HAL ready to export LCA-Tejas, Mark-2 getting ready

Involvement of private partners would bring down costs, says CMD

Light Combat Aircraft-Tejas, the indigenous fighter plane being made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), has got foreign countries interested and the public sector unit is confident of getting one such contract soon, said Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan on Monday. LCA-Tejas Mark 2, the second generation fighter prototypes are underway in association with the DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). “We expect the first prototype to be ready by next year-end. It will be lengthier and is under design stage with structural and systems plans in place. It will take one year for the ground runs and the then flight trails will start to be completed by 2026-27,” he said. Interacting with the media after taking charge of the first central fuselage for LCA-Tejas Mark 1, the CMD said HAL was simultaneously working on twin-engine version for the Indan Navy and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Altogether, the production plan is 100 other Mark 2 version fighter planes and 120 fighter jets of other versions.