Singapore Air Force would use facilities at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal to train its personnel early 2006, a senior Indian Air Force official said Friday.

Singapore will send F-16 aircraft in January 2006 to carry out training programmes for its air force personnel.

The IAF air-to-ground range at Dega near Kalaikunda and the air-to-air range at Chandipur-on-Sea would be utilised for the purpose, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Air Marshal A K Singh told reporters in Chandigarh.

"Singapore will pay the Indian government for the use of air space as well as facilites at the air base, including landing and parking charges," he said on the sidelines of the inaugural function of annual maintenance conference of Western Air Command.

Pointing out that Singapore Air Force's joint exercises with the IAF were also scheduled, Singh said the United Kingdom plans to conduct the same with the IAF in India.

On IAF's purchases in near future, he said India plans to buy 45 medium transport aircraft carriers from Russia [Images] and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] would be finalising the deal during his visit to that country in the coming months.

Upgraded simulators to train pilots have been installed at Gwalior and Hindon air bases, besides another imported one at Bangalore air base, Singh said commenting on accidents involving the IAF aircraft.

The joint Indo-US military exercises were held earlier in November at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Midnapore district amidst statewide protests by activists of ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and other Left parties.