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UAE Expresses ‘Interest’ In India’s Tejas Fighter, Country’s Junior Defence Minister To Visit HAL And BEL Facilities
The Tejas Mark -1A Fighter plane. (Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly expressed interest in India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Economic Times has said in a report.
According to the daily, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Singapore have also shown interest in the fighter in the past. Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen flew a sortie in the fighter at Kalaikunda airbase in November last year.
However, no deals have been signed till now and are unlikely to be signed in the foreseeable future as the fighter is yet to get final operational clearance in India for combat missions. Moreover, the HAL is struggling to deliver the fighters to the Indian Air Force, which is down to 31 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42. Additionally, a more advanced version of the fighter, with a more powerful engine, is likely to fly for the first time in the next few years.
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