Tejas Mk2 Fighter Jet Development Progressing as Planned, Rollout on Track for Sept-Oct 2025, Confirms Former DRDO Chief

Former DRDO Chief, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, has confirmed that the rollout of the Tejas Mk2 fighter jet is proceeding as planned, with the rollout scheduled for September-October 2025. This announcement, made at the Emerging Technologies in Defence event in Chennai, marks a significant milestone in India's indigenous defence aviation program.

The Tejas Mk2 represents the next generation of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program, bridging the capability gap between the existing Tejas MkI/MkIA variants and India's fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to conduct the Tejas Mk2's first flight before March 2026, with taxi trials commencing soon after the rollout. These trials, expected to last three to four months, will rigorously test all systems before the aircraft's maiden flight.

The Tejas Mk2 is poised to play a vital role in modernizing the Indian Air Force's (IAF) combat fleet. With aging platforms like the Jaguar, MiG-29, and Mirage 2000 nearing retirement, the Mk2 is expected to fill the critical gap in the medium-weight fighter category.

The aircraft offers enhanced operational flexibility, carrying a diverse range of weapons, including beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, precision-guided munitions, and air-to-ground weaponry. Its advanced avionics and superior electronic warfare capabilities will provide the IAF with a technological edge in complex operational scenarios.

 

[R. Singh]

Our next batch of Tejas-II jets should be like F-36 ,a -5th gen fighter with internal weapon bay

 

[GhoshDiganta]

Not just the first flight but the production timing should be also on time. And not just Tejas Mk2 but also AMCA should be on time.

 

[sishir]

Let's hope HAL and GE are able to solve the delivery issue of the engines required and then we can really be sure that the dates mentioned will happen. In the meantime why we are not push fir quick decision and signing of all imported aircraft both for Navy and Airforce. All manufacturers are fully booked so again deliveries would be a issue. We need the. Now not tomorrow.

 

[sanket]

Great News,so that means March 2025 Taxi Trials & will Finished them by four months after that will it take in the skies by sept or oct-2025? if that happens it will b good achievement.

 

[Singha]

Hope to see a prototype at Aero India atleast.. even October 2025 works.. but plz dont mess this time and say 2028 rollout.. 😂

 

[Anant]

Um, I find it fairly unlikely a former DRDO Chief would be making such statements with a large degree of accuracy. Even if one assumes he is still updated on developments (and that in itself is a massive OpSec concern), one would expect such statements from the current chief rather than someone who previously held the post.

I have my doubts regarding the veracity of this claim, but it is nonetheless unprofessional to an extent.

 

[Jagroshan singh]

Seriously, we are enquiring former DRDO chief about current status about Tejas Project??
Even if he has the right info and he is sharing it publicly, that's a big red flag.

 

[Sudha]

Great News,so that means March 2025 Taxi Trials & will Finished them by four months after that will it take in the skies by sept or oct-2025? if that happens it will b good achievement.

You have to read the article correctly & then comment. You are confused with the dates. First flight will be done by Mar'26. Do not worry most of us are expecting the timeline to be pushed again into the future say to the end of 2026 or early 2027. The announcement will come any day after mid 2025 blaming anyone other than HAL for the delay. I am not fortune telling but commenting on the basis of HAL's history. If they do the first flight by Mar'26 I will be the happiest since HAL's delays are weakening Bharat's security seriously & making imports a necessity. Know as usual you will be defending HAL.

 

[Vikas Yadav]

India's Fighter Jet Dilemma: A Call to Action

As China embarks on an ambitious plan to produce over 1,000 fifth-generation J-20 fighter jets and rolls out its second fifth-generation J-35 equivalent to the F-35, India's own indigenous fighter jet program continues to face significant challenges. Despite the urgent need to strengthen our air defense capabilities, the production of Tejas Mk1A has been hindered by engine delays from General Electric (GE), USA.

It is disconcerting to note that the USA has shown little interest in supporting India's indigenous fighter jet program, instead promoting the sale of its own F-16 fighter jets, which are based on 50-year-old technology.

In contrast, India's space agency, ISRO, has made significant strides in developing complex engine technologies, including cryogenic engines and scramjet engines. It is imperative that India's defense research organizations, including (GTRE)DRDO, ADE, IAF, and HAL, tap into ISRO's expertise and develop a robust 100KN+ Kaveri engine for the Tejas fighter jet for Tejas MKII and AMCA.

 

[Sandeep]

It would be great if we can meet that deadline but HAL somehow always misses its targets and deadline. We should scrap the extra 97 order for Tejas MK1A and instead focus on manufacturing more Tejas MK2 jets as it can travel for a long time and distance and hold more weapons than the Tejas MK1A. We should increase the production timeline for the Tejas MK2 rather than the Tejas MK1A jets.

 

[Sanatani Yodha]

F414 deal still pending and first engine will come out after 3yrs of deal signing. I am unable to see first Mk2 flying in sky by IAF before 2035 atleast….

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

HAL must pour skilled engineers, especially design, production, test, and commercial engineers, and manpower into a new 5th-generation production line set up for 36-48 aircraft production annually with 7th-gen CNC machines. Money and manpower, including hiring Indian and foreign specialists, are needed to speed up the project and resolve emerging issues fast. Production teams for 12 aircraft each must be made to compete with each other and checked for quality control, efficiency, speed, and rewards introduced for the best-performing teams. The teams must work in 3 shifts of 6 to 7 hours each, from 0700-1300-1900-0100 hrs daily, 7 days a week x 365 days. The officers overseeing the projects must work in shifts: 0800-1700 hrs and 1700-0100 hrs. No meal breaks except a 15-minute tea and snack break after 4 hours of work. The floor manpower needs to be disciplined, with men wearing color-coded jumpsuits to identify their specialization and ladies wearing coats over their dresses. All-around day and night color cameras must be installed in production hangars and workshops with recordings.