Editorial: Defence needs brook no delay

Fast-tracking of procurements is a must to ensure that the IAF’s fighting capabilities are not compromised.

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 ‘Atmanirbharta’ 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 latest instance of 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) highlights the problem. 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 (MRFA) 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.

There is no doubt that indigenisation is an important way to bridge critical gaps in defence capability. It, however, should not mean ignoring the need for acquisition of modern weapons through imports. Dwindling R&D share in the defence budget is another area of concern directly related to the ambitious indigenisation of the sector. A higher budgetary allocation for research and development is required to give an impetus to the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Unfortunately, the spending on defence research has remained stagnant in India for several years, accounting for less than one percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). India is far behind countries like China and the United States in this aspect. Its indigenisation drive has been largely dependent on the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and the DPSUs (Defence Public Sector Undertakings) to deliver on the promise. However, many of the DRDO’s projects have been delayed. Over the years, the budget for DRDO has been around 5% to 6% of the Defence Budget, hardly enough to deliver on the strategically important projects. The armed forces, which are projected to spend around $130 billion in capital procurement over the next five years, have also raised the issue of product quality. Since their needs are urgent, they often take recourse to imports.

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