Tejas Mk1A to finally fly out of factory this month: HAL chief says

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will roll out the first Tejas Mk1A fighter from its Nashik production line by the end of July, with integration and test firing of the Astra air-to-air missile scheduled for early August, Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil told TOI.


Nashik facility marks key expansion in production
The Nashik line marks HAL’s third production facility after two existing lines in Bengaluru. “The first aircraft from Nashik is already in final assembly and under testing. We expect the rollout in a month,” Sunil said. The facility is expected to produce three to four aircraft in its inaugural year, eventually supporting an annual output of eight. HAL is also leveraging a private-sector supply chain—VEM Technologies (centre fuselage), Alpha (rear fuselage), and L&T (wings)—to add six aircraft per year, increasing total production capacity to 30 by 2026–27.


GE engine delays
In 2021, India signed a deal worth $716 million for 99 General Electric F404-IN20 engines to power the Tejas fighters. Deliveries of the GE F404-IN20 engines, which power the Tejas Mk1A, were delayed to March 2025 due to supply chain disruptions, including the collapse of a South Korean components supplier. As a result, HAL planned to rotate the limited available engines to conduct critical test flights, aiming to deliver 12 Tejas Mk1A units this year. HAL has hinted at possible penalties for GE over missed delivery timelines.

Also Read: Uttam Radar not so Uttam for Tejas? HAL picks imported Israeli radar over DRDO's desi AESA radar


Missile integration scheduled for August
HAL will integrate the DRDO-developed Astra missile in early August. “We need to have some of the other issues sorted out like the firing of the missile, the Astra missile, which we plan to do in August, early August,” Sunil said.


Indigenous radar replaced by a foreign one
Earlier this month, it was reported that the indigenous radar may be replaced by the Israeli system. HAL has faced criticism for continuing to use Israeli ELTA radars in Tejas Mk1A under the current contract instead of switching midstream to the indigenous Uttam AESA radar. Sunil explained that although HAL initially contracted for 40 ELTA radars, certification delays for the Uttam radar and DRDO’s electronic warfare suite necessitated temporary reliance on imported systems. “We waited until March this year, but when progress still hadn’t been made, we moved forward,” he said.


Addressing ASQR and legacy dependencies
In response to concerns from the Indian Air Force regarding unmet aircraft staff qualitative requirements (ASQRs), Sunil attributed delays to legacy design issues and dependencies on partner agencies such as ADA and DRDO. “Parallel efforts are underway to close these issues across multiple aircraft. It’s not that there’s no effort—it’s just that the closure needs to be more structured,” he stated.


Indian Air Force’s future plans
The Indian Air Force plans to induct a total of 352 Tejas aircraft from both the Mk1A and Mk2 variants. HAL remains on track to deliver all 12 Tejas Mk1A aircraft scheduled for this year. With engine supplies stabilising in the next fiscal and full production—with public and private sector capacity—expected to reach 30 aircraft annually by 2026–27, HAL aims to fulfil its commitments under the Tejas Mk1A programme.

(With inputs from TOI)