NEW DELHI: Almost half of Defence Research and Development Organisations ongoing objective mode projects - high concern programmes based upon specific operational requirements of the militaries that have to be completed within a guaranteed time-frame - have been delayed.These variety from the Tejas Mark-2 light fight aircraft (LCA), the naval LCA and unmanned aerial lorries to air independent propulsion (AIP) for greater underwater endurance of submarines, light gatling gun and advanced pulled weapons weapon systems (ATAGS), the defence ministry informed Parliament on Monday.In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, junior defence minister Ajay Bhatt said 23 of the 55 mission mode projects have been postponed.

These tasks, by the way, include innovations that are already available and easily accessible in India or abroad at short notice.The other postponed jobs are in the locations of surface-to-air rockets, surface-to-surface missiles, electronic warfare (EW) systems for fighters and warships, air droppable containers, simulators, tactical radios, rockets, bombs, infantry combat vehicle-command (ICV-C), life support group, periscopes and torpedoes.Cost escalations have occurred in 12 of the 55 jobs.

However, cost escalations might not be treated as loss, as in certain cases cost has been increased for change or improvement of scope, Bhatt said.

These are the LCA for IAF and Navy, AIP, surface-to-air missiles, ATAGS, rockets, ICV-C, periscopes, torpedoes and EW systems.The single-engine Tejas, in specific, is crucial for the IAF to stem the depletion in the number of its fighter squadrons, which is down to just 30-31 when 42 are required for the collusive risk from China and Pakistan.IAF has actually inducted just over 30 of the 123 Tejas jets bought till now, with the last Rs 46,898 crore agreement for 73 improved Mark-1A fighters and 10 trainers being tattooed in February 2021 for delivery in the 2024-29 timeframe.In August 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Security had sanctioned another Rs 6,500 crore, in addition to the earlier Rs 2,500 crore, to establish the much more capable Mark-2 variation of Tejas with more powerful GE-414 engines.While the light-weight Tejas Mark-1 (13.5 tonne weight) was created to change outdated MiG-21s, the medium-weight Mark-2 (17.5 tonne) is supposed to eventually prosper fighters like the Mirage-2000s, Jaguars and MiG-29s in the IAF.

The naval LCA, in turn, is the leader for the twin-engine deck-based fighter that the Navy in fact desires for its carrier.

It will take at least a decade to be operationally ready.In Parliament, Bhatt described the different steps being taken by the government to overcome such delays.

They consist of increased frequency of project reviews, boosted involvement of the militaries and higher delegation of financial powers to DRDO laboratory directors.