Air Chief down plays B’desh-China missile ‘deal’

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Fali S Major has downplayed reports of Bangladesh trying to build its missile arsenal with help from China, saying Bangladesh has every right to upgrade its weaponry.

Addressing reporters at Eastern Air Command headquarters, Upper Shillong on Saturday, Mr Major said the move on the part of Bangladesh to equip itself with Chinese missiles was not at all a cause for concern for India.

"Every sovereign nation has a right to upgrade its weaponry and other equipment. This does not gives us (India) any worry as we are also in the transformation period in terms of modernisation of our weaponry," the Air Force chief said in his keynote address at the three-day annual Station Commanders' Conference of IAF Eastern Air Command which began in the city on Saturday.

Mr Major also ruled out any threat from China. "We do not go by any threat perception, but our force restructuring will be done only by analysing the intention of China," he said.

According to the Air Force chief, all Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in the North-East are being upgraded.

Mr Major said Tezpur air base would be deployed with Sukhoi SU-30MKI combat jets very soon to enhance India's air dominance.

"Upgradation of infrastructure and other facilities of Air Force in India will undergo a sea change in the next five to seven years. We will take every step to see that the Indian Air Force looks different, and the support of the government in this regard has been overwhelming," he said. source: theshillongtimes.com