Even as armed forces are being called on to prepare for a two-front war, they're short of everything from tanks to helmets
Less than two years ago, Defence Minister A.K. Anthony directed the armed forces to prepare themselves for a nightmare scenario: a two-front war with nuclear-armed Pakistan and China. In the years since, two new mountain divisions and a third artillery division have been raised; an air assault division, two mountain divisions, and an entire new corps are being assembled.
In a leaked March 12 letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief of the Army Staff General V.K. Singh has revealed a somewhat darker reality: the artillery and tanks that make up the backbone of these formations are near-defunct and the air-defence systems protecting them obsolescent.
Gen. Singh's letters have provoked outrage and alarm — but reveal little that Indian military experts haven't written about for years. Gen Singh made similar points in an earlier letter to Mr. Antony, which made it to newspaper front pages on March 4. In public speeches, both Gen. Singh and Mr. Antony have pointed to the need for change — and yet, little has happened.
Case of missing howitzer
India's search for a 155-millimetre howitzer to replace its ageing arsenal of Swedish-made FH-77B Bofors guns helps demonstrate multiple factors that have contributed to the making of the mess. First, the Army sought weapons with characteristics that are now widely acknowledged to have been unrealistic: tenders were issued, withdrawn, and reissued after multiple rounds of tests.
Then, in March, the government blacklisted leading contenders Singapore Technologies Kinetics and Rheinmetall Air Defence, for their alleged role in a 2009 corruption scandal at the government-run Ordnance Factory Board.
The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, blocked plans to spend $647 million on purchasing 145 M777 155-mm howitzers manufactured by the United Kingdom's BAE Systems, and laser pointing systems built by Selex.
The end result has been the Army's artillery wing being degraded to a point of near-helplessness. Less than half of the 400-odd Bofors howitzers purchased in the 1980s are now in use. The 180 Soviet Union-made 130mm M-46 field guns used by India's artillery regiments were upgraded in the hope of giving them characteristics similar to 155mm howitzers, but insiders say their performance is far from satisfactory. For the most part, India's regiments are dependent on unmodified M-46 guns, D-30 122mm guns, and 105mm field guns — all designs dating back decades.
Widespread malaise
In case after case, the story is much the same. The Army had planned to equip its 59 armoured regiments with 1,657 T-90S main battle tanks — 1,000 of which were to be Indian-made. Production of T-90S tanks has been slow — the consequence, the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) says, of piecemeal orders from the Army and delayed technology transfers.
The 100-odd Indian-designed Arjun tanks delivered to the Army, meanwhile, didn't function as marketed. The CVRDE then set about making 93 improvements — several of them major, such as giving the tank a new engine and the ability to fire Israeli-made 120mm anti-tank missiles.
Efforts to plug the gap by upgrading India's T-72 tanks in the interim also ran into trouble. Indian-made 125mm smooth bore barrels blew up during field use, forcing the Army to seek emergency imports which haven't materialised. Imports of equipment which would have given them critical night-fighting capabilities are running years behind schedule.
Efforts to replace the obsolete Aerospatiale SA316 and 315B helicopters — known locally as Chetak and Cheetah — have run into similar problems.
In 2007, the Ministry of Defence scrapped an $800 million deal to acquire 197 Eurocopter A550 C3 light helicopters, after it emerged that there were irregularities in trials that ran for four years. The Ministry is now assessing the claims of Russian-made Kamov Ka-226 and Eurocopter's AS 550, after fresh tests.
In early 2010, the Army reported it was short of 3,90,000 ballistic helmets, 30,000 third-generation night vision devices, 1,80,000 lightweight bullet-proof jackets, 15,000 general purpose machine guns and 1,100 anti-materiel rifles. Later this year, the Army is expected to begin the process of testing the 66,000 5.56mm assault rifle it needs to replace substandard but Indian-made weapons it was arm-twisted into accepting in the late-1990s.
Big plans, small progress
Part of the problem is this: procurement programmes that were to be completed in 48 months routinely take twice as long to come to fruition. Even equipment ordered under the Ministry of Defence Fast Track programme, which envisages deliveries in a year, have often taken three times as long to materialise.
The Army complains, with reason, that the Ministry is often obstructive, and that defence production facilities are sub-standard. The P. Rama Rao and Vijay Kelkar committees, which investigated these issues, have never been discussed in Parliament.
It is also true that institutions, other than the Army, have negotiated the bureaucratic system with success. Last year, a report published by the Confederation of Indian Industry and international financial consultants KPMG said that the Army had acquired just $420 million of equipment since 2007, compared with $6.16 billion by the Navy and $17.46 billion by the Air Force. Even the Coast Guard had made acquisitions worth $616 million.
Factionalism within the Army, legal manoeuvres by defence firms, and dysfunction in the defence production system have all thus contributed to the mess — along, of course, with outright corruption. Fixing the crisis needs sustained commitment to reforming India's defence acquisition system from root up — not just outrage or alarm.
