"AI WILL IMPROVE OUR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY MANY TIMES MORE"

In an exclusive interview, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff speaks with Manish Kumar Jha for SP’s Aviation, on the IAF’s capability roadmap and the thrust on the next-generation technology adoption

- Manish Kumar Jha

WITH COMBAT FLYING EXPERIENCE ON FIGHTER, TRAINER AND having commanded a frontline fighter base in the Western sector, as well as a premier fighter training base, Air Marshal Dixit is well placed to lead the critical and complex capability plan of the IAF. During the comprehensive interaction, Air Marshal Dixit outlines the plans for the frontline combat jet programme and the acquisition of advanced UAVs among others. Excerpts:

Manish Kumar Jha (Jha): Do you see LCA Tejas as the front-line combat jet?

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit (Dixit): The IAF concluded Vayu Shakti. We demonstrated Tejas where LCA Tejas performed an air-to-ground attack and immediately after that air to air. So, this is the concept of a front-line fighter jet that can do any mission at any time. So, we have built a capability which is for the front-line fighter aircraft. And, we are very happy as again Mk1A flew recently. They will fly the first flight and then this year we are going to make the squadron.

Jha: So, when you say it’s a front line, would you also talk about the combat capability - the weapon part of how Tejas is going to be a lethal combat jet?

Dixit: There are 3-4 types of categories of weapons. One is the beyond visual range (BVR). We have our own ASTRA which we will be firing from LCA in April. Then we have air to ground and weapons of different types. We have some 10 different types of weapons that Tejas can fire. There are normal bombs and up to 1,000 pounds of bombs. It can also fire Laser-guided bombs and it can also fire long-range special weapons. So, I think we have got a full envelope of weapons available.

Jha: How do you define MK1? While Mk2 is in the pipeline for the future and in the making, what does it mean?