The Tejas aerobatic display there took place weeks after India and the Philippines inked the biggest and first ever export deal for Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles. The deal is worth over 337 million dollars…reports Asian Lite News
Indigenously designed and manufactured Tejas light combat aircraft will fly alongside front line fighter jets of several countries in a multi-nation exercise named ‘Ex Cobra Warrior 22’ at Waddington, United Kingdom from March 6 to 27.
The exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and share best practices amongst the participating Air Forces, thereby enhancing combat capability and forging bonds of friendship. This will be a platform for Tejas to demonstrate its manoeuvrability and operational capability.
Five Tejas aircraft will fly to the United Kingdom. IAF C-17 aircraft will provide the necessary transport support for induction and de-induction, officials said here on Wednesday.
The participation of the Tejas in UK drills come days after the aircraft displayed its capabilities at the prestigious Singapore Air Show earlier this month. It was an effort to showcase growing defence manufacturing capabilities of India. Singapore Air Show is a biennial event which provides a platform for the global aviation industry to showcase their products.
The Tejas aerobatic display there took place weeks after India and the Philippines inked the biggest and first ever export deal for Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles. The deal is worth over 337 million dollars.
India is aiming at exporting defence equipment worth over five billion dollars by 2024.
In the past, IAF had participated in similar Air Shows like LIMA-2019 in Malaysia and Dubai Air Show-2021 to exhibit indigenous aircraft and formation aerobatic teams.
Giving a push to the export endeavour, the Union Cabinet in 2020 gave its go-ahead to the sale of Akash missile systems to friendly foreign countries and created a high-powered panel for swifter approval to export of military hardware.
The committee to speed up exports has the defence minister, external affairs minister and the national security advisor on board. Several foreign countries have shown interest in the Akash missile system during international and local defence exhibitions.
Apart from authorising the export of defence platforms, the mandate of the committee is to explore opportunities for the government-to-government sale of military hardware to foreign countries.
The defence ministry awarded a Rs. 48,000-crore contract to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL)last year for 83 LCA Mk-1A jets for IAF. The first Mk-1A aircraft will be delivered to the air force by March 2024, with the rest slated to join its combat fleet by 2029.