Plans to export LCA Tejas to other countries: MoD

The Dollar Business Bureau

The Minister for Defence Manohar Parrikar in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha yesterday, has said that the government proposes to export Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas to other countries. Preliminary discussions with a few friendly countries are in progress.

It should be recalled that Sri Lanka had expressed interest to purchase the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in February 2016. Also during the recent International Airshow, at Bahrain, 2016 the HAL chief had revealed that there were many enquiries from countries to purchase LCA, Tejas. But major hurdles could be expected from countries like US, Israel, UK and Canada who have provided the key technology inputs needed to build the fighter jet.

According to defence reports to the media sometime ago, the government acknowledged that LCA Tejas is equipped with radar technology inputs supplied by Israel, GE F404 combat jet engines supplied by America and other key components installed using technology expertise from UK and Canada. While the indigenous specifics used to build the fighter craft is only 55%, it needs to be upgraded to 80-85% for it to be exported successfully.

There is a growing market for light class fighter jets that India can take advantage of since US and Russia are no longer producing them. According to estimates, the world market has a need for 400 to 500 LCAs within the next decade.

Presently, HAL has established facilities for manufacturing and delivery of 8 LCA per annum. There is a plan to ramp up the production rate from 8 to 16 Aircraft per annum progressively by 2019-20 the minister had detailed to the Parliament.