Tejas | Nigeria, Philippines, Argentina, Egypt keen to buy fighter jets: HAL
Asked how India will sell the jets to Argentina as the aircraft has components sourced from the United Kingdom, the HAL chief said a way out will be found.
Nigeria, the Philippines, Argentina and Egypt have shown interest in procuring indigenously-developed Tejas Light Combat aircraft, the head of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said on Thursday.
CB Ananthakrishnan, the HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director, said talks were on with these countries.
Nigeria, the Philippines and Egypt were keen to buy the aircraft, he told PTI on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi.
Asked how India will sell the jets to Argentina as the aircraft has components sourced from the United Kingdom, Ananthakrishnan said a way out would be found in such a scenario.
After the 1982 Falklands War, the UK imposed an embargo on military sales to Argentina, especially to prevent supply of hardware it makes.
In July, the Argentine defence minister visited India with a focus on enhancing defence industrial partnership.
Tejas jets
The Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. It is designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
The HAL has signed a pact with the Argentine Air Force to provide spares and services its two-tonne class helicopters.
Military ties between India and the Philippines have been on a rise in recent years.
In January, the Philippines concluded a USD 375 million deal with India to buy three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile.
Tejas aircraft are set to be the mainstay of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It has inducted nearly 40 Tejas of initial variants.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with the HAL to procure 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF.
Last month, the ministry accorded an initial approval to buy an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets for the IAF.
(With agency inputs)