The Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has approved the procurement of 83 Light Combat Aircraft- Tejas for the Indian Air Force.

The decision to procure the LCA will reduce the dependence on imports. The 83 LCAs will be procured from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and would make for the Mark 1A version of the plane. The project cost is expected to be over Rs 48,000 crore, sources in the defence ministry said.

READ| Tejas Light Combat Aircraft: Here's how India created its first Flying Dagger

The IAF has already placed orders for 20 LCA Mark 1 aircraft which would be more of technology demonstrators but the IAF was more interested in having the LCA Mark 2, which would be a more capable and upgraded version of the indigenous plane in the making for the last over two decades.

The HAL would first deliver the Mark 1 aircraft to the IAF and then would produce the Mark 1A in the interim till the time it is ready with the Mark 2 version. The project would give a strong push to the indigenous fighter aircraft industry as this would be the first major bulk production order for the plane.

Defence Acquisition Council today cleared an order for 464 more T-90 tanks from Russia at a cost of whopping Rs 13,448 crores.

The 10 new regiments of the T-90MS tanks would strengthen Army's fire power along the land border stretch with Pakistan from Jammu in North to Gujarat in western part of the country.





Also Read:

How India created Tejas: A look at the proud history our first Flying Dagger



EXCLUSIVE: With only two planes and issues unresolved, IAF to bring LCA Tejas home



Jet, set, go: Tejas is IAF's new Flying Dagger



After a gap of 33 years, IAF to induct first squadron of indigenous Tejas today

