Overview
- Air Chief Marshal A P Singh flew his last fighter sortie in a Tejas on Monday during Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur, closing his flying chapter ahead of retirement on October 31.
- The IAF published video and images of the sortie and described it as a defining moment in Singh’s career as a pilot and leader.
- The exercise brought roughly 150 Indian and foreign aircraft from eight participating air forces and featured the US F-35 in the manoeuvres for the first time.
- The service currently operates about 30 Tejas Mk-1 fighters and eight trainers, and both the IAF and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited say the upgraded Mk-1A is nearing induction and is expected to enter service by year-end.
- The Tejas programme is led by the Aeronautical Development Agency with production by HAL, and the Mk-1A’s impending entry after repeated delays could ease pressure on ageing fleets and shape the IAF’s next phase of force modernisation.