IAF chief flies single-seater Tejas MK 1 fighter

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria flew a Tejas single-seater light combat aircraft MK1 FOC fighter during his visit to IAF and flight test establishments and facilities of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.

During his two-day visit on August 23-24, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) also visited the Software Development Institute (SDI), the unit tasked with undertaking the development of avionics software.

He noted that the sustained focus on critical projects by the Institute had contributed significantly to increasing the operational and functional capability of IAF, according to an official release.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria outlined his vision for SDI to move towards software indigenisation for integration of various weapons on IAF aircraft and achieving self-reliance in enhancing combat potential.

As part of the visit, the CAS met and interacted with the test crew and engineers of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), DRDO, and HAL. He underscored the crucial role of both the establishments in furthering the shared goal of building an indigenous aviation industry capability of meeting our future requirements, read the release.

On arrival, Bhadauria was received by AVM Jeetendra Mishra VSM, Commandant Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE).

During his visit to ASTE, the CAS was given an overview of ongoing projects and briefed on the progress of operational trials. During his interaction with personnel, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria spoke of the unique and challenging role of ASTE, noted its laudable achievements, and re-emphasised on the need for staying ahead of the curve in order to leverage its expertise in delivering the requirements of IAF Operational units.