5 FOC Tejas Mk1 by March end : HAL Chief

With just two Full Operational Clearance (FOC) standard aircraft making to air in FY2020-21, R Madhavan has confirmed that 5 more FOC standard aircraft will be delivered to IAF by end of March this year, to make it 7 FOC Tejas before financial year closes. HAL after facing delays first due to CCP virus situation in the country leading to lockdowns and later IAF asking for commonality and Interchangeability of panels and parts for the FOC aircraft for easy maintenance at the base level workshop.

FY2021-22 will see deliveries of 8 more FOC standard aircraft but it is expected that the second production line that will go operational later in this year will start the process to manufacture 8 FOC standard Trainer aircraft, deliveries of which will start from FY2022-23.

HAL will also be manufacturing 10 more FOC standard Trainer aircraft in Tejas Mk1 configuration first and later production will shift to the manufacturing of the 73 single-seater Tejas Mk1A that was recently approved by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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