NEW DELHI: India on Thursday signed a $7 billion order for 97 domestically designed and built Tejas fighter jets as its air force retires its outgoing Russian MiG-21 jets after decades of use.

The first Tejas jets — meaning "brilliance" in Hindi — were commissioned into the air force in 2016, with the latest commission for the fourth-generation version of the fighter, Mk-1A.

India, one of the world's largest arms importers, has made the modernization of its forces a top priority and has made repeated pushes to boost local arms production.

India's Ministry of Defense said it had "signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, including 68 fighters and 29 twin seaters".

HAL is a government defense manufacturer.

"The delivery of these aircraft would commence during 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years," the defense ministry added.

New Delhi is eyeing threats from multiple nations, especially neighboring Pakistan. India fought a four-day conflict in May, their worst clash since 1999.

Both sides claimed victory, each boasting of downing the other's fighter jets.

The Tejas jet ordered is the "most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft", the defense ministry added, saying it will be "a potent platform" for the air force.

India on Friday is to hold a flypast ceremony in a major air force base in Chandigarh, the final flight of their Soviet-era MiG-21s, in use since the 1960s.

India also signed in April a multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation.

They will join 36 Rafale fighters already acquired.

In August, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said India was working with a French company to develop and manufacture fighter jet engines in the country.

This decade, India has opened an expansive helicopter factory, launched its first domestically made aircraft carrier, warships and submarines, and conducted a successful long-range hypersonic missile test.

India's latest test was of an Agni-Prime missile with a 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) range on Wednesday — this time fitted onto a special railway-based system.

Articles tagged with "MiG-21"

India signs $7 bn deal for 97 domestically made fighter jets