Indian Air Force (IAF) commemorates 25th anniversary of Tejas LCA’s first flight

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force on Sunday commemorated the 25th anniversary of home grown Tejas Light Combat Aircraft’s (LCA) historic first flight.

“On the 25th anniversary of Tejas LCA’s historic first flight, #IAF reflects on enduring partnership in building this fighter. Congratulations to ADA’s innovative scientists, HAL’s skilled engineers, brave IAF & IN test pilots/engineers, and all IAF personnel who’ve championed self-reliance. Sky is the limit!” said the IAF in a post on social media.

The historic first flight of Tejas occurred on January 4, 2001, with Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal piloting the Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport.

This flight initiated the flight testing phase for the aircraft, eventually leading to its induction into the Indian Air Force and the development of advanced variants like the Tejas Mk1A.

The government had established the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme in 1983 with the initial goal of developing a new light combat aircraft to replace the ageing fleet of the IAF.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) recently secured a major order for 97 additional LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighters in a deal worth over Rs 62,370 crore, finalized in late 2025, adding to existing orders for 83 jets.

In May 2025, the first centre fuselage assembly for Tejas Mk1A was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by VEM Technologies in Hyderabad.

The handover took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HAL, Dr D. K. Sunil. This event marked for the first time a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas being manufactured by a private Indian company. (IANS)

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