New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence is carrying out an elaborate internal study with the three armed services to understand what their priorities are when it comes to procurements over the next 8-10 years and to identify the roadblocks faced along with their solutions, ThePrint has learnt.
One such internal meeting was held at the Indian Air Force (IAF)-level recently. However, it is learnt that a similar process is on a larger scale.
Sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint that the trigger for this exercise being undertaken by the new defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh was the IAF Commanders’ Conference held in November.
It is learnt that instead of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressing the commanders with a customary speech, he started to talk to them wanting to know their side of how and what should be procured on priority.
“It was a free and frank discussion. The defence minister was there along with the Defence Secretary, CDS, the DRDO chief and the Secretary of Defence Production and the brainstorming session took some time,” a source said.
Following this, Singh has directed the defence secretary to work with others to come out with a list of priorities, problems, and solutions.
It is learnt the IAF has sought time till 26 January to finalise the list of priorities and the way forward. Similar work is being done along with other services too; the process is expected to take at least till mid-February to be completed.
The IAF is facing a critical shortage in its fighter strength as well as refuelers and even early warning aircraft, besides in several other areas.
The IAF fighter strength is down to a mere 31 squadrons, and that too on paper, against a sanctioned strength of 42. The much touted delivery of the Tejas MK 1A has been delayed by over a year with the delay in delivery of the GE engines among others.
The IAF has been wanting to go in for a 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) since 2016 but eight years on, nothing has moved forward.
Incidentally, the MRFA came about because the previous bid to acquire 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), in works since 2004, ended up in a lock jam. Later, the government went for an emergency procurement of 36 Rafale fighters. Back then, the hope was that parallelly, India will go in for 114 MRFA under the Buy and Make route even as indigenous Tejas fighters were being built.
In October, ThePrint reported as to why the officials and the government had failed to move ahead with the MRFA deal. The sources had then said that there were two main issues the government, civil servants and IAF officers were trying to find a solution to and break the “logjam”.
“Last time, the government came out with a solution to the MMRCA tender, stuck for years, by going in for a government-to-government contract for 36 Rafale. But a political slugfest erupted,” a source had said, explaining the logjam.
“Officers presented themselves in the Supreme Court and documents concerning vital national interest had to be shared. It became a political hot potato,” another government source said.
The controversy, according to the sources back then, was behind officers and officials, along with the government, playing safe.
The other issue, they had said, was about how much indigenous content the MRFA should have and how much would be manufactured in India.
Secretary in touch with all Services
Meanwhile, the sources said that the defence secretary is in touch with all the three Services.
Asked why such a process was being undertaken despite that there are already formal processes like the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), the sources said projects get delayed in spite of best efforts.
“There are multiple projects that are underway. Things get delayed because of procedures even though the DAP 2020 lays down timelines for the same. If for some reason a proposal reaches the DAC and some questions are raised, it takes some time before the file reaches back. But by then, some other important projects came up,” a second source said.
It is very important that a proper list of priorities are made and the focus should be on clearing the immediate ones on a priority basis, according to the sources.
“For the IAF, fighter jets are important and so are the refuelers or the AWACS. Similarly for the Navy, submarines are as important as an aircraft carrier or helicopters. For the Army, tanks to new armoured personnel carriers, drones, attack helicopters to loitering munitions are all important. We need to identify and be focussed till it is struck off from the to do list,” the first source said.
The sources said that the officials, which include the defence secretary, the DRDO chief, the secretary of defence production besides service officers in charge of procurement and modernisation have been asked to not just identify the problem areas but also solutions.
“Everyone is flagging problems, and are talking about what can’t be done. Time is for solutions. Identify the problems and also come with solutions,” another source said. (EOM)
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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