Armenia Halts Tejas Deal Negotiations after Dubai Crash: Reports

Armenia has reportedly suspended negotiations on a proposed $1.2 billion purchase of India’s Tejas fighter jet after a Tejas Mk-1 crashed during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Airshow.

The crash took place on November 21, killing pilot Wing Commander Namansh Sial.

Armenia had been in talks with the Indian government and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 12 aircraft in what would have been the jet’s first export deal. The decision to halt negotiations comes as investigators examine whether the crash was caused by a technical failure or pilot error. The incident has already raised concerns about the aircraft’s reliability, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Tejas program, launched in 1982, was intended to replace India’s MiG-21 fleet, which was grounded earlier this year. The Indian Air Force has received only 40 aircraft from the first production batch.

India has now begun producing 97 upgraded A1 variants equipped with Israeli systems, including Elta’s AESA radar, an electronic warfare suite from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit’s helmet-mounted sight, and Rafael’s Derby air-to-air missiles. If Armenia cancels the deal, analysts say IAI could lose tens of millions of dollars linked to onboard systems for the planned fleet.

Last week’s crash was the second involving a Tejas Mk-1. On March 12, 2024, another Mk-1 went down near Jaisalmer after the Bharat Shakti exercise; the pilot survived after ejecting. Both aircraft lost in the two crashes were Mk-1 variants inducted under initial and final operational clearance standards.