What the Israeli Air Force did recently, targetting the Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrullah, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has done earlier, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said today. He was referring to the events of February 26, 2019– the Balakot strike against a Jaish-e-Mohammed training centre deep inside Pakistan.
“We already have, in Balakot,” he said, when asked about whether the IAF had the capability to eliminate someone equivalent to Nasrullah.
Asked about the Iron Dome, the anti-missile defensive system of Israel’s that intercepted a majority of the 180 ballistic missiles that Iran fired, the air chief said India had similar systems and were buying more. With India being a country much larger than Israel, there is a requirement for more defensive options. Otherwise, it’ll be about prioritising, and protecting vital areas.
What seemed to concern the air chief, who took over a few days ago, was falling squadron strength— now down to 30. He hoped that Hindustan Aeronautics would deliver the different versions of the Tejas aircraft on time. He acknowledged that HAL was preparing a second line in Nasik and hoped that it will be able to produce 24 Tejas fighters a year. Also, there may be a requirement for the private sector to step in. Otherwise, some alternatives have to be looked at.