HAL and Partners Ramp Up for 30 Tejas Jets Annually by 2030

India's aerospace sector is poised for significant growth as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) prepares to deliver the first upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter jets next month.

The anticipated order for 97 additional Tejas Mk1A fighters is triggering a wave of expansion throughout the Tejas ecosystem to meet the Indian Air Force's growing needs and potential export demands.

HAL Leads the Charge​

HAL, at the heart of India's indigenous fighter jet program, is encouraging its vast network of private vendors to scale up their production capacities significantly.

Leading partners, including Dynamatic Technologies, VEM Technologies, Alpha Tocol, and others, are investing in expanding their capabilities to streamline the production of 180 Tejas Mk1A jets over the next 6-7 years.

This robust expansion plan includes establishing additional Tejas production lines, gradually ramping up annual output to an ambitious 24 jets by 2026-27, with scope to reach 30 jets per year by 2030.

Successfully negotiating and confirming the order for 97 additional Tejas Mk1A jets by year-end would accelerate this production ramp-up.

Strength in the Supply Chain​

Crucially, around 70% of the Tejas Mk1A is manufactured by Indian companies. HAL recognizes that a strong and expanded supply chain holds the key to meeting both domestic and potential export demands for the Tejas Mk1A, ensuring timely deliveries for the IAF.

HAL's successful bids to Argentina and the Philippines for the Tejas highlight the jet's export potential, and greater production capacity will be pivotal in fulfilling any forthcoming export orders.

Implications and Outlook​

The expansion of the Tejas Mk1A production network signifies a major boost to India's self-reliance in defense manufacturing and its growing prominence in the global aerospace market.

HAL's strategic production increases pave the way for the smooth transition to the even more advanced Tejas Mk2 while bolstering the nation's defense capabilities and technological prowess.

 

[Akash Vashisth]

Best thing would be to quickly manufacture all the fighters and store them in a warehouse until F404 engines arrive.

Install the engines and give them to IAF and other export orders.

By doing this, productions will be freed up for Tejas Mk2

 

[Vijigishu ( विजिग्शु )]

Gearing up since the last decade. Why even post these kind of news items? Salt in the wound.

 

[Neel Martin]

30 jets per year?
Then that would be 8th wonder of modern times .!
The Babu s and union heads of PSU s at the top level should be dumped to Mid Arabian sea first.

 

[Srinivas Nirmal Kumar Avula]

After watching PSU's performance for many many years< Indian have lost confidence in PSU's especially in regard to timelines of Defense PSU's. They already have so many projects which are supposed to be completed very long ago, but still the are in pipeline.
I quote this famous proverb, which perfectly suits them
Don't 'Bite Off More Than What You Can Chew

 

[dheerajdelhi .]

HAL Management and leadership is living in their own fools paradise. They have time and again proved inefficient and lethargic to meet agreed commitments.

 

[Sandeep]

Unfortunately no matter how much HAL ramps up its production lines the problem is the staff, poor management, poor accountability, poor finance management, lack of ethics or morals and staff having a common "chalta hai" attitude and approach to their work. Currently they don't produce enough jets despite having the installed capacity to do so and they have a huge backlog of orders and more orders are in the pipeline.

Currently HAL is going to get very busy with a large numbers of orders to be placed like 200 Tejas MK1A, 150-200 Tejas MK2, 100+ basic trainer, 100+ intermediate trainer, 100+ advanced trainer, 200+ AMCA. As for helicopters they need about 50-100 Dhruv, 150+ Prachand, 200+ LUH, 200-300 IMRH and maybe a heavy attack helicopter. As for drones we need about 200+ Archer NG, 500+ swarm drones, 200+ loiter munitions, 400+ various local drones, 100 helicopter drones.

After looking at the large number of orders that have either been placed or going to be placed people still think that India are going to buy around 120 Rafale jets costing over $20 billion. India has already got a large number of order in the pipeline so adding another 120 jets will take forever. To speed up the large number of orders the private sector has to become more involved and manufacture most of the jets.

 

[Mridul baruah]

30 fighters aap bana to doge... But bina engine ke udega kaise?

 

[Akshat]

30 fighters aap bana to doge... But bina engine ke udega kaise?

Pehle ye bana ke to dikhae

 

[Akshat]

Best thing would be to quickly manufacture all the fighters and store them in a warehouse until F404 engines arrive.

Install the engines and give them to IAF and other export orders.

By doing this, productions will be freed up for Tejas Mk2

We are talking about HAL here. Mk2 ain’t coming till 2045 and all mk1a will be delivered only by 2070s.

 

[beencensured]

Funny article. Hal gearing up for so many years but only 4 per year ever produced

Till tejas mk1a certification there has been only forty orders so over twelve years make 3.6 planes an year.

 

[Amit Ray]

We are talking about HAL here. Mk2 ain’t coming till 2045 and all mk1a will be delivered only by 2070s.

You are exceptionally stupid.

Also spread negativity and a diehard pessimist.

Please try to appreciate whatever the GOI is trying to do, give positive vibes, good suggestions as per your opinion. Since independence no govt has done what's this present govt is trying to do. This is after all types of canards and roadblocks set up by the opposition parties along with people with vested interest coupled with sabotage by inimical powers with the help of local spies.

 

[Amit Ray]

If by boasting one could have produced fighters HAL would have beaten even the western producers in screwdriving. But unfortunately for Bharat's security that is not so. HAL should perform where it's big mouth is. Why the GOI is still giving major projects which is critical to Bharat's security to inefficient HAL instead of hand holding the private sector to produce military jets, God aline knows. IAF should pull up HAL for even a day's delay in delivery.

