Senior Air Force Commander Reviews India's Fighter Jet Projects in Bengaluru

Facility Visits

A senior Indian Air Force commander visited key aerospace facilities in Bengaluru on Thursday to check the progress of home-grown fighter jet projects. Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann, who leads the Southern Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, toured the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Project Reviews

During his visit, Air Marshal Mann met with senior leaders including Amitabh Saraf and HAL Chairman Ravi K. He reviewed presentations on ongoing design efforts such as the LCA AF Mk-II and the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. He also inspected the Virtual Reality Lab and toured the LCA production facilities, where he stressed the need for on-time delivery of the LCA Tejas Mk1A jets to fulfill operational needs.

Programme Status

The stealth fighter project, known as the AMCA, will be built through industry partnerships. Three groups have been shortlisted for the programme: Larsen and Toubro with Bharat Electronics Limited, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Forge with BEML. The stealth fighter is expected to join the Air Force in the next decade.

Delivery Delays

Deliveries of the LCA Mk-1A variant have faced delays because of late shipments of GE engines for the fighter jet. In February 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with HAL to buy 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets. This order includes 73 fighter aircraft and 10 trainer aircraft, with total delivery originally planned across eight years.

Context

India is increasingly focusing on building its own military hardware through domestic agencies like HAL and ADA to reduce reliance on foreign defense imports. Programs like the Tejas and the upcoming AMCA form the backbone of the country's long-term plan to modernize its air combat fleet.