IAF Chief Criticizes HAL- These words should deeply concern India’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), especially since these words come from the Chief of the Indian Air Force.
I can only communicate our requirements and concerns. It is your responsibility to address these concerns and strengthen our confidence. At present, I have no confidence in HAL, which is a highly undesirable situation,” remarked a visibly frustrated IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, while speaking to HAL Chairman D.K. Sunil.
A six-and-a-half-minute video, uploaded by the defence news portal NationalDefence on its YouTube channel, appears to have been recorded while the IAF Chief was receiving a briefing while seated in the cockpit of an HJT-36 Yashas.
Air Chief Marshal Singh’s dissatisfaction arises from the delays in the Tejas Mk1A, the upgraded Tejas jets, which have been postponed due to multiple factors, including delays in the supply of GE F404 engines from the United States and internal challenges at HAL, now corroborated by this video.
HAL is our own Indian defence company, and we have all been a part of it. However, I feel that HAL is not operating in mission mode,” stated the IAF Chief. “I was assured that by the time I visited in February, 11 Tejas Mk1As would be ready. Yet, not a single one has been completed.
Perhaps most significantly, the IAF Chief further criticizes HAL by highlighting that the LCA Tejas Mk1A jets displayed at the Aero India 2025 show are not actually Mk1A variants.
The aircraft you flew and referred to as Mk1A is not actually a Mk1A. Simply changing software or its appearance does not make it one. It only becomes a Mk1A when it is equipped with the necessary weapons and capabilities,” stated the IAF Chief.
The IAF Chief’s remarks hold particular significance as they came just a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly endorsed HAL’s Tejas Mk1A jets at their production facility. This occurred right before four Mk1A jets made their first public flight at the ongoing Aero India show 2025 in Bengaluru.
“Mazaa nahi aa raha hai,” IAF Chief sighs, shaking his head.
When the HAL leadership and test team acknowledged his concerns by stating that his remarks were ‘duly noted’ and that they would address the issues, the IAF Chief responded, ‘I would be the happiest person if I am proven wrong.
I get the impression that only a few are making an effort, or perhaps everyone is working in isolation without considering the bigger picture. Something needs to change—something drastic. This situation requires a magic wand to bring everything into alignment. It’s high time for action.
IAF Chief Criticizes HAL- Addressing media interpretations of his past remarks on the balance between indigenization and import dependence, Air Chief Marshal Singh stated, ‘I find it absurd that when I make a statement, the media focuses only on the negative aspect. I am simply trying to convey a point. I cannot place blame because, in doing so, three fingers point back at me.
Although Air Chief Marshal Singh’s remarks are undoubtedly intended as valuable and honest feedback from someone with the highest stakes in the matter, they also provide a rare insight into the historically complex and often strained relationship between HAL and its primary customer.
Tensions over the execution of the Tejas Mk1A program have become the latest flashpoint. However, as the IAF Chief emphasizes in the video, alignment is essential because failure is not an option. HAL, which has long held an uncontested monopoly over the IAF’s requirements, has only recently begun to adapt to real-world competition.
The Tata-Airbus C295 assembly line in Gujarat marks India’s first military aircraft manufacturing program that excludes HAL. With this model proving successful, the Indian government is likely to further promote aircraft production in the private sector.
The IAF’s forthcoming Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) and Multirole Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programs are two significant near-term projects that are expected to be led by the private sector, potentially bypassing HAL.
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