As India prepares for their Republic Day Parade on the 26th of January with the usual pomp and show, the grandeur on display seems to be hiding some obscure truths. This year, it lies in the sky, or rather what will be missing from it. According to Indian media, two of the most prominent Indian indigenously developed aerial platforms, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, will be missing from the show. In their stead, the fly-past will be dominated by foreign-acquired aircraft including Rafales, Sukhois and Chinooks.
This brings to light a compelling realisation. India’s claim of self-reliance in defence manufacturing under its “Make in India” initiative is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile with the reality on ground. This is especially clear when its platforms are not deemed safe enough to be demonstrated at their Republic Day spectacle. The fact that the French-acquired Rafale fighter jet will carry out the Vertical Charlie manoeuvre as the grand finale speaks volumes about the capability of India’s developments.
The LCA Tejas, launched in the 1980s, was envisioned as the epitome of Indian defence indigenisation strategy. However, more than two decades after its maiden flight in 2001, it remains mired in controversy with India not having a single full squadron of Tejas aircraft. The envisioned plan to induct sixteen Tejas aircraft within the 2024-25 timeframe to overcome operational shortcomings of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is also likely to fall short, given the operational delays with the Mark 1A variant. This also pushes back the IAF’s plan to induct 180 Mark 1A and 108 Mark-II jets over the next decade and a half.
Secondly, the ALH Dhruv has been a staple at these parades for many years and is considered to be a hallmark of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). However, following its 5th January crash, claiming the lives of Indian coast guard personnel, all Dhruv helicopters have been grounded. This is not the first time this issue has arisen as the Dhruv ALH has been involved in numerous accidents both domestic and abroad. So much so that in 2015, after numerous crashes, Ecuador grounded its fleet of
Dhruv helicopters and cancelled its contract with India, citing poor reliability.
Both these platforms have failed to live up to the lofty claims laid down by the developers. Thus, for a country that blows the trumpet of indigenisation at every turn, it is ironic that its military might continue to rely on foreign-acquired platforms. From a strategic point of view, continued struggles of the Indian military with indigenisation reflect a pattern of over-ambition and underachievement. While India is quick to demand a seat at the table of global powers, its inability to produce reliable aerial platforms, and overreliance on foreign equipment aptly highlights where it actually stands.
The upcoming Republic Day parade will only display the absence of two of its flagship aerial platforms. With the French, Russian and US acquired platforms dominating the sky, the spectacle will inadvertently highlight the inadequacies of its domestic development and continued reliance on foreign suppliers.
Juxtaposing this inadequacy with developments taking place in the Indian neighbourhood, one can clearly ascertain the technological gap vis-à-vis India, Pakistan, and China—a gap that is about to widen further. While the Indian so called 4.5 Gen Tejas continues to struggle, China has already showcased a 6th Gen aircraft in December 2024, which is likely to be inducted in the next few years. Meanwhile, it already operates 5th Gen aircraft.
Pakistan is also ready to receive its first 5th Gen aircraft from China in 2026. This will augment its current fleet of F-16s, Mirages, J-10s and the indigenous JF-17s. Pakistan has already inducted over a hundred and fifty of its Block 2 and 3 JF-17s in its own arsenal while also exporting to other interested countries. Although Pakistan partners with China for a variety of its defence needs, this relationship has been carefully curated with the latter providing expertise for production of platforms like the JF-17s.
Thus, while India has glorified self-reliance in the defence field as the cornerstone of its strategic autonomy, the reality on the ground is starkly different. As the Republic Day parade unfolds, it will merely be a display of imported aircraft rather than a show of IAF’s prowess. However, true strength lies in the ability of a state to rely on its own capabilities, not in lofty but hollow claims.
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