With GE Resolving F404 Engine Delays, HAL Now Poised to Market Its Cost-effective Tejas Mk1A Fighter for Exports

India's state-owned aerospace and defence company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is set to aggressively renew its international marketing efforts for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A.

This strategic push comes after General Electric (GE) Aerospace committed to an accelerated delivery schedule for the F404-IN20 engines, resolving a two-year delay that had previously constrained production and stalled export discussions.

With the critical engine supply chain now stabilising, HAL is confident in its ability to meet domestic orders for the Indian Air Force (IAF) while simultaneously pursuing foreign sales.

The renewed export drive is bolstered by significant domestic demand, with an existing contract for 83 jets and government approval for an additional 97 aircraft.

This combined order for 180 Tejas Mk1A fighters creates a robust and long-term production pipeline, allowing HAL to expand its manufacturing capacity.

The assurance of a steady engine supply from GE positions the Indian fighter as a reliable and competitive option for nations looking to modernise their air forces, strengthening India's goal to become a major player in the global defence market.

The Tejas Mk1A is a single-engine, 4.5-generation multi-role fighter aircraft featuring advanced systems, including an indigenous Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern electronic warfare suite, and an array of sophisticated weaponry.

The aircraft's performance is powered by the GE F404-IN20 engine, a proven turbofan capable of producing 84 kilonewtons of thrust. Production of this engine was temporarily halted due to a five-year gap in orders between 2016 and 2021, which was further complicated by global supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to significant delays from the initially planned delivery date of March 2023.

Under the revised plan, GE has already delivered the first two engines this year and is set to supply a total of 12 by December 2025 by providing two units per month.

Starting in 2026, the delivery rate will increase to 20 engines annually. To meet the large domestic order and cater to potential export clients, HAL is reportedly negotiating to further increase this supply to 30 units per year by 2027.

This resolution has effectively removed a major production bottleneck, allowing HAL to plan its manufacturing schedule with greater certainty.

Reflecting the strength of their long-standing relationship, HAL has chosen not to impose financial penalties on GE for the delays.

This decision underscores the strategic importance of the 40-year partnership, which is set to deepen with a landmark 2023 agreement for the joint production of the more powerful F414 engine in India.

This future collaboration, which includes an 80% technology transfer, will power India's next-generation aircraft like the LCA Mk2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), ensuring a self-reliant engine supply for decades.

A key advantage of the Tejas Mk1A on the international stage is its cost-effectiveness, with a price tag estimated between $40 to $50 million per aircraft. This is substantially lower than Western competitors such as the F-16 or Gripen, which can cost between $70 to $100 million.

This competitive pricing has already attracted interest from several countries, including Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Previously, HAL had to pause these negotiations to prioritise deliveries to the IAF, which urgently needs to address its depleting squadron numbers, currently at 31 against a sanctioned strength of 42.

With the engine supply issue resolved, HAL is now able to confidently re-engage with potential international customers. The aircraft is being marketed as an affordable, high-performance solution for nations seeking to replace ageing fleets of fighters like the MiG-21 or F-5.

Its ability to carry a mix of indigenous weapons, such as the Astra beyond-visual-range missile, and integrate with NATO-standard systems makes it a versatile and attractive option.

HAL officials have confirmed that by 2026, production capacity will be sufficient to fulfil export orders without impacting its primary commitment to the Indian Air Force.

 

[Blinders11]

Agreed! J10C's are solid 4.5 gens, forming the backbone of China's air power, while the large majority of our fleet is made up of obsolete or nearing obsolescence aircraft. They're also mass-producing J20s to take over as the backbone.

See the difference between production variant of j-10 & the one currently flying...they upgraded it over time with a seamless process ( Radars , EW suites , Pods , weapons etc ) to show us.

 

[Snowstrike]

I get where you're coming from—it's frustrating to see delays and limitations in something we've poured so much into, and yeah, the Tejas Mk1A isn't going to outmatch a J-20 in a head-on showdown. But calling it worthless or just cannon fodder? That feels like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, especially when it's our homegrown stepping stone to real self-reliance. Let's clear up a few things politely but straight-up.


First off, on the EW side: It's not hanging everything on that one EL/M-8222 pod like you said. The Mk1A comes with the full (UEWS) Unified Electronic Warfare Suite—internal radar warners, jammers, and countermeasures that tie into pod options, including our own DRFM-based CASDIC for messing with enemy radars and missiles. It's a solid, integrated setup for a 4.5-gen bird, and it's already getting tweaks like the Scorpius-SP. Not "next to zero," but a smart foundation we can build on.


