HAL Plans Aggressive Production Ramp-Up for Tejas Mk1A, Reaching 30 Units Annually to Meet Growing Demand and Mitigate Engine Delays

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is aggressively scaling up its production capacity for the Tejas Mk1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to 30 units per year. This strategic move is aimed at overcoming delays in engine supply, addressing the existing order backlog, and preparing for anticipated future contracts.

HAL currently has orders for 73 Tejas Mk1A aircraft and expects to secure an additional order for 97 units later this year, bringing the total to 170. In addition, HAL is also responsible for producing 10 Tejas Trainer variants, with all deliveries scheduled for completion by 2029. This ambitious timeline necessitates a significant increase in production capacity.

To achieve this goal, HAL plans to leverage its existing production line in Bangalore, which currently produces 16 Tejas Mk1A units annually. Furthermore, the Nashik facility will be incorporated into the production process, initially adding a capacity of 5 units per year. This will be followed by a further expansion at Nashik, boosting its output by an additional 9 units and bringing the total annual production capacity to 30 aircraft.

This aggressive production ramp-up is crucial for HAL to meet the burgeoning demand for the Tejas Mk1A. The company plans to transition to Tejas MkII production from 2029 onwards. Therefore, it needs to manufacture nearly 180 Tejas Mk1A aircraft within the next 4-5 years, requiring production to reach the 30-unit mark by 2027.

The increased production rate will not only help HAL fulfill its current orders but also enable it to respond effectively to future demand. This proactive approach will ensure that the Indian Air Force receives its complement of advanced Tejas fighters in a timely manner, bolstering India's defence capabilities.

 

[sanket]

Even if HAL ramps up production to 30, GE needs to ramp up engine production to beyond 30. In the past, I have several times highlighted this, not only timely delivery of engines but ramping up production by GE. Second, I have already said the Nashik plant will be ready by December 2024 to assemble the Tejas MK1A. The first airframe might be ready by May 2025 from that plant. I don't think GE will be able to ramp up production beyond 24 from the current 16 by 2026 end. Until then, it might deliver 16 per year. From 2027, production may increase to beyond 20 engines per year. Overall, even if HAL ramps up production & if GE fails to supply engines, it will mismatch. Let's say HAL has a 21 LCA production rate & GE supplies only 16 engines. Even Dassault doesn't have a similar production rate by 2024 end. The last known figure was 13 per year for the Rafale jet.

 

[obiwankenubi jedi]

It's more than obvious why we have "delays" with F404 engine. To force MRFA and US jets down our throat !

US wants more weapons deals with India , which means they want to control India with the 110+ MRFA jets deal, and then use us against China

so their threat is - buy F21 or F15 or then face "trade" tariff, CAATSA , and be blamed for "being a tarriff king", or "backsliding on democracy" or for "human rights violations", as expected !

And we want to base our Tejas mk2 and AMCA on F414 for which they are now stalling with a 50% increase in price ?! And are we looking for F35 as a 5th gen option ?!!

no wonder why we are going for Rafale so far for IAF and IN and to Su57 as 5th gen option, it's clear capitalist US cannot be trusted as an arms supplier

and need the Kaveri to be revived and the 110kn engine deal signed soon with Safran or RollsRoyce

with local manufacturing of Su57/Su75 or Rafale/Eurofighter, we stand to gain in aircraft and defense manufacturing industry, and most importantly will retain autonomy, and add to our defense capability

rather than being the counter balance against China for the US and western world in general

its good that we maintained our relationship with our strategic partner Russia, this is the real counter balance for us against the rest of the world

the additional Tejas mk1a 97 jets order in discussion is a kneejerk reaction to the perpetually delayed Tejas program, was not a thought of decision or planned,

in fact Tejas mk1a too was a fix for Tejas mk1 following the CAG report

 

[R. Singh]

HAL should power 73+97 Tejas-1a with made in India GE-414 engine ! Upgrade Tejas-1A to have super cruise capable, MAc-2.3 speed since its primary role is air defence, 900 km combat radius, and arm it with AIM series of BVRAAMs along with Astra-1,2,3 ! These upgrades will boost export chances !

 

[Mithu Roy]

First get GE to shift production line to India.Once they do vendors will get created and within a decade we will be able to built our own engines easily, look what happened for cars or now mobiles.

 

[INDIAN]

Wondering just like F-414 engine we are going for deep technology transfer agreement and will be building the engine in India itself , what prevented us from doing the same for F-404 engine which is powering Tejas mk1A long time ago.
Seems like our defense officials has zero strategic vision.

 

[Mithu Roy]

India should start discussion for EJ2000.
if thy agree it's better to split the volumes between GE404 and EJ2000.
For 97 order we should do that so that we are not dependent on GE for future.
Seeing competition both of them will give best deal

 

[AK S]

Wondering just like F-414 engine we are going for deep technology transfer agreement and will be building the engine in India itself , what prevented us from doing the same for F-404 engine which is powering Tejas mk1A long time ago.
Seems like our defense officials has zero strategic vision.

