Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria led the team that negotiated the purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France, but he is a strong supporter of the Make in India programme. He played a major role in the development of the indigenously-made light combat aircraft Tejas. In an exclusive interview, Bhadauria explained why being self-reliant is the only long-term solution to ensure India’s security. Excerpts:
Q/ How is the Air Force preparing to become self-reliant through the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission?
A/ The vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat finds innate resonance with the planning process in the Indian Air Force. The IAF has had indigenously designed aircraft such as HT-2 and HF-24, and versions of Kiran and the [Tejas] MK1. Among indigenously manufactured aircraft are the Gnat, MiG-21, MiG-27, Jaguar, Avro (HS-748), Chetak, Cheetah, Dornier 228, Hawk and Su-30. [Also, the domestic industry has] upgraded MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, Mirage, Jaguar, Dornier 228, An-32 and Mi-17.Read more…
