IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria flies LCA Tejas jets, operationalises 18 Squadron Flying Bullets

NewsBharati    27-May-2020 15:06:59 PM
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Coimbatore, May 27: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria flew the single-seater Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) at the Sulur air force station on Wednesday. The Indian Air Force Chief also operationalised No. 18 Squadron ‘Flying Bullets’ at the same venue.
 
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According to the officials, the IAF chief flew the aircraft which is part of IAF's 45 Squadron with whom he worked to develop the Tejas jet. IAF has reportedly inducted 16 weaponised Tejas jets into its combat fleet since June 2018.
 
Earlier, the IAF had stated it will operationalize a second squadron of the indigenously built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). This squadron being Number 18 Squadron, Flying Bullets will be operationalized by the IAF Chief at Sulur in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. 
 
 
Flying Bullets, will be raised with Tejas aircraft in the Final Operational Configuration. It is the second IAF Squadron to fly LCA Tejas while the first squadron was the Number 45 the Flying Daggers which was formed in 2016.
 
 
The 18 Squadron which was formed on April 15, 1965, had immensely contributed in the 1971 India-Pakistan war with Pakistan. Late Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the only IAF personnel to be honoured with gallantry award 'Param Vir Chakra' was part of this squadron.
 
The 18 Squadron was flying the MiG 27 aircraft. However, it was withdrawn from service in April 2016 and it was resurrected on April 1. The fourth-generation Tejas has been indigenously designed by the Aircraft Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
 
Defence Acquisition Council in March had approved the procurement of 83 of the more advanced Mk1A version of the aircraft from HAL estimated to be Rs 38,000 crore by finalising the contract.