On 07 November 2008, India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft achieved an important milestone when it took to the skies by night. In its maiden flight by night, the Prototype Vehicle-3 aircraft took off at 8:05 PM from Bangalore airport and carried out a set of predetermined manoeuvres to demonstrate its night capability.

The aircraft was piloted by Gp Capt N Tiwari of the National Flight Test Centre. Wg Cdr RK Dash as the test director, along with several Senior Officers of the Tejas Program were at the telemetry station monitoring the progress of the flight. The flight met all its test objectives.

The night qualification marks an important step towards achieving Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The flawless flight will pave the way for systems and weapon integration for delivery by night. The modifications for achieving night capability has been worked out by a dedicated team in Aeronautical Development Agency and ably supported by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited supported by IAF, CEMILAC and DGAQA.