As an Indian, I like your unbiased views on our homegrown aircraft and I do believe that constructive criticism is necessary to grow in the future. Keep up the good work.

Only the import lobby hates Tejas!

I think the lessons India learns from struggling with this jet have value beyond the jets built.

The first crash happened 23 years after the first flight, 6000 hours flight time without a single crash. That's a world record by itself. And even in that crash, the American GE 404 engine failed, but the flight control systems kept working flawlessly, gliding the fighter smoothly till it crashed into the ground. If that doesn't speak volumes about the robustness of India's homegrown technology than I don't know what does !

83 LCA have been ordered by the Indian air force and other 96 will be ordered later, 40 are already in service.

40 MK1 were ordered in 2015 , 83 upgraded MK1A were ordered in 2020 , and in 2024 Indian gov has cleared the purchase of additional 97 MK1A

Post 1997 Nuclear tests at Pokhran Sanctions hit this program harder than any corruption or bureaucracy. HAL had to develop several subsystems indigenously to circumvent them, it probably set the program back by a decade.

I hate to say it, the process was more important than the product itself to India. Then build from there, be it upgrades or a new air frame.

The true accomplishment here is that India managed to get it built despite goverment corruption and its ineffective bureaucracy. The Indian peoples themselves have the abilities, capabilities, work ethics to develop an exceptional domestic product.

It's nice to see the Indians 🇮🇳 creating and building their version of a fighter jet. Not copies of stolen intellectual property, like we see coming out of the CCP. That said I'm sure given a long enough time line India 🇮🇳 will have 5th, 6th, 7th generation plane's, that will become world class.

You got the application of Tejas mk1 wrong, it's not fall under F-16 and gripen catagory which are medium weight 4th gen fighters but Tejas is light weight 4th gen like South Korean FA-50 with low cost option Primary objective of Tejas is to replace mig 21 which is intercepter And Tejas-mk2 is going to fall under the F-16 weight class catagory

First accident in 23 years....indeed an achievement.....thats why people hate us....because they never expected we could do this...jai hind

If Europe or some other country would have built it then the whole world would have been praising about it. But since India made it, they are demoralising us. Proud to be a Indian.

Most hated? How can something so adorable be hated?

Hate comes from those who doesn't even know how to pronounce TEJAS.😂

Extreme burn have a cure burnol, it's also Indian 😂

Before people say that it should have been canceled, the project was made as a test bed for new technologies in Indian aerospace. As to that point, it was a complete success as they were able to update the jet over time without having to produce new aircraft.

Good video, a couple of corrections : 1) The Tejas Mk-1 or any of its upgraded variants will never use the 98 kN F-414. It's simply too big and fuel consuming for the design. They will continue running on the F-404 until their mid-life refit when they get swapped out by an indigenous 90 kN Kaveri engine. 2) The Delta-wing design doesn't make the aircraft more stealthy. What it does do is increase it's range significantly, owing to it storing additional fuel in those big wings. It also makes the aircraft less dragy in the high-speed regime. That's why you see the Tejas's combat range being similar to the F-16 despite the latter being a much bigger aircraft.

My favourite aircraft is *F-22 Raptor* 🇺🇲. My equally favourite 4th Gen. aircraft are *Mig-29* 🇷🇺and *Rafale* 🇫🇷. My favourite Bharatiya 🇮🇳 Aircraft is *Tejas mk1a* (currently). Also equally favourite Bharatiya 🇮🇳future aircraft projects are *AMCA* and *TERBF* .

The biggest problem we still face is the engine and it does look like we are falling behind china by a large margin…. But the Tejas doesn’t have to be a total failure, learn walking before running and the Tejas accomplished that pretty well, India developed it’s first 4th gen fighter which is quite an achievement and a milestone in the path to self reliance. In the near future I hope we can somehow make an engine that sorts out most of the problem, finally see The TEDBF and AMCA taking to the skies and if that happens, Tejas is a success story.

It's hated because india tried to develop a fourth gen fighter while trying to maintain its strategic autonomy and not be a slave of any country. This despite being a poor third world country and not forcing it's brightest minds to work for the defence industry.

I don't know who hates it anyway it's made for India in India by Indians which costs less than American planes in its Class with the best American Engine 😅

so called 5 generation f 35 crashing like flies 😂😂😂

Looks dated, but probably a good stepping stone for a next generation build. You don't go directly to a gen 5 aircraft. Korea and Turkey needed stepping stones to get to their current production goals.

