Overview

• The contract covers 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers with associated equipment under the Buy (India-IDDM) category.
• Deliveries are planned to start in 2027–28 and finish over six years, bolstering IAF capacity as the MiG-21 fleet bows out.
• The Mk1A standard adds the UTTAM AESA radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach self-protection suite and indigenous actuators, taking local content above 64% with 67 new Indian-made items.
• About 105 domestic suppliers are engaged, with the project expected to support roughly 11,750 direct and indirect jobs each year over six years.
• The order follows a delayed 83-jet 2021 Mk1A contract, and separate reports say a GE deal for 113 F404 engines has been finalised or is close to completion.