- Pakistan-China 5th-gen fighter jet collaboration raises concern.
- IAF Chief highlights delays in fighter jet induction, including Tejas.
- Indian Air Force needs 36-40 new fighter jets annually.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, while addressing a press conference ahead of the 94th Air Force Day on Saturday, flagged concerns over Pakistan collaborating with China on a fifth-generation fighter jet. It is a cause for worry, but India does have capabilities, he asserted.
It is not that one platform matters so much, he said, elaborating on measures to enhance the IAF's combat prowess. The government is looking at finalising the MRFA deal by this financial year, provided things go as per plan, he added.
Delayed Fighter Jet Deliveries Hurting IAF: Air Chief Marshal Singh
Air Chief Marshal Singh also highlighted concern over the delay in the induction of the fighter jets. The inordinate delays in inducting new combat jets, including the Tejas aircraft, are hurting the Indian Air Force (IAF) in view of the depleting strength of its fighter squadrons at a time when air power is increasingly becoming crucial to deal with security challenges, the Chief of Air Staff said.
IAF Requires 36-40 Fighter Jets Annually
The force requires induction of at least 36-40 fighter jets annually for the next few years to plug the gaps and hoped that the situation will improve with the induction of indigenously-built Tejas Mark-1A aircraft as well as Rafale combat jets to be procured under the multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) programme.
In its largest-ever defence acquisition push, India in February cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under a government-to-government framework with France, nearly two decades after the plan was originally rolled out to boost the Indian Air Force's combat prowess. The price negotiations and other critical issues relating to the project are currently being finalised.
"I think if things go well, we should be able to sign it (MRFA deal) in this financial year. That's what my hope is. But it is a two-way process," he said while referring to negotiations between the Indian and the French sides.
The IAF chief also voiced concerns over delays in supply of Tejas Mark-1A jets to his force. "There is some extra delay, and there is no doubt that it is going to hurt us," he said. "We need to induct two fighter squadrons every year. That means anything between 36 and 40 aircraft should be produced and inducted into the IAF for us to stop going down from the current 30 fighter squadrons and start improving towards the target of 42 squadrons. Actually, we need even more than that," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)