BENGALURU The defence ministry will sign a ₹66,000-crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for an additional 97 light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1As) as soon as the state-run firm hands over to the air force the first two of 83 such fighter jets already on order, and the new deal could be signed soon, HAL chief DK Sunil said on Monday.
“We are getting the paperwork ready and hope to conclude the contract in October. The moment that is done, HAL can trigger other contracts related to the deal, including the contract for new engines,” he said, referring to the $1 billion deal with US firm GE Aerospace for 113 F404-IN20 engines to power the new fighter jets. The engine deal is also expected to be signed in October.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the deal to buy 97 more LCA Mk-1As in August. The intent is that the contract be signed after HAL starts deliveries under the first order, a senior defence ministry official said, asking not to be named. “Creating accountability is important and the ministry has conveyed this to HAL,” he said.
The rough stretch for LCA Mk-1A is over and the country’s flagship indigenisation programme is set to hit a sweet spot as engine supplies from the US appear to be stabilising and the fighter jet begins crucial missile firing trials ahead of the upcoming first deliveries to the Indian Air Force, the HAL chief said.
“The programme was hampered by the delay in supply of F404-IN20 engines by GE Aerospace for the 83-aircraft order. That has been taken care of. The only thing awaited now is the approval for some software changes in the Astra missile. Ten LCA MK-1As are ready (two with new engines) and we have 24 fuselages in different stages on the shop floor. We are prepared to deliver the aircraft to the IAF in the required numbers,” he said. HAL has an annual production capacity of 24 LCA Mk-1As.
GE Aerospace has so far supplied three of the 99 engines on order, it will deliver seven more by December, and another 20 units are expected next year as the US firm has fixed supply chain bottlenecks. These engines are meant for the 83 LCA Mk-1As ordered by the government for ₹48,000 crore in February 2021 to shore up the IAF’s fighter fleet.
Assured engine supplies, along with a commitment by GE Aerospace to deliver more than 20 engines 2027 onwards, will ensure faster delivery of the fighters, Sunil said.
“Singling out HAL for the delay in delivering the fighters to IAF is unfair. Every global firm has been wrestling with supply chain issues. The manufacturers are the same guys, and everybody is going to GE Aerospace, Honeywell and Safran. Even the army’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters were hit by a delay. My focus is on delivering the LCA Mk-1As as soon as possible,” he said.
The IAF has been concerned about the pace of the LCA Mk-1A programme because of the possible risks a delay in the induction of new fighters could pose to its operational readiness. The first aircraft was to be delivered in March 2024.
“As soon as the first fighter jets are delivered, the rest will roll out at a swift pace. What is critical is the delivery of the initial batch and the continued supply of engines. Thereafter, production will be in full swing,” Sunil said.
Two LCA Mk-1As on Monday began crucial weapon trials involving the ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile) at a firing range in the country’s eastern sector. These trials will be followed by the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air (BVRAAR) firing, which has to be cleared by the CEMILAC’s (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) safety review board.
The first deliveries to IAF will take place in October after the completion of the weapon trials.
Weapon delivery is the composite test of the whole aircraft, the HAL chief said.
“When you fire a missile and it hits the target, it is the validation of the whole aircraft system because you mount something on the wing, it has to be aligned with the aircraft and all your commands must go correctly. It must be released properly and at that speed, you will also have the aerodynamic effects. I would say it is the pinnacle of testing. We do hundreds of things but eventually everything builds up to the firing,” he said.
Astra was fired from an LCA Mk-1A in March but the test wasn’t successful.
“The missile integration with the aircraft is complete. The aerodynamic studies, the signalling to the missile… all that is done. The safety review board has to clear the missile software changes made by the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory. After Astra is fired, everybody will be happy,” he said.
The new aircraft to be ordered soon will be of the same standard as the ones already contracted. But the new trainer version will be different, Sunil said. The 10 trainer aircraft under the 2021 contract are of LCA Mk-1 standard, while the 29 trainers under the new deal will be of LCA MK-1A standard and equipped with Uttam AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar and a modern electronic warfare suite, he added.