These are exciting times for the Indian Air Force after battling years
of obsolescence and depleting fleet strengths, it is now poised for a
major transformation. What does the future hold? In an exclusive
interview, Air Chief Marshall PV Naik, the Chief of Air Staff discusses
his strategy for the transformation of the IAF.
Here's his conversation with NDTV's Security & Strategic Affairs Editor Nitin Gokhale.
NDTV: Let me start by asking you what are the changes that
are being done in the Air Force for the past 3-4 years and what do you
think is going to happen in the next 3-4 years?
PV Naik: The process of change started seven or eight
years back but it is materialising now, which is a very very exciting
thing. Over the next 3-4 years, I expect the IAF to become one of the
most modern air forces in the world. There are lots of things in the
offing - we have aircrafts, equipment, missiles, radars actually we have
a very long list.
If you permit me I will just read out from this just to tell you what all inductions we have planned.
First list is of acquisitions: 126 MMRCA's is
well-known. 214 fifth generation fighter aircrafts that will be coming
around 2017; 42 SU 30's additionally, we require the RFP has been issued
to HAL; 75 trainers - that process is well on its way, two more AWACS
of IL-76 base which we are waiting for; 10 C-17s - another famous deal
cleared by CCS; 80 + 59 medium-lift helicopters; 22 attack helicopters;
12 VVIP helicopters. There are upgrades also going on for weapon
systems: 63 MiG-29's, that upgrade is well on its way in Russia. Mirage
2000 upgrade will be going to the CCS next week and Jaguar
re-engineering, that is another major project for which a new RFP has
been issued now. Missiles, 18 firing units of MRSAM (Medium Range
Surface to Air Missiles), 4 Spyders, 49 SR-SAM that is short range, 8
Aakash missiles.
As far as radars are concerned, Rohinis,
aerostats, medium-power radars, low-level tactical radars, low-level
light weight radars, we have the AFNET which is already active, we have
the MAFI (Modernisation of Airport Infrastructure) which is going on.
The first airfield to convert on to MAFI would be Bhatinda. And we have
the IACCS which is active, so if you see all-round development of the
Air Force is in the offing.
NDTV: Some of the deals are always in focus... for
example, the 126 fighter jets, it's been a long process... and you've
had a technical re-evaluation, flight testing and now you have come down
to two manufacturers. There has been a lot of speculation, a lot of
writing on this - that the Americans and the Russians were very unhappy
and that they in fact went to the extent of saying some of the processes
were unfair... they weren't transparent enough, what do you have to say
to that?