It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
Rollout of Tejas Mk-1A fighters, crucial to India's air strength, has been delayed due to slow deliveries from GE of 99 engines ordered in 2021, of which only 4 have arrived so far.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said IAF was mostly outward looking when it came to procurements but a 'rap on the knuckles' made it look inwards, adding that 'atmanirbharta' is key.
Air Chief Marshal Singh took over from incumbent V.R. Chaudhari Monday afternoon. His top priority will be strengthening the fighting capability of the IAF, it is learnt.
India is in talks with Denmark over the engine charge amplifiers, while HAL has contracted a local firm to indigenise them, it is learnt. HAL was supposed to start the delivery in March.
The first Tejas will be delivered with Category B engines, reserve engines which may have been used before or came in and remained unused as part of earlier deal with GE for Tejas series.
HAL has informed IAF that the first aircraft will only be delivered by November. A total of 16 Tejas Mk 1A were to be delivered by the state-run company but none have come in so far.
It’s a geopolitical game changer. US, now, has primacy over oil-producing allies and adversaries alike — whether it’s Saudi Arabia or Iran, Nigeria or Russia.
The latest comment comes as New Delhi and Washington have yet to sign a trade agreement. India’s purchase of Russian oil has reduced, but Moscow remains top source for crude.
If deal goes through, Greece will be 2nd foreign country to procure vehicle. Morocco was first; TATA Group has set up manufacturing unit there with minimum 30 percent indigenous content.
Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.
Accepting 10 – 15% below the ideal is a luxury the armed forces cannot afford. They face Pakistan to the west, its military capabilities augmented, sometimes fused, by China. On the northern frontier, a PLA that benchmarks itself to the Pentagon.
More of the typical sab chalta hai attitude. 10-15% can be the difference between life and death for a pilot and victory and defeat for the nation.
Accepting 10 – 15% below the ideal is a luxury the armed forces cannot afford. They face Pakistan to the west, its military capabilities augmented, sometimes fused, by China. On the northern frontier, a PLA that benchmarks itself to the Pentagon.