India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said on Monday that last week’s crash of a Tejas fighter jet during the Dubai Airshow was an “isolated occurrence” caused by “exceptional circumstances,” without offering additional details.
The incident occurred on Friday when the Tejas, India’s domestically built fighter jet, went down in flames during an aerial display in front of spectators, killing the pilot. The dramatic crash was captured on video and sparked immediate safety concerns.
The Indian Air Force announced it is establishing a court of inquiry to investigate the cause of the accident. HAL, the manufacturer of the aircraft, and General Electric, which supplies the jet’s engine, have both pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
The Tejas, whose name means “brilliance” in Sanskrit, is considered a key element of India’s efforts to modernize its air force fleet, which largely comprises Russian and ex-Soviet aircraft. The jet has also been positioned as a flagship product in India’s push to export domestically developed defence technology.
Experts say the crash could dent New Delhi’s ambitions to market the Tejas internationally, leaving the program dependent on domestic military orders to sustain production. The incident comes after four decades of painstaking development and highlights the challenges of promoting indigenous military hardware on the global stage.
HAL stressed in its Monday statement that the crash would not impact its business operations, financial performance, or future deliveries. The company’s shares, which had fallen about three percent earlier in the morning, remained unchanged following the statement.
Despite the setback, the Tejas program continues to be a symbol of India’s growing domestic defence manufacturing capabilities, even as the investigation seeks to determine the exact factors behind the tragic crash.
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