Jastej Singh Matharu

Jastej Singh Matharu

  • Joined: March 26, 2025
  • Articles: 29

The Symbiotic Relationship between Indigenization and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) in Advancing Nations

Indigenization and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) are critical for national economic growth and global competitiveness. Indigenization relies on scientific research, fostering innovation, and collaboration between government and private sectors. However, rapid technological advancements require continuous investment and refinement. MRO ensures equipment longevity, facilitates technology absorption, and supports domestic innovation. Strategic MRO facility placement is vital, especially in remote regions. Skilled personnel and investment are essential for effective operations. Decision-makers must balance crisis responsiveness and shareholder interests. Ultimately, strengthening indigenization and MRO enhances resilience, innovation, and self-reliance, ensuring sustainable technological progress in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Assessing AI Chatbots for MRO: Capabilities, Limitations, and Potential

AI chatbots, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), can generate coherent responses but lack true understanding. They rely on pattern recognition and past data rather than reasoning. While LLMs improve with more data, larger models become less explainable and require high computational power. Despite these limitations, chatbots hold immense potential for MRO activities by providing quick access to technical documentation and sensor data. Security of datasets is crucial. Although chatbots cannot replace human expertise, they can significantly enhance efficiency and decision-making for trained MRO technicians, making them valuable tools for maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations.

The Feasibility of Electric and Hybrid Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs): Challenges and Opportunities

The feasibility of electric Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) depends on advancements in battery technology. Tanks require extensive electrical power, and while lithium-ion batteries can enhance silent watch capabilities, fully electric tanks remain impractical due to size and weight constraints. However, hybrid Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs) offer advantages such as reduced fuel dependency, silent operation, and improved agility. Electric wheeled ICVs with in-wheel motors enhance mobility, while amphibious versions benefit from simplified propulsion. Hybrid and electric reconnaissance vehicles may soon be viable. As battery technology improves, hybrid and electric AFVs could revolutionize battlefield mobility, logistics, and stealth operations.

The Maintainer-Trainer: Unlocking India’s Skilled Workforce for Global Opportunities

The "maintainer-trainer" is a skilled professional who not only maintains equipment but also trains others. Equipped with expertise, manuals, and proper tools, they enhance an organization's workforce by creating more maintainers. Certification is crucial for industry acceptance. Spare parts procurement is a challenge, but structured planning helps. India has a vast pool of experienced maintainers across sectors like defense, aviation, and railways. Deploying them productively can benefit businesses and skilled workers alike. Inspired by IT industry success, MROdigest.com sees this as an opportunity to harness India's skilled workforce, creating employment and strengthening the global presence of Indian expertise.

Performance-Based Logistics: Balancing Efficiency and Operational Readiness

Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) shifts maintenance from purchasing spares and services to ensuring measurable equipment serviceability. The objective is high availability with minimal logistics, achieved through a clear performance matrix and efficient resource utilization between the equipment owner and contractor. PBL is highly effective for air assets operating from well-connected bases but becomes costly and complex in remote areas with weak communication. In such cases, conventional maintenance with on-site trained personnel and essential tools remains crucial. Choosing between PBL and traditional logistics requires careful evaluation of operational needs, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness to maintain optimal serviceability and efficiency.

Freelancers, Brands, and App-Based Companies: The Evolving Landscape of Skilled Repair Services

The maintenance and repair industry has traditionally relied on skilled manpower, but freelancers—many of them former employees—are now a key resource for app-based service companies. These freelancers, once dependent on word-of-mouth referrals, now benefit from digital ratings and reviews. While branded service providers follow structured but slower processes, freelancers offer faster, cost-effective, and personalized service. App-based companies leverage freelancers but face challenges in skill verification and service quality. Reliable offline certification could bridge this gap, benefiting manufacturers, freelancers, and customers alike. A well-trained freelancer pool could enhance service quality and create a sustainable, mutually beneficial ecosystem.

Essential elements of repair cover and their implications

Effective equipment repair requires skilled manpower, necessary spares, test equipment, tools, and, in some cases, heavy lift capability. Repairs in workshops are easier, but those in remote locations—deserts, mountains, or jungles—pose logistical challenges. The complexity of technology further influences repair feasibility. Planning for spares is crucial, as supply chain failures can force overstocking or cannibalization. Contracts should allow local reengineering and alternative sourcing. Defense equipment, with long lifespans, requires strategic procurement and flexible repair solutions. A coordinated approach involving procurement, finance, training, and logistics ensures readiness, balancing cost and operational availability while minimizing downtime.

Military equipment: Nation capabilities and the ‘Expectations Gap’

Developing and sustaining defense equipment requires a strong industrial base, whether in the private or government sector. While private companies innovate under shareholder pressure and financial incentives, government-driven research relies on self-motivated scientists and long-term national security goals. Countries with large economies often favor private-sector competition, while smaller economies rely more on government initiatives. Sustainment of equipment is crucial, as defense assets often last decades. Bureaucratic complexities can slow government decision-making, creating an "expectation gap" between developers and users. Balancing innovation, funding, and sustainment is critical to maintaining national defense capability and ensuring long-term military readiness.

Battlefield Maintenance: Challenges, Priorities, and Preparedness

Maintenance and repair of military equipment in battle are critical, as peacetime solutions often fail in war conditions. Military equipment is complex and constantly evolving, requiring specialized training for maintainers. Skills, tools, spares, time, and money all vary by location, making battlefield repairs highly time-sensitive. Prioritization is key—maintainers for warlike equipment must come first, though simpler equipment may also need attention if replacements are unavailable. Peacetime training is crucial to ensure maintainers can perform effectively under constraints. Ultimately, skilled maintainers are essential to sustaining military operations in combat, ensuring equipment remains operational when it matters most.