IAF To Order More Tejas Mk-1s

The Indian Air Force is processing a contract for 20 additional limited series Tejas Mk-1 light fighters — the ones powered by the underpowered GE F-404-IN20. This will be in addition to the 20 already contracted for a few years ago. While base infrastructure is coming up expeditiously at Sulur, first Tejas deliveries to the IAF will be based at the Bangalore-based Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE) for upto a year or more to iron out induction-related troubles. Once the IAF is satisfied that the fighters are well-supported, and all potential issues with HAL are sorted out, the aircraft will be shifted to Sulur. It has emerged that the IAF may choose to either base the second Tejas squadron also at Sulur, or even at nearby Kayathar, where it is in the process of building up a brand new air base. The Tejas is scheduled to achieve initial operational clearance/capability (IOC) in December this year, with the first squadron inducted by next year.

32 thoughts on “IAF To Order More Tejas Mk-1s”

  1. haha so much for the great HAL PSU.. they are forcing the MOD to make IAF accept a few more.. I cant wait till the pvt sector comes in and bankrupts all these rats..

    meanwhile, heres another peanut for you HAL

  2. This is good for Indian Aviation. I hope this builds confidence and additional orders are placed as the Mk-1 eveloves further.

  3. I guessed this all along.

    IAF evaluated all best fighter planes out there in LCA class and compared it to LCA.

    Now that they are confident about LCA capabilities, they are going forward for 20 more.

    More to come.

  4. I want to say a big tank you to all the scientits involved. India is nothing without you. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, …!

  5. @Hardik Patidar

    Nah.. these planes will just not even take off when the war starts, or their wings will fall off because of shoddy HAL screwdriver tech.

    http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/08/damning-new-light-on-thing-that-caused.html

    Lets also feed our troops expired food so that when the war starts, they can fart and have diarrhoea which can be launched to pakistan. Oh wait, we are already doing that.

    http://expressbuzz.com/nation/expired-food-products-supplied-to-army-cag/195265.html

  6. AK Antony and Pallam Raju are hardcore communists who have time and again put the interests of the DRDO/Defence PSUs/Ordinance Factories above that of the Armed Forces. I wouldn't be surprised if they arm-twisted the IAF into buying more Tejas mk.1s even though it doesn't meet their requirements. Probably some sort of agreement like 'You buy more Tejas and I'm approve MMRCA instead of cancelling it.'

    Such 'Purchase or perish' blackmail has been done before(inducting Akash SAM in exchange for approving Israeli MRSAM development, resurrecting the cancelled LOH helicopter programme in exchange for issuing tender for foreign utility helicopters and so on).

  7. Mr shiv, i presume the orders have been placed thus first 8 lsp, then 20 tejas sq-1, then I heard of 12 twin seat trainers order, then again 20 tejas sq-2 due to depleting squadrons, now again 20 tejas? How many in sum have actually been ordered?
    pls elaborate

  8. Rahul Rip van Winkle – while you were asleep all these years, many 100s of hours of successful flight testing have been on. So jao, babu, we will wake you up with some coffee in a few years when the LCA-N complettes it first long range high seas sortie taking off from the INS Vikrant and returns after an a-to-a refueling somewhere over the Indian Ocean.

  9. The new order from IAF may be due the delay in decision of the Engine for Mk2. Current version have enough teeths to perform grunt work for IAF.

    Dear Mr. Rahul [M / Not] from BR,
    I think HAL, DRDO & ISRO should stop doing any research and development and the GOI should allow BR people to develop super duper aircrafts that can pull 100g`s, sustain hypersonic speed without afterburners, impossible to detect by any Satellite on known radar on earth, BVR missiles that can make atleast 3 rounds of earth, AESA radar that tell whats in mind of enemy pilot. And finally You and other BR mods being the commander when India faces War.
    A very nice scenario when India will clean off all our enemies with in 1 hour.

  10. So long as they get the ~200 MMRCA, ~280 Su30MKI, and ~250 FGFA by 2020, I don't think that its a bad idea to buy more and more LCA's even if they're not 100% up to the mark! ~200 – 300 LCA's (Mk 1 & Mk 2) would be decent aircrafts to bring up the numbers somewhat!

  11. Anything that replaces successfully the ageing Mig-21 is an excellent thing at this juncture.

    Nobody sane now can say that Tejas are inferior to Mig-21.

  12. Just wanted to say, beautiful photo, our bird looks beautiful. I request you to please put a higher res one, I want to make it my desktop.
    Nice piece of news, especially to hear that the December deadline isnt changing!

  13. Good strategy by the IAF of going in for a phase-by-phase induction. Infact, all the first Tejas squadrons should be based in and around South India for ease of maintenance and monitoring by HAL. The Migs-27/29, Jags,M2Ks and SUs already have the North pretty much well covered, so the idea should be to ease their workload by covering up the south with these baby fighters! Folks who are unhappy with this jet should remember the golden words "Mig-21 replacement". This is no F-22 and neither was it meant to be. Face it, swallow it, zip it and move on…

  14. What about Tejas MK2.
    What is its status????
    Is this order due to some delay in Tejas Mk2???
    Can someone give some feed on the Tejas MK2….

  15. Our members at BR are the most intelligent on this planet. We can design a plane far better than F22 if GOI pays us millions as income and funds the project. But they wont, so we have decided to stick to commenting, which is cheap.

  16. Please inform us the status of development of manufacturing facility for TEJAS. How many of these planes will be manufactured.
    In view of the delay in the development of Kaveri Aero-engine, at-least Kaveri marine engine developmental works and testing must be expedited. The responsibility of manufacturing of Kaveri marine engines must be assigned to a PSU with a clear mandate to manufacture at least five engines every year initially.
    P.K.Chaudhuri.

  17. Dear All Visitors,

    Please pay homage to much respected scientific community called BR and guru Rahul M for the reply. We shall not forget to take their help in development of super duper aircrafts if our scientists fail to do it. And we must say that there are people who fails to get the position in these respected Govt. organisations and has a very long tongue on personal websites but lack Hands.

  18. The engines of Tejas MK1 are no where near to satisfactory….they stall at a much lower angle than compared 2 other LCA's….. its a disgust dat d IAF is ordering these shits..;.

  19. The Tejas MKI is far superior to the MiG 21/23 We had approx 400 such MiGs so this could be the number that can be replaced.
    All Doubting Thomases should give indegenous technology and fair chance to prove itself.
    Remember how the Arjun MBT proved itself against the T-90.

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