Although several major air forces like France, Germany and the US are still inducting or ordering fourth-generation fighters, their capabilities and threats are distinct from India’s.
It was in 1983 when India rolled out the project to build a new light combat aircraft as a replacement for Russian MiG 21s, which continue to fly despite being obsolete.
In episode 661 of #CutTheClutter, Shekhar Gupta looked at India's recent Rs 48,000-crore Tejas deal and also delved into the IAF's misadventures with indigenous fighter aircraft.
New aircraft comes with 4 major capability enhancements — mid-air refuelling, Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, Electronic Warfare suite & Beyond Visual Range missile.
The defence ministry said procurement of the Mk1A version of Tejas aircraft, to be manufactured by HAL, will be a major boost to the 'Make in India' campaign.
If India boycotts Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and possibly even Russia will take its place. The harsh reality of geopolitics is that openings are short-lived.
While global corporations setting up GCCs in India continue to express confidence in availability of skilled AI engineers, the panel argued that India’s real challenge lies elsewhere.
Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.
Obsolete 3Gen Tejas took nearly 40yrs and is still not ready for mass production. At 8pcs/yr, HAL will fulfill the 80 order only by 2030.
By then, nobody is using 3/4Gen fighters. Everyone will has migrated to 5Gen by 2025 with 6Gen dev. Tejas will be another antique MiG21 like now.
If India can’t dev even a low tech 3Gen Tejas with all West & Russia support, how can it figure out 5Gen stealth in next 10yrs? Even Russia refuse to transfer 4.5Gen SU57 technology, what’s more after India signed BECA with USM.
Tejas will be greatest liability to IAF, for it will produce lot of widows like MiG21 killing pilots, make lot of Abhinanda POW, and bleed budgets at a price tag of 2xF16 with expensive maintenance program using non mainstream imported parts.
India will collapse under its own bloated ambitious out of its tiny economy and technology. Its self inflicted arms & space race to compete with China will bleed all its little resources, denying meaningful dev. Without creating 20mils new jobs for new born labours every year, high jobless youth will breakdown society.
The fire playing paper cat will burn by the real Chinese dragon. Ladakh standoff is just the beginning, pulling all Indians nerves tightly.
Everyday China news dominate India leaders/people & MSM, but nobody care about India in China.
Anurachal will be next standoff.
Then PLAN will ply Indian Ocean, conduct frequent military exercise with Pak, Nepal, Bdesh, SL, Myanmar….until India nerve snap.
12000 MIG 21s have been produced so far. Given India’s projected global ambition, there is no harm in being liberal with more production lines.
It might cost more, you may even loose money, but what have we not lost in expensive imports.
Speaking of Imports, perhaps not all of them need to come with state of the art imported equipment. Some of them can be exported to partners with less sophisticated needs, and achieving economies of scale
India doesn’t have enough economic and military capability to go head to head with China. The sensible course is to back down and back away from fighting against China. The next generation can decide whether India has enough strength but in the current generation there is no question India can’t compete with China.
India is way way behind in military capability vis-a-vis China. Truth is bitter. Vested interests do not want truth to hold ground. The media, social media and trolls of vested interests continue to distract common citizens from the reality thus weakening Indian position further.
It is a fact that China is already in possession of Chengdu fifth generation fighter which Indians do not possess. It is nothing but cakewalk in a war that they can strike at much higher speed than any Indian aircraft. Those who boast about current Indian capability should recall Abhinandan episode with Pakistan air force a year or so back. The day when this radar evading Chengdu enter Delhi airspace and pour flowers will awaken the wits of trolls and media It is good that Indians continue to believe in falsehoods w.r.t its own capability. The more Indian refuse to accept the fact that India is now militarily backward country and that 70% of its military parts come from abroad, the more India becomes vulnerable. The more Indians hate feedback, the more weaker and weaker it becomes. The ballistic missiles like Prithvi, Agni series are outdated after 4 decades of their production as sophisticated air defenses such as S-400 in Chinese possession can smash them before they strike. With so much deception going on in Indian media about Indian military capability, India for sure will experience more episodes of “Abhinandan”. Wish Indians are tolerant enough to get the right feedback instead of empty chest thumping exercises.
You coward Chinese. You do not have the heart to sacrifice even a miniscule number of your people in an engagement with India…. Other wise you will win… The India-China scenario can be seen like this… Jinping is like an average chess player given a very good position on a chessboard… He will end up worsening the position…. Modi is like a very very good chess player handed over a vulnerable chessboard position… but he will end up improving it manifold….see you in future
This is an excellent development in the India’s Aatmnirbhar Bharat, in addition to LCA MARK 1, 1A, Prototype of AMCA, ORCA … should be developed in parallel on priority. This will make India more powerful, confident & comparable with other developed nations.
For world peace; We must make sure that the private war industry is dismanteled. It is noticed that wars are promoted, hostilities encouraged, rumours hatred, fake threats, all fed by the media controlled by the war industry. The UN should look into this.
HAL must benchmark its production capability and quality system with best in the world. Launch private sector capacity building program to choose good vendors for faster development.
