LCA Mk1A Almost Ready: HAL CMD On Radar Progress, Pending Tests And Delivery Timeline

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is in the closing stages of fitting radar and weapons to the light combat aircraft (LCA) Mk1A. However, a round of flight tests is still pending before the work can be signed off, its chairman and managing director Ravi K told Outlook.

In an interview, he said that most of the integration is complete, but a handful of radar issues and system checks remain. The missile system has already been integrated, though it too needs further testing.

Radar At 90 To 95%, Dozens Of Sorties Still To Go

According to Ravi, the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is close to being fully operational; he put the figure at 90 to 95%. However, the last stretch calls for repeated rounds of flying, checking and fixing.

He described the process as a cycle: fly the aircraft, run the tests and, if an issue is identified, send the findings back for a software fix. The updated software is then installed on the aircraft before it flies again for another round of testing. Ravi estimated that the process would require another 20-30 sorties.

An AESA radar has never flown on the LCA platform before, he added, which is why the process is taking as long as it is. New capabilities on a new platform inevitably throw up problems that were not anticipated.

Asked whether HAL had sought clearance from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to proceed despite the pending work, Ravi said the company had informed officials that the aircraft was over 80% ready and asked whether it could proceed. He added that HAL intends to complete all the outstanding work regardless.

27 Airframes, 10 Engines Ready

HAL currently has 27 airframes and 10 engines ready, Ravi said, and the company expects to begin deliveries within the current financial year. He was more cautious about numbers looking further ahead, declining to commit to a delivery figure for March 2027 because engine supply remains uncertain.

He said General Electric (GE) had indicated 17 engines would be delivered.

The Defence Ministry inked a contract for the LCA Mk1A in February 2021 worth ₹48,000 crore, covering 83 aircraft (73 fighters and 10 trainers). Deliveries were originally scheduled to begin within three years, by 2024, and conclude by 2030.

Notably, HAL has changed how it engages with GE and its component suppliers after repeated delays. Earlier, the company’s discussions were largely confined to GE itself, focusing on delivery numbers and timelines. The firm has since started approaching GE’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers directly to understand where the bottlenecks actually lie, Ravi told Outlook.

The company has also offered to manufacture some components itself, pointing suppliers to its in-house casting facilities. HAL has begun sending its own staff to supplier factories, including Tier 2 sites, rather than relying only on assurances given in meetings, he said, adding that this practice is now standard across HAL’s supplier base whenever a delay comes up.

HAL Expands Helicopter Development Efforts

Beyond fighters, HAL is expanding work across helicopters, unmanned systems, trainer aircraft and artificial intelligence (AI).

On the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), it has started building structures at its Bengaluru and Tumakuru facilities, while outsourcing some non-core structural work to Adani and BEML, among others, so the company can concentrate on integration, which Ravi called its core activity.

Adani and BEML will supply structures; HAL will handle integration, including sensors and systems. He said that the firm is confident of meeting the LCH contract's delivery schedule.

Additionally, work continues on the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH), for which HAL has signed an engine-development contract with the French firm Safran on a 50:50 basis, with each company designing half the engine, to be built jointly in India through their joint venture, SAFHAL.

Preliminary design reviews have begun for both the helicopter's structure and its other components, Ravi said. The programme does not yet have a confirmed order, though the company is in talks with the armed forces to secure one.

HAL Advances Unmanned And Trainer Programmes

The company is also developing two unmanned platforms it is keeping largely under wraps for now, Ravi said, so that it can unveil them at Aero India.

The first, CATS Warrior, is an unmanned combat aircraft designed to be controlled by a fighter such as the LCA or the Su-30MKI, with the ability to fire or drop weapons; its prototype is under development. The second is a rotary unmanned aerial vehicle (RUAV), whose prototype is being built, with a first flight planned this year.

It is preparing to hand over two to three HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft on Saturday, Ravi said.

On the Dhruv NG helicopter, HAL has held back on marketing while awaiting certification, telling interested buyers it would follow up once that came through. Ravi said certification will be given on Saturday, after which the company plans a more active sales push. Several state governments have already shown interest, he said.

The Defence Ministry signed a ₹6,828 crore contract with HAL in March 2023 for the procurement of 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft. Under the original delivery schedule, the induction was to commence on September 15, 2025, with all 70 aircraft to be delivered by March 15, 2030.

HAL plans to deliver eight Dhruv NG helicopters by the end of the year.

AI And A Push For New Export Markets

HAL is exploring AI in two areas, Ravi said, supporting day-to-day operations and helping pilots use AI tools within the cockpit. Because defence requirements differ from commercial ones, he said HAL cannot simply adopt off-the-shelf AI systems and is looking for a partner to help build one suited to defence use.

On exports, it has supplied H228 aircraft to Guyana and reports interest from several other countries – Nigeria among them – for Dornier aircraft, along with leads for the Dhruv and LCH.

Ravi said HAL’s broader aim is to grow the overall market for its platforms rather than compete only for existing buyers, pointing to newer uses such as medical services alongside established ones like religious functions and charter operations.

On Saturday, HAL will hand over LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) Twin Seater Trainers and HTT 40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force and Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu in Bengaluru.

Notably, the Ministry of Defence signed a ₹7,989 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 2016 for the procurement of 20 LCA Tejas aircraft in the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration for the Indian Air Force. Under the original delivery schedule, HAL was to deliver all 20 aircraft by 2024.