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Army Chief Tejas Sortie
In a rare & historic moment, Air Chief Marshal and Army chief took a sortie together in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in Bengaluru ahead of Aero India 2025. The flight highlighted India’s advancing indigenous defence capabilities as well as the growing synergy & jointness among the Armed Forces
Two former course mates of the National Defence Academy (NDA) created history as they flew together on India’s fighter jet, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on the eve of Aero India 2025.
Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh and Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, who were course mates at the NDA many years ago, took off on Tejas trainer aircraft from the Air Force Station, Yelahanka.
For the Army Chief, the experience was such that he called the Air Chief Marshal his guru and even regretted why he did not opt for the Indian Air Force.
“It was the best moment in my life and as you are aware the Air Chief Marshal is my coursemate. We have been together since the NDA (National Defence Academy) days.
I wish he had met me earlier and I would have changed my option to the Air Force. As I have said earlier, also if I had gone to the Air Force, I would have been fighter pilot,” General Dwivedi told reporters.
“And I must say that from today onwards, the Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is my guru because he made me do a lot of roles and other activities while in the sky,” he added.
Stating that he enjoyed the sortie as it carried a great challenge, the Army Chief said, “I am very much grateful to the IAF and I must admire the kind of a challenge the pilots of the IAF take and it takes a great synergetic approach from all of us and I am sure that it is a good start for the Aero India-2025.”
LCA Tejas is an Indian combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy.
Former Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat who later became India’s first Chief of Defence Staff was also flown in the trainer version of the Tejas during Aero India 2019.
