India Finally Flies Indigenous Fighter Jet- Tejas

Air Chief Marshal Browne said the day marked "a historic milestone" and India had joined a select group of nations to design and produce their own state-of-the art fighter aircraft.

The LCA will now be called Tejas Mark I. It will be called Tejas Mark II after final operational clearance (FOC) slated for end of 2014.

Before FOC, the "fourth generation fighter plane" is to be equipped with mid-air refuelling ability, a more powerful engine and new missiles.

IAF will have two squardons of Tejas Mark I and four squardons of Tejas Mark II and the combat aircraft will replace the ageing MiG fleet of IAF.

The IOC-I was achieved in 2011 but the IAF wanted several improvements in the fighter jet before it could be inducted.

The fighter plane has undergone improvements since IOC-I in terms of its angle of attack and weapons delivery and has been tested for operation in different weather conditions.

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