Tejas Mark 1A successfully completes maiden flight | Watch

India's indigenous fight aircraft Tejas Mark 1A successfully completed its maiden flight in Bengaluru on Thursday. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said that the flight was airborne for 15 minutes.

"First flight of the Made in India indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighter aircraft has been completed in Bengaluru by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited today," HAL said, according to ANI news agency.

"The aircraft was airborne for 15 minutes during its first flight," it added.

Tejas Mark 1A is an indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured fighter aircraft with more than 65 per cent indigenous components. It is the advanced variant of LCA Mark 1, which has currently been inducted by the Indian Air Force.

According to an India Today report, the fighter aircraft is likely to be deployed at Nal airbase in Rajasthan’s Bikaner near the Pakistan border. The first squadron of aircraft is planned to be deployed at the Nal airbase from where it can take care of the western adversary.

A Times of India report stated that the Mk-1A will come with digital radar warning receivers, a superior AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, advanced beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missiles and external self-protection jammer pods, among other improvements.

The HAL is expected to begin delivery of 83 Tejas Mk-1A in the March 2024-Feb 2028 timeframe. The IAF had signed a contract worth over Rs 48,000 crore with the HAL for supplying 83 LCA planes. The IAF has clearance to buy 97 more LCA Mark 1A fighter jets at Rs 65,000 crore.

The IAF already has two Tejas squadrons, the ‘Flying Daggers’ and ‘Flying Bullets’, one of which is now deployed in the southwestern sector facing Pakistan.

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