The agile acquisition or C2D2 model currently under adoption by the US for its F-35 aircraft is likely to become a necessity for acquisitions in future, as disruptive defence technologies will continue to affect military systems across the world.
It would be nice to see the defence ministry setting up a task force and submitting actionable recommendations which could be considered by the finance minister while deciding the defence outlay next year.
There is a need to make it clear in the text of Paragraph 72 of DPP 2016 that no vendor other than the Development-cum-Production partner or the nominated Production Agency will be permitted to enter the tendering process at the post prototype development stage.
That the AK-203 would be produced in India with 100 per cent indigenous content in less than three years makes it a win-win deal for the Army and the Make in India initiative, with Ordnance Factory Korwa emerging as the biggest winner.
Defence capability building and capability sustenance have been adversely affected over the past decade because of inadequate allocations and the status quo approach of the Defence Services.
The eight per cent hike in the interim defence budget 2019-20 is bound to further intensify the resource problem of the MoD, which is already battling a massive shortage of funds.
The challenge lies in demonstrating to potential importers that India, currently the world’s largest arms importer, has the capacity to manufacture and export the equipment required by their armed forces.
The Draft Defence Production Policy 2018, which aims to promote the Make in India initiative in the defence sector and create a world-class arms manufacturing base, faces a number of challenges, which, if left unaddressed, may limit its usefulness.
The promises contained in the recently released draft are so intertwined that a comprehensive action plan would be required to implement all of them almost simultaneously for achieving the policy objective.
