From hand to mouth: India’s defence forces are struggling to compete with China due to inadequate fu

[PurpleStone]

From hand to mouth: India’s defence forces are struggling to compete with China due to inadequate funds


From hand to mouth: India’s defence forces are struggling to compete with China due to inadequate funds
Updated Jun 05, 2018 | 23:59 IST | Mirror Now Digital





In a panel consisting of a former Vice Admiral, a leading defence analyst, a retired Lieutenant General and a serving Air Marshall, the unanimous verdict reached was that all three bodies of India’s armed forces are low on funding, low on ammunition and thereby, low on morale.

India’s defence forces are struggling to compete with China |Photo Credit: BCCL
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday held a press conference where she defied the findings of a parliamentary committee that criticised the ruling dispensation for its defence allocations. In addition, the Defence Minister also reacted to recent claims that asserted that the army is running low on ammunition and other essential supplies.

"The defence expenditure has been highest in 2017-18 if you look at it since 2004-05. In the same manner, it was second highest in 2016-17 and third highest in 2015-16. The fourth highest defence expenditure since 2004-05 was in 2014-15," she said while defending her government’s defence allocation. In a panel consisting of a former Vice Admiral, a leading defence analyst, a retired Lieutenant General and a serving Air Marshall, the unanimous verdict reached was that all three bodies of India’s armed forces are low on funding, low on ammunition and thereby, low on morale.






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Our Sena is starving for Funds! Are our armed forces neglected by the Govt? @fayedsouza explains the current situation of the Indian Army. #CashCrunchedDefence

12:51 PM - Jun 5, 2018

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Defence analyst Maroof Raza says that India’s current defence allocation is as low a figure as it was just before the Chinese invasion of 1962 when India faced a worrisome defeat at the hands of the red dragon. He also highlights the need for an apex body to spell out the requirements of all three arms of India’s armed forces in terms of must have and could have. “We do not have a comprehensive doctrine for the three services,” says Raza.

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Air Marshal M Matheswaran clarifies that global diplomacy can only work if it is backed by hard power. The military has to be combat-capable to give out a message supporting the prevention of war. Meanwhile, Lt. General DB Shekatkar lays emphasis on the army’s capacity and capability to build an effective defence system. He sums it up by saying, “In order to prevent a war, we must be ready for it.”

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, headed by BJP MP Maj Gen (retd) B C Khanduri, had criticized the government for its inadequate allocation of funds to the Army, Navy and Air Force. Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Sarath Chand has even gone to the extent of saying that the defence forces are feeling the pinch of the defence budget for 2018-19 at a time when Chinese military is competing to be at par with the United States of America.




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.@fayedsouza: People who understand defence, should be in-charge of the decisions. 70 years down the line, we still have politicians & bureaucrats deciding for our defence, when they're not qualified. We appeal to the govt to listen to these prominent voices. #CashCrunchedDefence

1:12 PM - Jun 5, 2018

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At a day and age when our annual defence spending stands at $52.5 billion after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hiked the allocation by 7.81 per cent, India’s defence is in an “agonising state of affairs”, says an official of the Indian Army. Experts have stated that even after we claim to be the fifth largest spender on defence in the world, the allocation given by the government largely comprises of salary hikes for armymen under the seventh pay commission. In layman terms, this means that China, with a defence budget four times as big as ours, is currently spending on modernization of their equipment while 68 per cent of our equipment currently stands in the ‘vintage’ category. Case in point, since defence budgets and international diplomacy cannot account for votes, the ruling dispensation has decided to ignore the advice of defence experts that clearly states that all three arms of our armed forces are underfunded, ill-equipped and vulnerable.

http://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-...ete-with-china-due-to-inadequate-funds/236383

 

[PurpleStone]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1004043128318263297

https://twitter.com/x/status/1004048299131670529

 

[ziaulislam]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1004043128318263297

https://twitter.com/x/status/1004048299131670529

problem is where china almost procures everything from home, india imports it..so in value its 3x, in practice its 10x more

 

[waz]

"Compete against China", that's the core problem itself. You can't. Minimal deterrence yes.

 

[PurpleStone]

problem is where china almost procures everything from home, india imports it..so in value its 3x, in practice its 10x more

The main problem is lack of available funds for any new procurement.

Out of $45 Billion defense budget for 2018-2019, $30 Billion goes towards salaries and only $15 Billion goes towards equipment procurement. But most of the $15 billion allocated for equipment procurement has already been committed. For example, $3 Billion out of $3.25 Billion procurement budget of Indian Navy has already been committed leaving only $0.25 Billion for any new procurement this year.

All this noise about budget increase are nothing but smoke and mirrors to fool the people.

"Compete against China", that's the core problem itself. You can't. Minimal deterrence yes.

With the small budgets that are allocated even minimum deterrence is a challenge.

 

[Corona]

"Compete against China", that's the core problem itself. You can't. Minimal deterrence yes.

Play smart. Compete against doesn't mean trying to one up China. Defeating someone doesn't mean outspending them, that's the mistake USSR made.

 

[Tshering22]

Contrary to what media says, it is actually misappropriation of funding priorities and a lack of synchronisation between the MoD bureaucrats and the force requirements. It may be shocking to hear that MoD is one of the most mismanaged Big ministries of India.

