Last year safest for IAF: Air Chief

Shillong, May 19 (UNI) With a sharp decline in the accident rate, the past one year was the safest year in the history of the Indian Air Force, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said here today.

''The fears about the safety in the IAF are largely misplaced.

The number of accidents have come down and the last year was the safest in the history of the IAF,'' he said during an interaction with media at the Eastern Command (EAC) Headquarters here today.

The Chief of Air Staff was here on a two-day visit to address the EAC Station Commanders' Conference, which started yesterday. He also held discussions with senior officials including EAC's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal F H Major.

''The average number of accidents was about 23 in the previous years. It came down to about 11 last year,'' he said.

The Air Chief, replying to a query, also reiterated that the MIG-21 fighter aircraft were fully safe for operational purposes.

''We have been saying time and again that the MIG-21 aircraft are absolutely safe. No Air Chief would allow his boys and girls to be airborne in an unsafe machine, '' he said.

Accepting that there was an 'undesirable' delay in the development of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Air Chief Marshal Tyagi said the IAF was waiting to fly the indigenous aircraft.

''There has been a delay in development of the LCA, which is undesirable but understandable. A pilot would definitely love to fly an aircraft made in India,'' he said.

''The IAF has already signed a contract with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delivery of 20 LCA aircraft. They made an offer for 40 aircraft, but we decided to have 20. The first lot will come with GE engine and hopefully the next lots will come with the indigenous Cauvery engine,'' said the IAF Chief.

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