Key points
- Indian Air Force chief Amar Preet Singh criticises delays in defence procurement
- Singh’s comments mark his latest public criticism of India’s defence production
- Warns unrealistic timelines and poor planning are hampering key military projects
ISLAMABAD: India’s Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has issued a sharp critique of the country’s defence procurement process, warning that chronic delays and unrealistic contracts are undermining the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force.
The Indian military, especially its air force has come under immense domestic pressure and faced global embarrassment due to the battering it has received in the recent conflict with Pakistan after it lost a number of its aircrafts to Pakistan Air Force’s strikes.
According to Indian media, Singh has raised concerns over delays in major defence procurement projects. Speaking at an official event, the Indian Air Chief 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.”
The IAF chief said delays have affected several key projects.
“We need both capability and capacity,” he said.
“Over the next ten years, we will see more results from Indian industry and DRDO. But what we need today is required today. We need to act quickly,” he said.
Not the first warning
According to Indian media, the Indian Air Chief’s remarks are not his first public critique of India’s defence production environment. In October last year, shortly after taking over as the Air Chief, he said that India had once been ahead of China in military technology but had since fallen behind. “As far as production rates are concerned, we are way behind. We need to catch up,” he said.
In February this year, an accidental recording of the Air Chief criticising the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) caused a controversy. He was heard on the mic saying that he was “just not confident” of HAL.
“I can tell you what our requirements and worries are,” he was heard saying while seated inside a HJT-36 Yashas cockpit. “I was promised that when I come here in February, 11 Tejas Mk1As would be ready. And not a single one is ready. We all have worked there (in HAL). But I find that HAL is just not in mission mode.”
Severity of the crisis in Indian Air Force
Sushant Singh, consulting editor for an Indian magazine, in his piece published on April 1, 2025 highlighted the crisis in Indian Air Force. Sushant wrote: It takes a lot for a military chief to go public with his grievances—especially under the Modi regime. That Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently did so, highlights the severity of the crisis in the Indian Air Force. Singh underlined the warning raised by the Indian air chief in his opinion piece that the IAF is struggling to maintain its operational edge, making it imperative to fast-track acquisitions and plug the equipment shortfall.
