India may Dominate ‘Light Combat Aircraft Market’ in Future
New Delhi: The vision of the New Delhi government to make India the defense exporting country may not look far from now as India is developing its strength in the defense sector. The Tejas light combat aircraft from India has recently emerged as Malaysia’s top choice as this Southeast Asian country is looking to replace its aging fighter jets. A good deal of the New Delhi government for the Kuala Lumpur government made this decision possible.
India could use its MRO capability to leverage contracts, given that several friendly countries operate Russian fighter jets. These countries have been anxious about the maintenance and overhauls of their aircraft in the wake of sanctions and delays in procuring spare parts from Moscow.
India has proposed establishing an MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility in Malaysia for its fleet of Russian-made Su-30 fighter aircraft as part of the package. Malaysia, one of the countries that operate Russian jets, has trouble obtaining spare parts for the aircraft from Moscow due to Western sanctions.
R Madhavan, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said, “Negotiation is almost in the final stages. We are the only country which is offering them the support for their Su-30 aircraft as well as other than Russia, we are the only one who can support them to the extent that they require for that fleet,”
A team of high-ranking officials and experts from Kuala Lumpur are expected to visit India soon to take forward the procurement process. However, no formal contract has been awarded, nor has Malaysia made an official announcement.
It is also pertinent to note that there is a growing demand for Light Combat Aircraft all around the globe, which is where India is looking to pitch its Tejas.
An aircraft that falls within the viable limits of weight, cost, and complexity for fighters is a lightweight combat jet. These aircraft preserve carefully chosen competitive attributes while maintaining an affordable design and performance.
These planes might perform better in battle than heavy fighters because of their greater mobility and surprise element. They can be used in huge numbers as they are also much less expensive than heavy-duty fighters. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered 83 LCA Tejas Mark 1A, all of which are to be delivered by 2030.
(Vinayak)
