Dismissing reports of Chinese air incursions along the Line of Actual Control, Air Chief Marshal P V Naik today said the existing IAF aircraft strength was inadequate, just one-third the size of China’s, and it needed to make more acquisitions to enhance its capability.
“As far as Air Force is concerned, there are no incursions anywhere,” Naik told reporters at the South Western Air Command (SWAC) headquarters in Gandhinagar. “Our present aircraft strength is inadequate. We have one-third of the Chinese numbers. And that is why we are going for more.”
Earlier, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, before he retired as Navy chief, had said that India had neither the capability nor the intention to match China force for force.
Replying to a query on what really constituted the biggest threat to India, Naik said: “You know what happened to George Fernandes and a former Indian Naval chief when they described China as a threat.
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“I would say China is one of the many challenges including terrorism, low-spectrum conflict that India faces in the current geo-political situation. The country is seized of the problems and is taking multi-pronged measures, ranging from diplomatic to economic, to face the challenges besides developing capabilities.”
“The Government of India is doing a lot to augment air force capability... 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.”
“The Government is giving full support as far as the acquisition of these things are concerned in terms of finance or otherwise.”
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