On 25th November (Saturday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a sortie in the Indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas in Bengaluru. According to the sources, PM Modi took the flight for nearly 45 minutes in the light combat IAF aircraft. With this, he has become the first Indian Prime Minister to have flown in an indigenous fighter aircraft.
PM Narendra Modi takes sortie on Tejas aircraft in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/IHGB4EMQSM
BREAKING: PM @NarendraModi takes a flight in a homegrown Tejas fighter in Bengaluru. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/BNWFMqqtQZ
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) November 25, 2023
Following his sortie in Tejas fighter aircraft, PM Modi congratulated the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL. He also expressed “immense pride” and asserted that India’s self-reliance in defence hardware is second to none.
He tweeted, “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.”
Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential. pic.twitter.com/4aO6Wf9XYO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023
मैं आज तेजस में उड़ान भरते हुए अत्यंत गर्व के साथ कह सकता हूं कि हमारी मेहनत और लगन के कारण हम आत्मनिर्भरता के क्षेत्र में विश्व में किसी से कम नहीं हैं। भारतीय वायुसेना, DRDO और HAL के साथ ही समस्त भारतवासियों को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। pic.twitter.com/xWJc2QVlWV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023
Currently, Pm Modi is on a visit to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) site in Bengaluru, Karnataka. During his visit, PM Modi is also slated to review the manufacturing facility of HAL, including the facility for Tejas fighter jets.
Additionally, the timing of this visit is crucial as it coincides with the Indian Air Force’s recent tender to HAL for the procurement of 12 advanced Su-30MKI fighter jets. Dr. Samir V Kamat, the Chief of DRDO, announced a significant development for India’s Defence sector. He revealed that the engines for the LCA Mark 2 and the inaugural two squadrons of the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be produced domestically. This collaborative effort will involve HAL, and GE from the US, jointly manufacturing these engines at a facility in India.
The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been an ardent supporter of indigenous technology. Under Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, Defence Manufacturing has seen a major boost with top government functionaries putting their weight behind the safety and resilience of Indian defence hardware. PM Modi’s sortie in indigenous aircraft serves to emphasise the safety and endorse the capabilities of Indian defence equipment.
Notably, numerous Union Ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has previously held the position of India’s Defence Minister, have flown in Indian fighter aircrafts.
Tejas has been developed by the state-run aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and it is a fourth-and-a-half generation light combat aircraft.
