Delayed jet deliveries deepen crisis in Indian Air Force, Air Chief admits shortage
Not a single Tejas Mk-1A delivered in 4 years, AP Singh says delay hurting force
New Delhi: In a candid admission of deepening crisis within the Indian Air Force, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has said that inordinate delays in induction of new combat jets are hurting the force at a time when its fighter squadron strength has depleted alarmingly.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi ahead of the 94th Air Force Day, the IAF chief said the force urgently needs induction of at least 36 to 40 fighter jets annually for the next few years to plug the gaps and stop the depleting squadron strength. He said the current strength has come down to just 30 fighter squadrons against the officially sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons, exposing a serious capability gap in Indian air power.
The Air Chief flagged the extra delay in supply of indigenous Tejas Mark-1A jets, saying “There is some extra delay, and there is no doubt that it is going to hurt us.”
In February 2021, the Indian defence ministry had sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets with first delivery scheduled in March 2024, but not a single jet has been supplied till now.
Another deal worth Rs 62,370 crore for 97 more Tejas MK-1A was signed in September last year, but remains stuck. He said the IAF requires induction of two fighter squadrons every year just to arrest the downfall and start moving towards the target of 42 squadrons.
The IAF chief also expressed concern over Pakistan collaborating with China on a fifth-generation fighter jet, terming it “a cause for worry.”
Elaborating on measures to enhance combat prowess, he said New Delhi is hoping to finalize the long-pending MRFA deal for procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France by this financial year. India had cleared the proposal in February in its largest-ever defence acquisition push, nearly two decades after it was originally rolled out, but price negotiations are still underway. He also admitted that if there are delays in the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth-generation fighter programme, IAF may have to look at other options including Russia’s Su-57 jets, on which no decision has been taken yet.
The remarks have highlighted the growing crisis in Indian Air Force modernisation, with overdependence on imports, repeated failures of indigenous programmes and inability to maintain even the minimum required combat strength.
