New Delhi, February 24 (HS): The Defence Ministry has formed a committee to streamline the production of indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas MK-1A after the Air Force Chief's displeasure during 'Aero India' in Bengaluru.

The committee, headed by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, will work on the issue of increasing the participation of the private sector in the production of LCA, as the government wants to boost the Air Force's fighter squadrons. The five-member committee has been tasked with identifying bottlenecks in the LCA program and recommending measures to speed up production.

In fact, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh had expressed displeasure over the delay in the supply of LCA aircraft during 'Aero India' in Bengaluru. While inspecting an aircraft in Bengaluru, the Air Chief was heard telling Hindustan Aeronautics Limited officials that he had 'no confidence' in the government aerospace company. In a video, AP Singh was heard saying, I can only tell you what our requirements and our concerns are. At the moment, I do not trust HAL, which is a very wrong thing.

After this, the Defence Ministry has constituted a high-level committee to address the delay in the production and supply of indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) MK-1A.

The Indian Air Force wants to strengthen its fighter jet fleet amid concerns over the steady decline in the number of operational squadrons. The five-member committee headed by Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has been tasked with identifying bottlenecks in the LCA program and recommending measures to accelerate production.

The high-level committee has also been given the responsibility of increasing the role of the private sector in manufacturing fighter jets. Officials said that the committee has been given a deadline of one month to submit its report. The review will explore ways to increase the participation of the private sector in aircraft manufacturing, so that delivery can be accelerated.

The Air Force is expected to operate around 350 LCA variants, including the Mk-1, Mk-1A and Mk-2, over the next decade and beyond. The LCA programme is an attempt at self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.

The committee's recommendations are expected to play a key role in ensuring timely deliveries to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar