"The crash of India's Tejas Mark 1A light-combat aircraft during a low-level aerobatic maneuver at the Dubai Air Show last week has come as a blow to India's aerospace hopes and ambitions. The accident, which claimed the life of a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, happened on Friday in front of global defense industry delegates, generating negative publicity and potentially dampening the interest of prospective arms buyers around the world."
"The incident also casts a shadow over India's efforts to modernize its air force. The single-engine Tejas Mark 1A, produced by Indian public sector defense company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is seen as crucial to address the issue of the IAF's aging fleet of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet fighter jets. It was designed to showcase India's capability to independently design, develop, and manufacture advanced military technology. But the indigenous project, which has now spanned over 40 years, has been plagued by delays."
The Tejas Mark 1A crashed during a low-level aerobatic maneuver at the Dubai Air Show, killing a senior IAF pilot and occurring before global defense delegates. The IAF launched a probe to determine whether mechanical failure, pilot error or other factors caused the accident. A previous Tejas crash in March 2024 in Rajasthan saw the pilot eject safely. A senior air force official said Tejas retains advantages over older jets like the MiG-21 but remains less capable than China's J-20 and J-16 fighters. The single-engine Tejas, built by HAL, was intended to address the IAF's ageing Soviet-era fleet, but the indigenous program has faced decades of delays.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]