Confidence in indigenous capabilities, says PM after maiden sortie in Tejas

Bengaluru, Nov 25: Clad in an olive green fighter pilot G-suit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took to the skies in the homegrown Light Combat Aircraft Tejas after which he said the experience has bolstered his confidence in the country’s indigenous capabilities.
It was for the first time that an Indian prime minister undertook a fighter aircraft sortie, according to the IAF.
The sortie was carried out from the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment, an IAF statement said, adding that during the 30-minute sortie over the skies of Bengaluru the capabilities of Tejas were demonstrated to the PM.
Wearing aviator glasses and a helmet, an elated Modi, who undertook the sortie sitting in the rear seat behind the pilot in the cockpit, waved multiple times from the twin-seater aircraft.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, he said, “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas.” “The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.” In the video footage of his sortie, the prime minister can be seen flashing thumbs-up gestures with a broad smile after boarding the aircraft and on landing.
“Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL as well as all Indians,” Modi added.
According to the IAF, Modi applauded the scientists, engineers and flight test crew associated with the designing, development and production of the state of art fighter aircraft.
An IAF statement said the prime minister expressed pride in the capabilities of Indian engineers and scientists. In the coming years, Tejas would be the largest fleet of fighter aircraft to be operated by the IAF, it said, adding that today’s sortie by the prime minister will encourage the aeronautics ecosystem and give a big boost to ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in the defence sector. (PTI)