India Received Its Final Tejas Mk.1 Fighters, Ten Years Behind Schedule

On September 18, the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivered the last two Tejas Trainer aircraft to the country’s Air Force.

This officially marked the completion of the first two contracts, dating from 2006 and 2010, for the delivery of the first-generation Mk.1 fighter jets, according to Defence Security Asia.

In total, under these agreements, the Indian Air Force received 40 Tejas fighters, including 32 single-seat combat aircraft and eight two-seat combat trainers.

A formal handover ceremony for the final aircraft, numbered SPT7 and SPT8, took place at the company’s facility in Bengaluru.

Delays in fulfilling the contracts stretched to nearly ten years, as the last two aircraft did not meet the customer’s qualification requirements.

The fulfillment of the initial contracts made it possible to fully equip two Indian Air Force squadrons—No. 45 Flying Daggers and No. 18 Flying Bullets.

Despite the completion of the base program, the Indian Air Force continues to face an acute shortage of combat aircraft, operating approximately 29 squadrons instead of the authorized 42.

HAL’s top priority now is to fulfill a much larger contract to supply the upgraded Tejas Mk.1A fighter jets.

Production of this version has been delayed due to the supply of American General Electric F404 engines and the complexity of integrating new systems.

As of September 2026, the company had assembled approximately 27 Mk.1A airframes, but there are only about 10 powerplants available for them.

In addition to the engines, specialists continue to refine and certify the software, the airborne radar with an active phased array, and the electronic warfare suite.

The manufacturer plans to increase the production rate of Tejas aircraft at its facilities in Bengaluru and Nashik to 24–30 units per year.