New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh voiced concerns about the delayed delivery of Tejas fighter jets, noting that the first batch of 40 aircraft, ordered in 2009-2010, has not yet been received.
Singh issued a stark warning regarding delays in the delivery of the Tejas fighter jet, urging a significant increase in private sector involvement and a substantial boost to defence research and development (R&D) funding. Speaking at the 21st Subroto Mukherjee Seminar, he highlighted the critical need for accelerated production and a more streamlined procurement process.
“Capacity building is important, we may not need it every time but we need to be flexible and production agencies have to invest in their advanced manufacturing processes to increase speed and upskill their manpower,” Air Chief Marshal Singh said at the seminar.
The Air Chief Marshal’s address directly addressed the concerning lag in Tejas production. He traced the project’s history, from its conception in 1984 to its initial operational clearance in 2016 – a timeline spanning over three decades. The IAF, he emphasised, still lacks the first 40 aircraft despite the first inductions beginning in 2016.
“Tejas, we started inducting it in 2016…We should go back to 1984 when the project was conceived. The aircraft flew 17 years later in 2001. Then, the induction started another 16 years later in 2016. Today we are in 2024 and I (Indian Air Force) do not have the first 40 aircraft…This is the production capability. We need to do something and I’m very convinced that we need to have competition, we need to have multiple sources available so that people are wary of losing their orders, otherwise, things won’t change,” he added.
The Air Chief Marshal pointed to the necessity of creating a more competitive environment within the defence manufacturing sector. He advocated for multiple production sources and increased competition to ensure timely delivery and a consistent output that meets the demands of the Indian Air Force.
Air Chief Marshal Singh stressed that R&D loses its relevance if it doesn’t meet the required timelines. This, he argued, necessitates a more risk-tolerant approach to R&D, acknowledging that failures are inevitable in the process of innovation.
“R&D funds are woefully short. We are just about at 5%, and it should be at 15% (of the defence budget). We have to make sure that these funds are increased and they are available to private players also…We need to increase the schemes to have more private players, and maybe have a competitive approach.”
