Spotlight

New Delhi, 21 May 2007

LOW SERVICEABILITY HITS OPERATIONS IN IAF

NEW DELHI, May 22 (INFA): Low serviceability rate in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has caused low efficiency of operation and utilization of aircraft, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, presented to Parliament last week.

This increasing trend has led to high percentage of Aircraft on Ground (AOG) which, in turn, indicates inadequacies in repair and maintenance support.

The Audit for the year ended March 2006 has also noted that the payloads carried were also low as compared to the capacity of the aircraft.  

The CAG has also noted that aircraft were used for routine and miscellaneous tasks by diverting them from their primary roles of air maintenance and training. Of the total flying hours utilized by six Squadrons/units, only 33 per cent were used for primary role of air maintenance and training, and the balance 67 per cent were spent for routine tasks and miscellaneous duties resulting in shortfall of 43 per cent in achieving air maintenance task and 58 per cent in training.

In the Para-trooping School, most of the courses relating to para-trooping showed shortfalls in achievement of target outputs. Envisaged Conversion Courses, for which six aircraft were provided, were not held at all in the past five years.

Eight aircraft were modified for VIP role without approval of the Government. Modification of aircraft diverted them from operational tasks and reduced their passenger and cargo carrying capacity.

Such modification also lacked justification as a separate specialized communication Squadron with adequate aircraft for use by VIPs already existed. Large-scale diversion of serviceable air craft for VIP/Other Entitled Persons use affected availability of aircraft for operation purposes.

There was an overall shortage of pilots ranging from 13 to 22 per cent during the period of review.  At the same time there was an excess of navigators and flight engineers. This indicates an imbalance in manpower deployment with respect to norms fixed per aircraft.

There was considerable delay in setting up repair and overhaul facilities for airframes at BRD ‘X’. Deficiencies in the facilities still exist as some test rigs could not be installed. Full capability for overhaul of landing gear did not exist at the BRD, necessitating overhauls abroad.

The project for creating a facility for overhaul of turbo generators at HAL, Koraput, conceived in 1999 and approved in 2001, is yet to be completed as of October 2006. In the interim, generators continue to be sent abroad for overhaul involving additional expenditure.

Indigenization of mandatory and non-complex spares at BRDs has made significant progress. However, commercial exploitation has been limited. ---INFA