The Indian Air Force is set to receive its first indigenous fighter jet, the Tejas Mk1A. During the Aero India 2025 exhibition, held from February 10 to 14 this year, the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) showcased four of these aircraft, which participated in an airshow under the watchful eye of the country's Defense Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh.
This information was reported by Zona Militar. Additionally, it's important to recall that the initial contract for the supply of the latest MK1A Tejas variant was signed in 2021, covering 73 fighter jets and 10 trainer aircraft. Altogether, this contract became the largest domestic deal at $6.5 billion.
Later, in the fall of last year, it was revealed that the air force of this country planned to order another batch of MK1A Tejas fighters, amounting to 97 aircraft for a total of $7.7 billion.
At the end of the year, we reported that India had once again postponed the retirement of the MiG-21s, which have been in service since the 1960s, because the national fighter Tejas is lagging behind.
As noted in the publication, the news about the four latest Tejas variants appearing at the parade came against the backdrop of a serious conflict between the management of the aircraft manufacturer HAL and the Chief of Air Staff, Marshal of the Indian Air Force Amar Preet Singh, who had previously stated that he "does not trust HAL."
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that delays in the delivery of the MK1A Tejas aircraft were primarily linked to issues with engine supplies from GE Aerospace, and there is information suggesting that the four aircraft that flew at the airshow were actually equipped with engines from a previous deal.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Trump announced the sale of F-35s and weapons worth billions to the main buyer of Russian arms - India.