NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and state-run Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) will hold the final review meeting on the much-delayed Tejas Mk1A fighter after mid-October, with only two to three "minor" glitches in the jet's radar now left to be ironed out.
"The meeting will take place only when HAL comes with its final update on the pending issues. It is this assessment that will decide the induction timeline," a top official in the defence establishment told TNIE.
The review was earlier slated for September. "Most of the integration work has been completed," the official said. "There are just two-three minor issues with the radar, which are being worked on."
The Israeli EL/M-2052 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar has to mesh seamlessly with the jet's weapon firing controls and its Angad electronic warfare suite. Once that is done, the jet will still need the final nod from the military airworthiness regulator CEMILAC.
"The first batch of jets will be taken to Sulur and the first full-fledged Mk1A squadron will be raised at Nal," the official added. Sulur in Tamil Nadu houses the IAF's first Tejas Mk1 squadron, the 'Flying Daggers', while Nal in Rajasthan's Bikaner district is located close to the western front with Pakistan. The IAF expects to induct the first jets within this financial year.
HAL chairman Ravi K had said last month that 27 Mk1A airframes were ready and 10 engines had been received from GE Aerospace, but "one or two issues" with the first batch required further testing. He pegged the programme at 90-95% complete. HAL's own target is to deliver the first squadron of 16-18 jets by March 2027.
The other choke point has been the tardy supply of F404 engines by American major GE. GE shipped three engines in August, taking the total to 10. Former HAL chief D K Sunil had said GE was committed to supplying 20 engines between June and December this year.
HAL has imposed liquidated damages on GE for the delays. The defence ministry, in turn, has warned that HAL too could be hit with liquidated damages for missing its own delivery schedules.
The delays have been stark. Under the Rs 48,000 crore contract inked in February 2021 for 83 Tejas Mk1A jets, deliveries were to begin in February 2024. Not a single jet has been delivered till now. The defence ministry then inked another Rs 62,370 crore contract for 97 more jets in September last year, taking the total to 180. HAL also signed a follow-on deal with GE for engines for them.
The delays have hit the IAF hard. After the retirement of the MiG-21s, the force is down to just 29 fighter squadrons, each with 16-18 jets, when at least 42 are required to tackle the collusive threat from China and Pakistan.
