Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has decided not to use the Indian-made Uttam radar in the first batch of new Tejas Mk1A fighter jets. Instead, it will continue using the Israeli ELM-2052 radar to avoid delays in delivering the jets to the Indian Air Force.

HAL to Use Israeli Radar for First Batch of Tejas Mk1A Jets, Indigenous Uttam Radar Delayed

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has decided not to equip the 41st Tejas Mk1A fighter jet, and the ones that follow it in this batch, with the Indian-made Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Fire Control Radar (FCR). 

Instead, these jets will continue to use the Israeli-made ELM-2052 radar system. 

The key reason behind this decision is to avoid further delays in delivering these much-anticipated fighter jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF). 

Although the Uttam radar has been approved for inflight operations, HAL is concerned that integrating it into the aircraft at this stage could delay production and deliveries by an additional 12 to 18 months.

One of the main challenges is that the Uttam radar has not yet been fully integrated with the Tejas Mk1A’s complete range of weapons systems. 

This means more testing and revalidation would be needed before it can be used in actual combat situations. 

HAL is already facing pressure due to delays in the supply of GE-404 engines and has also not yet delivered a single Tejas Mk1A jet fitted with the current Israeli radar (ELM-2052), which itself requires fresh weapon integration trials.

The earlier version of the Tejas Mk1 was using an older radar system called the ELM-2032 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR). 

Since the new Israeli radar and the Uttam radar both need to be revalidated with all the modern weapons planned for the Mk1A, HAL feels that switching to Uttam right now would complicate things even more.

So for now, to stay on schedule and meet delivery deadlines, HAL has decided to continue with the ELM-2052 radar for the first set of Tejas Mk1A jets.

However, this does not mean the indigenous Uttam radar is being sidelined forever. 

HAL plans to use it in the second batch of 97 Tejas Mk1A jets, which are already being planned. 

This future move is in line with India’s broader vision of self-reliance in defence technology, as part of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) mission.

Therefore, while the made-in-India radar is promising, it will have to wait a little longer before it finds a place onboard the Tejas Mk1A.