Rajnath Singh 'Thrilled' After Tejas Flight, "Controlled It" Know Briefly

The India Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, 68, walked up to the LCA Tejas aircraft, climbed up the steps and buckled himself in the backseat, behind the pilot. Rajnath Singh 'Thrilled' After Tejas Flight, "Controlled It" Know Briefly.

Highlights

• LCA Tejas took off for a sortie from HAL airport in Bengaluru
• In a G-suit, Rajnath Singh wore helmet and oxygen mask in the backseat
• Rajnath Singh is the first Defence Minister to fly homemade LCA Tejas

The India Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh: Wearing a G-suit, Rajnath Singh buckled himself into the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru this morning, becoming the first Defence Minister to fly in the made-in-India fighter jet. The aircraft took off from the HAL airport in Bengaluru.

Mr. Rajnath Singh, 68, walked up to the aircraft along with the pilot, climbed up the steps and strapped himself in the backseat, behind the pilot. Wearing a white helmet and an  oxygen mask, the Defence Minister was seen waving before the twin-seater version of Tejas took off for a 30-minute sortie. He was briefed by the pilot and other top Indian Air Force (IAF) officials. Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari was among the officers who walked him up to the jet.

The Defence Minister "controlled the aircraft for sometime", said Dr G Sathish Reddy, chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

"The flight very smooth and comfortable. I was thrilled. I chose Tejas since it is made indigenously," Mr Singh said after the sortie. "Countries in South East Asia have shown interest in buying Tejas aircraft," he added.

• "All set for the day," Mr Singh had tweeted earlier, sharing two photos.

All Set For The Day! pic.twitter.com/JUUdzafutq

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 19, 2019

Last Friday, Tejas became the first aircraft in India to successfully perform an "arrested landing" in Goa, in what is being billed as a major step in the programme to make the jet ready for service with the Navy.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has already inducted a batch of Tejas aircraft. The naval version of the LCA is in development stage.

Mr. Rajnath Singh will also attend an exhibition of products of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Bengaluru.

Initially, the IAF had placed an order with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 40 Tejas aircraft. Last year, the IAF issued the request for proposal to HAL for the procurement of another batch of 83 Tejas at a cost of over Rs. 50,000 crores.

In January this year, Nirmala Sitharaman, who was the Defence Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's previous government, became the second Indian woman leader to go on a sortie on a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet.

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