Will Tejas Fly At Vayu Shakti 2026? Missed Rehearsal Amid Fleet Checks Casts Uncertainty

Participation of LCA Tejas in Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokharan is uncertain after it skipped full-dress rehearsal. The Indian Air Force is conducting fleet-wide checks with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited following a February 7 ground incident in Gujarat.

New Delhi: Uncertainty looms over the participation of indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas in an upcoming Indian Air Force’s operational demonstration named Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokharan in Rajasthan, scheduled to take place on February 27.

Sources in the IAF told Asianet Newsable English that the LCA Tejas did not fly in the full-dress rehearsal on Tuesday, adding that it might also not participate in the exercise on February 27.

The LCA was expected to showcase its agility and advanced avionics during high-intensity drills alongside foreign fighter jets on February 27.

The LCA Tejas fleet is undergoing maintenance checks following a recent accident which led to an injury of a pilot. The accident, which took place on February 7 at Nalia airbase in Gujarat, is suspected to have been triggered by a brake failure.

Tejas fleet maintenance inspections

As Asianet Newsable English reported on Monday that a joint team from the Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is conducting comprehensive maintenance inspections of the entire fleet to determine the root cause of the accident.

The sources had clarified that no ejection occurred, as the incident involving the fighter aircraft took place on the ground rather than in flight.

In a statement, the HAL said: “There has been no reported crash of the LCA Tejas. The event in question was a minor technical incident on ground.”

“LCA Tejas maintains one of the world’s best safety records among contemporary fighter aircraft.”

“As a standard operating procedure, the issue is being analysed in depth and HAL is working closely with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a speedy resolution.”

It was the third accident involving the Tejas jets. The first one took place in March 2024 in Jaisalmer while the second one was during Dubai Air Show in 2025.

In February 2021, the Ministry of Defence had signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

In September 2025, the ministry sealed another deal worth ₹62,370 crore with HAL to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.

LCA Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.