IAF’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas flies on the second day of the AERO INDIA 2025 at IAF Yelahanka Airforce Station in Bengaluru on February 11, 2025.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Maker of Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas,’ Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Tuesday (February 11, 2025) assured it will soon start delivering the airplane to the Indian Air Force with the technical difficulties now being resolved, amid reports of concerns raised by IAF chief AP Singh in this connection.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director D. K. Sunil said, “the delay is not simply attributable to just I would say laziness on part of the industry.”
“There have been technical issues which have got sorted out. The concern of the Air Chief is understandable,” he told reporters in Bengaluru at the Aero India 2025 event.
According to him, meetings have been held at different levels and HAL, a central PSU would soon be delivering the aircraft.
“We have now promised that we will have all the structures ready. We have conveyed this. We have had multiple meetings at different levels. We have conveyed this. We are building this. And once the engines are available, this will start rolling out. I think the concern is well understood. There is no doubt on that and as a team, all of us are focused…we will start delivering the aircraft,” he added.
Mr. Sunil’s response came amid reports of Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh expressing some concerns over the alleged delay in delivery of Tejas to the IAF in a purported video.
Published – February 12, 2025 10:50 am IST