In a milestone for India’s defence preparedness, the Indian Air Force has concluded that the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is finally combat ready. The aircraft, which was conceived in 1983, has been mired by delays contributing to the present shortage in IAF fighter squadrons. Nonetheless, that the Tejas is finally ready for induction and battlefield operations comes as a huge relief. To use a football analogy, the aircraft can now serve as the crucial midfielders of the IAF.
Plus, it also lays the foundation for future indigenous fighter jet development. This is much needed as India can’t remain a top importer of foreign weapon platforms due to limited export earnings. Besides, as the Rafale fighter jet deal showed, foreign defence procurement is often plagued by controversies. They also crimp India’s strategic autonomy as critical defence requirements become dependent on foreign vendors. Hence, India needs an indigenous defence production industry that is able to churn out cutting-edge weapon platforms.
We need to plan for the long-term and create a military-industrial complex that can serve our critical defence hardware needs. China too went from importing arms to producing its own weapon platforms. Today, it is churning out indigenous fifth generation fighter jets and aircraft carriers. India too must proceed along this path and invest heavily in indigenous production. That’s the only way forward.