Bengaluru: Today in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in the Tejas light combat fighter aircraft, which is manufactured in India.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a military PSU, on Saturday and examined the work that is currently being done at its manufacturing plant.
“Performed a Tejas sortie with success. Prime Minister Modi wrote on X, “The experience was immensely enlightening, greatly boosting my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.”
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. pic.twitter.com/4aO6Wf9XYO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023
Tejas is a single-seater fighter aircraft but the Prime Minister took a sortie in the twin-seat trainer variant operated by the Air Force. The Indian Navy also operates the twin-seater variant.
The 4.5-generation Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is a multi-role fighter aircraft that can support ground operations with close combat support and offensive air support.
Tejas is the lightest and smallest aircraft in its class thanks to its tiny size and heavy usage of composite materials. The fighter jet has a stellar safety record, having never experienced an accident.
The Indian Air Force currently has forty Tejas MK-1 aircraft in service, and as part of an agreement valued at ₹ 36,468 crore, the IAF is ordering 83 Tejas MK-1A fighters.
Earlier this month, the LCA Tejas took part in the Dubai Air Show. The LCA Tejas was part of the static and aerial display and performed some daring manoeuvres proving its capability as a formidable fighter aircraft.
The LCA was built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and was primarily designed for the Indian Air Force but a Naval variant of the Tejas is being tested to undertake Ground Maritime Operations. The home-built fly-by-wire system in the Tejas is one of the key achievements of the HAL.
