NEW DELHI: The defence ministry's Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the procurement of additional batch of 97 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The council, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, has also provided initial approval for procurement of around 150 Prachand helicopters and upgrade of the Su-30 fighter fleet.The mega procurement projects and the Su-30 upgrade programme are expected to cost the exchequer Rs 2.23 lakh crore.The first version of the Tejas LCA aircraft was inducted into the IAF in 2016.

Currently, two squadrons of IAF, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, are fully operational with LCA Tejas.

The indigenously designed, developed and manufactured Tejas will be the largest fleet of fighter aircraft to be operated by the Indian Air Force in the coming years.The Indian Air Force has already ordered 83 LCA Mark1A fighter planes worth Rs 36,468 crore and their deliveries are expected to start in February-March 2024.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week undertook a sortie on the Tejas Twin Seat Light Combat Fighter aircraft.

Taking to social media platform 'X', the Prime Minister said, "Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas.""The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential," he said.