‘IAF to launch satellite to gather information’
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 3:11 am Under India News 26 views
The first Indian Air Force (IAF) controlled satellite to gather navigational information will be launched in July 2009. Air Chief Marshal F H Major who described the proposed satellite as “the IAF eye in the skies”, on Tuesday (November 18) said that it would basically be used to gather navigational information which would help IAF positioning.
The Air Chief, who was interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a function at Pune University, said similar satellites of almost all major countries are already operating to collect necessary data. Major, who delivered the annual Gen B C Joshi memorial lecture at the university, said, “Our plans for future expansion have made it inevitable that we would have to utilise the realm of space.”
He said, “While I am not a die-hard proponent of weaponisation of space, I am convinced that harnessing the capabilities that space provides, creates a force multiplier effect and increases effectiveness of our operations manifold.”
Noting that India has a well developed Space programme, the Air Chief said it was his intention to harness the capability that space based assets provide and put in place structures and mechanisms to exploit enhanced capability.
The Air Chief said that the IAF was undergoing a very comprehensive and focused modernisation programme at present. The Air Force is at different stages of the induction of a wide range of equipment including all types of aircraft, weapons, missiles, sensors and communication equipment, he added. “We are even upgrading our airfield infrastructure, laboratories and other facilities on an immense scale and in a systematic and methodical manner,” Major said.
Referring to the spell of joint exercises IAF has undertaken recently, the Air Chief said, “We earned professional admiration in the recent Exercise Red Flag held at Nellis in the USA. It is a very complex operational level exercise, usually for NATO countries alone.”
“It is clear that in order to maintain stability and equilibrium in our neighbourhood, it is essential for India to possess a strong military force,” he said, adding that he did not advocate any kind of “aggressive tendencies”. But a serious study of balance of power equations among states makes it amply clear that only credible deterrence can be an effective stabiliser, he asserted.
On India’s neighbourhood challenges, Major said, “Pakistan with a newly installed Democratic government remains a source of concern to all of us and Nepal with a new form of governance continues to be susceptible to violence.”
“China plays a strategic game and seeks to be a regional power, competing with India in every sphere,” he said. The Air Chief Marshal said the fact that our neighbourhood had nuclear capability and long range delivery platforms introduced a “very dynamic variable in our relations”.
(With inputs from agencies)
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
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