A pressing need

【迫切的需要】

Over the next decade, 13 more squadrons will be retired as their aircraft age out of service, parliament's standing committee on defence said in a December report.

国防常设委员会在十二月的一份报告中说，未来10年间，还会有13个中队将因为飞机超龄服役而退役。

The defence ministry declined to comment on the air force's aircraft modernisation programme, saying it was not in a position to do so.

国防部拒绝对空军的飞机现代化方案发表评论，称它没有能力这样做。

Lockheed, which had offered to shift its F-16 production line in Fort Worth, Texas, to India, said it had not been told of any change to the Indian plan for single-engine fighters.

洛克希德公司曾表示愿意将其在沃思堡德克萨斯的F-16生产线转移到印度，但其没有接到印度改变单引擎战斗机计划的通知。

Sweden's Saab was also caught off guard.

瑞典的萨博也猝不及防。

"We have seen the reports in the Indian media, but no new formal communication has been made to us regarding the fighter programme," said Rob Hewson, Saab Asia Pacific's head of communications.

萨博亚太通讯主管Rob Hewson说，“我们通过印度媒体看到了相关报道，但还没有人和我们战斗机采购计划进行正式沟通。”

Admiral Harry Harris, the head of US Pacific Command, told the US House Armed Services Committee last month that India was considering the stealthy F-35, among other options. But the Indian air force said no request had been made to Lockheed for even a briefing on the aircraft.

美国太平洋司令部海军上将哈里斯，上个月向美国众议院军事委员会报告称印度也正在考虑隐形F - 35。但印度空军称并未向洛克希德提出了解此机型的请求。

An order the size of India's is rare. The only comparable opportunity for the Super Hornet is Canada's request for 88 fighters, which could be worth as much as $14.6 billion.

印度的订单大小是罕见的。对超级大黄蜂来说，唯一可以相提并论的机会是加拿大88架战机的合约，价值预计高达146亿美元。

Local fighter

【国产战斗机】

The air force ideally would like a combination of lighter single-engine and twin-engine jets, as well as stealthy aircraft, but cannot afford such a range of foreign systems, analysts said.

分析人士说，对空军来说最理想的是轻型单引擎喷气式飞机、双引擎喷气式飞机以及隐形飞机的组合，但却负担不起这样一系列进口飞机。

India's annual defence capital procurement budget of $14 billion to $15 billion has to be spread over the army, navy, air force and the indigenous defence research organisation.

印度每年国防资金采购预算为140亿美元至150亿美元，陆军、海军、空军和国内国防研究组织共享这个经费。

"The operational costs are going up with increased manpower, higher wages and general inflation. Ministry of Defence doesn't have the luxury to go for too many platforms despite the rapidly falling squadron strength of the air force," said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.

全球咨询公司毕马威的合伙人和印度航空航天和国防问题负责人Amber Dubey说，“运营成本随着人力增加、工资上涨和普遍通货膨胀而上升。尽管空军中队的力量迅速下降，国防部没有足够的能力实现计划。”

Boeing India president Pratyush Kumar said the company was ready to respond to any request from the air force.

印度波音总裁Pratyush Kumar表示，公司已经做好准备应对来自空军的任何要求。