TEJAS Team Sets New Record of 500 Flights in One Calender Year

TEJAS attained another significant milestone on 27th Dec 2013, by flying the 500th sortie this year, the highest achieved in a calendar year thus far. The achievement is significant, given that the highest number of sorties attained earlier in a calendar year was less than 300 sorties This feat follows close on the heels of attaining IOC on 20 Dec 13. The pace of the programme continues with greater enthusiasm towards achieving newer milestones.

Congratulating the Tejas team Shri Avinash Chander, SA to RM and Secretary Deptt of Defence R&D said, "the single most important factor behind the achievements is the synergy of teamed efforts of ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, HAL and IAF."

Year 2013 has been exceptionally successful year for Tejas in achieving key milestones while participating in seven detachments all over country, an excellent achievement in itself. Noteworthy accomplishments are In-flight relight (shutting off and then reigniting the single engine), high energy brake testing, flight envelope expansion, R73E missile firing with radar guidance, Air to ground weapon tests, Emergency jettisoning of entire store, Aircraft in wake tests, Wet Runway trials, demonstration of Swing Role capability during exercise IRON FIST. All these led to a big leap towards achieving IOC 2.