About that RCS: Sure, 0.5 m² is clean config, and it spikes with weapons—fair point, happens to most jets without internal bays. But with 90% composites and those RAM coatings, it's still sneakier than a J-10C's 1-3 m² baseline, giving it a real detection edge in mixed ops. And here's the key: this isn't the endgame. It's the learning curve for Mk2's 0.12 m² and AMCA's full stealth. Without grinding through Mk1A, we'd be nowhere on those.


Payload's lighter at 3.5-4 tons, no denying it, but that's what makes it agile and cheap to run—about $5K per flight hour versus Rafale's $15K+. Perfect for everyday patrols, point defense, or handling threats from Pakistan or Bangladesh without burning the budget. It's not trying to be a heavyweight; it's the light combat aircraft (LCA) that fills a niche in a balanced fleet. And speaking of fleet, if we're eyeing 1,200 jets overall to hit those squadrons (factoring in retirements and two-front needs), 200 Mk1As is hardly an "over-investment"—it's like 15-20% of the mix, leaving plenty of room for other jets like AMCA.


Talking about longevity that's where mid-life upgrades (MLU) come in huge plus tejas has a modular design. Starting around 2026-2034, HAL's planning phased overhauls: swapping in indigenous engines like a revived Kaveri to ditch those pricey F404s, modernizing avionics, radars (hello, Uttam AESA), and missiles (Astra Mk3). In a big fleet like that, MLU keeps these birds relevant for decades, just like how the US squeezes life out of F-16s or we do with Mirages. It's not about buying obsolete junk; it's investing in a platform we can evolve, cutting import dependence and building our industry muscle. Without LCA's role here, we'd be stuck begging for foreign tech forever.

Bottom line, Tejas Mk1A has its own spot: affordable numbers, upgradable smarts, and the backbone for Atmanirbhar defense. Let's not pit it against Mk2 or AMCA—accelerate them all, right?

That entire reply reeks of someone copy-pasting ChatGPT’s default script rather than actually understanding the Tejas Mk1A or the hard realities of modern air combat, and it shows in every line. The claim about the Unified Electronic Warfare Suite being some kind of game-changer is laughable when you realize that it’s still in the very early stages of integration, relies heavily on Israeli or imported systems, and has yet to be validated in a real high-intensity electronic warfare environment. Trying to equate it with “solid 4.5-gen EW” is pure hand-waving- a DRFM pod doesn’t magically make a light fighter survivable against J-10s and J-20s with PL-15s launched from 300 km away. Tye EW suite of the mk1a is EXTREMELY weak, compared to intergrated and actually powerful EW suites like the Rafale's Spectra, Eurofighter Typhoon t5's Praetorian DASS and the J10C's And let’s clear up this RCS fairy tale once and for all: the “0.5 m²” figure is the clean-jet estimate, meaning no missiles, no pylons, no fuel tanks- basically a showroom model. The moment you slap even a pair of BVR missiles and tanks on it, that figure shoots up multiple times, putting it squarely in the same ballpark as other non-stealth 4th-gens. To parade that number as some kind of low-observable edge over J-10Cs is disingenuous at best, delusional at worst. The payload excuse is even more embarrassing- framing “lightweight” and “cheap” as a virtue when the reality is the Tejas Mk1A is underpowered, short-legged, and limited in what it can realistically carry in contested skies. A Rafale costs more per flight hour for a reason: it actually brings reach, survivability, and multirole capacity, not just joyrides around the border. Then comes the tired “F-16 analogy”- except the F-16 was revolutionary in the 1970s, was exported globally, and had an upgrade pipeline backed by the most powerful defense ecosystem in the world. The F-16 is larger, has a far more powerful EW, radar, payload, everything. Tejas has none of that. The MLU argument is another red herring: if your fighter is outdated before mass induction, promising “upgrades later” isn’t a feature, it’s a desperate cope. The idea that you can slap on a hypothetical indigenous engine and magically make the jet relevant for decades ignores the fact that India still hasn’t fielded a working fighter engine in 40 years. And please, this whole “backbone of Atmanirbhar Bharat” spiel is nothing more than political chest-thumping; screwdriver-giri assembly lines and imported avionics don’t equal true self-reliance. What gives away the AI source of this forum post is the structure- the long dashes breaking thoughts, the forced “balanced” tone that tries to sound reasonable while glossing over fatal flaws, the overuse of buzzwords like “foundation,” “learning curve,” “balanced fleet,” “backbone,” and “affordable numbers." “I get where you’re coming from—…let’s clear up a few things politely but straight-up.” That exact sales-pitch rhythm is a classic ChatGPT starter. Overconfident specifics with no primary source links (exact RCS numbers, $/hr comparisons, 90% composites claim thrown in casually)- ChatGPT loves sounding authoritative without footnotes. In the end, Tejas Mk1A is not “cannon fodder” only if you never expect it to fight a peer. Against PLAAF or even a modernized PAF, it is exactly that: an outmatched, overpriced token fighter whose real purpose is political optics, not combat dominance. And I hope you stop using AI to write your responses, do the research yourself and post your understanding. What your doing is negligent and cheap at best and downright misinformation at worst.

