India Tejas Fleet Update

On February 7, 2026, an Indian Air Force HAL Tejas Mk1 fighter overshot the runway at a forward airbase along the western front while returning from a training sortie. A suspected brake failure caused the jet to veer off the runway into an adjoining ditch, inflicting major structural damage on the airframe. The pilot sustained injuries but survived. The IAF subsequently grounded its entire fleet of approximately 35 Tejas fighters for exhaustive maintenance checks. This marked the third hull loss for the type since entering service in 2016, following incidents at Jaisalmer in 2024 and at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025.

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