In a first, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday flew in LCA Tejas at the Aero India 2019 air show being held on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Tejas, India's indeneous Light Combat Aircraft, carrying General Rawat flew in the skies above Yelahanka Air Force Station.
General Rawat sat behind the pilot in a two-seater trainer variant of the LCA Tejas.
The Aero India 2019 began on a sombre note on Wednesday, a day after two aircraft of Surya Kiran, Indian Air Force (IAF)’s aerobatics team, collided mid-air, killing a pilot and injuring two others who ejected to safety.
The biennial event, which would showcase India’s air defence prowess, would also act as a platform for aviation companies, the defence sector and government to forge new alliances and contracts.
The current edition of Aero India was marked by controversy with reports about it being shifted to Uttar Pradesh, which had taken a political colour, as the Congress-JD(S)led government in the state had hit out at the BJP-led central government against the alleged move.
Besides the Tejas, the HTT-40 (Basic Trainer Aircraft), first indigenously upgraded Hawk Mk132- named as Hawk-i, Civil Do-228, Advanced Light Helicopter (Rudra), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH),Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) are scheduled to fly in the air show.
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