In a First, Defence Minister Flies in Indigenously Built Light Combat Tejas Fighter
New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday morning donned a light olive G-suit and climbed onto a Tejas fighter aircraft at Bangalore's HAL airport to take a 30-minute sortie. Singh will, thus, remain in Indian flying history as the first minister of defence to take to air in an indigenously built fighter jet.
At 9 am, a seemingly excited 68-year-old Singh shared photos of himself to tweet, “All set for the day!”
All Set For The Day! pic.twitter.com/JUUdzafutq
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 19, 2019
An hour and a half later, he took to twitter again, calling the trip “an amazing and exhilarating experience”.
Flying on ‘Tejas’, an Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport was an amazing and exhilarating experience.
Tejas is a multi-role fighter with several critical capabilities. It is meant to strengthen India’s air defence capabilities. pic.twitter.com/jT95afb0O7
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 19, 2019
Singh was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal N. Tiwari, who also heads the National Flight Test Centre, Aeronautical Development Centre (ADA) in Bangalore. G. Satish Reddy, chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), told reporters that Singh “controlled the aircraft for some time”.
A video doing the rounds on social media showed the pilot and other Indian Air Force (IAF) officials briefing Singh before he took off in the twin-seater jet.
A light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas was built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). With an ability to carry air-to-air, air-to-surface and precision guided weaponry, this multi-role, supersonic aircraft is made with advanced materials like components to keep it light weight.
Also read: The Curious Case of India's Fighter Jet Contests
On September 13, Tejas made a successful “arrested landing” in Goa, raising hopes that it would be able to land successfully on an aircraft carrier and could be readied for services in the Navy. The naval version is reportedly in a developmental stage.
Last year, the IAF placed an order for 83 Tejas at the HAL at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore. This was in addition to a batch of 40 ordered earlier, which have already been inducted into the fleet.
On September 12, announcing to reporters that Singh would fly in a Tejas, a defence official said, “It will boost the morale of the IAF pilots who are flying these aircraft.”
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore after the sortie, Singh said, “We have reached a level where we can export fighter planes across the world.” He said, “Countries in South East Asia have shown interest in buying Tejas aircraft.”
During his visit, Singh will also attend an exhibition of the DRDO.
This article went live on September nineteenth, two thousand nineteen, at zero minutes past two in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
