Indian Air Force shelves three main projects

On May 18, 2020, the Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria announced that it will shelve three main projects of worth Rs 8,000 crores. This is because the Central Government is pushing for Make in India. Currently, the Government of India is to focus on indigenization.

Highlights

Prime Minister Modi recently announced Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan under which the GoI has brought upon several reforms. This includes indigenization of defence produce as well. In order to achieve this, the government is to ban imports of certain products as well.

About the projects

The shelved project includes the plan to buy 20 additional Hawk Planes from the United Kingdom, 30 Jaguar fighter planes from the US and 38 trainer aircrafts.

Alternatives

Rather than getting these fighter planes abroad, the IAF is to support HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). The IAF will take assistance from HAL for engine related upgrades.

Also, the plan to buy Pilatus basic training aircraft from Switzerland has also been scrapped. The project was worth Rs 1000 crores. It has been scrapped as the HAL has already developed the HTT-40 trainer planes.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2020