First Tejas Mk1A completes maiden flight

New Delhi, Oct 17: The first Tejas Mk1A fighter jet built at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik complex completed its maiden flight on Friday, marking a milestone in India’s indigenous defence production, The Times of India reported.

The rollout followed the formal inauguration of HAL’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and HTT-40 trainer assembly lines by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Nashik now houses the third LCA production line and the second HTT-40 line.

The Tejas Mk1A, which received a ceremonial water cannon salute after takeoff, will undergo extensive trials for weapon systems including Astra beyond-visual-range and short-range missiles, as well as laser-guided bombs, reports TOI. The aircraft will also be tested for integration with the Israeli-origin ELTA ELM-2052 radar and fire-control system after earlier software issues were resolved.

HAL’s new production line in Nashik can build up to eight aircraft a year, supplementing two operational lines in Bengaluru. The company has also partnered with private players, VEM Technologies (centre fuselage), Alpha (rear fuselage), and L&T (wings), to enable an additional six aircraft annually. Once stabilised, this ecosystem is expected to deliver around 30 fighters per year from 2026–27. The PSU is currently facing delays in the supply of 99 GE F404 engines ordered in August 2021. Only four engines have arrived so far, with GE assuring eight more by March 2026. HAL has managed to continue test flights by rotating available engines, reports TOI. The Indian Air Force has placed orders for 180 Tejas Mk1A aircraft, following an initial batch of 83 cleared in 2021 and an additional 97 approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in August 2025 for Rs 66,500 crore. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has stressed the urgent need for new inductions, noting the IAF is “very badly off in numbers.”