Emergency procurement tells the sad reality of India’s defence purchases. Rafale’s late too

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

It has taken 5 years for the first 5 jets to land in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it in April 2015 during his trip to France.
The eventual contract was done late 2016, which shows the time taken despite it being Modi’s top priority. This proves how complex the defence procurement process in India is.
As part of the emergency purchases, the armed forces are working on over 100 procurement contracts for sourcing rifles, drones and specialised ammunition.Wonder what the defence planners were doing till now.The emergency procurement is being done not just for additional ammunition, but for a spate of new systems, including assault rifles and others.
It is important for the Defence Ministry to cut red-tapism when it comes to military procurements. Despite the urgency shown in the purchase of Rafale fighters, a formal tender for buying another 114 fighters is yet to be issued and one is not sure if the project would even materialise.A similar delay is being witnessed for the contract of 83 LCA-MK 1A aircraft despite the IAF dealing with the Indian manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). A Request For Proposal for the aircraft was issued to HAL in December 2017 but a contract is yet to be signed.
Even in the case of submarines, the procurement process is so intertwined that a formal tender of the much talked about Project 75I-class submarine is yet to be issued. The project was first cleared in 2007.
Delays have also marred the Kamov helicopters and AK-203 Rifle deal with Russia that was announced by PM Modi and Russian President Putin years ago.
The list of such critical defence deals that are now delayed is long. If this is what happens to projects of priority and emergency, then imagine the fate of regular purchases.
No wonder many of our infantry soldiers continue to wait for modern bullet-proof jackets, helmets, boots and modern assault rifles.
https://theprint.in/opinion/brahmas...as-defence-purchases-rafales-late-too/471623/

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Had Indian military built its own weapons instead of paying corrupt private firms to build it for them, Indian military would not be in this sorry state that it finds itself in.

 

[SABRE]

Had Indian military built its own weapons instead of paying corrupt private firms to build it for them, Indian military would not be in this sorry state that it finds itself in.

In my opinion, it's the other way around. The state-owned military industry in India has essentially hegemonized defence production and is unwilling to concede projects to the private sector. India's state-owned military industry is by and large inefficient, and for them, the military's operational needs are secondary to their own parochial interests. In essence, they produce what they can and want over what the military actually wants/needs. If India needs to get out of this quagmire it needs to outsource defence production to private industry, and so does Pakistan.