5:45 The F414 would be integrated onto the Tejas Mk2 which could be called a completely different jet tbh

Only enemy hates tejas tell you some facts it is India's own made fighter plane india can heavily upgrade . It is a badic platform from which new better fighter planes can be made , tejas will be able to fire 2 brahmos and will be having loyal wingman and it will be intigrated with astra mk1 with 110km range missile and astra mk 2 with 160 kms of range and this will make tajea more lethal as compare to many 4.5 gen fighter planes

India has been pitching for export order of Tejas MK1A since 2020 when it could not even commit delivery to any buyer prior to 2027. India had not even started the production of MK1A for IAF till recently. Even today the biggest negative for Tejas export or any Tejas buyer is, they won't get delivery of their order prior to 2029.This is the prime reason countries opting for other jets as their need is more urgent than wait for 5-6 years to get all orders fulfilled. Other issues is IAF keep changing requirements & asking for add ups or modifications to the existing order further off-shooting the proposed date of delivery. Fund relase to HAL is another challenge. IAF or Gov.t doesn't give the funds on time to HAL so procurement, production cost, Salaries & payment to vendors don't get stalled. These are the biggest challenges which needs to be addressed by the Gov.t & HAL ASAP. My father was a retired Engineer from HAL, though he was in Helicopter division, they know what's happening in the co. & why delays. HAL was committed to delivering a total of 18 twin-seater Tejas trainers to the IAF in last 2 years. In October 2023, HAL handed over the first trainer version of LCA Mk-1. Currently, Eight trainers have been delivered as of March 31st, 2024 and final ones are undergoing the necessary flight testing before they are inducted into IAF service. The remaining ten trainers will follow in a phased manner, with complete delivery by 2026-27. IAF ordered 83 Mk-1A fighters for 48,000 crore in February 2021. But the Tejas Mk-1A made its maiden sortie from our Bangalore HAL facility only on 28 March 2024. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to get the delivery of its first Tejas Mk-1A aircraft from HAL only in July 2024. The delivery of the 83 jets is expected to be completed by 2028. Until HAL ramps up production to 24 jets per year don't expect any order to materialize. Another challenge is GE cannot deliver even 20 engines per year. A key point of discussion will be addressing unresolved issues from a previous engine contract, including delays in the delivery of 99 F404-IN20 engines for the earlier batch of 83 Tejas Mk1A jets. These delays were due to supply chain issues and global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. GE intends to steadily increase production to 20 F404-IN20 engines per year hopefully by 2025. However, HAL's need for over 120 new engines will require GE to push production even further, to an annual output of 24-30 units. I don't see any order coming in for at-least next 2-3 years. India or HAL can expect cracking some export order probably post 2027. We made a goof up in our first Helicopter export with Equador due to promises which we could not keep. Total negligence & laid back approach of HAL for supplying key spare parts & poor maintenance got itself a bad name for its after sales unprofessionalism which resulted in crash & cancel of order. Though things have changed, After sales support & service is something which HAL is still new. Will take a decade to learn with time, orders & experience. Conclusion​ The LCA Tejas program represents India's growing ambitions in aerospace. The evolving partnership with GE on the F404-IN20 engine is crucial for the program's continued success & export orders. Addressing production challenges and meeting expanded demand will be essential for fulfilling India's plans to equip its formidable homegrown fighter with a homegrown Engine ASAP, if not we will end up losing the market as technology gets obsolete with delays.

Tejas is the culmination of the will,daring and determination of the people of India.Yes, we can do it !Tejas is the foundation of the future of Aeronautical Industry of India.

INDIAN AIR FORCES operates variety of aircrafts like MIG 21 MIG 29 MIRAGE 2000 JAGUAR RAFALE SUKHOI 30 MKI. AIRFORCE WANTED TO CATEGORISED 3 DISTINCT CATEGORIES HEAVY CLASS - SUKHOI 30MKI MEDIUM CLASS - RAFALE LIGHT CLASS TEJAS. FOR NEXT 2-3 DECADES.

One thing to add naval variant is ready but since its a single engine aircraft so it wont be accepted by airforce. So now naval variant is now being used as test aircraft for parameter and technology testing till TEDBF prototype comes.

