Two Indian-designed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at IAF's Aircraft Systems & Test Establishment in Bengaluru as part of the first squadron.
The first Indian-designed fighter jet, the Tejas was built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The two aircraft will be part of the new Squadron 45 ‘Flying Daggers’, which will get the remaining 18 aircraft including four trainers in 2018.
The new fighter jet is expected to replace the ageing fleet of Russian MIG-21s. Tejas is not the first Indian-made fighter jet, that was the HF-24 Marut. It was also built by HAL, in 1961.
The Tejas was designed and manufactured in India, However some technologies, like its engine and radar, have been imported. In 2011, it was declared fit to fly.
An IAF official said that, a 'Sarva Dharma Pooja' (inter-faith prayer) was organized before the induction. These worships are customary at inductions and before staff training sessions,
The Commanding Officer Group Captain Madhav Rangachari flown a Tejas aircraft. He performed a sortie during the induction ceremony, attended by Air Marshal Jasbir Walia, Air Officer Commanding-in Chief, Southern Air Command and senior HAL executives.
The aircraft was named “Tejas” which, means radiance in Sanskrit by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
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Nandini
