IAF and HAL Poised to Finalise Second Order of 97 Tejas Mk1A by 2025 End, Deliveries Expected from 2028 after First Order Fulfillment

In a significant move to bolster India's aerial combat capabilities and advance its self-reliance goals, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are set to finalise a major contract for an additional 97 Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft.

The agreement, valued at an estimated ₹67,000 crore (approximately $8 billion), is expected to be signed by the end of 2025.

This new order will supplement an existing 2021 contract for 83 aircraft, which included 73 Tejas Mk1A fighters and 10 trainers.

The combined orders will elevate the total number of advanced Mk1A variant jets in the IAF's inventory to 170, solidifying the Tejas as a cornerstone of its modern fighter fleet.

HAL has established a clear production and delivery timeline to meet the IAF's requirements.

The delivery of the initial 83 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by 2028. Following this, the manufacturing and supply of the second batch of 97 jets will commence in 2028 and are projected to conclude by 2031.

To accommodate this accelerated schedule, HAL is expanding its production infrastructure across its facilities in Bengaluru and Nashik, aiming to achieve a manufacturing rate of 24 aircraft per year.

A key technological milestone for the program will be the integration of indigenous critical systems.

Starting from 2028, the Tejas Mk1A jets will be equipped with the domestically developed Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a sophisticated Electronic Warfare (EW) suite.

These systems, created by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) labs, will replace the Israeli-made components used in the initial batches.

The Uttam AESA radar, which allows pilots to track multiple targets with high precision, is a crucial step towards making the Tejas a fully indigenous platform.

Upon completion of all deliveries by 2031, the IAF's total fleet of the Tejas aircraft will stand at 220. This will comprise 170 Tejas Mk1A, 32 of the earlier Tejas Mk1 variant, and 18 trainers. This will constitute approximately 11 squadrons, making the Tejas the most numerous aircraft type in the IAF's service.

This large-scale procurement is a vital part of the IAF's fleet modernisation strategy. The new Tejas Mk1A aircraft are designated to replace the ageing squadrons of MiG-21, MiG-27, and Jaguar aircraft, which are being progressively retired from service.

The move not only enhances the nation's air defence capabilities but also provides a major impetus to India's domestic aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

 

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[Hawkeye]

Things are happening finally. Hope we get the F404 engine continuously without any interruption.

 

[sanket]

Confidence in HAL that Uttam AESA Radar likely to find a place in upcoming 97 follow-on Tejas Mk1A jets.

 

[Anant]

Deliveries of the 73 Tejas Mk 1A "to begin" in FY25? We are well into the second quarternof FY26, and there is no firm timeline on when deliveries will commence!

Anyone who thinks all 180 Tejas Mk 1As will be delivered by 2031: I have a few bridges to sell. Interested?

 

[Parveen Gahlot]

All these depends upon US to supply F-404 engines on time or even supply.

 

[Raju]

Deliveries of the 73 Tejas Mk 1A "to begin" in FY25? We are well into the second quarternof FY26, and there is no firm timeline on when deliveries will commence!

Anyone who thinks all 180 Tejas Mk 1As will be delivered by 2031: I have a few bridges to sell. Interested?

That's OK; it's our Indian business. For that, we are not buying a 4th-gen expensive jet from your country.

 

[Dredd]

Deliveries of the 73 Tejas Mk 1A "to begin" in FY25? We are well into the second quarternof FY26, and there is no firm timeline on when deliveries will commence!

Anyone who thinks all 180 Tejas Mk 1As will be delivered by 2031: I have a few bridges to sell. Interested?

Someone explain how HAL can deliver 83 Tejas by FY28 (March 2028), which is 32 months from now. HAL needs to deliver 2.6 jets per month from August, and going by engine availability and HAL's progress, they can't deliver more than 6-8 this FY, so it makes 75 in 2 years.

 

[Anant]

That's OK; it's our Indian business. For that, we are not buying a 4th-gen expensive jet from your country.

I mean, if you buy a 4th generation jet from my country, that would be literally buying more Tejas Mk 1s / 1As. Not sure why you and a few other folks seem to think I am something else rather than an Indian.

I am pointing out, however, that such statements about HAL somehow delivering all 73 Tejas Mk 1As of the first order by the end of FY29 (let's be generous and give them the entirety of 2028 and the rest of the financial year) is outright ludicrous. Here's the math, if you don't believe me:

73 Tejas Mk 1As will require atleast 73 engines. We have 2 engines presently, and GE will deliver another 6-8 or so by March 2026. After that, they want to go for 24 engines a year. Assuming they can manage 8 more engines by March 2026 and 24 annually thereafter, this comes to a total of 82 F404s delivered by March 2029 (24 annually for 3 years plus 10 this year). Of these, you need 73 for the new Tejas Mk 1As.

