Latest news with #AirStaff
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
RAF chief to lead armed forces, BBC understands
Sir Richard Knighton has been chosen as the next Chief of the Defence Staff, the UK's most senior military officer role, the BBC understands. Sir Richard is set to replace Admiral Sir Tony Radakin who has been in the role since November 2021. He will be expected to oversee major reforms as the government bolsters the UK's defence capability. An official announcement is expected in the coming days, once the decision has made its way through Royal procedure. Sir Richard has been Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the Royal Air Force, since June 2023. The change in leadership comes as the government has pledged to increase defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027. It has then set a goal of increasing that to 3% by 2034. On Monday, the government outlined its defence strategy for the next decade. Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs billions of pounds would be invested to move the UK to "war-fighting readiness" in the face of a new era of threats from nuclear powers like Russia and China. Sir Richard is known for having a particular focus on military capability. According to a biography on the government website, he joined the RAF in 1989 as a university cadet, and served as deputy chief of the defence staff from 2019 to 2022. Regarding the appointment, the Ministry of Defence said: "This is speculation. The appointment process is ongoing and any announcement will be made in the usual way." Defence plan will ensure UK is ready for war, minister says At a glance: Key points from government's defence strategy
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
MoD slashed timelines for some processes in procurement cycle, saved 69 weeks: Defence Secretary
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has significantly reduced timelines for key military equipment procurement processes as part of major reforms to improve efficiency and promote India's goal of 'Aatmanirbharta' in the defence sector, according to an official release. Speaking at a defence conclave in the national capital on Friday, Singh stated that the decision will save an overall 69 weeks, noting that the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 is being revisited to reflect current realities, shifting from the traditional nomination-based cost-plus procurement to a competitive pricing model where both public and private sectors can vie for orders. This approach is already being implemented for shipbuilding and recently for the AMCA project, he added. Singh's statement came amid concerns raised by Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, during his address at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 on Thursday, where he highlighted ongoing delays in defence projects, unrealistic timelines, and their adverse effect on operational readiness. Air Chief Marshal pointed at the recurring pattern of delays in project execution and criticised the practice of committing to unachievable deadlines in the context of the reported ongoing challenges with projects like the delivery of the aircraft. Singh emphasised the critical role of self-reliance in preserving India's strategic autonomy and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat while urging private industries to invest heavily in research and development (R&D) and capital equipment to strengthen the domestic defence ecosystem. Deliberating upon India's Defence Vision, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said that it centres around Aatmanirbharta for preserving the strategic autonomy of the country. It is also critical in achieving the broader goal of Viksit Bharat, such as expanding our GDP from the current 4 Trillion Dollars to 32 Trillion Dollars by 2047, growing our manufacturing sector, enhancing India's start-up culture and widening our industrial base, generating employment and also its spin-off benefits that come from the dual use of technology. He underscored the impact of indigenisation over the past decade, stating that India has transitioned from being the top importer in 2015 to becoming one of the top 25 exporters today. Over 100 Indian companies are now exporting to 100-plus countries. The list of products includes missiles such as Brahmos, rocket launchers like Pinaka, simulators, armoured vehicles, the Dornier aircraft, different types of ships, offshore patrol vessels, etc. The upsurge in exports can be gauged from the fact that our exports have grown 30 times in the last ten years to ₹ 23,622 crores in the last financial year. Our defence industry today includes 16 Defence PSUs, 430 licensed companies and approximately 16000 MSMEs. Domestic defence sales also increased from ₹ 43746 crores in 2014 to ₹ 127000 crores in 2023-24. Singh also highlighted record achievements in the financial year 2024-25, noting that the MoD has completely utilised the defence modernisation budget for the first time in the past five years and signed contracts worth a record ₹ 2 lakh crores during the last financial year, which is the highest ever achieved and double that of the figures for 2023-24. This would ensure that the armed forces' modernisation process keeps pace. It would also help the Ministry demand a higher share in the union budget, leading to a minimum defence to GDP ratio of 2.5 per cent in five years as a first step and thereafter to 3 per cent in the medium term.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
A Salman Khan Dialogue Mention As Air Chief Flags Defence Delivery Delays
New Delhi: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Thursday flagged serious concerns over inordinate delays in various defence acquisition projects and failure to stick to delivery schedules for supply of key platforms even as he hailed Operation Sindoor as a "national victory". In his first public comments following the four-day military clashes between India and Pakistan, the Air Chief Marshal said that "not a single project" has been completed on time and that the armed forces have refrained from calling "black sheep as black sheep". In his remarks at the CII Business Summit, he, however, did not provide specific details of the projects or made a reference of the period since when delays have been impacting the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF chief also referred to dialogues from Salman Khan-starrer movie 'Wanted': "Ek baar jo humne commit kiya hai, fir mai apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta (Once we commit to something, then I don't even to listen to myself after