a_kumar wrote:
On your comment on Lot2: Simply put, there needs to be synergy. While egos and hype from DRDO scientists could be a factor for current state of affairs, there is also factor of IA treating Arjun as an alien entity that it has no stake in. In the end, neither of them are really technical factors, thats the tragedy.
As I keep saying time and again (and will do so once more) -- the issue is systematic, currently there is NO central Indian Arms Defence production body -- in short there is no OWNER for any product or project in a defined manner.
http://mod.nic.in/aboutus/welcome.html
Forces are the user - who provide the User specification and feedback. There job ends there. They are under
Department of Defence which is ONE of the FOUR main sub divisions of MoD
Production is OFB etc -- these are just manufacturing units -- thats it -- they are under
The Department of Defence Production -- which is YET ANOTHER of the FOUR main sub divisions of MoD
Research and product design is under DRDO -- which wonder of wonders is under -- YET ANOTHER of the FOUR main sub divisions of MoD --
The Department of Defence Research -- they think their mission is --- well as the name suggests -- Research
Now
EACH of these have
their own Babu head -- with own agenda merrily running his/her own show -- eachh of them have their own mission statements and visions and other high falutin BS which is happily in their own little world.
For get a single product --
even the concept of Indian products as a whole -- DOES not have a single OWNER -- whose job is to actually understand the requirement, get it Designed in time with technology as and where available (from DRDO or outside DRDO) and see through its manufacture.
What does any one expect?
All these statements on "IA should take leadership stand and yada yada" are frankly at best idealistic delusion and at worst plain ignorance masquerading as a PoV.
The Mil-Ind complex is completely crippled by its trifurcation at eh hands of the Babu's between Babu power, OFB lots, and DRDO missions -- forces can keep sending up reports of how dire the situation is how they need equipment. To be promptly sat over and done nothing with by others.
Short of creating a new bodies with A owner and putting those directly under RM -- as project owner XYZ reporting to RM, who has a team of enpowered officials from all the branches, including forces, OFB and DRDO reporting to the owner NOTHING is going to change. We will see same stories play out ed infitum. -- That along with a massive fix of OFBs