HAL has integrated the ASRAAM (advanced short range air-to-air missile) for the Tejas Mark 1A. The Tejas Mark 1A will carry twin ASRAAM missiles with a range of 60 to 70 kilometres.
India's indigenous fighter jet programme reached a key milestone on Friday, October 17, 2025, as the Tejas Mk1A made its maiden flight at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Nashik facility.
HAL is also integrating the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile onto the Mark 1A. Each Tejas will carry two of these missiles.
HAL has assured the IAF that 12 Mk1A aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2025-2026.
The IAF has demanded five new capabilities in the Mark 1A that would give it a clear combat edge over Pakistan's entire fighter fleet, and most of China's as well.
HAL executives said deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A to the IAF would begin within this year, but only after the successful completion of the weapons-firing trials currently underway.
With increase in range and payload capability, Madhavan said the new variant will be much superior than Tejas Mark-IA, 73 of which are being procured by the Indian Air Force from the HAL under a Rs 48,000 crore deal that was approved by the government on January 13.
The HAL wants the IAF to buy 80 Tejas Mark I-A to keep the production line occupied from 2020 to 2023-24
HAL aims to raise output from the current ceiling of 24 aircraft a year to 30 by the end of 2027
The National Senior Federation Competition scheduled to be held in Ranchi from May 22 to 25 will serve as the final selection event for the country's track and field athletes for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games starting July 23.
The Mark-1A will be more sophisticated and capable than the Tejas Mark-1.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently approved procurement proposals worth Rs 79,000 crore across three services and it has cleared AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) of Rs 3.3 trillion in financial year 2026 (FY26).
In the phone conversation on Tuesday, Singh urged Hegseth to expedite the delivery of GE F404 engines to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, people familiar with the matter said.
The outgoing Tejas chief said the aircraft will join the IAF fleet by 2021-22.
The sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram' was the overriding theme of the ceremonial event held at the Vijay Chowk and presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived at the venue in a traditional buggy to the sound of bugles, adding a ceremonial grace to the occasion.
The fiscal tilt towards capex benefits companies in investment-related sectors like capital goods, defence equipment, engineering & construction and metal & mining. The planned cut in revenue expenditure will weigh on companies in consumption sectors like FMCG, consumer durables and retail.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to retire its MiG-21 aircraft in September after over six decades of service. The last of the MiG-21 jets will be given a farewell at a ceremony in Chandigarh.
The slippage in the delivery schedule for the LCA Mk-1A variant of the jet had become a major issue with Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh raising the matter publicly.
The Indian Air Force's MiG-21 fighter jets made their last operational flights at the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner, which doubled as a set for the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film 'Love And War'. The moment marked the jet's last operational flight ahead of its retirement next month.
The Delhi high court has granted interim injunction in favour of US-based Tesla Inc by directing Indian company Tesla Power India not to use trademarks 'Tesla Power' or 'Tesla Power USA' in any form, including manufacturing of electric vehicles.
This was the first time two chiefs of the armed forces undertook a flight together.
It was a black weekend for the Bollywood box office, as close to half a dozen new films arrived in theatres and all of them flopped!
The Indian Air Force is set to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The event will mark the end of an era for the aircraft that has been a key part of the IAF's combat fleet for over six decades.
The legendary Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets, the the backbone of the Indian Air Force's combat fleet for more than six decades, streaked through Indian skies for the last time on Friday -- its final adieu edged in history and many a remembrance.
World Championships: Long jumper Sreeshankar, steeplechaser Parul fail to qualify for finals
The Tejas Mark 1A outperforms the Sino-Pakistan JF-17 Thunder in avionics and weaponry, but the finance ministry's tax burden makes the Indian LCA costlier and hurts it in the export market.
'I would rather make movies in this universe and build up a loyal fan base over a period.'
The Delhi High Court ruled that generic and descriptive words cannot be trademarked, dismissing Yatra Online's plea to restrain Mach Conferences from using 'BookMyYatra'.
The deal is expected to help HAL to get its complete requirement of 212 GE-404 engines in continuity, avoiding any types of delays in engine supplies.
Between FY09 and FY25, 101 IAF fighter jets have crashed, costing the lives of 28 pilots.
Neeraj to lead India in World C'ships; three miss chance due to medical issues despite qualification
'The aircraft is expected to be ready for rollout between January and March 2026, and to fly by the end of the year.'
The participation of the three vice chiefs in the Tarang Shakti exercise demonstrated the growing focus on cross-domain cooperation, with land, sea, and air forces working together to face modern challenges, an official said.
If the two-time Olympic medallist Indian wins gold on September 18, the day of the finals, he will become the third men ever to win the world championships javelin title in two consecutive editions.
'Today's situation is unacceptable. It has the potential to affect the IAF's operational capability.'
It came under severe criticism from the CAG on Friday as it pointed out that its Mark-I version has 53 'significant shortfalls'.
'The air force has treated the Tejas like a step child.' 'The Tejas has grown in capability, but the IAF has preferred foreign fighters like the Rafale.'
When the technology gap between China and India will remain large, cost-effective hardware of the kind that proved their worth in Operation Sindoor should be our priority, points out R Jagannathan.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
'Our production capacity ramp-up initiatives are expected to meet the critical requirements of our armed forces.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances