Synopsis
The Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show turned a moment of national pride into sudden heartbreak when Wing Commander Syal lost his life. This article unpacks the events of that day, explains why the Tejas crash matters for India’s defense readiness, and outlines the practical lessons and reforms needed to ensure the program recovers stronger. It also honors the pilot’s sacrifice and shows how the Tejas crash can become a catalyst for accountability, safer engineering, and faster delivery of operational jets.
Table of Contents
The Tejas crash during the Dubai Air Show on November 21, 2025, was more than a tragic accident. It was a public failure witnessed by defense experts, global media, foreign air forces, and international buyers — the exact audience India needed to impress. Instead of showcasing progress in indigenous combat aviation, the crash exposed vulnerabilities that India has been either ignoring or downplaying for years.
One pilot’s death turned into a moment of international doubt: Is India actually ready for self-reliance in strategic defense aviation, or is it pretending?
Wing Commander Namansh Syal, a highly experienced pilot and a symbol of the Indian Air Force’s elite capability, was the one flying that day. His loss is a direct consequence of a program that demands perfection from pilots but still suffers from technical, logistical, and structural weaknesses.
Introduction to Tejas Crash at Dubai Air Show 2025
India entered the Dubai Air Show 2025 expecting applause, global credibility, and new opportunities for defense exports. Instead, the world witnessed a Tejas crash — a defining failure that overshadowed years of effort behind the country’s indigenous fighter jet. One of India’s best pilots, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, lost his life in seconds, and with that loss came a hard dose of reality: ambition without flawless execution is not progress — it’s a liability.
The tragedy forced a question that India has tried to avoid for too long:
Is the Tejas program truly ready for frontline responsibility, or is India betting its national defense on a system still battling basic reliability issues?
A Few Fatal Seconds: How the Tejas Crash Unfolded
This wasn’t a mechanical failure that developed slowly. It was instantaneous.
During a negative-G dive into a barrel roll — a maneuver repeatedly practiced — the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude too quickly. The pilot initiated emergency corrections, but the Tejas did not respond adequately. Within seconds, the jet slammed into the ground and exploded, leaving no time or space for safe ejection.
The worst part? Spectators and cameras from all over the world watched the aircraft — India’s prized indigenous fighter — become a fireball in a matter of seconds. This is the kind of visual disaster that changes narratives and influences foreign procurement decisions.
The Tejas crash wasn’t just a tragedy. It was damaging optics on the world’s biggest aerospace stage.
Negative-G Maneuver Risks: A Harsh Reminder
Negative-G maneuvers may look impressive, but they come with brutal physiological effects:
- Blood rushes to the head
- Vision blurs or greys out
- Spatial awareness suffers
- Muscular control slows down
Even the best-trained pilots can be overwhelmed. In low-altitude displays, you don’t get a second chance. The Tejas crash proves that aerobatic showcases require absolute synergy between pilot reaction speed and aircraft responsiveness — and that synergy clearly wasn’t present that day.
Why Every Tejas Crash Hits India Harder than Others
India’s air defense strategy depends heavily on the success and mass deployment of Tejas. That’s not a marketing line — it’s a desperate necessity.
India needs 42 fighter squadrons to guard two hostile borders. Even today, we operate around 29 — and that number is decreasing as legacy jets retire. Every MiG-21 phased out leaves a major operational hole.
Tejas was designed to fill that gap, replace outdated jets, and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. Every crash isn’t just a loss of hardware — it is a direct hit to national combat readiness and credibility. Other nations can afford such failures. India cannot.
Production Delays: HAL’s Output Is Now a National Security Problem
Tejas was inducted in 2016. Nearly a decade later:
- Only 38 fighters are in service
- 83 ordered in 2021 are delayed
- HAL still operates like a slow bureaucratic workshop, not a wartime aerospace manufacturer
India doesn’t lack intelligence, ambition, or funding. It lacks urgency, accountability, and execution discipline.
