Team Blitz India
THE first Tejas Mk-1A aircraft made its maiden flight from a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru on March 28.
The jet, a superior variant of the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, was flown by chief test pilot, Group Capt KK Venugopal (retd). “It was a successful sortie with a flying time of 18 minutes,” HAL said in a statement.
“HAL achieved this significant production milestone with concurrent design and development, amid major supply chain challenges in the global geo-political environment subsequent to the contract in February 2021,” HAL chief CB Ananthakrishnan said.
IAF ordered 83 Mk-1A fighters for Rs.48,000 crore in February 2021 and plans to buy 97 more Mk-1As at a cost of around Rs.67,000 crore. HAL thanked the defence ministry, the IAF, the Aeronautical Development Agency, the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification and other agencies that have contributed to the programme’s success.
With the continued support of these stakeholders, the country can look forward to early induction of the Tejas Mk-1A by the IAF and more numbers through the three lines of production established at HAL,” the company said in a statement. The Tejas Mk-1A will have an advanced electronic radar, superior warfare capabilities, and improved maintenance features, it added
