The Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) — Tejas demonstrated ‘exceptional flying capabilities’ once again, this time at the Singapore Air Show 2022, which began on February 15. However, its regional rival, the Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 ‘Thunder’ gave the aerial display a miss.

The flying displays are the most exciting and highly anticipated part of every major air show. LCA Tejas, which had enthralled the audience not too long ago at the Dubai Air Show made a stunning appearance in Singapore and the Indian Air Force tweeted and called it ‘A Diamond In The Sky’.

However, the one aircraft that is usually pitted against Tejas did not participate in the air show. The JF-17 Thunder skipped the flypast once again even as Pakistan has been boastful about inducting the new Block III variant of the fighter jet.

The Chinese state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, however, displayed a variety of military aircraft, including JF-17 fighters, helicopters, and drones, at the air show that kicked off on February 15.

AVIC promoted the JF-17B Thunder twin-seat fighter trainer as its main product. The company also displayed the pure fighter version of the JF-17, the L-15 fighter trainer, the FTC-200G fighter trainer, and the K-8 trainer aircraft.

The JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter’s adaptability for numerous mission sets was praised by the organization. The platform’s flight performance characteristics at medium and low altitudes, integrated avionics, and armament systems were featured in a booklet. However, despite much pomp and vigor, the JF-17 Thunder was benched.

The pullout of JF-17 Thunder from aerial displays or simply not participating in events that feature the LCA Tejas has become a pattern in the past few years.

At the Dubai Air Show 2021, Pakistan’s JF-17 ‘Multi-Role Combat Aircraft,’ which was supposed to be pitched against the Tejas, withdrew at the last minute for no cogent reason. It appeared to be an attempt at avoiding direct comparisons with the LCA Tejas, both at the ground and in the air.

This was a recurrence of the JF-17’s sudden withdrawal from the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2019, in which the Indian Tejas also took part. In the Bahrain Air Show of 2016, where these two rival jets were given slots next to each other at the Tarmac for static display, the JF-17 did not show up due to reasons best known to its promoter.

Ever since the Bahrain Air Show of 2016, this Sino-Pak fighter jet has avoided being seen next to the Indian LCA that has become the poster aircraft of the Modi government’s indigenization initiative and has gained great traction in the past few years.

However, it was perceived as heartburn in Pakistan as its ‘Thunder’ has been under the scanner owing to various technical concerns, especially with its engines, as previously explained by the EurAsian Times. This is also believed to be the reason behind Pakistan’s purchase of JC-10 fighters from China.

Further, the JF-17 which was earlier seen as a major contender for the Malaysian LCA tender alongside India’s Tejas was surprisingly dropped from the list of final contenders that featured only six names. Indian Tejas remains a frontrunner for the Malaysian contract.

The Tejas is a single-engine fourth-generation light combat aircraft designed by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The aircraft was designed for the Indian armed forces by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in partnership with HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC). In July 2016, the aircraft was commissioned into the Indian Air Force. The fighter jet is outfitted with a variety of cutting-edge avionics and.

The Tejas Mk-1A and Mk-2 are enhanced versions of the LCA. HAL secured a Rs 48,000-crore contract from India’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) last year to provide 83 new Tejas Mk-1A fighter planes.

HAL gained confidence in the fighter jet’s export potential as a result of this purchase. However, The EurAsian Times had previously analyzed the challenges Tejas faces in terms of foreign sales.

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