New Delhi: After six decades of service, the legendary MiG-21 is finally ready to bow out of the Indian Air Force. Taking its place is Tejas, India’s indigenous fighter, long delayed but now stepping closer to frontline duty. In an exclusive conversation with News9’s Nivriti Mohan, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Chairman and Managing Director Dr D.K. Sunil opens up about the challenges of engine shortages, the delivery roadmap for the Tejas Mk1A, and the promise of future projects including the Mk2, AMCA and unmanned combat aircraft. With candid detail, he traces India’s evolving air power story at a moment of transformation.
News9 EXCLUSIVE: HAL Chairman Dr DK Sunil confirms deliveries of 3 Tejas Mk 1A in October
News9: We are finally saying goodbye to the legendary MiG-21. How does it feel since HAL has been producing it since the early 60s?
Dr Sunil: It’s a mixed feeling. The MiG is a very versatile aircraft, very close to our hearts. It is one of the most wonderful, versatile aircraft ever designed. You can understand it was Mach 2; it’s twice the speed of sound. This was designed way back in the 50s. HAL started producing this in the 60s, and it has gone through various modifications, different versions and upgrades. We produced over 500 of them, and it has served the country for over 60 years.
(Laughs) I remember one technician telling me that most pilots used to ask just three questions: hawa hai, tail hai, chakki ghum raha hai (is the tyre pressure ok, is fuel ok, is the engine ok), and they would fly. They had so much confidence in this aircraft, and it will definitely leave a fantastic legacy in the Indian Air Force.
News9: I was told that we can still fly them. They have some life even today. Is it so?
Dr Sunil: These aircraft were upgraded, starting from the early 2000s, and they have remained active. Yes, we could have used them, but I think modernisation is also an ongoing effort. Now that the geopolitical landscape has changed, we need equipment and avionics which can see much farther and operate across multiple domains. For example, it’s not just the radar you need to have jammers too. So, I think the battlefield has changed. Therefore, the requirements are more and movement to modernise has begun.
News9: The MiG-21 is set to be replaced by the Tejas Mach One, a 4.5-generation all-weather multi-role indigenous fighter developed by HAL. In 2021, HAL signed a rupees 5,375 crore deal with GE Aerospace for 99 F404 engines to power the Mk 1. However, deliveries have been delayed, with only three engines delivered so far. What’s happening now?
Dr Sunil: We are replacing MiG-21 with the LCA. With 83 LCAs already on order and another 97 to follow, the replacement of the MiG-21 is well underway. It is now time to embrace the next generation of indigenous fighter aircraft. We will be able to close the first order for 83 aircraft by 2031- 2032 and deliver all the aircraft by then. GE Aerospace has assured us that they will increase engine deliveries to 24 units. While our production depends on this, our assembly line is currently running at full capacity. We expect to complete the entire order by 2031-2032.
News9: So, you are being blamed for not delivering the LCA on time?
Dr Sunil: Yeah, I think I did clarify this during the airshow, when this came up. So, we have been working on it. Today, we have received three engines from GE. There has been a supply issue with engines from GE due to their own sourcing challenges. We have been in continuous engagement with them to resolve the matter. We have already built nine aircraft. They are ready.
So, we anticipate that in October, we will be able to deliver 3 aircraft. General Electric has assured us that they will give us 12 engines this year and 20 engines next year. So, 10 to 12 aircraft are definitely possible in this financial year. I think we will be able to do that.
News9: It is inspired by MiG-21 to an extent, right?
Dr Sunil: In terms of its avionics, power, and flight control, it’s a class apart. Since we have worked on MiG-21 for over 60 years, we have used all our learning in Tejas.
News9: What about the capacity to build a large number of aircraft? Do we have the capacity?
Dr Sunil: So, capacity is available now to produce 24 aircraft. We also have effectively a fourth line in the private sector, where we are getting the fuselage and assemblies from the private sector. So, by 2027-28, we will have a capacity of 33. We have invested almost Rs 1,000 crore to date to ensure that these multiple facilities are built. So, I think we have built the capacity.
News9: Critical component dependencies on foreign partners have always been an issue. Had engine supplies not relied on GE, the Tejas rollout may have stayed on track.
Dr Sunil: That’s, I think, the primary discussion among all the stakeholders. We definitely have to build our own engines. HAL is now working on two engines. One is for the helicopter, and one is for the trainer aircraft. So, I think a lot of emphasis has come in recent years on engine technology and reducing this dependence is one of the priorities. A lot of money is going into it. But it will take time because building an engine from the beginning takes anywhere between 7 and 10 years. So, our journey has started. My own feeling is that ten years down the line, I think we will be self-sufficient.
News9: The Tejas Mk2 is a significantly upgraded variant. What is the status?
Dr Sunil: It will replace the Mirage 2000 and Jaguar Fleets. Mk2 is a different class of aircraft. Actually, we should not be calling it LCA because it’s the 18-tonne aircraft. It’s more like a Jaguar or Mirage. We have introduced a very innovative, technology-based design and development where the whole design is done in a 3D environment, and the manufacturing is also done similarly.
So, the accuracy is better today. We are in the prototyping phase, the design is frozen, and the prototyping is going on. By the end of the year, the aircraft will be powered up, tested and ready. And the first flight should happen late in the year or early in 2027. We will have the first flight of this aircraft.
News9: AMCA is an ambitious project. What is your role in that?
Dr Sunil: AMCA is a stealth aircraft, essentially, which will have a very small radar cross-section that is not detectable by radar. That’s the idea. It will also have weapons which are internal, hidden, so that it gives a very low radar signal. It forms a part of the overall repertoire of the Indian Air Force. We expect that it will come into production by 2035. HAL is working with ADA on the design. Roughly 25%- 30% of the design is with HAL, and the balance is with ADA. So, we have the design partners.
Till now, it was always HAL. The government is interested in bringing in more private partners. So, it’s now an open tender, and HAL will be participating on an equal footing with the private sector. DOI is due at the end of this month. So, we will also participate.
News9: HAL is also working on UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles). Tell us about CAT WARRIOR.
Dr Sunil: Yes. The CAT Warrior is our foray into the UCAVs. It’s a two-tonne aircraft.
We are working on the engine. We have now integrated it, and we have started the ground testing. We are now perfecting the flight control. We expect that by the end of next year, CAT Warrior will also start flying.
News9: How would you like to conclude?
Dr Sunil: We are at the cusp of such a change in the defence industry, where we are really moving towards indigenisation. I am sure that a decade down the line, we will be in a position where we are self-reliant. It is a call that the Prime Minister has given. All of us, all the companies, the private sector, and the public sector together have to achieve this dream of self-reliance.