Cost. After RFP by HAL, it took price negotiation committee three years to finalize the contract. License production of F404 was the main reason. Besides our bureaucracy including IAF one is certainly not known for efficiency. They are efficient only in emergency procurement.

 

[Ayyadurai Namasivayam]

India should start discussion for EJ2000.
if thy agree it's better to split the volumes between GE404 and EJ2000.
For 97 order we should do that so that we are not dependent on GE for future.
Seeing competition both of them will give best deal

The worst decision made in the history of the Indian defence industry is planning to buy a GE engine for Tejas. This decision was made at a time when India and the US didn't have a good relationship.

 

[sumeettheracer]

What a joke !
GE itself has said that they will not be able to provide engines further than 20...
Where this 30 tejas per year figures is coming from ?!
Will it fly without an engine ?!
I find this article bogus and misleading !

 

[Sudha]

After wrongly opting for an engine the production of which was closed down, HAL is now making another big wrong decision of making the airframe ready without engines. What if F404 is not available for say 2 to 3 years or not available at all due to supply chain issues? It will be colossal loss. Wonder what is the RM doing? Tejas mk1a is already delayed, making airframes does not mean delivery. However you look delivery is already late.

 

[Raja Raja Cholan]

Cost. After RFP by HAL, it took price negotiation committee three years to finalize the contract. License production of F404 was the main reason. Besides our bureaucracy including IAF one is certainly not known for efficiency. They are efficient only in emergency procurement.

This is one of the problems the old stock bureaucrats should have been doing in most of the military procurement. Of course, there are financial conditions that need to be considered, but taking ages to make effective decisions is not good for defence. Our adversaries' threats and military strength build-up is a cause for concern, but the bureaucrats are not bothered to take note of the advancement in technology and military might in numbers. In China, from Xi Jinping down to military leaders, they are aggressively pushing military contractors to develop new developments, new variants to match the Americans in military power. Why are we still having bureaucrats with this kind of mentality to slow down the Indian military technology progress?

 

[ramdas]

HAL is doing the right thing in its sphere of activity but the US has tightened the screws on the timely delivery of engines. Bargaining for its fighters in the MRFA deal is an understatement. M0di will have a tough decision to make when he meets Trump after the deal signed with France. All this strategic engine delay would have been passed on to the Trump administration by the Pentagon.

 

[Madan]

All talk and talk but no action. So good for HAL and their Hawa Hawai.

 

[Arunpa]

Ranking up production in s good news. But what about engines?

 

[Sandeep]

After wrongly opting for an engine the production of which was closed down, HAL is now making another big wrong decision of making the airframe ready without engines. What if F404 is not available for say 2 to 3 years or not available at all due to supply chain issues? It will be colossal loss. Wonder what is the RM doing? Tejas mk1a is already delayed, making airframes does not mean delivery. However you look delivery is already late.

You can still assemble a jet without an engine but you just can’t fly it until it arrives. If you stop production of the jet and wait for the engine to arrive then it will take even longer to supply the jets. Also what are those workers supposed to do while they wait but still get paid?

 

[Sandeep]

The problem isn’t the amount of production capacity or lines we have. The main issue is that despite having significant manufacturing lines and capacity to make the jets HAL is still not using their full capacity to make the jets as their long delays and low production numbers have shown.

With any engine delays they can at least keep production of the jets ongoing and simply install the engines as they arrive. Also they can at least use the engines that they have on the Tejas MK1 jets which is inferior but at least they can send the jets to the frontline.

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

Join hands with E-200 British, German, Spanish, Italian companies for fitting a few E-200 engines on the 97 LCAs to be ordered, consultancy for lightweight alloys to reduce the weight of Kaveri from 1180kg to 925-940kg with afterburner and using a EURO-200 designed afterburner be installed to give Kaveri 55kn dry and 90-100kn wet thrust. The consultancy with IPR of the Kaveri should then be moved to build 130kn AMCA, LCAmk-2, and TEDBF engines.

 

[Dipesh Debnath]

Just make 1 million loitering drones with 2000 km range and it will still do the job of LCA.If cannot make such drones, pls get help from Ukraine as they have already built one.Ukraine is fighting without a navy and proper air force and showing the new way to fight long wars

 

[nivas9531]

This is one of the problems the old stock bureaucrats should have been doing in most of the military procurement. Of course, there are financial conditions that need to be considered, but taking ages to make effective decisions is not good for defence. Our adversaries' threats and military strength build-up is a cause for concern, but the bureaucrats are not bothered to take note of the advancement in technology and military might in numbers. In China, from Xi Jinping down to military leaders, they are aggressively pushing military contractors to develop new developments, new variants to match the Americans in military power. Why are we still having bureaucrats with this kind of mentality to slow down the Indian military technology progress?

In China you said xinping and in india bureaucrats hahaha.. where is Modi why don't he show his ref eyes to America for GE engines delay that is the sole matter