IAF chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne on Friday made a strong pitch for new multi-role combat jets for which long-winding price negotiations were underway with French aircraft-maker Dassault Aviation. He said there was no "Plan B" available to maintain depleting fighter fleet.
The sudden demise of key defence ministry official A.K. Bal, who was handling key air force acquisitions, has dealt an unexpected blow to the negotiations for 126 French Rafale fighter aircraft.
Tragic loss of the senior official would slow down the acquisition process, Browne said, adding the IAF desperately needed these aircraft by 2017 to maintain the fighter squadron strength which was much below the sanctioned number of 42. The new joint secretary, he said, would take time to settle down and understand the intricacies of the complex negotiation process. Till 2017, the IAF will continue to add more Su-30 MKI squadrons to negate the impact of phase-out of MiG-21s. The IAF will have 13 Sukhoi squadrons by 2017, up from existing eight.
05/10/13 Gautam Datt/Mail Today/India Today
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The sudden demise of key defence ministry official A.K. Bal, who was handling key air force acquisitions, has dealt an unexpected blow to the negotiations for 126 French Rafale fighter aircraft.
Tragic loss of the senior official would slow down the acquisition process, Browne said, adding the IAF desperately needed these aircraft by 2017 to maintain the fighter squadron strength which was much below the sanctioned number of 42. The new joint secretary, he said, would take time to settle down and understand the intricacies of the complex negotiation process. Till 2017, the IAF will continue to add more Su-30 MKI squadrons to negate the impact of phase-out of MiG-21s. The IAF will have 13 Sukhoi squadrons by 2017, up from existing eight.
05/10/13 Gautam Datt/Mail Today/India Today
