The Indian government has approved the purchase of 97 additional domestically built Tejas fighter jets to strengthen the air force.
The deal was reported by the Indian news agency ANI NEWS.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to spend about 620 billion rupees, or roughly $7.4 billion, on the new Tejas Mk 1A aircraft.
Together with 83 aircraft ordered in 2021, the purchase will bring the Indian Air Force’s Tejas Mk 1A fleet to 180.
According to sources cited by the Indian newspaper Deccan Herald, delivery of the new aircraft will begin once HAL hands over the 83 planes ordered four years ago. That earlier contract was valued at about $6.5 billion.
HAL has so far been unable to deliver any Tejas LCA Mk 1A aircraft because U.S. manufacturer General Electric (GE) has not supplied F404 engines.
After a two-year delay, deliveries started slowly this year, with HAL receiving only two engines so far.
Although the GE contract covers 99 engines for the first batch of the 83 Tejas Mk 1A aircraft, sources said the company then had orders for only 24 engines.
Despite the delays, HAL said earlier this year that it still plans to deliver 180 aircraft by 2031-32, in line with the original schedule.
India is also seeking export customers for Tejas. Talks with Egypt began in 2021.
Last fall, Indian media reported that HAL had been trying to sell 18 Tejas jets to Egypt and had been prepared to invest in a repair and maintenance facility there to support the deal.
Nigeria has also been considering purchasing Tejas aircraft to strengthen its air force.
