Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated in Bengaluru, on April 7, a third production line for the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), Ajai Shukla reports in Business Standard. HAL currently operates two LCA assembly lines in Bengaluru, which allow it to deliver 16 Tejas fighters per year.

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HAL must build 40 LCA Tejas Mk 1 and 83 LCA Rejas Mk1A fighters by 2028 (Picture source: HAL)

“The new production line will enable the company to enhance Tejas Mark 1A production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year,” said CB Ananthakrishnan, HAL’s chairman and managing director (CMD) quoted by Ajai Shukla. With the Indian Air Force (IAF) having placed orders on HAL for 40 Tejas Mark 1 and 83 Tejas Mark 1A fighters, it is essential to build these quickly so that the Tejas' assembly lines are free for building six squadrons of Tejas Mark 2 aircraft.

Senior HAL and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) officials agree that the Tejas Mark 2 is unlikely to enter production until 2027-28, Ajai Shukla reports. Developing the Tejas Mark 2 will involve replacing the Tejas Mark 1A’s current General Electric F-404 engine with the more powerful GE F-4I4 and upgrading avionics and weaponry. Prototype development is expected to take till 2025 another two-to-three years would go into flight-testing the Tejas Mark 2 and preparing production drawings. In the meantime, HAL wants the IAF’s order of 83 Tejas Mark I-A to keep the current production lines occupied till 2028.

The Mark 1-A would be faster and more agile than the current Mark I. Developing it would involve cutting off 800 kg of weight from the current fighter, especially from systems like the landing gear, which are currently “over-engineered”, or built heavy, for safety. HAL also proposes to remove 300 kg of dead weight distributed across the Mark I to balance the fighter evenly.

Tejas Mk 1 in Indian Air Force livery (Picture source: DRDO/HAL)