 

[Snowstrike]

Crying like a sad sob and whining about tejas shortcoming doesn't change the fact that we need tejas mk 1, it holds its own importance which you keep ignoring.
I never claimed any tech of tejas as game changer but always emphasized that it was and is a crucial stepping stone in atmanirbhar bharat (which you clearly hate), and you're the one who said it as extremely underpowered claiming it has just one jamming pod which is way off.
however by now, it’s fully hooked into the Mk1A, with stuff like radar warners, jammers, and our own CASDIC pod made right here in India and it’s been tested in combat patrols and works, not just some dream. And in fight no jet stands alone with AWACS backup, it’s got a fighting chance, not the pushover you’re making it out to be.
Again rcs : are you unable to comprehend ? read carefully what i have written about it its more like you are copy pasting from chatgpt it's like you never read and tried to understand what i was trying to say, it's a stepping stone 0.5m sq rcs unloaded got it but your j10c has unloaded rcs of 3m sq sure this does gives an edge, but not insignificant, plus this has helped us to design tejas mk2 with 0.12m sq clean rcs and about 1-2m sq loaded at max and AMCA will have much lower than that even loaded. By design in rcs it's superior to all 4th gen fighter jets and it's not 5th gen so it's not supposed to be stealth, plus we have the design and later variants of tejas mk1 are gonna get uttam radar(200km+ range) right from development phase which will help us to develop uttam mk2 for tejas mk2 and AMCA and virupaksha for sukhoi. A lot of future tech depends on development of tejas mk1a. You’re acting like 3.5-5.3 tons on 8-9 hardpoints is a joke. It’s light and agile beats J-10C in close fights with its lower weight (13.5t vs. 19t). Short-legged? Sure, but that’s the trade-off for cheap ops—$4,000-7,000 an hour vs. Rafale’s $19-21K. You brag about Rafale’s reach, but Tejas isn’t trying to be that—it’s for border runs and team play. And no“Atmanirbhar chest-thumping”, It’s 70%+ indigenous by 2029—no “screwdriver-giri,”. In a 1,200-jet fleet, 200 Mk1As are smart—niche, not “overpriced token.” With Rafales, it’s no cannon fodder against PLAAF/PAF. AI jab? Cute, but I’m just a guy who digs into reports, not some bot. You’re the one spreading misinformation with your “outmatched” doom

