Beyond the Crash
The crash of a Tejas fighter jet during a demonstration flight at the Dubai airshow has triggered a wave of commentary ranging from dismay to outright scepticism.
The crash of a Tejas fighter jet during a demonstration flight at the Dubai airshow has triggered a wave of commentary ranging from dismay to outright scepticism.
The price of HAL shares fell by nearly 9 per cent in the early trading hours on Monday following the crash of the Tejas multirole fighter jet, manufactured by the company, at the Dubai air show on Friday, in which an IAF officer also died.
According to the HAL, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is a 4.5 generation, all-weather and multi-role fighter aircraft. Tejas, as a multi-role aircraft, can undertake offensive air support, close combat and ground attack with ease. The fighter jet is also capable of undertaking ground maritime operations.
The HAL-manufactured aircraft nosedived during an aerial display and crashed in front of a large audience.
According to IAF sources, this deployment underscores both India’s aerial prowess and its growing defence-diplomacy outreach in the Middle East. The Dubai Airshow 2025 is expected to host over 1,500 exhibitors, 490 delegations, and more than 200 aircraft.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who witnessed the historical flight, described the state-of-the-art aircraft as a shining symbol of India’s growing Aatmanirbharta in defence.
He highlighted the Ministry of Defence’s agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure 97 light combat aircraft, with more than 64% of the equipment to be produced domestically.
In a final display for veterans and serving personnel, MiG-21s took to the skies in a three-aircraft Badal formation and a four-aircraft Panther formation.
The Russian-made MiG-21's induction into the Indian Air Force in the early 1960s heralded the beginning of the jet age for the IAF. These fighter jets have been decommissioned after being in service for 63 years.
The Indian Air Force officially retires the iconic MiG-21 after 62 years of service, marking the end of an era as Tejas jets take over.
