India’s new Tejas Mk1A fighter jet completes maiden flight as MiG-21 replacement begins
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The first Tejas Mk1A light fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, from HAL’s Nashik division, marking a major step in India’s desire to replace aging MiG-21 fleets with indigenous jets.
The first Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft manufactured at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik division completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, marking a significant milestone in India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program. The sortie confirmed flight-readiness of the upgraded variant and established Nashik as a parallel production hub for the LCA program. The test forms part of India’s schedule to expand domestic fighter manufacturing and replace older MiG-21 aircraft.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The first Tejas Mk1A fighter produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Nashik facility completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, but the formal induction of the Tejas Mk1A into service will depend on the successful completion of ongoing trials. (Picture source: Indian MoD)
The event took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also inaugurated the third production line for the Tejas Mk1A and the second production line for the HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft at the Nashik facility. The ceremony included a formation flight by the Tejas Mk1A, HTT-40, and Su-30MKI, followed by a traditional water-cannon salute to the newly built fighter. The maiden flight represents the beginning of operational validation for the Nashik production line, which now joins HAL’s two Bengaluru-based lines to meet the growing requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under its modernization plans aimed at replacing legacy MiG-21s with domestically built aircraft.
The Nashik facility’s third production line is designed to manufacture up to eight Tejas Mk1A aircraft annually, increasing HAL’s total production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year in the short term and potentially up to 30 units by 2026–2027 once full supply chain stabilization is achieved. This production expansion includes partnerships with private-sector firms such as VEM Technologies, responsible for the center fuselage, Alpha Tocol Engineering Services for the rear fuselage, and Larsen & Toubro for the wings. The Nashik site now houses both the LCA and HTT-40 assembly complexes and features structural assembly jigs for major modules, including wings, fuselage sections, and intakes. The addition of Nashik’s facility is intended to decentralize HAL’s production capabilities, reduce congestion at the Bengaluru lines, and create a diversified industrial ecosystem capable of producing complete airframes with the assistance of India’s expanding aerospace supply base.
The formal induction of the Tejas Mk1A into IAF service remains contingent on the completion of a series of radar and weapons integration trials, covering multiple categories of guided and unguided ordnance. The aircraft must successfully complete tests involving the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, short-range air-to-air weapons such as the ASRAAM, and precision-guided laser bombs. These trials will also validate integration of the Israeli-origin ELTA EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar and associated fire-control systems. Earlier tests encountered software compatibility issues that required system recalibration and firmware modifications before certification. The Mk1A flight campaign also includes aerodynamic and electronic validation flights at varying altitudes, speeds, and payload configurations to ensure consistency across operational profiles and to confirm reliability in mission-representative environments.
The Tejas Mk1A introduces over forty improvements compared to the Mk1 variant, targeting avionics, survivability, and pilot efficiency. Its electronic suite centers on either the EL/M-2052 radar or the indigenous Uttam AESA radar, supplemented by the Unified Electronic Warfare Suite (UEWS), the Angad electronic warfare system, and a pod-mounted self-protection jammer for enhanced countermeasure capability. Other additions include an onboard oxygen generation system for increased mission endurance, upgraded digital flight-control computers, a reshaped cockpit floor for improved ergonomics, and a Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT) integrated with a digital map generator for tactical situational awareness. The Mk1A can also employ dual-rack pylons, enabling a wider weapons loadout. Recent developmental milestones include successful flight tests with a new carbon-BMI engine bay door assembly designed to withstand high service temperatures, and the delivery of indigenously developed leading-edge slats and airbrake control modules featuring electro-hydraulic servo actuators and control systems produced at HAL’s Lucknow division.
