Category: Technology News
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has completed delivery of all 40 Tejas Mk-1 aircraft. The last two twin-seat trainers were handed over in Bengaluru in September 2026, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh — closing a 43-year journey for the Mk-1 programme.
The Indian Air Force has still not received a single Tejas Mk1A. Deliveries are now expected to begin by December 2026.
Why the Mk1A is late
The first Mk1A was originally due in March 2024. Deliveries slipped because of engine shortages from GE Aerospace, AESA radar integration delays and pending weapons trials.
HAL has already built 27 Mk1A airframes and received 10 GE F404 engines. GE has committed to delivering 12 more engines by December 2026, taking the total to 22 by the end of the year. HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K has said deliveries should begin by December 2026, with around 10 aircraft handed over in the current financial year, by March 2027. HAL has a production capacity of about 24 Mk1A aircraft a year once engine supplies stabilise.
What the Mk1A adds
The Mk1A is the most advanced production variant of India’s indigenous light combat aircraft. It adds an AESA radar, an electronic warfare suite, a digital cockpit and integration with modern air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, along with improved maintainability.
The orders
The Air Force has placed two major orders for the Mk1A: 83 aircraft in 2021 worth ₹46,898 crore, and 97 more in 2025 worth ₹62,370 crore — 180 aircraft in all. The second order consists of 68 single-seat aircraft and 29 twin-seat variants, with deliveries scheduled from 2027-28 over six years.
The urgency is real. The Air Force is operating around 30 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42, and the Mk1A is central to closing that gap.
A new Air Force chief
The programme also has new leadership at the top. Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who superannuated after 42 years of service. Dixit, commissioned into the fighter stream on 6 December 1986, was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff before his elevation, and his tenure runs until 31 December 2028.
Sources: Indian Defence News, September 2026; AHN24x7, 18 September 2026; Defence.in, September 2026; PIB, 31 October 2026; The Hindu BusinessLine, 31 October 2026.
