updated: Jan 31 2021, 00:25 ist
The recent clearance by the CCS for the IAF’s procurement of 83 Tejas Mk 1A aircraft is a shot in the arm for HAL, the manufacturer. It adds to the earlier order of 40 Mk 1 aircraft, whose final deliveries are likely to be completed by early 2022. This would ensure continuity in production for HAL, a vital aspect that is necessary for the industry to sustain and grow. It is the culmination of a long-awaited order process and a huge boost for the Indian defence industry. With an increasing focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), the national leadership needs to ensure that this is just the beginning of a well-crafted strategy. Aerospace capability is vital for India to become self-sufficient in critical technologies.
January 11, 2021
Everything you always wanted to know about Chinese air power (but were afraid to ask) – Interview with Andreas Rupprecht
Few have written more on the subject of Chinese air power than Andreas Rupprecht. We grilled him on the hottest topics in that most dynamic of subjects, Chinese warplanes.
China appears to be producing new designs at a greater pace than other nations, is that true, and if so, why?
If they indeed are “producing new designs at a greater pace than other nations” (which I’m not sure is true) it it is because they have both the political will, the military ambition, and the money to make it happen. Also, for several years there are no longer only state-owned design and manufacturing companies, but universities and private enterprises. You only have to take a look at the UAV scene, and how many companies are currently developing in that area. They are willing to invest their own money – besides the official contracts – with the aim of e