In an analysis conducted by the think tank IDSA, LK Behera has clearly stated that every year army returns 10% of the total money allocated to it, because of terrible resource allocations and mismatch with long term SQRs.

Indian Army's management structure is archaic and reeks with corruption at top and mid levels, no matter how loving and dedicated our Jawans are for the country.

This means, even they suffer due to terrible mismatch of expectations and requirements.

Nirmala Sitharaman has been a nightmare in defence industry. Manohar Parikkar was such a gem.

The main problem is lack of available funds for any new procurement.

Out of $45 Billion defense budget for 2018-2019, $30 Billion goes towards salaries and only $15 Billion goes towards equipment procurement. But most of the $15 billion allocated for equipment procurement has already been committed. For example, $3 Billion out of $3.25 Billion procurement budget of Indian Navy has already been committed leaving only $0.25 Billion for any new procurement this year.

All this noise about budget increase are nothing but smoke and mirrors to fool the people.

The only solution is to drastically cut troops to ensure a more lean-mean professional fighting force.

It is better to have a reserve+active troops of 1 million total, who are armed with cutting edge technology to the teeth, rather than 30 lac ill-equipped soldiers.

Also, we are getting top heavy. the Armed forces need to expedite retirement for many 'ceremonial' officers who are no longer in active combat decision-making.

 

[seesonic]

Contrary to what media says, it is actually misappropriation of funding priorities and a lack of synchronisation between the MoD bureaucrats and the force requirements. It may be shocking to hear that MoD is one of the most mismanaged Big ministries of India.

In an analysis conducted by the think tank IDSA, LK Behera has clearly stated that every year army returns 10% of the total money allocated to it, because of terrible resource allocations and mismatch with long term SQRs.

Indian Army's management structure is archaic and reeks with corruption at top and mid levels, no matter how loving and dedicated our Jawans are for the country.

This means, even they suffer due to terrible mismatch of expectations and requirements.

Nirmala Sitharaman has been a nightmare in defence industry. Manohar Parikkar was such a gem.



The only solution is to drastically cut troops to ensure a more lean-mean professional fighting force.

It is better to have a reserve+active troops of 1 million total, who are armed with cutting edge technology to the teeth, rather than 30 lac ill-equipped soldiers.

Also, we are getting top heavy. the Armed forces need to expedite retirement for many 'ceremonial' officers who are no longer in active combat decision-making.

You are fake news.

WW3: India will 'DESTROY Pakistan and CRIPPLE China in two-front nuclear war'

Speaking to Daily Star Online, Mr Jaswal said India is ready to take on its mighty neighbours simultaneously but both enemy countries would likely face a devastating fallout.

He said: "India's policy is no first use [nuclear weapons] but massive retaliation.

"We can face a two-front war. And if we retaliate, Pakistan will be thrown back to the Stone Age. We will destroy all of Pakistan."

He added: "And for China to wage a war would mean risking international isolation and facing massive setbacks to its economic ambitions."

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/wo...hina-pakistan-nuclear-nuke-doklam-kashmir-loc

 

[PurpleStone]

The only solution is to drastically cut troops to ensure a more lean-mean professional fighting force.

It is better to have a reserve+active troops of 1 million total, who are armed with cutting edge technology to the teeth, rather than 30 lac ill-equipped soldiers.

Also, we are getting top heavy. the Armed forces need to expedite retirement for many 'ceremonial' officers who are no longer in active combat decision-making.

True but no political party would have the will to cut as Military is one of the biggest employers. India cannot afford to cut down combat personnel. The best option would be to outsource non combat personnel. This will save not only on salaries but pensions and other benefits too. OROP has been a big drag. Indian defence budget is atleast $15 billion short.

 

[Tshering22]

True but no political party would have the will to cut as Military is one of the biggest employers. India cannot afford to cut down combat personnel. The best option would be to outsource non combat personnel. This will save not only on salaries but pensions and other benefits too. OROP has been a big drag. Indian defence budget is atleast $15 billion short.

This obsession with phoney 'job creation' is going to cost our country dearly in terms of natural resources. Almost 70% of those employed in the government are useless burden who are pen-pushers with no added value to the nation.

Go to any government department even in a simple municipality; have the directors and section officers are just sitting to forward a document or application you submit.

This is not employment.

You tell me, what is the use of employing 15 lakh cannon fodder? Three of my brothers are also serving in the armed forces. While they don't disclose much details, at personal level they agree that our equipment and logistics are terrible because of delays, corruption and of course, a bloated and technologically backward force.


And if this willingness to take strong decision is what pulls down a technocratic capable government, then I really doubt whether we are even ready to have a transparent and empowering system like democracy. Maybe Nehru just listened to the British to ensure that we remain weak and divided through a phoney political model.

China's model of a rational state with firm economic, security and financial targets is far better (minus communism).

 

[Crixus]

These stories are planted to get the increase in budget .... we don’t need to compete with China in weapons race as you mentioned minimum deterrence in the key ...... I would love to see the economic competition between India and China

"Compete against China", that's the core problem itself. You can't. Minimal deterrence yes.