The Ministry of Defense has sent a request for proposals to the state-owned Indian aerospace firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 97 light fighters, thereby initiating the largest-ever purchasing for the aircraft type.
By Abhijeet
The Indian Air Force, which presently only has 31 fighter squadrons instead of the required 42, depends heavily on the company's Tejas aircraft, also known as Light Combat Aircraft, or LCA.A spokesperson for HAL acknowledged receipt of the solicitation but was unable to provide an estimated time of delivery for a response that included a detailed pricing quote.
In response to a query concerning the anticipated cost of the contract, the Indian Air Force stated that published approximations place the price tag somewhere above INR650 billion, or around $7.8 billion. The Defense Acquisition Council formally acknowledged the military need for the aircraft on November 30, 2023, and this 97-fight tender request came after.
HAL now operates two Tejas production lines in Bangalore, with a combined capacity of eight aircraft per year. In October, a third production line in Nashik, Maharashtra, is scheduled to launch, increasing the annual output by eight planes.
That implies that by 2025 or 2026, the business might be able to produce 24 LCAs a year.
After a $6.5 billion agreement for 73 single-seat and 10 twin-seat trainer aircraft in January 2021, the new tender establishes HAL's second contract for the aircraft. On March 28, the first production LCA Mk1A, the newest variant, successfully completed its first flight.
The agreement will significantly increase HAL's order books, which topped $11.2 billion as of March 31. The business reported record revenues for the most recent fiscal year—more than $3.6 billion—earlier this month, up 11% from the year before.
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