Has India already begun preparing for a clash with China?
According to the reports, India has decided to strengthen its aerial might with the purchase of 12 new Sukhoi and 21 new MiG-29s. The Indian Air Force has already initiated the process and a proposal for speedy acquisition has been sent to the Government of India in this regard.
The proposal has been forwarded to the Ministry of Defence that will decide on the project worth an estimated Rs 5,000 crore by next week, sources in the central government told India Today.
In the proposal copies examined by India Today, it is mentioned that to acquire the additional MiG-29s from Russia, there will be modifications in the existing contract for MiG-29 upgrades.
This will be the second lot of 33 new aircraft to be acquired by the Air Force after the contract was signed in 2016 for 36 Rafale aircraft. The Indian Air Force has also proposed that the government purchase the entire lot of equipment associated with the fighter planes in an apparent bid to prevent the issue of spares in the future.
The acquisition bid comes at a time when India and China are engaged in an intense standoff in the Galwan Valley. On the night of June 15, a violent face-off between Indian troops and soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) resulted in 20 personnel of the 16 Bihar regiment getting killed in the line of duty.
