Zarvan
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by Brig Arun Bajpai
Today we are celebrating induction of two indigenous Tejas LCA fighter aircrafts into Indian Air force on 01 Jul 2016.thanks to our babudom and lack of coordination, this LCA which was conceived in 1983 has taken 33 years to actually get inducted into IAF, a fourth generation fighter when most of the advanced countries are flying fifth generation fighters. Total budget allotment for this LCA fighter was 500 corers but it has taken 25000 corers to be called a fighter. Even now this fighter has only cleared initial operational clearance which means it can be employed only for limited operations that also in emergency.
Final operations clearance, meaning it meets all the parameters laid down, is expected in late 2016 or early 2017.Even otherwise it has only 35% indigenous inputs rest all are imported.Initailly IAF was not prepared to accept this fighter. However after persuasion from Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar now IAF has agreed to induct initial 20 of the current model and next 80 of advanced model known as Tejas Mk1A.Meanwhile Hindustan Aeronautics ltd who are producing this fighter will have to ramp up their production line to produce 16 such fighters per year. This is a tall order for HAL, a public sector defence behemoth which lacks efficiency and necessary coordination.
It is so sad that way back in mid 1950, India selected the great German aircraft designer Kurt Tank who had produced the famous Focke-Wolf-190 fighter aircraft for Hitler in Second World War. He was to produce a fighter aircraft for IAF indigenously. In keeping with his reputation Kurt tank and his team produced an excellent fighter by the name HF-24 Marut which was 70% indigenous. This fighter at that time was even better then best fighter of that day The British Hunter. HF-24 Marut was unbeatable in low level combat. However it lacked manoeuvrability because the British Orpheus 703 engine was not giving it sufficient power. Soviet Klimov-7 and RD-9F engines were also tired but did not fit in. This fighter was inducted in IAF in the same Dagger Squadron in which now Tejas have been inducted on 1 April 1967. Three such squadrons were created. HF-24 Marut took part in 1971 Indo-Pak war in Rajasthan sector. It flew 300 combat sorties. It suffered no damage from the enemy and enemy could not shoot down a single aircraft. Air Commodore Jasjit Singh writes that this HF-24 fighter was a fighter which was much ahead of its time and had we persisted with its development programme India would have been a generation ahead in fighter air craft production. However, the babus sitting in Ministry of defence said that this whole project is too costly and so decision was taken to scuttle the development program and the fighter was decommissioned. This goes to show how we lack long term planning and coordination. If PM Modi really wants Make in India in defence to succeed then he will have to totally revamp the functioning of MOD.babus must be thrown out from decion making loop. He must implement CDS system who should be made responsible and accountable for all these miss management, cost overruns and what have you. Need of the hour is cooperation, coordination and proper project management.
Brig Arun Bajpai is a distinguished Defence and Strategic Analyst. Views express are his own.
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http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/07/idn-take-but-for-indian-babudom-we.html?m=1
