India’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have reportedly concluded negotiations to procure 83 indigenously designed and developed Tejas Light combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark (Mk) IA for the Indian Air Force (IAF) for $5.45 billion (390 billion or 39,000 crore Indian rupees),
according to local media reports.
“With the contract price now settled at Rs 39,000 crore, the procurement file is being sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final nod. It should be cleared before this fiscal ends on March 31. Once the contract is inked, HAL promises to begin deliveries of the Mark-IA jets in three years,” a source familiar with the matter
was quoted as saying by the
Economic Times on February 17.
The Indian MoD placed an order for 40 Tejas LCA Mk I with HAL, including eight tandem two-seat LCA trainer aircraft, divided into two batches of 20 aircraft each in 2006 and 2010 respectively. To date, the IAF has taken delivery of 17 Tejas LCA in initial operational configuration or capability (IOC), which means the fighter jet meets the minimum requirements for operational deployment by the IAF.
The Tejas LCAs are operated by No 45 Squadron (Flying Daggers) at Sulur in southern India. The squadron is expected to receive three more Mk I aircraft in the summer months of 2020. The remaining 20 Mk Is are scheduled for delivery by 2022 in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration. The Tejas Mark I LCA
was awarded FOC status by the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in February 2019.
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https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/ind...gotiations-for-83-mk1a-light-combat-aircraft/