— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Fali Homi Major at a press conference in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: An aerospace command to give India means to exploit its space assets for military purposes will take shape soon. The IAF has chalked out a plan to give it a truly global combat reach, the new Air Force chief Fali Homi Major said on Monday.

In his maiden interaction with the media after taking over as Air Force chief on March 31, he said a time-bound plan was already underway to induct top-of-the-shelf fighters, force multipliers and other strategic assets to help the force on its way to have worldwide reach.

Denying that the delay in floating international tenders for purchase of 126 medium range combat aircraft (MRCA) could hit the country's defence preparedness, he said all threat perceptions in the present geo-political scenario had been "catered to."

The RFP for the fighters would be out soon. The tenders involved complex issues such as life cycle costs, transfer of technology and framing of integrity pact, which were being worked out. "It is for the first time that the IAF as well as the Ministry of Defence has come up with concepts such as life cycle costs. So it is taking a little longer."

But the IAF was going in for upgrading of its top-of-the-shelf fighters such as MiG-29 and Mirage 2000 to ensure that the country's air power retained the cutting edge in the region in the meantime.

Along with purchase of fighters, the IAF was in various stages of acquiring radars, surveillance platform and other strategic assets. The aerospace command would also become a reality soon. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail