Air Chief Marshal AP Singh's final press conference revealed the Indian Air Force's pragmatic approach to modernization, acknowledging critical fighter squadron shortages and the need for accelerated induction. Key defense procurements, like the MRFA deal, are nearing finalization with an emphasis on indigenous manufacturing.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh's final press conference revealed the Indian Air Force's pragmatic approach to modernization, acknowledging critical fighter squadron shortages and the need for accelerated induction. Key defense procurements, like the MRFA deal, are nearing finalization with an emphasis on indigenous manufacturing.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh's final press conference revealed the Indian Air Force's pragmatic approach to modernization, acknowledging critical fighter squadron shortages and the need for accelerated induction. Key defense procurements, like the MRFA deal, are nearing finalization with an emphasis on indigenous manufacturing.

If the expectation was of Air Chief Marshal AP Singh going out with a bang, one would have been disappointed.

In his last press conference as Chief of Air Staff before he hangs up his uniform on October 31, the man known for speaking his mind chose not to drop headline bombs. No big controversy, no grand announcement.

What he did instead was far more useful—he spelt out what the Indian Air Force (IAF) is actually thinking.

And that matters. Because we are talking about the world's fourth-largest air force, responsible for guarding 40 million cubic kilometres of sky, at a time when wars from Ukraine to Gaza have proved what Singh said plainly—air power has “come to the fore.” It’s the cutting edge now. That’s a quiet but firm rebuttal to the old idea, floated by a former CDS, that the IAF is just there in a “supporting role.”

Singh covered a lot of ground—from aerospace and drones to fighters and beyond-visual-range missiles. And he made a refreshingly honest point: the military's wish-list is endless, but money and manufacturing are not.

On the big worry—fighter squadrons: The IAF is supposed to have 42 squadrons. It has 29. Singh didn't sugarcoat it. He said we need even more than 42 now. The only way to get there? Add at least two squadrons—that’s 36 to 40 jet—every single year.

On the much-delayed fighter buy

The 114-fighter MRFA deal could finally be signed this financial year. That gives the government less than five months. The plan is for more French Rafales, but with a big twist this time—most of them will be built in India.

On the stealth fighter question: Asked about the indigenous AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), Singh was pragmatic. If AMCA gets delayed, the Russian Su-57 may be an option. “Russia has offered us Su-57 jets, but no decision has been made,” he said.

On drones: He ruled out a separate drone force like the Army’s. The IAF, he argued, has been flying drones long before they became fashionable. “Drones are not revolutionary for the IAF; they are evolutionary,” he said. They don’t need a separate silo; they need to fight together with manned jets.

And then there was his most interesting take—on man vs machine. For high-risk, deep-strike missions where you need instinct and decision-making, there is no replacement for a manned fighter, he said. But if you want to confuse the enemy, saturate his radars and overwhelm his air defence, send in the drone swarms.

In the end, it wasn’t the devil-may-care A.P. Singh show many in the media expected. It was calmer, more measured. Not stunning, but definitely interesting—and perhaps more revealing for that.

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