New Delhi: India signed a $7 billion order on Thursday for 97 domestically designed and built Tejas Fighter Jets as Air Force retire For decades, its Russian MIG-21 fleet.
India, one of the world’s largest arms importers, puts its modernists at the top and pushes it repeatedly to promote domestic production.
In terms of the number of fighters ordered by India, the order of the Tejas fighter is one of the biggest ones. The first jet – Tejas means “glory” in Hindi Entrustment Entering the Air Force in 2016, the latest order has been upgraded to the upgraded version of the fighter MK-1A.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said it has “contracted 97 light combat aircraft (LCA) MK1A with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), including 68 fighters and 29 Gemini stages”.
Air Force held a retirement ceremony for the Soviet-era MIG-21, which killed 200 pilots in 400 crashes
HAL is a government defense company with more than 100 Indian companies involved in the manufacturing process, and the aircraft “has over 64% indigenous content”.
“The delivery of these aircraft will begin in 2027-28 and be completed within six years,” the ministry said.
New Delhi is paying attention to threats from multiple countries, especially in neighboring Pakistan. India fought for four days conflict In May, their worst conflict since 1999. Both sides won, and each boasted about shooting down each other’s fighter planes.
‘pillar’
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement that the aircraft will “strengthen defense preparations.”
“The contract reflects the trust and confidence of the government and the armed forces in the aircraft Tejas developed locally, which will be the backbone of the IAF (Indian Air Force) in the coming years,” he said.
India will hold a fly-feeding ceremony at a major air force base in Chandigarh on Friday, the last flight of their Soviet-era Mig-21.
The estimated last 36 MIGs will end their service. India has added 874 MIG-21s to multiple conflicts. However, they also recorded about 400 crashes, killing about 200 Indian pilots over decades, earning the nickname “Flying Coffee”.
Angad Singh, co-author of Migus’ book, said New Delhi had “original plan” to retire in the mid-1990s. But these efforts stagnate and have no choice but to upgrade them to “squeezing out more lives.”
India also signed a multi-billion dollar deal in April to buy 26 Rafale Fighter Jets from France’s Dassault Airways. They will join the 36 Rafale fighters that have been obtained. India is working with a French company to develop and develop Manafacture fighter jet engines in August, Singh said Home.
This was announced in May in New Delhi Officially recognized Upgraded prototype of the Advanced Medium Fighter (AMCA). India has opened a vast helicopter factory in the past decade, opened its first domestically manufactured aircraft carriers, warships and submarines, and conducted successful long-range ultrasonic missile testing.
Posted in Dawn on September 26, 2025
