IAF Grounds All 30 Tejas Fighter Jets

 New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its fleet of around 30 Tejas fighter aircraft following an incident earlier this month at a forward base, sources said. The aircraft involved, a Tejas on a training sortie, sustained significant damage after overshooting the runway at a frontline airbase on February 7, reportedly following a suspected brake failure. There was no official statement from the IAF on the incident.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), however, said on Monday that there had been no crash of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. “The event in question was a minor technical incident on ground,” HAL said in a statement.

HAL said the aircraft maintains one of the best safety records among contemporary fighter jets. “As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution,” it added.

Sources said an extensive maintenance check of the entire fleet would be undertaken jointly by the IAF and HAL to ensure airworthiness and ascertain the cause of the incident.

This is the third reported accident involving the Tejas. In March 2024, a Tejas aircraft crashed near Jaisalmer. Another incident occurred in November 2025 during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow.

The development comes amid delays in the supply of the Tejas Mk-1A variant to the IAF. In February 2021, the defence ministry signed a Rs 48,000 crore contract with HAL for procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft.

Deliveries have reportedly been delayed, largely due to missed timelines by GE Aerospace in supplying aero engines for the jets.

In September last year, the defence ministry signed another contract worth Rs 62,370 crore with HAL for the procurement of 97 Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.