You keep clinging to Tejas Mk1A like it’s some revolutionary step, but strip away the patriotic marketing and what’s left is a glorified tech demonstrator pretending to be a frontline fighter. Let’s start with the EW fantasy: the “Unified EW Suite” is basically a collection of RWRs and CMDS tied to ONE external jammer pod- imported from Israel, no less. That pod (EL/M-8222/Scorpius-SP type) can spoof radars in limited bands and for short durations, but it’s nowhere near the embedded, high-power, multi-aperture systems like Rafale’s SPECTRA, Typhoon’s Praetorian DASS, or even Gripen’s integrated EW suite. Those are built into the airframe, fed by multiple antennas, fused with the radar and IR sensors, and can continuously protect across a spectrum. Tejas? It drags around one foreign pod, sucking up a hardpoint, and pretending it’s invisible. Against modern AESAs with LPI modes, passive IRSTs, and networked air defense, that’s like holding an umbrella in a hurricane. Next, the RCS cope: you keep chanting “0.5 m² clean,” as though it matters. That figure is for a sterile, showroom jet with nothing hung on it. The instant you bolt on tanks, pylons, missiles, or that very EW pod you brag about, your radar signature balloons exponentially- well into the multi-square-meter range, squarely in 4th-gen territory. Meanwhile, you parade this “edge” over a J-10C’s supposed 3 m² as if Chinese engineers forgot about shaping, coatings, and constant block upgrades. Newsflash: they’ve been designing LO features into the J-10C while Tejas is still huffing and puffing like its 1985. Payload and agility? Please. Waving around “3.5–5 tons” as though that’s impressive is comical when modern peers lug double that, with fuel and weapons to actually prosecute missions. Light and agile means nothing when you get swatted from 300 km away by a PL-15 launched from a J-20 cued by AWACS. No pilot is going to be flying knife fights at Mach 0.8 over the Himalayas just so your “13.5 tons vs 19 tons” brochure point can matter. Range? Yeah, you admitted it’s short-legged- which is exactly the point. A frontline fighter that can’t loiter, can’t escort, and can’t strike deep is a liability, not an asset, unless you plan to keep it tethered to its airbase. Cost per flight hour? Another hollow talking point. Yes, Tejas is cheaper to fly than Rafale. And? A cheap jet that get shot down in the first salvo isn’t economical- it’s a waste. Rafale’s higher \$/hour is justified by reach, survivability, and multirole flexibility that actually changes battle outcomes. Tejas saves money only if your plan is to never actually fight with it. Then there’s your “stepping stone” and “Atmanirbhar” chest-thumping. Stepping stones are fine in an R\&D lab- they don’t belong in frontline squadrons at scale. You keep citing “70% indigenous by 2029,” but the fact is, the hardest components (engine, AESA maturity, seekers, EW) are ALL foreign or vaporware. So much for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat!'. The Kaveri engine is a national embarrassment, still not powering fighters after 40 years of pouring money into it. Uttam AESA is in testing, but scaling production, integrating with weapons, and actually delivering reliability is a multi-decade slog. Until then, Tejas is F404-powered, Elta-equipped, and pod-protected- hardly the poster child for Atmanirbhar. Finally, your “I’m not AI” protest is hilarious, because your writing is textbook chatbot: long dashes, padded concessions, “sure, but” phrasing, buzzwords like “balanced fleet,” “stepping stone,” and “affordable niche.” The truth is simple: Tejas Mk1A is obsolete the moment it leaves the hangar, totally outmatched by modern 4.5- and 5th-gens, and serves more as political optics than warfighting steel. It’s not “cannon fodder” only if you redefine its mission to ceremonial flypasts and cheap patrols. We DEFINITELY don't need 200 of these. But if you honestly think this one-pod, short-legged, underpowered jet is going to stand up in modern contested skies, you’ve either forgotten how to think independently or you’re just roleplaying as HAL’s unpaid PR intern. And let’s not gloss over your disgusting, toxic behavior here. It’s almost funnier than the arguments. You keep calling anyone who points out Tejas’ shortcomings a “sad sob crying” or accuse them of “doom talk,” as if insults can replace data. That’s not analysis, that’s insecurity leaking through your keyboard. You posture like some hardened realist, but all you’re doing is flinging playground-level jabs while clinging to HAL brochures and buzzwords. If you actually believed in your points, you wouldn’t need to smear people or scream “copy-paste ChatGPT” every time someone dismantles your talking points with evidence. It’s toxic, it’s lazy, and it exposes that deep down even you know Tejas Mk1A is indefensible on merit. Stop hiding behind nationalism and name-calling- it doesn’t make your arguments any less shallow, it just makes you look like the forum clown shouting louder every time reality kicks your toy jet in the teeth. Cut the toxicity and behave. This is a public forum for discussions, not for you to spew insults and hate speech.

