The Malaysian Air Force team is likely to visit Bengaluru within two months to assess the suitability of the LCA and will be given a full tour of the LCA production facilities, test infrastructure as well as a demonstration of its combat potential.
The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-engine, fourth-generation, multirole light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
The jet has gathered lots of interest from others countries. One of them is Malaysia. The country is looking for 36 single-engine fighter jets which can perform multiple missions.
Malaysian Air Force team to visit Bangalore for flight trials of HAL Tejas. Malaysia has a requirment of 12 such jets of this class. India to sweeten offer by proposing setting up of an MRO facility for Tejas in Malaysia.
the Indian LCA has emerged as a top contender for the Malaysian Air Force since it is being offered at cheaper rates than the Swedish Saab Gripen and is more modern and capable than the China-Pakistan origin JF 17.
India is offering the LCA Mk1A version, with a modern AESA radar, new avionics and the capability to integrate a variety of weapons, for the potential export order and is confident that the aircraft will be an ideal fit for the Malaysian requirement. The initial requirement is for 12 jets, with options for 24 more in the future, said the people.
In 2019, India had dispatched two of its LCA fighters for the LIMA show at Langkawi as part of its efforts to pitch the jets for the export order. India and Malaysia have also been engaging in multi-level joint exercises and training programmes as part of plans to upgrade defence cooperation.
The Indian aircraft is priced at just over $42 million per unit, a price made possible given economies of scale after the IAF placed an order for 83 fighter jets. This will make it the most lucrative aircraft on offer to Malaysia in the global scenario, said the people.
Besides the Gripen and the JF 17, the South Korean T 50 is also a contender for the contract. Though Pakistan has also been pitching hard for its JF 17 fighter, its Chinese origins are likely to be an important consideration given that Malaysia has ongoing sea boundary disputes with Beijing.
With inputs from Economic Times, Social Media
