Which helps little if those fighter jets cannot be produced and deployed in the scale and volume that were required by the operational doctrines and strategies of the IAF.
The HF-24 Marut had a production run of 150 units but was retired prematurely before completing its service life. This was due to the use of two engines instead of one, which hindered the aircraft from fully leveraging its supersonic design as the required powerful engine wasn't available. Subsequently, India initiated the Tejas program after discontinuing the Marut and simultaneously began developing an engine, drawing lessons from the Marut's experience. The current American engine installed in the Tejas doesn't generate the intended 90KN thrust initially planned for the Kaveri engine. However, India managed to achieve the necessary thrust-to-weight ratio by removing excess weight and augmenting the use of carbon composites to decrease the aircraft's overall weight. Perhaps, in around 10 years when the Tejas undergoes upgrades, its engines might be replaced with a superior and more potent Indian, Indo-French, or Indo-British engine.
What? Are you on crack?
Watch this video, how India became the first country in Asia to design and develop a fighter jet, HF-24 Marut and it was a supersonic jet
Yes, India hired Kurt Tank, who was considered the preeminent aircraft designer of his time, to craft the fighter jet. During that era, it stood out as an exceptional fighter jet in terms of performance and design.
