The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned its second squadron of Tejas Mk 1 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station (AFS) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Officials told Janes that the first of a planned 20 LCAs in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration was inducted into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during the event, adding that four more of these aircraft are currently “in advanced stages of production and testing” and will join the squadron “in the near future”.

The IAF inducted the first of a planned 20 FOC-configured Tejas LCA Mk 1 fighters into the No 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ Squadron during a ceremony held on 27 May at Sulur Air Force Station.

Compared with the previous variant, the LOC-configured Tejas Mk 1 has an aerial refuelling and a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capability, both of which were successfully tested for the first time in March following a delay of some eight years.

Moreover, senior IAF officials said that this variant of the single-engined fighter also enables easier maintainability of its line-replaceable units (LRUs).