PM Modi completes sortie on IAF multirole fighter jet Tejas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a 30-minute sortie in the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to fly in the domestically produced fighter jet. The flight took place at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru, where the Tejas is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Modi was accompanied by an Indian Air Force (IAF) test pilot during the sortie. He expressed his pride in India’s indigenous capabilities and expressed his confidence in the Tejas’s ability to defend the country.

The Tejas is a fourth-generation, single-engine, multirole fighter aircraft developed by HAL. It is designed to replace the IAF’s aging MiG-21 fighter jets. The Tejas has been in service with the IAF since 2016, and the government has plans to procure a total of 324 Tejas aircraft.

Modi’s flight in the Tejas is a significant milestone for India’s defense industry. It demonstrates the country’s ability to develop and produce world-class fighter aircraft. It is also a boost for the morale of the IAF and the Indian defense establishment.