With HAL’s previous record the present order is very ambitious one. Getting the required number of aircraft by 2030 is hoping against hopes. HAL work culture has to change totally for it to become a full fledged aircraft producing industry. It needs to be headed by a very dynamic and forward thinking leader who is ruthless and can handle strong labour unions as far as target achieving results. Let’s hope for the best.
Looks like the campaign to malign the Tejas is never going to stop. Because arms dealers will be out of business, because of this.
So keep spreading lies, false narratives about the product.
Obsolete 3Gen Tejas took nearly 40yrs and is still not ready for mass production. At 8pcs/yr, HAL will fulfill the 80 order only by 2030.
By then, nobody is using 3/4Gen fighters. Everyone will has migrated to 5Gen by 2025 with 6Gen dev. Tejas will be another antique MiG21 like now.
If India can’t dev even a low tech 3Gen Tejas with all West & Russia support, how can it figure out 5Gen stealth in next 10yrs? Even Russia refuse to transfer 4.5Gen SU57 technology, what’s more after India signed BECA with USM.
Tejas will be greatest liability to IAF, for it will produce lot of widows like MiG21 killing pilots, make lot of Abhinanda POW, and bleed budgets at a price tag of 2xF16 with expensive maintenance program using non mainstream imported parts.
India will collapse under its own bloated ambitious out of its tiny economy and technology. Its self inflicted arms & space race to compete with China will bleed all its little resources, denying meaningful dev. Without creating 20mils new jobs for new born labours every year, high jobless youth will breakdown society.
The fire playing paper cat will burn by the real Chinese dragon. Ladakh standoff is just the beginning, pulling all Indians nerves tightly.
Everyday China news dominate India leaders/people & MSM, but nobody care about India in China.
Anurachal will be next standoff.
Then PLAN will ply Indian Ocean, conduct frequent military exercise with Pak, Nepal, Bdesh, SL, Myanmar….until India nerve snap.
12000 MIG 21s have been produced so far. Given India’s projected global ambition, there is no harm in being liberal with more production lines.
It might cost more, you may even loose money, but what have we not lost in expensive imports.
Speaking of Imports, perhaps not all of them need to come with state of the art imported equipment. Some of them can be exported to partners with less sophisticated needs, and achieving economies of scale
India doesn’t have enough economic and military capability to go head to head with China. The sensible course is to back down and back away from fighting against China. The next generation can decide whether India has enough strength but in the current generation there is no question India can’t compete with China.
India is way way behind in military capability vis-a-vis China. Truth is bitter. Vested interests do not want truth to hold ground. The media, social media and trolls of vested interests continue to distract common citizens from the reality thus weakening Indian position further.
It is a fact that China is already in possession of Chengdu fifth generation fighter which Indians do not possess. It is nothing but cakewalk in a war that they can strike at much higher speed than any Indian aircraft. Those who boast about current Indian capability should recall Abhinandan episode with Pakistan air force a year or so back. The day when this radar evading Chengdu enter Delhi airspace and pour flowers will awaken the wits of trolls and media It is good that Indians continue to believe in falsehoods w.r.t its own capability. The more Indian refuse to accept the fact that India is now militarily backward country and that 70% of its military parts come from abroad, the more India becomes vulnerable. The more Indians hate feedback, the more weaker and weaker it becomes. The ballistic missiles like Prithvi, Agni series are outdated after 4 decades of their production as sophisticated air defenses such as S-400 in Chinese possession can smash them before they strike. With so much deception going on in Indian media about Indian military capability, India for sure will experience more episodes of “Abhinandan”. Wish Indians are tolerant enough to get the right feedback instead of empty chest thumping exercises.
You coward Chinese. You do not have the heart to sacrifice even a miniscule number of your people in an engagement with India…. Other wise you will win… The India-China scenario can be seen like this… Jinping is like an average chess player given a very good position on a chessboard… He will end up worsening the position…. Modi is like a very very good chess player handed over a vulnerable chessboard position… but he will end up improving it manifold….see you in future
This is an excellent development in the India’s Aatmnirbhar Bharat, in addition to LCA MARK 1, 1A, Prototype of AMCA, ORCA … should be developed in parallel on priority. This will make India more powerful, confident & comparable with other developed nations.
For world peace; We must make sure that the private war industry is dismanteled. It is noticed that wars are promoted, hostilities encouraged, rumours hatred, fake threats, all fed by the media controlled by the war industry. The UN should look into this.
HAL must benchmark its production capability and quality system with best in the world. Launch private sector capacity building program to choose good vendors for faster development.
With HAL’s previous record the present order is very ambitious one. Getting the required number of aircraft by 2030 is hoping against hopes. HAL work culture has to change totally for it to become a full fledged aircraft producing industry. It needs to be headed by a very dynamic and forward thinking leader who is ruthless and can handle strong labour unions as far as target achieving results. Let’s hope for the best.
Congress and leftist loyalist is ‘The print’. Modi hate and present govt.bashing is ur prime agenda.
Looks like the campaign to malign the Tejas is never going to stop. Because arms dealers will be out of business, because of this.
So keep spreading lies, false narratives about the product.
A good and informative article based on facts of the matter, written without bias….
Entire effort should now be dedicated to networked drones of various capacities.