• By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
  • Thu, 25 Sep 2025 03:36 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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The Ministry of Defence and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), on Thursday, signed a Rs 62,370 crore deal to procure 97 Tejas light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force. It is the largest deal signed between the stakeholders till now. The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF's MiG-21 fighters, which is set to retire on September 26 after over 60 years of service.

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Under the new deal, 68 fighters and 29 twin-seaters will be procured by the Indian Air Force. The delivery of these aircraft would commence during 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years. It is the second such contract awarded to the state-run aerospace behemoth. In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF.

The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021. The aircraft will be a major boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. 

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What Are the Features Of Tejas?

The Tejas aircraft is a 4.5-generation fighter aircraft, which has the following features:

- The new batch of Tejas Mk1A comes with an indigenous Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, which helps in the multi-target tracking and resilience against jamming.

- The Tejas features a Unified Electronic Warfare Suite (UEWS) and an Advanced Self-Protection Jammer Pod for improved survivability in tough situations.

- The fighter aircraft comes with Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, and advanced short-range air-to-air missiles. Moreover, the aircraft is equipped with a 23 mm twin-barrel cannon. 

- With a speed of Mach 1.1, the aircraft has a reduced weight and improved maintainability, which allows for faster turnaround times during missions. 

- The aircraft also has several stealth features like composite structure, radar-absorbing materials, and a reduced radar cross-section, allowing it to attack in enemy territories without being noticed.