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Babus bog down Army modernization - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Modernisation of the 1.13-million strong Army, grappling with critical capability gaps in areas like artillery, air defence, aviation, night-fighting and the like, is yet to gather steam despite the deteriorating security scenario in India's neighbourhood.
There are close to 100 Army procurement projects currently meandering their way through different stages amid bureaucratic bottle-necks, cumbersome procedures and general apathy, say defence ministry sources.
In fact, given the "prevailing worrisome state of affairs'', it's estimated the Army will take over 15 years to achieve its optimum level of operational readiness to defend borders as well as battle militancy in the hinterland.
This when Pakistan is gleefully receiving massive arms packages from the US in the name of the global war against terrorism and China is expanding its trans-border military capabilities at a staggering rate.
Incidentally, the ongoing revision of Army's war doctrine factors in the possibility of India even being forced to tackle "a two-front war'' in a worst-case scenario. But to achieve the military capabilities required for such an eventuality will take a lot of doing.
The much-smaller Navy and IAF, of course, are much better placed on their modernisation paths. While the two are more technology-intensive, the Army has many more ongoing procurement projects at any given time.
The need is increasingly being felt to revamp MoD's land systems acquisitions wing to fast-track inductions, as also ensure "much greater synergy'' within the Army HQ between its different "line directorates'' and the weapons and equipment directorate.
"Apart from better processes, MoD's Army acquisitions wing needs a strong dose of additional manpower and reorganisation. At present, it's capable of handling only around 24 projects a year,'' said a source.
A series of arms scandals in Army has also often derailed its modernisation plans. Take, for instance, the long-delayed over Rs 20,000-crore artillery modernisation programme. India has not been able to import a single 155mm/52-calibre gun since the infamous Bofors scandal of the mid-1980s.
When things were just about getting back on track, they were hit once again by the Denel and ST Kinetics scandals. Consequently, Army still awaits its planned progressive induction of 1,580 towed guns, 814 mounted gun systems, 180 self-propelled wheeled guns, 100 tracked self-propelled guns and 145 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers.
Similarly, it continues to make do with obsolete air defence missile and gun systems. Moreover, the force desperately needs third-generation thermal-imaging, image-intensification and infra-red devices to bolster the night-fighting capabilities of both its infantry and mechanised forces.
The conclusion of the long-delayed selection process for acquisition of 197 "light utility'' helicopters, with Russian Kamov and Eurocopters now left in contention, is also awaited to replace the ageing Cheetahs and Chetaks for high-altitude and other operations.
While 133 of these choppers will be for Army, the other 64 will go IAF. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has also promised to manufacture another 187 light helicopters for the armed forces to meet their overall requirements.
NEW DELHI: Modernisation of the 1.13-million strong Army, grappling with critical capability gaps in areas like artillery, air defence, aviation, night-fighting and the like, is yet to gather steam despite the deteriorating security scenario in India's neighbourhood.
There are close to 100 Army procurement projects currently meandering their way through different stages amid bureaucratic bottle-necks, cumbersome procedures and general apathy, say defence ministry sources.
In fact, given the "prevailing worrisome state of affairs'', it's estimated the Army will take over 15 years to achieve its optimum level of operational readiness to defend borders as well as battle militancy in the hinterland.
This when Pakistan is gleefully receiving massive arms packages from the US in the name of the global war against terrorism and China is expanding its trans-border military capabilities at a staggering rate.
Incidentally, the ongoing revision of Army's war doctrine factors in the possibility of India even being forced to tackle "a two-front war'' in a worst-case scenario. But to achieve the military capabilities required for such an eventuality will take a lot of doing.
The much-smaller Navy and IAF, of course, are much better placed on their modernisation paths. While the two are more technology-intensive, the Army has many more ongoing procurement projects at any given time.
The need is increasingly being felt to revamp MoD's land systems acquisitions wing to fast-track inductions, as also ensure "much greater synergy'' within the Army HQ between its different "line directorates'' and the weapons and equipment directorate.
"Apart from better processes, MoD's Army acquisitions wing needs a strong dose of additional manpower and reorganisation. At present, it's capable of handling only around 24 projects a year,'' said a source.
A series of arms scandals in Army has also often derailed its modernisation plans. Take, for instance, the long-delayed over Rs 20,000-crore artillery modernisation programme. India has not been able to import a single 155mm/52-calibre gun since the infamous Bofors scandal of the mid-1980s.
When things were just about getting back on track, they were hit once again by the Denel and ST Kinetics scandals. Consequently, Army still awaits its planned progressive induction of 1,580 towed guns, 814 mounted gun systems, 180 self-propelled wheeled guns, 100 tracked self-propelled guns and 145 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers.
Similarly, it continues to make do with obsolete air defence missile and gun systems. Moreover, the force desperately needs third-generation thermal-imaging, image-intensification and infra-red devices to bolster the night-fighting capabilities of both its infantry and mechanised forces.
The conclusion of the long-delayed selection process for acquisition of 197 "light utility'' helicopters, with Russian Kamov and Eurocopters now left in contention, is also awaited to replace the ageing Cheetahs and Chetaks for high-altitude and other operations.
While 133 of these choppers will be for Army, the other 64 will go IAF. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has also promised to manufacture another 187 light helicopters for the armed forces to meet their overall requirements.
