The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence expressing concern over the delay in the supply of light combat aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to the Indian Air Force (IAF) is a matter of deep concern. This report comes at a time when India is experiencing extreme hostility from China and Pakistan. Self-reliance in the defence sector is a lofty goal, but excessive dependence on the public sector companies to meet the objectives of indigenisation could become a stumbling block. There is a need to strike a balance between promoting self-reliance in defence production and the requirements of the armed forces to ensure preparedness as the country faces a two-front threat from Pakistan and China.
The standing committee in its report tabled in Parliament recently recommended that the government consider buying fifth-generation fighter aircraft ‘over the counter’, without losing further time, to keep the force in a comfortable position. This is a poor commentary on the capabilities of the HAL in meeting the timelines. It was in April 2019 that the IAF had initiated the process to acquire 114 multi-role fighter aircraft from the public sector unit at a cost of around $18 billion. There has been no progress since then. There can be no two opinions about the fact that the defence forces must be kept in a perpetual state of combat readiness, since the country is wedged between two hostile neighbours. Airpower has a key role to play in this regard, even as the IAF currently has 31 fighter aircraft squadrons against the authorised strength of 42. Fast-tracking of procurements is a must to ensure that the IAF’s fighting capabilities are not compromised.