PM Modi flies sortie in Tejas light combat fighter jet, terms experience ‘enriching’

BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday to visit the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) site, took a sortie in the indigenous light combat fighter jet Tejas.

After the sortie, PM Modi posted on X, “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”.

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

In another X post in Hindi, the PM wrote, “I can say with pride that we are no less than anyone in Aatmanirbharta, given our efforts and determination. Hearty wishes to the IAF, DRDO and HAL along with all Bharatvasis”.

The Prime Minister is in Bengaluru to review the HAL manufacturing facility, including the facility for Tejas jets. According to Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on X, “the PM will visit India’s aerospace giant HAL & its production facilities to review the progress of nearly Rs 80,000 crore worth order book, Rs 10,000 crore tender to HAL for improving squadron strength of IAF, LCA project, jet engine deal with US firm GE, growing export orders from Argentina, Egypt, Philippines and other countries”.

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) recently issued a tender to the state-owned HAL for the purchase of 12 advanced Su-30MKI fighter jets. “Recently, a tender has been issued to the HAL for buying 12 Su-30MKI fighters, which will be manufactured in India by HAL in partnership with the Russian original equipment manufacturers”, defence sources had said earlier.

The public sector company is expected to respond to the tender by next month with details of the project along with other details, they said. The HAL and GE from the US will be producing these engines jointly in a facility in India.

In a significant boost to India’s defence sector, the engines for the LCA Mark II and the first two squadrons of the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be domestically produced, DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat said earlier.

“The engines of LCA Mark II and the first two squadrons of the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft would be produced within the country together by American GE and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as all the clearances have been received from the US”, DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat said.