BS Dhanoa was replaced by RKS Bhadauria as Chief of the Air Staff (file)
New Delhi:
Former Air Chief of Staff BS Dhanoa on Wednesday welcomed the Rafales’ arrival in India and said he had defended the deal to procure the multi-role jets despite political controversy over prevent him from following the path of the Bofors.
The alleged fallout from the purchase of a batch of Bofors firearms in the mid-1980s and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled defense procurement as bureaucrats feared making decisions on military purchases.
“I defended the deal because I did not want it to go in the direction of the Bofors. We were against the politicization of the defense acquisition process. It was a question of the capacity of the army. ‘air, “Air Chief Marshal (ret’d) Dhanoa told PTI.
On Wednesday, India received the first batch of five Rafale jets, almost four years after signing an intergovernmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the planes at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The IAF received Rafale aircraft 23 years after importing Sukhoi-30 Ks from Russia in 1997.
“I am very happy for the Indian Air Force because it (the Rafale) has given the Air Force a huge leap in capability and technological asymmetry over our adversaries, something that has been missing for so long. “said Mr. Dhanoa.
Mr. Dhanoa was replaced by Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria as Chief of the Air Staff in September last year.
(Retired) Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, under whose mandate the mega-agreement was signed, said the induction of the fleet would enhance the capabilities of the IAF, but added that the country needed at least 126 fighter jets as previously envisaged.
“It’s a good plane. It is one of the best in the region. It will enhance the capabilities of the IAF in terms of aerospace power, which has been declining for some time as there has been no induction of fighter jets for some time, “he told PTI.
“Rafale planes will increase the deterrence value. Our goal is not to wage a war unless we are forced to. It is basically to deter our adversaries and say that we will react if you put your mind to it. bad side, ”he added.
The former IAF chief said India needs to dramatically improve its air power capability and the government should consider purchasing more Rafale or similar planes.
“We need at least 126 planes of a similar type. If we get Rafales, it will be better because inventory management will become easier. It will also help maintenance, training and deployment,” he said. added.
Another former Air Force Chief of Staff, Fali Homi Major, said the 36 Rafale would boost India’s air prowess, but having at least two additional squadrons will add huge capacity to the country’s capacity for air domination.
“The arrival of the Rafales is certainly significant. It’s a very good start after a very, very long break. The Rafales will strengthen our strike capacity. It will be great if we have two more squadrons,” he said. .
A squadron consists of at least 18 aircraft.
Both Mr Dhanoa and Major said the Rafale was a far superior aircraft to the Chinese J-20s.
“The world doesn’t know the capabilities of the J-20s. You can’t really know it and you never will. The Rafale is a much more superior aircraft,” Major added.
The Rafale aircraft is capable of carrying a range of powerful weapons.
The Meteor air-to-air missile beyond the visual range of European missile maker MBDA, the Scalp cruise missile and the MICA weapon system will be the mainstays of the Rafale jet weapon package.
The IAF is also purchasing Hammer, a next-generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system for integration into Rafale jets.
India began the process of purchasing a fleet of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) in 2007 after the Ministry of Defense, then headed by AK Antony, approved the IAF proposal. .
The contenders for the mega-deal were Lockheed Martin’s F-16s, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russia’s MiG-35, Sweden’s Gripen, Boeing’s F / A-18s and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale.
After a long process, the bids were opened in December 2012 and Dassault Aviation became L-1 (the lowest bidder). In the original proposal, 18 planes were to be manufactured in France and 108 in India in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
There were lengthy negotiations between the then UPA government and Dassault on pricing and technology transfer. Final negotiations continued until early 2014, but the deal was unsuccessful.
The NDA government signed an agreement of Rs 59,000 crore on September 23, 2016 for the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft from the large French aerospace company Dassault Aviation as part of an emergency acquisition.
The deal was sealed primarily to verify the depletion of the IAF’s combat capability, as its number of fighter squadrons fell to 31, from an authorized force of at least 42.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
