Indian Air force is looking for fifth generation aircraft

Bangalore, Feb 11 (ANI): Air Chief Marshal PV Naik has said that increasing and mordernising the fleet is the primary focus of Indian Air Force (IAF).

Addressing a press conference at the Aero India 2011 here on Thursday, Air Chief Marshal Naik said: "We are looking for a fifth generation aircraft. We are looking for an aircraft which is capable of super supercruise, capable of very potent long range weapons, capable of higher level of avionic shall, which are not there in a fourth generation aircraft and which technology permits you to have. 2017 is the expected induction date. Our plan is to have about 200-250 of them, not more."

He said that every country has the right to develop their strength. Pakistan and China are developing their Air Force, so is India.

"As far as exercises with China are concerned, I am not aware of any such proposal whether it was accepted or rejected. As far as Pakistani Air Force is concerned, every country is a sovereign country, they have full right to develop their own strengths, they have full right to develop and indulge in their own weaknesses. So, if they are developing their Air Force, so are we," he said.

Both countries have equal right to develop their Air Forces. As far as threat perception is concerned, military minds are told to analyse each and everything, however small or big, which affects the development of the country. So, we analyse everything which is small or big and we plan accordingly," he added.

Naik said IAF is in the process of acquiring helicopters of different types and size in the next couple of years. It is acquiring 12 AW 101 VVIP helicopters, trials for 22 attack choppers have been completed, 80 Mi-17 IV helicopters are being inducted and 50 odd would be added in near future, trials for 12 heavy-lift choppers are also in the final stage and would be completed soon.

On the upgrades to be carried out on the Su-30MKI, Air Chief Marshal Naik said the aircraft would have state-of-the-art equipment and HAL, DRDO and Russian manufacturers were involved in the development of the Aesa radar also for the air superiority fighter. (ANI)