LCA Tejas to take part in military exercise for the first time in UAE

HIGHLIGHTS

• LCA Tejas will participate in a multi-lateral air exercise
• IAF will have five LCAs and two C-17 Globemaster III planes
• The exercise is scheduled from February 27 to March 17 

The Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Saturday that the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas will make its debut in a multi-lateral air exercise in the United Arab Emirates. 

The IAF will participate in the exercise with five LCAs and two C-17 Globemaster III planes.

The IAF sent five LCA Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. This is the first time the LCA Tejas would take part in an international flight exercise outside of India, the government’s press information bureau(PIB) said in a statement.

The exercise is scheduled from February 27 to March 17. Exercise Desert Flag is a multilateral air exercise that involves the participation of air forces from the UAE, France, Kuwait, Australia, the UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, the Republic of Korea and the US.

“This is the first occasion when the LCA Tejas shall participate in an international flying exercise outside India. The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter engagements and learn from the best practices of various air forces,” the IAF said in a statement.

As per the PIB statement, the goal of the exercise is to participate in numerous fighter engagements and learn from the best techniques of various air forces.

LCA Tejas was scheduled to launch in an air exercise abroad last year. It had plans to be a part of the multi-national air exercise Cobra Warrior 22 at Waddington in the UK, but it got cancelled due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Meanwhile, India's Tejas light combat aircraft was the top choice for Malaysia as the Southeast Asian nation looks at replacing its ageing fleet of fighter jets and the two sides are holding negotiations to firm up the procurement.

Tejas, manufactured by HAL, is a single-engine and highly agile multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.

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