New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Friday issued a tender to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the acquisition of as many as 97 additional Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets, officials said.

Tejas Mark-1A is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured modern 4-plus generation fighter

The HAL will have three months to respond to the Defence Ministry’s tender, officials added.

The tender to buy 97 fighters, which is expected to boost the indigenous aerospace industry, aims to strengthen the Indian Air Force (IAF) which is currently dealing with a shortage of fighter squadrons, a situation that is likely to deepen further after the phaseout of the IAF’s MiG series fighter jets.

Notably, Tejas Mark-1A is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured modern 4-plus generation fighter aircraft with more than 65 per cent indigenous components.