Recently, at  Aero India-2025, the Defence Minister and IAF Chief highlighted the handover of the first rear fuselage for the Tejas MK1A

Challenges India’s Defence Sector

• Dependency: Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are captive suppliers to the Indian Armed Forces, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facing challenges in meeting the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) needs. 
  • This dependency, amplified by the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign, has led to depleting squadron strength in the IAF.
• Slow Production: The slow production rate by HAL has resulted in the IAF having to juggle with a reduced fleet.
• SIPRI Findings : The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report (2020-24) shows India as the second-highest arms importer in the world. 
• High Import Bill: Despite this reduction, high-cost weapon systems like aircraft, tanks, and radars will continue to form a major part of India’s arms imports, keeping the import bill high.There has been a 9.3% reduction in imports from 2015-19.

Shift to Indigenous Fighter Aircraft

• Initiatives: The IAF is strongly backing the development of indigenous fighter aircraft such as LCA Tejas Mk1A, Mk2, and the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft).
• Impact: These aircraft are planned with American engines, making India’s defence potential dependent on U.S. policies.
• Concerns: There are questions regarding India’s continued dependence on Russia, which still accounts for 36% of arms imports. (For Ex: Purchase of Sukhoi and S-400 missile systems) 

India-U.S. Defence Cooperation

• Past Initiatives: The Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) of 2012, despite being highly promoted, didn’t bring the expected advancements in cutting-edge technology.
• 2016 Joint Statement: Following U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter’s visit to India in April 2016, the joint statement emphasized that the defence relationship is a crucial component of the strategic partnership between the U.S. and India.
• Transactional Policy: The U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership framework, announced recently, faces scrutiny in light of the transactional nature of the current U.S. administration under President Donald Trump.
• Recent Talks: Similar sentiments were echoed after Trump-Modi talks, solidifying the idea of defence cooperation.
• Partnership’ While the term “partnership” is repeatedly used, there remains skepticism about whether the U.S. and India can truly function as equal partners given their cultural, financial, and world outlook differences.

Indispensability Factor

• Anna Simons’ Viewpoint (2013-14): According to Anna Simons, a Professor of Defence Analysis, a partnership can only thrive if it is based on mutual indispensability. Anything less creates dependency, which cannot be considered a true partnership.
• India-U.S. Relationship Test:
  • Equality: Are both nations equal partners, or is one dependent on the other?
  • Division of Tasks: Is it possible to have a clear division of tasks in joint programmes?
  • Complementary Expertise: Can the capabilities of both nations complement each other, particularly in the defence sector?
• Russia, Israel, and France: Similar questions about indispensability can be raised about India’s relationships with other strategic partners such as Russia, Israel, and France.
• Political Indispensability: The political indispensability quotient of India in these partnerships determines whether they are truly strategic or just circumstantial. For instance:
  • U.S.-Pakistan ‘Partnership’: A cautionary example is the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, which ended when Pakistan outlived Washington’s geopolitical interests.
    
  • U.S.-Europe Relationship: The unravelling of the U.S.’s partnership with Europe under Trump further raises questions about the long-term reliability of such alliances.

Way Forward

• Consideration: The critical question arises: Is India heading in the right direction by relying on the U.S. for its strategic armament needs? 
  • The true partnership India seeks with the U.S. hinges on whether Washington is ready to make India politically indispensable to its own interests.
• Policy Reversal Risk: India must guard against any policy reversals by the U.S., particularly in a volatile geopolitical environment, where shifting alliances could affect India’s security.
• Ensuring Strategic Autonomy: India must be cautious and proactive to ensure its strategic autonomy. 
  • While importing crucial defence equipment from the U.S., India needs to avoid becoming over-reliant on external suppliers, which could compromise its independence.

Conclusion

As India continues to import aircraft and other critical defence systems from the U.S., it must keep its strategic interests at the forefront, ensuring that it doesn’t become dependent to the point that it sacrifices its sovereign decision-making.

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