Indian Air Force chief reviews progress of air power projects

He visited Air Force units and flight test establishments and facilities of Defence Research and Development Organisation and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited at Bengaluru on August 23 and August 24, officials said.

New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria has reviewed the progress of the ongoing manned and unmanned air power projects and operational trials in Bengaluru during his two day visit to various defence establishments.

He visited Air Force units and flight test establishments and facilities of Defence Research and Development Organisation and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited at Bengaluru on August 23 and August 24, officials said.

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During his visit to Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria was given an overview of ongoing projects and briefed on progress of operational trials.

During his interaction with personnel, the IAF chief spoke of the unique and challenging role of ASTE, noted its laudable achievements and re-emphasised the need for staying ahead of the curve in order to leverage its expertise in delivering the requirements of IAF operational units.

He also visited Software Development Institute (SDI), the unit tasked for undertaking development of avionics software.

He noted that the sustained focus on critical projects by the Institute had contributed significantly in increasing the operational and functional capability of IAF.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria outlined his vision for SDI to move towards software indigenisation for integration of various weapons on IAF aircraft and achieving self-reliance in enhancing combat potential, officials said.

As part of the visit, he met and interacted with the test crew and engineers of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Bhadauria also underscored the crucial role of both the establishments in furthering the shared goal of building an indigenous aviation industry capability of meeting our future requirements.

During his visit to Bengaluru, the IAF chief flew a sortie in a Tejas MK1 final operational clearance fighter.

Last year, the air force had inducted the first final operational clearance (FOC)-standard Tejas light combat aircraft into squadron service.