LCA, AMCA top priority: IAF chief Dixit after taking charge

New Delhi: Placing highest priority to indigenous platforms like the light combat aircraft and future advanced multirole combat aircraft (AMCA), Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said the aim is to fight with Indian solutions and hold them in numbers to conduct sustained operations.

The officer, who assumed command as the 29th Chief of Air Staff on Sunday, has been a champion of Make in India and has been closely associated with modernisation efforts.

"Tejas MklA and II, AMCA, Indian sensors and Indian weapons are our highest priority. We will fight with Indian solutions, and we will hold them in numbers to meet sustained operations demands," he said.


Read more: LCA Mk2, AMCA first flight dates confirmed: Defence Secretary reveals timeline for India’s next-gen fighter jets

This marks a stamp of approval for the Tejas LCA fighter jet that has been ordered in large numbers by IAF. The first of the LCA Mk1a fighter jets are likely to be inducted this year, after missing several deadlines due to issues with supplies of engines and integration of missiles and radars.

The top officer also clearly mentioned that the Mk2 version of the LCA is a priority, laying to rest all speculation that the project may get impacted due to delays and urgent requirements of the air force. The air force is also acquiring 114 additional Rafale jets, the deal for which is likely to be signed in the current financial year.

At present, IAF has less than 30 squadrons of fighters against a sanctioned strength of 44.