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1. Dassault Rafale
This highly advanced twin-jet combat aircraft was designed by the French aerospace manufacturer, Dassault Aviation. It is widely considered one of the best fighter jets in the world and India, currently has 36 of them in its arsenal.
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2. Mirage-2000
The Mirage-2000 had its inaugural flight in March 1978. This single-engine, fourth-generation fighter jet features several variants and is in service in various countries including India, the UAE, Qatar, Brazil, Taiwan, Greece, Peru, and Egypt.
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3. HAL Tejas LCA
Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is a significant milestone of the Make in India campaign. Tejas was a result of India’s commitment to self-reliance. The Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first Tejas aircraft—a single-seat, single-engine, lightweight, and highly agile supersonic fighter—in July 2016.
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4. Sukhoi Su-30MKI
Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multi-role combat aircraft which was manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in collaboration with Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau. As per 2023, the IAF operated about 300 units of this aircraft. In October 2000, India entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia to initiate the licensed production of Su-30MKIs at HAL's facility.
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5. Mikoyan MiG-21
MiG-21, nicknamed ‘Flying Coffin’, holds the distinction of being the most produced and widely sold fighter jet globally. The aircraft has been in commission in India for about 60 years now, and has undergone several upgrades to match up with the third-generation fighter jets.