Tejas, India’s indigenously built light combat aircraft, on Thursday made its maiden appearance in the Republic Day flypast over Rajpath and led the fleet of fighter aircraft.
It was after a gap of about two decades that an indigenously developed aircraft took to the skies on Republic Day. Marut was the last indigenous fighter aircraft to be part of the flypast in the 1980s and the 90s.
led by Group Captain Madhav Rangachari, three Tejas jets flew in ‘Vic’ formation at a height of 300 meters and 780 kmph. The lightweight, supersonic, multi-role single seat fighter was inducted in Indian Air Force’s 45 squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ in July last year.
Besides the lCA, “Netra”, an Airborne Early Warning and Control System that can detect enemy aircraft from a distance of 400 kms and direct fighter jets to destroy them, was also part of the flypast.