IAF chief to visit Sweden

Indian Air Force chief Arup Raha is set to leave for Sweden on a visit aimed at taking the existing defence cooperation to the next level, an official statement said on Monday.

During his visit that begins Tuesday and will go on till June 11, Air Chief Marshal Raha, who is also the Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee, will call upon Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist and hold bilateral discussion with the supreme commander of the Swedish armed forces as well as the army, navy and air force chiefs.

"The challenges faced by the defence forces of both the countries in the current world scenario, is expected to be discussed during these meetings," the statement said.

Raha will also be visiting a flying base of the Swedish Air Force and the production facilities of SAAB at Linkoping where Gripen aircraft are manufactured.

The visit assumes greater significance as it is taking place after Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's visit to India in February to attend the Def Expo-2016 held at Goa.

The Prime Ministers of both India and Sweden had also identified defence as one of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries during the visit.

--IANS

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