Govt to phase-out MiG fighter aircraft by 2017: Antony
February 23rd, 2011 - 7:54 pm ICT by ANINew Delhi, Feb 23 (ANI): Defence Minister A. K. Antony on Wednesday said that the Government is planning to phase-out the MiG fighter aircrafts from Indian Air Force (IAF) by 2017.
Addressing Rajya Sabha members, Antony said modern aircrafts such as the Su-30 MKI, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M- MRCA) would be procured to replace the MiG 21s and MiG 23s.
The minister said the initial operational clearance of LCA has been conducted successfully and it will be inducted in the Air Force very soon.
On the proposal to procure 126 MMRCA, Antony said the project is not lagging behind and it will not take time up to 2020 to introduce the aircrafts in the IAF.
On the issue of Russian aircraft spare parts, he said quality wise there is no problem but the disintegration of Soviet Union in the early 1990s had delayed the delivery of the parts, as manufacturing companies had shifted their bases.(ANI)
- Modern combat jets by 2020: Antony - Feb 23, 2011
- The twists and turns of India's biggest defence deal - Jan 31, 2012
- MiG-21 crashes in Punjab, pilot safe - Sep 06, 2011
- MiG-21s being phased out, says Antony (Lead) - Apr 19, 2010
- New planes' induction will reduce air crashes: Antony - Feb 05, 2011
- Indian Air Force phasing out MiG-21s: Antony - Apr 19, 2010
- Timeline for India's combat jet deal - Apr 28, 2011
- Defence ministry panel to consider combat jet deal next month - Sep 22, 2011
- India lost over half of its 872 MiG jets in 40 years - May 02, 2012
- No politics in deciding combat plane winner: Antony - Nov 11, 2011
- Accident-prone MiG-21 to be flown only by experienced pilots: IAF - Sep 01, 2011
- Price talks for 126 jets to begin this month: IAF chief - Mar 10, 2011
- India to flaunt indigenous fighter at aero show - Feb 07, 2011
- India's indigenous fighter to soar high at aero show (Lead, With Images) - Feb 07, 2011
- IAF has lost 999 planes in crashes since 1970 - Aug 03, 2011
Tags: 21s, antony, defence minister, disintegration, early 1990s, fighter aircraft, fighter aircrafts, iaf, indian air force, lca, light combat aircraft, manufacturing companies, New Delhi, proposal, rajya sabha, russian aircraft, soviet union, spare parts, su 30 mki