Newly appointed Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Friday said that navratna defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) needs to match promise of making 24 Tejas LCA Mk-1A jets every year to offset the delay of delivery timelines.
The Air Chief Marshal’s candid assertion came as he announced that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has set a vision of reaching 2047 with an entire inventory of weapons either produced in India or developed and produced in India.
The IAF chief also suggested infusion of private players in development and production of indigenous fighter jets since, as he pointed out, that the HAL has its own “limitations” and the entire programme cannot be relied on one agency.
The IAF, meanwhile, has earmarked ₹56,000 crore towards capital expenditure for this year to fund big ticket procurements of Tejas LCA Mk-1A and Tejas LCA Mk-2 besides missiles and radar systems.
“This year we expect ₹56000 crore towards capital expenditure and allocation for the future years cannot be really forecast. But... lot of big ticket procurements are in the pipeline. For example, the LCA Mk-1 Alpha, LCA Mk-2, and of missiles and radar systems.. So we are expecting to continue to grow expenditure at ball park 10 percent per year,” said Deputy Air Chief Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, who was also present at a press conference addressed by the IAF Chief.
Talking to the media for the first time ahead of Air Force Day on October 8, Air Chief Marshal Singh candidly said, “It is a known fact that Tejas has got delayed. There is no doubt in that we all know it and there is also promise that production will be increased to 24 aircraft per year. If that promise is kept, I think the delays can be caught up with.”
“The first aim is not to let out our aircraft strength go down as we are reaching obsolescence of certain aircrafts. The aircrafts must be inducted parallely so that the squadron strength do not go down below 30,” he said to express his concern.
The HAL has already got a third production line in Nasik which is “yet to churn out an aircraft,” said Singh.
Development of LCA
He said has been involved closely with the development of the LCA as a young officer.
So far 38 Tejas LCA Mk-1, the first version of the fighter jet, has been inducted into the IAF. The delivery of LCA Mk-1A was supposed to start from March, this year, but has not happened due to shifting timelines.
“Also we need to look at private players. I don’t think we can continue relying on one agency. HAL will have its own limitations in terms of what it can do... Looking at numbers involved, we need to have private industry coming in a big way to help out production..,” the Air Chief Marshal flagged.
The HAL has attributed missing delivery timelines largely to delay in getting F404 engines, which will power 83 LCA Mk-1A, from US-based GE Aerospace which has further passed on the blame to disruption in supply chain.
The contract for 83 Tejas LCA Mk-1A, signed in February 2021, is worth ₹48,000 crore.
“I will not make comment. Not my domain..,” Singh said when asked how hopeful he was on getting first of the 83 Tejas LCA Mk-1A this FY.
The IAF chief also remarked that the HAL needs to draw lessons from the short comings in the development of previous versions of Tejas to ensure that the Mark-2 of the indigenous jet and future programe of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) -- a single-seat and twin-engine fifth-generation stealth platform -- meets induction schedule.
Tejas Mk-2 and AMCA
“As far as Tejas Mk-2 and AMCA is concerned. We all need to learn our lessons on what happened in (Tejas) Mk-1. What all has caused the delays and make sure that those things are ironed out right in the beginning.. the transfer of technology from a design house to production house. Even if it is within India because I was in that programme and I know when Tejas was being produced by R&D division and from there it went to production.. the absorption of technology took time. So that has to be paralley executed,” he elaborated.
He also stated that the Tejas Mk-2 first flight is expected some time next year and is supposed to be inducted by 2028. While 2027 December is expected to be the end of phase of R&D of Mk-2. “So we need to look at that these timelines are met. If these can be met.. we are ok and not badly off. But these timelines are getting pushed then we need to look at alternatives,” Singh told reporters on another query on the aircraft.
The Air Force Chief also stated that if we compare with Rafalle, “Tejas LCA Mk-2 will not be better, in some case it may be slightly better, in others slightly less.” But, the advantage is that the jet will be indigenous and upgrade becomes easier, he added.