See pics: PM Modi takes sorties on Tejas fighter aircraft, calls experience ‘incredibly enriching’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is just hitting headlines after he took a sortie on a Tejas fighter aircraft in Karnataka’s Bengaluru during his visit to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited site on Saturday.

PM Modi takes sortie on Tejas fighter aircraft

PM Modi took to his X account to share his experience of taking sorties of the Tejas fighter.

"Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential,” the prime minister wrote sharing the pictures.

Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential. pic.twitter.com/4aO6Wf9XYO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari was on the spot to supervise the preparations for PM Modi's maiden sortie in the indigenous ‘Made in India’ fighter aircraft.

मैं आज तेजस में उड़ान भरते हुए अत्यंत गर्व के साथ कह सकता हूं कि हमारी मेहनत और लगन के कारण हम आत्मनिर्भरता के क्षेत्र में विश्व में किसी से कम नहीं हैं। भारतीय वायुसेना, DRDO और HAL के साथ ही समस्त भारतवासियों को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। pic.twitter.com/xWJc2QVlWV

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023

According to the defence, the chief was on the ground for PM's sortie in the LCA Tejas where the aircraft was flown by Indian Air Force test pilot Group Captain Debanjan Mandal.

PM Modi’s Bengaluru visit

Notably, PM Modi is on a visit to Bengaluru to visit and review the manufacturing facility, including the facility for Tejas jets.

Recently, the IAF issued a tender to the state-owned HAL for the purchase of 12 advanced Su-30MKI fighter jets."Recently, a tender has been issued to the HAL for buying the 12 Su-30MKI fighters, which will be manufactured in India by the HAL in partnership with the Russian original equipment manufacturers," defence sources had told ANI earlier.

The public sector company is expected to respond to the tender by next month with details of the project along with other details, the source said.

The aircraft would include a high percentage of indigenous content as per the requirement of the Indian Air Force in line with the Aatmanirbhar policies of the government in the defence sector.