India Clears Rs 62,000-Crore Deal To Buy 97 LCA Mark 1A Fighter Jets

The Union government cleared a Rs 62,000-crore deal on Tuesday to buy 97 Light Combat Aircraft Mark 1A fighter jets for the Air Force, defence sources told ANI.

According to the ANI report, the final approval for the acquisition will pave the way for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. to produce the aircraft.

This will be in addition to the 83 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets ordered by the government earlier. The first order was worth Rs 48,000 crore.

The report on ANI said that this will help the IAF to replace its fleet of MiG- 21s that are being phased out by the government in the next few weeks.

It will also be a big boost for promoting indigenisation and will give more business to the small and medium enterprises engaged in defence business across the country.

The LCA Mark 1A program is a critical component of India's efforts to enhance its indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers. The aircraft is designed to meet the operational requirements of the IAF, providing a versatile and cost-effective solution for various combat scenarios.

The LCA Mark 1A is an advanced version of the Tejas fighter jet, featuring modern avionics, an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, and improved combat capabilities.