Self-reliance is not an option but a necessity, as India is facing a double threat on its borders, along with new dimensions of warfare that are emerging in today’s fast-changing world. A strong and self-reliant military is the backbone of a sovereign nation, which besides protecting the borders, safeguards the country’s civilisation and culture. The Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is ensuring that the Armed Forces are not dependent on foreign weapons and equipment, and believes that the real strength lies in being ‘Aatmanirbhar’, especially when an emergency situation arises.
In today’s time there is a paradigm shift brought about by technology in the nature of warfare. There is a need to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip and prepare the Armed Forces to tackle new and emerging challenges. Most of the weapons today are electronic-based systems, which can reveal sensitive information to the adversaries. As imported equipment has certain limitations, India needs to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in niche technologies. Latest weapons/equipment are equally important as the bravery of our soldiers. If India wishes to become a military power at the global level, there is no other option than being self-reliant in defence manufacturing.
IAF- Going Self-Reliant
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is one of the largest and most powerful air forces in the world. It plays a vital role in defending India's airspace and its national interests.
The IAF was a tactical force, participating in Army cooperation during World War II and Counter-Insurgency in its early years. Today, it is a strategic force that is strong, qualified, and experienced. Despite the gradual progress towards strategic competence, the process is essentially ongoing.
A robust and all-encompassing aeronautical capability is unavoidable given our circumstances, worries, and goals. Deterrence, Punishment, Protection, Projection, and Peacetime Roles can be used to characterise the IAF's Functions. It will be clear that India needs its air force in order to carry out all of these. In a volatile area, the IAF must be a potent "deterrent." The capacity for prompt, precise, but effective "punishment" is implicit in the deterrent effect. Currently, the nuclear component of our deterrence is present. The IAF's primary and traditional function is "protection," or air defence, and as our interests and reach grow, so will its scope. Although we have a pretty balanced force, there are gaps in our inventory, declining force numbers, and shortages that are being addressed with the utmost haste and help from the government.
The goal of the IAF's modernization plan is to consolidate the required force levels while maintaining and improving operational potential through wise and economical replacements and resource upgrades. Modernization is happening gradually, but it's revolutionary.
Make In India
In recent years, the IAF has been focusing on increasing its self-reliance and reducing its dependence on foreign imports. One of the key initiatives in this regard is the Make in India program. The Make in India program was launched in 2014 by the Indian government to promote domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports. The IAF has been a strong supporter of the Make in India program and has taken several steps to implement it.
One of the key steps taken by the IAF has been to give preference to indigenously developed and manufactured aircraft and equipment. In recent years, the IAF has inducted a number of indigenously developed aircraft into its fleet, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, and the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The IAF has also placed orders for a number of other indigenously developed aircraft and equipment, including the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), and the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) aircraft.
Another key step taken by the IAF has been to promote the development of indigenous capabilities in the aerospace sector. The IAF has been working closely with Indian defense companies and research institutions to develop new technologies and products. The IAF has also been supporting the development of a strong startup ecosystem in the aerospace sector.
The IAF's efforts to implement the Make in India program have been successful. In recent years, the IAF's self-reliance has increased significantly. The IAF is now able to meet a significant portion of its requirements for aircraft and equipment from indigenous sources.The following are some of the examples of the IAF's successful implementation of the Make in India program:
• Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas: The LCA Tejas is a fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft that has been developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The IAF has inducted over 100 LCA Tejas aircraft into its fleet and plans to induct over 200 more aircraft in the coming years.
• Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv: The ALH Dhruv is a multi-role helicopter that has been developed by HAL. The IAF has inducted over 300 ALH Dhruv helicopters into its fleet and uses them for a variety of missions, including transport, search and rescue, and combat support.
• Light Utility Helicopter (LUH): The LUH is a single-engine, light utility helicopter that has been developed by HAL. The IAF has placed an order for over 100 LUH helicopters and plans to use them for a variety of missions, including troop transport, reconnaissance, and casualty evacuation.
• Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand: The LCH Prachand is a dedicated attack helicopter that has been developed by HAL. The IAF has placed an order for over 100 LCH Prachand helicopters and plans to use them for a variety of missions, including close air support, anti-tank warfare, and anti-aircraft warfare.
• Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA): The MTA is a medium-lift transport aircraft that is being developed by a consortium led by HAL. The MTA is expected to be inducted into the IAF in the mid-2020s and will be used to transport troops and cargo over medium distances.
• Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) aircraft: The AEW&C aircraft is a long-range surveillance aircraft that is being developed by a consortium led by HAL. The AEW&C aircraft is expected to be inducted into the IAF in the late-2020s and will be used to provide early warning of incoming threats and to coordinate air defence operations.
In addition to the above, the IAF is also working on a number of other indigenization projects, including the development of indigenous air-to-air missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and radars.
The IAF's implementation of the Make in India program has had a number of benefits. It has helped to reduce India's dependence on foreign imports, create jobs, and boost the Indian economy. It has also helped to develop India's aerospace sector and make it more competitive globally.
The IAF's success in implementing the Make in India program is a model for other Indian armed forces. It shows that India is capable of developing and manufacturing its own world-class defence equipment.
Listing out the advantages of being ‘Aatmanirbhar’, Shri Rajnath Singh stated during a program in UP, that it would not only decrease the expenditure on imports, but also multi-dimensionally benefit the civil sector. He called for developing dual use technology that, besides strengthening the defence sector, improves the standard of living of the people.
The Raksha Mantri enumerated the steps taken by the Government to create a robust defence ecosystem, which not only caters to the domestic requirements, but also fulfils the security needs of friendly countries. These include setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors (DIC) in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; earmarking of record 75 per cent of defence capital procurement budget (approx. Rs one lakh crore) for domestic industry in Financial Year 2023-24; 25 per cent R&D budget for private industry and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative & Technology Development Fund to promote start-ups.
On the UP DIC, Shri Rajnath Singh said that the work is going on in mission mode and 95 per cent of around 1,700 hectares of land has been acquired till date. Of these, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectares of land. 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than Rs 16,000 crore. So far, a total investment of about Rs 2,500 crore has been made in UPDIC by various entities. The corridor will not only produce spare parts, but also manufacture and assemble Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Electronic warfare, Aircraft & BrahMos missiles.
It should be obvious from the IAF's experience over the last two decades in trying to modernise and modernise its combat fleet that depending on foreign sources to acquire contemporary combat aircraft will no longer be a practical option. Furthermore, the country's ambitions to develop in every area and eventually become a world power can only be realised by self-reliance in every industry, but especially in the sphere of defence manufacture. This is the fundamental tenet of Prime Minister Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' worldview. Indigenization is not going to be a simple task, though, and self-reliance in this industry is likely to remain a distant dream unless major overhaul and restructuring of the Indian aerospace industry in the public sector is undertaken by the government as well as the private sector is supported by the government to achieve unrestricted growth.
RM Rajnath Singh: Leading from the front
Rajnath Singh, the Raksha Mantri of this country is not only bringing an overall change in the defence of this country, but he has always been in for-front in realising the defence forces aim to become self-reliant. India’s defence sector has witnessed significant growth under the leadership of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Some of the key highlights of this growth include:
• Increased defence spending: The Indian government has increased its defence spending significantly in recent years. In the 2023-24 Union Budget, the government allocated Rs 5.25 lakh crore for defence, which is an increase of 11.2 per cent over the previous year. This increased spending is being used to modernize the Indian Armed Forces and acquire new weapons and equipment.
• Boost to indigenous defence production: The Indian government has taken a number of steps to boost indigenous defence production. These include the introduction of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which gives priority to Indian vendors in defence procurement, and the launch of the Defence Production Corridor (DPC) program to create defence manufacturing hubs across the country. As a result of these efforts, the share of indigenous procurement in defence procurement has increased from 50 per cent in 2014 to over 60 per cent in 2023.
• Increased defence exports: India’s defence exports have also increased significantly in recent years. In 2022-23, India exported defence equipment worth Rs 13,000 crore, which is a seven-fold increase over the exports in 2014-15. This increase in defence exports is a sign of the growing global recognition of the quality of Indian defence products. In addition to these key highlights, the Indian defence sector has also witnessed significant growth in terms of research and development (R&D) and technology development. The Indian government has increased its investment in defence R&D and has also established a number of new defence R&D institutions. This has led to the development of a number of new indigenous defence technologies, such as the Tejas light combat aircraft and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
Overall, the Indian defence sector has witnessed significant growth under the leadership of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This growth is being driven by increased government spending, a boost to indigenous defence production, and increased defence exports. The Indian government is committed to making India a leading global defence power and the sector is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
As a result of these efforts, the Indian defence sector has witnessed significant growth in recent years. The sector is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as the Rakshamantri remains committed to making India a leading global defence power.
By NILABH KRISHNA
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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