In a landmark event for India's defence forces, the Vice Chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force flew together for the first time in the indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. This historic flight underscores India's advancing integrated defence capabilities and highlights the country’s commitment to cross-domain cooperation in facing modern challenges.
Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal AP Singh led the mission by piloting the lead fighter, while Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani and Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan flew in the Tejas twin-seater variants. Their joint participation marks the first time that the Vice Chiefs of all three branches of the armed forces have flown in a single exercise, showcasing the growing emphasis on synergy between the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The flight took place over the skies of Jodhpur as part of the Indian Air Force’s multi-national exercise Tarang Shakti 2024. This exercise, aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational coordination among participating Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs), is India’s first of its kind. With a broad array of international participants, Tarang Shakti 2024 seeks to foster stronger defence ties and cooperation across a variety of military capacities. The inclusion of Tejas in this exercise underscores the critical role indigenous platforms are playing in the modernization of India's defence infrastructure.
Significantly, the Tejas, a multi-role fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), represents a key achievement for India's ‘Make in India’ initiative. It highlights India's growing ability to meet the needs of its armed forces through domestically produced, state-of-the-art technology, reducing reliance on foreign imports.
In addition to flying the Tejas, the Vice Chiefs used the opportunity to interact with participating forces from India and the FFCs. Their engagement further underlines India's commitment to fostering international military cooperation, a key objective of Tarang Shakti 2024.
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