Nod for procurement of Tejas’s advanced version from HAL

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Wednesday cleared the procurement of 83 indigenously manufactured light combat aircraft Tejas’s advanced version, the defence ministry said, a move that will help in shoring up IAF’s depleting fleet.

The 83 Mk1A aircraft are in addition to the 40 Tejas aircraft whose orders have already been placed with the defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The DAC’s meeting was the first after the separation of duties between the Department of Defence and Department of Military Affairs headed by Gen Bipin Rawa.

“While the order of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, DAC paved the way for procurement of 83 of the more advanced Mk1A version of the aircraft from HAL by finalising the contractual and other issues,” the ministry said.