The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed its potent domestically made combat aircraft LCA Tejas in Kashmir for the first time.
According to the IAF, the decision to move the LCA Tejas fleet to Kashmir was taken keeping the force's operational requirements in mind.
The main reason behind shifting the LCA Tejas fighter jets to Kashmir from South India's Sulur airbase was to get the fleet accustomed to flying in the region's high mountains that lie close to the country's frontier with Pakistan.
"The LCA fleet has been moved to forward bases for gaining experience in flying in the valleys and other operations. The pilots of the fleet are carrying out extensive flying there," an IAF official was quoted as saying by a local media outlet.
The development is significant given that New Delhi has been phasing out its Soviet-era aircraft like MiG-21s. Last year, the IAF announced that it would retire all its remaining four MiG-21 squadrons by 2025.
On the other hand, the IAF has already ordered 83 LCA Tejas (Mk-1A) from the state-run defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with deliveries scheduled to begin early next year.
Also, HAL is developing an advanced version of the aircraft called Tejas Mark II or LCA MK2, which is expected to be ready by 2025.
Moreover, these different versions are set to form the bulwark of the IAF's fighter jet fleet in the years to come, replacing existing squadrons of Jaguar, MiG-29, and Mirage 2000 warplanes. At least 270 aircraft belonging to the aforementioned categories are scheduled to be phased out beginning 2029-30.