Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has issued a tender worth about Rs 65,000 crore. This will be the largest order ever placed by the Government of India for the purchase of any indigenous equipment.
HAL has been given 3 months time to respond to the tender issued by the Defense Ministry. More than 65 percent indigenous content will be used in the new LCA Mark-1A fighter aircraft. Government officials said that the arrival of these aircraft will help the Indian Air Force to replace its fleet of MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27.
It is noteworthy that the plan to buy 97 more LCA Mark-1A fighter jets was first announced by Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary on Spanish soil, when he was talking about the plan to promote indigenous fighter jet deals among officials. Said that the objective of the program is to take forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of reviving HAL. Apart from this, it will also prove beneficial for small and medium enterprises related to defense business across the country.
The government had earlier placed an order for the purchase of 83 Tejas Mark-1 aircraft for the Indian Air Force, the delivery of which is expected to begin in the next few weeks. LCA Mark-1A is an upgraded version of Tejas aircraft. The LCA Mark-1A aircraft will have more advanced avionics and radar than the initial 40 LCAs supplied to the Air Force.