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At a time when the Indian Air Force is seeing a fall in squadron strength, it is learnt that a high-level Defence Ministry committee has accepted the need for getting new multirole fighter aircraft for the service to enhance its fighting capabilities.
The acceptance of the Indian Air Force requirement is learnt to be part of the report submitted by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to the Defence Minister on 'Capability Enhancement of IAF'. Sources told ANI that the committee has accepted the need for the Indian Air Force to have new multirole fighters to meet its requirements for preparing for the next generation of conflicts. The sources said that, as per the discussions during the Committee meetings, the Indian Air Force would prepare the statement of case for acquiring capabilities, and the Defence Ministry would work towards getting the required approvals at different levels in a time-bound manner. The committee submitted the recommendations to the government when the US was pushing for selling its single-engine F-35 fifth-generation fighter aircraft while the Russian side was offering its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. If the Indian Air Force follows a tender process to acquire the new aircraft, the French Rafale and Swedish Gripen, along with the fifth-generation fighters, are also likely to be involved. These aircraft are a mix of single and twin-engine fighters. In the past, the Indian Air Force has projected a requirement for 114 multirole fighter aircraft with 4.5-plus generation capabilities. Earlier, the service also planned to push for buying Rafales only to meet its requirements. The Indian Air Force has been trying to build its future force around indigenous platforms, including the LCA versions of the Mark-1, Mark-1A, Mark-2, and fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. However, the delays caused by dependence on foreign sources for critical components like engines and other equipment have raised serious concerns about meeting timelines. The Committee has identified key thrust areas and made recommendations for implementation in the short, medium and long term so as to achieve the desired capability enhancement goals of the lAF in an optimal manner. (ANI)
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