An atmanirbhar flight plan for fighter jets

Given the economic and military-technical realities, India needs to jump-start indigenous aero engine programmes for combat aircraft without delay

Since India began designing, developing and manufacturing combat aircraft — it built 147 HF-24 Marut fighters in the 1960s and roughly 40 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) since the turn of the century — Indian aerospace scientists and technologists have developed a range of expertise and skills.

In institutions such as the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL); and IT engineering companies in the private sector, India has built expertise in aeronautical design, flight dynamics and control laws, avionics and other skills needed for building modern combat aircraft. Yet, when it comes to