If HAL continues at this pace, Tejas MK1A may become outdated by the time the full fleet is delivered.
A slow defense ecosystem equals a vulnerable nation.
Technical Weaknesses That Can’t Be Hidden Anymore
India’s narrative has been “Tejas is world-class.” But the truth is more complicated:
Issue | Impact |
Underpowered engine (GE F404) | Lower thrust-to-weight → reduced agility in combat |
Dependency on foreign avionics | Weakens true “Make in India” credibility |
High pilot workload | Precision maneuvers demand exceptional skill at all times |
Quality control challenges | Risks reliability during intense operations |
Limited variants available today | Slower modernization of the IAF fleet |
Tejas MK1 was intended as a stepping stone — but that stepping stone itself must first be stable.
The Tejas crash proved that the stability isn’t consistent yet.
A deeply painful moment for Indian aviation. Watching Tejas crash with no sign of ejection is something that leaves you shaken. Our pilots carry the nation’s pride every time they fly, and seeing this feels like a punch to the heart. Still waiting for clarity, but the visuals… pic.twitter.com/BDlJhnC4k4
— Shashank Singh (@shashank_seo) November 21, 2025
Foreign Dependence: Reality vs. Self-Reliance Hype
India keeps promoting “Atmanirbharta,” but reality looks like this:
- American engines
- Foreign radars and EW systems
- Delayed / failed indigenous Kaveri engine program (₹2100+ crore spent)
India does not have the luxury of depending on the U.S. or Europe for critical components during a war.
Sanctions and export blocks are real threats.
One Tejas crash forces us to confront the truth — India is only partially independent in defense aviation.
Comparison hurts — but necessary harsh truths do:
Country | Fighter Strength | Trend |
China | 200–250 advanced jets, including stealth | Rapid growth |
Pakistan | Continuous upgrades with China’s support | Upward |
India | Squadron deficit, slow modernization | Downward risk |
While India holds press conferences about future jets, China deploys them.
Rivals are progressing faster than India is producing.
The Tejas crash intensifies this strategic disadvantage.
Human Loss: Training Investment That Can’t Be Replaced
A fighter pilot isn’t a replaceable asset like a car engine. Training a Wing Commander-level pilot takes:
- 5+ years of structured training
- Thousands of flight hours
- Operational combat readiness certifications
- Years of strategic, tactical, and instructional experience
Replacing a jet is expensive. Replacing a pilot like Syal is almost impossible.
The human cost of the Tejas crash is a direct blow to operational strength — not just emotional sentiment.
The village of Kangra was overcome with grief as Wing Commander Afshan bid a heartbreaking final farewell to her husband, Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who died in the Tejas crash in Dubai. Locals gathered in large numbers to pay their respects, but the moment Afshan stepped… pic.twitter.com/lyICu8QCjs
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 23, 2025
Global Crashes Happen — But India Suffers More
It’s a fact:
- F-35 — multiple crashes despite top-tier funding
- J-20 — testing failures still common
- Russian jets — aging fleets crash regularly
But here’s the critical difference:
Those nations have depth.
India does not.
They lose jets → They build more.
India loses jets → We struggle to fill basic squadron needs.
Patriotic excuses won’t fix that.
The Real Root Causes: Culture, Accountability, and Weak Pressure
India’s aerospace sector suffers from three chronic diseases:
1️⃣ Too much bureaucracy — decisions crawl
2️⃣ Too little accountability — failures are tolerated
3️⃣ Too much celebration — small milestones are hyped irresponsibly
India celebrates prototypes.
Other nations celebrate squadron deployment.
If India keeps praising incomplete progress, the results will continue to be incomplete — and pilots will continue to pay the price.
One Tejas crash should shake the nation out of this comfortable delusion.
Lessons India Must Accept — Not Just Announce
✔ Set ruthless performance standards
✔ Reduce political influence over technical decisions
✔ Bring private sector competition into fighter manufacturing
✔ Accelerate MK1A, MK2 with zero compromise
✔ Re-evaluate air show risk profiles — lives > marketing
✔ Punish delay and defects, reward delivery and quality
Self-reliance doesn’t come from slogans.
