Rajnath on board of LCA Tejas Mk1A inaugural flight, praises ‘self-reliance’

DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated the third Production Line of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Nashik. The move is aimed at increasing production to fill gaps in IAF combat squadrons left by the retirement of MiG fighters.

- MAYANK SINGH @ New Delhi

"The line operates fully and can produce eight aircraft per annum. With the inauguration of the line, HAL will achieve a total production capacity of 24 aircrafts per year," the Ministry of Defence said. The announcement comes amid concerns over falling fighter strength, with the last MiG-21 squadron retired in September, leaving the IAF with fewer than 30 operational squadrons.

The advanced LCA Mk1A integrates the Uttam active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach, and updated control actuators, with over 64 percent indigenous content and 67 new homegrown components.