I really like the HAL Tejas (LCA). The Hindustan initiative to develop an aircraft like that is paving the way of aircraft development there, and I'm hoping that they keep on the right track. We need to remember that even the almighty USA needed some time to develop their own fighters through the years. I remember some fighters that was very promising, but when they entered in service had some difficulties (for example, the initial carrier operations of the famous F4U Corsair, or the beautiful F7U Cutlass, the F-4 Phantom without an internal gun, the lots of initial troubles of the F-35, and lots of other examples), so I don't mind that Hindustan are facing some trouble developing the Tejas. It's part of the process. As a brazilian citizen that likes this type of environment (military), I was wondering about what aircraft the Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil - MB) should/could purchase and maintain. With the yearly budget available to MB, it couldn't purchase (and maintain) a twin engine naval fighter (not the F/A-18, not the SU-27 and variants, not the MiG-29K). And what (new) single engine naval fighter there's nowadays available? The F-35? I've said something that the yearly budget could maintain, and the F-35 surely is out of question. To keep up the proficiency of our naval pilots, the only available option is the T-45 Goshawk. So, I'm keeping an eye about the development of the naval Tejas. It will be the sole "low cost" available single engine naval fighter on the market. (Anyone else thinks that the biplace version of the Tejas is an eye-candy aircraft? As said, I really like this aircraft) Thanks for another awesome video, Matsimus!

Why you put this caption? Tejas is one of the best fighter jet in it's sector and cost wise. We are Bharatiyas love Tejas❤

Import lobby finding hard to digest the success of Tejas.

When u compare Light Combat Aircraft with Medium combate aircraft I have doubt on your knowledge😂

It's not a bad looking jet I actually like the way it looks the way it performs and everything I have no idea but the looks of it are pretty decent

Weapons of tejas A2a missiles . Bvr -astra mk1 , mk2 ,mk3 (indigeneous ), derby er , r77, meteor (only with uttam radar ) Wvr -r73, aasram, python 5 A2G- hammer , saaw, lgb , brahmos ng

Simply because it's Indian. People still have an opinion that Indian products are not at par with other counterparts.

Tejas is best fighter.

So i watched the whole video. I have been closely following the Tejas project for about 15 years now. While Tejas isnt a perfect aircraft, i would still like to make some corrections from what the youtuber said. 1. It was compared with the "Gripen and F-16" saying "Gripen and F-16 can carry 3 times the payload". That reference was taken out from a media hit job article by import lobbyists saying that Tejas isnt enough to protect Indian skies. Fact it, Tejas mk1 was compared to a larger medium weight Gripen E version and offcourse a larger F-16 version which cost more than 2 times of Tejas. Neither they are similar in size, nor the price range to be compared. Tejas mk1/A is to be compared to the Gripen C version which is similar in size and cost. And u will notice both have a maximum payload capacity of about 4 tons. More if some fuel is sacrificed. 2. Maintainability was pointed out. One of the key points of Tejas mk1 is its easy maintainability often pointed out by the pilots and engineers. The high use of composites not only makes the fighter light and increases stealth, it also makes maintenance easy. Supported by advanced avionics and "intelligent" softwares, engineers are not complaining. The youtuber mentioned Exercise Iron fist. In the same exercise, 6 Tejas participated and EACH Tejas performed 6 sorties a day, proving its easy maintainability and quick turn around time. 3. While i agree , there are some delays with the Tejas, it was more political than technical. Actual work on Tejas began in 1988 with the project definition phase and Tejas had achieved initial operational capability by 2012. That should have allowed induction and large orders. However the bribe hungry politicians and some high rank airforce officials wanted the bribes that come with imports and purposefully kept changing the goal post of the Tejas thus delaying induction and a large order book. For one example out of many - They wanted Tejas mk1 to have full swing role capability right from day 1. In comparison, when fighters like Eurofighter or Rafale entered service, they didn even have ground attack capabilities, let alone swing role. Everything was gradually added and tested in the later versions. 4. Also the cost of Tejas mk1A with AESA , EW and all other advanced features is a mere 42 mil$, one of the cheapest in the world. The project cost is about 2 Bil$, only a fraction of the cost of fighter jets developed in the west.

Nobody hates Tejas❤ it is import lobby may be which hates. 😮

The only problem i see in tejas is it's low production capacity (which will be increased) and it's marketing strategy. Tejas MK1A is one of the best fighter jet in it's category and iam 100% sure Tejas MK2 will also be one of the best in it's category.

Tejas have given much needed confidence to Indian industry , Indian defence forces and contributing lot in development of aviation ecosystem in India. Once ecosystem get developed, more advanced jet will start coming out with more indegenous content. Tejas have provided opportunity to Indian industry to make many sub systems.

