Monday 14 / October / 2024
New Delhi: In a historic event for Indian defence forces, the Vice Chiefs of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force on Monday (September 9) flew together for the first time in the indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
This landmark flight highlights India's progress in integrated defence capabilities and underscores the nation's dedication to cross-domain cooperation in addressing contemporary challenges.
According to reports, Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal AP Singh flew the lead fighter, while Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, flew in the Tejas twin seater.
This unprecedented joint flight, marking the first time when the three services Vice Chiefs have flown in one occasion is a powerful testament to the South Asian major's advancing integrated defence capabilities, commitment to self-reliance and showcases not only their leadership but also the seamless integration of India's armed forces, as per defence experts.
The flight took place over Jodhpur, where the Indian Air Force hosted Exercise Tarang Shakti 2024 — the country's maiden multinational exercise designed to improve interoperability and operational coordination among participating Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs), the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a press communique.
Featuring a diverse group of participants, this IAF-led exercise aims to strengthen cooperation and build closer ties across various capacities, the MoD said, adding that the involvement of the Tejas aircraft in this mission highlights the crucial role that indigenous platforms play in modernizing India's defense infrastructure.
The Tejas flight marks a pivotal moment for the country's 'Make in India' initiative, showcasing the nation's capabilities in indigenous defense manufacturing.
Engineered by the Aeronautical Design Agency (ADA) and developed and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Tejas is an advanced multi-role fighter aircraft.
The fighter jet is crafted to fulfill the requirements of India's armed forces while minimizing dependence on foreign imports.
Over the past 70 years, one of the main goals of India's defence industrialization has been to achieve strategic autonomy by increasing reliance on domestic weapon systems for its armed forces.
As India's indigenous defense manufacturing capabilities have advanced, the country has also started to focus on defense exports.
The Indian government has set a bold target of reaching US$ 5 billion in defence exports by 2024 as pursuing defence exports vigorously is crucial for the long-term economic sustainability and growth of the country's defence industrial base, given the capital-intensive nature of the industry and the ongoing need for research and development, which requires significant time and investment.
Developing indigenous weapon systems, particularly advanced and complex ones like fighter aircraft, involves significant opportunity costs. Such programs require substantial initial investments for establishing production and testing facilities, training personnel, creating a dependable supply chain, and adhering to certification and validation processes.
For instance, the development of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter by the United States cost approximately $1 to $1.5 trillion. Similarly, the Eurofighter Typhoon program required around €18 billion in investment.
Many countries worldwide often rely on defense exports to support or partially recoup these massive investments in research and development.
Export revenues are crucial for sustaining R&D programs and financing future projects.
For arms manufacturers, defence exports are vital to maintaining the defence industrial ecosystem, ensuring optimal use of production facilities, skilled workforce, and supply chains.
Additionally, they generate employment, support ongoing scientific research, and enhance a country's diplomatic standing on the global stage.
In this context, defence exports are poised to play a significant role in the future of India's defence sector.
With the Indian government setting a target of $5 billion in defence exports by 2024, the defence aerospace sector has a substantial opportunity to contribute to this goal.
India’s defence and aerospace industry has seen considerable growth, achieving significant technological advancements through indigenous R&D, licensed manufacturing, and co-development efforts.
As of now, India supplies defence hardware to 84 countries globally, primarily in the form of components, sub-components, structural assemblies, and airframe modules.
From 2015 to 2020, defence exports from India grew at a cumulative annual growth rate of 35 percent.
This progress led to India making its debut on the global defence exporters list published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in 2020.
According to defence experts, to achieve the $5 billion target by 2024, India needs to focus on promoting high-profile indigenous defence products such as fighter aircraft, light transport aircraft, trainers, helicopters, missile systems, radars, sonars, and naval vessels by identifying suitable markets.
Currently, the Tejas aircraft represents India’s largest indigenous defence aerospace project.
It has demonstrated its capabilities through active participation in various national and international airshows and has completed over 4,985 test flights without any crashes since its first flight in 2001.
The successful development of the LCA Tejas highlights India’s ability to manage complex and high-end technology defense programs domestically.
Therefore, it would be strategic for the Indian government to promote the LCA Tejas as a key export platform, helping India to establish itself in the exclusive club of defense-exporting nations, as per defence experts.
The Tejas has the potential to play a significant role in India's efforts to become a leading defence and arms exporter, while successful exports of the Tejas LCA would not only enhance the country's global military-diplomatic influence but also help recover some of the research and development costs, with proceeds being reinvested into future upgrades of the aircraft.
These exports would also validate India's indigenous defence technologies and strengthen their credibility.
Beyond the strategic and technological benefits, defence exports could make the Indian defence industry a substantial contributor to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by creating jobs, generating revenue, and developing an industrial supply chain, according to the United Service Institution of India, a New Delhi-based national security and defence services think tank.
In this context, the LCA Tejas could serve as a key asset for India, supporting India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing and establishing itself as a prominent player in the global defence market in the years ahead.
(ENDS)
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