Big Boost For IAF! 20 Tejas Mk1A Fighters ‘Ready’; Sukhoi-30MKIs in Pipeline

What should be a major plus for the Indian Air Force (IAF) is that 20 Tejas Mark1A fighters, built by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) are ready, apart from a couple of tests, including of the radars, Dr D.K. Sunil, the chairman and managing director, told TIMES NOW. The other major problem that HAL faced was the non arrival of GE's engines, delaying the handing over of the planes. Dr Sunil said that five GE engines for the Tejas are available, and the sixth, in Chicago, is ready to be shipped to India. Importantly, GE has promised an additional 20 engines by the end of the year. If that does happen, the IAF will get an additional squadron by year end, but GE will be penalised for failing to fulfil what it had promised in its contract with HAL. GE,

therefore, will pay a penalty, meaning that HAL will make the necessary payment to GE minus the penalty. Another two squadrons of the Tejas, grounded after a mishap, should be back to operational flying within a week, after a test or two. This is the Tejas and 34 of them, plus two trainers, will be back in action. This will be after the tests to ensure that the "brake problem" has been sorted out. These squadrons are badly needed as the IAF, which has spoken of the need for 40 squadrons of fighters, is down to about 30, and the 114 Rafales being talked about are some distance away from joining the fleet. So, the 20 new Tejas Mark1A fighters will be of great help. The IAF is also expecting 12-13 new Sukhoi-30MKIs from HAL (they are built in Nasik) by the end of the year. Asked if the recent wars would lead to a delay in supplies of material from abroad, Dr Sunil said that while it hasn't happened so far and he hoped that if there were problems, they would be overcome. He said that this financial year was a successful one, with 15 helicopters delivered, 21 Sukhoi-30MKIs overhauled, exports worth Rs 470 crore of the Hindustan-228 light transport aircraft, based on the German Dornier aircraft to Guyana and other markets in South America and Africa, likely to open up and a healthy order book worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Also, HAL is focusing on capacity building, keeping in mind future requirements.