{
  "id": 15520638,
  "title": "India needs more fighter jets. It cannot build them fast enough",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/india-needs-more-fighter-jets-it-cannot-build-them-fast-enough",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T00:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371177/india-needs-more-fighter-jets-it-cannot-build-them-fast-enough"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's air force is striving to modernize its fleet of fighter jets, with domestic development being a priority. However, production delays pose a significant challenge, potentially limiting the nation's ability to engage in future air conflicts. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh strung his final fighter sortie in a Tejas jet before retiring, expressing his support for the country's domestic defense industry. Singh warned that the IAF requires two fighter squadrons annually, insisting that \"between 36 and 40 aircraft\" need to be produced each year to meet India's goal of 42 fighter squadrons. The Tejas programme, which began in the 1980s, aims to build up India's domestic defense industry, with a Mark 1A variant recently unveiled and a Mark 2 still in development. Despite recent engine deliveries, there are still delays in certification, weapons/radar integration, and engine supply, indicating that indigenization still needs execution, not just policy, according to Gurcharan Singh Bedi, a retired IAF air marshal. With the retirement of older aircraft, India needs replacements for its aging fleet. The IAF has already retired its last MiG-21 jets and will phase out six squadrons of Sepecat Jaguars between 2028 and 2031. To maintain the remaining Jaguars, India is purchasing retired British Royal Air Force aircraft for spare parts. Bedi agrees with Singh's assessment that roughly two new squadrons per year are needed to maintain the number of aircraft in service. Although HAL's target of 24 Tejas fighters per year falls short of this goal, a second program could help close the gap, Bedi stated. The purchase of 114 Rafales from France under a government-to-government deal may also provide a solution, though final negotiations on price and production remain pending.",
  "summary": "India has a soaring ambition to modernise its air force, built around a fleet of domestically developed fighter jets. Yet production of these aircraft has been hampered by engine delays and other bottlenecks that defence analysts say could limit its ability to fight future air wars. On October 11 at an airbase in Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh strapped into a Tejas jet for the last time.…",
  "key_points": [
    "India's air force needs two fighter squadrons annually to maintain 42 squadrons.",
    "France's 114 Rafale deal may help close the gap with HAL's 24 Tejas fighters per year target."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Persistent production delays and slow domestic indigenization threaten India's ability to modernize its aging fleet and maintain the necessary squadron strength required for future air conflicts.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}