Now, there would obviously be a lead time between an engine being delivered and a jet equipped with this engine being delivered. Assuming this to be 3 months (which is fairly optimistic, considering that the first few Tejas Mk 1A will have a far longer lead time based on what we are seeing), that means that you won't be able to use the last 6 of those 82 engines on these 73 jets, assuming we are sticking to the March 2029 deadline. That leaves you with 76 engines.

Now, in theory, 76 engines are enough for 73 jets, but there is also the fact that the IAF will want engines for their spares' pool. As you see more and more Tejas jets enter service, the spares' pool will also have to grow. Having just 3 engines as spares for over 100 jets (including both the Tejas Mk 1 and Mk 1A jets) would not be an operational possibility.

Thus, HAL cannot deliver all 73 Tejas Mk 1As by March 2029 unless GE is able to ramp up production beyond 24 engines a year. As of now, we have exactly zero indications that this will happen.

Oh, and if we actually pull back the delivery deadline to December 2028 rather than March 2029, that means we only get a maximum of 76 engines for 73 jets. At this point, even if you reduce the delivery lead time to 2 months from 3, that is 72 engines for 73 jets.

Mind you, I haven't included the fact that the last 8 or so Tejas trainers are still awaiting engines. Add those in, and you'll see why the end of 2028 target is nonsense.

 

[AK S]

Someone explain how HAL can deliver 83 Tejas by FY28 (March 2028), which is 32 months from now. HAL needs to deliver 2.6 jets per month from August, and going by engine availability and HAL's progress, they can't deliver more than 6-8 this FY, so it makes 75 in 2 years.

Your math is wrong, but that doesn’t change the picture: at least a year of delay.

This fiscal year, around 12-13 and 60 to go in two years, so still a tall order. At least another 3 years, assuming they produce 20 jets (from about 24 hangars they have now).

 

[Alok Gupta]

And the Navy is also thinking of 8 LCA naval trainers. Will GE be able to deliver this many engines in time? I think it is time to license-assemble the GE404I engines in India.

 

[Pankaj]

The major concern is to get the F404 engine from America. The present scenario does not indicate a smooth supply of the fighter jet engine. The US has a history of ditching its partners.

 

[Madan]

All these depends upon US to supply F-404 engines on time or even supply.

GE has already delivered two engine, first one in Mar and second in July. Where is the aircraft? HAL which has been claiming in the past that it has some frames ready, has failed to deliver one aircraft in four months after getting the engine shows its capabilities. Don't believe their hawa hawaies.

 

[Madan]

Someone explain how HAL can deliver 83 Tejas by FY28 (March 2028), which is 32 months from now. HAL needs to deliver 2.6 jets per month from August, and going by engine availability and HAL's progress, they can't deliver more than 6-8 this FY, so it makes 75 in 2 years.

They couldn't deliver one in four months. 😂 😂 😂

 

[Sanjay Limbani]

The whole order of 83+97 = 170 Tejas delivery will be completed only till 2035. And that also if 97 Nos orders placed on time.

I have come to conclusion about this timeline by considering:

*HAL Track Record
*Bureaucracy
*Geo-Politics
*Corruption
*Indecisiveness in Indian Defence Ministry
*Foreign Companies Lobbying

 

[SivaBalan Kumaravel]

Given the scale of the GE F404 engine requirement, why can't we make a deal with GE for domestic manufacturing?

 

[Sanjay Limbani]

Given the scale of the GE F404 engine requirement, why can't we make a deal with GE for domestic manufacturing?

 

[Sanjay Limbani]

Instead We should Fund Kaveri program to reduce weight of the engine below 1000 Kg & increase it's dry thrust from 49kN to 60-65kN.

And Wet Thrust 90-95kN, thus eliminating requirement of GE-F404 & fit the new engine into the whole Tejas Mk-1 & Mk-1A fleet when current engine life ends and requirement of new engine arises.

Domestic Manufacturing will further delay the Tejas Mk-1A delivery.

 

[AK49]

Things are happening finally. Hope we get the F404 engine continuously without any interruption.

Best start developing own high performance engines rather then relying on unpredictable Foreign Sources who can foot drag at Critical times , causing delays at the most Critical of times and determine outcome of a War even.