As Malaysia 'considers' Tejas fighters, 2 jets leave for LIMA air show

The Indian Air Force announced on Friday that two of its indigenously designed Tejas fighters had left for Malaysia to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA). LIMA, which is a biannual aerospace and maritime exhibition, is considered one of the main air shows in Asia.

The official Twitter handle of the Indian Air Force informed “participating team members along with two Tejas aircraft had ferried out” from the Kalaikunda base in West Bengal for Langkawi. An IL-76 and C-130J of the Indian Air Force will provide logistics support for the Tejas fighters, which will participate in flight displays at LIMA.

In January, Business Standard reported Malaysia had asked the Indian government to send the Tejas fighter to LIMA, which was interpreted as a sign of possible interest in the aircraft.

Malaysia has a programme to buy up to 36 light combat aircraft (LCA) to complement larger fighters in its air force. Earlier this month, Aviation International News quoted the chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, General Tan Sri Affendi Buang, as saying the country had received “information” on multiple fighters, including the Tejas.

The other aircraft considered to be contenders for the Malaysian LCA competition include the JF-17, which was jointly developed by China and Pakistan, and the South Korean-built F/A-50, which coincidentally uses the same US-built engine as the Tejas. The JF-17, which was expected to participate in LIMA, is reportedly not attending.

In January 2016, the Tejas had its first taste of foreign air shows, when two aircraft participated in the Bahrain International Air Show.

During the Aero India air show in February, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced it expected the Indian Air Force to place an order worth Rs 50,000 crore for 83 Tejas MK1A variants in “the next two months”. The Tejas MK1A variant will feature an advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities.

In 2018, the Indian Air Force also “committed” to buying up to 201 advanced Tejas MK2 fighters, if it was satisfied with the aircraft's performance. The Tejas MK2, which has since been renamed the Medium-Weight Fighter, features the addition of a new, more powerful engine and design changes to carry more fuel and weaponry.

 theweek