 

[Blinders11]

You keep clinging to Tejas Mk1A like it’s some revolutionary step, but strip away the patriotic marketing and what’s left is a glorified tech demonstrator pretending to be a frontline fighter. Let’s start with the EW fantasy: the “Unified EW Suite” is basically a collection of RWRs and CMDS tied to ONE external jammer pod- imported from Israel, no less. That pod (EL/M-8222/Scorpius-SP type) can spoof radars in limited bands and for short durations, but it’s nowhere near the embedded, high-power, multi-aperture systems like Rafale’s SPECTRA, Typhoon’s Praetorian DASS, or even Gripen’s integrated EW suite. Those are built into the airframe, fed by multiple antennas, fused with the radar and IR sensors, and can continuously protect across a spectrum. Tejas? It drags around one foreign pod, sucking up a hardpoint, and pretending it’s invisible. Against modern AESAs with LPI modes, passive IRSTs, and networked air defense, that’s like holding an umbrella in a hurricane. Next, the RCS cope: you keep chanting “0.5 m² clean,” as though it matters. That figure is for a sterile, showroom jet with nothing hung on it. The instant you bolt on tanks, pylons, missiles, or that very EW pod you brag about, your radar signature balloons exponentially- well into the multi-square-meter range, squarely in 4th-gen territory. Meanwhile, you parade this “edge” over a J-10C’s supposed 3 m² as if Chinese engineers forgot about shaping, coatings, and constant block upgrades. Newsflash: they’ve been designing LO features into the J-10C while Tejas is still huffing and puffing like its 1985. Payload and agility? Please. Waving around “3.5–5 tons” as though that’s impressive is comical when modern peers lug double that, with fuel and weapons to actually prosecute missions. Light and agile means nothing when you get swatted from 300 km away by a PL-15 launched from a J-20 cued by AWACS. No pilot is going to be flying knife fights at Mach 0.8 over the Himalayas just so your “13.5 tons vs 19 tons” brochure point can matter. Range? Yeah, you admitted it’s short-legged- which is exactly the point. A frontline fighter that can’t loiter, can’t escort, and can’t strike deep is a liability, not an asset, unless you plan to keep it tethered to its airbase. Cost per flight hour? Another hollow talking point. Yes, Tejas is cheaper to fly than Rafale. And? A cheap jet that get shot down in the first salvo isn’t economical- it’s a waste. Rafale’s higher \$/hour is justified by reach, survivability, and multirole flexibility that actually changes battle outcomes. Tejas saves money only if your plan is to never actually fight with it. Then there’s your “stepping stone” and “Atmanirbhar” chest-thumping. Stepping stones are fine in an R\&D lab- they don’t belong in frontline squadrons at scale. You keep citing “70% indigenous by 2029,” but the fact is, the hardest components (engine, AESA maturity, seekers, EW) are ALL foreign or vaporware. So much for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat!'. The Kaveri engine is a national embarrassment, still not powering fighters after 40 years of pouring money into it. Uttam AESA is in testing, but scaling production, integrating with weapons, and actually delivering reliability is a multi-decade slog. Until then, Tejas is F404-powered, Elta-equipped, and pod-protected- hardly the poster child for Atmanirbhar. Finally, your “I’m not AI” protest is hilarious, because your writing is textbook chatbot: long dashes, padded concessions, “sure, but” phrasing, buzzwords like “balanced fleet,” “stepping stone,” and “affordable niche.” The truth is simple: Tejas Mk1A is obsolete the moment it leaves the hangar, totally outmatched by modern 4.5- and 5th-gens, and serves more as political optics than warfighting steel. It’s not “cannon fodder” only if you redefine its mission to ceremonial flypasts and cheap patrols. We DEFINITELY don't need 200 of these. But if you honestly think this one-pod, short-legged, underpowered jet is going to stand up in modern contested skies, you’ve either forgotten your 10th grade military history or you’re just roleplaying as HAL’s unpaid PR intern. And let’s not gloss over your own behavior here, because it’s almost funnier than the arguments. You keep calling anyone who points out Tejas’ shortcomings a “sad sob crying” or accuse them of “doom talk,” as if insults can replace data. That’s not analysis, that’s insecurity leaking through your keyboard. You posture like some hardened realist, but all you’re doing is flinging playground-level jabs while clinging to HAL brochures and buzzwords. If you actually believed in your points, you wouldn’t need to smear people or scream “copy-paste ChatGPT” every time someone dismantles your talking points with evidence. It’s toxic, it’s lazy, and it exposes that deep down even you know Tejas Mk1A is indefensible on merit. Stop hiding behind nationalism and name-calling- it doesn’t make your arguments any less shallow, it just makes you look like the forum clown shouting louder every time reality kicks your toy jet in the teeth. Cut the toxicity and behave. This is a public forum for discussions, not for you to spew insults and hate speech.

Tejas is a 4th generation fighter & good for training purpose or Strike missions under protection of other fighters. Our Air chief also said that it's good for training purpose and need upgrades. So that shows where tejas stand right now.

