DUBAI: An Indian Tejas fighter jet crashed in a ball of fire during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, killing its pilot and prompting the Indian Air Force (IAF) to launch a formal investigation.
The aircraft, part of India’s showcase at the Middle East’s largest aviation event, was performing a low-altitude manoeuvre at around 2:15 p.m. local time when it suddenly lost height and slammed into the ground.
Eyewitness video showed a plume of black smoke rising behind a fenced section of the airstrip, with emergency crews rushing to the wreckage moments later.
Dubai’s government posted a photograph of firefighting teams extinguishing the smouldering debris, saying emergency services were managing the situation on-site.
The crash is the second known accident involving the homegrown Tejas fighter, built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and powered by a General Electric engine. The first occurred during an exercise in India in 2024.
Designed as a lightweight combat aircraft to replace India’s ageing fleet of Russian MiG-21 jets, the Tejas—whose name means “brilliance” in Sanskrit—has been central to India’s efforts to modernise its air force. The IAF plans to induct nearly 220 Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-1A variants over the next decade.
However, the programme has faced delays, including slow engine deliveries from GE due to post-pandemic supply chain issues.
Defence analyst Francis Tusa said the Tejas remains India’s first fully indigenous fighter not based on foreign designs, though export interest has so far been limited. “Work is already progressing on a more advanced Tejas Mark II,” he said.
The aircraft had been a key attraction at the week-long Dubai Airshow, where India hoped to draw interest from potential foreign buyers. The IAF’s Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, had earlier said the Tejas display was expected to generate strong attention from visitors.
The airshow, known for its daring aerobatic demonstrations, was in its final day when the accident occurred.
An IAF statement confirmed that a court of inquiry is being set up to determine what caused the crash.–Reuters
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