IAF procured 16,000 indigenous components in 3 yrs: Air Chief

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Chief Marshal Vivek R Chaudhari, PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chief of Indian Air Force (IAF), on Saturday, said that IAF was emphasising on indigenisation for combat readiness and the IAF had procured more than 16,000 indigenous components for their assets in last 2-3 years. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari made this statement while interacting with mediapersons at Kasturchand Park on the sidelines of a function organised by Bhosala Military School. “We have opened up all our Base Repair Depots (BRDs), including all air force, units for the industry. We can not rely on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for repair and maintenance of our assets. Therefore, Indian companies should be encouraged to meet the demand of IAF for maintenance and repair,” he said. “Today, the Indian defence industry is technologically viable. IAF is encouraging startups and local companies to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.

 

Asked about the recovered debris of AN-32 aircraft of IAF after 7 years since it crashed in Bay of Bengal in 2016, the Air Chief Marshal said, “India has progressed in state-of-the-art deep-sea technology. As a result, these technologies helped us to discover the aircraft even after seven years.” The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) said, “IAF is taking measures required to prevent such accidents in near future. We are using technology to avoid such incidents.” The mystery surrounding the IAF’s AN-32 transport aircraft, which had gone missing over the Bay of Bengal in 2016, may be solved after wreckage of a crashed aircraft was detected off the Chennai coast a couple of days ago. Twenty-nine personnel were onboard the aircraft which went missing during an operation mission.

 

The National Institute of Ocean Technology, which functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, believes that the wreckage possibly belongs to the crashed AN-32 aircraft because no other aircraft crashed at that site or in that area and the photographs of the debris underpinned the results from the deep-sea search operation. Interacting with media, the CAS said, “IAF is procuring more ‘Made in India’ aircraft to meet its demand in near future. For example, the Defence Ministry has given nod to procure 97 more Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK 1A fighter jets. We have already signed a contract of 83 LCA MK 1As and the deliveries for which are to start in next few months.” IAF already had 40 LCAs of the original IOC and FOC version. With this major procurement IAF will have 220 LACs in near future which will replace the Mig-21 series fighter jets, said the Air Chief.