Amid Path To Self-Reliance, Deputy IAF Chief Opens Up On Aim To Become 'World-Class Defence Exporter'

As India strives for self-reliance in aerospace manufacturing and to become a global defence exporter, Aircraft production is being ramped up, with plans to produce 24 jets per year, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit informed.

Amid efforts towards bolstering India's defence capabilities, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, shed light on the Indian Air Force's (IAF) strides towards self-reliance in aerospace manufacturing and its aspirations to emerge as a world-class defence exporter. Speaking to news agency ANI on the sidelines of a defence conference, Air Marshal Dixit elucidated the ambitious plans and ongoing initiatives aimed at transforming India into a key player in the aerospace and defence sectors.

Addressing the ramping up of aircraft production, Air Marshal Dixit remarked, "Right now, we are ramping up the jet production. We are able to produce 12-14 aircraft per year. Next year we will touch 16 and after that, we should be able to touch 24." Highlighting the substantial orders in the pipeline for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), he added, "We have orders for HAL. We have already given an order of 83 and we are in the process of discussing with HAL for a further 97."

He emphasised the expansive scope for defence exports and stated, "Defense export has increased because there is a lot of effort which has been taken by all the participants. We are trying to increase the number of items which we can export, the quality of items. Niche technology also we are now in a position to export in times to come. We have recently exported BrahMos missiles. We are in talks of exporting our Akash missile. A day will come when we will be able to export Tejas. Recently we have exported Dornier aircraft also which is made in India. Once we get into exporting airborne platforms then our value of export will increase tremendously."

Air Marshal Dixit further underscored the strides made in indigenous weapon development, stating, "Today in the conference we have discussed the ramping of ammunition and using indigenous approach and various kinds of innovation to become world leaders in the production of air-launched ammunition."

He also highlighted recent achievements in this domain, mentioning, "India and Indian Air Force are becoming self-reliant in all kinds of air-launched ammunition. We have recently placed orders for Astra missiles and developing various new types of Astra missiles, integrating them on all our fighter platforms. We have also been able to indigenously develop a lot of air-to-ground weapons."

Moreover, Air Marshal Dixit outlined the collaborative approach required to propel India's aerospace sector forward, stating, "There is a lot of opportunity for the industry to partner with PSUs, DPSUs and DRDO to take part in this journey of India to become a world-class defence exporter."

Air Marshal Dixit On Challenges Confronting India's Aerospace Sector

Earlier in February, in a keynote address at the 17th International Aerospace Conference, Air Marshal Dixit articulated the challenges and opportunities confronting India's aerospace sector. He stressed the critical need for infrastructure development, skilled workforce, and technology leadership to achieve self-reliance in aerospace and defence manufacturing. Recognising the shortage of skilled workforce as a key challenge, he highlighted the government's commitment to addressing this through initiatives like the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) according to ANI's report.

 "The challenge with us is that we are lacking basic infra for carrying out DND, testing, certification and manufacturing. Setting up aerospace manufacturing is a herculean task, HAL has been doing it for so many years with full government support. Air Force took a far-reaching step by giving orders to the private sector to set up manufacturing. It is not a small thing. Its impact is not visible immediately but will be seen in 15 years," he remarked, as quoted by ANI, with reference to the IAF awarding orders to the private sector to establish manufacturing capabilities.

Air Marshal Dixit also emphasised the role of academia and think tanks in fostering innovation and foresight in the aerospace sector. He lauded the government's efforts towards adequate funding support for the capital-intensive aerospace industry, including the inclusion of a Deep Tech Fund in the budget.