Emphasising induction of modern aircraft to sustain and enhance the Indian Air Force’s combat potential, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari has said that the force requires five to six squadrons of 4.5 generation aircraft to meet its immediate requirements.
The IAF chief was in Jodhpur where Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force (FASF) are participating in a bilateral exercise ‘Garuda VIl’, which will go on till 12 November. “As per our airforce requirement, it’s very important for us to add 4.5 generation aircraft to our inventory. Definitely, we require 4.5 generation aircraft, five to six squadrons of these aircraft to meet immediate requirements,” Chaudhari said.
The IAF chief said there is 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.
“We’ve learnt how to carry forward our interoperability. French Air Force also flies Rafale, we also fly Rafale, but we fly many other aircraft along with Rafale. It’s important to learn how to interoperate with friendly nations,” he said.
The ‘Garuda VII’ exercise involves a number of combat aircraft including Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, and Sukhoi-30s. It commenced on 26 October and will culminate on 12 November. The exercise witnessed combined flying by the IAF Chief Chaudhari and Chief of the Air Staff of FASF, General Stephane Mille.
While the Chief of Air Staff flew a sortie in an IAF Rafale fighter, the FASF Chief flew in an IAF Su-30MKI fighter. Both participated in the exercise as part of a combined training mission which was flown from Air Force Station Jodhpur.
FASF is participating in the exercise with four Rafale fighter aircraft, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and a contingent of 220 personnel.
The IAF is participating with Su-30 MKI, Rafale, LCA Tejas and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters.
The IAF contingent also includes combat-enabling assets like Flight Refuelling Aircraft, AWACS and AEW&C. The joint exercise aims at enhancing operational capability and interoperability, while also sharing best practices.
French Air & Space Force chief Gen Stephane Mille expressed his views on the military exercise between the two nations. General Mille said, “We’re here to fly together with Indian aircrew. Sometimes, with a simple act, we can do a lot. Doing this exercise, we are able to understand each other during the flights. It’s very important to be able to fly and operate together.”
