A day before MiG-21 is slated to retire, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin-seaters.
Apart from the fighter jets, the contract includes the procurement of associated equipment for the Indian Air Force at a cost of over Rs 62,370 crore (excluding taxes). The delivery of these aircraft will commence in 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years. The MiG-21 jets will be replaced by the indigenously developed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A (Mk1A).
In a statement issued here, the MoD said that the aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64% with 67 additional items incorporated over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems, such as the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and control surface actuators, will enhance the aircraft’s capabilities.
The project is being supported by a robust vendor base of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in the manufacture of detailed components. The production is expected to generate close to 11,750 direct and indirect jobs per year for the duration of six years, giving a major boost to the domestic aerospace ecosystem.
The acquisition, under the ‘Buy (India-IDDM)’ category of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, is in line with the government’s thrust on indigenisation. The LCA Mk1A is the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed & manufactured fighter aircraft and will serve as a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF.