Eagerly awaiting induction of LCA Mk-1A fighter jet: IAF Vice Chief
The Indian Air Force's Vice Chief of Air Staff stated that engines have now been installed on the LCA Tejas Mk-1A aircraft and thorough testing is underway before induction
He acknowledged that the delivery schedule for the Mk-1A had slipped, attributing the initial delay to a shortfall in engine supply from the manufacturer
A small number of technical issues were said to remain, expected to be resolved within one to two months
The Ministry of Defence has separately flagged that programme delays carry cost-escalation and capability-gap risks for the Air Force
LCA Tejas Programme and the Mk-1A Variant
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is India's indigenously designed single-engine, multirole fighter developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), intended to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet. The Mk-1A is an upgraded variant of the basic Tejas Mk-1, incorporating a more advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, an integrated Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile capability, and air-to-air refuelling.
Key Details
- Tejas first flew in 2001; it received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in 2013 and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) on February 20, 2019
- IOC-standard aircraft were inducted into IAF's No. 45 Squadron ("Flying Daggers") in July 2016; FOC-standard aircraft went to No. 18 Squadron ("Flying Bullets")
- The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of 83 Mk-1A aircraft (73 fighters and 10 trainers) on January 13, 2021, under a contract worth approximately Rs 48,000 crore (Rs 45,696 crore for the aircraft plus Rs 1,202 crore for design, development, and infrastructure)
- A follow-on order for 97 more Tejas Mk-1A aircraft (68 fighters and 29 trainers) worth roughly Rs 62,370 crore was placed in December 2025, taking the total order to 180 aircraft
The engines now being fitted are for the first batch of the 83-aircraft order approved in 2021; the "slippage" referenced by the Vice Chief relates to this contract's original 2024 delivery timeline.
Engine Supply Chain and Defence Indigenisation
The Mk-1A is powered by the GE F404-IN20 turbofan engine, supplied by GE Aerospace (USA) under a government-to-government-linked commercial contract with HAL, since India does not yet indigenously manufacture a fighter-class jet engine.
Key Details
- HAL's first contract with GE Aerospace, signed in 2021, was for 99 F404-IN20 engines (valued at roughly $716 million/Rs 5,375 crore) to power the initial 83-aircraft order
- Engine deliveries, originally due from March 2024, were delayed by GE Aerospace citing global supply-chain constraints; the first engine was delivered only in March 2025
- A further contract for 113 F404-IN20 engines was signed with GE Aerospace in November 2025 to support the follow-on 97-aircraft order
- The episode illustrates the strategic vulnerability created by import-dependence on fighter engines, a key rationale behind the DRDO's parallel Kaveri engine programme and the ongoing India-France effort to co-develop a 110 kN engine for the future twin-engine Tejas Mk-2/AMCA
The engine bottleneck the Vice Chief referred to is a textbook illustration of how a single foreign sub-system dependency can delay an otherwise indigenous defence platform, reinforcing the strategic case for engine self-reliance under Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing.
IAF Squadron Strength and Fighter Modernisation
The Indian Air Force's sanctioned/authorised fighter squadron strength is 42, a figure set against China's and Pakistan's combined air power on India's two-front security calculus. Actual strength has fallen well below this benchmark due to the retirement of MiG-21, MiG-23, and MiG-27 fleets without matching replacement induction.
Key Details
- IAF combat squadron strength stood at around 31 (against the sanctioned 42) as of recent assessments, with further reduction expected as remaining MiG-21 squadrons are phased out
- Timely induction of the Tejas Mk-1A, alongside the twin-engine Tejas Mk-2 (under development) and the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) import programme, is central to the IAF's plan to rebuild squadron strength, now targeted for around 2040
- Defence procurement for such indigenous platforms proceeds through the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which accords Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) under categories such as "Buy (Indian-IDDM)" before CCS financial approval
Delays in Mk-1A induction directly affect the IAF's ability to arrest its squadron-strength decline, which is why the Ministry of Defence has flagged the slippage as a matter needing close monitoring.
- Tejas first flight: 2001; IOC: 2013; FOC: February 20, 2019
- 83-aircraft Mk-1A order approved by CCS: January 13, 2021; value ~Rs 48,000 crore (73 fighters + 10 trainers)
- Follow-on order: 97 more Mk-1A aircraft, ~Rs 62,370 crore, placed December 2025
- Engine: GE F404-IN20; first HAL-GE engine contract (2021) for 99 engines, ~$716 million/Rs 5,375 crore
- First F404-IN20 engine delivered to HAL: March 2025, after delays from the original March 2024 schedule
- Second engine contract: 113 F404-IN20 engines, signed November 2025
- IAF sanctioned fighter squadron strength: 42; actual strength recently assessed at around 31