An Indian fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show, killing the pilot and dealing a blow to New Delhi’s goal of becoming a defense export powerhouse.
The explosion in front of global arms buyers likely leaves India reliant on its own military for orders of the Tejas jet, Reuters wrote.
“The imagery is brutal,” the head of a US aerospace-focused think tank said. India and its archrival, Pakistan, jockeyed for influence throughout the weeklong event, held six months after their brief clash, which featured the world’s largest air battle in decades.
The Pakistani contingent touted a fighter it co-developed with China that was deployed during the May conflict.