India apni military modernization ke ek crucial phase mein hai. Sabse bada sawaal yeh hai ki kya desh ko cutting-edge American fighter jets lena chahiye ya fir apni indigenous defence industry ko mazboot banana chahiye? Yeh debate tab aur tez ho gayi jab Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi ne Washington visit kiya aur US President Donald Trump ne kaha ki India “F-35 lene ki raah par hai” – ek highly advanced, par kaafi mehenga fighter jet.
F-35: Advanced Par Mehenga
F-35 ek “fifth-generation” multi-role fighter jet hai jo stealth technology, AI-driven combat systems aur advanced data-sharing capabilities ke saath aata hai. Iske high-tech features toh zabardast hain, par iska $80 million ka price tag, heavy maintenance cost aur strict technology transfer rules India ke long-term goals ke liye problem create kar sakte hain.
Russian Option: Sukhoi Su-57
Dusri taraf, Russia ka Sukhoi Su-57 bhi ek advanced stealth fighter hai jisko India kabhi co-develop karna chahta tha. Lekin, technology transfer, cost-sharing aur performance ko lekar disputes ke wajah se India 2018 mein is project se alag ho gaya. Halanki Su-57 ek affordable option ho sakta hai, par India ki pehle ki hesitation yeh dikhati hai ki shayad yeh wapas is project mein interest na le.
Kya F-35 India Ke Liye Sahi Hai?
Experts ka maanna hai ki yeh pura debate media hype zyada hai, aur actual ground reality kuch aur hai. Carnegie Endowment ke senior fellow Ashley J. Tellis ke mutaabik, F-35 ka offer sirf symbolic hai aur India ke “Make in India” vision ke saath match nahi karta. Co-production rights na milna aur US ki strict monitoring policies bhi is deal ko less attractive banati hain.
Ek aur major issue iska high maintenance cost aur operational reliability hai. Security expert Stephen Bryen ke mutaabik, US Air Force ke paas bhi F-35 ka availability rate sirf 51% hai, jo ki ek serious operational challenge hai. India ke liye yeh sochne wali baat hai ki kya itna bada investment ek aise fighter jet mein kiya jaye jo fully reliable nahi hai.
India Ki Air Force Ki Mushkil: Purani Fleet, Naye Challenges
India ke paas sirf 31 operational fighter squadrons hain, jabki approved strength 42 honi chahiye. China aur Pakistan apni air force modernize kar rahe hain – China ne pichle 10 saalon mein 435 naye fighter jets add kiye hain, jabki India ki fleet 151 jets se shrink ho gayi hai.
Iss gap ko fill karne ke liye, India ne 500+ naye aircrafts banane ka plan banaya hai, jisme indigenous production par zyada dhyan diya gaya hai. Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets ke 83 units ka order confirm ho chuka hai aur 97 aur expected hain. Tejas Mark 2 aur Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) bhi development phase mein hain. Lekin, delays ki wajah se India ko interim solutions ke taur par foreign fighters lene pad rahe hain.
Foreign Fighters Ka Role
India ka $20 billion ka Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme 114 naye multirole fighters procure karne ka plan bana raha hai jisme technology transfer bhi ho. Lekin bureaucratic delays isko slow kar rahe hain. Rafale jo already IAF ke fleet mein hai, strong contender hai, par ab tak final decision nahi liya gaya hai.
India Ke Air Power Ka Future
India ke fighter jet modernization ka sabse bada challenge hai – funding constraints, procurement delays aur foreign technology par dependency. Experts ka kehna hai ki agar India timely apne indigenous fighters deliver kare toh yeh problem solve ho sakti hai. Air Force Chief AP Singh bhi procurement delays par apni frustration jahir kar chuke hain.
India ka long-term goal self-reliance hai. Short-term mein foreign fighter jets gaps fill kar sakte hain, lekin asli lakshya ek strong domestic aerospace industry banana hai. Agar AMCA aur Tejas Mark 2 time par deliver ho jaayein, toh India ko kisi aur par depend hone ki zaroorat nahi padegi.
Aakhir mein, chahe India F-35 le, Su-57 consider kare ya Rafale ke saath jaye, ek baat toh clear hai – India ke air force ka future sirf ek cheez par depend karta hai: apni technology develop karne aur self-sufficient hone par. Aane wale saalon mein jo decisions liye jaayenge, wahi Bharat ki air power ko shape karenge!
