New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday said that there is a need to focus on seamlessly blending old and new technology while maintaining a good safety record.

Addressing the International Aerospace Safety Conference 2022 at Air Force Auditorium, Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, "We have inducted modern generation aircraft and equipment with high-end technology. We also continue to operate older equipment. Therefore, there is a need to focus on seamlessly blending old and new technology while maintaining a good safety record."

He further said that today all facets of IAF's functioning have connections and connotations to the flight safety ambit.

"Since its inception, the IAF has adopted a flight safety-centric approach in its working and our organizational culture is draped in its values and promotes this flight safety culture. Today, all facets of IAF's functioning have connections and connotations to the flight safety ambit," said the IAF chief.

The Air Marshal said that the rapid infusion of technology in modern aviation has thrown up new challenges. He added that the foremost challenge is to prepare a human mind to rapidly and comprehensively adapt to new technologies. "This will call for a paradigm change in how we train and operate," he added.

"A simultaneous challenge is to identify new emerging physical and mental stressors associated with the use of new technology which could manifest themselves as errors, thereby directly affecting safe operations," said IAF Chief Chaudhari.

He further said that the introduction of automation has also taught us that technology can be a double-edged weapon.

"It reduces the human workload on one hand, but it can be potentially capable of inducing more errors on the other. Recent accidents of Boeing 737 MAX have amply proved this point," the IAF chief added.