New Delhi. India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will hold its first flight demonstration outside the country at the Bahrain International Airshow 2016 being held from January 21 to 23.
According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release here, the show will witness not only a flying demonstration of the LCA but also the breathtaking aerobatics by the Indian Air Force (IAF) Sarang helicopter team. The Sarang team, which flies the HAL-made Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, has of course flown abroad on some occasions, including in the neighbouring UAE.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has played a key role in the development of these two aircraft, will also showcase some of its sensors and missiles. The Indian display will come from a few of DRDO’s public and private sector associates.
According to the press statement, the items on display will include naval and trainer variants of the LCA also, Nag anti-tank missile, Helina helicopter launched Nag missile, Akash Surface to Air missile, HMS-X2 Compact Hull Mounted Sonar, ATDS-X Advanced Torpedo Defence System, UWACS Micro Test System & Simulator, UWACS Trinton Underwater Communication System, Humtas-X Hull Mounted Torpedo Alert System, LFDS-X Low Frequency Dunking Sonar, AEW&C Airborne Early Warning and Control System, Aslesha 3-D Low Level Light Weight Radar, Bharani 2D Low Level Light Weight Radar and BFSR Battle Field Surveillance Radar.
India has taken part in defence exhibitions in the Gulf beginning with IDEX’93 and IDEX’95 in Abu Dhabi, but by and large, the participation has been moderate and inconsistent, largely because of India’s traditional policy of not exporting any lethal weapons. The reluctance of the system has been reversed over the last few years.
