India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in the country’s fighter aircraft manufacturing capability after flying a sortie in a twin-seat light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas on Saturday. Modi’s flight—reportedly the first for an Indian prime minister in a fighter jet—comes in the wake of the Indian Air Force (IAF) taking delivery of its first LCA Tejas fighter, produced by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in October. The LCA Tejas is an all-weather, multirole 4.5 generation fighter designed for offensive air support and close combat and ground attack, according to HAL. The single-seat variants are under production for the IAF and Indian Navy. The twin-seat variant is designed to support fighter pilot training.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Flies Sortie in LCA Tejas Fighter
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