Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said delays in executing critical military projects can create capability gaps, drive costs up and increase the risk of technological obsolescence, urging domestic defence firms, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), to set firm timelines to meet the requirements of the armed forces.
“There are certain issues we need to work on, including delays. Singh’s comments also come at a time HAL’s LCA Mk-1A programme is running behind schedule. It aims to execute the order in three to four years if engine supplies are uninterrupted.
He made the remarks at a function where HAL handed over two light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1) trainers and the first batch of three HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, along with four Dhruv NG civil helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited. The Mk-1 trainers delivered are the final two aircraft from a 2010 contract. The IAF has placed two orders for 180 Mk-1A fighter jets worth a combined ₹ 1.1 lakh crore. The first contract for 83 aircraft was signed in February 2021, followed by a second for 97 fighters in September 2025. The first Mk-1 aircraft, ordered in 2021, was due for delivery in March 2024. On Thursday, HAL chief Ravi K said HAL expects to begin delivering the Mk-1A to the IAF under the 2021 contract by end of 2026, with the state-run aerospace major working to resolve final radar and weapons-integration issues. HAL plans to deliver around 10 fighter jets to the IAF in FY 2026-27.
Many of our technical projects face delays due to technical reasons. That deadline was missed due to several factors, including US firm GE Aerospace ’s inability to supply the F404-IN20 engines on time and delays in securing key certifications.
We must take these delays seriously,” Singh said.
