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Reports noted that Tejas, India’s first indigenously designed and developed 4th generation plus Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) achieved a milestone on December 7 by launching an infrared seeking air to air missile that hit the target in a direct hit with precision and destroyed the target. The test demonstrating required parameters was conducted off the coast of Goa in Arabian Sea. The success in hitting the target with precision has taken the aircraft closer to its induction in the Indian Air Force. Tejas has been developed by DRDO with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru, as the lead laboratory and HAL as the production partner. 1
In another development, according to reports, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Mig-21 FL will no longer fly after December 11, 2013, the day it is set to go out of services of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft played a decisive role in the 1971 war. The pin-point accurate attack on the Governor`s House at Dhaka by the Mig-21s proved to be a turning point in the war. Mig-21 was also fielded in the Kargil war. The versatility of all the Mig-21 variants has immensely shaped the IAF operational philosophy for decades. Besides accomplishing major operational feats, the Mig-21 also ushered a revolutionary enhancement in the technological and manufacturing capabilities of our indigenous aerospace industry. 2
- 1. “Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Fires Missile Killing the Target,” PIB, December 7, 2013, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=101100
- 2. “IAF's First Supersonic Jet to be Aviation Folklore,” PIB, December 7, 2013, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=101098