IAF Chief: Will Order For 83 Tejas Soon, HAL To Deliver 70 Trainer Aircraft By 2026
01 June, 2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to place an order for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LAC) Tejas MK IA soon and expects deliveries to commence in three years, Air Chief Marshal R.K.S Bhadauria told ThePrint in an email interview.
Bhadauria further said the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is expected to complete the delivery of 70 Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) by 2026.
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The IAF is also sure HAL will complete the full development of the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) this year and is already progressing on the procurement of an initial batch of the choppers.
The Air Chief’s statement comes amid a renewed push for the indigenous defence industry by the Narendra Modi government under its ‘Atmanirbhar initiative’ given the economic downturn in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
DRDO Challenge Lies in Developing Niche Tech
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s technology and quality issues have improved significantly over the years in many areas such as ground radars, air-to-air missiles, missile defence systems, networking, etc., even as some challenges lie in niche technologies.
The LCA programme has also undergone major improvements, he said, adding, “Current challenges lie in niche technologies such as sensors, guided weapons and advanced technologies. To counter rapidly evolving threats, timely deliveries are essential to sustain the capability and technological edge.”
He emphasised that “timely deliveries” are essential to sustain the capability and technological edge to counter “rapidly evolving threats.”
Talking about making HAL more accountable for quality, timely delivery and lifetime support, he said there are plans underway to instil greater user participation at various levels by deputing more IAF officers to HAL.
“I am sure HAL will evolve its structures and processes to become competitive,” he said.
Jaguars To Operate Well Beyond 2035
Bhadauria addressed the issue of how likely budget cuts on the planned induction of weapon systems could impact the IAF, saying there is always a constant endeavour to balance security needs with budget constraints.
“The IAF is already prioritising its capital and revenue expenditure plans for the year to adapt to the evolving budget realities. Our focus would be to economise and reprioritise without affecting our immediate combat capability requirements,” he said.
The Air Chief had earlier told ANI that the upgradation of 80 Jaguar fighter planes with engines from Honeywell Corporation America has been shelved.
However, he told ThePrint that the IAF have initiated other measures to sustain the engines and maintenance aspects of the fleet.
“Jaguar fleet is expected to operate well beyond 2035 with its upgraded avionics, sensors and EW (electronic warfare),” he said.
Bhadauria said while there are logistical and operational challenges of systems from different countries, especially of Russian and western origin, these are overcome by proper procedures, management and technology.
“There is no effect on interoperability as the IAF has trained for several decades with these systems,” he said.
“However, we are focused on reducing the number of types of aircraft in the future to optimise the logistical and maintenance issues,” he added.
Courtesy: msn.com