Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha with Air Chief-designate BS Dhanoa. Manas Ranjan Bhui
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 28
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today came out in support of former IAF chief SP Tyagi saying “we stand by him till he is proven guilty”. He also listed the IAF requirement of an additional 200-250 fighter jets to meet future short fall.Raha, who retires on December 31, was meeting the media in a farewell press conference in New Delhi today when he, without naming Tyagi, said till the time a person was convicted, “I think we should give him due” but if a person was found guilty, there would be “no sympathy” for him.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Tyagi, a former IAF chief — retired in 2007 — was arrested recently by the Central Bureau of Investigation on alleged bribery charges in the Rs 3,600-crore deal to buy 12 helicopters from AgustaWestland for use of VVIPs.Raha said there were so many agencies involved and one “could not pin the blame on one particular organisation or service”.On the fighter jets, Raha said mere 36 Rafale fighter jets would not suffice as India needed another 200-250 “medium weight” fighters over the next 10 years. India has enough of heavy weight fighters — the Su30 MKI — while the lightweight need will be met by the 123 Tejas light combat aircraft.Raha said “a void has been created as many of the squadrons (of the MiG 21) are past their use-by date”.On the selection of the Army Chief Lt Gen Bipin Rawat by superseding two of his seniors, Raha said in the past the seniority principle had been overruled. “But once a decision has been taken, we should go along with it otherwise it will weaken the person who is going to be the next chief.”The outgoing IAF chief counted the AN-32 crash as over Bay of Bengal as one of the “worst memories” during his tenure. “The AN-32 is not the best aircraft to fly on this route,” he said.Twenty nine personnel are feared dead in the crash when an AN-32, on a routine sortie from IAF Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair, went missing at 12.25 pm on July 22, around 150 nautical miles east of Chennai.Raha termed the Pathankot terror attack a major “setback” during his tenure. “We learnt our lessons. Today, I can say that we are very well prepared,” Raha said in reference to the January-2 attack in which seven security personnel and one civilian were killed.On the “one rank, one pension” imbroglio, the IAF chief said it was an “unprecedented situation” which affected the esteem of the armed forces.The OROP agitation resulted in an unprecedented situation. “Whatever has been awarded by government to my mind is reasonable I have always told my people to accept this,” he said.
MUST BACK NEW ARMY CHIEF: AIR CHIEF RAHA
SELECTION PRINCIPLES Outgoing IAF chief says not supporting designate Bipin Rawat would weaken his position
On General Bakshi being superseded by General Bipin Rawat, the new army chief Based on merits and demerits, there will be people who will speak for and against it… We have to strengthen Rawat’s hand. He is a good soldier… and so is Bakshi. But a decision has been made. On corruption allegations against former IAF chief SP Tyagi A former air force chief is like a family member… If anybody in my family goes through a rough patch, I think we should stand by that person. And if the charges are proved, then we have no sympathy for him. On the need for more than 36 Rafale jets We require more aircraft… to give entire spectrum of capability… Over the next 10 years, we must have 200-250 aircraft. It has to be balanced out. NEW DELHI: Outgoing air chief Arup Raha on Wednesday said following the seniority principle in naming top military picks might have its “merits and demerits” but now that a decision had been taken, everyone must back army chief-designate lieutenant general Bipin Rawat.
HT PHOTOAir Chief Marshal Arup Raha with newly-appointed Air Marshal BS Dhanoa in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The government superseded two generals while naming Rawat as general Dalbir Singh’s successor, sparking a debate whether seniority or merit should determine top military appointments.
Asked to comment, the Indian Air Force chief said, “We have had selections based on merit or the consideration of the government. Seniority has been overruled in the past as well. I think we should go along with the decision, otherwise it will weaken the person who is going to be the next chief.”
As chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, Raha is India’s senior-most military commander.
In promoting Rawat, who takes over as army chief on December 31, the government ignored the claims of lieutenant generals Praveen Bakshi and PM Hariz.
The air chief marshal said different principles of selection — seniority, merit or the government’s requirement — each had their advantages and disadvantages.
“So based on merits and demerits, there will be people who will speak for and against it…We have to strengthen Rawat’s hand. He is a good soldier, a good officer and so is Bakshi. But, a decision has been made,” he said.
In his last media briefing as the IAF chief, Raha said the 36 Rafale warplanes ordered from France were not enough and India needed at least 200 such fighter jets. India and France signed the Rafale deal on September 23, 2016.
Raha, who retires December 31, also said the IAF’s Russianorigin Ilyushin-78 tanker fleet was plagued by maintenance problems and more midair refuellers were a “strategic requirement.”
Two global tenders for buying the refuellers have been scrapped since 2007. “Sadly, there have been some problem areas in the acquisition. A new tender will be out soon,” the chief said.
Raha will be succeeded by air marshal BS Dhanoa.
NO SYMPATHY FOR TYAGI IF FOUND GUILTY
Raha said former air chief SP Tyagi, an accused in the VVIP chopper scandal, was a member of the IAF family but there would be no sympathy for him if charges against him were found to be true. The IAF chief said multiple agencies were involved in the acquisition process and “you can’t pin the blame on one service”.
RAHA SNUBS CHINA
The country needed the capability to strike deep into “the adversary’s heartland” and take on targets that hurt him, Raha said, two days after India successfully tested nuclear-capable Agni-V missile.
China called for “strategic balance” in South Asia after the test. Agni-V has a range of 5,000km that covers China.
India, Raha said, should continue to expand its deterrent capability. It was well known what was going on in the region “in terms of collusion, transfer of technology which is forbidden”, he said in a veiled dig at China providing nuclear knowhow to Pakistan.