Aircraft maintains strong safety record, says HAL

New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), on Monday, denied the reports of a Tejas crash. The government-owned aerospace and defence leader clarified by stating that the incident being reported is merely a minor ground tech issue, not a crash.

HAL further reiterated that the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has one of the best safety records among modern fighter aircraft in the world.

The company also stated that standard operating procedures have been put in place, and the problem is being examined carefully. A detailed analysis is also being conducted. HAL is working in close coordination with the Indian Air Force to resolve this issue quickly and completely.

This clarification has come in the wake of reports in the media that the IAF has grounded the entire Tejas fleet following an accident in an earlier month. Some reports, citing sources familiar with the development, reported that the airframe of a fighter aircraft had suffered severe damage. This had led to the implementation of precautionary measures and a detailed technical analysis.

Sources stated that the temporary safety measures were routine and were taken to ensure that the aircraft’s readiness and flight safety were not compromised. Defence authorities have stated that such measures are common in military aviation and are taken whenever any technical anomaly is detected, no matter how small.

The LCA Tejas, also known as the Indian indigenous fighter aircraft, is a significant step in the direction of self-reliance in the defence sector.

The single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft was designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by HAL. The aircraft was conceptualised in the 1980s to replace the MiG-21s, which were ageing.

The aircraft has undergone extensive testing and has been inducted into the IAF in phases. The aircraft has undergone several changes and is now in its Tejas Mk1A variant, which is currently under production.