Defence
IAF's Budget Takes A Hit Of Rs 26,000 Crore; Delayed Delivery Of Russian Weapons Primary Reason
The Russian S-400 system. (Russian Defense Ministry Press)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has slashed its projected requirement for the next year on account of the delay in the delivery of military supplies from Russia due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The projected requirement of the defence budget for FY24 has been reduced by Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 58,808 crore.
Last year as well, IAF was forced to surrender unspent budget of Rs 1,837 crore back to the Finance Ministry, due to delays and inability to make payments to Russia.
The Indian Air Force was replying to a question of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.
These delays are primarily on account of delays in delivery of the S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile System, of which only three squadrons have been delivered.
The last two squadrons were supposed to be delivered by mid-2024, but a report suggests that it will miss the deadline.
"There is a major project... where the deliveries have been stopped because of the war. So, we had a major delivery this year, which is not going to take place," the IAF representative told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.
"They have given us in writing that they are not able to deliver it. That is why the major part of projection has been reduced."
The Indian Air Force, according to the report, in FY23, projected a requirement of Rs 85,000 crore but was only able to spend Rs 57,000 crore.
However, for FY24, they have only projected Rs 58,808 crore, from the earlier Rs 85,000 crore.
"As far as projection is concerned, our projection last year was Rs 85,000 crore and we finally got an allocation of Rs 57,000 crore which we consumed," the air force representative said.
"This year, the projection itself has been less because of this Russia-Ukraine war as some of our deliveries are not taking place”.
“So, we have already been told that those deliveries will not take place. So, we have taken that part of the component out," the representative added.
Earlier there were reports that, until February, India was able to spend only 52 per cent of the total allocation and is planning to spend the remaining budget on buying indigenous equipment.
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