The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the acquisition of an additional 97 Tejas Mark-IA fighter jets. This move follows preliminary approval from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and signifies a major expansion of the IAF’s fleet of indigenous light combat aircraft.The new batch of Tejas Mark-IA jets will feature over 65% indigenous content, in line with India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in defense manufacturing. The Mark-IA variant offers a significant upgrade in capability compared to the original Tejas Mk-1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), incorporating several key enhancements.
