Defence project delays hit operational readiness: IAF chief

NEW DELHI: Persistent delays in military modernisation projects with unrealistic timelines and unachievable promises adversely impact operational readiness of the armed forces in the long run, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Thursday.Speaking at the annual CII business summit, the IAF chief also described the deep precision strikes against terror hubs and military bases in Pakistan from May 7 to 10 under Operation Sindoor as a "national victory" and a testament to the collective efforts of the armed forces, different agencies and all citizens in a "whole-of-nation approach" against cross-border terrorism."This was an operation executed in a very professional manner by everybody...

When truth is on your side, things happen automatically," he said, speaking publicly for the first time about Operation Sindoor."It has given us clarity on the evolving nature of warfare. It has given the armed forces a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in the future. New technologies are constantly emerging. We need to realign our thinking accordingly, and it is already underway," he added.The IAF chief's deep anguish at the huge time overruns in domestic defence projects, however, came through in the backdrop of massive delays in production of the indigenous Tejas Mark-1A jets by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which has left his force grappling with just 30 fighter squadrons when it is authorised to have 42.5, and several other projects.

"Timelines are a big issue... Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. So, this is something that we have to look at. Why should we promise something that cannot be achieved?" ACM Singh asked. "While signing the contract itself, some of the times we are sure that it is not going to come up. But we just sign the contract. Obviously, then the process gets vitiated," he added.With the private sector increasingly coming into defence production, and the doors for it now being opened even in the development of the indigenous fifth-generation fighter called the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), the IAF chief quoted Winston Churchill to exhort industry captains to rise to the occasion.

"The AMCA needs to be contemporary when it's built," he said."If Indian industry can make world-class cars, electronics and civil equipment, why can't it make world-class military gear? Even if it doesn't bring in big profits, let's come together and build a stronger nation," he added.The global situation has made it clear that self-reliance is the only solution for India to meet its military hardware and software needs.

"We must be future-ready. Over the next 10 years, we will see more results from Indian industry and DRDO. But what we need today is required today," he said."We need to act quickly, maybe with fast-track 'Make in India' programmes, to address immediate needs while longer-term design and development continues. We need both capability and capacity. We can't just produce in India - we must design and develop here too. To produce at scale, we need capacity," he added.