It comes from pressure, consequences, deadlines, and discipline.
Also read About- Replacement of MiG-21 with Tejas LCA mark 1A
The Path Ahead: India Must Decide What It Really Wants
This Tejas crash is not the end of the program — but it must mark the end of complacency.
India has shown it can do the impossible — a Mars mission at first attempt, a Moon landing in a hostile region.
So building a reliable fighter aircraft is fully achievable — but only if:
- Engineering replaces politics
- Discipline replaces excuses
- Speed replaces celebration
India is at a turning point. The choice is simple:
➤ Build indigenous fighters that the world respects
or
➤ Remain permanently dependent on foreign powers in times of war
A fighter jet program defines a nation’s ability to defend itself.
Tejas will either become the backbone of India’s skies — or another delayed dream file collecting dust in DRDO archives.
The cost of choosing wrong has already been witnessed in Dubai — in flames, in smoke, and in the loss of a pilot who deserved better from the system he served.
Author’s Viewpoint
The Tejas Crash at the Dubai Air Show must be viewed as a pivotal moment rather than an isolated accident. While the aircraft has represented India’s aspirations for indigenous defense capability, this incident underscores the urgent need to reassess the pace, priorities, and structural challenges surrounding the Tejas program. The objective is not to criticize for the sake of criticism, but to ensure that safety, reliability, and long-term operational success remain uncompromised.
A crash of this magnitude demands complete transparency in the investigation process, technical accountability from every stakeholder involved, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths within India’s aerospace development ecosystem. Tejas is a national asset, and any weaknesses revealed through this tragedy must be treated with seriousness, not defensive denial.
This event also presents India with an important strategic opportunity. The loss of Wing Commander Syal cannot simply be acknowledged with ceremonial words; it must translate into tangible improvements that honour his contribution to India’s aviation future. The Tejas project should now evolve with a renewed commitment to operational excellence — faster decision-making, stronger collaboration between HAL, DRDO, and the Indian Air Force, and accelerated upgrades that enhance combat readiness.
India must ensure that the lessons learned here shape the development of Tejas Mk1A, Mk2, and every future version with a more rigorous approach to testing, pilot safety, and real-world performance. If pursued diligently, this tragedy can become the turning point that transforms Tejas from a promising fighter into a globally respected platform built on resilience, precision, and continuous innovation.
Ultimately, I believes that India is at a crossroads. The Tejas program is far too important to allow setbacks to erode confidence or derail progress. Instead, this moment calls for maturity — to recognize flaws without discouragement, to reform without delay, and to commit to excellence without exceptions. Wing Commander Syal’s sacrifice must serve as a reminder that the pursuit of indigenous air power comes with responsibility — responsibility to every pilot who flies Tejas, every soldier who depends on it, and every citizen who believes in India’s ability to build world-class defense technology. The only fitting tribute is a future where Tejas succeeds not because it is Indian-made, but because it is genuinely one of the best in the sky.
Final Word: The Tejas Crash Must Be a Line in the Sand
The Tejas crash at Dubai wasn’t just an accident — it exposed the cracks in India’s defense establishment that have been ignored too long. Either India fixes those cracks today, or one day those cracks will define India’s fate in a real war — not an air show.
If India wants respect on the world stage, it must first respect the responsibility of building world-class aviation. Tejas must evolve — immediately — into a jet that protects the flag, not one that forces the nation to defend its shortcomings.
This program is too important to fail. And too costly to keep failing.
The future of India’s skies depends on whether bold action finally replaces comfortable excuses.
Pratik Kondawale
Strategist | Indian Defence & Global Affairs
Founder of GeoLens.in, Pratik writes in-depth analysis on India’s defence strategy, military tech, and global power shifts delivering sharp insights through an Indian lens.
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