India’s defense and aerospace sector suffered a major blow when its homegrown Tejas Mk-1A fighter jet crashed during an air display at the Dubai Airshow 2025 on Friday.
The pilot lost his life in the fatal crash, with the Indian Air Force announcing that a court of inquiry was being set up “to determine the cause of the accident”.
“The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” read a post on the IAF’s official X account.
The fighter jet involved in the crash is India’s first indigenous fighter jet, which took its maiden flight in January 2001, according to a report by AFP.
While the concept for a homegrown fighter began in the 1970s, actual work on the aircraft project began in the 1980s.
However, India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) project for the fighter jet has faced years of criticism for delays and cost overruns.
After years of delays, the first two Tejas fighters were finally handed over to the IAF in 2016.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details.
