Old can be gold

Combat aircraft with upgrades remain in service for many decades

The government must take seriously Indian Air Force (IAF) chief BS Dhanoa’s recent lament that the IAF was still flying 44-year-old MiG-21 fighter jets, a vintage far older than the cars people currently drive. With Defence Minister Rajnath Singh listening on, this was an unmistakable indictment of the defence ministry’s tardy procurement system, which compels the IAF to make do with just 29 squadrons of fighter aircraft, against the 42 that defence planners say the country needs. The IAF will have to manage with even fewer squadrons, because the MiG-21 fleet will retire soon, and only a handful of Rafale,