The Indian Air Force is planning to raise the first squadron of the indigenous LCA Mark1A fighter aircraft squadron at the Nal air base in Bikaner district of Rajasthan near the Pakistan front.
The aircraft, which would be much more advanced than the existing LCA Mark1 Tejas fighters, are being equipped with the latest indigenous radars and avionics.
“The first squadron of the LCA Mark1A fighters is planned to be based out of the Nal air base in Rajasthan and would be inducted in one of the two MiG-21 Bison squadrons deployed presently there,” defence sources said.
The first LCA Mark1A aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by February-March timeframe by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, they said.
The LCA Mark1A fighter jets are now planned to be produced in large numbers as 83 aircraft are already under production and 97 more have been cleared by the central government.
Along with the 40 LCA Mark-1 Tejas fighters, a total of 220 LCA Mark 1 and LCA Mark1A aircraft are planned to be inducted into service in the next 8-10 years.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has also increased the rate of production of fighter aircraft and is expected to reach the 24 aircraft per year mark by 2025.
The IAF is going to replace the MiG series aircraft that have been in its inventory with the LCA variants.
