Tejas crash highlights India's history of playing catch-up in air power

It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection

The unfortunate Tejas crash and the pilot’s death at the Dubai Air Show are a shattering moment. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is too strong, proud and professional to let this weigh it down. For India’s policymakers, however, this is a useful juncture to reflect on whether they’ve been, and are being entirely fair to the IAF, given what it needs. Or in the demands they place on the IAF, the compromises and “adjustments” they seek.

 

It is also important, however, that we take a deep breath and remind ourselves that pilots are particularly tough