If we had Rafale, it would have destroyed 12 of Pakistan's 24 fighter jets, says former IAF chief

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal A Y Tipnis said that if the IAF had Rafale, then it would have destroyed at least half of Pakistan's fighter jets. Speaking at the Aaj Tak Security Summit, here in New Delhi, he said that India needs more squadrons in the Indian Air Force.

"The aim of the 24 Pakistan jets was to attack Srinagar, Awantipora base. If India had Rafale at that time, IAF would have destroyed at least 12 of them. Rafale will boost the morale of IAF," Air Marshal AY Tipnis said.

The former IAF said that we need a grand strategy to tackle terrorism."India should not remain silent. This strategy should not change with the change in government. It should move in a uniform direction", said the Air Marshal.

He also said that India needs to knock off cultural and sports ties with Pakistan to put pressure on the country.

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"Terrorists are a law onto themselves in Pakistan. It is a mode of employment in Pakistan. This climate of immunity to terrorists by the government needs to be withdrawn," the former IAF chief said.

General Bikram Singh, former army chief, was also present at the event. He said that India needs to strike the beehive as Pakistan will never walk its talk.

This comes after the Indian Air Force said that they conducted aerial strikes at Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, killing a "large number" of terrorists. Reportedly, the air strike was done to avenge the deaths of CRPF personnel in a convoy by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber on February 14, in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Edited by Nehal Solanki