Addressing a presser, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy said, "Raksha Mantri controlled and flew the Tejas for sometime."
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who flew in the homemade light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas that took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport in Bengaluru on Thursday morning, also controlled the aircraft for sometime.
Addressing a presser, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy said, "Raksha Mantri controlled and flew the Tejas for sometime."
Also Read: Watch: Rajnath Singh becomes first Defence Minister to fly in home-grown Tejas
Sharing his experience on controlling the Tejas aircraft, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Koi problem nahi, jaise-jaise Air Vice-Marshal N Tiwari batate rahe, waise-waise mein karta raha."
"Flying in 'Tejas', an Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport was an amazing and exhilarating experience. Tejas is a multi-role fighter with several critical capabilities. It is meant to strengthen India’s air defence capabilities," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted after flying in Tejas.
Rajnath Singh congratulated HAL and DRDO for building this multi-role fighter aircraft and also praised the IAF, Indian Army and Navy for their professionalism, courage and bravery.
Rajnath Singh has become the first-ever Defence Minister to fly in the fighter jet.
Donning a white helmet, Rajnath Singh before flying in Tejas waved to onlookers.
Ahead of the flight today, Singh tweeted two pictures of him dressed in a green flight suit. "All Set For The Day!" he posted.
The Tejas is an Indian single-engine, delta wing, multirole light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters. In 2003, the LCA was officially named "Tejas".
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