According to Pradip R. Sagar of India Today, HAL has chosen foreign technology above indigenous technology by replacing the DRDO’s radar and Electronic Warfare equipment with the TEJAS MK-1A planes.
India’s defense indigenization objectives have suffered a serious setback with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) recent decision to renounce its pledge to use domestic radar and electronic warfare equipment in its TEJAS MK-1A aircraft.
Given the recent success of Operation Sindoor, which demonstrated India’s developing indigenous military capabilities, this has caused a great deal of disagreement within the defense establishmentWhen the Indian Air Force (IAF) and HAL signed the historic ₹48,000 crore contract in February 2021 for 83 TEJAS MK-1A multi-role fighter jets, it was explicitly agreed that the remaining 43 aircraft will have domestic radar and electronic warfare equipment.
In particular, HAL had promised to integrate the Swayam Raksha Kavach (SRK) Electronic Warfare suite and the Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) beginning with the 41st aircraft.
HAL essentially abandoned its promise to indigenous technology in March 2025, however, when it decided to put Israeli ELTA systems on all 83 aircraft.
.Given the excellent demonstration of indigenous capabilities during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, the timing of this decision is especially startling. The efficiency of Indian-made defense systems, like as the Akash surface-to-air missile system, numerous radar technology, and electronic warfare capabilities, was demonstrated by this military operation, which was initiated in reaction to the Pahalgam terror incident.
The mission effectively illustrated India’s ability to use primarily indigenous systems for high-precision, coordinated military operations, which further heightened the controversy around HAL’s future preference for foreign technology.
An important technological advancement in India’s defense capabilities is the DRDO’s Uttam radar. The Uttam AESA radar, which was developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) in 2008 and officially approved in 2012, has 912 Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs) and has proven to be capable of tracking up to 50 airborne targets at distances greater than 100 kilometers while engaging four targets at once. According to reports, the radar’s performance is comparable to that of well-proven designs like the Israeli EL/M-2052 after completing more than 230 hours of aerial testing and 125 test sorties on TEJAS MK-1 prototypes.
Another significant advancement in domestic defense technology is the Swayam Raksha Kavach Electronic Warfare suite, which is intended to operate in tandem with the Uttam radar. The suite, which was created by the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory in Hyderabad and the Combat Aircraft Systems Development & Integration Centre of DRDO in Bengaluru, includes an Advanced Self-Protection Jammer (ASPJ) pod that uses Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology and a cutting-edge Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) with four wideband receiver channels. With its ability to process more than a million pulses per second and 360-degree radar warning coverage, the system offers complete defense against electronic threats.
HAL uses the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification’s (CEMILAC) certification delays as the basis for its decision to forsake domestic systems. HAL officials said they had to rely on proven Israeli technology to fulfill supply promises because CEMILAC had not fully authorized the local radar and EW suite for manufacturing. DRDO officials, however, have contested this explanation, arguing that CEMILAC had validated the Uttam radar for production in 2023 and that the organization had asked for further time to fully certify the EW suite.
When it became known that CEMILAC had published an internal message in April 2025 announcing that the Uttam radar had finished four flight testing phases and that the radar gear had passed qualification tests in accordance with TEJAS MK-1A specifications, the debate grew even more intense. With HAL’s avionics division in Hyderabad acting as the primary system integrator, CEMILAC has even suggested starting the fabrication of radar subsystems. According to this timetable, certification problems might not have been as intractable as HAL stated.
HAL’s own November 2024 tender for 43 Uttam radars for the TEJAS MK-1A further complicated matters, making the decision to forgo indigenous systems even more surprising. Until the SRK suite was fully certified, DRDO officials had suggested a workable solution: merging the Uttam radar with imported EW systems. However, it appears that this compromise was not pursued.
Significant manufacturing delays for TEJAS MK-1A must be considered in the context of the debate over indigenous systems. By June 2025, not a single aircraft had been delivered, despite the initial pledge to start deliveries in February 2024. The main reason for these delays was GE Aerospace’s delayed delivery of F404-IN20 engines; the first engines didn’t arrive until March 2025, almost two years later than expected.
At least six aircraft were prepared and awaiting engine installation by June 2025, according to HAL Chairman DK Sunil, who also stated that 12 engines were anticipated to be delivered within the current fiscal year. The choice to go with tried-and-true foreign radar systems rather than risk additional delays with domestic options may have been influenced by the pressure the engine bottleneck had placed on HAL to speed up production once engines became available.
At least six aircraft were prepared and awaiting engine installation by June 2025, according to HAL Chairman DK Sunil, who also stated that 12 engines were anticipated to be delivered within the current fiscal year. The choice to go with tried-and-true foreign radar systems rather than risk additional delays with domestic options may have been influenced by the pressure the engine bottleneck had placed on HAL to speed up production once engines became available.
At least six aircraft were prepared and awaiting engine installation by June 2025, according to HAL Chairman DK Sunil, who also stated that 12 engines were anticipated to be delivered within the current fiscal year. The choice to go with tried-and-true foreign radar systems rather than risk additional delays with domestic options may have been influenced by the pressure the engine bottleneck had placed on HAL to speed up production once engines became available.
The dispute has brought to light conflicts between India’s long-term strategic objectives of defense self-reliance and HAL’s immediate production demands. DRDO officials contend that HAL should show greater patience and faith in domestic systems, despite the company’s justifiable worries about fulfilling delivery obligations and upholding quality standards. According to senior DRDO officials, HAL’s hesitancy is caused by pressure to deliver jets swiftly and a lack of faith in domestic technology.
The ruling has wider ramifications for the defense industry environment in India. Following the paradigm utilized in the TEJAS program, where significant components like the fuselage and wings were spread among private enterprises, HAL has been actively outsourcing work worth about ₹25,000 crore to private sector corporations as part of its production plan. The growth of domestic supply chains is hampered by the preference for imported vital systems, which also limits Indian enterprises’ ability to create cutting-edge capabilities.
The Indian Air Force intends to place a follow-on order for an additional 97 MK-1A fighters, bringing the total to 180 aircraft, at an estimated cost of ₹67,000 crore. With improved domestic content and modifications planned for the second batch of TEJAS MK-1A aircraft, which is anticipated to go into production in early 2028, there may be another chance to incorporate indigenous radar systems. It is anticipated that the TEJAS MK-2 program, which is slated for prototype rollout in late 2025, will include an updated Uttam AESA radar based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) with improved capabilities.
HAL’s choice to forgo domestic radar and electronic warfare equipment in favor of the TEJAS MK-1A is concerning because it goes against India’s indigenization objectives and the spirit of independence displayed during Operation Sindoor.
Although this choice may have been impacted by valid worries regarding certification schedules and production demands, the debate draws attention to structural difficulties in converting India’s domestic defense capabilities into production plans. In order to guarantee that India’s significant investments in domestic defense technology are converted into actual operational capabilities rather than being limited to labs and testing facilities, the situation highlights the necessity of improved coordination between development agencies, certification authorities, and production organizations.
The final outcome of this dispute will have a big impact on India’s reputation for supporting homegrown defense systems and could decide whether the nation can become truly independent in vital military technologies or if it needs to continue relying on outside vendors even though it has strong domestic alternatives.
At least six aircraft were prepared and awaiting engine installation by June 2025, according to HAL Chairman DK Sunil, who also stated that 12 engines were anticipated to be delivered within the current fiscal year. The choice to go with tried-and-true foreign radar systems rather than risk additional delays with domestic options may have been influenced by the pressure the engine bottleneck had placed on HAL to speed up production once engines became available.
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