Hindustan Aeronautics Limited officially delivered the first production HF-24 Marut to the Indian Air Force.

The Marut was India’s first indigenous jet fighter-bomber and the first Asian jet (outside the Soviet Union) to enter full production and service.

It played a significant role in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, particularly in ground-attack missions during the Battle of Longewala.

The project was led by Kurt Tank, the famous German aeronautical engineer who previously designed the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 for the Luftwaffe during WWII.

He moved to India in 1956 to head the design team at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

On 17 June 1961, the maiden flight of the HAL HF-24 Marut was successfully conducted.

On 1 April 1967, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) officially delivered the first production HF-24 Marut (Spirit of the Tempest) to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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