*New Delhi: India is failing to produce indigenous Tejas Fighter jet even adecade after Pakistan’s JF 17 which was in operation a decade ago.*
*Now India is reported to set the final price of the aircraft forproduction for Indian Air Force. *
The issue of pricing of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) to bemanufactured by state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limitedhas been finalised and the contract is likely to be signed in the next fewmonths, Director General (Acquisition) in the Defence Ministry ApurvaChandra said today.
Addressing an international conference, he also said procurement ofadditional Akash surface-to-air missiles (SAM) for the Indian Air Force,worth Rs 5,500 crore, was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week and thecontract would be signed in the course of next seven days.
“Pricing of LCA, which was under discussion with the costing committee, wasfinalised two days back in a meeting by the secretary of DefenceProduction. Now discussion for the pricing of support package is on. Thatalso should be finalised in a month or two. So we should be in a positionto sign the contract for the aircraft in the next 3-4 months,” Mr Chandrasaid.
The two-day conference hosted at the India Habitat Centre is on”energising Indian aerospace industry: flight plan for the future”.
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In his keynote address, he also said the induction of Rafale aircraft wouldboost India’s combat capabilities and “make us on top of our adversary”.
Faced with depleting strength of its fighter squadron, the Indian Air Forcein December 2017 had issued the request for proposal (RFP) to the HindustanAeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combataircraft at a cost of over Rs 50,000 crore.
The IAF had earlier placed an order with the HAL for 40 Tejas aircraft.