The advantage of an indigenous platform is that the Tejas is a continuously evolving aircraft. I don't see why we Indians cannot replicate the Spitfire saga, evolving from Mark I to IV and V. The platform isn't mature yet and there is immense scope for improvement with each batch. Take the radar for example, from a passive to Israeli AESA which is soon to be replaced by indigenous UTTAM Gallium nitrite based radar, an indigenous AEW suite, integration of successive generations of Astra BVRs. You have to understand that the Tejas Mk1 is essentially the first product (discounting the tragic HF24 story ). From here on we can only improve. The one sore point for India is the powerplant, it is a long tedious job ,but you have to do it. No one is going to just hand it over to you.

The ones with the new Canard wings up front will sell and people will then say oh this is a good airplane

Who told you that everybody hates Tejas?

Very refreshing to see balanced discussion on this and very refreshing to see some positive and encouraging comments.😊

Bad comparison with different class aircrafts. Don't compare cheeta with tiger both have their own capabilities (pros/cons).

Tejas is classed as a Light combat aircraft and comparing it with F16 and JAS gripen is unfair and I don't agree with the analysis on the AESA radar of Tejas... it will one gay emerge as a front runner of it's calls and the same western will laud it's performance 🤩 Jai Hind 👏👏👏

Tejas Mk-2 will be a good fighter jet. This was just a stepping stone for india into this world . Afterall very limited numbers of Countries have the capacity to built a fighter jet from scratch in the first place .

Tejas Hated in by those who doesn't even know its capabilities......You can also hate a chita compare to Tiger (compare tejas with light combat aircrafts FA 50, Harjet not Medium combat aircrafts F-16, Rafel, J20) For those 4th & 5th gen jets we are developing Tejas MK 2, HF 47, AMKA 5th gen, TEDBF, FUFA 6 th gen , ORCA ❤

That F-35 bit at the end was hilarious, LOL!

IT'S matter of lack of confidence rather hate. A jet that is not owned by its own forces cannot win the hearts of others.

If India can get the production up and marketing is done right it can capture a niche market. A decent multirole fighter that has decent radar and air2air and air2ground capabilities is what most nations would be interested in if the price is right.

It's the lightest current production fighter if im not mistaken, which if they build enough of can be a significant asset that doesn't need to use airfields. And point 2, just the fact that it exists, gives HAL a significant amount of experience in modern fighter design to include bureaucracy and logistics

Being from India..like your review..and most Indians following development of Tejas agree with you..Thing about India is we are grounded to reality..We know our strength..and weakness and we strive to excel..this is highlighted in the videos.. thanks

INDIA made this aircraft despite being in western sanction in most of the time.. except France... Proud of Tejas...it was made to replace aging 2nd generation MIG 21for air defence or interceptor role but now its capabilities are equivalent to mirrage 2000 in some parameters.

It's certainly a good looking aircraft, and I for one am truly excited to see how their aerospace industry develops (especially compared to the CCP). It's a pretty decent first step into an incredibly difficult industry.

Tejas was meant to replace Mig 21 and it was meant for war against Pakistan only. But due power projection aspect a bigger ac would be required for which things are in place. We are waiting for Kaveri engine, which here will co through soon.

I have never met anyone who hated Tejas. It is a small 4.25 gen (4.5 on a good day) tactical fighter bomber. It looks like advanced variant of 1950's US and French designs with its delta and pointy node. But aerodynamics are aerodynamics. It is small, liie Mig-21, but not small enough to evade advanced air-air missiles, radars, and IRST. So it will come down to training , tactics, and C&C integration. Overall GOOD JOB India!

India designed a fighter aircraft which is suitable for its extreme whether condition and its demand. Main drawback claimed by its rivals is limited range, India filled the gab by long range missiles.

Its not a joke to get the tag of "smallest and lightest" 4th gen aircraft in the world.

Bhai koi hate nhi krta bas 40 saal se bna rhe fir bhi abhi Tak completed na huwa tab log gussa krte

I've advocated for years that Ireland buy the Swedish fighter plane, the Gripen. With Sweden having joined NATO, Ireland's best remaining choice to keep its neutrality is the Tejas.

Mig-21 is my favorite. The AK47 of fighter jets, served the IAF for 6 decades, and inspired the creation of Tejas.

Tejas will be the replacement for the Mig-21. So it will be the first interceptor an adversary will meet. Thanks to Tejas, India will soon have a 300nm BVR missile, which one hopes will do the talking.

