An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was killed on Friday after a Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai airshow, the IAF said.
The pilot was identified as Wing Commander Namansh Syal from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.
“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai airshow. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a statement, adding that a probe has been launched.
The crash was the second involving the India-built single-engine fighter jet since it was inducted by the IAF in July, 2016.
Images circulating on social media showed the fighter jet hitting the ground and exploding into a fireball. The pilot was performing low-level aerobatic manoeuvres when the Tejas crashed on the concluding day of the five-day airshow, which began on November 17.
The development comes as the IAF is looking to induct an advanced variant of the plane, the LCA Mk-1A.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the tragedy. “Deeply anguished at the loss of a brave and courageous IAF pilot during an aerial display in Dubai Air Show. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The nation stands firmly with the family in this tragic hour,” he said on X.
“The nation has lost a brave, dutiful, and courageous pilot. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.I pay heartfelt tribute to the indomitable bravery, dedication to duty, and commitment to national service of brave son Naman Syal Ji,” Himachal CM Sukvinder Singh Sukku wrote on social media platform X, where he first announced the identity of the pilot in the crashed Tejas.
Syal, 37, is survived by his wife, who also serves in the Indian Air Force, their six-year-old daughter, and his parents.
A Tejas fighter jet had earlier crashed near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on March 12, 2024. The pilot ejected safely. The crash occurred minutes after the jet had taken part in the tri-services Bharat Shakti exercise at the Pokhran firing range near Jaisalmer, an event that sought to demonstrate the strides India has made towards self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.
The IAF operates two squadrons (a squadron has 16 to 18 planes). The two aircraft that crashed were part of the IAF’s Mk-1 fleet, which includes the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations, the first variants of LCA.
The IAF has so far placed two separate orders for a total of 180 Mk-1As (the latest LCA variant) with a combined value of ₹1.1 lakh crore to shore up its fighter fleet. The first contract for 83 jets was inked in February 2021, followed by a second for 97 fighters in September 2025.
None of the fighters ordered four years ago have been delivered yet. The IAF could take delivery of the first of the 83 jets ordered in the coming months; the contract is likely to be executed over the next four to five years. Delivery under the second contract for 97 aircraft is expected to begin in 2027-28 and be wrapped up over six years. The LCA Mk-1As will replace the MiG-21 fighter jets. The IAF, the world’s fourth largest, retired the last of its iconic MiG-21s in September, concluding a 62-year journey.
The IAF is concerned about the current pace of the LCA Mk-1A programme, as a delay in the induction of new fighters could pose risks to its combat effectiveness. The LCA Mk-1A programme (83 aircraft) was earlier hampered by the delay in the supply of F404-IN20 engines. The delivery of engines for the first order has now stabilised. US firm GE Aerospace has already delivered a few engines, and another 20 units are expected next year after the US firm fixed supply chain bottlenecks. The engine maker has also said it will deliver more than 20 engines per year from 2027 onwards.
The first of the 83 LCA Mk-1As on order will be delivered after the completion of weapon trials. The first aircraft, however, was to be delivered in March 2024 under the 2021 order.
In October, defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated new production lines for the LCA Mk-1 and the HTT-40 basic trainer in Nashik to meet the IAF’s growing needs. HAL can build 16 Mk-1As every year in Bengaluru, and the Nashik production line will help increase the total annual production to 24 jets.
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