New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is looking at inducting military platforms, equipment and hardware worth Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 lakh crore in the next seven-eight years, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the Air Force Day, the Chief of Air Staff also said that the IAF is constantly monitoring the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially in eastern Ladakh.
He said the IAF was pushing ahead with its plan to procure an additional 97 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark 1A. Answering a question, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said the IAF received three units of the S-400 missile systems from Russia and it is hoping to receive the remaining two by next year.
The IAF chief said the uncertain geopolitical situation has reinforced the need to have a strong military, asserting that the IAF will remain a fulcrum to project India's military might in the region. He also said that the IAF has left no stone unturned to ensure successful implementation of the Agnipath scheme. On the theaterisation plan, he said it is work in progress.
In recent times, the IAF conducted exercise in the Northeast at a time when the S-400 air defence squadron was activated to thwart enemy aircraft or missile attack from a distance of up to 400 km.
The drill saw major combat assets of the Air Force including the Rafale and Su-30 fighter jets activated along with the transport and other aircraft. The IAF recently placed squadron of drones from other bases to the northeast to augment its capabilities of monitoring adversary activities along the Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor sector.
