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Half our equipment obsolete: IAF chief
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4
The Chief of the India Air Force, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, today said 50 per cent of the IAF systems and equipment were obsolete and the force was facing a shortage of around 600 pilots. “The obsolescence percentage is 50 per cent,” the Air Chief said, adding that “by 2014-15, it would come down to 20 per cent.” He was addressing the annual press conference here on the Air Force Day held on October 8 every year.

The Air Chief, however, made it clear that even with 50 per cent obsolete equipment, the IAF was capable of handling threats. “We are fully capable of defending the country from any threat.” When asked which was the most critical area for the force in this regard, Naik said,” Air Defence. That will be the only word."

At present, the IAF relies mainly on its Russian-origin air defence systems such as the OSA-AK and Pechora and the shoulder-fired Igla missiles, which have been in service for over two decades. In the recent past, the IAF has been working on developing its air defence network and is keen to procure various systems in this regard.

Without raising the “red flag” on the growing influence of China, the Air Chief today made it clear that the neighbour’s military modernisation drive was being ‘watched with caution’. He said anything that impacted the nation's growth was a matter of concern. Quoting Chanakya, he said: “All neighbours have to be watched with caution on the impact and growth of our nation. So, we watch all neighbours.” The IAF modernisation plans were “capability-based and not adversary-specific” and were dictated by national aspirations.

The Air Chief, while responding to a query if the force was tweaking its doctrine to stage a two-front war (with Pakistan and China), said: “The IAF was ready for a multi-front war and multi-dimensional war.”

The IAF is currently short of around 600 pilots and over 5,000 PBOR (persons below officer rank). Naik when asked about the shortage of pilots in the force turned to the Air Officer Personnel, Air Marshal K J Mathews, who said the number of pilots joining the force was more than the number of officers quitting it. “We believe that this would continue for the next three to four years and this may be due to the economic downturn and may be because aspirations have changed.”