New Delhi: Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal A.P. Singh Friday made it clear that atmanirbharta (self-reliance), even though it’s important and needed, cannot be at the cost of the nation’s defence.
His comments came in the backdrop of a severe crunch the IAF is facing in its fighter fleet and the delay in the delivery schedule of the indigenous Tejas aircraft, as reported by ThePrint.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the IAF think tank, Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), Air Marshal Singh said there are orders worth roughly Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 2.75 lakh crore in the pipeline from the IAF.
He said that a majority of these orders will go to Indian entities. “Atmanirbharta is what we are riding on, and all these contracts that I am talking about, a majority are with the Indian partners, Indian industry,” he said. “But, this atmanirbharta cannot be at the cost of the nation’s defence. Nation’s defence comes first, foremost,” he said.
He made it clear that if and when Indian forces have to ride on atmanirbharta, it is only possible if everyone — from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) to private industry — holds the IAF’s hand and takes it through that path.
“Don’t let us deviate from that path because when it comes to national defence, there will be compulsions in that path, in case we do not get things that we need or the kind of systems and weaponry required to survive in this world,” he said.
The Vice Chief added: “So, my humble request to each of us here is that let us put a system in place where we are helping each other out to achieve the overall goal, which are our goals. It is not anybody else’s…. If we have to defend the nation, it is everybody’s job. It is not just the job of a person in uniform,” he said.
He said that the biggest lesson that everyone has learned from today’s geopolitics is to be self-reliant.
“Like they say, there is no permanent enemy or permanent friend. They all have permanent interests. So, atmanirbharta and atmanirbhar Bharat — that we have been talking about — are not just buzzwords. It is something that we need to put our heart and soul into and make sure that these technologies that we are talking about, the weapons that we are talking about, of the future, are all developed and manufactured in India, so we are not relying on an outside agency who could change its alliance, who could stop the flow of weapons to our country and put us on the mat when the time comes,” he said.
He said that DRDO, DPSUs, private defence companies, and the IAF will have to work in unison but at a much faster pace.
“The rate at which we are getting our equipment, at the moment, is too low. Along with R&D agencies, looking at new technologies and new systems to develop, the industry has to be ready to absorb the technology,” he said.
“When we look at our adversaries, the rate at which they are growing, the rate at which they are imbibing these technologies and skill-growing in numbers, we have a long gap to catch up with, and this gap is widening further. So, this is something that we need to look at as a whole, and we need to find a solution to this gap that is building,” he said.
As reported, against a sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the IAF currently operates 32. Most of these are Russian aircraft, either in urgent need of upgrades to match modern warfare requirements or on the verge of retirement.
By the end of 2025, the squadron strength will plummet to a mere 29 squadrons — while two of the last remaining MiG 21 Bison squadrons will have been phased out by then, its replacement, the Tejas Mk1 A, is not expected to arrive in time.
The IAF is hoping for the 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA), for which it had issued a Request for Proposal (RFI) a few years ago. However, no tender is out yet because it has not received a nod from the government.
ThePrint reported in 2019 that the IAF, hit by an ageing fleet, low serviceability and slow pace by HAL, faces an alarming fall in its muscle.
According to IAF projections, at the time, considering the 36 Rafales, six squadrons of Tejas, and two more squadrons of Su-30 MKI, the squadron strength was projected at 27 by 2032 and a mere 19 by 2042.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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