Facing the ever present threat of a two-front war simultaneously with Pakistan and China, the IAF is looking at procuring around 350 aircrafts in the next two decades, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said here on Wednesday.
In an address at a conference on the Indian aerospace sector, he also talked about the need for developing asymmetric capabilities to bolster the IAF’s overall strength in view of challenges from China. “Looking at the northern neighbour, we have to have niche technologies which must be built in-house by our own industry for reasons of security,” the IAF chief said.
Emphasising that India becoming self-reliant in the defence sector is crucial for dealing with various challenge, Bhadauria said the IAF is looking at procuring around 350 aircraft from within the country in the next two decades. He, however, said it is a rough projection.
The IAF chief also said the Tejas light combat aircraft project has instilled confidence in the aerospace industry in India.