IAF proposes, MoD disposes

New Delhi, July 2, 2011: In its bid to get control of the public sector aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the Indian Air Force (IAF) has written to the ministry of defence seeking relaxation in the upper age limit for the PSU’s chairman. However, the defence ministry seems to have put the proposal in a cold storage.

Presently the IAF’s three star officers of the rank of Air Marshal are not even eligible to apply for the post of HAL’s chairman. IAF, currently grappling with shortage of fighter squadrons and irked by chronic delays and quality issues plaguing virtually all projects of HAL, is now striving to control the state behemoth.

“The IAF Chief (Air Chief Marshal PV Naik) has written to the defence ministry in this regard,” a senior IAF official said, requesting anonymity.

The defence ministry has sent the proposal to Secretary for Defence Production RK Singh, now designated as the Home Secretary. So the proposal will lie with the department and in the mean time the name of the next HAL Chairman will be zeroed in as the present incumbent retires on October 31.

Explaining the reason behind IAF’s plea, the IAF official added: “We cannot depute an Air Vice Marshal (a two-star officer equivalent to the army’s Major General). But the problem is on deputation the officer will not be considered for promotion and that would stall the career progression of the officer.”

IAF has proposed the name of its present Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations and Space) Air Vice Marshal M Matheswaran, now approved for Air Marshal rank for the post.

However, a defence official clarified: “Under the present eligibility criteria a three-star officer from the IAF cannot be considered for the HAL chairman post. The rules and regulation will have to be changed by DoPT (Directorate of Personnel and Training).” The defence official added that the project is under consideration and no stand has been taken yet.

But for IAF the major chunk of its budget goes to HAL. The PSU is presently handling projects like home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, integration of Russian-built aircraft Sukhoi Su-30MKIs in the country and Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) Hawks, and all of these are running behind the schedule.

“We are currently down to 32 squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 39.5 squadrons. This constant delay on the part of HAL is not helping us in reaching our desired strength level at the earliest. We need to have a better interface with the PSU which can convey our aerospace needs to them,” the official added.

Stressing HAL will need to handle programmes like licensed production of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and manufacturing of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), IAF is contending that the PSU requires a major “capability enhancement” in near future and it has to be done by somebody who understands the need of the forces well.