New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin seaters, along with associated equipment, for Indian Air Force, at a cost of over Rs. 62,370 crore (excluding taxes), on September 25, 2025. The delivery of these aircraft would commence during 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years.

The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous LCA Mk1A contract signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam R...