Lot of lip service: IAF Chief on 'Make in India'

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, December 16

Faced with a depleting jet fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief, Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, today said ‘lip service’ was being done regarding the “Make in India” programme when it came to developing indigenous arms platforms in the country.

The IAF, less than two months ago, suggested to the government that it needed a speedier “Make in India” by public sector giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited,The Tribune had reported the same in its edition on November 8.

Today, speaking at an event of private television channel “Aaj Taak”, the IAF Chief was quoted by news agency PTI as saying, “Right now, in this “Make in India” and indigenisation (programme), a lot of lip service is being done. Our intentions are very good but practically, the work is going on extremely slowly. If everyone works in this direction, we will be successful”.

“We have given our support. The DRDO has to design a timeline,” he said, adding that defence public sector undertakings should be encouraged for private sector participation.

The IAF Chief has himself been a test pilot at the National Flight Test Centre for testing the LCA and has made it clear that his preference was for indigenous planes, including making the fifth generation fighter jet.

Within the IAF, the estimate is that over the next 16-18 years, the IAF would require more than 300 jets made by the HAL. At the present pace of 11-12 planes per annum, the HAL will take 25-26 years to make various versions of Tejas, Tejas Mark II (called medium weight fighter) and also the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), a fifth generation state-of-the-art plane. All three planes are part of the projected 300 jets.

“The IAF wants the HAL to ramp up to make 16 planes per annum and outsource work so that the speed could be increased to 20 planes,”said sources.

In case of fighter jets, the HAL is listed to make 123 Tejas planes. Of these, 20 are the initial operational clearance (IOC) version, which have been delivered to the IAF and are not part of the future count. Another 20 jets are to be made as per the final operational clearance (FOC) version with some upgrades. The remaining 83 are Tejas Mark 1A, which will come with 43 improvements.

The IAF has told the MoD that it would need 170 (ten squadrons) Tejas Mark II (known as MWF) planes, the test flight of which is slated for 2022. Initially, Tejas Mark 2 was planned to be just a re-engined Mark 1 (with a more powerful engine). However, with the advent of the Mark 1A, it was decided that Tejas Mark 2 would be configured with significantly higher capabilities. Tejas Mark 1 is 13.5 tonnes all up weight, while the Mark 2 is expected to be 17.5 tonnes, it will also carry an 85 per cent higher weapons load.