Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Sulur: On the last day of the Phase I of Exercise Tarang Shakti – 2024 here, on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari lauded the indigenously built light combat aircraft Tejas for its performance. This exercise, which commenced on August 6, 2024, saw the participation of air forces from India, France, Germany, the UK, and Spain, among others.
During an interaction with reporters, ACM Chaudhari highlighted the significance of Tejas in the exercise. He said, “The LCA [Tejas] Mk1 proved its mettle in Tarang Shakti 2024, the largest multilateral air-combat exercise hosted by India.” He emphasized that this was the first time the Tejas-Mk1 participated in such a large engagement, executing a variety of missions alongside more advanced global fighters.
The IAF chief was particularly impressed with the aircraft’s performance. He noted, “[The] LCA [which is the smallest fighter in the drills] showed ‘size doesn’t matter.’ The aircraft proved its capabilities in realistic combat settings as part of both [friendly] ‘blue force’ and [hostile] ‘red force’,” adding, “Tejas is the epitome of our success in the self-reliance campaign. We will use the aircraft more in air-combat drills both within and outside the country.”
The exercise also featured the participation of other advanced aircraft, including Dassault Rafales, Eurofighter Typhoons, Sukhoi-30MKIs, Airbus A400 military-transport aircraft, Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport, etc, as India Sentinels reported earlier this month. The LCA Tejas received positive feedback from the international participants, including the chiefs of the French and German air forces, who flew in the LCA Tejas Mk-1 and praised its manoeuvrability and versatility.
The Phase II of Tarang Shakti – 2024 will be held at the Jodhpur Air Force Station from August 29 to September 14.
ACM Chaudhari’s remarks underscored the growing confidence of the IAF in the LCA Tejas. This comes at a time when the force is grappling with shortage of combat aircraft and delays in the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s delivery of the fighter has raised concerns, as India Sentinels had reported. However, the HAL has subsequently assured the IAF that all deliveries will be made in time.
