According to media sources, India’s defense minister Rajnath Singh and Argentina’s Jorge Tayna will meet in private on July 18 to explore ways to improve their respective countries’ defense and collaboration. During this visit of the Argentinean Defense Minister, there may also be a Rs 8,675 crore contract with India for the fourth-generation fighter aircraft Tejas Mark-1A and LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) Prachanda, according to reports from Hindusthan Samachar and PBNS, citing defense ministry officials.
Moneycontrol was unable to independently confirm the news stories. For the Argentine Air Force around 2022, the South American country had expressed interest in the Tejas, an indigenous light combat aircraft. According to sources, Argentine Air Force Chief Brigadier General Javier Isaacs and Indian Ambassador to Argentina Dinesh Bhatia spoke about joint development of Tejas fighter jets earlier this month. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) helicopters of various varieties are being sought for by Argentina.
In a meeting with the technical team of HAL, Bhatia will be joined by Brigadier General Javier Isaacs, Chief of the Argentine Air Force, to discuss Tejas fighter jets and other helicopters produced by HAL, according to a tweet from the Indian Embassy in Argentina. Argentina needs 12 light combat aircraft, and China and HAL have both sent letters of intent in that regard. Initially, it was anticipated that this deal would pit Tejas against the Chinese JF-17, but HAL has made significant progress in this area. The Tejas’ more than 50 systems and subsystems, which were provided by British companies like BAE Systems, Cobham, and Martin-Baker, will need to be replaced by HAL.
The head of the air force and the minister of defense of Argentina had already flown in Tejas in Aero India 2023 to convey their intention to purchase this aircraft. Many nations are quickly choosing Tejas, an Indian-made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), as their top option. Tejas has attracted interest from buyers in Malaysia, Argentina, Australia, Egypt, America, Indonesia, and the Philippines, among other nations. For its fighter jet program, Malaysia has chosen to purchase the Tejas MK-1A in order to compete with the Chinese JF-17. The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s request for information received a response from HAL as well. The first Tejas export order may come to HAL soon after this.
