The crucial issue of delay in delivery of homegrown defence equipment and delayed timelines, that was flagged unexpectedly on Thursday by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, was seconded today by his predecessor Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said because in terms of national security, depletion of strength is a very serious issue, “filling the bins” in time becomes crucial.
“It requires a lot of planning, a lot of assurance from the people whom you place the orders on that they are going to deliver as promised. If they fail to deliver, or if they told us maybe some years ago that we will not be able to meet the timelines, maybe alternative paths could have been found,” he said.
The revelations of Air Chief Marshal Singh have been a shock to many, coming as it does days after Pakistani aggression with missiles and drones targeting multiple cities and parts of the border in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said in view of the situation, the requirement is not just to have timely deliveries but also surge capacities.
“The ability to manufacture in numbers at the right time is very vital. Apart from that, to have capability to carry out surge production,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.
“You know, when you just mentioned about drones, let’s say, I need a very, very large number of drones. It is not going to be sufficient if somebody is going to give me 20 per month or 50 per year. We need them in large numbers. So capacity building definitely has to be enhanced,” he added.
What it all boils down to is that it is a matter of national security, So “things should not be taken lightly when it comes to delayed timelines, or late deliveries, or substandard equipment,” he said, underscoring that timely delivery and in the numbers required, “should be something that everybody should take pride in”.
Earlier on Thursday, speaking at an official event, Air Chief Singh said, “Timelines – This is crucial. Every project I can think of has been delayed. Why we can’t meet promised timelines? Sometimes we know it’s unachievable but sign the contract anyway. We need to be realistic and transparent from the start.”
“To produce at scale, we need capacity. So, trust and communication between the forces and industry must continue. We need to be open and forthright to ensure the relationship stays strong,” he had added.
His remarks also came amid the push for faster indigenisation and domestic capability under the government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.
