Mishap rate will come down with AJT induction: Air Marshal

Chandigarh, Mar 25 (UNI) Western Air Command's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal A K Singh today said the IAF would soon get 24 Advance Jet Trainers (AJT) and another 42 would be manufactured indigenously at the HAL.

With the upgradation of technology, pilots would graduate from sub-sonic to super-sonic speed and incidents of plane crashes would reduce, he told mediapersons here.

He said six pilots had already been trained at the Royal Air Force Training Academy at Wales in the United Kingdom.

On the issue of rising incidents of air crashes, he said, ''For IAF, one accident is too many and despite our best efforts, accidents do happen.'' When asked about the involvement of MiG aircraft in maximum crashes, he said, ''There are 460 MiG aircraft and if a plane crashes, 33 per cent chances are that it is a MiG.'' On the future requirements to maintain force-levels, Air Marshal Singh said that IAF has sent a proposal to the Defence Ministry for the immediate need of 126 multi-role aircraft and were also looking forward to acquire medium lift aircrafts.

On a visit here on the occasion of Air Force awareness campaign, he said old aircraft -- phased out from the force -- were being given to schools, colleges and engineering institutes at a minimal price.

Putting aside the traditional and deep rooted norms, the IAF has changed the saluting system for the last two weeks and now the salute would be at 45 degree and could be done headgear or cap to give more comfort to its personnel, he said.

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