The reaction to the Air Chief breaking the silence barrier is predictable. Anybody pointing to what the armed forces are short of is instinctively accused of being import-hungry, sold out. The insinuation: an evil cabal prevents India from developing and makes it dependent on expensive, unaffordable imports. Defence has also become an ‘influencer’ pursuit and even the chiefs are wary. Then, Donald Trump throws the F-35 fat into this fire. After ages, India has a chief who speaks the hard truth. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has persistently and firmly drawn attention to the Indian Air Force’s alarming numbers and…