Air Chief Marshal calls for veterans' role in defence manufacturing
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has called for greater involvement of retired Air Force personnel in India's defence manufacturing efforts, saying their experience could help connect military users with designers and private manufacturers. Speaking at a memorial lecture at Air Force Station, Kanpur, on Saturday, Singh said veterans understood the operational needs of the armed forces and could help defence companies develop equipment that was practical and suited to actual battlefield requirements.
He urged private firms, Indian manufacturers, foreign design companies and defence organisations to work together on research, development and production. Developing a weapon or military system was only one part of the challenge, he said. India also needed the capacity to manufacture such equipment in large numbers and within a short time. Singh said India could not continue to depend on other countries for weapons and military equipment.
Complete self-reliance remained the long-term goal, he said, but alternative solutions should be explored wherever indigenous projects were delayed. The Air Chief Marshal said the Indian Air Force needed to become stronger, more self-reliant and better prepared for future conflicts. Innovation, modern technology, increased production capacity and the ability to learn from mistakes would be crucial, he said.
Theaterisation: IAF not opposed, but wants careful approach
On the proposed system of integrated theatre commands, under which the three armed forces would work together through joint commands, Singh said the Air Force was not opposed to the idea. However, he said the proposal must be examined carefully and objectively. "I can assure my own people here that the Air Force is not against theaterisation the way the media puts it," he said, according to The Economic Times.
He called for not "shaking up" the existing system and batted for looking internally to further enhance India's military prowess rather than copying anything from another country. "What the Air Force has been insisting is that let us look at it objectively. Let us look at what it is that is ailing us, what are the things that are not correct, and we need to correct that and not something that we may pick up from somewhere else," he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh underlined the need to have a structure based on India's requirements. "So let's not just pick up something and use. Let us look at it objectively. Let us go about it in a step-wise manner so that there is minimal disruption and we don't shake up the system, especially at this time," he said, referring to the ongoing Operation Sindoor.
The government had announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to ensure greater synergy among the three services. However, no visible forward movement has been made towards it. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. At present, the Army, Navy, and Air Force have separate commands.
Singh said the government will take the right decision based on all inputs, as reported by The Economic Times. He also backed reducing dependence on imports of military hardware and suggested the Indian private sector can join hands with foreign manufacturers to boost production.
Changing nature of warfare
Speaking about the changing nature of warfare, Singh said air power had become the "first responder" in conflicts. The Air Force could not assume that future operations would be similar to previous ones, as the enemy would also change its plans and preparations. The force, therefore, needed to keep improving its equipment, tactics and strategies.
He also stressed the importance of sharing information within the force and using predictive AI and digital twins to assess future possibilities, as reported by The Times of India.
The Air Chief Marshal's comments come at a time when India is seeking to boost its defence manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imports. His call for involving veterans in the defence industry is seen as a way to leverage their operational knowledge to produce equipment that meets real-world requirements.