Tejas Mk 1A and Mk 1 have recently tested with Astra Mk 1 BVR missile with 110 km range which is more than JF 17s PL 12 whose range is 80km and also Astra Mk 1 missile in Tejas have superior range and speed compared to AMRAAM C5 Tejas also has a great safety record and 6000 incident free sorties unlike Gripen which has crashed so many times Tejas Mk 1A is superior to Gripen C given Gripen C lacks AESA radar

Mk1 and mk1A light category plane , the next version is category of f16!

You missed how the Indian Air Force has already ordered 180 Tejas Mk1A fighters, and that the Indian Navy has been testing around 5 Tejas Navy Prototypes from its 2 Aircraft Carriers, for almost a decade by now. Infact, the IAF will be getting their first Tejas Mk1A fighters in June 24. So, by 2029, the IAF will have 39 Tejas Mk1 and 180 Tejas Mk1A fighters. Having around 216 (12 Squadrons) indigenous 4th generation fighter jets in a country's Air Force's inventory, is no joke and must get the praise and recognition that it deserves.

For its price and design parameters, the Tejas is an effective, competent 4.5G combat aircraft. Also has the lowest crash rate since the first one flew in 2006. Exactly 1 crash till date.

Tejas MK2 is on horizon....... it wil b better than JAS 39 Grippen E

I am an Indian. And I appreciate your review

Your video title does not match most of the content in your video! To my big surprise, as a military analyst, or at least an enthusiast in military technology for a long time, you didn't show some basic abilities of identifying the basic facts in LCA Tejas fighters from MK1, MK1A to MK2. First of all, LCA was originally designed to replace Mig-21 as a low end and point defend fighter. So you can't compare it with F-16. But having that said, the final result of LCA development renders a much more capable and versatile fighter jet that can compete with all 4th gen fighters if not overwhelming them. Foe example, LCA MK1As have all the featured weaponry and avionic as other typical 4th gen fighters, something like AESA radars, BVR capability, sufficient self-defence EW ability, Network-centric warfare capability etc. And the last one is the most important feature in the future for it can make LCA become a powerful node that is linked to the other platforms and also be able to share critical battlefield info in order to better fulfill its missions and protect itself. A lot of early models of F-16s doesn't even have this Network-centric capability. In addition, LCAs are very economically viable, meaning that India can easily product large qualities of them if necessary to meet the country's strategic requirement. At last but not least, the development of LCAs has gave India a valuable experience and expertise in making its future 5th, or even 6th gen fighters like AMCA that is going on right! In my personal views, LCAs are on par with, if not superior to Sweden JAS39 Gripen counterparts.

There's only been 1 crash of an operational Tejas since its first flight 23 years ago. Look at how many Western and other powers planes crash every month before anyone should say anything.

It is a “loose clone” of MiG-21. I can’t hate India for doing this, on any level. Any Nation, imho anyway, that wants to put itself on the world stage Needs…really NEEDS home build equipment. Regardless of how good or bad this bird is or may be, India has staked a flag and said “here we are…we aren’t moving. Come and see.” That demands respect and recognition. That is exactly what India wants…and should be given imo. I commend them for following thru with the program. It’s never cheap and it’s never easy.

Among the upcoming fighter jets, I'm really interested in KF-21. I want to see it , fully functional according to their designs and plans. Also Japan's FX- GOdzilla is kind of interesting.

That dramatic entrance music😊

Can you make a video about the SEPETAC Jaguar? Was an underrated anglo-french close air support cold war fighter, still used by India. There almost no videos of this little bad ass plane on youtube. Thanx for your work!!!

Came for the video, stayed for the deranged, angry comments section. Gotta give HAL one thing, though. The Tejas looks absolutely beautiful.

About 3:45 ish the Marut and Tejas are Indian developed, the Ajeet is a Folland Gnat with updated and improved subsystems - so not an Indian design (although built in India). About 5:20ish the delta has advantages in straight and level flight but is very "draggy" in a turning fight so you need a higher power to weight ratio to compete with other fighters, e.g. F16 - the Tejas lacks that necessary higher P-to-W ratio. About 10:30 ish The initial tranches of Eurofighter have a non-AESA radar (possibly the best such radar in the world - large, powerful antenna) look up CAPTOR (not to be confused with CAPTOR-E ECRS in various marks which are AESA radars). So such a radar is not necessarily as bad as it might seem (I don't know the characteristics of the Indian Radar). Tejas is an adequate aircraft for India - it does the job but not as well as many other aircraft. I think maintaining and developing the skills to design, develop and build in series production a fighter is a key element of the reasoning behind India's decision to continue with development of Tejas. Hopefully, its replacement/next generation will be genuinely competitive with other leading manufacturers.

