The temporary freeze on all deals with South African arms company Denel would not affect IAF’s weapons procurement plans.
New Delhi, April 26, 2005 (Deccan Herald)

The Chief of Air Staff S P Tyagi on Tuesday has ruled out any delay in procuring Israeli Airborne Early Warning And Control System (AWACS) and British Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) because of the controversies related to South African arms major Denel deals with the Army.

At the same time, the controversy that led to a temporary halt on all dealings with Denel, would also not affect the Indian Air Force’s plan of procuring 126 multi-role fighter aircraft which are required because of the planned phasing out of aged MiG-21 fighters, he said.

Though he said that the government will soon send the Request For Proposals (RFP) for the planned acquisition, he did not elaborate on the time frame. “The process is on and the RFP would be sent soon,” the Air chief said, indicating that besides the US F-16, Russian upgraded Mig-29, French Mirage 2000-5 and Swedish Grippen fighters were in the reckoning.

The Request For Information (RFI) has already been received from the French, Russian, Swedish as well as the US governments which has allowed Lockheed Martin and Boeing to bid for the fighter deal.

The IAF had asked Lockheed Martin for RFI on F-16 Fighting Falcons and not Boeing which was offering twin engine F-18 super hornet.

On the AJT deal, the Air chief said the contract had been signed and IAF was expecting the delivery of Hawk trainers on schedule. Asked if the IAF was happy with the arms acquisition procedures, Air Marshal Tyagi said that left to the armed forces, they would like the process to be speeded up. But in a democratic set up arms purchases has to be transparent and according to the well laid out procedures which act as safeguards, he added.

The Air chief has also stated that a proposal has been mooted for the setting up of a strategic Aerospace Command to prepare for future star wars.

He said India should lay the groundwork to develop capability to degrade space weapons and for this an Aerospace Command has to be established.

Such a command for futuristic warfare has to be developed with the help and guidance of the country’s indigenous space agency, he added.