Fali Major said that all theat perceptions in the present geo-political scenario around the country has been 'catered to.'
The Indian Air Force has given the go ahead for induction of the indigenous surface-to-air Akash missile.
"Remember that these three helicopters were flown by some of the most experienced pilots in the Air Force flying the President. This should be understood very clearly. They were not aware of the Air India aircraft because it was on the tower frequency. So, there was no contact between the two aircraft," Major told media-persons in Bengaluru.
With his appointment, the government chose to uphold the principle of seniority and waived the tradition of only making fighter pilots the head of the world's fourth largest air force.
'The Indian Air Force was ready to strike at Pakistan. However, ultimately it depends on what the government wants,' says former Air Chief Fali H Major.
He became the first helicopter pilot to be named chief of the Indian Air Force.
Softening its rigidity, Indian Air Force has now agreed to release its pilots to civil aviation stream in a phased manner in the face of acute shortage being faced by state-owned carriers.
The IAF wants to take part in the exercises slated for January 2008 and has sought the government's clearance, Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major said in Delhi on Friday.
'Rafale is much more advanced and lethal than the current fighter aircraft available with China. The timing of the arrival of the jets is perfect'
With a view to increase its surveillance capabilities, the Indian Air Force is going to have its own satellite in space by the end of 2010. "We will launch our satellite by the end of 2010," IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said in Bangalore on Thursday.
Major's remarks assume significance as they came in the wake of growing demands for allowing women to fly fighters as is being done in the US Air Force.
'Imagine hanging from a thin steel cable under a helicopter with certain death staring at you below, being pulled up slowly in the din and downwash of the helicopter.' IAF Veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe, a helicopter pilot himself, reports on how the air force rescued those trapped in the Deoghar cable cars disaster last fortnight.
'We were against politicisation of the defence acquisition process. It was a question of capability of the air force'
If the government of the day would like to set in place a smooth and well-planned changeover and facilitate the incoming chief to chalk out his action plan well in advance, the announcement of a successor needs to be done early, observes Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).
The apex court had earlier said it would consider whether the fundamental right of speech and expression would be governed under reasonable restriction of decency or morality or whether other preferred fundamental rights would also have an impact on it.
'There is hope that in the next 48 to 72 hours there will be some kind of movement forward to de-escalate and not heighten the tension.'
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar is underwriting the revival of a vintage Dakota as a gift to the Indian Air Force.
Strobe Talbott's tweet that hijackers may have wanted to use the missing Malaysian flight to attack Indian cities should be seen in the context of Lashkar-e-Tayiba's long standing plans to attack Indian cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai from the skies. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation challenging the appointment of Shashi Kant Sharma as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Nitin Gokhale, national security expert and founder BharatShakti.in, tells us what the controversy is all about.
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