IAF acquires 126 new fighter aircraft to replace MIG-21s

Chandigarh, Oct 10: The Indian Air Force (IAF) would acquire a fleet of 126 new fighter aircraft, replacing the MIG-21s, in the span of four years, Minister of State for Defence Expenditure Rao Inderjit Singh said today.

The country would soon invite international bidding for the upgraded fighter aircraft even as companies from the United States, Sweden, France and the United Kingdom show interest in these biddings, Mr Singh told newsmen at a 'Meet the Press Programme' at the Chandigarh Press Club here.

He said there has been a decline in the number of incidents of MIG crashes. Such crashes have been reduced to 0.16 per 10,000 hours of flying from April to September this year from 0.44 in 2004-05, he added.

The IAF has acquired some Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft from the British company 'Hawk' to train fighter pilots.

Mr Singh said that the IAF would be procuring the new fleet of fighter aircraft which would be more advanced than the American F-16s being suppied to Pakistan.

Admitting that the country was falling short of officers in the IAF, Army and Navy, he said the government had recently taken initiative and had chalked out a strategy to attract the intelligent lot of youngsters to make their career in the defence forces.

UNI