India's air strength inadequate, one-third of China: IAF Chief

LD NAIK


Gandhinagar, Sep 23 (PTI) Indian Air Force (IAF) chief
Air Chief Marshal P V Naik Wednesday said the country's air
force was inadequate and just one-third the size of China's
and therefore was going in for more acquisitions to enhance
its capability.

Naik also downplayed reports of Chinese air incursions
along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "As far as Air Force
is concerned there are no incursions anywhere (across Indian
border)," he said.

"Our present aircraft strength is inadequate. We have one
third of the Chinese numbers. And that is why we are going for
more," Naik said echoing the just retired naval chief Admiral
Sureesh Mehta's concern that the country neither has the
capability nor the intention to match China force for force.

"The government of India is doing a lot to augment air
force capability," Naik told reporters at the South Western
Air Command (SWAC) headquarters here.

The air chief's comments come against the backdrop of
media reports about Chinese army and air "incursions" into
India in the past several weeks.

"We are not downplaying the challenges before us. But
there is a strategy to handle it. One can either deal with it
sternly or play cool and continue to develop capabilities,"
Naik said.

Naik further said that "the government is giving full
support as far as the acquisition of these things are
concerned in terms of finance or otherwise." (MORE) PTI PB
SDE


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