New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) The production of India’s indigenous fighter jet Tejas Mark-1A is set to gain momentum with the arrival of the GE-404 jet engine from the United States.

This marks the second engine received from American manufacturer General Electric for the Tejas Mark-1A programme.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-run aerospace company responsible for manufacturing the Tejas, is expected to receive a total of 12 GE-404 engines by the end of the current financial year. These engines will power the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets, which have been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The IAF has placed an order for 83 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft, as it looks to strengthen its depleting fleet with homegrown fighter jets. The Air Force currently operates two squadrons of the earlier Mark-1 variant, stationed at the Sulur Airbase in Tamil Nadu.

Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has previously expressed concern over the delay in the delivery of the Mark-1A jets, citing the non-availability of engines as a key issue. HAL, too, acknowledged the delay and attributed it to the wait for imported engines. Now, with engine supplies resuming, deliveries of the new aircraft are expected to begin soon.

The Mark-1A variant, an upgraded version of the LCA Tejas, is a key part of India’s push for self-reliance in defence under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. The Ministry of Defence is working to make the LCA project the backbone of the Air Force, with plans underway to raise additional squadrons based on the aircraft.

The Centre has already approved the procurement of 83 Mark-1A jets, with a proposal for 97 more under consideration. In total, 220 LCA Tejas aircraft are expected to gradually replace the ageing MiG-21, MiG-29, and Mirage fighters in the IAF fleet.

Additionally, the government has greenlighted the development of the LCA Mark-2, also referred to as the Medium Weight Fighter, further expanding the indigenous fighter jet programme.

–IANS

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