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Antony wants red tape in defence purchases cut

Special Correspondent

Dominant air power stressed
Air Chief denies airspace violation

NEW DELHI: Acknowledging the need to keep pace with changing technology and systems, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Wednesday said there was a need to cut red tape and procedural delays in the country’s procurement mechanism for the armed forces.

Admitting that allocation of huge budgets was not being fully reflected in the efforts of the government to modernise the armed forces, the Minister said the issue was timely and judicious utilisation of allocations.

“We need to cut down on unnecessary procedural delays, bottlenecks and red-tapism in our procurement mechanism,” Mr. Antony said in his inaugural address at the “Jumbo” Majumdar seminar on “Dominance of Air Power” here.

The Minister said the government had framed the Defence Procurement Procedure to address the problems. If more changes in the present procedure were needed to “optimise transparency, fairness and to ensure speedy procurement,” the government would do so.

Mr. Antony’s remarks assume significance in the wake of the government’s decision, post-26/11, to put procurement on the “fast-track” in order to maintain operational preparedness. The government had given the Coast Guard the green signal to procure some of the equipment the force was looking at.

On the issue of airpower, he said, it had become one of the most potent assets for the defence and security of the nation and emphasised that if the country was to maintain the cutting edge of its armed forces, it should develop a dominant air power to meet any threats emanating from land, sea or air.

Swift advancement in technology along with unconventional threats necessitated quick decision-making. But for that it was necessary to implement the principle of integration in operation and command both in letter and spirit.

Meanwhile, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said the Indian Air Force would be able to utilise the annual budgets and spend the entire amount allocated to it. The Air Chief who was at the function, told correspondents that there had been no delay in conducting the technical evaluation of the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft the IAF planned to purchase. Six companies were vying for the multi-billion dollar purchase of 126 fighter aircraft.

He said multiphase trials could begin by April-May, in varying weather conditions. Asked about the allegation by Pakistan post-26/11 of violation of its airspace, the Air Chief said none of the IAF planes had done so.

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