HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) has confirmed readiness to deliver at least six Tejas Mk-1A combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force by March next year, addressing concerns stemming from production delays.
The contract, signed in 2021, outlines the delivery of 83 aircraft in total, with HAL aiming to scale production to between 16 and 24 jets annually beginning in mid-2025. The delay in deliveries was largely due to supply issues from GE Aerospace, the U.S. supplier of the Tejas fleet’s F404 engines, whose schedules were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
HAL has since resolved the matter with GE, which is now set to deliver 12 engines by March 2026. As of now, six jets are fully assembled and ready for induction.
Beyond this current order, India is moving forward with plans to acquire 97 additional Tejas aircraft from HAL through the 2030s to phase out the legacy MiG-21 fleet.
