is concerned about the current pace of the LCA Mk-1A program due to the risk that delays in introducing the new fighter aircraft could impact the Air Force’s combat capabilities. The Air Force has ordered 83 Mk-1A fighters. INR48,000 billion in February 2021, plus approximately 97 Mk-1As. INR67,000 billion.
The first aircraft was scheduled to be delivered to the IAF by March 31, 2024, but was not delivered due to a combination of factors including delays in several key certifications and GE’s inability to supply engines on time. Ta. The US company was supposed to deliver six engines to HAL in the 2023-24 financial year.
“GE shut down its F404 production line in Lynn, Massachusetts several years ago. When it restarted that production line, it encountered some issues related to certification of parts and components. These issues have been corrected. HAL officials were also in talks with GE’s key vendors earlier this month and things seem to be progressing well now,” another official said.
Indeed, while both GE and HAL are optimistic about early supply of engines after the latest talks, there is still no clarity on the final delivery schedule. HAL will continue to manufacture aircraft and deliver aircraft with Category B engines (spare engines) to the IAF, which will be replaced with F404s upon arrival.
The replacement will not take long, but the numbers GE can deliver each year will only become clear once the first engines roll off the production line in Massachusetts, the first person said.
HAL has set up a new production line for LCA Mk-1A in Nashik to meet the growing needs of IAF. The state-run company has said it can manufacture 16 LCA Mk-1As every year in Bangalore and the Nashik line will help increase production to 24 aircraft.
The LCA Mk-1A is an evolution of the LCA Mk-1, which is already in service with the IAF. LCA is set to emerge as the cornerstone of the IAF’s combat power in the next decade and beyond.
The IAF, the world’s fourth largest air force, is expected to operate around 350 LCAs (Mk-1, Mk-1A and future Mk-2), a third of which have already been ordered and are in the pipeline. The division will be enlisted and the rest will be used as primary combat aircraft. It is based on the Air Force’s modernization roadmap and is expected to be contracted over the next few years.
In October, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said HAL must stick to its promise of producing 24 aircraft annually to make up for the delays, while noting that lessons learned meant that the LCA Mk-2 and Advanced Medium It should serve as a guide for important future projects, including fighter jets, he stressed. Aircraft (AMCA), stealth fighter.
HAL is also in contract negotiations with GE Aerospace for joint production of F414 engines in India. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington in June 2023 to produce 99 F414 engines for the LCA Mk-2 program. The transaction includes 80% transfer of technology (ToT) and is estimated to be worth approximately $1 billion.
Joint production of engines would help the country overcome significant technology gaps, lay the foundations for domestic development of larger jet engines, and perhaps open the door to exports.
