Weapon Trials Underway, HAL Says It Will Deliver 180 Tejas Mk1A Jets By 2033

It appears unlikely that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will deliver the initial Tejas Mk1A jets to the Indian Air Force in October, as the weapon firing trials are yet to be completed. HAL, however, maintains

that it will deliver all 180 jets ordered by the Indian Air Force by 2033.

HAL CMD Dr DK Sunil, speaking to CNN-News18 on the sidelines of a grand event organised to mark the rollout of the first Tejas Mk1A from the Nashik production line, said, “This is the first aircraft from our third facility and the 10th aircraft overall. We have already received four engines from GE, and these have been fitted. We are working on it, and very soon we will have 12 jets ready.”

He further confirmed that the Tejas Mk1A is still in the testing phase. “Weapon integration is done. We need to do the testing. That’s the phase we are in. Once we are done, we will be able to deliver,” he said.

Earlier, the top officials had indicated that the initial two jets can be delivered to IAF in the month of October. 

HAL currently has two separate orders for the Tejas Mk1A, but not a single aircraft from these orders has been delivered yet. The delays are primarily due to late engine supplies from GE in the United States, as well as the ongoing trials and testing.

On Friday, HAL inaugurated its third Tejas production line in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The new facility will enhance HAL’s production capacity from 16 aircraft per year to 24.

Although he did not specify the timeline for the first delivery, Dr Sunil confirmed that HAL “plans to deliver all 180 (83+97) aircraft by 2032–2033.”