Karnataka, Mar 10 (KNN) The first rear fuselage for the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jet manufactured by the private sector was formally handed over to defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Sunday in Bengaluru.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh.
During the handover ceremony, Defence Minister Singh highlighted the milestone’s significance in India’s defence manufacturing journey.
“This is a testimony to India’s progress towards Aatmanirbharta in defence and the government’s commitment towards enhanced public-private partnership.
HAL and the private sector are playing a key role in strengthening the armed forces with the latest platforms and technologies,” he stated.
The Minister further added that “HAL, through its integrated model and strategies, is not only bolstering India’s defence capabilities but also adding new dimensions to Indian defence manufacturing.”
HAL has established partnerships with several Indian private sector companies for the supply of major modules for the Tejas Mark-1A fighters.
These industry partners include L&T, Alpha Tocol Engineering Services, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, VEM Technologies, and Lakshmi Mission Works. This development comes at a time when the IAF chief has publicly expressed concerns about HAL’s performance in recent weeks.
The Indian Air Force has thus far received 38 of the initial 40 Tejas Mark-1 fighters that were ordered for Rs 8,802 crore under two contracts signed in 2006 and 2010.
However, the first “improved” Tejas Mark-1A jet from the batch of 83 aircraft contracted from HAL under a Rs 46,898 crore deal in February 2021 is yet to be delivered. An additional order for 97 Tejas Mark-1A fighters valued at approximately Rs 67,000 crore is also in the pipeline.
One of the primary factors contributing to delays in the Tejas fighter program has been the nearly two-year delay in the delivery of 99 GE-404 engines by US manufacturer General Electric.
According to the Ministry of Defence, HAL has already manufactured 12 rear fuselages for the Tejas Mark-1A fighters, which are currently being integrated into aircraft on the manufacturing line.
A ministry official stated, “With this supply, a major structure module produced by an Indian private partner will be integrated into the Mark-1A aircraft, enabling HAL to meet additional delivery commitments for the IAF from 2025-26 onwards.”
(KNN Bureau)
