ISLAMABAD: India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas crashed on Friday during a demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, reigniting questions over the aircraft’s safety and performance.
The incident came a day after footage reportedly showed Indian Air Force personnel covering an oil leakage from the aircraft.
A 2015 performance audit by India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had flagged 53 deficiencies in the LCA Mark-I, including misaligned panels, fuel leaks, vibration issues, and instability at low speeds.
According to the report, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had granted 20 permanent waivers for parameters the aircraft could not meet, and 33 temporary waivers for systems still under development, including radar performance, electronic warfare suites, and all-weather capability.
The crash provoked strong reactions on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with users criticizing India’s Air Force leadership, operational oversight, and public communication.
Some highlighted the discrepancy between official statements denying technical problems and repeated incidents. Others condemned what they called theatrics and lack of professionalism in aircraft demonstrations.
Indian defense analyst Ashok Swain said: “This happens when Air Force generals are committed to a dictator’s whims and his image building rather than protecting their men and women and defending the motherland. Tejas crashed in Dubai air show killing its pilot.”
One user @SyndromeKnight wrote: “Yesterday PIB was chest-thumping about ‘no oil leak reported,’ and today a Tejas crashes and the pilot dies. The denial vs. reality gap is insane.”
Another user @Tiju0Prakash criticized the Air Force leadership: “Our pilots posing for selfies while Tejas struggles is deeply embarrassing. We need accountability, not PR theatrics.”
Meanwhile, some Indian media outlets, including Republic TV, aired claims blaming the United States for the crash, suggesting that the Tejas engine was deliberately targeted and that foreign powers consider India’s fighter program a threat.
Experts and independent observers caution that technical failures and known deficiencies remain the most plausible causes, emphasizing that such allegations remain unverified.
The IAF confirmed that the pilot of the Tejas died in the crash. Indian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
.jpg)
