The other countries that have shown interest in indigenously-developed Tejas aircraft are the US, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 15, 2023 07:50 IST
Indian Air Force’s Tejas aircraft displays a manoeuvre during the inauguration of Aero India 2023, at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru. (Photo: PTI)
By India Today Web Desk: Argentina and Egypt are in talks with India for a possible procurement of the indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, PTI reported.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) chairman CB Ananthakrishnan on Tuesday said that India is in talks with Egypt and Argentina for a possible supply of Tejas aircraft. He said this on the sidelines of Aero India-2023.
The HAL chairman said that Egypt has shown his interest in 20 Tejas aircraft, while Argentina has a requirement of 15 fighter jets.
The other countries that have shown interest in indigenously-developed Tejas aircraft are the US, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
The HAL chairman said that Egypt is also interested in having an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility and that India would like to support the country to facilitate building the aerospace ecosystem.
“Two teams from the Argentine Air Force have visited HAL and flown the LCA,” he said.
It is learnt that the Egyptian side conveyed its keenness on acquiring the Indian platforms during delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, people familiar with the matter said, according to PTI.
The overall defence ties between India and Egypt have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000-crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
Inaugurating Aero India on Monday, the prime minister said made-in-India platforms like Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and aircraft carrier INS Vikrant are shining examples of India’s true potential in the defence manufacturing sector.
