HAL HF-24 Marut: The full fleet of Indian Air Force HAL Tejas fighter jets has been stopped from flying for now. This decision came after three crashes happened in the last two years. The latest accident took place in early February 2026. It happened during a training mission and officials said it was caused by a technical problem.
Because of this, around 30 single-seat Tejas jets have been taken out of service. They will go through a deep and careful technical check. The Air Force wants to find out what went wrong and make sure the aircraft are safe before they fly again.
Many people think Tejas is the first fighter jet ever made in India. That is not correct. While Tejas is very important for the country, it was not the first one built in India.
Tamil Nadu Secures ₹1,600 Crore Investment in Aerospace & Defence
Was Tejas the First India-Made Fighter Jet?
Tejas was developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, also known as HAL. It is India’s first indigenous supersonic fighter jet. It is also called the world’s lightest supersonic fighter aircraft. That is a big achievement for India.
But India had already built a fighter jet many years ago. In the 1960s, the HAL HF-24 Marut became the first fighter jet made in India. This was the country’s first successful indigenous fighter program.
HAL HF-24 Marut: India’s First Fighter
The HF-24 Marut flew for the first time in 1961. It officially joined service in 1967 with the Indian Air Force. The aircraft used Orpheus 703 engines and could reach a top speed of 1,112 kilometres per hour. It also became the first Asian jet fighter to move beyond the testing stage.
India-Brazil Partnership: Adani Defence and Embraer Plan E175 Jet Assembly Line in India
The Marut served for about 25 years. It also played an important role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The aircraft was designed to cross supersonic speed. However, it did not have enough engine power and could not go beyond Mach 1.