"Hate " According to whom??

Gotta luv the staggard delta, though.

Su-37 and Su-47 my personal fav. Anything with thrust vectoring, canards, forward swept wings is an instant love.

Amarrketing guy from abroad to destroy India,s effort. They want India to buy only foreign fighters. Tejas is a stepping stone for higher configuration

Your information is not correct and complete. You should check again all the parameters of Tejas.

It's costly and late, but you have to understand that building an infrastructure to make a complex thing like a fighter jet is not easy.

Tejas is a success story .. lots of people spreading two generations contributed to its creation and being indigenous improvements will continue all the way to its glory. To Tejas🥂🇮🇳❤️🧿

People don’t hate the plane but the time it took to develop it. If any project is delayed beyond limit then people will loose interest …there were many reasons for delay and now we don’t have to worry about it ..

I know India has some brilliant scientists but in engineering sectors they still need many improvement

From tank to a jet india have it all.

T P Mat, only the import lobby hates the Tejas. We Indians love it and are eagerly looking forward to 31st July 2024 for the first Tejas Mk1A to be delivered.

As Hindusthani We all love this aircraft. This is our second one Indigenous project. At some point we were behind but now we are developing this Fighter Jet along with AMCA's prestigious project working on.

The Philippines is a no- hater of this magnificent aircraft. We should buy this Indigenous Indian made Tejas to fulfill the acquisition of a fast , agile , maritime strike capable jet fighter especially with the integration NG- Brahmos and Astra beyond visual range missiles as future weapons .

Title is extremely misleading and a cheap click bait. Why everyone would hate a plane… despite if is from India or not.

Thanks for your attempt, some points to consider: 1. Tejas is a light combat aircraft (LCA), its not a in the class of F16 etc, for that class Tejas Mark2 (bigger tejas with canards like Rafael) is being developed. (Medium combat aircraft) expected rollout by 2028. 2. Tejas MK1 is not facing problems in exports due to technical problems. Its because: A. it more capable then its competitors so more expensive too in its class. Order for 120+ Tejas MK1a are under production, orders for another 100 expected soon, so costs will come down with volumes. B. The problem is also because of use of some imported parts. Some client countries have disputes with countries making these parts and didnt want to depend on them (e.g. Falkland issue of Argentina and UK). Once india developes its own solutions this will be resolved. (UK ejection seats, Israel radar in initial lot soon to be replaced by local, US Engine to be produced locally and nextgen Engine to be co-developed with France, US or UK for future fighters, negotiations going on) C. Geopolitics plays a big roll in defense procurement, e.g. if USA insists that it's friend or ally purchase secondhand f16s (e.g. Argentina) over tejas, yes it will succeed. (If US offers old F35s for the rate of F16 even india may consider) 3. India is integrating wepons local as well as imported on to it that will make tejas as capable as a higher class of fighters in some areas, with a wide variety of weapons compatibility.

Just acquiring the capability to develop not just the airframe but also all the other systems is difficult, and the IAF & HAL pulled it off. The only remaining hurdle is a modern engine with FADEC.

Tejas is better than Chinese Jets.

India didn't go for 1/2/3rd gen.. they went for 4th gen! India needs some time!

Hats off to India and HAL for sticking with it as long as they did. Setting up an indigigenous military aviation industry in a very competitive market is a matter of determination, patience and vision. And let's not forget: India does not steal technology, unlike a neighbor we won't mention. With a well educated population that most likely is capable of cyber espionage, that is all the more admirable imho. Even more so, when we consider the region in which India has to operate. It isn't exactly the most benign environment. Let's see how the country will pick up the pace with all the lessons learned in this programme. I feel it can only show acceleration and more mass/momentum over time. I wish western countries and companies would do more to help. Sure, they might help a future competitor become a formidable one, but then again, competition only keeps western industry on its toes as well. With today's geopolitics in mind that can only be a good thing.

The Tejas project was continuously hampered by western arms / fighter aircraft lobby to stop competition to them. It's only since 2014, under PM Modi govt. the project started running full steam.

The project has greatly enhanced the self belief of the aviation industry. It is always a difficult journey involving cutting edge technology. But it has helped the evolution of the ancillary industry. Mark my words we will do a great job. Countries won't share technology and we don't steal technology. We will prove it.