NEW DELHI: India expects to finalise the much-awaited Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) deal by the end of the current financial year, provided the process proceeds as planned, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of Air Staff, said on Saturday.
In its biggest-ever defence acquisition programme, India in February cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government framework. The move comes nearly two decades after the plan was first initiated to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s combat capabilities.
The price negotiations and other critical issues relating to the project are currently underway.
Addressing a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, the Air Chief Marshal also said that the force may have to look at the procurement of another platform if the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme faces delays.
“Russia has offered us Su-57 jets, but no decision has been made on it,” he said.
Responding to a question on the depleting strength of fighter squadrons, Air Chief Marshal Singh said the Indian Air Force (IAF) needs at least 36 to 40 aircraft annually in the next few years.
He said air power remains crucial in the context of overall military strength and that India needs to further ramp up its air power.
On modernisation of the IAF, he said the force has to be augmented through artificial intelligence
“We have to have an AI-augmented force,” he said.
Self-reliance is crucial for overall combat readiness, he added.
The Chief of Air Staff also underlined the need for India to produce a fighter jet engine in the country.
(With inputs from PTI)
