IAF marks 25th anniversary of Tejas LCA’s maiden flight

IAF celebrates Tejas LCA’s 25th anniversary of its first flight, highlighting advancements in the aircraft's development, including new variants, successful missile tests, and breakthroughs in indigenous life support systems

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Sunday commemorated the 25th anniversary of home grown Tejas Light Combat Aircraft’s (LCA) historic first flight.

“On the 25th anniversary of Tejas LCA’s historic first flight, #IAF reflects on enduring partnership in building this fighter. Congratulations to ADA’s innovative scientists, HAL’s skilled engineers, brave IAF & IN test pilots/engineers, and all IAF personnel who’ve championed self-reliance. Sky is the limit!” said the IAF in a post on social media.

---

The historic first flight of Tejas occurred on January 4, 2001, with Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal piloting the Technology Demonstrator (TD-1) from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport.

This flight initiated the flight testing phase for the aircraft, eventually leading to its induction into the Indian Air Force and the development of advanced variants like the Tejas Mk1A.

The government had established the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme in 1983 with the initial goal of developing a new light combat aircraft to replace the ageing fleet of the IAF.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) recently secured a major order for 97 additional LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighters in a deal worth over Rs 62,370 crore, finalised in late 2025, adding to existing orders for 83 jets.

In May 2025, the first centre fuselage assembly for Tejas Mk1A was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by VEM Technologies in Hyderabad.

The handover took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HAL, Dr D. K. Sunil. This event marked for the first time a major sub-assembly for the LCA Tejas being manufactured by a private Indian company.

Earlier in March 2025, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) successfully conducted test-launch of homegrown ASTRA, Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from LCA AF MK1 prototype fighter aircraft. The test launch was carried out on March 12, 2025 off the coast of Chandipur, Odisha.

The test-firing successfully demonstrated the direct hit of the missile on flying target. All the subsystems performed accurately meeting all mission parameters and objectives. ASTRA missile is designed and developed by DRDO capable of engaging the targets over 100km and equipped with advanced guidance and navigation capabilities allowing missile to destroy targets with greater accuracy. The missile is already inducted into the Indian Air Force.

In the same month, the Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), a Bengaluru-based lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), successfully conducted high-altitude trials of the Indigenous On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS)-based Integrated Life Support System (ILSS) for the LCA Tejas aircraft.

The OBOGS-based ILSS is a cutting-edge system designed to generate and regulate breathable oxygen for pilots during flight, eliminating dependence on traditional liquid oxygen cylinder-based systems.

The ILSS underwent rigorous testing on the LCA-Prototype Vehicle-3 aircraft of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)/Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), meeting stringent aeromedical standards in varied flight conditions, including altitudes of up to 50,000 feet Above Mean Sea Level and high-G manoeuvres.