NEW DELHI: In a major blow to the IAF’s already depleted operational capabilities, the induction of new indigenous Tejas Mark-1A jets has been further deferred, primarily because of the continuing delay in supply of engines by US major General Electric (GE), while the project to make 4.5-generation fighters in India with foreign collaboration is still stuck in the doldrums.
Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) will be able to deliver only two to three Tejas Mark-1A fighters instead of 16 promised to the IAF in the 2024-25 fiscal, under the Rs 46,898 crore deal for 83 such single-engine jets inked in Feb 2021, sources told TOI.
After both PM Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh flagged the delay in deliveries of the 99 GE-F404 turbofan jet engines during their recent visits to the US, GE has promised to begin the supply by March 2025 now, around two years behind schedule.
“As per terms of the $716 million contract, HAL could invoke penalty clauses in the case. But it’s an ongoing logistical issue that can be worked out between GE and HAL. GE says it has faced supply chain issues from one of its South Korean suppliers,” a source said.
Moreover, HAL and GE are now also conducting the final techno-commercial negotiations for co-production of the more powerful GE-F414 aero-engines in India for the planned Tejas Mark-II fighters, with 80% transfer of technology for around $1 billion. “The contract should be inked within this fiscal,” he added.
Along with the engines’ delay, the integration of weapons as well as the Israeli radar on the Tejas Mark-1A is also currently underway. All this will have a cascading effect down the line with the IAF banking upon the progressive induction of 180 Tejas Mark-1A and at least 108 Mark-2 jets over the next 15 years to stem the nose-dive in the number of its fighters. The force is currently making do with just 30 fighter squadrons when 42.5 are authorised to tackle the threat from China and Pakistan.
Concurrently, the IAF’s long-standing quest for 114 new 4.5-generation multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) to be manufactured in India with foreign collaboration, at an initial estimate of Rs 1.25 lakh crore, is also still far away from being finalized.
The political slugfest over corruption allegations in the Rs 59,000 crore deal for 36 Rafale fighters, which was inked with France in Sept 2016, has made the govt rethink the entire procurement model for the MRFA case.
“The Rafale controversy even reached the Supreme Court, with officials being summoned and documents connected to national security being shared. In the MRFA case, the procurement model and the level of indigenization is being finalised to break the logjam,” another source said.
HAL, on its part, says it now has the capacity to manufacture 24 Tejas Mark-1A fighters per year after setting up the new production line in Nashik in addition to Bengaluru. “The plan is to increase the production rate to 36 jets per year,” an official said.
India also has the plan for an ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter in the future, the swing-role advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), the development of which at a cost of over Rs 15,000 crore was cleared by the PM-led cabinet committee on security in March this year.