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The IAF chief made it clear that a “fair and
square” assessment would be done for the competing
aircrafts once the flight evaluation completes
by the end of April.
“The aid given by the US to Pakistan is a matter
of concern to us, definitely. And we have it known
and have never hidden it,” said Air Chief Marshal
Naik after taking over as the Chairman COSC on
March 30.
Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s
F-16, EADS Eurofighter Typhoon, SAAB’s Gripen
and Russian MiG-35 are in fray for the multi-billion
deal.
He added: “The trials for the 126 combat jets
would be fair and square assessment. A decision
would be taken once the trials completes by April
end. There is no connection between the two (MMRCA
and supply of F-16s to Pakistan).”
It may be noted that the US has virtually bankrolled
Pakistan’s weapons given free or at nominal charges
as aid, ranging from new F-16 C/D Block 52 jets
and refurbished P-3C maritime patrol aircraft
to Harpoon, AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles and C3I
computers, initially to strengthen uts alliance
against the erstwhile Soviet Union and now for
its ‘global war on terror’.
Air Chief Marshal Naik received the baton of
Chairman COSC from outgoing Indian Army chief
General Deepak Kapoor at a brief ceremony in the
South Block. Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal
Verma was also present. Incidentally, as COSC,
he also has control over the country’s nuclear
assets.
Commissioned into the IAF in June 1969 as a fighter
pilot, Air Chief Marshal Naik has flown a variety
of combat aircraft and is a Qualified Flying Instructor
and a Fighter Combat Leader. A graduate of the
Defence Services Staff College and an alumnus
of the National Defence College, Air Chief Marshal
Naik is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva
Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
The new COSC also said that the upgradation in
the eastern sector is not country specific.
“Yes, we are upgrading the eastern theatre. But
it’s not country-specific... We are developing
capabilities, which were long overdue there...I
am glad,’’ said Air Chief Marshal Naik.
Army has already begun to post officers for the
two new infantry mountain divisions and one artillery
brigade is being raised for the eastern sector,
primarily Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The new divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011
soldiers, will be fully operational by 2012. Army,
in fact, has infrastructure development plans
worth Rs 11,652 crores for the eastern sector.
Similarly, IAF is upgrading airbases and helipads
in North-East, which includes night-landing facilities,
with Tezpur already getting the first lot of Sukhoi-30MKI
fighters. Chabua air base in Assam is also being
refurbished to accommodate Sukhoi aircraft.
“The aim is that (all) the airfields should be
able to support the most modern aircraft,” said
Air Chief Marshal Naik.
On the occasion, Air Chief Marshal Naik said
the Indian armed forces were in the process of
“moulding existing and emerging concepts” together,
to develop capabilities and solutions that will
directly benefit the forces and the joint war
fighting tomorrow.
He also backed the demand for the post of Chief
of Defence Staff (CDS). The creation of the post
of a CDS to give single-point military advice
to the political leadership was one of the key
recommendations of the Kargil review committee.
He observed that an India-specific model for
a CDS needs to be evolved. “As a concept, I believe
there should be a CDS. But what model we should
adopt that best suits our country, we will have
to study.”
One of the key blocks to the proposal is political
consensus for the creation of the post. Nine years
after the recommendation, only four political
parties have replied and given their views on
the subject, prompting critics to say that the
government is not too keen on pushing forward
the proposal.
The Kargil Review Committee and the subsequent
Group of Ministers report in 2001 on reforming
the national security system had stressed the
need for a CDS to provide single-point military
advice to the government and manage the country’s
nuclear arsenal.
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