India’s Cabinet Committee on Security—chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—met on January 13 to approve the purchase of the Mk1A version of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Funding of Rs 45.696 Crore ($6.4 billion) covers the acquisition of 73 LCA Mk1A single-seaters and 10 LCA-T Mk1A two-seaters. An amount of Rs 1,202 Crore was also approved for the design and development of associated infrastructure. Mk1A production is slated to start in 2022.
During the same committee session, the government also approved the delayed procurement of 56 Airbus C295 transports for the IAF to replace aging British Aerospace (Avro) 748s. The deal covers the supply of 16 aircraft to be built by Airbus and another 40 to be built under license in India by Tata. The C295 is also being considered as a replacement for the IAF’s Antonov An-32 Sutlej transports, and Airbus is hopeful that India’s purchase could eventually reach around 150 aircraft. A further six C295s in maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) configuration are being acquired for the Indian Coast Guard.
The LCA Mk1A is an improved Mk1 with maintenance enhancements, inflight refueling capability, improved electronic warfare capabilities, and an Elta EL/M-2052 AESA radar. The variant is able to fire the MBDA ASRAAM and the indigenous Astra beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missiles in addition to the current Vympel R-73/Rafael Derby-ER combination. Featuring active-radar terminal guidance and datalink, the Astra has been developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The LCA was designed by India's Aeronautical Development Agency, with production conducted by Hindustan Aerospace Ltd, including final assembly at Bengaluru. Procurement of the LCA Mk1A follows a batch of 20 Mk1s delivered in Initial Operational Clearance-II standard, which was cleared for IAF service in 2015. Sixteen now serve with the IAF’s No. 45 Squadron at Sulur in Tamil Nadu. A second batch of 20 aircraft in Final Operational Clearance configuration with Rafael Derby-ER BVR missiles are now in production, the first FOC aircraft having made its maiden flight on March 17 last year. The aircraft are in the process of delivery to No. 18 Squadron, also at Sulur. The 40 Mk1s comprise 32 single-seaters and eight two-seaters.
At the end of 2020, Indian media reported that the country's defense ministry had approved a plan to fit a DRDO-developed airborne early warning (AEW) radar—similar to that carried by the current Embraer Netra aircraft—to six ex-Air India Airbus A320 airliners. Work on an A330-based AEW capability continues.