Tejas to participate in Malaysian air show next week

The Indian contingent consists of two Tejas fighters, a C-130J Super Hercules special operations plane, an IL-76 heavy lifter, 27 officers, 42 air warriors and 11 personnel from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Two Tejas light combat aircraft will take part in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA-2019) in Malaysia next week, at a time when the Southeast Asian country is planning to buy new fighter jets.

Tejas fighter aircraft performs during Aero India 2019, at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru. (ANI File Photo)

“It will provide an opportunity to Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to assess the capabilities of LCA,” an Indian Air Force spokesperson said on Friday. The maritime and aerospace exhibition will be staged at Langkawi from March 26-30. The IAF said the Indian contingent, which left the Kalaikunda air base on Friday, consists of two Tejas fighters, a C-130J Super Hercules special operations plane, an IL-76 heavy lifter, 27 officers, 42 air warriors and 11 personnel from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

HAL chief R Madhavan had announced during Aero India-2019 last month that the state-owned plane maker was exploring opportunities to export the LCA to countries in the Asia Pacific and north Africa. The RMAF is planning to buy 12 new fighters, with an option for a follow-on order for another 24 jets.

Indigenious Dhanush guns to be inducted

The Indian Army will induct the first batch of the locally-made Dhanush guns at Jabalpur next week, as part of the force’s much-delayed artillery modernisation programme, two officials said on the condition of anonymity on Friday. Manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board, five 155mm 45-calibre Dhanush towed artillery guns will be inducted on March 26, and the raising of the first regiment with 18 guns is likely to be completed by the year-end, said one of the officials cited above.