Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Narwane says that “the expenditure on defense is not an extravagant, but insurance premium” is highly relevant and visionary in the context of today’s security challenges. In a way, at the time when he said this, the Government of India has approved a large defense deal of about Rs 85,500 crore, under which 97 indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft and six AEW & C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft are going to be available to the Indian Air Force. This is not only a coincidence, but is a proof of India’s security vision and continuity of strategic thinking.
The example of Narvane makes it clear that it is wrong to see defense spending only as “cost”. It is like that “insurance premium” that ensures protection from future uncertain hazards. If Ukraine had made adequate defense preparations in time, today it would not have to face the reconstruction cost of billions of dollars and displacement of millions. The purchase of Tejas aircraft and AEW & C “Akash’s Eyes” is part of this strategy. Today, India is not only preparing for the traditional war, but also to face a possible ‘shared danger’ like China and Pakistan. In such a situation, it is very important to strengthen the monitoring capacity of the Air Force and the number of squadron.
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That is why on Tuesday, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by the Prime Minister gave a final approval to the defense deals worth about Rs 85,500 crore. Tejas Mark-1A deal is a big step towards self-reliance in the defense sector. Let us tell you that CCS has approved the production of 97 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft at a cost of Rs 66,500 crore. This number will be already approved by 83 Tejas aircraft (in 2021 deal of Rs 46,898 crore). That is, the Indian Air Force will get a total of 180 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft in the coming years. These indigenous aircraft with light, one-engine will be equipped with modern weapons systems, weapons air-to-air missiles and advanced avionics.
However, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has so far faced criticism for delay. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh expressed concern over delay in production. In response, HAL has said that now the production capacity will be increased from 20 to 24-30 aircraft per year. For this, the third production line at Nashik has been started.
In addition, AEW & C will provide new potential for monitoring and control. Under this project, six AEW & C aircraft will be prepared, on which active electronically scanning radar, electronic intelligence and signal intelligence systems will be installed. These systems will be fitted on old Airbus-321 aircraft (purchased from Air India). The cost of this project will be Rs 19,000 crore and all the aircraft will be handed over to the Air Force by 2033-34. These aircraft will have 300-degree radar coverage, which is much higher than the current 240-degree capacity (Netra-1).
Let us tell you that currently IAF has only three indigenous “Netra” AEW & C aircraft (on Embraer-145 platform) and three Israeli “spread” radar (at IL-76). In comparison, Pakistan and China have far more advanced and large number of AEW & C systems. This project will help India to bridge that inequality.
If seen, the number of fighter squadrons of IAF is decreasing rapidly. Next month, after the retiring of 36 old MiG-21 aircraft, the number will be reduced to 29 squadrons, while IAF has an authorized capacity of 42.5 squadrons. On the other hand, Pakistan currently has 25 squadrons and is going to get 40 J-35A stealth jet from China soon. At the same time, China’s strategic capacity is far higher. He has more than four times fighter and bombing aircraft and force-maletiplier as compared to India. In such a situation, the involvement of Tejas and Aew & C on time will be decisive for India’s air power balance.
By the way, there are many challenges in this path. HAL and other domestic suppliers must ensure timely delivery. Also, dependence on foreign engine and arms systems (eg GE-404 engine delay of two years) is a hindrance in the path of self-sufficiency. Apart from this, there has already been an increase of Rs 7,000 crore in the cost of the AEW & C project.
However, this step of India is not only in the direction of defense modernization but also in line with the self -sufficient Bharat Abhiyan. There will be a significant increase in the strength of the Indian Air Force if there is a time -bound supply of 180 Tejas aircraft and six AEW & C platforms. This decision shows that India is now moving towards maintaining regional power balance by strengthening indigenous capabilities in defense production, not only an importing nation. Along with this, it is also clear that in today’s geopolitical scenario, investment on national security is not an essential but mandatory. Every rupee spent on defense preparations is guaranteed to avoid the big loss in future.