By IANS,
Bangalore : The Indian Air Force (IAF) will restructure its inventory to ensure better maintenance and to achieve its sanctioned strength of 39.5 fighter squadrons by 2015, a top military commander said Thursday.
“We have a large inventory of platforms and maintaining (this) is a huge problem. Our strategy is to narrow it down to as few fighter platforms as possible, two-three mainstay transports and two-three mainstay helicopters,” IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Aero India international air show.
The combat jets currently in the IAF fleet include the Sukhoi SU-30 MKI, the MiG-29, the MiG-27, the Mig-21, the Jaguar and the Mirage-2000.
Major also said that the plummeting of the IAF’s fighter squadrons to an all time low of 29 was a phase which comes in the life of every force as old aircraft are phased out and new ones inducted. The current strength of the IAF’s fighter squadrons is 33.5.
“Every air force in the world goes through this phase in its life. I am quite confident that without losing the combat edge against your likely adversaries, the squadron strength may slightly go down and then again pick up.
“By 2015 and maximum by 2020 we will achieve it.” Major asserted.