SINGAPORE—India’s second locally designed fighter type arrived in Singapore on Feb. 12 to continue a global marketing tour.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) Tejas Mk. 1 arrived at Changi International Airport with a 44-member delegation of the Indian Air Force.
The single-engine light combat fighter will enter the flying display in its debut appearance in Singapore.
“The Tejas aircraft will be enthralling the audience with its display of low-level aerobatics displaying its superior handling characteristics and maneuverability,” the Indian government said in a Feb. 12 news release.
The Tejas previously appeared in the flying display at the Dubai Airshow last November in the United Arab Emirates and the LIMA exhibition in Malaysia in 2019.
Malaysia is an important marketing target for the Indian fighter. The Royal Malaysian Air Force is deciding between the Tejas and Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Hurjet for an order for at least 18 jets.
“The participation of [the] Indian Air Force in the air show provides India with the opportunity to showcase the Tejas aircraft and to interact with counterparts from [the] Royal Singapore Air Force] and other participating contingents,” the Indian Air Force says.
The Tejas was declared fully operational in the Indian Air Force in 2019 to become the country’s second homegrown fighter. India also developed the supersonic HAL HF-24 Marut fighter in the 1960s.
