LCA Tejas Programme
India's Indigenous Fighter Jet Journey
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is India's most significant domestic aerospace achievement — a single-engine, delta-wing multirole fighter developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) with HAL as the production agency. The programme began in the early 1980s and faced decades of delay primarily due to technology denial regimes (post-1998 nuclear tests), engine supply constraints, and institutional challenges. The Tejas Mk1A is the current production variant featuring significant upgrades over the Mk1: AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, self-protection jammer, air-to-air refuelling capability, and beyond-visual-range missile compatibility.
- LCA Tejas development timeline: Conceptualised ~1983; initial operational clearance 2001; final operational clearance (FOC) 2019 — approximately 36-year programme
- Orders placed: 40 Mk1 (delivered), 83 Mk1A (2021 contract, ₹48,000 crore), plus additional 97 Mk1A under discussion
- Mk1A key upgrades: AESA radar (Uttam), Electronic Warfare self-protection jammer, active refuelling probe, compatibility with Derby BVR and Astra Mk1 missiles
- Engine: GE F404-IN20 (American) — generates approximately 85 kN thrust with afterburner
- Role: Air superiority, ground attack, maritime strike — replacing retiring MiG-21 Bison squadrons
● Tracked since February 05, 2026 · last seen April 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes