(Video) Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) Security Scan: Boosting IAF Capabilities

Topic: Boosting IAF Capabilities

Expert:

Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd., Defence Expert)
Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (Retd., Addl Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies)
Lt. Gen. (Dr.) V.K. Saxena (Retd., Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation)

Topic Description:

The government is set to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia, days after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Centre will also purchase the upgrades of the aircraft's existing fleets. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will soon be issued to the Russian state-run defence export arm. On January 13, The Cabinet met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi and approved procurement of 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircrafts and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 Trainer aircrafts at the cost of Rs. 45,696 Crore along with Design and Development of Infrastructure sanctions worth Rs.1,202 Crore. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) along with the French Air Force commenced the first major international military exercise involving their respective Rafale fighter jets in Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Wednesday. As part of the first edition of the joint 'Exercise Desert Knight-21', four French Rafale fighters landed in Jodhpur after flying directly from the Djibouti airbase using their A-330 multirole tanker transport aircraft.