Overview
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit told reporters this week that engines have been installed on Mk-1A prototypes and thorough ground and flight testing is under way to validate performance.
- He said only "two or three" technical issues remain, all relating to integrating the aircraft’s AESA radar with beyond‑visual‑range missiles, and that those should be resolved in about one to two months.
- Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has signalled it aims to begin handing over aircraft by year‑end once the radar and weapons integration is certified.
- Deliveries originally slated to start in March 2024 have been delayed by earlier engine shortages from GE Aerospace and by the current certification work for sensors and weapons.
- The programme remains under close scrutiny because 180 Mk-1A jets are on order for roughly ₹1.1 lakh crore, the Dubai crash investigation is still incomplete, and the timing matters for IAF readiness and multinational exercises such as Tarang Shakti.