Bengaluru, Feb 3 : Barring Rafale of Dassault, fighters of other global aerospace majors such as F-21 of Lockheed, F/A-18 Super Hornet of Boeing, MiG-35 of MiG, Gripe of Saab and Typhoon of Eurofighter are conspicuously absent at the 13th edition of the biennial Aero India 2021 that took off on Wednesday here under the shadow of the Covid pandemic.
With the Indian Air Force (IAF) opting for 36 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) Rafale of French aerospace major Dassault at the cost of Rs 59,000 crore, the other five fighters that were regulars in the previous editions of the air show kept away, denying visitors from seeing their daring manoeuvres.
“As the IAF has already inducted 8 Rafales into its operational fleet till date, other fourth-generation fighters kept away from the Covid-hit air show, as prospects of India bidding for them are bleak,” a defence official told IANS on the margins of the 3-day expo at the Yelahanka air base on the city’s outskirts.
Moreover, with the government betting on a self-reliant India (Atmanirbar Bharat) and the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) getting the order to supply 83 home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (Teas), the aerospace majors do not find India attractive to pitch for fighter deals in the coming years.
“IAF’s fighter pilots flew 3 Rafales at the inaugural event in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries but did not demonstrate their air prowess and amazing capabilities,” said the official on condition of anonymity.
The indigenously built LCA, however, was flown by IAF fighter pilot Manish Tolani and demonstrated its strike capabilities and daring manoeuvers.
Designed and developed by the city-based state-run Aircraft Development Agency (ADA) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and built by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Tejas is the world’s only light combat aircraft.
The IAF has already inducted the LCA-1 in its fighter fleet squadron at its Sulur air base in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 13 approved the purchase of 83 Tejas Mark-1A variants, including 10 trainers for the IAF at Rs 48,000 crore from the defence behemoth HAL.
This is in addition to the 40 LCA-Mark-1, the IAF has placed an order in 2016 with HAL to deliver for setting up two squadrons of the fighters.
The city-based company has delivered 20 Tejas and in the process of delivering the remaining 20.
The defence behemoth HAL also flew its fixed and rotary wing aircraft and helicopters in a unique formation titled ‘Aatmanirbhar flight’ after the government’s flagship programme to demonstrate their air prowess.
“Our LCA trainer, Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40), IJT (Intermediate Jet Trainer), Advanced Hawk Mk-132 and Civil Dornier (Do-228) were part of the formation to demonstrate self-sufficiency in the trainer segment,” a HAL official told IANS here.
The Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter, which HAL made under licence from the Russian aerospace major Sukhoi Aviation Corporation, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) also took part in the flying display
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