Need 5-6 squadrons of 4.5-gen jets: IAF chief
NEW DELHI: India will need five to six squadrons of 4.5-generation fighter jets to fulfil the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s immediate needs, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Garuda VII joint air exercise with the French Air and Space Force in Jodhpur.
A statement by IAF said that showcasing the defence and bilateral ties between the two countries, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari conducted a sortie in a Rafale jet while his French counterpart General Stéphane Mille flew in a Su-30MKI fighter during the exercise in Jodhpur.
“Both participated in the exercise as part of a combined training mission which was flown from Air Force Station Jodhpur,” IAF said in a statement.
The force also tweeted news of the development: “Leading by example. Chiefs from both the #IAF & @Armee_de_lair (FASF) took to the skies in one of the multi-aircraft missions flown during #ExerciseGaruda.”
The drill is aimed at enhancing the interoperability between the two sides, said an IAF official familiar with the matter.
Reiterating IAF’s fighter needs, ACM Chaudhari said after the sortie: “We require five-six squadrons of 4.5 generation aircraft to meet immediate requirements.” Each squadron consists of 18-20 fighters.
“There’s no doubt that in any future conflict anywhere in the globe, air power will play a very vital and critical role in deciding the outcomes of the conflict. Such exercises (Garuda) give us the opportunity to hone our skills,” he added.
The IAF chief further said the Garuda VII exercise was a unique opportunity for both air forces “to learn and imbibe each other’s best practices during operations”.
He also highlighted the growing interoperability between both air forces, which has been developing with each successive edition of the exercise since 2003.
General Mille also said the exercise was important for interoperability. “We are here to fly together with Indian aircrew. Sometimes, with a simple act, we can do a lot. Doing this exercise,
IAF CONTINGENT ALSO INCLUDES COMBAT ENABLING ASSETS LIKE FLIGHT REFUELLING AIRCRAFT, AWACS, AEW&C AND GARUD SPECIAL FORCES
we are able to understand each other during the flight. It’s very important to be able to fly and operate together,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Ex Garuda VII is also the first occasion for the LCA Tejas and the recently inducted LCH Prachand to participate in any international exercise. The exercise, which is due to culminate on 12 November 22, includes four FASF Rafale fighters and one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. Apart from the LCA and LCH, the IAF contingent consists of Su-30 MKI, Rafale and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as Mi-17 helicopters,” the Indian Air Force said.
The IAF contingent also includes combat enabling assets like flight refuelling aircraft, AWACS, AEW&C and Garud Special Forces.
“The experience of the Indian Air Force with French equipment has been very good and the close cooperation between the two air forces goes back a long way to the Toofani (fighter) days of the 1950s. The two air chiefs flying in each other’s aircraft is a testimony to this friendship which extends beyond the optics to the operational arena,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), former additional director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies.