Fighting on empty

THE dazzling Paris international air show provided the perfect setting for a head-turning deal between the Tatas and Lockheed Martin for manufacturing the iconic F-16 fighters in India. The Tatas, feeders to overseas military aviation supply chains, will be pitted against the Adanis who have partnered with a Swedish firm. More corporate houses, among them those of the two Ambani brothers and the Mahindras, may announce foreign tie-ups as they jockey for a $20 billion order for combat jets. The ongoing scramble is because of the Indian Government’s anxiety over all-time low force levels. The Indian Air Force Chief has candidly admitted he doesn’t have the numbers to fully execute a two-front war.

The record depletion of the IAF’s fleet is hardly breaking news. The trend has been visible for more than a decade: the DRDO-piloted light fighter Tejas is still undergoing birth pangs and the Modi government messed up the purchase of multi-role fighters. The IAF primarily banks on the Sukhoi-30s but serviceability issues keep many of them grounded. Other countries, including China, are inducting stealth technology jets but India is yet to firm up even its partnership with Russia for the next generation fighter. The absence of a full-time Defence Minister and India’s growing strategic proximity with the US are also supplementary causes behind the continuing neglect of the IAF three years after this government took power.

India’s military aviation has made a quantum leap in its surveillance and heavy lift capabilities. But these were simpler, off-the-shelf purchases that the seller was happy to execute. Time is not an ally for the IAF as it tries to beef up its combat fleet. Manufacturing high performance fighter jets is an altogether different kettle of fish. It involves a bewildering number of component suppliers and tough IPR laws. The most important criteria for the transfer of such closely-guarded technology is a close politico-military relationship. PM Modi will have to be demonstrative about this aspect during his forthcoming US visit to convince its lawmakers to loosen export control laws. That would, in turn, have implications for Indo-Russia defence ties. The announcement may have been the easiest part.