IAF Chief AP Singh holds talks with Italian Air Force Chief to boost defence ties
New Delhi, June 30
In a major step toward expanding bilateral defence cooperation, Lieutenant General Antonio Conserva, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, called on Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, during his official visit to India.
The high-level meeting, held at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) in New Delhi on Monday, focused heavily on enhancing military-to-military engagement and charting new avenues for strategic partnership between the two air arms.
The visit comes amidst a steady upward trajectory in defence and strategic relations between New Delhi and Rome, following the elevation of their ties to a 'Strategic Partnership'.
Earlier, on June 5, the Air Chief Marshal concluded a three-day official visit to France, reaffirming the strong and enduring partnership between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (AAEF), the Indian Embassy in France said. In a post on X, the Embassy stated that the visit underscored deep-rooted defence cooperation between the two air forces.
"The Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, PVSM AVSM, has concluded a three-day official visit to France, reaffirming the deeply rooted partnership between the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (AAEF). The Chief of Air Staff held bilateral discussions with General Jerome Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force, at the AAEF headquarters in Balard, where he was received with military honours by a guard of honour," the post stated.
The Indian Embassy in France further said that, "The Chief of Air Staff also paid a visit to General Vincent Giraud, Chief of the Military Staff to the President of the French Republic, and addressed officers, including Indian officer cadets on exchange, at the École de guerre, École Militaire. The Chief of Air Staff visited the Mont-de-Marsan Air Combat Centre, undertook a familiarisation flight aboard the A-400M from Orleans Air Base, and met with leading defence industry players, including Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran, and MBDA, thereby advancing the #MakeInIndia initiative."
— ANI
Reader Comments
But honestly, why Italy? They haven't exactly been super reliable in defence deals before (remember the VVIP chopper controversy? Not great...). I understand diversifying partnerships but we need trustworthy allies who won't get tangled in corruption allegations later. Just saying, hope proper due diligence is done this time.
This is a smart diplomatic move. India becoming a strategic partner with Italy along with our existing ties with France means we're balancing European partnerships well. Italian aerospace industry—Leonardo, MBDA—makes world-class systems. Joint exercises and tech transfer could boost our domestic capabilities significantly. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is doing a great job with these international engagements!
While expanding ties is good, I really wish our air force leadership would focus more on indigenous platforms like Tejas and AMCA rather than just courting foreign partners. We've been buying planes for decades—we need to build our own capabilities. The Make in India mentions in the France visit are encouraging but let's see real action.
Exactly what we need! Strategic autonomy means having multiple reliable partners. Italy has some niche capabilities—their Eurofighter Typhoon electronics, Leonardo's radar systems, and MBDA's missile tech are top-notch. Plus, Italy's position in the Mediterranean aligns with our Indian Ocean interests. Smart move to strengthen ties now.
I'm happy to see the IAF actively building partnerships, but I hope the visit also included discussions on training exchanges and joint exercises. Our pilots could learn a lot from the Italian Air Force's experience in NATO contexts. And it's good that the Chief also visited French industries—that visit seems very productive with Dassault
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