Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, raised pressing concerns over prolonged delays in defence procurement and development, citing adverse effects on the Indian Air Force&rsquo;s operational capabilities. Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry&rsquo;s (CII) Annual Business Summit 2025, Singh criticised the chronic issue of unrealistic deadlines and the systemic acceptance of unachievable timelines.
He drew attention to a recurring pattern in which defence projects fail to meet their scheduled targets, questioning the rationale behind setting deadlines that stakeholders know are unattainable from the outset. &ldquo;Timelines are a big issue... Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. This is something that we have to look at,&rdquo; Singh stated.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Why should we promise something that cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up. But we just sign the contract. Then the process gets vitiated,&rdquo; he added.
One of the key examples he cited was the delayed delivery of 83 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Despite the contract being signed in February 2021 for Rs 48,000 crore, no aircraft have been delivered to date. The first batch was originally due in March 2024. According to Singh, the delay is partly due to disruptions in the engine supply chain from US-based manufacturer General Electric.
&ldquo;Deliveries of Tejas Mk1 are delayed. The prototype of Tejas Mk2 is yet to roll out. There is no prototype yet of the stealth AMCA fighter,&rdquo; Singh remarked during the event, which was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Emphasising the need for indigenous design and development, Singh urged greater trust and openness between the armed forces and the defence industry. &ldquo;We cannot just talk about producing in India, we need to talk about designing. We need to have trust between the forces and industry. We need to be very open. Once we have committed to something, we should deliver. Air Force is trying to do its best to make in India,&rdquo; he said.
He cautioned that while industrial production may scale up over the next decade, the immediate operational requirements of the military must not be overlooked. &ldquo;In 10 years, we will have more output from industry, but what we need today, we need today. We need to quickly get our act together. Wars are won by empowering our forces,&rdquo; he noted.
Referencing Operation Sindoor, the Air Chief Marshal described the recent cross-border military operation as a landmark achievement. The operation involved precision airstrikes on nine terrorist camps situated in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
&ldquo;I must put on record this operation, Sindoor, that we've been talking about. It is a national victory. My thanks to everyone of you in India here... This was an operation executed in a very professional manner by everybody, all the agencies, all the forces; we all came together, and when truth is on your side, things happen automatically,&rdquo; he said.
Singh highlighted the operation as a demonstration of joint force capability and technological advancement, offering a clear path for future military strategy. He emphasised the deep-rooted sense of mutual reliance within the armed services. &ldquo;Trust for defence forces is intrinsic. Our default setting is trust... The very first mission that you're flying, you have to trust each other because your life depends on somebody else,&rdquo; he said.
Calling for a unified approach, Singh urged all participants in the national security framework&mdash;including the army, navy, air force, defence agencies, private sector and DRDO&mdash;to ensure each component remains resilient.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When we talk about a nation, all of us in these groups&mdash;army, the navy, the air force, various agencies, industry, DRDO&mdash;all of us are links in a bigger chain. We all have to make sure that our group is not the weak group because of which this chain will break. And that is what is stressed: that if I am trying to be strong enough not to let this system break, everybody else is also trying equally to be strong enough to be competent enough in that game or at least be aware of where the shortcomings lie and improve that system,&rdquo; Singh stated.
The Air Chief also welcomed the government's recent move to allow private sector participation in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project. He described the policy shift as a significant vote of confidence in India&rsquo;s industrial capabilities. &ldquo;AMCA&mdash;advanced medium combat aircraft&mdash;has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step, and that is the kind of confidence that the nation has in private industry today, and I'm sure this is going to pave the way to bigger things coming in the future,&rdquo; he said.
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IAF Chief highlights critical delays in defence projects, calls for trust, transparency, and timely delivery.

Air Chief Flags Delays in Defence Projects

IAF Chief highlights critical delays in defence projects, calls for trust, transparency, and timely delivery.

May 29, 2025 | 16:55 IST