SOURCE: AFI
Air Commodore Nouman Ali Khan, a decorated officer of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) who gained prominence for shooting down an Indian MiG-21 Bison while piloting an F-16 during the 2019 aerial skirmish, recently made headlines with pointed remarks about India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program.
Khan, speaking at a defense seminar in Islamabad, took a dig at the Tejas, questioning its operational status and mocking its absence near India’s frontline bases along the international border. In contrast, he lavished praise on the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder Block-III jets, asserting their superiority over even the upgraded F-16 (MLU-20) and highlighting their active role in multiple combat operations.
“Where is the Tejas of India? I have never seen it flying in Indian airspace near the international border,” Khan remarked sarcastically, implying that the aircraft has yet to be deployed in a meaningful operational capacity along India’s sensitive frontiers. His statement appears to be a jab at the slow pace of the Tejas program’s integration into frontline squadrons of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Khan’s comments come at a time when the IAF has been working to induct the Tejas Mk1A variant, an upgraded version of the original Mk1, into its fleet. The IAF has placed orders for 83 Tejas Mk1A jets under a ?48,000 crore deal signed in 2021, with deliveries ongoing. Despite this, the aircraft’s deployment to forward bases along the Line of Control (LoC) or near the international border with Pakistan has been limited, fueling speculation and criticism from observers like Khan. The IAF has primarily stationed its Tejas squadrons in southern India, such as at Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu, rather than in the more operationally critical northern and western sectors, which Khan appears to exploit as a point of ridicule.
In stark contrast to his dismissive remarks about the Tejas, Khan extolled the capabilities of the JF-17 Thunder Block-III, a lightweight multirole fighter jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC). “The JF-17 Block-III is better than the older F-16 (MLU-20) in many aspects,” Khan claimed, emphasizing its advanced avionics, radar systems, and weapon integration capabilities. The Block-III variant, which entered service with the PAF in recent years, features an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, improved electronic warfare systems, and compatibility with modern weaponry, making it a formidable platform in the PAF’s arsenal.
Khan further highlighted the JF-17 Block-III’s operational track record, asserting that the aircraft has been actively involved in several missions, including operations inside Afghanistan and Iran, as well as during the 2019 air skirmish with India following the Balakot airstrike. “The JF-17 was part of the strike package during the 2019 operation and has proven its worth in real combat scenarios,” he stated. While Khan did not provide specific details of these alleged operations in Afghanistan and Iran—claims that remain unverified and controversial—his remarks underscore the PAF’s confidence in the JF-17 as a reliable and versatile fighter jet.
The JF-17 Block-III’s role in the 2019 skirmish has been a subject of debate. India has claimed that its MiG-21s engaged PAF aircraft, including F-16s, during the aerial encounter, with Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman credited with downing an F-16 before being shot down himself. Pakistan, however, has denied the loss of any F-16 and has not officially confirmed the involvement of JF-17s in the operation. Khan’s assertion that the JF-17 was part of the “strike package” adds a new layer to this narrative, though it remains uncorroborated by independent sources.
Indian defense officials have previously countered such criticisms by highlighting the Tejas’s technological edge over the JF-17 in areas like composite materials, fly-by-wire systems, and indigenous avionics. They argue that the Tejas is designed to meet the IAF’s specific requirements and is not merely a competitor to the JF-17 but part of a broader strategy to build a self-reliant defense ecosystem. The IAF has also dismissed claims of the Tejas’s absence from frontline roles as premature, noting that the aircraft’s deployment is a phased process aligned with operational readiness and strategic priorities.
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