'Renewed sense of pride, optimism about our national potential,' says PM Modi after completing sortie on Tejas aircraft

Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a 45-minute-long sortie on the Tejas aircraft in Bengaluru on Saturday. After completing the exercise, the Prime Minister said the experience has bolstered his confidence in the country's indigenous capabilities.

A sortie is an exercise that involves a short flight using a military aircraft.

"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," PM Modi wrote on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter).

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

The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to replace its MiG-21 fleet with the LCA Tejas Mark 1A aircraft, by 2025.

Earlier on Saturday, the PM visited the headquarters of public sector aerospace and defence equipment manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after landing in Bengaluru. 

The Modi government has taken giant steps to boost the country's defense preparedness and indigenisation, including the Tejas aircraft. 

The first version of the aircraft was inducted into the IAF in 2016. Currently, two squadrons of IAF, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, are fully operational with the LCA Tejas.

Under the Modi government, an order worth Rs 36,468 crore for the delivery of 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft has been placed with HAL. The delivery is scheduled to begin by February 2024.
 
More than Rs 9,000 crore has been sanctioned for developing the LCA Mk 2, an updated and more lethal version of the LCA Tejas. 

To further promote indigenisation, including the aircraft engine, the transfer of technology for the manufacturing of the GE engine in India was negotiated with GE during the Prime Minister’s visit to the US in June 2023.

The Tejas is an indigenously-built light combat aircraft (LCA). It is a 4.5 generation, all-weather and multi-role fighter aircraft, designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack role at ease, and to undertake ground maritime operations, according to the HAL website. 

The aircraft is manufactured in the following variants:

• Single-seater fighter for the Air Force
• Single-seater fighter for the Navy 
• Twin-seater trainer aircraft for the Air Force 
• Twin-seater trainer version for the Navy