A technical glitch involving an Indian LCA Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Air Show 2025 triggered a wave of memes and online mockery after footage of the incident went viral.
According to reports, the Tejas aircraft suffered an oil leak during the event, with videos showing Indian Air Force technicians placing shopping bags under the jet to collect the dripping fluid.
The clip spread rapidly across social media platforms, overshadowing India’s attempt to showcase the Tejas as a modern, capable multi-role fighter.
The viral footage sparked thousands of jokes, with users describing the jet as “standing on shopping bags” and calling the situation an “international embarrassment in HD.”
Memes comparing the aircraft to leaking taps, budget cars, and DIY repair projects dominated feeds on X, Instagram, and Facebook. Some users even transformed the clips into parody videos with laugh tracks and humorous sound effects.
While Indian authorities have not commented on the malfunction, the episode has ignited online debate about the fighter jet’s reliability.
On social media, however, humor and criticism continue to run in parallel as the leak remains one of the most talked-about moments of the Dubai Air Show, more for the memes than the machine.
