Indian Tejas Fighter Crashes During Dubai Airshow Killing Pilot
Jet Plummets During Aerial Display
An Indian Tejas fighter jet crashed in a fireball during its aerial performance at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, shocking thousands of spectators. The Indian Air Force (IAF) announced a court of inquiry to investigate the accident.
Black smoke rose from behind the runway as emergency teams rushed to the site. Dubai authorities released photos showing firefighters extinguishing the burning wreckage.
Jignesh Variya, a 46-year-old attendee, witnessed the crash with his family. He said the aircraft flew for only eight or nine minutes before diving nose-first into the ground at around 2:15 pm. “I saw three separate fireballs as it hit,” he said. “Everyone stood up, and within half a minute, emergency vehicles were already on the move.”
Second Crash of India’s Indigenous Fighter
Friday’s crash marked the second known accident involving the Tejas, which Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactures using General Electric engines. The aircraft previously went down during a training exercise in India in 2024.
India considers the Tejas essential to modernising its air fleet and replacing aging Soviet-era MiG-21s. The crash occurred on the final day of the region’s largest aviation event. Despite the incident, flying resumed later in the afternoon, and jets returned to the sky.
Investigation Underway
The IAF formed a court of inquiry to determine why the jet went down. General Electric expressed condolences and offered support for the investigation. A GE spokesperson said the company was “deeply saddened” by the loss and extended sympathies to the pilot’s family.
Dubai officials continued managing the situation at the crash site throughout the afternoon.
Delays Challenge India’s Fighter Programme
India began developing the Tejas in the early 1980s and produced the first aircraft in 2001. The IAF plans to operate nearly 220 Tejas fighters and advanced Mk-1A variants once HAL completes pending orders. However, delays in engine deliveries from GE, caused by post-COVID supply chain disruptions, have slowed the programme.
Defence analyst Francis Tusa noted that the Tejas is India’s first fully indigenous fighter jet not based on foreign designs. He added that international interest remains limited, although India is working on a Tejas Mark II.
India Promotes Tejas to Global Buyers
India aimed to use the Dubai Airshow to attract foreign buyers. Earlier in the week, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, India’s Vice Chief of Air Staff, said the Tejas had drawn attention in previous editions of the event and expected even more interest this year. He hoped the aircraft’s performance would demonstrate its capabilities to both local and international visitors.
Dubai hosts the third-largest airshow in the world after Paris and Farnborough. It attracts participants from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and numerous Western nations. This crash was the first major accident recorded in the event’s history.
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