The fact that Tejas is not a front line fighter currently is the result of lazy work ethics , poor decision making, short visionary of HAL , MOD , Govt . They never seen tejas as a nation mission like China.

 

[Snowstrike]

Tejas is a 4th generation fighter & good for training purpose or Strike missions under protection of other fighters. Our Air chief also said that it's good for training purpose and need upgrades. So that shows where tejas stand right now.

The fact that Tejas is not a front line fighter currently is the result of lazy work ethics , poor decision making, short visionary of HAL , MOD , Govt . They never seen tejas as a nation mission like China.

Very true! I agree with your analysis of the situation.

 

[Snowstrike]

are you dumb or what? keep putting same wrong point about ew pod again and again it's like you never read to understand but to just reply and then keep on repeating the same points, it's more like you are using an ai and i don't mock you for that, but at least get the data right, you keep reiterating same points some of them are correct and some of them are so wrong, and as i said having 200 tejas in a fleet of 1200 is smart and efficient now go read all the replies by yourself and just try to understand if you can instead of copy pasting them on some bot, which you've been doing from the beginning. And at last i want to say that we are going ahed with the contract and we are indeed buying tejas mk1a cry as you like.

It’s truly fascinating watching someone spiral into rage while repeatedly failing to grapple with the facts. Claiming that anyone who questions Tejas Mk1A’s limitations is “using AI” or not reading properly is rich, given that your own post demonstrates a spectacular inability to distinguish between promotional hype, wishful projections, and actual operational data. Reiterating that 200 Mk1As in a fleet of 1,200 is somehow inherently “smart and efficient” doesn’t magically make their deficiencies disappear- quantity does not substitute for capability, logistics, or survivability. The repeated insistence that a single EW pod makes the jet competitive, despite clear evidence of its limited scope and reliance on imported Israeli hardware, only underlines how little attention you’ve paid to real-world EW systems. And the final flourish -telling critics to “cry as you like” while announcing the contract like it’s a mic-drop victory- reads less like strategic insight and more like a textbook tantrum. One could almost admire the confidence, if it weren’t so transparently untethered from technical reality. Also, I don't know where you keep pulling this '1200 jets' number. That number is the TOTAL number of fighters in the entire IAF, from MiGs to Jaguars to Su-30MKIs. It is not the number of new planes the IAF plans to add. Its honestly ridiculous. In short, it’s remarkable: a post full of shouting, insults, and repeated misstatements, delivered with all the decorum of someone convinced that volume replaces substance.

 

[shaam]

Very interesting, considering the fact that the Tejas mk1a's ENTIRE ECCM capability comes from ONE singular jamming pod! The Israeli ELM8222. It is EXTREMELY underpowered, has a horrible survability against modern jets, and is STILL being procured in massive numbers. Are they really replacing the MiG-21 'Flying Coffin' with a Floating grave? Screaming 'Atmanirbhar Bharat!' from the rooftops does NOT change the fact that this is pointless. Come 2050, its gonna be obsolete. While the world moves on the the 6th generation of fighters, and China mass-produces J-20 5th gens, our babus are hyping up a barely-respectable 4.5 gen. (I consider it a 4++ gen, not worthy of the 4.5 gen title, but for the sake of uniformity using it.) What ARE the Tejas mk1a's strengths? Well, nothing. yes, nothing. It doesnt do well in ANYTHING. Radar, EW, Payload, ECCM, all next to ZERO. A radar which is modern yes, but underpowered, a midget-sized payload of 3.5 tonnes, and ECCM which consists of one singular pod, compared to the integrated EW + several pods of modern fighters. But of course, our MoD babus are great at acquiring worthless pieces of metal as 'stopgaps' after all.

haha "Floating grave" ? seriously ? and tejas mk1a has not strengths you are delusional brother very much worthless piece of metals haha lol kudos to your understanding and dumbness

 

[shaam]

Exactly. 83+32(existing MK1) are more than enough. Tejas MK2 should be the minimum bar which matches Chinese J-10C.

well do you know that j 10 c had very bad thrust to weight ratio they imported engines for that platform and later developed indigenous engines and radars tejas mk1s are not good mk1a is better and mk1a with uttam radar will be much better and i future we will change radar to uttam and it's next iterations and also engine will be replaces to kde (with expected thrust of 80+KN, though some reports even claim 90KN ),