Rama Krishna Sangem
Air Chief Marshal of India Amar Preet Singh’s latest angry comments on the poor state of coordination between the government and the defence industry is a wake up call us all. Singh, who is a celebrated air force chief with PVSM and AVSM medals has exposed the loopholes in India’s defence sector and its handling by the government.
His comments come in the wake of India’s jubilant upper hand over Pakistan in the recent armed conflict. Air Chief Marshal Singh criticized delays in defense projects, urging urgency in weapon system deliveries to enhance military readiness and self-reliance.
The chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday put the spotlight on the armed forces’ agonising wait for new weapons and systems, saying he could not recall a single instance of a project being executed on time — a wake-up call for the country’s defence production sector. “Timelines are a big issue,” Singh said, in his first public comments after the May 7-10 military confrontation with Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
Black sheep is there
The armed forces have so far not called “the black sheep” out, but their “restraint” should not be stretched to a breaking point, Singh said, issuing a veiled warning to defence public sector units including plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation .
“There’s not a single project that I can think of that has been completed on time. We must look within. Why promise something that cannot be achieved. While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it (weapon or system) is not going to come.
But we just sign the contract with the mindset that we will see later what needs to be done. Obviously, the process gets vitiated,” he said at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025. Prominent speakers at the conference included defence minister Rajnath Singh and navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
AMCA too is affected
Key projects beset by delays include the light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A), the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, basic trainer aircraft and intermediate jet trainers among others.
“The defence forces have shown restraint and not called a black sheep, a black sheep. We have been trying to encourage people, but someday the restraint will break down. Let’s stretch the elastic only to the point it does not break,” said Singh, who is known to be a plain-spoken and straightforward military leader. He has often publicly flagged concerns about a worrying erosion of IAF’s capabilities and called for urgent measures to fix it.
In February, the IAF chief questioned the ability of HAL to meet the air force’s critical requirements in the backdrop of a lingering delay in the supply of new Mk-1A fighter jets, saying he had “no confidence” in the plane maker. The remarks, made during an interaction with HAL officials, were recorded by someone.
HAL chief DK Sunil then said that his company’s focus is on delivering the LCA Mk-1A to the IAF at the earliest rather than spending time on countering criticism of the indigenous programme, which is running behind schedule due to several reasons including delay in the supply of engines by US firm GE Aerospace.
Singh’s latest comments came three months after a top government committee recommended a raft of short and long-term measures to boost the capabilities of IAF, which is grappling with a shortage of fighter squadrons, and pointed out that it was critical to enhance self-reliance in the aerospace sector through increased participation of the private sector to fill critical gaps.
(This story is curated from different sources)
