India Friday achieved a major military milestone by inducting its first home-made light combat aircraft Tejas into its Air Force, after nearly 30 years of effort.

Though the light combat aircraft is now airworthy, Tejas will be able to fire long-range missiles and integral guns, and undergo mid-air refueling to double its strike range only by mid-2015.

"There was a lot of criticism about delays, and we learnt lessons from them. But Tejas has become a reality now. It's a major milestone in our indigenisation drive, a great day for the entire nation," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said after giving the Initial Operational Clearance-II to the aircraft in the southern city of Bengaluru.

He said that the Air Force may need 200 Tejas in the years to come and even export the fighter jets to friendly countries.

The state-owned Defense Research and Development Organisation and Hindustan Aeronautics and Aeronautical Development Agency have developed the aircraft. Endi

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