IAF calls for indigenisation to cut dependence on foreign OEMs

Air Marshal Umesh Yalla highlighted the need for indigenisation in military aerospace to reduce foreign OEM dependence. He called for indigenous solutions for repair, overhaul, and upgrades to enhance the IAF's warfighting potential and strategic autonomy.

Air Marshal Umesh Yalla, Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force, on Tuesday emphasised the need for indigenisation and advanced materials research in military aerospace manufacturing to reduce dependence on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) and enhance India's strategic autonomy.

Speaking at the CAPS-IMR Joint Seminar, Air Marshal Yalla said, "The military aerospace manufacturing industry has largely grown around licensed manufacturing of mainly airframe structures built to foreign OEM designs. Engines, aggregates, accessories, and avionics are usually supplied as a kit. Whenever these are allowed to be built within India, tight control over critical parts technology, processes and raw materials is ensured by the foreign OEM. In essence, we continue depending on the foreign OEMs."

Need for Indigenous Solutions

He highlighted that reliance on foreign suppliers, geopolitical constraints, and obsolescence challenges necessitate indigenous solutions. "These solutions include developing repair overhaul technologies, life extensions beyond the OEMs' specified parameters, indigenization to address supply chain issues, modifications and upgrades, either as a reliability enhancement or a performance enhancement measure. These activities at the Base Repair Depots have been crucial to the sustenance and enhancing the warfighting potential of the Indian Air Force," he added.

Technical Challenges in Indigenisation

Addressing the technical challenges, Air Marshal Yalla noted, "The tough challenge is the triad of low volume, high variety and safety criticality. Key challenges include material availability to manufacture, repair or overhaul; developing technology specifications, process parameters and qualification requirements; prototype building and airworthiness certifications; and critically, doing it quickly in mission mode."

Future Focus: Advanced and Smart Materials

He also outlined future areas of focus for aerospace materials, stressing the importance of advanced adaptive technologies. "Adaptive and smart materials like shape memory alloys enable structures to undergo controlled deformation and recover their original shape in response to thermal or mechanical stimuli. They have applications such as morphing wings, adaptive control surfaces, compact actuation systems and more," Air Marshal Yalla said.

The seminar was attended by Director General CAPS, Air Marshal Anil Khosla; Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat; Neeraj Gupta, MD MKU; serving and veteran officers. (ANI)

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