Army chief flies Made in India combat aircraft Tejas

TIL Desk/National/Bengaluru/ Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat waves ahead of  a sortie in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft – Tejas in Bengaluru.

The Army Chief flew in the indigenous LCA Tejas combat aircraft at the ongoing Aero India 2019 show in Bengaluru. Principal Scientific Advisor to Government PS Raghavan is also scheduled to a ride in the aircraft later.

The Army Chief’s sortie comes a day after the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), the regulator for military aviation gave the Final Operation Clearance to the home-grown fighter clearing way for induction into the Indian Air Force.

The induction of Tejas is of immense importance for the IAF, which has been struggling with a dwindling number of squadrons. The Initial Operational Clearance, which paved way for the induction of the aircraft in IAF’s 45 Squadron in July 2016, was obtained in 2013.