As a symbol of the growth of the national aerospace industry, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inaugurated a new production line dedicated to the new LCA Tejas Mk1A fighters, which will soon begin to equip the Indian Air Force. This new line, located in Nashik, joins the two existing ones in Bengaluru, further strengthening the country’s industrial capacity.
With the presence of India’s Defence Minister, Raksha Mantri, who presided over the inauguration ceremony, the new facility aims to increase annual production capacity—from around 16 units per year to 24—for the LCA Mk1A fighter. This expansion responds to the Indian Air Force’s need to modernize and expand its fleet, reinforcing national autonomy and local manufacturing.
The increase in production capacity also follows the contract signed at the end of last September between India’s Ministry of Defence and HAL for the manufacturing of 97 new LCA Tejas Mk1A fighters, a deal valued at approximately USD 11 billion. This agreement adds to the previous order for 83 units of the same model, bringing the total to 180 light combat aircraft that will progressively replace the retired MiG-21s, while increasing the total number of combat squadrons in service.
In parallel, HAL recently received the first batch of F404 engines manufactured in the United States by General Electric Aerospace, intended to power the new LCA Tejas Mk1A aircraft. These initial deliveries, part of a contract signed in 2021, mark the start of the supply of 99 F404-GE-IN20 engines that will power the first production batch. According to the company, the goal is to reach maximum production speed before 2026, allowing deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A to the Indian Air Force to begin during the second half of fiscal year 2025–2026.
Lastly, the third production line inaugurated in Nashik will make use of part of the infrastructure previously used for assembling Su-30MKI fighters, facilitating technical staff training and the integration of new automated control and assembly systems. Additionally, during the same ceremony, a second production line for the HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft—developed locally to meet the Indian military’s primary pilot training requirements—was also inaugurated.
“The capability of HAL’s Nashik Division to produce indigenous advanced fighters, in addition to the Su-30MKI, has boosted our production efforts to meet delivery timelines. It has also created around 1,000 jobs and fostered the development of more than 40 industrial partners in and around Nashik, in line with the Government’s goal of building an effective public–private collaboration,” the company highlighted.
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