Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a thrilling flight in a Tejas fighter jet during his visit to the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru on Saturday. This experience reinforced Modi’s unwavering support for India’s indigenous defense capabilities and his unwavering commitment to boosting domestic production of defense equipment.
Modi, who has been a staunch advocate for indigenous defense manufacturing, was in Bengaluru to inspect the ongoing work at HAL’s manufacturing unit. Following his exhilarating flight, Modi shared additional images from his experience on social media, describing it as an “incredibly enriching” and confidence-boosting affirmation of India’s indigenous strengths.
The Tejas, a light combat aircraft, has garnered significant interest from various nations, and US defense giant GE Aerospace partnered with HAL to jointly produce engines for the Mk-II variant during Modi’s official visit to the United States.
In a significant milestone, India’s defense exports reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in FY 2022-2023, as noted by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in April of this year. This achievement reflects India’s growing prowess in the global defense sector.
The LCA Programme
The Indian Air Force plans to replace the ageing MiG-21 aircraft with the LCA Tejas Mark 1A aircraft by 2025. The LCA program was envisioned in the late 1980s to replace the MiG-21s that have been serving the Air Force since 1963.
Only two MiG-21 squadrons are currently operational in the air force after the No. 4 Squadron, located in Uttarlai Rajasthan, MiG-21s were retired last month and will be replaced by the Su-30MKI.
The LCA was rechristened as ‘Tejas’ and took to the air on January 4, 2001, marking a historic moment for the Indian Air Force.
