The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1, recently linked to a technical incident at a frontline fighter base, reportedly did not participate in the full dress rehearsal of the Indian Air Force’s mega firepower exercise Vayu Shakti at Pokhran near Jaisalmer on Tuesday.
According to a News18 report, the aircraft was absent from the full dress rehearsal and it will also not take part in the main event scheduled for Friday, February 27, during the President's Rajasthan visit. President Droupadi Murmu's 4-day multi-state visit is set to conclude in Rajasthan on Feb 27.
The Tejas LCA Mk-1 was earlier listed among the platforms expected to showcase the Indian Air Force’s combat capabilities during the exercise. However, it is now learnt that the fighter jet is likely to miss the event as the IAF carries out safety checks on its Tejas fleet.
The development follows a clarification issued by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday, after media reports suggested that a Tejas jet had crashed at a frontline airbase. HAL clarified that there was no crash.
“There has been no reported crash of the LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on the ground,” the company said in a statement.
IAF Grounds Tejas Fleet
According to PTI, in the aftermath of the incident, the Indian Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of around 30 single-seat Tejas Mk-1 aircraft to conduct detailed technical inspections and ensure operational safety before resuming full operations.
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The Tejas programme has faced scrutiny in recent months following a series of incidents. An IAF pilot was killed in November last year when an LCA Mk-1 crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Airshow, marking the second crash involving the indigenous single-engine fighter.
Earlier, in March 2024, another Tejas jet crashed near Jaisalmer shortly after taking part in a tri-services exercise aimed at highlighting India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing. In that incident, the pilot ejected safely.
