Article Posted on : - Feb 08, 2018

Chief of the Staff of the French Air Force, General Andre Lanata on Wednesday flew a sortie on the IAF's LCA 'Tejas'. Image credit: IAF_MCC tweet.

JAIPUR (PTI): The Chief of the Staff of the French Air Force, General Andre Lanata, on Wednesday flew a sortie on the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' in western Rajasthan.

The indigenously built aircraft took off from the Jodhpur Air Force Station. Lanata was in the rear seat of the twin-seat trainer aircraft, a defence spokesperson said.

US Air Force chief General David L Goldfien had also flown a sortie on the LCA at the air force station on Saturday.

Group Captain Rajesh Joshi briefed Lanata about the air force station, which is strategically located in the western part of the state, the spokesperson said.

Joshi is also the commander of the IAF's Jodhpur station.

Other IAF aircraft were also shown to Lanata who is in the country to enhance bilateral defence cooperation between India and France.

'Tejas' is a single-seat, single-jet engine multi-role aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL).

The French air force chief was accompanied by his wife.

They also visited other operational units of the station, the spokesperson said.

The first squadron of 'Tejas' was inducted into the IAF in July 2016.