Tejas Mk1A takes maiden flight as Rajnath Singh inaugurates new HAL production lines

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A successfully completed its maiden flight in Nashik on Friday, marking a major milestone in India’s indigenous defence aviation programme. The aircraft, set to replace the iconic MiG-21 fleet, was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute to celebrate the achievement.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who witnessed the historical flight, described the state-of-the-art aircraft as a shining symbol of India’s growing Aatmanirbharta in defence. Singh also inaugurated the third Production Line of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A and the second Production Line of Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) at the Nashik facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

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Addressing the gathering, Singh said that there was a time when the country was dependent on other countries for meeting its defence needs, and about 65-70 per cent of the defence equipment was imported. “But today this situation has changed. Now India is doing 65 per cent of its manufacturing on its own soil. Very soon, we will also take our domestic manufacturing to 100 per cent,” he added.

Speaking about the changing warfare, Singh said that in today’s time, the modus operandi of warfare is changing. “Today, things like Artificial Intelligence, cyber warfare, drone systems and next-generation aircraft are determining the direction of the future. Now wars are being fought not only on land or in the sky but also on many frontiers. India has to always be ahead in this new race,” he said.

Speaking about Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister said that in the entire history related to India’s security, there have been only a few moments when the entire system has been tested simultaneously. “Operation Sindoor was one such mission. In this mission, our forces not only displayed their valour, but also proved their faith in indigenous platforms.”

“During this time, the HAL team provided support at various operational sites 24 hours continuously. Maintenance and repairs of fighter jets like Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mirage, and Tejas and helicopters were done immediately so that the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force is maintained. It was a symbol of the fact that when it comes to the security of the country, “we can make equipment ourselves, and we can also protect ourselves with that equipment.”

Lauding HAL for establishing the BrahMos missile on the Sukhoi-30, which destroyed the hideouts of terrorists during Op Sindoor, Singh said that the manufacturing of LCA Tejas and HTT-40 aircraft is also the result of the collaboration of different industry partners of our country.

“This collaboration is proof that when government, industry, and academia work together, no challenge is too big: We no longer have to limit ourselves to just LCA Tejas or HTT-40. Now is the time to make our mark in the field of Next Generation Aircraft, Unmanned Systems and Civil Aviation as well. And I am confident that HAL Nashik will play an important role in all these areas in the times to come,” he added.

Notably, HAL has operationalised its third LCA Tejas Mk1A production line in a record time of two years, significantly boosting India’s indigenous fighter jet manufacturing capability. The new line is fully equipped with more than 30 structure assembly jigs covering all major aircraft modules, including the centre, front and rear fuselage, wings and air intake. With an annual capacity to produce eight aircraft, the addition of this line raises HAL’s total LCA Mk1A production capacity to 24 aircraft per year, according to a Defence Ministry statement.