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| Pilatus PC-7 |
Vivek Raghuvanshi
NEW DELHI — The Indian Air Force (IAF) faces a severe resource crunch as 11 key defense projects await signing despite their finalization, according to IAF officials speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The rising US dollar against the Indian rupee and lower budget allocations by the ruling Narendra Modi government are the main causes of the squeeze, the IAF officials say.
There is a shortage of $1.13 billion in the Capital Head account, which is reserved for buying new weapons, and $420 million in the Revenue Head account, which is used to pay for military salaries and day-to-day expenses, including ammunition and stores.
The IAF projects that await signing before they can be funded include procurement of 56 new aircraft to replace the aging Avro transporters, 48 medium-lift helicopters, six midair refueling tankers, 20 Hawk advance jet trainers and 38 Pilatus basic trainers.
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