LCA TEJAS MK1 & MK1A: News and Discussion

[Spitfire9]

What is the state of play now? I gather that Mk1A deliveries are held up due to a late request for changes to the aircraft. HAL is ramping up production of the type - to 16 a year soon, I think - so are frames being pushed out and stored until the changes mentioned can be applied? I guess so. It would be a pleasant surprise if they started being delivered thick and fast for a time as backed up frames received the modification requested and were delivered.

IIRC the schedule for deliveries was

02 in FY 2023/2024
08 in FY 2024/2025
16 in FY 2025/2026

so if the 2 overdue from FY 2023/2024 and 8 due in FY 2024/2025 are delivered by April 2025, the type will be in business with IAF.

 

[thebakofbakchod]

What is the state of play now? I gather that Mk1A deliveries are held up due to a late request for changes to the aircraft. HAL is ramping up production of the type - to 16 a year soon, I think - so are frames being pushed out and stored until the changes mentioned can be applied? I guess so. It would be a pleasant surprise if they started being delivered thick and fast for a time as backed up frames received the modification requested and were delivered.

IIRC the schedule for deliveries was

02 in FY 2023/2024
08 in FY 2024/2025
16 in FY 2025/2026

so if the 2 overdue from FY 2023/2024 and 8 due in FY 2024/2025 are delivered by April 2025, the type will be in business with IAF.

When in its history has HAL ever kept strictly to its deadlines? They are still "trying" to get 16 out.

That being said, has it been mentioned what part is actually causing the delay? It is not the GE engines but a "small critical part from European company"

But they have this to say about Tejas MK2. They are still confident about FF in 2026.

 

[MirageBlue]

When in its history has HAL ever kept strictly to its deadlines? They are still "trying" to get 16 out.

View attachment 258796

View attachment 258798

That being said, has it been mentioned what part is actually causing the delay? It is not the GE engines but a "small critical part from European company"

But they have this to say about Tejas MK2. They are still confident about FF in 2026.

View attachment 258795

Just FYI, even Dassault isn't able to manage 16 per year despite having a backlog of over 200 Rafales that need to be delivered.

A lot depends on suppliers who need to be able to grow as fast as the orders do.

 

[MirageBlue]

Good news!

So the conversion of the first of the 2 remaining MiG-21 Bison squadrons to the Tejas Mk1A is supposed to start from July 2024.


It appears that No.23 'Panthers' will be first Tejas Mk1A squadron! This is a fitting tribute to Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria whose first squadron in the IAF was the No.23 'Panthers' squadron. As we all know, he was instrumental in getting the IAF to finalize Tejas Mk1A configuration with HAL when he was Deputy Air Chief. And it was during his tenure as Air Chief Marshal, that the 83 Tejas Mk1A deal was signed.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-air-force-s-tribute-for-outgoing-chief-a-connect-between-his-first-and-last-sorties-2553209

 

[Raj Malhotra]

Apart from giving false promises, HAL has never yet delivered more than 5 LCA in financial year. So only quack quack and fake excuses

Supply chain issues delay deliveries of LCA-Mk1A jets

After some delay, the deliveries of the Light Combat Aircraft-Mk1A by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to the Indian Air Force are now expected to begin by end of July

www.thehindu.com

 

[SilentlAssassin265]

Apart from giving false promises, HAL has never yet delivered more than 5 LCA in financial year. So only quack quack and fake excuses

Supply chain issues delay deliveries of LCA-Mk1A jets

After some delay, the deliveries of the Light Combat Aircraft-Mk1A by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to the Indian Air Force are now expected to begin by end of July

www.thehindu.com

By end of fy 2024 menas March 25 they are committed to deliver 16 aircraft.
It would be miracle if they deliver even 2

 

[Spitfire9]

By end of fy 2024 menas March 25 they are committed to deliver 16 aircraft.
It would be miracle if they deliver even 2

I read that the problem is switching to a locally made actuator and one other component and a delay caused by that. Are these components retrofittable without taking much of the aircraft apart? If they are, would it not be possible to store frames lacking these parts until they turn up? I assume that there is no problem with the components that would lead to them failing to be approved for use.

Yes, another delay but no other grounds for delay exist that have not yet been admitted to, do they? If there are no other hidden delays in the pipeline and they can deliver 2 in 2024, they can presumably speed things up once the components are available and raise the number delivered in the period. If it was the customer that asked for the parts in question to be supplied by a local source, I assume that the customer is responsible for paying HAL extra for the disruption caused.

 

[Raj Malhotra]

HAL is delivering LCA mark 1 two seaters, the orders were given in 2006 and 2010. There is no question of any delay due to non-availability of parts as the parts would have been ordered years if not a decade earlier.