Tejas delivery delayed, IAF Vice Chief says Atmanirbharta should not be at cost of nation

In his show #DefenceScope, Deputy Editor Snehesh Alex Philip looks at why the Tejas delivery is delayed and what the IAF is doing.
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[VermaRajinder]

AtmaNirbharta cannot be dependent only on ToT !!! Investment in R&D is never a Waste !!! And getting the Private Sector onboard in R&D efforts followed with Concrete Orders is a no Brainer !!!

[liuxian]

GE won't deliver a single engine. The idea is to delay so much that IAF would be forced to go for an emergency purchase preferably F-16/18

[gautamganguli]

The Rafale deal for 144 planes was stalled by the Defence Ministry since around 2010; the ordering of 36 Rafales is not really an alternative. This delay is what is really responsible for the crisis that IAF faces today, so the Air Marshal is justified in flagging the issue. As far as GE is concerned m the supply chain world wide is certainly disrupted and is adding to the discomfort created by past procrastination.

[ajaypalsinghaswal]

Battery, Engine and Chip technology no one will share

[ahsrahoar]

Relying on Defence PSUs is Atmahatya not Atmanirbharta

[TakaluKevin]

When HAL gave 2025 as delivery date, I laughed. When thay revised it to 2029, I laughed harder. I think it's going to take 25-30 years, just like Tejas itself and rest is fake news. When will Indians learn not to trust government babus of HAL and privatize to have accountability of delivery.

[priortokaraew]

After decades in existence, thousands of employees, many of whom are now collecting pensions, its still struggling to manufacture fiighter jets that looks like fighter jets that were manufactured 50 years ago in the west. Have they managed to make a helicopter yet?

[vikeng]

Its a disgrace to HAL that they cannot manufacture a single engine after decades of gulping up tax payers money and still dependent on others. And here we have people comparing HAL with Dassult Aviation. What a Joke.

[ishangore]

The Vice Chief’s comments have been taken completely out of context. If you listen to the next 30 seconds, he clearly states further that he intends to make working between the Air Force & Industry better. Also, mentions that we need to let go of ego & work together as the nation comes first.

@ThePrint I would request that this clarification is also mentioned in your future articles/Videos

[Ujjawal_YouTube]

Then importing engines from USA, Is it working? USA not supplying engines on time for Tejas aircraft so what will you tell on this import?

[AnilYadav-ntmf]

It's very tempting to believe what vice chief is saying but had IAF ordered the Tejas earlier in 2016-18 period, this issue may not have been there. The supply chain would have been sorted long ago. so the blame is shared.

[smurugan]

What happened to Kaveri engine? Wait we couldn’t make one.

[AlphaBeta]

IAF said: Atmanirbharta is must, that's the lesson. Also security aspect is the first. BUT IAF, govt and HAL lag on long term requirement/preparation and contingency plan for imported parts/engines. Imported aircraft and parts will always give trouble in war times and global supply chain disruptions.

[bibekjm]

The hand of US gov can not be ruled out..

[kekobadbatliwala]

Atmanirbharta is showing all over INDIA .VIKAS IN EVERY FIELD from Manipur to Kanya Kumari.

[saikatsenguptaa]

I'm not a defence expert, but it's absolutely clear and I'm sorry to say that the #Tejas is a failed project especially in front of it's other competitors such as Griphen and F16 etc.

IAF should only focus on the #AMCA. If our Air Force desperately wants a single engine fighter jet then we should definitely go for the #F16 Block 70/72 variants. I know it will not be ideal and beneficial for us. But we all know and even our Air Force knows it very well that the #F16 is by far the best single engine multi role fighter in the world.

[okee]

Well said Air Marshal, China will have the 6th generation fighter before India's PSU's will even get out the first prototype and then when actual production commences, China will launch the 7th generation fighter. Then by the time IAF gets full order of the 5th generation AMCA's, China will have the 8th generation fighter. Aatmaribharta will make IAF get three generations behind in technology but who cares as long as India does not have to depend on foreigners even if it loses the air war

[MP_mp]

Indigenous is the only way forward, but we need to look for alternative also

[udaysathe]

During our time, we use to call LCA, as "Late coming aircraft". HAL, DRDO AND ADA, have taken IAF for ride. Now TEJAS MK1A, time line is changing, because of promised engine supplies by GE. We did a blunder by depending on USA, instead of our trusted friend Russia. We must learn from our Northern neighbour China.

[tezpuria]

SELF RELIANCE needs efforts, money ...which INDIAN didn't invested in MARUT....the 1st fighter jet ...MADE IN INDIA....but killed by short sighted INDIANs. Now same is repeating, why GOI, INDIANs put in their best to design a JET ENGINE?? Where has its ENGINEERING poweress gone....INDIA the IT SUPERPOWER, simply cannot design and make a JET ENGINE. JAI HIND, MERA BHARAT MAHAAN.