IAF’s Tejas fleet set to fly again after 2-month grounding; HAL says ‘software glitch resolved’

The Indian Air Force’s Tejas light combat aircraft are reportedly set to take to the skies again next week, nearly two months after the entire fleet was grounded following an accident at a frontline airbase.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited chairman and managing director DK Sunil said the issue that led to the grounding has now been fixed, clearing the way for operations to resume.

“All the Tejas jets are set to fly again from next Wednesday,” he said, indicating that the 34-aircraft fleet is likely to be operational from April 8, reported news agency PTI. Track US-Iran war live updates.

The grounding was ordered in the first week of February after one of the jets overshot the runway during landing after carrying out a training sortie, damaging its airframe. The incident was suspected to have been caused by a brake failure. The incident location was not known.

Following the accident, the Indian Air Force initiated a detailed review of the fleet, which led to the identification of a software-related issue onboard the aircraft.

The HAL MD confirmed that the software glitch has now been resolved.

The Tejas programme forms a key part of India’s efforts to strengthen its air combat capabilities. Even as operations are set to resume, delays in the delivery of the Tejas Mark 1A variant continue to be a concern.

Sunil said HAL expects to deliver over 20 jets by December, with six likely to be handed over soon. These aircraft are currently undergoing final tests, including checks on radar, avionics and missile-firing systems, he added.

The IAF is banking on these inductions to address a shrinking squadron strength, which has fallen to 29 against the sanctioned 42.

According to the PTI report, a major bottleneck has been engine supply from GE Aerospace, which has missed multiple deadlines for delivering its F-404 engines used in the jets.

So far, five engines have been delivered, with the sixth expected shortly.

The news agency sources suggested that HAL has imposed penalties on GE Aerospace under the contract’s liquidated damages clause for the delays in engine deliveries.

The penalties are part of contractual provisions tied to timelines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mark 1A programme.

In February 2021, the defence ministry signed a ₹48,000 crore deal with HAL for 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets. This was followed by another agreement worth ₹62,370 crore in September last year for 97 more aircraft.

A single-engine, multi-role fighter, Tejas is designed for air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike missions, and is capable of operating in high-threat environments.

(With PTI inputs)