Indian Air Force to purchase round 100 extra LCA Mark 1A fighter jets

In a significant announcement aimed toward giving a lift to the indigenous aerospace sector, the Indian Air Force has formally introduced plans to purchase round 100 extra made-in-India LCA Mark 1A fighter jets.

The plan to purchase the indigenous aircraft was introduced in Spain by Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari quickly after receiving the primary C-295 transport plane in Spain in an unique interplay with ANI.

“The LCA was developed from the bottom up for alternative of the massive MiG collection fleet together with the MiG-21, MiG 23 and MiG-27 plane. With the phasing out of all these plane, it’s important that we’ve ample numbers of the LCA class plane in our stock. So, aside from the 83 LCA Mark 1A that we’ve already contracted for, we’re transferring a case for round 100 extra plane: Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari advised ANI on the Airbus plane manufacturing facility.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to purchase these made-in-India plane to interchange the MiG-series fighter jets in its fleet and the plans have been submitted to the Defence Ministry and all different stakeholders within the nationwide safety institution.

The determination to purchase round 100 extra of those planes got here across the time when the Indian Air Force chief held a overview assembly of the indigenous fighter jet programme with all entities concerned together with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited final month.

The order would imply that the LCA Tejas fighters would re-enter the Indian Air Force in very massive numbers. The IAF can have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark-1A and at the very least 120 LCA Mark-2 planes within the subsequent 15 years.

The final order for LCA Mark1A was for 83 plane and the primary aircraft can be delivered round February 2024. LCA Mark 1A is the superior model of Tejas plane.

The LCA Mark 1A aircraft has extra superior avionics and radars than the preliminary 40 LCAs being provided to the Air Force.

The indigenous content material within the new LCA Mark 1A goes to be greater than 65 per cent.

The Indian Air Force chief within the undertaking overview assembly final month had clearly said that the LCA has been the flag bearer of the power’s efforts in direction of the indigenisation of its plane fleet.

The programme has been the harbinger of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of the nation. More importantly, it’s a flag bearer of India’s self-reliance within the aerospace sector.

(This information report is revealed from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content material has not been written or edited by OpIndia employees)