Chief: Indian Air Force strength just 1/3rd of China's

Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik on Wednesday said the Indian Air Force's aircraft strength was "inadequate", just "onethird" the size of China's, and that it was therefore going in for more acquisitions.

Air Chief Marshal Naik downplayed reports of Chinese air incursions along the Line of Actual Control. "As far as the Air Force is concerned there are no incursions anywhere," he said. "Our present aircraft strength is inadequate. We have one-third of the Chinese numbers. And that is why we are going for more," he said, echoing recently retired Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta's concern that the country has neither the capability nor the intention to match China force for force.

"The government of India is doing a lot to augment Air Force capability," the IAF Chief told reporters at the South-Western Air Command HQ.

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