Because of our "import everything" policy for the Air Force, the IAF has become extremely competent as a great fighting force using proven, reliable equipment. For example, our Su-30s that went to the US for Red Flag were operational 100% of the time and were ready for all sorties.
In a complex system such as a fighter aircraft in which sensitive equipment is subjected to great thermal and mechanical stresses some thing or the other is bound to fail. Sometimes a failed item is not vital and the plane keeps flying. At other times the plane gets grounded until the item is repaired/replaced. If that is a simple 1 hour job - fine. But if it takes 1 week, the plane is grounded for a week.
Because the IAF has had "relatively" proven system proven by phoren companies and test pilots and engineers, our Air Force has shown great competence and efficiency in handling such equipment.
Imagine if our Air Force had to deal with unproven and new equipment made in India. Then they might have to cope with engine inspections every 10 hours or so. This naturally decreases the efficiency of the air force as a fighting arm. A squadron of 12 fighters may have only 3 operational aircraft under such circumstances. The IAF has, in my view, not really faced this sort of situation as Western and Russian Air Forces have done in WW1 and WW2 and later conflicts. Those Air Forces have had to fight with untested and unreliable equipment and have experienced some real shit. The IAF too has experienced some real shit - but the IAF cannot really be stated to have experienced trouble unless they are forced to rely on totally Indian stuff. Having predominantly imported and proven maal takes a lot of pain out of maintaining an Air Force and allows the personnel to concentrate on fighting.
However this creates delays and grounding due to sanctions. And it is very very expensive. I find it interesting that the IAF and media are openly critical when Indian companies (eg HAL/OFB) cause delays but when it comes to foreign maal we are "atithi devobhava". For example 14 years after Kargil some retired officer says that India got "out of date satellite pics" during Kargil "from a friendly foreign country". It irritates me no end that we are such pathetic losers that we openly curse our own people but hide the identity of our foreign bastard friends who cheated us. Have you ever heard the media curse Russia for giving us a cryo engine that failed? We only hear about the failure of Indian cryo engines. How many know that T-72 tanks needed a huge block of ice in the cabin to keep crew cool in the desert because there was no AC? How many know that the HF 24 had a fantastic AC for Indian conditions while equipment was warping and popping out of its place from the Indian heat in foreign aircraft? How many of you know of the time when half the IAf was grounded because Russia was not supplying brake-pads for MiG 21s. They could take off, but not land and brake. We suffer this shit and call people "friends" and we curse other Indians for being incompetent. What's it with us exactly?
We have to suffer our own stuff. We have to be self reliant. That will definitely make the IAF less fighting fit in the short term, but India will be stronger in the long term
China handled this well. They used to manufacture total crap, but promise to nuke anyone who thought they could win a war. We should do that. If our armed forces stand to lose a war because the equipment is faulty, we should resolve to nuke anyone who wants to take advantage of our weakness. I hope a new generation of politicians can understand these basic requirements of power play.
!!! why can't HAL rectify the problems faced by HJT sitara??? When Tejas could be built why is it that they are delaying HJT ?? Personally i feel it defies all logic
... How hard is to rectify structural damage, or replace the NPO saturn engine... Seriously HAL's aircraft building competence is at stake and clearly IAF is using this opportunity to rely on aircrafts of foreign make.
