Mountain radars to boost China vigil, says IAF chief

The Indian Air Force will boost its capabilities with locally made military hardware including mountain radars for the disputed frontier with China to look deep inside the neighbour's territory, long range surface-to-air missile systems, new fighter jets, upgraded combat planes, light combat helicopters, tactical ballistic missiles, trainer aircraft and close-in weapon systems, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Tuesday.

- Rahul Singh

The induction of this indigenous equipment into the air force during the coming years is expected to cost up to ₹3 lakh crore, with this year alone accounting for a spending of ₹41,180 crore, Chaudhari said at his annual media briefing ahead of the IAF Day on October 8. The purchases lined up include 97 more light combat aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A worth ₹267,000 crore and 156 Prachand light combat helicopters for ₹45,000 crore, apart from a project to upgrade 84 Sukhoi-30 fighter jets at a cost of ₹60,000 crore, he said.

He said that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China was the same as last year and the IAF would remain deployed along the disputed frontier till complete disengagement took place. The two countries have been locked in a military standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border crisis through ongoing negotiations still appears elusive.