Exercise Desert Knight concludes: India set for 6th gen capabilities
New Delhi, Jan 24: Eight Rafale aircraft have already arrived in India and three more are expected by the end of this month, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said.
The IAF chief was speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of 'Exercise Desert Knight-21' held in Jodhpur by the air forces of India and France.
He said IAF has initiated a fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and plans to incorporate some sixth-generation capabilities in it as well.
"Our present vision is to incorporate all the latest technologies and sensors in our fifth-generation aircraft," Bhadauria said.
"We started work on fifth-generation aircraft a little late. So technologies and sensors contemporary to that period of development would be added into fifth-generation fighters," he added.
Bhadauria said when IAF received the Rafale aircraft, the first priority was to operationalise it and integrate it with the existing combat fleet.
"It
has
already
been
done,
and
the
current
exercise
Desert
Knight
was
the
result
of
that,"
he
said.
"We
have
some
Indian
pilots
training
in
France
and
some
in
India
itself.
We
have
enough
pilots
to
have
a
right
pilot-cockpit
ratio,"
the
Air
Chief
Marshal
said,
adding
that
the
entire
induction
would
be
completed
by
next
year.
Firepower on display: Rafale to feature in Republic Day parade for first time
Earlier, Bhadauria congratulated both the air forces for successfully completing the exercise in just four days. Desert Knight-21 was scheduled to be held over five days.
"It is not in terms of interoperability which has been learnt in this exercise, but employment of best practices, operational philosophies and mutual as well as professional interaction," he said.
Later,
talking
to
the
media,
French
Ambassador
to
India
Emmanuel
Lenain
said
bilateral
cooperation
between
the
two
countries
has
been
going
on
ever
since
the
first
French
aircraft
landed
in
India
in
1953.
"
Now
Rafale
is
the
reflection
of
this
strengthened
cooperation
and
partnership,"
Lenain
said.
He
said
this
partnership
has
persisted
through
good
and
bad
times.
"When India faced difficulties during its atomic test in Pokran in 1998, we were at your side while other countries opposed and objected. And we were also by your side in cooperational manner when you had difficulties with one of your neighbours," the ambassador said.
He said this exercise would further help in building mutual trust and pave the way for more cooperation.