An Indian Hindu priest conducts a ritual in front of a newly commissioned Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas or Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in Bangalore on July 1, 2016, during a ceremony in the southern Indian city. (Photo: STR, AFP/Getty Images)
An Indian Hindu priest conducts a ritual in front of a newly commissioned Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas or Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in Bangalore on July 1, 2016, during a ceremony in the southern Indian city.
(Photo: STR, AFP/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — After 30 years of waiting, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday revived its decommissioned Russian MiG-21 Bis of the Flying Daggers squadron and inducted two homemade Tejas aircraft plus an additional trainer aircraft built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore.

The Flying Daggers squadron will achieve its ultimate goal of reaching a fleet of 20 aircraft, including four of the aforementioned training craft, in the next two years, according to a senior IAF official.

Tajas aircraft will replace the MiG-21 Bis aircraft, he said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Tejas planes, India’s first independently-developed fighter craft, will be a force multiplier. “Moment of National pride. Indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet inducted into Air Force. Tejas will take our air strength to new heights,” Parrikar wrote on Twitter.

“Tejas is the first advance Fly-by-wire (FBW) fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in India. Conceived as a MiG-21 replacement, the aircraft has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by HAL, ” an IAF news release said.

Tejas, meaning Radiant, is a fourth-plus-generation aircraft with a glass cockpit, and is equipped with a state-of-the-art satellite-aided inertial navigation system.

The plane has an autopilot and a digital computer-based attack system. It has the capability of firing air-to-air missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions, the release from the IAF said. Additionally, it is equipped with close-combat air-to-air missiles, a helmet-mounted display and precision-guided weapons. It is capable of dropping unguided bombs with accuracy due to its highly advanced indigenous mission computer.

The plane has been given initial operation clearance, final operation clearance is expected to be granted by the year 2017.

The two new Tejas craft are part of the first squadron of 20, thereafter another batch of 20 more Tejas aircraft with the same configuration will be ordered. Once the fleet reaches a figure of 40 and the plane has been deemed to be fully operational and proven successful, an additional 80 LCA Mark-1 will be ordered with additional features.