Munish Gupta
THE first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A made at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Nashik facility is set for its maiden flight in mid-July. However, HAL plans to deliver the first LCA Mk1A built in Bengaluru to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by July-August—nearly 16 months behind the original schedule.
HAL’s Bengaluru plant can manufacture 16 jets per year. With Nashik’s facility now operational, output is expected to increase to 24 jets annually. The Nashik unit is slated to produce four to five Mk-1A fighters this year, followed by eight a year from 2026. “The Nashik production line will roll out four to five Mk-1A fighters this year… It will help us make up for the delay in deliveries due to factors including US firm GE Aerospace’s inability to supply F404-IN20 engines on time and some pending certifications,” said one official.
HAL plants can build 24 jets annually
The IAF, which ordered 83 Mk-1A jets for Rs48,000 crore in 2021 and is planning to buy 97 more for Rs67,000 crore, is worried that slow deliveries will affect combat readiness. The first delivery was scheduled for March 31, 2024, but HAL has only built six so far.
“One of these, equipped with GE’s F404-IN20 engine, is expected to be delivered to the IAF in July-August. We have sufficient capacity to offset the delay once the engine supplies stabilise,” another official said. GE Aerospace had delivered 65 F404-IN20 engines for older LCA Mk-1 jets by 2016. However, production halted due to no new orders.
Delays took place when HAL ordered 99 more engines in 2021. This caused GE to restart its supply chain and production line. With deliveries resuming, one in March, another in July, and two per month until December, HAL expects the pace to improve.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently criticized delays in defence projects. He had said, “Timelines are a big issue,” and warned that “restraint” from the armed forces should not be stretched. In February, he said he had “no confidence” in HAL’s ability to meet critical requirements.