The Indian Air Force has condoled the death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who died in a Tejas fighter jet crash at the Dubai Air Show 2025 on Friday.
In a post, X IAF said, “The Indian Air Force deeply mourns the tragic loss of Wg Cdr Namansh Syal, who lost his life in an unfortunate accident involving a Tejas aircraft at the Dubai Air Show.”
In a video of the send-off shared by the IAF, both Indian and UAE officials are seen paying their respects to the fallen soldier.
Among the pictures, Wg Cdr Syal is seen in IAF uniform in one, while in another he is wearing a flight suit as he stands in front of a Het fighter jet.
“A dedicated fighter pilot and thorough professional, he served the nation with unwavering commitment, exceptional skill and an unyielding sense of duty,” the IAF also said, adding, “His dignified personality earned him immense respect during his lifetime of service and was visible at the send-off attended by UAE officials, colleagues, friends and Indian Embassy officials.”
The IAF said it stands in solidarity with Wg Cdr Syal’s family and honors his legacy of courage, dedication and honour.
Syal, who is a native of Himachal Pradesh, was killed on Friday after a fighter jet manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) crashed during the Dubai Air Show at around 2:10 pm local time (3:40 pm IST) after it flew past the venue during a demo.
This was the second accident of the indigenous fighter Tejas in less than two years, but since 2001 when they started flying.
On 12 March 2024, one Tejas fighter jet crashed near a residential area in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer while returning from an exercise involving all three services of the Indian Armed Forces called “Bharat Shakti”.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates.
