Malaysia has shown keen interest in India's home-grown Tejas fighter jet; a week after light combat aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received final operational clearance for manufacturing fully weaponized version of the jet.
A report in Indian Daily Business Standard suggests that Malaysian defence minister has asked New Delhi to send a Tejas fighter to the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2019 (LIMA'19) — Malaysia's premier defence exhibition — being held from March 26-30.
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"There is significant overseas interest in buying the Tejas light fighter. HAL is pursuing imminent opportunities in South-east and West Asia," HAL chief R Madhavan told Business Standard while not disclosing the prospective customers.
On 4 January, Sputnik had reported that Tejas has been given the final go-ahead for its full-scale manufacture by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, the regulatory body for certification and qualification of military aircraft and airborne system.
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Last October, Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi Al Falacy, the UAE's minister of state for defence affairs had shown interest in the low cost and simple design fighter jet developed by HAL. He visited HAL facilities in Bengaluru and received a briefing of the ongoing projects in HAL.
Currently, the HAL is working on an order of 123 such jets ordered by the Indian Air Force.