that), to emphasise that commitments made to the armed forces on defence projects have to be adhered to. Air Chief Marshal Singh, known for his plain speaking, suggested that the IAF was largely looking "outward" for its procurement over around a decade back but that approached changes and it started looking inward for opportunities within India after a "rap on our knuckle". He emphasised that the current geopolitical situation has "made us realise that Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) is the only solution". The Chief of Air Staff said the Operation Sindoor has given the Indian armed forces a "clear idea" of where "we are headed and what we need in the future". Lauding the armed forces as well as all agencies concerned for the success of Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal Singh said: "We were taking the path of truth, I think, God was with us also in this." Under Operation Sindoor, the IAF played the leading role in destroying nine terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir early on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, in response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack. All subsequent retaliations to Pakistani offensives were carried out under this operation. In his address, the IAF chief lamented the delays in implementation of defence projects. The IAF has been upset over huge delays by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in the delivery of Tejas light combat jets. "Timelines is a big issue; that is where the 'vachan' (commitment) part comes in. Once a timeline is given.. not a single project that I can think of, has been completed on time," he said. "So, this is something where we have to look in, why should we promise something which cannot be achieved." "While signing the contract itself, sometimes, we are sure that it is not going to come up. But, we just sign the contract and see what can be done after that.. obviously then the process gets vitiated," he said. On Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal Singh said "this war was won by a whole-of-nation approach", and the same approach needs to continue while talking about empowering the defence forces. "Actually, it is not just a whole-of-nation approach, we have to be in a whole-of-nation mission mode, if I can call it, to make sure that we accelerate and produce results," he said, in an apparent reference to military modernisation. Air Chief Marshal Singh began his address by terming the Operation Sindoor a "national victory". "We were taking the path of truth, I think, God was with us also in this," he said. "I am sure, every Indian contributed towards this victory. Like it has been said again and again that this was an operation which was executed in a very professional manner by everybody -- all the agencies, all the forces, we all came when truth is with you, then everything happens on its own," he said. "We were taking the path of truth, I think, God was with us also in this," he added. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also addressed the gathering. "This Operation Sindoor, as told by the Navy chief that the character of war is changing, every day we find new technologies coming in, technologies coming in a big way in warfare. "And, Operation Sindoor has again given us a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in future. So, a lot of work needs to be done, realigning our own thought processes also, which is also going on," he said. The IAF chief also spoke of the recent clearance given by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the "execution model" to design and produce India's ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter jet -- the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA). The "execution model" approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis, the ministry said on May 27. "The fact that AMCA -- Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, I am not calling it what generation, because finally when it comes out, it should be of contemporary generation, but AMCA has been cleared for participation even by the private industry, which is a very big step." "And, that is the kind of confidence, I think, the nation has in private industry too. And, I am sure this is going to pave our way to bigger things coming in the future," the IAF chief said. Air Chief Marshal Singh, without going into numbers, said his force is trying its best to do the maximum possible as far as the 'Make in India' initiative is concerned. While talking about restraint, he said "even defence forces have been keeping this restraint of not calling 'a black sheep a black sheep'. He, however, did not elaborate. "Some of the rules that the government made.. I am not saying that we would have come on this path on our own. There were times, when we were always doubting the Indian industry that it can give us the kind of return that we want, it cannot give us the product that we want, and we were looking outward," he said. "But, over the last decade plus, things have changed quite a bit, a rap on our knuckle, has made us think inward, look inward, and then we realised that yes, there are a lot of opportunities that we have, within India," the IAF chief said. He emphasised that the current situation in the world has "made us realise that Atmanirbharta is the only solution". "But, we have to be ready now to be future-ready," the IAF chief asserted. "So that is the concern, that yes I can look at the next 10 years, we can have certain more output from the DRDO, but what is required today is required today. So, we need to quickly get our act together-- maybe get into some quick Make in India programmes, so we can achieve that now ready part of it, while design in India continues to produce results in the near future or maybe later," he said. The IAF chief pitched for boosting trust between the armed forces and the industry. "We need to have the communication continued, to be open with each other, we need to be very open and forthright with each other, so this relationship doesn't break down anywhere," he said. "Trust for defence forces, it is intrinsic, our default setting is trust... When we join any force, any group of people, any squadron, it (trust) is not built over a period of time, it comes in the first sortie, the very first mission that you fly, you have to trust each other... one mistake can cause a failure. In the context of a nation, he likened the armed forces, the industry, the DRDO and other stakeholders as "links" in a "bigger chain", and said, each one will "have to ensure that we are not a weak link, because of which this chain will break".
