IAF team with Tejas LCA jets land in UAE for first ever foreign combat exercise
1 min read . Updated: 25 Feb 2023, 07:12 PM IST
PremiumExercise Desert Flag will also see participation from the air forces of the US, France, Kuwait, Australia, the UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain and South Korea.
India's Tejas aircraft landed in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday for its first ever combat exercise in a foreign country. Exercise Desert Flag will also see participation from the air forces of the US, France, Kuwait, Australia, the UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain and South Korea.
An India Air Force continent with 110 individuals arrived at the Al Dahfra air base on Saturday afternoon. According to officials the IAF will be participating with Five Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
“The exercise will be conducted till March 17, with the IAF participating with five LCA Tejas and two C-17 aircraft," the IAF confirmed via Twitter.
While Tejas LCAs have been part of numerous air shows, it has never participated in such a multilateral exercise. An official IAF statement added that this was the first time LCA Tejas would be “an international flying exercise outside India".
"The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter engagements and learn from the best practices of various air forces," officials said.
Meanwhile, a growing list of nations have evinced interest in procuring the indigenously-developed LCA from India. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is currently fielding inquiries from Argentina, Egypt and several other nations.
HAL chairman CB Ananthakrishnan recently said that Egypt required 20 aircraft while Argentina had sought 15 fighter jets. HAL is also in talks with the Philippines to sell its light-combat helicopters.
The US, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Botswana and the Philippines are also among the countries showing interest in Tejas aircraft.
Also read: Talks for the indigenous production of LCA Tejas engines underway: DRDO chairman
Manufactured by HAL, Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. In February 2021 the defence ministry had sealed a ₹48,000-crore deal with the company for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
(With inputs from agencies)
