Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has urged for accelerated military equipment production and R&D, warning that rapid technological advancements could render new defense systems obsolete before they are inducted. Speaking at a Delhi seminar, he stressed the importance of resilient supply chains, self-reliance, and faster manufacturing to keep pace with the changing character of modern warfare.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has urged for accelerated military equipment production and R&D, warning that rapid technological advancements could render new defense systems obsolete before they are inducted. Speaking at a Delhi seminar, he stressed the importance of resilient supply chains, self-reliance, and faster manufacturing to keep pace with the changing character of modern warfare.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has urged for accelerated military equipment production and R&D, warning that rapid technological advancements could render new defense systems obsolete before they are inducted. Speaking at a Delhi seminar, he stressed the importance of resilient supply chains, self-reliance, and faster manufacturing to keep pace with the changing character of modern warfare.

Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has called for faster production of military equipment, warning that rapid technological advancements could render new systems obsolete even before they are inducted into service.

The IAF chief stressed that research and development, production capacity and the speed of manufacturing must keep pace with technological changes to ensure that India's armed forces remain prepared for future conflicts.

"Since the technology obsolescence time frames are shrinking, we need to stay relevant; we need to scale. R&D and scale of production have to remain relevant to that because it should not be that by the time you adapt something or adopt something, that thing is irrelevant," Singh said.

"We need to produce fast, either through self-reliance or some partnership. Also, supply chains are very important. Supply chain disruption can cause havoc," he added.

The remarks came during his address at a seminar on 'Central Role of Air Power in the Evolving Battlespace', organised by the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) at the Air Force Auditorium in Subroto Park, Delhi.

Singh's remarks come just days after he said the IAF was moving in the right direction in terms of capability development, but the pace needed to improve.

He had also referred to the Air Force's expectations from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), saying it was awaiting the completion of commitments made by the company.

"We have come to a way forward, and a now we are waiting for the HAL to complete whatever has been promised... I am very confident that in this financial year, we will be able to get a reasonable number of aircraft, at least the defence secretary has spoken about it," Singh had said.

His latest comments underline the importance of accelerating both development and production as the armed forces seek to strengthen their capabilities amid rapid changes in military technology.

The IAF chief also emphasised that capability and capacity must develop together, describing them as two sides of the same coin.

Singh warned that military forces cannot afford to wait for changes in warfare to become evident before responding.

"Victory smiles on those who anticipate changes in the character of warfare and adapt accordingly," he said.

According to the IAF chief, forces that fail to anticipate technological and operational changes risk falling behind because of the rapidly evolving nature of warfare.

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