A few days after Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh spoke about the shortage of fighter jets in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the need to manufacture at least 35-40 military aircraft in India every year, an empowered committee has identified "key thrust areas" and made recommendations for implementation in the short, medium and long terms so as to achieve the desired capability enhancement goals of the IAF in an "optimal manner."
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh presented the report of the Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of the IAF to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
"The committee has identified key thrust areas and made recommendations for implementation in the short, medium and long terms so as to achieve the desired capability enhancement goals of the IAF in an optimal manner," a statement from the defence ministry read.
READ MORE: IAF chief highlights urgent need to produce 35-40 fighter jets every year
According to media reports, the committee, formed on the directions of the defence minister to holistically examine all issues and prepare a clear plan of action, offered a comprehensive summary of what needs to be done after reviewing every aspect of capability development, including technology and weapons to better the combat effectiveness of the IAF.
The report also underscores the need for impetus to enhance self-reliance in the aerospace domain with the private sector complementing the effort of defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Singh appreciated the committee's work and directed that the recommendations be followed up in a "time-bound manner".
In his remarks, the IAF chief had also stressed the importance of domestic defence equipment to fight long wars saying "We need to be able to take on this long protracted war, for which we need the capacity to be able to come up with a production rate that will be required for the weapons during war."