India Targets 2025 Prototype for Advanced Fighter Jets, Eyes Fifth-Gen Development

Fast Summary

• India is progressing with the development of the HAL Tejas Mark 2 fighter, a 4.5 generation single-engine, canard delta wing, multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) alongside Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• As of June 2025, prototype development for Tejas Mark 2 is 60% complete. It will eventually replace older Indian Air Force strike fighters such as SEPECAT Jaguar, Dassault Mirage 2000, and Mikoyan MiG-29 models.
• The fighter is planned to be initially 82% Indian-made and could rise to over 90% domestic content after licensed production of it’s engine begins.
• India intends to produce a total of 180 Tejas Mark-1A jets before moving forward with manufacturing Tejas Mark 2 models.
• Development challenges include delays and insufficient funding for this indigenous fighter programme.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The advancement in developing the HAL Tejas mark 2 showcases India’s commitment toward achieving self-reliance in defense technology while gradually reducing dependency on foreign imports for military needs. While reaching a significant milestone-60% prototype completion-it remains clear that technical hurdles like funding shortages have slowed progress across generations of these projects. However, given its scope for replacing aging airframes like SEPECAT jaguar and Mikoyan MiG-29 within the Indian Air Force inventory, success in this effort could bolster national security readiness and support India’s “Make in India” stratagem.

Additionally, efforts toward achieving over 90% domestically sourced components after engine production would signal another leap towards indigenization-a noteworthy goal amid global defense competition dynamics.Addressing current limitations strategically would be vital not only for timely delivery but also ensuring lasting long-term growth within India’s aerospace sector.

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