SOURCE: dawn.com
Talking to newsmen here on Friday, Western Air Command chief Air Marshal N.A.K. Browne said two units of medium-lift Mi-171V helicopters would be inducted in Rajasthan and occupied
He said the air force would continue to operate locally-built Dhruv advanced light helicopters and Cheetal helicopters in high-altitude areas, including Siachen, adding that IAF also planned to buy light utility helicopters for such operations.
The air marshal said the IAF was also planning to improve its air defence units all over Punjab and occupied
‘These (steps) are in tune with our focus to improve all-round offensive and air defence capability, operational infrastructure, and modernisation plans,’ Air Marshal Browne said.
The IAF, he said, was planning to install special mountain and light-weight radars along the 667-km border with
‘The air force is examining a special type of radars, which we call the ‘mountain radars.’ We are also looking at low-level light-weight radars. There is a definite plan,’ he said, adding that the radars would be put in place over the next four to five years.
The IAF had already awarded contracts for 19 low-level radars and its Western Air Command was already using some of them.
‘More are in the pipeline. They will start coming online from next year,’ he said, adding that two locally-developed Rohini radars had already been placed on the Line of Actual Control,
‘We do need to talk to everybody ... every one of our neighbours and at the same time keep our gun powders dry. We should maintain our preparedness at highest levels,’ media reports quoted Air Marshal Browne as saying.
When asked to comment on IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik’s remarks that India’s air force fleet was just one-third of China’s, he said the IAF was ‘extremely well-balanced on all fronts,’ like numbers, technology, modern platforms and equipment.
SOURCE: dawn.com
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