Indian Naval Aviation must keep ahead of China: Bedi

Kochi, Aug 17 (UNI) Declaring that India has a head start of nearly 45 years over China in Naval Aviation, Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, today said the country must ensure that this gap was not bridged.

Inauguraing a symposium here on the 'Changing Face of Aviation', to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the School for Naval Aviation (SFNA), VAdm Bedi said it was known that the Chinese were feverishly working on an aircraft carrier and it was rumoured that 'VARYAH' was being re-engineered for this purpose.

''Having the hardware is one thing, but exploting the same is totally different ball game. In the field of Naval Aviation, we in the Indian Navy have a head start on the Chinese for four and a half decades. We must not allow this gap to be bridged,'' he added.

Lauding the crucial role played by the SFNA, he said that it had trained Naval airmen to operate, both from ashore and aloat, a wide variety of aircraft.

''Today we are confident of our embarked flying. This confidence is a result of four and a half decades of valuable experience that we have gained. It is this experience, which enables us to feel confident today that Vikramaditya (aicraft carrier Goshkov, to be inducted into the Navy in another two years) with her potent squadrons of Mig-29K and KA-31 poses no problem for us,'' he added.

VAdm Bedi expressed confidence that, as the force stood on the threshold to induct Mig-29K, Light Combat Aircraft, new Long-Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) aircraft and heavy lift helicopters, SFNA was already working on the issues and updating its training methodology to man and operate these aircafts safely.

''The school has to play a vital role in amalgamation of men and machine while catering for high technology intensive new induction equipment. To augment this change, SFNA will be shifting to its new complex with state of the art training facilities in 2008,'' he added.

The release of a first day cover and the SFNA's Golden Jubilee Magazine also marked the function, which was attended by senior Naval and Civilian officers.

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