Defence & SecurityImportant2025-09-25

Contract Signed for 97 LCA Tejas Mk1A Fighters

In News

What Happened

On September 25, 2025, the Ministry of Defence signed a ₹62,370 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A. The order consists of 68 fighter jets and 29 twin-seater trainers for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2027-28 and are expected to be completed within six years.

Why It Matters

This deal is a massive boost to the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India) initiative, supporting a supply chain of over 100 Indian companies. More importantly, these jets are critical for reversing the IAF's dwindling combat squadron strength, filling the operational void left by the final retirement of the legacy Soviet-era MiG-21 interceptors.

Background

History & Context

The push for additional Tejas jets gained momentum to address the IAF's squadron strength, which had dropped to 31 against a sanctioned 42. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) first approved the procurement proposal for these 97 jets in November 2023. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by the Prime Minister, gave its final financial clearance in August 2025. This historic deal builds upon a previous January 2021 contract where the MoD purchased 83 Tejas Mk1A jets for approximately ₹48,000 crore.

What Changed

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BEFORE: Earlier fighter procurements and baseline LCA versions relied heavily on foreign electronic warfare and radar systems. NOW: The Mk1A variant integrates advanced indigenous systems, notably the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar and the 'Swayam Raksha Kavach' self-protection suite.
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BEFORE: Earlier LCA iterations had moderate domestic content. NOW: The new aircraft incorporates over 64% indigenous content, integrating 67 new native items compared to the 2021 contract, categorized under the highest priority 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)' rule of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.
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BEFORE: The IAF depended extensively on aging MiG-21 Bison squadrons for baseline air defence capabilities. NOW: With the final MiG-21 squadrons phasing out in 2025, the domestically built LCA Tejas Mk1A transitions into becoming the primary workhorse of the IAF.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This development practically illustrates concepts from Class 12 Political Science (Politics in India Since Independence - Chapter on Planned Development) and Class 10 Economics, highlighting the transition from import substitution to active self-reliance ('Aatmanirbhar Bharat') in strategic sectors like defence manufacturing.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

With reference to the procurement of 97 LCA Tejas Mk1A jets for the Indian Air Force, consider the following statements: 1. The LCA Tejas Mk1A variant integrates the indigenously developed UTTAM AESA Radar and the 'Swayam Raksha Kavach' suite. 2. The procurement is executed under the 'Buy (Global)' category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to ensure foreign technology transfer.

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