Cavalier India Defence Training Academy

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said the number of pilots in the Indian Air Force at present is 3,834 as against the sanctioned strength of 4,239. The Indian Air Force has a shortage of 405 pilots against the authorised strength, the government told Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said the number of pilots in the Indian Air Force at present is 3,834 as against the sanctioned strength of 4,239. “There is a shortage of 405 pilots (as on March 1) in the IAF,” he said, replying to a question. He said 260 aircraft are being used for training of pilots in the force. The trainer aircraft in the IAF included Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II, Kiran MkI/IA and Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainer. To a separate question on whether India can counter China effectively with hypersonic vehicles, the minister declined to answer saying the information sought is highly sensitive and classified. “The information sought is highly sensitive and classified and cannot be divulged...

Minister of state for defence Shripad Naik said the number of women serving the Navy is 704 while the strength of men in the force is 10,108. The figure is in respect of women officers only as women are inducted at officer level at present. Women have been employed as officers in Indian Navy since 1992 where in only three streams were available to them namely law, education and logistics. The Indian Navy has the maximum percentage of women in its workforce among the three services at 6.5 per cent, according to details provided by the government in Rajya Sabha on Monday. The percentage of women in the Army and the Indian Air Force is 0.56 and 1.08 respectively. In a written reply to a question, Minister of state for defence Shripad Naik said 6,807 women are employed in the Army while the number of men serving the force is 12,18,036. "There has been an increase in the number of women personnel in the armed forces (excluding medical, dental and nursing cadres) during the year 2020 co...