NEW DELHI, May 30 (Alliance News): In a startling revelation, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Marshal AP Singh has publicly acknowledged widespread corruption and mismanagement in India’s defense procurement system, stating that defense contracts are regularly signed, but weapons never arrive.
Speaking candidly about the persistent issues plaguing India’s defense sector, Air Chief Singh admitted that “no defense project has ever been completed on time”, and that delays and non-delivery have become routine. “We know that some systems will never come, yet contracts are made.
There’s no such project that has been completed as per timeline. Defense contracts are made, but weapons do not come,” he said, exposing a deep-rooted crisis in India’s defense planning.
Shedding light on the broken procurement mechanism, the Air Chief added, “We sign deals with the mindset of ‘we will see what to do later.’ Every project gets delayed, and ultimately, we are left without the systems we were promised.” His comments have triggered concerns about the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces.
AP Singh’s comments also referenced the recent “Operation Sindoor”, a military confrontation with Pakistan earlier this month that reportedly left India’s defense leadership shaken.
The operation, launched by Pakistan in response to Indian actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), revealed significant gaps in India’s defense preparedness.
“Operation Sindoor has made it clear that the nature and strategy of war are evolving rapidly. We were not prepared for this new dimension of conflict,” said Singh, indicating that India’s military command was caught off guard by the scale and precision of Pakistan’s retaliation.
This rare public acknowledgment by the Indian Air Force Chief comes days after BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy admitted that Pakistan downed five Indian fighter jets, including several French-made Rafale aircraft, during the conflict.
Swamy had also alleged corruption in the Rafale procurement deal and criticized the lack of accountability within Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
Together, these back-to-back disclosures by top Indian leaders have raised serious questions about transparency, corruption, and defense readiness in India’s security establishment. With billions spent on defense procurement, the continued failure to deliver usable weapons and systems is being seen as a major national security risk.
Defense analysts say Singh’s remarks reflect the urgent need for structural reform in India’s defense procurement process, calling for greater oversight, transparency, and accountability to prevent such systemic failures.
As of now, the Indian government has not issued an official response to Air Marshal Singh’s explosive comments.
However, opposition parties and military experts have already begun demanding a parliamentary investigation into recent defense deals and delays, especially in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
