Overview
- Officials said Monday that the LCA Tejas Mk-1A is now expected to enter IAF service by the end of the year after GE supplied additional F404‑IN20 engines and HAL described remaining technical items as ‘last‑mile’ fixes.
- The IAF has ordered 180 Mk-1A jets in two contracts worth about ₹1.1 lakh crore and HAL plans limited deliveries in FY2026–27 with a production capacity of roughly 24 aircraft a year across Bengaluru and Nashik.
- Work on follow-on platforms continues: the larger LCA Mk-2 airframe is ready for ground runs with a first ground run targeted by March 2027 and a maiden flight planned in 2027 using GE F414 engines.
- New Delhi is negotiating to buy 114 more Rafale fighters with a strong push for local manufacture to create a second production line, and the government has not decided on any Su‑57 purchase while it pursues networked sensors and AI to boost current fighters.
- The AMCA stealth prototype phase is now government funded at about Rs 15,000 crore and has been opened to private consortia after HAL failed technical qualification, with the first prototype targeted to fly around September 2028.