The Indian Air Force (IAF) HAL Tejas fighter jet (Photo: AFP)
New Delhi: In a major boost to civil-defence convergence and atmanirbhar bharat in defence production very soon India will witness private players entry into the secluded and guarded field of military aircraft manufacturing.
In a recent report submitted by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he identified key thrust areas and made recommendations for implementation in the short, medium and long-term so as to achieve the desired capability enhancement goals of the lAF in an optimal manner.
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With the entry of private players in military aircraft manufacturing, the stakes of private defence firm will skyrocket along with reducing the burden on Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
The report of the Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of the lndian Air Force (IAF) was prepared by a special committee headed by defence ministry’s top bureaucrat.
The report is a comprehensive summary of what needs to be done and with a detailed review of every aspect of capability development, including weapons and systems, technology, infrastructure and capacity for local production, to enhance IAF’s combat effectiveness
As of now, IAF’s fleet consists of 31 fighter squadrons with mostly Russian-origin aircraft that have become desolate. IAF has a set target of 42 fighter squadrons. To fill this gap India needs to add 35-40 fighter jets per year to phase out older aircraft. In a recent event India’s Air Chief Marshal AP Singh highlighted the need of involvement of private sector to speed up defence aerospace manufacturing. Indian Air Force is ‘very badly off in numbers’ – the air chief marshal had commented.
Hindustan Aeronautics has the capacity to deliver up to 24 aircraft powered by a General Electric engine in the coming fiscal year, which begins in April. HAL failed miserably to deliver any of the 83 fighter jets in current fiscal due to supply chain woes on the part of GE, leading to delayed engine deliveries.
Meanwhile the report did not elaborate on the recommendations made by the panel. The panel was supposed to examine the issues confronting IAF and prepare a detailed plan of action to fix the capability gaps. After review the report Rajnath Singh ordered the top officials to ensure timely implementation of the wide-ranging recommendation
The panel comprised of defence secretary as the Chairman, the committee’s members included the Vice Chief of Air Staff, secretary (defence production), DRDO chief, and director general acquisition, with the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.