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"If They Had Told Us Some Years Ago...": Ex Air Chief On Defence Delivery Delay
The crucial issue of delay in delivery of homegrown defence equipment and delayed timelines, that was flagged unexpectedly on Thursday by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, was seconded today by his predecessor Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said because in terms of national security, depletion of strength is a very serious issue, "filling the bins" in time becomes crucial. "It requires a lot of planning, a lot of assurance from the people whom you place the orders on that they are going to deliver as promised. If they fail to deliver, or if they told us maybe some years ago that we will not be able to meet the timelines, maybe alternative paths could have been found," he said. The revelations of Air Chief Marshal Singh have been a shock to many, coming as it does days after Pakistani aggression with missiles and drones targeting multiple cities and parts of the border in the wake of Operation Sindoor. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said in view of the situation, the requirement is not just to have timely deliveries but also surge capacities. "The ability to manufacture in numbers at the right time is very vital. Apart from that, to have capability to carry out surge production," Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said. "You know, when you just mentioned about drones, let's say, I need a very, very large number of drones. It is not going to be sufficient if somebody is going to give me 20 per month or 50 per year. We need them in large numbers. So capacity building definitely has to be enhanced," he added. What it all boils down to is that it is a matter of national security, So "things should not be taken lightly when it comes to delayed timelines, or late deliveries, or substandard equipment," he said, underscoring that timely delivery and in the numbers required, "should be something that everybody should take pride in". Earlier on Thursday, speaking at an official event, Air Chief Singh said, "Timelines - This is crucial. Every project I can think of has been delayed. Why we can't meet promised timelines? Sometimes we know it's unachievable but sign the contract anyway. We need to be realistic and transparent from the start." "To produce at scale, we need capacity. So, trust and communication between the forces and industry must continue. We need to be open and forthright to ensure the relationship stays strong," he had added. His remarks also came amid the push for faster indigenisation and domestic capability under the government's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Air Chief Marshal expresses concern over delays in delivery of defence projects
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), on Thursday (May 29, 2025) expressed concern over delays in the delivery of defence projects. He urged private industry to rise to the occasion, develop world-class products, and contribute alongside other stakeholders to 'making India a great nation'. 'Timeline is a big issue... not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. This is something we have to look at. Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract,' said the Air Chief at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit 2025. Stating that it was a great opportunity for Indian private industry with the opening up of the defence sector, he said firms should rise to the occasion and join hands to make world-class military equipment, even if the profit is not up to their expectation. He called upon stakeholders to ensure that they did their best on their part as links in the bigger chain at the national level to plug any shortcomings. 'Building trust is not required with the armed forces, but retaining that trust depends on a lot of actions... we have to keep reinforcing that trust,' he said. Regarding the 'professionally executed' Operation Sindoor, the Air Chief described it as a national victory. He said that with the changing character of war and the introduction of new technologies, there was a need to realign the approach, which was already being done. 'I am sure, since we have been able to come up to the challenge till now, in future also we will be able to deliver the goods as a nation,' he said. Air Chief Marshal Singh stated that the government's decision to involve private industry in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project was a 'big step,' which showed the kind of confidence the nation had in the private sector. According to him, Operation Sindoor showed the importance of having effective air power. 'As far as air power is concerned, we need to make sure that we have the capability plus the capacity. We cannot just talk about producing in India; we need to start designing and developing in India also. When it comes to producing in numbers, the capacity aspect comes in. We need to have this trust between the forces and the industry continued, we need to have communication continued, we need to be open... and forthright with each other, so that this relationship does not break down anywhere,' said the Air Chief. He noted that there were times in the past when doubts were raised about Indian industry, but over the last decade, this has changed substantially. 'The current situation in the world has made us realise that self-reliance is the only solution, but we have to be now-ready to be future-ready, that is the concern... what is required today is required today, so we need to quickly get our acts together, maybe get into some quick 'Make In India' programmes, so that we can achieve that now-ready part of it,' he said. Suggesting a possible mechanism for private players to increase their involvement in research and development (R&D) in the defence sector, he said initiatives also need to be taken to retain bright talent. Other participants of the ICC Business Summit had a more positive outlook on the state of Indian defence industry. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, said that India was realising its rich maritime potential, with apex-level decisions and policies reflecting this broader approach. Addressing larger strategic goals, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the government's ongoing reforms aimed at improving the defence manufacturing ecosystem. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr. Samir V. Kamat emphasised the role of private industry in driving indigenous research and development. 'Operation Sindoor demonstrated the vital role of technology in future warfare. While manufacturing remains important, the focus must also be on designing and developing our own systems. We invite private industries to invest in R&D. DRDO will partner and collaborate closely to make India a global leader in defence innovation,' he said.
