HAL to Deliver First Two Tejas Mark-1A Jets to IAF by September

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2025: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to receive its first two Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets next month, Defence Secretary R K Singh announced on Saturday. The aircraft will be delivered by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with full weapons integration by the end of September.

Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit, Singh said the government is also preparing to sign a fresh contract with HAL for an additional 97 Tejas jets, valued at around ₹67,000 crore, but only after the initial two aircraft are delivered. “HAL will then have an order book for four to five years,” he noted.

The IAF had earlier flagged delays in Tejas deliveries under a ₹48,000 crore deal for 83 jets signed in 2021. The setbacks were largely due to US defence major GE Aerospace missing deadlines for supplying aero engines.

Currently, 38 Tejas fighters are in service, with another 80 in production. Singh stressed that HAL must integrate radar systems and indigenous weapons to make the Tejas Mk-1A a frontline workhorse alongside the Sukhoi fleet.

The Mk-1A variant is intended to replace the ageing MiG-21 fighters as the IAF faces a shortfall, with only 31 squadrons operational against the sanctioned strength of 42.

Designed as a single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft, Tejas is capable of air defence, strike, and maritime reconnaissance missions in high-threat environments.