IAF Needs 5-6 Squadrons Of 4.5 Generation Jets In Near Future: Chief

India will require 5-6 squadrons of 4.5 generation fighter jets to meet the Indian Air Force's (IAF) immediate needs, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on the sidelines of the Garuda VII joint air exercise with the French Air and Space Force in Jodhpur on Tuesday.

According to an IAF statement, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari flew a sortie in a Rafale jet while his French counterpart General Stéphane Mille flew a Su-30MKI fighter during the exercise in Jodhpur to demonstrate the two countries' defence and bilateral ties.

“Both took part in the exercise as part of a combined training mission flown from Air Force Station Jodhpur,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement.

The force also tweeted about the development, saying, “Leading by example. Chiefs from the IAF and the FASF flew in one of the multi-aircraft missions flown during Exercise Garuda.”

According to an IAF official familiar with the matter, the drill is intended to improve interoperability between the two sides.

Following the sortie, ACM Chaudhari said, “We require 5-6 squadrons of 4.5 generation aircraft to meet immediate requirements.” Each squadron has 18-20 fighters.

“There is no doubt that air power will play a vital and critical role in determining the outcomes of any future conflict anywhere in the world. Such exercises (Garuda) allow us to hone our skills,” he added.

The IAF chief went on to say that the Garuda VII exercise provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both air forces to “learn and imbibe each other's best practises during operations.”

He also emphasised the increasing interoperability between the two air forces, which has grown with each successive edition of the exercise since 2003.

General Mille also said that the exercise was critical for interoperability. “We've come to fly with Indian aircrew. Sometimes a simple act can accomplish a great deal. We can understand each other during the flight because of this exercise. It's critical that we can fly and operate together,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Ex Garuda VII is also the first international exercise in which the LCA Tejas and the recently inducted LCH Prachand will participate. The exercise, which will conclude on 22 November, will include four FASF Rafale fighters and one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) plane. Aside from the LCA and LCH, the IAF contingent includes Su-30 MKI, Rafale and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as Mi-17 helicopters, according to the air force.

Combat-enabled assets such as flight refuelling aircraft, AWACS, AEW&C and Garud Special Forces are also part of the IAF contingent.

The IAF's experience with French equipment has been very positive and close cooperation between the two air forces dates back to the Toofani (fighter) days of the 1950s. The fact that the two air chiefs are flying in each other's planes attests to their friendship, which extends beyond the optics to the operational arena,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), former additional director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies.