India Clears Rs 62,000-Crore HAL Deal To Buy 97 LCA Mark 1A Fighter Jets
The final approval for the acquisiton of the LCV fighter jet will pave the way for HAL to produce the aircraft.
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.
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.
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HAL Order Pipeline
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has reported a robust order book of Rs 1,89,300 crore as of the end of FY25. Key orders include 240 AL-31FP engines for the Sukhoi-30 fleet worth Rs 25,500 crore, the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand valued at Rs 62,777 crore, and 12 new Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft for Rs 13,454 crore.
In addition to its current order book, HAL has a pipeline of future orders worth nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore. This includes the government-cleared procurement of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets worth Rs 62,000 crore, 143 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) for the Indian Air Force and Army, and 10 Dornier DO-228 aircraft for the Navy and Coast Guard.
HAL is also set to upgrade 40 Dornier aircraft for the IAF and receive repair and overhaul (ROH) orders worth Rs 20,000 crore. A major avionics upgrade for 84 Sukhoi jets, valued at Rs 60,000 crore, is expected to be executed by FY2030.
