On Saturday, November 25, 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a 30-minute sortie on a twin-seat variant of the Tejas fighter jet. The flight took place in Bengaluru, India, at the headquarters of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-owned aerospace and defense company that manufactures the Tejas.
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Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to fly in a fighter jet. He described the experience as "incredibly enriching" and said that it bolstered his confidence in India's indigenous capabilities. He also called the Tejas a "symbol of India's progress and technological prowess."
The Tejas is a 4.5 generation, single-engine, multirole fighter aircraft that was developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a part of the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Tejas is designed to replace the Indian Air Force's aging fleet of MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighter jets.
The Tejas has been in development since the 1980s, and it has undergone several delays and setbacks. However, the aircraft has finally entered production, and the Indian Air Force has ordered 83 Tejas fighter jets. Modi's flight on the Tejas is a sign of his confidence in the aircraft and in India's ability to develop and manufacture its own fighter jets. It is also a boost for the Indian aerospace industry.
