NEW DELHI: Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has pressed for faster induction of indigenous military aircraft and systems, saying design-to-delivery timelines must be compressed as the Indian Air Force (IAF) grapples with a widening fighter squadron deficit and the phased retirement of several ageing combat fleets.
According to an IAF statement issued Sunday, the Air Chief, while addressing graduating officers of the 48th Flight Test Course at the Air Force Test Pilots School (AFTPS) in Bengaluru on Saturday, called for “optimising design-to-delivery time cycles” while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality.
The chief also stressed the importance of professional competence to ensure that aircraft and systems meet the “operational requirements of the service,” the statement added.
The remarks come as the IAF continues to push for the timely induction of the Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft, which is considered critical to arresting the force’s declining squadron strength.
The programme, already running over two years behind schedule, has seen its delivery timelines repeatedly revised. Initial deliveries, originally due in October last year, were later deferred to March and subsequently to June-July. HAL said last week that it is now hoping to begin deliveries by August-September.
As reported earlier, the IAF, which had previously shown flexibility on certain delivery-linked operational requirements to facilitate induction, is learnt to be examining additional relaxations aimed at accelerating Tejas Mk-1A deliveries.
It is learnt that efforts are also underway to validate the EL/M-2052 AESA radar and fully integrate it with the aircraft’s electronic warfare suite, mission systems and weapons package, which form the elements of the Tejas Mk-1A’s mandatory operational requirements.
Besides, engine shortages have further compounded the delays. GE Aerospace has delivered far fewer F404 engines than originally scheduled, with only six currently available with HAL.
According to the IAF statement, ACM AP Singh also batted for ‘Aatmanirbharta” (self reliance) as a strategic necessity and underlined the role of flight-test personnel in strengthening indigenous defence capabilities and India’s aerospace ecosystem.
A total of 17 officers graduated from the 48-week course, including 14 from the IAF, one from the Army and two from the Navy. They will now join the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), the IAF’s premier flight-test organisation.
