IAF faces setback, only 2 Tejas Mark-1A jets to be delivered against scheduled 18 this year

In a serious set-back to war-time preparedness of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be able to supply only two Tejas Mark-1A jets against the scheduled supply of 18 such jets during this fiscal year ending March 31, 2025.

However, this delay cannot be apportioned onto the Ministry of Defence (MoD) owned HAL.

The engine supplier, General Electric (GE), that was to supply its F404 engine for the Tejas jets is facing a crisis with suppliers at its end, sources said. The US company has only two engines available, for now. “India will be getting those two engines, one each that can power two Tejas Mark-1A jets,” sources said.

The MoD and HAL is geared up to produce 24 jets each year from the next fiscal year, sources said adding that GE has assured of getting its supply chain in order.

India has been assured at the level of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan regarding the resumption of supply of engines, sources said when asked about surety of GE’s ability to start the supply of engines.

Amid delay in supplies of jet engines from GE, India and US, in August signed, the Security of Supply Arrangement. The pact has clauses allowing access to each other’s resources in case supply chain disruptions occur – like the one in case of jet engines.

After the agreement was signed in the US, a statement put out by the US Department of Defence had said, “The arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs.”

The GE’s F404 engine was chosen for the Tejas Mark-1A. The MoD ordered a first-tranche of 83 Tejas Mark-1A jets in February 2021 under a Rs 48,000-crore order. For now, the HAL – a Bengaluru headquartered company—is yet to deliver one jet of the lot for which deliveries were to commence three-years after signing the contract, or by March this year.

In March this year, the Tejas Mark -1A carried out its first flight. “It was a successful sortie with a flying time of 18 minutes,” the HAL said then.

The IAF continues to operate with fewer fighter jet squadrons than mandated. Criticality of adding more fighter jets stems from the fact that the IAF presently has 31 squadrons (16-18 planes each) of fighter jets against a mandated need of 42 squadrons to tackle a collusive two-front threat against Pakistan and China.

Apart from the 83 jets orders in February 2021, the MoD asked HAL to submit its commercial bid for producing an additional 97 Tejas Mark-1A jets in April this year. Collectively, in addition to 83 such jets already on order, the total number has gone to 180 jets.

Production of these 180 jets is to be done in two tranches over the next 10 years. These are to bridge the prevailing shortage and muster numbers due to phasing out of older jets from the IAF inventory.

Over the next one year, the two squadrons of the Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets will retire. The Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000 jet fleets—all inducted in phases during the 1980’s – are slated to retire in batches beyond 2029-30. These four types of jets are about 250 in number and are presently operating on an extended life-cycle.

As per plan, from this financial year, for the next 14-15 years (till 2038-39) India needs to indigenously produce some 400 fighter jets for the IAF.

IAF already has 40 Tejas Mark-1 jets.

The Tejas Mark-1A is an improved version of the aircraft.