Why in news
GE Aerospace has delivered the first of 99 F404-IN20 engines to HAL for the Tejas Mk1A fighter jet, marking the start of engine deliveries for the program.
12 engines are expected to be delivered this year, with the first engine arriving in India by April for further testing.
GE faced challenges restarting the F404-IN20 production line after a five-year hiatus, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
HAL aims to produce 12 Tejas Mk1A jets by the end of this year, with plans for 24 jets per year starting in the following years.
Supply chain issues have been resolved, and HAL plans to complete the delivery of 87 Tejas Mk1A jets in three-and-a-half years and the remaining 97 by FY 2031-32.
LCA-Mk1A
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme was started by the Government of India in 1984 when they established the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA programme.
LCA Tejas was designed and developed by India’s HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited).
It replaced the ageing Mig 21 fighter planes.
It was in 2003 that the Light Combat Aircraft programme was named ‘Tejas’ (meaning radiance in Sanskrit) by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It is the second supersonic fighter jet that was developed by HAL (the first one being HAL HF-24 Marut).
LCA Tejas is a single-engine multirole light combat aircraft.
It is the lightest and smallest multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft in its class.
It is designed to carry a range of air-to-air, air-to-surface, precision-guided, and standoff weaponry.
Tejas has a single-engine, compound Delta wing, and has a tailless design.
The idea behind the LCA programme was to expand and develop India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities.
Since the 1970s, the MiG 21 planes were the mainstay of the Indian Air Force.
The primary goal of the LCA programme was to replace the ageing MiGs.
The secondary goal was the advancement of indigenous domestic aviation capabilities.
HAL plans to deliver 123 Tejas aircraft to the Indian Air Force by 2024-25.
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