‘HAL Couldn’t Deliver Any Production Standard Trainer Aircraft To Indian Air Force’, Says PAC On Tejas Delivery

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is an audit watchdog consisting of MPs, released a report on Friday (14 December) lambasting government-owned defence manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), among other entities, for its lacklustre performance in delivering units of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas to the Indian Air Force, reports Livefist Defence.

The report points out the PAC’s dim view of HAL’s performance, stating, “The committee is disappointed to note that the failure of HAL/ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) and Ministry of Defence to provide the required number of aircraft has adversely affected the combat potential of the IAF resulting in security threat to the country...”

“The ADA/HAL have also not been able to provide IAF with even a single production standard trainer aircraft till date. Further, since HAL could not augment its capacity in line with the demand of the IAF, the IAF will have to depend on imported aircraft for a longer time, given its dwindling squadron strength.”

It was earlier reported that the PAC which is headed by Lok Sabha’s leader of opposition and senior congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had lashed out at HAL for its failure to deliver Tejas aircraft, which it claimed adversely affected the combat potential of the IAF. This reportedly resulted in two LCA squadrons not materialising and the IAF having to upgrade several aircrafts.