During a major delay in the handover of the indigenous Tejas Mk1A Light Combat Aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh conveyed a strong message to the defence industry. He stressed meeting timelines as committed, saying not a single defence project has yet been delivered on time.
Addressing a defence conference, the Air Chief expressed his anger at the ongoing hold-up in defence production, particularly pointing to the hold-up in the delivery of engines from the American company GE, which has held up the Tejas Mk1A project.
“Timeline is a big issue. So, once a timeline is given, not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. So this is something we have to look at. Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract,” the Air Chief Marshal stated.
Tejas Mk1A Worth Rs 48,000 Crore Deal Remains on Hold
In February 2021, IAF had inked a deal worth Rs 48,000 crore with HAL for the supply of 83 Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft. According to the agreement, the initial delivery was to be made in March 2024. Nevertheless, HAL has not supplied even a single plane so far to the Air Force, leaving operational plans further delayed.
Air Chief Marshal Singh emphasised that with the fast-changing dynamics of war, on-time delivery of equipment is more important than ever before. “Operation Sindoor has given us a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in future. So a lot of work needs to be done in realigning our thought processes also, which is already going on,” he added.
Private Sector Entry in AMCA Programme Hailed
In a welcome move, the Air Chief welcomed the government’s initiative for giving entry to private sector participation in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.
“AMCA- advanced medium combat aircraft has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step, and that is the kind of confidence that the nation has in the private industry today and I’m sure this is going to pave the way to bigger things coming in the future,” said Singh.
