The crash of a Tejas aircraft in an airshow in Dubai is unfortunate for three reasons. First, the country lost a frontline pilot who was doing his duty of showcasing our indigenous fighter. He would have been an ace aviator, as only the exceptional ones are given display flying duties. Second, he has left behind a grieving family and equally sad compatriots who would, as this is being written, be doing what they can to console his near and dear ones. And third, an international airshow setting is the worst place for such a mishap – the country was trying to publicise the aircraft, and several cameras were recording its performances, and our adversaries were watching. That said, the show must go on. What needs to be done to get back on track? Four things need to be done.
One, acceptance of the fact that in such high-visibility aircraft crashes, transparency in the public domain regarding the reason(s) of the accident and steps being taken to prevent further mishaps is vital to restoring public confidence. The authorities must release the accident investigation report of the Tejas promptly, unlike the “mystery” that still surrounds the Air India AI-171 crash. Normally, IAF’s accident investigation reports are confidential – an exception may have to be made in the Tejas case, as was done in the helicopter crash in which General Bipin Rawat lost his life.
Second, any negative impression on the operational capability of the Tejas needs to be put to rest. Human beings were not meant to fly, so accidents, unfortunately, will happen. There have been countless mishaps in international airshows. The government and the Indian Air Force have placed their trust in Tejas Mk1A and its successor, the Mk 2, to be the backbone of the fighter fleet for the coming decades, thus emphasising that the aircraft meets the capability requirements of the IAF. To project the required deterrence posture in the coming years, capability has to be backed up with robust capacity building. The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) comes into the picture big time for this. To obviate any negative impression created in Dubai, HAL must really work overtime and meet its delivery promises so that the combination of capability and capacity proves the naysayers wrong. This cannot happen overnight, but the ill-effects of the Dubai accident must galvanise HAL in more ways than one.
Third, the Dubai accident should not hold us back in publicising Tejas in future international airshows. As someone who has worn the blues for almost four decades, this writer knows the inherent strength, professionalism, and resilience of IAF’s air warriors and their equipment. One knows that, after the religious formalities are over, the first sortie would be flown by the Squadron’s Commanding Officer – honouring a timeless Air Force tradition that the “old man” always leads from the front. The show will go on.
Finally, the Dubai accident should be seen as just that – an accident. A social media battle seems to be on about Tejas’s capability. To all those on social media, let me say: Trust the Indian Air Force. It will always do what’s right for the country.
The writer is Former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies
