DefenseNew Tejas fighters incident reportedly grounds Indian Air Force fleet; HAL denies crash
A recent ground incident involving a Tejas fighter jet has reportedly led the Indian Air Force (IAF) to carry out extensive checks across its fleet, even as manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) rejected reports of a crash.
According to Indian media reports, the incident occurred earlier this month at a forward air base when a Tejas overshot the runway during takeoff and slid into an adjacent mud area. The pilot sustained injuries and the aircraft is believed to have suffered damage. The extent of structural impact has not been officially disclosed, and a decision on whether the airframe will be written off has yet to be taken.
Sources cited by local outlets said the IAF has initiated comprehensive maintenance inspections across the Tejas fleet following the event, in line with standard procedures after any serious incident. The Air Force has not issued a detailed public statement on the scope or duration of the checks.
In response to media reports describing the event as a crash, HAL issued a statement denying that characterization.
“There has been no reported crash of the LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on the ground,” the state-owned company said. HAL added that the Tejas maintains “one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft” and confirmed that it is working with the IAF as part of a Board of Inquiry examining the incident.
The episode marks the third known accident involving the Tejas. In November last year,
an IAF pilot was killed after a Tejas Mk1 crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show. The first crash of the type occurred in March 2024 during a training sortie near Jaisalmer, when the pilot ejected safely.
The IAF currently operates two squadrons of the Tejas Mk1, based at Naliya in Gujarat and Sulur in Tamil Nadu. The service has ordered 180 Tejas Mk1A aircraft, though deliveries have not yet begun. The upgraded Mk1A version, powered by General Electric F404 engines, is set to incorporate an AESA radar, enhanced electronic warfare systems and beyond-visual-range missile capability.
Production delays have affected the Mk1A program, and HAL recently inaugurated a new assembly line in Nashik intended to raise output. The company aims to reach a total production rate of 24 aircraft per year across its facilities.
While HAL has downplayed the latest event as minor, any interruption to Tejas operations draws attention due to the aircraft’s central role in India’s fighter modernization plans and the limited size of the current operational fleet.
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