Indian Air Force

According to Chaudhari, LCA will be replacing the aging MiG-series fleet which includes the MiG-21, MiG-23, and MiG-27 aircraft.  In a statement, Chaudhari said "it was imperative that we bolster our inventory with LCA class aircraft. IAF is advocating for the acquisition of around 100 more LCA class aircraft". 

Defence experts said that this can be a big boost to the private defence aerospace sector. On Thursday itself, a Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs 7,800 crore.

IAF said the marching contingent is commanded by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, who is an accomplished helicopter pilot. She has also extensively flown the Alouette-III helicopter in her service. The fly-past and marching by the IAF warriors on Bastille Day follows a long association that the two nations share, especially in the field of the air power, IAF added.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at a capstone seminar organised by the IAF and Centre for Air Power Studies. The seminar marked the culmination of the first Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Program (WASP), held at the Air Force Auditorium in New Delhi.

The Russia-made jets will stay grounded until investigation determines the cause of the crash of one of the MiG-21s in Rajasthan earlier this month. On May 8, a MiG-21 Bison, shortly after taking off from Suratgarh airbase in Rajasthan, crashed near Hanumangarh. Even as the pilot survived, three other persons were killed.

"In recent times, the world has witnessed multiple and varied disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade barriers, tariff wars, environmental compliance policies etc. Such events have highlighted the vulnerability of supply chains to disruptions," the IAF Chief said at the national logistics management seminar, LOGISEM-23, on the theme 'Leverage Emerging Global Supply Chain to Enhance Logistics Capabilities While Absorbing Disruptions'.

While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru. With this, the total number of Indians who have been brought back from the troubled African nation, is now 1,360, as per official data.

According to an official statement, the exercise involved participation of frontline IAF aircraft, including Rafale, Tejas, Su-30MKI, Jaguar, C-17 and C-130. The USAF in turn had fielded the F-15 'Strike Eagle' fighter, C-130, MC-130J, C-17 and the B1B, a strategic bomber aircraft.

The US government has granted permission to Boeing to sell F-15 jets to India. Not only the F-15Es, even the superior F-15EXs are on offer, a source said. After acquiring 36 Rafales from France, India is on the lookout for several more Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) to fill the existing gap between the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the much heavier Su-30 MKI.

The government is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan, official sources said, adding that as part of preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the government is pursuing multiple options. "We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan.