Defense Ministry Issues Rs 65,000 Crore Tender For 97 LCA Mark 1A Fighter Jets -All About It

In a move towards bolstering indigenous military capabilities, the Defence Ministry has issued a tender to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets, worth over Rs 65,000 crore.

The tender, recently issued to HAL, gives the public sector firm three months to respond.

As reported by Economic Times, the programme aims to replace the Indian Air Force's aging fleet of MiG-21s, MiG-23s, and MiG-27s.

The initiative, fully supported by the Defence Ministry and Air Headquarters, is poised to significantly promote indigenization and provide substantial business opportunities to small and medium enterprises engaged in defense production nationwide.

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The decision to acquire 97 additional LCA Mark 1A fighter jets was initially announced by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari during a visit to Spain, when he told about the mega plans to boost the indigenous fighter aircraft orders.

The previous order for LCA Mark 1A comprised 83 aircraft, with the first plane scheduled for delivery in the coming weeks.

Representing an advanced iteration of the Tejas aircraft, the LCA Mark 1A boasts enhanced avionics and radar systems compared to the initial batch of 40 LCAs supplied to the Air Force.

Significantly, the new LCA Mark 1A aircraft will feature indigenous content exceeding 65 per cent.

HAL is also poised to secure contracts for over 200 LCA Mark 2s and a similar number of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.

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