IAF faces shortage of fighter jets 21 Apr 2008, 0018 hrs IST , Rajat Pandit , TNN
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NEW DELHI: At a time when the primacy of airpower in winning wars or at least "shaping" the battlefield for the army to move in is well-established, IAF will not be able to achieve its "sanctioned" strength of 39.5 fighter squadrons even by 2017.
Both Pakistan and China, on their part, are rapidly boosting their air forces. Pakistan, for instance, is getting 36 more F-16s from the United States, coupled with its plans to induct as many as 250 JF-17 %u2018Thunder%u2019 fighters from China.
The previous IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, in fact, had even warned the UPA government that "unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in IAF%u2019s force levels, the nation will, for the first time in its history, lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan".
The six-year delay by the government in launching the hunt for 126 new multi-role combat aircraft. "The depleted air force is a serious risk to national security," warns the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence.
The IAF is down to just about 30-32 squadrons (each has 12 to 18 jets) at present, with many more older MiG variants lined up for progressive retirement.
Even with new acquisitions, India will only have 35.5 fighter squadrons by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2012), and 37.5 squadrons by end of the 12th one, say
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by Roni gavaskar on Apr 21, 2008 12:47 PM Permalink
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RE:PLEASE READ THIS GENTLEMEN...PLEASE...A BIG THREAT
by Terminator on Apr 21, 2008 01:47 PM Permalink
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