Modi Becomes First Indian PM to Fly in LCA Tejas

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history as the first Indian PM to take a flight in the indigenously developed LCA Tejas fighter jet by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Modi shared his experience on social media platform "X”. “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,” he wrote.

Former Indian Presidents Pratibha Patil and Abdul Kalam had previously flown in a Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft. Modi, on Saturday, posted photos of his sortie on Tejas' trainer variant and visited the Tejas hangar at HAL's Bangalore complex.

This event coincides with the expected consideration by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for the procurement of 97 additional Tejas jets. Tejas, a light combat aircraft designed to replace the aging MiG 21 squadron in the Indian Air Force, has a contract for a total of 324 aircraft, including all variants.

Currently, the IAF operates two squadrons, namely No 45 Squadron, the 'Flying Daggers,' and No 18 Squadron, the 'Flying Bullets.' An order for 83 LCA Mk-1A has been placed by the IAF, featuring updated avionics, an Active Electronically Steered Radar, an enhanced Electronic Warfare suite, and Beyond Visual Range missile capability.

The IAF anticipates that the LCA MK-1A, with increased indigenous content, will be capable of firing various weapons from extended stand-off ranges. Contracted deliveries are expected to commence in February 2024, according to the IAF's earlier statements.