LCA Tejas seen flying with the JDAM-ER precision-guided bombing kit
The Indian Air Force placed an order for the American Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits under the Emergency Procurement route in March 2022. Emergency powers were given to the Indian armed forces to fast-track the procurement of weapons amid its confrontation with China, which began in May 2020. The guidance kit was to be integrated with India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas to enhance its capabilities when targeting enemy bunkers and runways.
LCA Tejas was seen flying with two JDAM guidance kits, two R-73, and two 1200-litre drop tanks in a picture taken by Praneeth Franklin. The two appear to be 500-pound bombs equipped with JDAM range extension and guidance kit. The JDAM-ER features a “modular, add-on wing kit” that will allow Tejas to strike targets at a range of up to 45 miles (72km). Tejas has also been integrated with the French AASM Hammer air-to-surface stand-off weapon.
A range of air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons are being integrated with Tejas as it will eventually become the second most numerous fighter in the Indian Air Force, only surpassed by the fleet of over 250 SU-30 MKI. The IAF placed an order for 83 Tejas Mk-1A in February 2021, in addition to the 40 Tejas Mk-1. The Defence Acquisition Council accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for an additional 97 Tejas Mk-1A in November 2023, followed by a tender worth ₹65,000 ($7.8 billion) issued by MoD to HAL in April 2024. The Indian Air Force will have a fleet of over 200 indigenous Tejas fighters with each batch bringing successive improvements over the last.
The delivery of the first Tejas Mk-1A has slipped from March 2024 to November 2024 as the engine could be supplied by GE Aerospace due to ‘global supply chain issues’. GE Aerospace assured the Indian Defence Minister about the delivery of its F404-IN20 engines starting November 2024 with only a few deliveries possible in the current financial year. HAL had signed a $716 million contract with GE Aerospace for 99 F404-IN20 engines in August 2021 with a 30-month lead time for the delivery of the first batch.