Rajnath Singh inaugurates LCA Plant, says India cannot depend on other nations for defence

Stressing that India cannot remain dependent on other countries for its defence, Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) second production line of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in Bengaluru. He also said that the indigenously developed Tejas LCA was better than its foreign equivalents on several parameters, including engine capacity, radar system, beyond visual range (missile), air-to-air refuelling & maintenance, and is comparatively cheaper."

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Singh lauded HAL for procuring an order of ₹48,000 crore from armed forces, which is the biggest indigenous defence procurement, giving new heights to the Indian aerospace sector.

He also informed that several counties had expressed interest in procuring Tejas M1A, and expressed confidence in achieving the target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore in the field of defence manufacturing in the next 3 to 4 years.

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Aero India 2021to begin from February 3

The event comes a day before the opening of the Aero India 2021, which is scheduled to be held from February 3 to 5 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru. Aero India provides a platform for aerospace companies to showcase their products and services. As many as 41 aircraft including Dakota, Su-30 MKI would participate in the flight display while 63 aircraft would be on static display.

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Last month, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Rs 48,000 crore deal to procure 73 Tejas MK-1A variants and 10 LCA Tejas MK-1 trainer aircraft from HAL to boost the Indian Air Force's combat prowess. The jets will be delivered from March 2024 and around 16 aircraft will be rolled out annually till the total supply of 83 jets is complete.

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(Image credits: Twitter@RajnathSingh)