CCS clears Rs. 67,000-crore project for 97 advanced Tejas Mk1A Fighters

New Delhi, August 20. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved a Rs. 67,000-crore project for the production of 97 Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft, giving a major boost to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) combat strength. The advanced variant of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The decision follows the Defence Acquisition Council’s (DAC) approval in November 2023. Tejas Mk1A, a 4.5-generation, single-engine, delta-wing multirole fighter, will feature upgraded avionics, an advanced electronic warfare suite, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile capability. The aircraft will also be able to deploy a wide range of weapons from greater stand-off distances.

The IAF had earlier contracted 83 Tejas Mk1A jets in 2021 at a cost of Rs. 46,000 crore. With the new order, the IAF’s future fleet will eventually include 40 LCA Mk1, over 180 LCA Mk1A, and at least 120 LCA Mk2 aircraft over the next 15 years.

The acquisition comes at a critical time, as the IAF grapples with a shrinking squadron strength. With the planned phasing out of the MiG-21 fleet – including No. 23 Squadron in September 2025 – the force’s fighter squadrons will dip below 30, far short of the sanctioned strength of 42. Each squadron typically fields 16-18 aircraft.

Inducted for the first time in 2016, Tejas was envisioned as a replacement for the ageing MiG-21 fleet.