HAL's Tejas fighter makes debut at Bahrain air show

Light combat aircraft Tejas, made in India by state-run company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), flew for the first time at the Bahrain International Air Show on Thursday.

"Two Tejas fighters are participating in the three-day Bahrain air show to display its air prowess through aerobatic manoeuvres like 8-G (gravity) pull, vertical loop, slow fly past and barrel roll," HAL chairman and managing director T. Suvarna Raju said in a statement from the island country in the Persian Gulf.

Designed and developed by the city-based aeronautical agencies of state-run Defence Research and Development Organsiation (DRDO), Tejas is a single engine, light weight, agile, multi-role supersonic fighter.

"It is important that indigenous aircraft fly outside India in international air shows," Raju said.

HAL has set-up a dedicated division in Bengaluru to manufacture a fleet of Tejas for induction in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as frontline fighters.

"Tejas is a 4.5 generation aircraft with supersonic capability at all altitudes. It has fly-by-wire, open architecture computer for avionics and combat capability," Raju added.

India is also displaying the HAL-made four advanced light helicopters (ALH) Dhruv of the IAF as aerobatic team Sarang to enthrall visitors at the air show.

Developed for the Indian armed services, Dhruv is suitable for increased payload at higher altitudes.

HAL delivered about 200 Dhruv in variants for military and civilian use over a decade.

The company is also displaying its light combat helicopter (LCH), which completed trials recently as an attack chopper at 10,000-12,000 feet altitude with weapons.