After IAF Chief's 'Mazaa Nahi Aa Raha' Remark, Panel Formed to Address Tejas Delivery Delays

The Defence Ministry has formed a five-member committee to deal with the delays in the production and induction of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A. This comes after Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh expressed concerns over delays in the delivery of the LCA-Mk1A.

Convened by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, the committee has been charged with mapping out bottlenecks in the Tejas programme and making recommendations for stepping up plane manufacturing. Sources, according to India Today, quote officials saying the panel has a month in which to table its report. Enhancing private sector contribution in making planes would be one of the areas in the forefront of its consideration.

The IAF is set to fly about 350 variants of Tejas, such as Mk-1, Mk-1A, and Mk-2, in the next decade and beyond. But at Aero India in Bengaluru, the IAF chief vented his ire over HAL's inability to fulfill its promises.

"I was assured that 11 Tejas Mk1As would be ready, but no LCA-Mk1A has been delivered so far," Singh said. He also disapproved of the attempts to rename existing models without substantive upgrades, saying: "The plane you flew, referring to it as Mk1A, is not Mk1A. It cannot be done just by modifying one software or its look." He then said in Hindi, "Mazaa nahin aa raha" (This is not enjoyable).

Singh further added that the IAF has not yet been supplied with all 40 Tejas jets that were ordered in 2010. The force currently has 36 Mk1A jets, and four deliveries remain outstanding. The IAF ordered 83 Mk1A jets to bridge its fighter aircraft deficit. This is especially significant since the Air Force has until now inducted only 36 Rafale planes, a flagship component of its 4.5-generation aircraft needed to be able to contend with Chinese and Pakistani threats.

In reply to the criticism by the Air Chief Marshal, HAL Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil ascribed the setbacks to supply chains being disrupted affecting General Electric (GE) engines, rejecting rumors that the industry itself was being slow.