Defense Ministry Issues Rs 65,000 crore loan to HAL for 97 Fighter Jets

This will be the biggest order for indigenous military hardware from the Central Government. Recently the Defense Ministry has issued a tender to HAL and the company has been given three months to respond to it. This will help the Indian Air Force to replace its MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27 fleet. The indigenous fighter aircraft program will create opportunities for small and medium enterprises related to defense business. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized on strengthening HAL. HAL has received orders from the present government to manufacture indigenous fighter aircraft, helicopters and their engines.

Prime Minister Modi also flew in the trainer variant of the indigenous fighter jet. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Force, had informed Spain about the plan to purchase 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets. He had told that there is a plan to increase the orders of indigenous fighter aircraft. The previous order for LCA Mark 1A was for 83 aircraft. The first batch of these is to be delivered in a few weeks.

Recently, the Army has received the first batch of Russian-made Igla-S Man portable air defense system with 100 missiles. This is part of a larger deal that includes their manufacturing in the country. A media report quoted sources as saying that the Igla-S has been purchased to enhance the Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) capabilities of the Army. It is a handheld defense system that can be operated by a single person or crew. It is capable of shooting down planes flying at low altitude. Apart from this, it can also destroy targets like cruise missiles and drones. The Igla-S system consists of a 9M342 missile, a 9P522 launching mechanism, a 9V866-2 mobile test station and a 9F719-2 test set. These components work together to provide a comprehensive air defense solution.