The First of July is truly a historic day for India. The first squadron of LCA Tejas, a stealth fighter jet, was officially inducted into the Indian Air Force. It is lighter and more agile than JF-17 created jointly by Pakistan and China. The design and development of LAC Tejas had been undertaken by Aeronautics Development Agency and HAL. The fighter jet has a better cockpit and a stronger body than MIG-21. Tejas means radiance and it was named after the former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The jet has a limited reach of 400 kilometers and will be used for close air-to-ground operations.
Light Combat Aircraft, or LAC, forms it first squadron for the State-run Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL). Their development, Tejas, is also called Flying Daggers and was inducted into its fleet. The idea for the het was conceived more than thirty years ago.
The story is truly remarkable not only because if this innovation but also because its an invention that is made and manufactured within India. Touted as the big Make-in-India story, the squadron has immense significance in Indias history.
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