New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- The defence ministry on Thursday signed a Rs.62,370-crore contract with aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to buy 97 more light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1As) and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force which is wrestling with a worrying shortage of fighter jets. The delivery of these aircraft will begin in 2027-28 and be wrapped up over six years, the defence ministry said. The aircraft ordered include 68 fighter jets and 29 twin-seat trainers. The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the deal in August. "The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk-1A. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the Uttam AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach (electronic warfare suite), and control surface actuators will further strengthen the Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) initiatives," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the project will be supported by a vendor base of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in the manufacture of components. The acquisition, under the 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)' category of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, is in sync with the government's thrust on indigenisation. The Indian-IDDM category is the most important category of acquisition for indigenisation under the defence procurement policy. IDDM stands for indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. "The LCA Mk-1A is the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft and will serve as a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of the IAF," the ministry said. The timing of the deal has come as a bit of a surprise as it was expected to be signed only after the state-run firm handed over to the air force the first two of 83 such jets already ordered in February 2021 for Rs.48,000 crore to shore up the air force's fleet. Two LCA Mk-1As are currently undergoing crucial weapon trials involving the ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile). These trials will be followed by the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air (BVRAAR) firing, which has to be cleared by the CEMILAC's (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) safety review board. The first deliveries to IAF will be in October after the completion of the trials....