Tejas crash at Dubai Airshow biggest embarrassment for India: Analysts

Experts say incident deepens concerns over India’s fighter programme

Web Desk

22 Nov, 2025

Pakistan

Retired Pakistan Air Force officers and defence analysts have termed the crash of India’s Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow a major blow to New Delhi’s aviation credibility, Radio Pakistan reports.

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Ijaz Malik said aviation mishaps at airshows are not unusual, but the Tejas crash carries “special significance” in the context of the current global security environment.

He noted that international defence circles had already been questioning the capabilities of Indian pilots, fighter jets and air-defence systems.

Malik recalled that India has been attempting to replace its ageing MiG fleet — often described as “flying coffins” due to frequent crashes — with the indigenously developed Tejas.

Commenting on the Dubai incident, he suggested that the Indian pilot may have been under “immense psychological pressure” following an impressive acrobatic display by Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder a day earlier.

He argued that the pilot attempted manoeuvres beyond both his own capacity and that of the aircraft, resulting in a loss of control.

On the failed ejection, he said ejection seats function only under specific conditions and believed the pilot did not have enough altitude to safely eject.

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Aftab Hussain called the incident “the biggest embarrassment for India,” particularly because the Dubai Airshow attracts leading global aviation manufacturers and delegations from countries seeking new aircraft for their air forces.

He noted that this was not the first crash involving an Indian-made aircraft, citing earlier failures during trial phases.

Hussain said Tejas represents another indigenous attempt that met a similar fate, adding that the aircraft’s engine “went out of control beyond repair,” leaving the pilot unable to eject.

Both analysts argued that the crash is likely to intensify global scrutiny of India’s defence manufacturing ambitions.

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