NEW DELHI – Almost after 40 years since its start the Indian Tejas fighterjet has attained the mid air refuelling capability as it was refuelledmid-air by an Indian Air Force aircraft on Tuesday.
According to a report in NDTV, it is major step that would ensure expansionof the range up to which the fighter jet can strike in combat situations.
As per the report, there was no actual transfer of fuel from the Indian AirForce II-78 tanker to the light combat aircraft. Several more tests need tobe conducted to validate the capability of Tejas fighter jet, which is madein India. One of these tests would also include actual transfer of fuel.
The indigenous supersonic fourth-generation fighter has been inducted bythe Indian Air Force into the No 45 Squadron ‘The Flying Daggers’, based atSulur Air Force Station at Kangayampalayam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had in late 2017 cleared theacquisition of 83 LCA Tejas Mk1A aircraft and the HAL has also ramped upthe production of the jet from eight per year to 16.
The 83 Tejas Mk1A will come for Rs 50,000 crore and help the IAF which hasbeen struggling with the depleting number of fighter squadrons.
India has also joined the select club of US, Europe, Russia and Chinahaving the capability of Deck Landing of fighter aircraft. The LCA TejasNaval Prototype 2 (NP2), piloted by Captain Shivnath Dahiya safely executedthe first contact of the arrestor hook system with Arresting wire atmoderate taxi-in speeds on location at the Shore Based Test Facility, INSHansa, Goa on August 2.