IAF Tejas jet crashed at UAE Dubai Air Show

At the Dubai Air Show in the UAE, an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed at Al Maktoum International Airport. According to the Indian Air Force, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the pilot, was declared dead in this incident.

• At the Dubai Air Show in the UAE, an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed at Al Maktoum International Airport. According to the Indian Air Force, the pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal sustained fatal injuries. The pilot was declared dead.

Cause of the accident

• Videos of the incident show that the pilot could not recover from a negative-G manoeuvre at low altitude, which is a specialty of Tejas in aerial demonstrations.
• Moments before the impact, Tejas appeared level with its wings, but by then the aircraft’s vertical speed was too high and the aircraft hit the ground. The pilot did not eject.

Other Tejas-related accidents

• This incident is the second crash involving the Tejas aircraft in less than two years. In March 2024, a Tejas fighter plane crashed in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Since its first test flight in 2001, this was the first such accident in the 23-year history of the aircraft. In that case, the pilot had safely ejected.

Manufacturer of Tejas

• This aircraft – manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) – is a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
• Tejas is a 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft designed for air-defense missions, offensive air support and close-combat operations. It is considered one of the lightest and smallest fighter planes in its class.
• The Tejas program has been an important part of India’s efforts to modernize its aging fighter fleet and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. The first Tejas squadron, No. 45 ‘Flying Daggers’, was inducted into the IAF in 2016.
• In September, the Centre signed a major new contract with HAL for 97 more Tejas fighters, whose deliveries are expected to begin in 2027. The government had earlier committed to purchasing 83 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft under the 2021 agreement, although those deliveries have been delayed.
• The Light Combat Aircraft program was launched by the Government of India in 1984 when ADA was established to manage the LCA program. It replaced the aging MiG-21 fighter aircraft.

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

• The Cabinet Committee on Security approved a ₹15,000 crore project to design and develop India’s fifth-generation multirole jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.
• 5G fighter aircraft have stealth capabilities and can fly at supersonic speeds without the assistance of an afterburner.
• The multi-spectral low-observable design, self-protection, radar-jamming capabilities and integrated avionics of 5G fighter aircraft differentiate them from fourth-generation (4G) fighters.
• Russia (Sukhoi Su-57), China (Chengdu J-20) and the USA (F-35) have 5G jets.
• Nodal agency: Under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Aeronautical Development Agency will be the nodal agency for executing the program and designing the aircraft.
• Manufacturer: State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)