"No problem with Tejas": HAL Chairman DK Sunil says Dubai crash will have no impact on Tejas future
New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil on Friday reaffirmed the robust safety features of the Tejas light combat aircraft, saying that the aircraft is "absolutely safe" and the crash at the Dubai airshow was "unfortunate incident" which will have no impact on the future use of the aircraft. Speaking at National Security Summit the HAL Chairman said, "There is absolutely no problem with the Tejas, it is absolutely safe, and its safety record is the best in the world. What you saw in Dubai was an unfortunate incident." Reaffirming the effort of research and development put into the aircraft, the HAL chairman mentioned that it is a matter pride that India has indigenously developed a 4.5 generation aircraft with the latest capabilities. "I think as countries evolve and develop their own technology we go through phases. We had this 4.5 generation aircraft with the latest capability . It is a resounding success and we should all be proud of it. I think there will always be naysayers and raising questions, but it will not deter us from going from strength to strength. I can absolutely assure you it is an absolutely safe aircraft and it will have no impact on the future of Tejas," the HAL chairman added. The HAL Chairman also said that the company is focusing on export as well in an effort to become a global player. "It is the policy of the govt that we should become global. The exports are an outcome of the outreach of the Government of India and the company. It is a logical extension of the capacity we are building," he said.
The crash the at Dubai airshow is the second such instance of a crash involving the Tejas light combat aircraft since it joined the IAF fleet 10 years ago. The previous incident near Jaisalmer in March last year saw the pilot eject safely. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had earlier confirmed that the pilot lost his life after the aircraft went down and caught fire during a low-level aerobatic display at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on Friday. The Tejas Mark-1 aircraft had been executing an eight-minute aerobatic routine when it failed to recover from a low-altitude "negative G-turn," resulting in a fatal descent and explosion in front of spectators. Footage from the Dubai Air Show showed the aircraft hitting the ground and sending up thick black smoke. Emergency crews rushed to the site, but Wing Commander Namansh Syal was unable to eject and sustained fatal injuries.
