Air Chief Marshal P V Naik says that aircraft numbers are as A important as technology and that “both these considerations have their own specific compulsions.”

Asked to comment on controversies raised in some quarters that with the acquisition of new technology aircraft, the IAF could reduce their numbers, the Air Chief said that it would be inappropriate to derive any kind of simplistic and direct relation between technology and numbers.

He said: “We must acquire stateof- the-art technology so that our Air Force retains its superiority and is able to fulfil all its commitments effectively.

“Our force structure would be dependent on our envisaged security environment and the role we are likely to play in world affairs. India is a very large country with active borders and accordingly needs active numbers as well. We need a mix of superiority in technology along with substantial numbers to fulfil our commitments,”

It may be recalled that in the 1990s, when India was about to acquire SU 30 aircraft from Russia, certain quarters had campaigned that the Mig 21 was good enough and India need not go in for modern aircraft. The same voices are being heard on numbers.

According to the well-known defence analyst Cmde Jasjit Singh, those who raise such voices have no perception of air power in terms of numbers and technology. One cannot understand why such issues are raised.

It may be noted that IAF had a sanctioned combat fleet strength of 39.5 squadrons. And as most of the old Soviet-vintage Mig series of aircraft are being phased out for the last few years, this strength is believed to have come down to around 30.

But for the rising number of SU 30 MKIs, which are also powerful, this depletion in strength would have been a blow to national security.

Air Chief Marshal Naik however assured that the downward trend had been arrested and that the Government was supporting the Indian Air Force fully.

He was sure, he said, that IAF would reach its optimum force levels by 2020-25.

IAF is set to have 45 squadrons by then.