Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa addresses the media in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
INDIAN Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa Wednesday said that the depleting fighter strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was its “main concern” which cannot be allowed to go below 30-31 fighter squadrons. In this context, he said, the procurement of Rafale fighter aircraft from France and the S-400 missile shield from Russia are “like a booster dose for the IAF”.
Addressing the annual press conference ahead of Air Force Day on October 8, ACM Dhanoa said that the IAF “had been consulted at an appropriate level” when the government took the decision to procure only 36 Rafale aircraft and cancelled the 126 MMRCA proposal. “We had reached an impasse in the MMRCA negotiations. We had only three options: wait and hope for the best, withdraw the Request For Proposal (RFP) and start over again or do an emergency purchase…,” ACM Dhanoa said.
He added that the government then took the “bold step” of buying 36 Rafale aircraft from France. He gave the example of procurement of Mig23, Mirage 2000 and Mig29 where only two squadrons…
