The LCA Mk-1A will come with additional enhancements over the FOC aircraft, making it the most advanced Tejas variant yet, as the Hindustan Times previously reported.
UPDATED JANUARY 14, 2021 08:55 PM IST
Indian Air Force chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Thursday that the soon-to-be ordered Mk-1A LCA (light combat aircraft) jets would be far ahead of the operated JF-17 fighter jets. by the Pakistan Air Force.
The JF-17 has been jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
With its advanced weapons and sensors, the LCA Mk-1A jets will have a good attack capability, he told news channels a day after India’s Cabinet Security Committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a ₹48,000 crore proposal to purchase 83 advanced aircraft to bolster the IAF’s combat potential.
“There is no comparison to the JF-17,” he said.
The air chief added that even the existing final operational clearance (FOC) variant of the LCA was superior to the JF-17. He said the LCA Mk-1 jets would be equipped with indigenous Astra missiles beyond visual range.
The CCS approval came 10 months after the ministry gave the green light to purchase 83 Mk-1A jets from state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The aircraft to be ordered include 73 Mk-1A fighter jets and 10 LCA Mk-1 trainer jets. HAL is expected to deliver the first Mk-1A aircraft to the IAF three years after the agreement was signed, with all aircraft likely to be delivered in 2028-29. The Mk-1A program is expected to create thousands of jobs and will involve more than 500 Indian companies.
The deal for the 83 Mk-1A aircraft will bring the total number of Tejas variants ordered to 123. The 40 LCAs already ordered by the IAF are in initial operational clearance (IOC) and the most advanced FOC configurations.
The LCA Mk-1A will come with additional enhancements over the FOC aircraft, making it the most advanced Tejas variant yet, as the Hindustan Times previously reported.
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