Contract Signed for 97 LCA Tejas Mk1A Fighters
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: Earlier fighter procurements and baseline LCA versions relied heavily on foreign electronic warfare and radar systems. NOW: The Mk1A variant integrates advanced indigenous systems, notably the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar and the 'Swayam Raksha Kavach' self-protection suite.
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BEFORE: Earlier LCA iterations had moderate domestic content. NOW: The new aircraft incorporates over 64% indigenous content, integrating 67 new native items compared to the 2021 contract, categorized under the highest priority 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)' rule of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.
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BEFORE: The IAF depended extensively on aging MiG-21 Bison squadrons for baseline air defence capabilities. NOW: With the final MiG-21 squadrons phasing out in 2025, the domestically built LCA Tejas Mk1A transitions into becoming the primary workhorse of the IAF.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)With reference to the procurement of 97 LCA Tejas Mk1A jets for the Indian Air Force, consider the following statements: 1. The LCA Tejas Mk1A variant integrates the indigenously developed UTTAM AESA Radar and the 'Swayam Raksha Kavach' suite. 2. The procurement is executed under the 'Buy (Global)' category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to ensure foreign technology transfer.