“एक बार जो हमनें कमिट किया है…” Air Chief Marshal AP Singh’s breaks silence after Operation Sindoor

ANI

New Delhi, May 29, 2025 (ANI): Air Chief Marshal AP Singh’s breaks silence after Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said, "Operation Sindoor, as it was told by the Chief of Naval Staff, the character of war is changing. Every day, we are finding new technologies coming in. Operation Sindoor has given us a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in future. So a lot of work needs to be done in realigning our own thought processes also, which is already going on...In future also, we will be able to deliver the goods as a nation and we will be able to achieve our objectives. AMCA- advanced medium combat aircraft has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step, and that is the kind of confidence that 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."

Transcript

00:00This Opsindoor, as it is, like it was told by Chief of Naval Staff, that character of war is changing.

00:09Every day we are finding new technologies coming in.

00:11Technology is coming in in a big way in our warfare now.

00:15And Opsindoor has again given us clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in future.

00:20We need to be very open and forthright with each other so that this relationship doesn't break down anywhere.

00:26You know, I am, that, Pranjaya Parvachana Jaya, I am just told today only.

00:36I think that is something that we have to do.

00:39That, Ek bari jo humne commit kiya hai, chir mein apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta.

00:45The quest to you all will be, this is something that can become your finest star.

00:51You have a tap on your shoulder.

00:52Please rise to the occasion.

00:54Come together.

00:54If today somebody is manufacturing world-class cars, world-class electronic, world-class equipment in the civil domain,

01:04why can't that industry or some of the industry join together and say we will make world-class military equipment,

01:10even if it doesn't give me the profit that I am looking for.

01:13I am very grateful that at least the army didn't get a chance to speak before me.

01:17Otherwise, again, I would have landed up speaking the last.

01:19So, trust for defense forces, it is intrinsic.

01:27You know, our default setting is trust.

01:29And when we say building trust, we don't understand what is building trust.

01:34Because when we join any force, when we join any group of people, when we join any squadron,

01:40it is not built over a period of time.

01:42It comes for the first sortie.

01:44The very first mission that you are flying, you have to trust each other.

01:47Because your life depends on somebody else.

01:50Somebody else's life depends on you.

01:52Your one mistake can cause some, you know, some kind of a failure.

01:56And we all work like a chain.

02:02We all are, everybody, not just the chief.

02:05Even the smallest person in an organization, especially in defense, is like a link in the chain.

02:11So, everybody has to do their part so that they don't become weak.

02:15That particular chain will break from the weak link.

02:17So, all of us work towards that, that I am not that weak link because of whom the chain will break.

02:28So, when we talk about, you know, a nation, then all of us in these groups,

02:34Army, Navy, Air Force, various agencies, industry, DRDO,

02:39all of us are again those links in a bigger chain.

02:42And we all have to make sure that our, that group that I belong to,

02:49is not the weak group because of which this chain will break.

02:53And that is what is trust.

02:56That if I am trying to be strong enough not to let this system break,

03:01everybody else is also trying equally to be strong enough,

03:06to be competent enough in that game.

03:09Or, at least, being aware of where the shortcoming lies and improving that system.

03:16So, building trust is not required with armed forces.

03:20I think armed forces, we are born with trust when we are born in the armed forces.

03:25But retaining that trust, keeping that trust on, depends on a lot of actions.

03:30Obviously, if you see a person is failing you again and again,

03:34the trust will break someday.

03:36The trust will go down.

03:38And we have to keep reinforcing that trust.

03:44This option door, as it is, like it was told by chief of naval staff,

03:50that character of war is changing.

03:53Every day we are finding new technologies coming in.

03:55Technology is coming in in a big way in our warfare now.

03:58And Ops Indoor has again given us a clear idea of where we are headed

04:02and what we need in the future.

04:04So, a lot of work needs to be done in realigning our own thought processes also,

04:12which is already going on.

04:14And I am sure since we have been able to come up to the challenge till now,

04:20in the future also we will be able to deliver the goods as a nation

04:24and we will be able to achieve our objectives.

04:29The point that was brought out by Honorable RM as well as Defense Secretary

04:33that the fact that AMCA, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft,

04:40I am not calling it what generation because finally when it comes out,

04:43it should be of contemporary generation.

04:44But the AMCA has been cleared for even participation by private industry,

04:50which is a very big step.

04:52And that is the kind of, I think, confidence that the nation has in private industry today.

04:58And I am sure this is going to pave a way to bigger things coming in the future.

05:05As far as Indian Air Force is concerned, I know we are a seafaring nation

05:12and we need to be the big naval power.

05:18But I think whether it is land power or naval power, Air Force will always remain.

05:23The air power will have to be interesting to both these.

05:25Any kind of operations that we do, we can't do it without air power.

05:29And I think that has been proved very well during these operations also.

05:33So our focus, as far as air power is concerned,

05:37we need to make sure that we have to have the capability plus the capacity.

05:47This again has been alluded to today.

05:50We cannot just talk about producing in India.

05:55We need to start designing and developing in India also.

05:58And when it comes to producing in numbers, the capacity comes in.

06:03So we need to have this trust between the forces and the industry continued.

06:13We need to have the communication continued.

06:16We need to be open with each other.

06:19We need to be very open and forthright with each other

06:23so that this relationship doesn't break down anywhere.

06:26I am just told today only.

06:35I think that is something that we have to do.

06:38That one thing we have committed to it,

06:40then I don't listen to myself.

06:42I am not going into numbers.

