Not a Single Project Completed on Time: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh

New Delhi: Chief of Air Staff and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday raised serious concerns over persistent delays in defence projects, highlighting the systemic issue of unrealistic timelines and their impact on operational readiness.

During his address at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, Air Chief Marshal Singh pointed at the recurring pattern of delays in project execution and criticised the practice of committing to unachievable deadlines. His remarks come in the context of ongoing challenges with projects like the delivery of aircraft, which has drawn criticism for failing to meet timelines.

"Timelines is a big issue... Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. This is something that we have to look at," Singh stated, adding, "Why should we promise something that cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up. But we just sign the contract. Then the process gets vitiated."

The Air Chief also hailed Operation Sindoor as a "national victory", emphasising the operation's success as a testament to the collective efforts of the armed forces, agencies, and every Indian citizen in combating terrorism.

Reflecting on the operation, he said Operation Sindoor—a precision strike on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir—showcased the evolving nature of warfare with the integration of advanced technologies and provided a clear direction for future defence strategies.

"I must put on record this operation, Sindoor, that we've been talking about. It is a national victory. My thanks to every one of you in India here... This was an operation executed in a very professional manner by everybody, all the agencies, all the forces; we all came together, and when truth is on your side, things happen automatically," he stated.

He underscored the intrinsic trust within the armed forces, noting that it was a default setting. "Trust for defence forces is intrinsic. Our default setting is trust... The very first mission that you're flying, you have to trust each other because your life depends on somebody else."

The Air Marshal urged all stakeholders—Army, Navy, Air Force, industry, and DRDO—to remain strong links in the national security chain and ensure that no weak point compromises the system. He stressed the importance of consistent performance to retain mutual trust.

"When we talk about a nation, all of us in these groups—Army, the Navy, the Air Force, various agencies, industry, DRDO—all of us are links in a bigger chain. We all have to make sure that our group is not the weak group because of which this chain will break. That is what is stressed: if I am trying to be strong enough not to let this system break, everybody else is also trying equally to be strong enough, to be competent enough in that game, or at least be aware of where the shortcomings lie and improve that system," he said.

The Air Chief also called for stronger collaboration with private industry, citing the recent clearance for private participation in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme as a significant step.

"AMCA—Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft—has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step. That is the kind of confidence the nation has in private industry today, and I'm sure this is going to pave the way to bigger things coming in the future," he said.

Expressing confidence in such partnerships to drive future advancements in India's defence capabilities, Air Marshal Singh said, "We cannot just talk about producing in India. We need to start designing and developing in India also... We need to have this trust between the forces and the industry continue, with open and forthright communication."