Defence Ministry inks Rs. 62,370-cr deal with HAL for 97 LCA Mk1A jets for IAF

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

SHYAM SOOD

RAJOURI-DELHI SEPT 25:-The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin-seaters, for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of over Rs. 62,370 crore (excluding taxes).
The delivery of these aircraft will commence in 2027-28 and be completed over six years.
The LCA Mk1A, the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft, will have an indigenous content of more than 64%. The new contract incorporates 67 additional items compared to the earlier LCA Mk1A deal signed in January 2021. Key upgrades include integration of advanced indigenous systems such as the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, ‘Swayam Raksha Kavach’ electronic warfare suite, and control surface actuators, boosting the Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) initiative.
The project is backed by a strong vendor ecosystem of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in component manufacturing. Production is expected to generate nearly 11,750 direct and indirect jobs annually over the next six years, giving a major fillip to the domestic aerospace industry.
The acquisition, being undertaken under the ‘Buy (India-IDDM)’ category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, aligns with the Government’s push for indigenisation and is expected to significantly enhance the IAF’s operational capabilities.