Tejas Set To Fly Again, IAF Gets Back Critical Numbers It Cannot Spare

By BPN News Desk April 2, 2026

Op-Eds Opinion

The clearance of the HAL Tejas Mk1 fleet to resume flying by April 8 may look like a routine operational update. It is anything but. For the Indian Air Force, which is already operating below its sanctioned fighter strength, this is the return of capacity it simply cannot afford to lose, even

Op-Eds Opinion

GE Engine Delays Expose India’s Biggest Defence Weakness

By BPN News Desk April 2, 2026

India’s Tejas Mk1A program was supposed to mark a turning point. An indigenous fighter, built at scale, ready to replace aging fleets and strengthen the Indian Air Force’s thinning squadron numbers. Instead, it has exposed a far more uncomfortable truth. India can now build fighter jets, but it still cannot control whether they fly. HAL […]

Op-Eds Opinion

The Real Risk Is Not Tejas Crashing – It’s HAL Moving Too Slowly

By BPN News Desk February 23, 2026

The recent dip in HAL’s share price after a Tejas training accident is a textbook case of misplaced panic. Predictable anxiety over a runway overshoot and a temporarily grounded fleet has dominated the headlines, but these are just the surface-level optics. In the high-stakes world of fighter jet development, hardware failures are a part of […]

International

US Pilot Condemns Dubai Air Show After Tejas Crash

By BPN News Desk November 24, 2025

A United States F-16 demonstration pilot, Major Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, said his team cancelled their scheduled performance at the Dubai Airshow after an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed during a display. The accident, which occurred on November 21, resulted in the death of the Indian pilot and immediately raised questions about whether flying […]

Expert Opinions Opinion

Pakistan Mocked Tejas While Its Own JF-17 Sat Grounded: The Hypocrisy Is Now an International Embarrassment

By BPN News Desk November 20, 2025

The Dubai Airshow 2025 has inadvertently delivered a masterclass in propaganda versus reality, and Pakistan has walked straight into its own trap. For two days, Pakistani social media warriors gleefully circulated self-invented tales of a non-existent Tejas oil leak, spinning dramatic narratives about “Indian humiliation” and “technical collapse.” But when the smoke

Defence

India to make indigenous fighter jet engines from next year

By BPN News Desk November 8, 2025

India is set to begin manufacturing fighter jet engines within the country from next year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. In a recent interview, he described this step as a major milestone in India’s push for self reliance in defence equipment and underlined that the engines would be made in India by Indian engineers […]

Defence National

HAL’s Third Tejas Line Boosts India’s Aerospace Power

By BPN News Desk October 17, 2025

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has set up a third production line for the LCA Tejas at its Nashik facility, augmenting its existing two lines in Bengaluru. This expansion is expected to raise the total aircraft manufacturing capacity from 16 to 24 jets per year. Strategic autonomy advanced This move aligns with India’s aim of defence […]

Defence National

GE Delivers Fourth Engine to HAL for Tejas Mk1A

By BPN News Desk October 1, 2025

GE Aerospace has delivered the fourth GE-F404-IN20 engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), fulfilling part of a contract signed in 2021. This engine is destined for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A program. Contract and Delivery Background Under the 2021 agreement, HAL is to receive 99 F404-IN20 engines along with support services. The first […]

Op-Eds Opinion

Tejas Mk2 and the Engine Dilemma: Why HAL Won’t Ditch GE

By BPN News Desk September 26, 2025

The past few weeks have seen a swirl of speculation around India’s Tejas Mk2 fighter jet and whether it might swap its General Electric F414 engine for a French alternative from Safran. For an aircraft that has been under development for years, the idea of an engine switch has sparked curiosity and headlines. But as […]

Defence National

India Signs Record Tejas Jet Deal With HAL

By BPN News Desk September 25, 2025

The Indian government has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure 97 Tejas Mk-1A fighter jets. The deal is valued at ₹62,370 crore, making it the largest procurement for a domestic aircraft to date. Jet Mix And Deliveries The order includes 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainer variants, along with associated […]