Tejas Mk1A takes first flight, HAL sees early induction possibility

Bnegaluru: The first aircraft of the Tejas Mk1A series had its maiden flight in Bengaluru on Thursday, manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said.

The aircraft, LA5033, took to the skies from the HAL facility here for a successful 18-minute sortie. The flight was piloted by Chief Test Pilot (Fixed Wing) Gp Capt K K Venugopal (Retd).

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A is the most advanced version of Tejas, India’s homegrown multi-role fighter aircraft. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has already operationalised the LCA Mk1 variant. “HAL achieved this significant production milestone with concurrent design and development amid major supply chain challenges in the global geo-political environment subsequent to the contract signature in February 2021," C B Ananthakrishnan, CMD, HAL, said.

The defence PSU received, in February 2021, a contract valued Rs 48,000 crore to supply 83 LCA Mk1A aircraft for the IAF. The original contract stipulated the completion of all deliveries by 2029; three of these aircraft were contractually scheduled to be delivered in 2024.

In November 2023, the Defence Acquisition Committee approved an Acceptance of Necessity for procuring 97 additional LCA Mk1As for the IAF.

HAL thanked the Ministry of Defence, IAF, DRDO/ADA, CEMILAC, DGAQA and the MSMEs for their contribution to the success of the programme. It said India could look forward to an early induction of the LCA Mk1A by the IAF and “more numbers” through the three lines of production established at HAL.

The LCA Mk1A comes with features including an Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) RADAR, high-performance Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC Mk1A), electronic warfare suite, advanced self-protection jammer, and smart multi-function displays.