Kargil To Ambala, Rafale’s Is a Saga Of India’s Defence Modernization That Needs A Kick

JUST as Rafale package was landing at Ambala airbase earlier in day, memes were up in air on opposition asking why such an expensive aircraft has only one seat! Do not ask who in opposition can pose this question. But n I digress at beginning itself. So, let us pull back.

Rafale fills a long-term void in India’s air offence capabilities with an enhanced Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capacity and a superior weapons suite. Of 13 India specific enhancements, two are particularly relevant in context of 2019 Balakot airstrike and ongoing Lakh standoff: a potent electronic jammer pod and ability to start and operate from High altitude airfields. 

Even in limited use that Indian Air Force (IAF) was put to in 1999 Kargil war, some chinks were visible. Precision bombing was an area of concern as we lost two aircraft including pilots – both landing in Pakistani captivity. Mirage bombers that were used to evict intruders from those icy heights in Zanskar ranges h local bombs mated with Israeli avionics on a French platform in what could be called a classic Indian Jug.

journey from Kargil in 1999 – when need was first felt by IAF for a more agile fighter plane – to Ambala airbase today is a horrendous commentary on India’s politics and defence procurement program. It would be an opportunity lost if this moment fails to trigger a complete overhaul of defence purchases for all time to come. onus is entirely on political leership of country – particularly present opposition – to shield it from vagaries of competitive politicking.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently given mantra of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ to capitalize on post-COVID geopolitical churn, here are some important lessons from Rafale on defence equipment purchase and manufacturing front that need urgently dressed.

One, entire UPA tenure was lost haggling with Dassault Aviation – manufacturer of Rafale – over wher public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) could slip in terms which me for a lose-lose proposition for French company. Those conditions were not applied to any earlier license arrangements under which HAL has been manufacturing aircrafts as diverse as MIGs and Jaguars and Sukhois. It was almost like HAL wanted a Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh kind of arrangement with Dassault, and you can make a guess who got which role.
 
Two, despite some fine-tuning of defence procurement process under Modi government, stranglehold of Defence ministry’s department of defence procurement – morship of all defence PSUs including HAL – remains as strong as ever. Experts believe new RFP for 114 fighter planes is bound to fail for same reason. “All vendors would require ir government clearance to provide transfer of most of technologies. refore, it would be prudent for government to choose a specific aircraft and reafter process it for obtaining ToT on G2G basis for strategic partnership model as per DPP,” says Air Marshal (retired) Shyam Sinha. You can believe his words for he heed Cost Negotiation Committee (CNC) on Rafale and saw inbuilt obstructionism of old purchase process from close quarters.

point is that while government has its heart and mind at right place in terms of involving private sector through strategic partnership model, it still remains a half way house unless remit of babus at department of defence procurement is limited, and more importantly, multi-vendor RFPs that take forever to reach even understanding on what exactly is to be bought is completely disbanded.

In a piece I wrote in March 2019 following India’s punitive action to avenge Pulwama terror attack, I h underscored need for an urgent focus on IAF modernization. AMRAM missile that Pakistan used from its F-16 to down MIG of Abhinandan Varthman is no match to METEOR and SCALP missiles that Rafale comes equipped with. No wonder n IAF chief BS Dhanoa me a public statement that h Rafale been re at that time with us, picture would have been totally different. As recent mobilization of forces, particularly air assets in Lakh shows, while Army has most important job of holding and defending land, it is Air Force that would take battle into enemy territory in any future war.
 
Given that last induction of a new fighter in IAF happened way back in 1997 with Sukhoi, coming of first pack of Rafales is sure a landmark in ongoing upgration of India’s overall national security scenario. But this is also a moment to remember that against a sanctioned strength of 42, IAF now stands at a depleted 30 squrons with some more looking at a phase-out. Even as Jaguars and Mirages are being furr upgred, and government scrambles an emergency purchase of a total of two squrons of Sukhois and MIG29s in backdrop of Lakh standoff with China, HAL has to up its game in terms of delivery of Tejas, of which 40 are alrey ordered for induction into field formations, and subsequently 83 MAK-1A versions.

By time I finish this article, meme has turned into an actual tweet with Rahul Gandhi asking same questions dismissed by Supreme Court in Rafale PIL. And re is not even an election round corner. This could have been fully avoided. But n.