SHAH ALAM: Tejas will be in the mix for the LCA contest. Indian newspaper, the Financial Express is reporting that state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will respond to a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) tender for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), likely with the Tejas Mk1 LCA.
According to the newspaper the Tejas fighter will be offered for U$41 million each. The price is slightly lower than the US&39 million per aircraft for the six T-50I contracted by the Indonesian Air Force, recently. That said the Indonesian Air Force already has 14 Golden Eagles in service.
The Financial Express report.
By the end of September 2021, the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is expected to respond to a Request for Proposal (RfP) from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). The Malaysian Air Force has sent out a global request for low-cost light fighter aircraft.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a top officer has confirmed to Financial Express Online “The Company will be responding to the RfP from RMAF for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) `Tejas’. And it has to be sent at the end of September.”
The report also stated that the Tejas was expected to compete with the Korean Aerospace KAI T-50 and Sino-Pakistan JF-17s. The others expected to be involved are the Leonardo M346 and the Yak-130. From the potential candidates, the Tejas has more than its fair share of reporting. Malaysian Defence take on the potential candidates.
For more on the LCA programme go here
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (33)
41 mil a pop? A bit too pricey, more looking in the 25 mil to 30 mil range
I think every one will be pitching a price of between US$35 million to US$43 million, Anything lower will not be worth looking at really as they might be skimping somethings which they will recover during maintenance
It could barely fill IAF requirements (both the number and capability wise) and yet HAL still have the gall to promote this ...thing to other countries.
They really want to save some face after Pakistan gets some export success with JF-17. Just google JF-17, literally all the negative reports came from india
Hopefully we are getting the KAI T50. Since we are purchasing a cheap LCA, might as well get a quality one eh?
Tejas n the MK I too. No way. If you offee the US engine jets plus AESA radar matbe. Bur this planes outdated from the beginning
As for Korean planw, F 50 foe sure. Not T50
dundun,
Both HAL and the government want to seek an export sale as it will go some way to bring overall prices down (money to be made in after after sales as well) and has the prestige factor. In many ways Tejas is more “Indian” than JF-17 is “Pakistani”. As for which is more effective it depends on how they’re deployed.
Firdaus,
The LCA IS “cheap” when compared to a MRCA but it’s own really isn’t “cheap”. As for “quality” all the contenders have a certain level of “quality” (not as if they’re made in a barn); it’s the merits they respectively have and the various nuanced factors which would make each slightly mote ideal for a particular user.
I read in another blog that the government is adamant it wants to pay 50% with palm oil........that limits our options...
Speaking of the Tejas, the IAF or HAL, rather, should have just buy the licence to produce the Mirage 2000s from the French, and then progressively upgrade them with Dassault assistance. From what I gather, Dassault actually offered to sell the Mirage design to India (the French were shutting down Mirage production line), inclusive of the engine as well. Going down this route would've save them both time and money.
ASM - “buy the licence to produce the Mirage 2000s from the French, and then progressively upgrade them”
Mirage 2000 Is a different category of aircraft; does not meet the requirements set for what eventually became Tejas.
ASM - “oing down this route would’ve save them both time and money”
Like with Arjun and various other things; Tejas was driven by strategic political imperatives; namely self sufficiency; improving the local industry, etc - all of which merely licence producing a foreign design (which India did in the past) wouldn’t have done.
Tom Tom,
That would indeed br the case but we don’t know if it’s true. How reliable or credible is this piece of reporting from the said blog? Also, 50 percent of the contact value is a bit high.
Taiwan, Brazil and even Qatar have difficulty with Mirage 2000 excessively costly maintenance cost, with Taiwan looking to retire Mirage 2000 with its indigenous fighter aircraft, Brazil already dumped them off and opt for more F-5 instead (as a stopgap until they could get Gripen in full strength) while Qatar, at one point, was actively pushing for Mirage 2000 trade-ins in their Rafale deals.
Also
>Tejas is more indian than JF-17 is pakistani
Yeah with less than 1/3 the components being domestically made, I wouldn't call Tejas as being more indian. At least Pakistan wouldn't hide the fact that JF-17 being a joint fighter between them and China.