New Delhi: Continuous warnings over the past decade as regards the alleged tardy pace of induction of new fighter jets into the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the resultant loss of “combative edge” are now ringing true.
By the end of this year, the IAF would be at its lowest combat strength in more than a decade, a source said.
The government is aware of the gravity of the situation and the plans are afoot to tackle the situation. The country is now faced with the reality of projections on IAF fighter fleet made separately over the past 10 years by the Indian Air Force, strategic thinkers, successive reports of parliamentary committees on defence and the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
A senior official admitted “yes we will be down to 32 squadrons by the end of this year and are in the middle of the predicted shortage”. In simple words, the IAF with 576 fighter jets will be well short of the 750-strong fighter jet fleet mandated by a government sanction to wage a simultaneous two-front war with Pakistan and China.
06/07/15 Tribune
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By the end of this year, the IAF would be at its lowest combat strength in more than a decade, a source said.
The government is aware of the gravity of the situation and the plans are afoot to tackle the situation. The country is now faced with the reality of projections on IAF fighter fleet made separately over the past 10 years by the Indian Air Force, strategic thinkers, successive reports of parliamentary committees on defence and the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
A senior official admitted “yes we will be down to 32 squadrons by the end of this year and are in the middle of the predicted shortage”. In simple words, the IAF with 576 fighter jets will be well short of the 750-strong fighter jet fleet mandated by a government sanction to wage a simultaneous two-front war with Pakistan and China.
06/07/15 Tribune
