HAL delivered 5 Tejas Mk1A jets, boosting IAF strength, but losing the AMCA stealth fighter project raises serious concerns over India’s future airpower ambitions.
Today HAL, the company that builds India’s fighter jets, announced something both happy and sad at the same time. It is like getting good marks in one exam but failing another on the same day. The happy news is that their Tejas fighter jet is finally ready, but the sad news is that they have lost the chance to build India’s most advanced future fighter plane called AMCA. Let me explain both parts in simple language.
First, the good news about Tejas. HAL announced today that five Tejas Mk1A fighter jets are completely ready for the Indian Air Force. Imagine building something complicated for many years and finally saying, “Done, it is perfect!” That is what happened today. These five planes have all weapons tested and working. Nine more planes are also built and flying, but they are waiting for engines from America. HAL has already got five engines and more are coming, so things are looking hopeful.
What weapons are these planes carrying? They have special missiles called Astra which can hit enemies from very far away, like a long-range missile. They also have British ASRAAM missiles for close fighting, like having both spears and swords. For attacking ground targets, they have laser-guided bombs that are super accurate. All these weapons have been tested successfully, and all computer software problems have been fixed. Everything is now waiting for official government approval.
When will India actually get these planes? HAL says deliveries will start by end of 2025 and early 2026. Even better, in September this year, India ordered 97 more Tejas jets in a big deal worth over 62,000 crore rupees! This shows how much confidence everyone has.
Now let us talk about the sad part. India is also planning to build something even more advanced called AMCA, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. This will be India’s stealth fighter jet, which means it can hide from enemy radars. It is like the difference between a regular car and an invisible car in a spy movie. This is the future of India’s air force, and it is much more important than Tejas.
Here is the problem. HAL was supposed to be the main partner to build this advanced AMCA plane. But sources say HAL failed to meet certain qualifications, so the government removed them from the competition! Instead, now three other companies are competing—the Tata Group, a team led by Larsen and Toubro (L&T), and another team led by the Kalyani Group. The final decision has not been made yet, but HAL is out. HAL has denied receiving any official notice, but the damage is done because everyone is already talking about it.
Why does this matter? India’s Air Force is in serious danger. Old fighter planes used since the 1980s have just retired. Right now, India has only 29 fighter squadrons, but it actually needs 42 squadrons to properly defend the country. This is the worst number in the last 60 years! It is like having only 29 security guards when you need 42.
Tejas was supposed to help fill this gap, but now with HAL losing the AMCA project, it shows there are concerns about HAL’s capability. HAL says they still have strong business until 2032 with Tejas orders, but everyone knows AMCA was the bigger prize.
The Tejas Mk1A is actually very good—it is a 4.5-generation advanced fighter jet with super smart radar, can be refuelled in air, and has all modern electronic systems. It is world-class technology. But losing AMCA is a big blow to HAL’s future and India’s dreams of building the most advanced fighter jet completely on our own.
So today’s news is mixed. One family member got into good university, but another family member failed the entrance exam. That is how this news feels for India.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)
