PM Modi's sortie in Tejas admirable, bold and very inspiring: Gen V K Singh

New Delhi [India], November 26 (ANI): "Saluting" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "bold and very inspiring" sortie in the indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured Tejas Twin Seat Light Combat Fighter Aircraft, Union Minister General VK Singh (retd) said it further promotes 'Make in India' in the defence sector.
The sortie was carried out from the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment, Bengaluru on Saturday. During the 30-minute sortie, the capabilities of fighter aircraft Tejas were demonstrated to the PM.
Singh also highlighted the fact that it is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has flown a fighter aircraft sortie.
"This step by the Prime Minister is quite admirable, bold and very inspiring. Talking about these three, I want to say this is inspiring because the PM himself was sitting in the fighter aircraft, manufactured in India, which is being used by Indian Air Force," Singh said on Saturday.
"Secondly, this is very bold because, ahead of this, no other PM has taken a fighter aircraft sortie and we should be proud of it. Thirdly, it further promotes 'Make in India'. To sum up, this is a big step taken by PM Modi and we should salute him," he added.
Singh further said that Tejas is already been inducted in the IAF and soon its number will be increased.
Meanwhile, another BJP leader and minister Prahlad Singh Patel in a conversation with ANI said, "PM Modi's fame and working style is such that he leads from the front...After every incident, whether it is our army, our social workers or our future generation always feel confident & perhaps this is the identity of leadership. PM Modi leads from the front."
PM Modi, who has given a strong impetus to Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing applauded the scientists, engineers and flight test crew associated with the designing, development and production of state-of-the-art fighter aircraft.
He expressed pride in the capabilities of Indian engineers and scientists.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru on October 4.
The sortie of the Prime Minister was being looked after by the Indian Air Force, which currently has two squadrons of these planes.
The IAF has already placed orders for 83 new LCAs, which are now named 'LCA Mark 1A.' (ANI)