The Indian Air Force’s Tejas fighter jet crashed during a demonstration at the Dubai Airshow on Friday. killing its pilot. Visuals of the incident shared on social media showed a combat aircraft crashing mid-flight.

Black smoke rose over the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central as spectators watched. Sirens sounded after the crash.

What is HAL Tejas?

Generation

Manufactured by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Tejas is a 4.5-generation fighter jet. It was the outcome of the Light Combat Aircraft programme, which was initiated in 1984 with the aim of developing a modern, indigenous fighter jet to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet. The prototype of the jet took its maiden flight in 2001, and the first squadron, the No. 45 ‘Flying Daggers’, was inducted int

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