Despite successful testing progress, HAL continues to experience delays in the delivery of General Electric F404-IN20 engines, originally contracted in August 2021 for Rs 5,375 crore ($710 million). Of the 99 engines ordered, only four had been delivered by October 2025, with GE committing to supply eight more by March 2026 and an estimated 20 engines annually thereafter. The production shortfall has led HAL to rotate available engines among airframes to maintain test schedules and assembly momentum. Engine delivery delays were caused by supply chain disruptions involving international subcontractors, which impacted turbine and amplifier components. Nevertheless, HAL expects consistent deliveries from 2026 onward to support its revised production schedule. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has emphasized the need for at least 40 fighter inductions per year to sustain operational readiness, a goal HAL aims to meet once the supply network and industrial base achieve steady production flow.
The Tejas Mk1A program has expanded considerably since its initial approval, with the IAF now committed to 180 units in total. The 2021 Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) clearance authorized the procurement of 83 aircraft, including 73 single-seat Mk1A fighters and 10 twin-seat trainers, valued at Rs 48,000 crore ($5.8 billion). In August 2025, the CCS approved an additional 97 aircraft, valued at Rs 66,500 crore ($7.9 billion), raising the overall order book. Deliveries for the expanded batch are expected between 2027 and 2033. Later production blocks will feature higher indigenous content exceeding 64%, incorporating locally manufactured subsystems such as control surface actuators, radar components, and electronic warfare systems. HAL’s parallel investment in production infrastructure, including the Nashik and upcoming secondary lines, is central to achieving these delivery targets. The increased involvement of Indian suppliers is also expected to lower costs and enhance domestic self-reliance in combat aircraft manufacturing.
Within the Indian Air Force’s modernization roadmap, the Tejas Mk1A will replace remaining MiG-21 squadrons and serve as a lightweight multirole platform capable of interception, close air support, and tactical strike missions. Its smaller radar cross-section, digital flight control system, and integrated AESA radar suite are intended to enhance its operational versatility across different theaters. The Nashik flight event also highlighted HAL’s growing production maturity, with the simultaneous operation of multiple aircraft lines and continued work on indigenous trainer aircraft such as the HTT-40. The Tejas Mk1A program represents a consolidation of India’s multi-decade LCA effort that began in the 1980s, demonstrating how accumulated design, manufacturing, and testing experience is now converging into serial production capacity.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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The first Tejas Mk1A light fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, from HAL’s Nashik division, marking a major step in India’s desire to replace aging MiG-21 fleets with indigenous jets.
The first Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft manufactured at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik division completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, marking a significant milestone in India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program. The sortie confirmed flight-readiness of the upgraded variant and established Nashik as a parallel production hub for the LCA program. The test forms part of India’s schedule to expand domestic fighter manufacturing and replace older MiG-21 aircraft.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The first Tejas Mk1A fighter produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Nashik facility completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, but the formal induction of the Tejas Mk1A into service will depend on the successful completion of ongoing trials. (Picture source: Indian MoD)
The event took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also inaugurated the third production line for the Tejas Mk1A and the second production line for the HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft at the Nashik facility. The ceremony included a formation flight by the Tejas Mk1A, HTT-40, and Su-30MKI, followed by a traditional water-cannon salute to the newly built fighter. The maiden flight represents the beginning of operational validation for the Nashik production line, which now joins HAL’s two Bengaluru-based lines to meet the growing requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under its modernization plans aimed at replacing legacy MiG-21s with domestically built aircraft.
The Nashik facility’s third production line is designed to manufacture up to eight Tejas Mk1A aircraft annually, increasing HAL’s total production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year in the short term and potentially up to 30 units by 2026–2027 once full supply chain stabilization is achieved. This production expansion includes partnerships with private-sector firms such as VEM Technologies, responsible for the center fuselage, Alpha Tocol Engineering Services for the rear fuselage, and Larsen & Toubro for the wings. The Nashik site now houses both the LCA and HTT-40 assembly complexes and features structural assembly jigs for major modules, including wings, fuselage sections, and intakes. The addition of Nashik’s facility is intended to decentralize HAL’s production capabilities, reduce congestion at the Bengaluru lines, and create a diversified industrial ecosystem capable of producing complete airframes with the assistance of India’s expanding aerospace supply base.
