New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of an additional 97 Tejas-Mark 1-A fighter aircraft, as well as 156 Prachanda attack helicopters, in a major boost to India’s military and defence production. Both aircraft have been developed domestically. The total value of the deals is estimated at approximately Rs. 1.1 Lakh crore. The Tejas Mark-1-A fighter aircraft are being procured for the air force, while the choppers are for the air force and the army. In addition, additional deals have also been approved by the DAC, with a total value of approximately Rs. 2 Lakh crore.
If this happens, this will be the biggest order book of domestic manufacturers in India’s history. What we have now is an Admissibility of Necessity. After that, contract negotiations with manufacturers will take place. It will take some time, but it may be much less time than it would take if foreign manufacturers participated.
Once the final price has been agreed upon, the final approval will be given by the Cabinet committee on security. The final induction into the armed forces is expected to take a minimum of 10 years.
On Thursday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to approve a major upgrade of its Sukhoi Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft. The Su-30 has been in service with the IAF for more than 260 years. The upgrade will be an indigenous version of the aircraft, with India developed radars, Avionics and Subsystems.
Tejas is India’s fourth-generation light combat aircraft. It has critical operational capabilities such as an active electronically scanned array radar ( AESA), electronic warfare suite and air to air refuelling (ATA) capability. Tejas is the first indigenously developed and manufactured light combat aircraft.
HAL is the prime contractor for the development of Tejas. In February 2019, Tejas was cleared for induction into Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fully weaponised fighter jet.
The Prachand light combat helicopter (LCC) was inducted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Army in the first batch last year. Developed by the Helicopter Manufacturing Company (HAL), Prachand is a twin-engine, 5.8 tonne helicopter with a service ceiling (SCO) of approximately 21,000 ft. It is primarily designed to be deployed in high altitudes areas, such as Siachen, Ladakh, and the upper reaches of Arunachala Pradesh.
The inductions of additional Prachand LCCs will help in diversifying the IAF’s attack helicopter fleet. Currently, the IAF operates a HAL Rudra helicopter, US-manufactured Apaches, and Russia’s Mi-35 attack helicopter.