LCA Tejas MK-1A completes maiden flight in Bengaluru
Hindustan TimesNew Delhi: The first Tejas Mk-1A aircraft on Thursday made its maiden flight from a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility in Bengaluru, and the country can look forward to its early induction into the Indian Air Force, state-run plane-maker HAL said. Tejas LCA Mk-1A “HAL achieved this significant production milestone with concurrent design and development, amid major supply chain challenges in the global geo-political environment subsequent to the contract in February 2021,” HAL chief CB Ananthakrishnan said. In October 2023, HAL handed over the first trainer version of LCA Mk-1 to IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in Bengaluru, with the twin seater set to fill a key training role and double as a fighter if needed. In November 2023, Modi flew in the LCA Mk-1 in Bengaluru and described the experience as “incredibly enriching” while also heaping praise on the country’s indigenous military capabilities.