India, Sept. 18 -- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) expects to begin delivering the light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) to the Indian Air Force by the end of this year, with the state-run aerospace major working to resolve the final radar and weapons-integration issues, its chairman and managing director Ravi K said in his first interview since taking charge on May 1.

"The last-mile corrections are underway," he told HT on Thursday. "There are a few radar issues that we need to address. Also, the final weapons integration testing is still pending. We should resolve these issues within a month or so and get the aircraft ready for delivery."

The LCA Mk-1A is central to the IAF's push to shore up its fighter fleet, which faces a worrying ...