The formal induction of the Tejas Mk1A into IAF service remains contingent on the completion of a series of radar and weapons integration trials, covering multiple categories of guided and unguided ordnance. The aircraft must successfully complete tests involving the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, short-range air-to-air weapons such as the ASRAAM, and precision-guided laser bombs. These trials will also validate integration of the Israeli-origin ELTA EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar and associated fire-control systems. Earlier tests encountered software compatibility issues that required system recalibration and firmware modifications before certification. The Mk1A flight campaign also includes aerodynamic and electronic validation flights at varying altitudes, speeds, and payload configurations to ensure consistency across operational profiles and to confirm reliability in mission-representative environments.
The Tejas Mk1A introduces over forty improvements compared to the Mk1 variant, targeting avionics, survivability, and pilot efficiency. Its electronic suite centers on either the EL/M-2052 radar or the indigenous Uttam AESA radar, supplemented by the Unified Electronic Warfare Suite (UEWS), the Angad electronic warfare system, and a pod-mounted self-protection jammer for enhanced countermeasure capability. Other additions include an onboard oxygen generation system for increased mission endurance, upgraded digital flight-control computers, a reshaped cockpit floor for improved ergonomics, and a Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT) integrated with a digital map generator for tactical situational awareness. The Mk1A can also employ dual-rack pylons, enabling a wider weapons loadout. Recent developmental milestones include successful flight tests with a new carbon-BMI engine bay door assembly designed to withstand high service temperatures, and the delivery of indigenously developed leading-edge slats and airbrake control modules featuring electro-hydraulic servo actuators and control systems produced at HAL’s Lucknow division.
Despite successful testing progress, HAL continues to experience delays in the delivery of General Electric F404-IN20 engines, originally contracted in August 2021 for Rs 5,375 crore ($710 million). Of the 99 engines ordered, only four had been delivered by October 2025, with GE committing to supply eight more by March 2026 and an estimated 20 engines annually thereafter. The production shortfall has led HAL to rotate available engines among airframes to maintain test schedules and assembly momentum. Engine delivery delays were caused by supply chain disruptions involving international subcontractors, which impacted turbine and amplifier components. Nevertheless, HAL expects consistent deliveries from 2026 onward to support its revised production schedule. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has emphasized the need for at least 40 fighter inductions per year to sustain operational readiness, a goal HAL aims to meet once the supply network and industrial base achieve steady production flow.
The Tejas Mk1A program has expanded considerably since its initial approval, with the IAF now committed to 180 units in total. The 2021 Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) clearance authorized the procurement of 83 aircraft, including 73 single-seat Mk1A fighters and 10 twin-seat trainers, valued at Rs 48,000 crore ($5.8 billion). In August 2025, the CCS approved an additional 97 aircraft, valued at Rs 66,500 crore ($7.9 billion), raising the overall order book. Deliveries for the expanded batch are expected between 2027 and 2033. Later production blocks will feature higher indigenous content exceeding 64%, incorporating locally manufactured subsystems such as control surface actuators, radar components, and electronic warfare systems. HAL’s parallel investment in production infrastructure, including the Nashik and upcoming secondary lines, is central to achieving these delivery targets. The increased involvement of Indian suppliers is also expected to lower costs and enhance domestic self-reliance in combat aircraft manufacturing.
Within the Indian Air Force’s modernization roadmap, the Tejas Mk1A will replace remaining MiG-21 squadrons and serve as a lightweight multirole platform capable of interception, close air support, and tactical strike missions. Its smaller radar cross-section, digital flight control system, and integrated AESA radar suite are intended to enhance its operational versatility across different theaters. The Nashik flight event also highlighted HAL’s growing production maturity, with the simultaneous operation of multiple aircraft lines and continued work on indigenous trainer aircraft such as the HTT-40. The Tejas Mk1A program represents a consolidation of India’s multi-decade LCA effort that began in the 1980s, demonstrating how accumulated design, manufacturing, and testing experience is now converging into serial production capacity.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
