Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is yet to deliver two of the remaining order of 8 Tejas trainer aircraft as well, an order that was placed in 2010.
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.
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.
The silence may have to do with the state’s history of political violence. During the 2021 post-poll violence, BJP leaders 'ran away leaving their voters at the mercy of the mob'.
Share of trade with FTA partners rose from 4.6% in 2006 to 28.8% in 2024. India is currently negotiating or advancing agreements with US, Israel, GCC, Canada & Mexico.
American objectives are unmet. They neither have muscle nor motivation to resume the war. As for Iran, the regime didn’t just survive, it’s now led by more radical individuals.
I hope HAL recognizes that it must be held accountable to timelines. This is a matter of India’s national security, and HAL should stop using engine delays as a convenient shield to obscure its own shortcomings. It would do far better to acknowledge these issues and focus on delivering a truly combat-ready aircraft, rather than a platform that exists only in parades. Perhaps the decision to open the AMCA project to the private sector will serve as a wake-up call—prompting HAL to become more serious, more responsive, and more committed to delivering aircraft that genuinely meet the IAF’s operational needs.
The most underrated news was the AMCA project not been given to HAL. These articles just proves that everything needs to be pushed to private industries to maintain strict timelines and quality.
I hope HAL recognizes that it must be held accountable to timelines. This is a matter of India’s national security, and HAL should stop using engine delays as a convenient shield to obscure its own shortcomings. It would do far better to acknowledge these issues and focus on delivering a truly combat-ready aircraft, rather than a platform that exists only in parades. Perhaps the decision to open the AMCA project to the private sector will serve as a wake-up call—prompting HAL to become more serious, more responsive, and more committed to delivering aircraft that genuinely meet the IAF’s operational needs.
The most underrated news was the AMCA project not been given to HAL. These articles just proves that everything needs to be pushed to private industries to maintain strict timelines and quality.