HAL receives first set of wing assemblies for Tejas LCA from L&T

New Delhi: State-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Thursday received the first set of wing assemblies for its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (Mk1A) programme.

The wing assemblies have been produced by Larsen & Toubro.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director D K Sunil described it as a "testament" to years of "dedicated hand-holding and a shared commitment to excellence" by the aerospace major and the L&T.

"The HAL is working with suppliers, both large and SMEs, as an initiative towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace and defence sector," he said.

"The HAL has effectively built a parallel aircraft structural assembly line in the private sector which will help in capacity augmentation of the LCA Tejas programme," he said.

The wing assemblies were handed over to HAL in Coimbatore.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

The ministry is also in the process of procuring 97 more LCA Mk-1As at a cost around Rs 67,000 crore.

The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF's MiG-21 fighters.

The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has gone down to 31 from officially sanctioned strength of 42.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.

It has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.