GOI is absolutely right in awarding HAL all the major projects. Why should govt hand hold private industries giving them major projects? If they do so all h ell will break loose, every body will cry hoarse yelling corruption, nepotism and whatnot. This includes you and others over here also. People will rush to Supreme court alleging cho r hai , ch or hai, parliament will be repeatedly adjourned. There will be processions, demonstrations etc. Whatever GOI is doing seems to be the correct approach.

 

[Amit Ray]

If we were to imagine a lala-land where HAL is able to ramp production to peak rate of 30 Tejas/year, by 2030 they will have produced 180 jets which would be just sufficient to cater to IAF's orders only.

Now, we don't live in a Lala Land, and other than gearing up, eyeing, planning, HAL hasn't really shown something concrete to prove that they can scale up to even 12 Jets per year. Then, there is productiom limit as imposes by GE for the GE-F404 engines.

The maths doesn't add up. How will they be able to not only address IAF's demand but also cater to export market by 2030 with a capacity of producing 30 jets per year?

Let them try, there's no harm in trying. At least the approach seems to be rational as HAL doesn't manufacture everything, lots of components are bought out from local vendors as well as foreign. So asking them to ramp up their capabilities is a correct approach. And with our PM who knows it might become mumkin. Few years back who thought there would be a commander's conference up in our two aircraft carriers jointly at Minicoy, Lakshadweep islands

 

[desigandu]

How is this possible without GE supplying its F-404 engines which I believe are a maximum of 20/year...Unless India has an existing stock of F-404s or can assemble some domestically over and above the 20/year (from GE) the 97 additional Mk1s will not come or will be scrapped...Therefore India should do both - try and assemble additional F-404s, and accelerate MK-2 by producing GE F-414 engines domestically soon and in numbers...This could help AMCA and TEDBF...Atmanirbharta with domestic supply chains, and the capability to produce high thrust engines (Kaveri-2 in 95-100KN class and a new engine in the 120-130KN class is vital/critical) is the only solution long term.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

How can Tejas be ramped up to 30 when GE's F404 is at ≤20 and ADA is still testing the new DFCC. Whose fault and who to blame

is it not possible to procure 404 engines from somewhere else. Other countries also license manufacture them. I believe that some deal can be worked out. I dont forsee the lack of engines dashing hopes of increase in production. HAL, IAF can forsee this issue from miles away and must have worked out a solution.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Not completely true.
HAL is owned by the government.
But managed by leftist trade Unions.

That, my friend is HAL's undoing.
Many people here wonder, if government owned enterprise are such a bad thing, how are UAC and AVIC doing so wonderful?

Remember, both are blessed --> No militant worker unions to deal with.

I am curious as to how you are so sure that problem lies with labour in HAL. Fighter aircraft manufacturing is extremely complex, there are numerous suppliers, tech constraints, financial constraints, political constraints etc. An issue with either one of them can hamper production. Can you point out to me where you have got this knowledge that problem of low production rate of Tejas is due to labour problems in HAL. Because if that were the case then Helicopter manufacturing at HAL would also be seriously hit, but that is not the case.

 

[desigandu]

HAL should be split and parts of it sold to the Indian private sector with guaranteed contracts, as an example - 1. the entire Helicopter division and its Safran engine JV should be privatized; 2. engines development and production should also be with a private party for both fighters and helos along with the Kaveri-2 and Safran JV high thrust efforts; 3 - Trainers, Transports etc should be consolidated with TATAS who are producing the C-295s with Airbus and who could also produce the A-400Ms; 4 - what HAL should be left with is to focus on just old MIGS/Jaguar/Mirages/upgrades, Sukhoi upgrades and all production of Tejas - MK1A/Mk2, AMCA and TEDBF...5 - MRFA program for Rafales should also be privatized and HAL should not play a role - this can be a backup capability for HAL fighters as it matures...That way we have multiple players with clear concentration and hopefully scale and volumes so the private sector can see profits and a long term game...Doing everything with HAL under a Public Sector culture is a recipe for disaster...Don't destroy HAL but make it more focussed and therefore allow it to specialize...Again this is one solution and there may be other options but India's Defense capability must not be sacrificed to delays, cultural and capability problems, funding and turf battles...Also DRDO and overall Defense R&D needs to be transformed also.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

I am curious as to how you are so sure that problem lies with labour in HAL. Fighter aircraft manufacturing is extremely complex, there are numerous suppliers, tech constraints, financial constraints, political constraints etc. An issue with either one of them can hamper production. Can you point out to me where you have got this knowledge that problem of low production rate of Tejas is due to labour problems in HAL. Because if that were the case then Helicopter manufacturing at HAL would also be seriously hit, but that is not the case.

My source is top secret. So, keep it between us.
Santa Clause told me all about it. Now, hush up.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

My source is top secret. So, keep it between us.
Santa Clause told me all about it. Now, hush up.

ismail bhai having guftagoo with santa. Seems like you wont get your 72 hoors after reaching jannat

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

Let them try, there's no harm in trying.

Try what?
Prove maths wrong?
30x6=210+
I mean, how about starting with getting their maths right.

At least the approach seems to be rational

For a rational approach, the roadmap needs to be realistic.
If I were to start preparing for UPSC with a target of one day becoming President of the United States, would that be considered a rational target?

I will leave rest of the points because while your heart is at the right place, HAL's is not.

Cheers!!