HAL has mentioned that the capacity will be increased to even higher than 16 per year. It is being done, but not yet there. Supposedly, as the private sector began supplying the entire front, mid and aft fuselage modules, the primary task for HAL was final integration and flight checks. That is how HAL plans to scale up to nearly 24 fighters per year.

That same assembly line will be used to produce 83 Mk1As and then nearly 200 Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) Tejas Mk2. So even 24 per year would be economical. And with the Navy pushing for a Naval Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter design based on the N-LCA Mk2, even 24 will not be enough in the second half of the 2020s.

HAL has to scale up now. They’re even offering the IAF a ‘LCA SPORT’ LIFT version of the LCA twin seater. If the IAF goes for that, there’ll be a glut of orders like never imagined.

The red tapism in the MoD is truly frustrating. The Tejas Mk1A order not being signed despite 2 years of negotiations over specifications and haggling over costs shows how dysfunctional the procurement system is, given how badly the IAF needs those 4 squadrons of Mk1A jets.

Yeah, but the KAI FA-50 also has the same issue, with the Elta 2032.

HAL already has its hands full with the existing orders that it needs to supply to the IAF.  There are 123 Mk1 and Mk1A fighters that need to be delivered to the IAF as soon as possible.

And the IAF would not be pleased that 36 Tejas fighters that it could induct would be going to an export customer instead, when they’re trying to get HAL to scale up to 16 fighters (or 1 squadron) per year.

More detrimental is the political tension aspect. The GoI may no longer look at Malaysia as a “friendly” country to which to export a fighter that will be a mainstay IAF fighter for the coming 3 decades. Unless Mahathir Mohammed backtracks on his UN statement, I don’t believe the GoI will want HAL to respond to the RFP.

Frankly, it’s a long shot. But not because of the Tejas Mk1A not being in service with the IAF as yet.

There are two things that make it look like that- first, the political aspect. Political tensions between India and Malaysia over the remarks of Mahathir Mohammed over J&K in the UN have plunged ties to a new low.  And secondly- the fact that there is very little experience on the part of HAL in getting export sales, when compared to Saab, KAI, Leonardo. HAL is well aware that they have a large number

The entire timing of when this Malaysian tender will actually lead to a contract being awarded is suspect. They have not got the funding to get this deal done anytime soon, so by the time they do, the IAF would’ve probably received its first Tejas Mk1A.

The IAF is going to sign a deal for 83 Tejas Mk1A fighters by the end of this fiscal (March 2020 end) and these jets will start to be on the production line as soon as the 16 FOC fighters and then the remaining 8 FOC twin seaters are delivered. The changes from the FOC Tejas Mk1 to the Mk1A will not take long to be validated and from all reports the Tejas Mk1’s maintainability is way better than the IAF anticipated. So, no major issues likely, and even if any teething issues arise, the IAF will ensure that they’re taken care of.

The question of Israeli sourced equipment on the Tejas Mk1A is interesting. It does seem that the Elta 2052 AESA will be used on the Mk1A, but Malaysia will want all Israeli equipment to be replaced with other kit. Uttam AESA is an option, but integration will cost money and whether it’ll be ready in time for Malaysia isn’t clear and there is the other issue that it isn’t a radar in service with the IAF. So they’ll sort of have to be the launch customer for it. The second item is the Elbit DASH HMDS. Integrating a new HMDS will also take time and increase the cost.  The third is the Litening LDP, which is very widely used with the Tejas Mk1 and will be standard equipment on the Mk1A too. Damocles will be an option, but again, integration will be required and it costs time and money.

My guess is that KAI FA-50 will be the favorite for the tender given their export record so far, but they too have an issue with the Israeli Elta 2032 on board. There is no plan to integrate a new AESA radar on the FA-50 and as of now, it also lacks a few other things like LDP or a good BVRAAM. Sniper targeting pod is supposed to be integrated with the FA-50 Block 10 and AMRAAM capability by Block 20, but that upgrade is some ways away.

Gripen C/D which may be on offer will be more capable, but costlier and for an Air Force that is as budget conscious as the RMAF, it will stretch the budget a lot.

Of the lot of jets that are being included in the RMAF tender, the Gripen and the Tejas Mk1A are the most capable, with the JF-17 Block 3 and then FA-50 behind these two. the rest are just souped up AJTs like the M-346FA, Yak-130, L-15 and the L-39NG.

Rare IAF Mirage-2000H, in green and brown camouflage scheme, at Dassault’s facility

with another Mirage-2000H in the regular camouflage

IAF MiG-29UPG in Oman. The jets flew from Jamnagar AFS in Gujarat state of India, to Oman without any refueling airplanes accompanying them. They were accompanied by a C-17 carrying crew and spares but no Il-78MKI Midas tanker.

Details on how the AMRAAM fired by a PAF F-16 was recovered on the ground

J&K police rewards cops and others for quick action on AMRAAM remnants

So Avenger 1 (extreme right aircraft), an IAF Su-30 that Pak insisted was downed a day after Balakot … makes an appearance on Air Force day, apparently flown by the same pilots who were “shot down.” The IAF provides transparency, what about Pak and Doosra Banda?

Twitter link

The IAF Air Chief Marshal (now retired) BS Dhanoa, before his retirement, mentioned in a press meet that Wing Cmdr Abhinandan confirmed that he had shot down the F-16. Just because the IAF doesn’t parade him in front of the press doesn’t mean that they didn’t debrief him and only then award him with one of the highest military honors.

As for finding all missiles on the Bison, it can be easily staged. I know whom I will believe, just as I know whom you will choose to believe.

the same pilots that participated in the strike and the defence the day after Balakot was struck, were flying the jets on the flypast. India isn’t a country where a downed jet and dead pilots can be swept under the carpet..IAF officers have been indicted and held responsible for the fratricide incident that led to the shooting down of the Mi-17. Accountability exists with audit bodies that dig deep, and media cannot be gagged unlike in some other nations.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa’s press meet