Indigenous LCA delivery lags further, may miss March target

New Delhi: The delivery of indigenous LCA Mk1a fighters is likely to be pushed beyond May, missing another deadline as integration work of avionics is still on and final certifications are pending. Sources said that while at least five jets have been manufactured, they are not deemed fit for induction in the present status.

The indigenous programme has faced a series of delays, with the fighters originally planned to be delivered by March 2025. After setbacks due to delay in supply of engines, a revised deadline of March 2026 was offered by manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). This too, is now likely to be missed.


Sources said while the jets have conducted weapons firing, other operational demonstrations remain pending. Part of the time lag can be attributed to delays in supplies of critical parts by foreign vendors, but integration of all systems is also taking longer than expected. Before being deemed fit for induction, the aircraft should have a fully functioning electronic warfare suite and a glitch-free, integrated Active Electrically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

While manufacturer HAL has shored up production capacity and has started a new final integration line in Nashik, in addition to Bengaluru, the induction of jets is dependent on final certifications by the Air Force after a thorough performance evaluation. HAL has gone on record to say that it will offer five aircraft for induction by March this year.

The Air Force has ordered a total of 180 of the fighter jets as it grapples with a growing shortage of combat aircraft.

Last September, the defence ministry signed a ₹62,370-crore contract for 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin seater trainers. The Air Force is also likely to place orders for around 114 new Rafale fighter jets that are to be produced in India. The proposal was moved ahead within the defence ministry last month, with more forward movements expected in the coming weeks.