Exclusive: Top Defence Official On Challenges, Timelines Of Deliveries

India's Operation Sindoor that smashed terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan has reignited interest in homegrown defence technology and hardware. In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh explained the need for ensuring that import in this industry becomes an exception and not the norm.

He also pointed out the critical need for defence vendors and manufacturers for sticking to timelines for deliverables, and also acknowledged challenges that often come in the way, such as geopolitical factors.

"It is a problem that is not confined to our own industry. I think geopolitical factors also played a part and many of our contracts got held up. Let's take a few examples. The S-400 [missile system] got held up because of the conflict [Ukraine-Russia] there. The fourth and the fifth batteries are now probably going to come next year after almost a two-year delay," Mr Singh told NDTV.

He said GE's F-404 engines got held up and as a result, disrupted Tejas' supply chain and delayed deliveries of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to the forces by two years.

"So some of these are linked to global supply chain issues. Others could be internal management failures or inability to plan. What I can do is of course ensure that contract signings are done on time," the 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Kerala cadre told NDTV.

He said the government holds vendors accountable for long delays. The defence secretary said that on the day of the delivery in a project that was to be completed in one year, for example, India can't have a situation where it is forced to go for emergency procurement.

"... There are vendors that seek time after two or even three years more to fulfil contracts. Obviously, I'm not saying it's a factor which affects only the domestic manufacturers. It affects global manufacturers as well. But somewhere accountability will have to be ensured when it comes to contract fulfilment as well, both from the public and from the private sector," Mr Singh said.

During Operation Sindoor, India's homegrown air defence network stopped Pakistani missiles and drones effectively, highlighting the importance of having indigenous systems work together.

On the intervening night of May 9 and 10, when Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on Indian military and civilian areas, they met the homegrown impenetrable wall of self-defence called the 'Akashteer' system. It is part of the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) designed by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IACCS was the tip of the spear in the air defence (AD) component of Operation Sindoor.

India's integrated AD system - which includes AD systems of the army, navy and the air force - was brought together by the IACCS, which gave the forces a net-centric operational capability, vital to modern-day warfighting.