Armenia has put its negotiations with India on hold for the purchase of Tejas fighter jets, days after one of the aircraft crashed during an aerial demonstration at the Dubai Airshow.
The crash, which occurred on Saturday, claimed the life of Wing Commander Namansh Sial, the pilot flying the aircraft. The incident immediately triggered concerns about the jet’s reliability and has now led Yerevan to halt progress on a major defense agreement.
Before the suspension, Armenia had been in discussions with the Indian government and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the acquisition of 12 Tejas jets valued at $1.2 billion. The deal, if finalized, would have represented the aircraft’s first significant export order.
The Tejas program, launched in 1982 as part of India’s long-term drive to expand both its domestic defense production and global arms exports, was designed to replace the aging fleet of MiG-21 aircraft. India only recently retired the last of its MiG-21s. Thus far, the Indian Air Force has taken delivery of 40 Tejas fighters from the initial production batch.
HAL has now begun manufacturing 97 units of an upgraded variant known as the A1, which incorporates advanced enhancements aimed at matching Western-class fighter capabilities. Several of these upgrades rely heavily on Israeli-developed systems, including radar technologies provided by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Investigators have yet to determine whether the Dubai accident was caused by mechanical failure or human error. However, defense analysts note that the crash has already damaged the Tejas’s international image. Should Armenia ultimately abandon the procurement plan, IAI could face losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars, as the company supplies key components integrated into the aircraft.
