New Delhi: India will hand over the indigenously developed Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday. The handover ceremony will take place at Nashik in Maharashtra in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The aircraft, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will then undergo test flights by the IAF.
This marks a major milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The Tejas Mk1A, an upgraded version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, will replace the recently retired MiG-21 jets, bridging the shortage of fighter squadrons in the IAF.
HAL aims to deliver 10 Tejas Mk1A jets by the end of this financial year. The aircraft features advanced electronic systems, modern radar, improved weapon capability, and electronic warfare suitability. It can reach speeds of up to 2,200 km/h, and about 65% of its components are indigenously produced.
The Tejas will be capable of carrying India’s own BrahMos supersonic missile and other locally developed weapons. The first squadron will be deployed at Bikaner in Rajasthan, close to the Pakistan border. In September, the Defence Ministry signed a contract with HAL to procure 97 more Tejas Mk1A jets.
