Two weeks after a public rebuke of HAL by the Indian Air Force chief that went viral both online as well as in India’s security establishment, the Ministry of Defence has reportedly set up a top-level committee to rapidly recommend a formula by which deliveries of 83 Tejas Mk1A fighters can be speeded up, streamlined. The focus of this formula is expected to be getting HAL to yield some of its workshare to private sector companies that currently supply HAL with assembled fuselage parts of the Tejas airframe, but could potentially be the operators of a full separate production line going forward.
At the centre of this squeeze is a 2021 order for 83 Tejas Mk1A fighters, deliveries of which were to begin in early 2024. A crippling delay in the supply of American-built GE F404 turbofan engines — the first is yet to arrive — and what the IAF chief basically pronounced a lack of energy and focus by HAL in his public scolding, has meant a year’s delay in the jets, a serious blow to squadron planning and readiness. With things finally moving, a handful of fighters will be delivered to the IAF soon. But ramping up the production rate to a desired 24 aircraft or more per year is where the current bottleneck lies. And that’s why the new committee.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Sunil said in a recent interview that he was targeting a production rate of 30 per year by 2027, something he hoped to achieved by using as much private sector capacity as possible. The MoD Committee will be formalising this approach and likely providing a timebound action plan on how to execute. As things stand, a handful of private sector companies already build fuselage assemblies for HAL, including VEM Technologies, L&T, Tata and Dynamatics. It is likely that one of these companies will get to operate a full separate Tejas Mk1A production line — a historic first in the country.
In what is a test of its principal customer’s faith, HAL will also be hoping for clarity on an additional order for 97 Tejas Mk1A fighters, which Sunil says could happen in the next 3-6 months.
Reports this morning also suggest that an earlier MoD Committee, set up under the leadership of the Defence Secretary, could provide finality on how India’s fifth generation stealth fighter program AMCA is to be executed. In 2020, Livefist had scooped early plans on a special purpose vehicle (SPV) approach underpinning a public-private partnership between HAL, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and a private sector giant to develop, test and build the AMCA. That push has meandered without a decision for over four years. It is understood that the MoD Committee will bite the bullet on next steps in this crucial project amidst the swirling pressures of the gap with China in stealth next generation fighters and the diplomatic quandary over U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer of F-35 Lightning II jets to India.
What should have been done is to have concluded the MRFA deal day before yesterday, matured Tejas into Tejas MK2 and then proceed for induction.
Tejas MK1 while a big leap for India in terms of indigenous design and development of fighter aircraft technologies does not bring sufficient endurance/payload/avionics capability hence the need for the MK2. Who knows maybe the decision was made to fluff up squadron numbers after all the situation there is already dire.
Regardless if we keep taking wrong turns and hope to reach the right place ….
Maybe it would help if the defense ministry stopped moonlighting as export ministry, and fixed actual defense issues; one can only hope.
Another step in the destruction of defence. After contract soldiers now privatisation of defence production. Oh what a wicked web we weave. Instead of fixing DPSUs which are a national asset let’s kill them with neglect and call it suicide.
On the Tejas can the government tell who owns the Tejas project? IAF, ADA, ASTE, HAL, secretary MoD, secretary defence production, minister of defense or the PMO? The demonstrably vocal IAF chief is very demure when it comes to the nearly 25 year old MRFA circus.
ELM 2032, ELM 2052, UTTAM, associated integration and qualification and rounds of testing has always been a recipe for delay.
Interestingly HAL is neither the design nor the testing nor the certifying agency. However they seem to be a convenient scapegoat. How and why did the MoD/IAF place an order for a configuration that is yet to be certified? If the configuration is not certified it’s not production ready then why the noise around production? SU-30 Jaguar Dornier Hawk Dhruv LCH production MRO all happening without noise.
Methinks somebody somewhere is smelling profits and it’s not the public. Soon we will have our own Raytheon Lockheed and Boeing. Hope the tax payers is ready for the ride.