Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh flew in the Tejas fighter aircraft from the HAL airport in Bengaluru, becoming the first defence minister to fly in the indigenously-built light combat aircraft (LCA). He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari, who is also the project director, National Flight Test Centre, ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) in Bengaluru.
A defence ministry official had said on Wednesday that the minister would be “taking a sortie” in order to boost the morale of officers who have been involved in the development of “indigenously-made Tejas”. “It will also boost the morale of IAF pilots who are flying these aircraft,” the official had said. “It will also boost the morale of IAF pilots who are flying these aircraft,” the official had said.
The IAF has already inducted a batch of Tejas aircraft. The naval version of the LCA is in development stage. Last Friday in Goa, Tejas had successfully carried out an “arrested landing”, a key performance, demonstrating its ability to land on board an aircraft carrier, making it a major milestone in development of the naval variant of the fighter jet.
Union Defence Min Singh flew in Tejas fighter aircraft from HAL airport