06:52Air Force is trying its best to do maximum possible as far as MAKE in India is concerned,

06:57MAKE program, IDEX program,

06:59the number of orders that have been given to the Indian industry.

07:03Some of the rules that the government made.

07:07I am not saying that we would have come on this path on our own.

07:11There were times when we were always doubting the Indian industry

07:17that it cannot give us the kind of return that we want,

07:20it cannot give us the product that we want.

07:22And we were looking outward more.

07:23But over the last decade plus,

07:27I think things have changed quite a bit.

07:30A knuckle on our,

07:32a wrap on our knuckles has made us think inward and look inward.

07:36And then we realized that,

07:37yes, there are a lot of opportunities that we have within India.

07:41And now,

07:42also the current situation in the world has made us realize

07:45that Aat Nirbharta is the only solution.

07:49But we have to be now ready to be future ready.

07:56So that is the concern that,

07:58yes,

07:59I can look at next 10 years,

08:01we will have certain more output from the industry,

08:05Indian industry,

08:06we have from the DRDO.

08:09But what is required today is required today.

08:12So we need to quickly get our act together,

08:15maybe get into some quick MAKE in India programs,

08:19so that we can achieve that,

08:20our now ready part of it,

08:23while design in India continues to produce results

08:26in the near future or maybe later.

08:30And of course,

08:32like I said,

08:32this war was won by a whole of nation approach.

08:35The same approach needs to continue

08:38while talking about,

08:40you know,

08:41empowering the defense forces.

08:43Actually,

08:44it is not just whole of nation approach.

08:46We have to be whole of nation mission mode,

08:50if I can call it,

08:51to make sure that we accelerate and produce results.

08:54They said,

09:04your coffee is ready.

09:07So I need to hurry up.

09:08I will just tell you two, three things,

09:15what we can do towards rebuilding the trust

09:19or continuing with the trust.

09:21One is R&D budget.

09:23I think it has very clearly been brought out by everybody

09:25that we need to invest more.

09:27If,

09:28I think people from Punjabi community will understand

09:30something called Daswant,

09:31that we said 10% of our earnings

09:35should go back towards the society.

09:38So something like CSR has been started.

09:42I think something on those lines we should start

09:44that if I am earning so much,

09:45so much of money should go towards R&D,

09:47towards defense of the nation.

09:50That every industry has to come up with some plan.

09:53And we need to have,

09:55thank you, man.

09:57We need to have,

09:59I think clapping last,

10:00let me show you my coffee.

10:04Adequate,

10:05you know,

10:05impetus toward disruptive technology

10:07and also,

10:09though it was said very clearly

10:10that, you know,

10:11incentive doesn't get you people,

10:13it is the environment that gets you people.

10:15But I think to some extent,

10:17we need to create some incentive,

10:19some good environment

10:20so that we get the best people for the job.

10:23We are not able to get the best people for the job.

10:26People are going outward,

10:27they are going and working from other countries.

10:29I think we need to retain them here

10:31by giving them good payment,

10:32good incentive,

10:33good work environment,

10:35maybe some,

10:36you know,

10:36recognition.

10:39Timelines is a big issue.

10:41You know,

10:41that is where that vachan part comes in.

10:44So,

10:45once a timeline is given,

10:48not a single project that I can think of

10:51has been completed on time.

10:53So,

10:54this is something where we have to look at.

10:56Why should we promise something

10:57which cannot be achieved?

10:59While signing the contract itself,

11:01some of the times,

11:02we are sure that it is not going to come up.

11:04But we just sign the contract.

11:06You see what we will do.

11:08Obviously,

11:08then,

11:09the process gets vitiated.

11:11Capacity building,

11:14I have already talked about.

11:15you know,

11:16you know,

11:16sayyam ki baat kari thi,

11:21RM ne,

11:22restraint.

11:24So,

11:24even defense forces have been,

11:27you know,

11:29keeping this restraint of

11:30not calling,

11:32you know,

11:35a black sheep a black sheep.

11:37We have been trying to encourage people.

11:39But somewhere,

11:40it will break down someday.

11:42So,

11:42I am sure,

11:43let's stretch the thread,

11:45the elastic to that process

11:46where it is not breaking down.

11:47As far as

11:50keeping national interests first,

11:52I think we have talked about.

11:54And with this,

11:55now,

11:56situation where

11:56we are going,

11:58where we are opening up

11:59towards the private industry,

12:00I am just reminded of

12:01a quote,

12:04something that

12:05Winston Churchill has said,

12:06and I am going to

12:07quote him.

12:08To each,

12:09there comes

12:09in their lifetime

12:11a special moment

12:12when they are

12:13figuratively tapped

12:15on the shoulder

12:16and offered a chance

12:17to do something

12:18special.

12:21What a tragedy

12:22if that moment

12:22finds them unprepared

12:23for that

12:24which could have been

12:26their finest hour.

12:28So,

12:29my request to you all

12:31will be,

12:31this is something

12:33that can become

12:33your finest hour.

12:34You have a tap

12:35on your shoulder.

12:36Please rise to the occasion.

12:38Come together.

12:39If today,

12:40somebody is manufacturing

12:42world-class cars,

12:43world-class electronics,

12:45world-class equipment

12:46in the civil domain,

12:47why can't that industry

12:49or some of the industry

12:50join together

12:51and say,

12:51we will make

12:51world-class military equipment

12:53even if it doesn't

12:55give me the profit

12:55that I am looking for.

12:57Let's rise together

12:58to make this nation

12:59a great nation.

13:00Thank you very much

13:01for your pleasure.

13:02Is it here now?

13:04Thank you very much.

13:05Thank you very much

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