Keywords: Gen.V.K. Singh bribe charge, Army Chief bribe row, defence acquisition, substandard military equipment, Tatra trucks
May be it was all a stage managed drama by the enemy forces/CII lobby to culminate into RM directing the Army to streamline acquisitions and check slippages as if the rule making has been divested from the Ministry /GOI to the Army . Army operates on the rules framed by the civil power , the Army is not to frame the rules.If that so so the process will be a secret under the garb of the Army secret , it is not plausible that the Govt can publish its authentic LTIPP and if that so it may be at the behest of the enemy forces / CII lobby. It that a major twist in the India governance , the issues need to be discussed thread bare.
So, from all these discussions one thing appears to be quite apparent that the Government has danced its way through corruption and has actually made the country vulnerable.So is it not the high time that we fight against this virus of corruption with some kind of antidote such as the Lokpal? It is evident that that our system is corrupt. So why nit clean it? This Congress government has been ruling us for most part of the Indian State's history, and this is what they have gifted us. Also I am really curious about the lack of home-bred technology we possess inspite of the fact we have so many highly funded technical institutes such as the IITs and the NITs. What use are they of for the nation? Why are they sponsored if they cannot serve the basic prerogative of protecting the nation state? We boast of having some best brains, but when will they come to use for the country? Why isn't a rule for basic service to the nation is set up for these highly funded central institutes?
The latest saga between the RM Vs Chief is borne out of governance issues. How can a Govt. with no authortitative leadership claim to solve the problems. India needs decisive leadership at the top and talk about 'honest people' at the top seems counterproductive. To me India would have been better with S.G. at the top. ABV in the backdrop of Gujrat riots had to remind his CM of the Rajdharma? Imagine if Gadkari were the PM then.
The situation is created by lack of team effort and positive attitude. Our generals are not just warriors responsible for guarding the nation, but are just like politicians, prone to factionilsm and infighting.If someone wants to escape from his inefficency to deliver, the only easy way out is to "go public in an accusing tone and put all the blames on others".The media will catch up easily and blow out the issue out of proportion. General VK Singh owe an explanation at least not to the country, but to his own conscious mind, as to what he did or how far he went in his tenure to remove the barriers in procurement process?. He could have done a lot with conciliation and taking everyone in his team together, but ended up just as a "media msala man". Nobody wants to take tough decions for the interest of the country and own up its responsibility, but will be happy to enjoy every happiness at the cost of public exchequer and at the end, be in the public eye by airing the shorftfalls.SMART?
No need for defence ministry (politicians) . Give the money to army directly. let them have a panel, and let CAG audit the accounts.
It is often said that Mr Antony is a very simple man and not corrupt in his entire political carier .
This just does not make him a good minister .Defence ministers and for that matter any minister in the central government at least should command the respect of all colleagues , parliamentarians , babus , military people from the chief of army , air force , and navi and other allied forces to last grade Jawans , public and foreign counterparts etc . He should be a strong personality and very assertive in communicating and taking actions . Whatever Mr .Antony speaks in parliament or press conferances is not audible even to himself nor many understand what he says .
He may be a good minister at state level but 100 % unfit to be a union minister leave aside Defence minister .
The same is the current Prime minister who delivers speeches as if he is a doll or statue uttering speeches .
The current PM has lost the grip long ago on the administration , and over every one on whom he is supposed to have a sort of control .
In many instances , he does not even seems to know what his other ministers are doing and sits in parliament dumb n .
It is high time both PM and defence minister resign their posts .
In 2010, the Army General reported it was short of 3,90,000 ballistic helmets, 30,000 third-generation night vision devices, 1,80,000 lightweight bullet-proof jackets, 15,000 general purpose machine guns and 1,100 anti-materiel rifles....
Procurement programmes that were to be completed in 48 months routinely take twice as long to come to fruition. Even equipment ordered under the Ministry of Defence Fast Track programme, which envisages deliveries in a year, have often taken three times as long to materialise. The Genaral has said nothing wrong but the truth?//?
Well said Syed. It is time we cultivate that from school level. It has
become a fashion even for the school children talking of buying degrees
and other commodities under the table.
THE HINDU SHOULD BE SUED FIRST.
Why the hell is THE Hindu deepening the crisis by exposing the flaws
in the military systems and the weapons we have...Oh my God...You
people are responsible citizens of the country and how could you
possibly do this. What HINDU is doing is exposing your weaknesses to
your enemy...What is wrong with this newspaper...
The nation's security is a highly sensitive issue which calls for great reticence on
the part of every wing of society in their utterances and it is indeed very
depressing to note the acrimonious debate going on endlessly in the Parliament
and outside on the subject. And, needless to say the media has a special
responsibility herein and in this context the publication of the highly classified
letter from the Army Chief of Staff to the PM could have been avoided. Instead of
highlighting the procedural wrangles such as bypassing the proper channel of
communication by the Army Chief let us go by the essence of what he has stated
and take immediate remedial measures to gear up our defense machinery to its
highest level of efficiency irrespective of the cost involved. All said and done Gen
Singh has done a great service to the nation by exposing the bribe offer and other
relevant matters and imputing motives such as outbursts because of frustration do
not carry conviction.
Are Nuclear Facilities Safe Under Such Governance?
"Army had acquired just $420 million of equipment since 2007, compared with $6.16 billion by the Navy and $17.46 billion by the Air Force. Even the Coast Guard had made acquisitions worth $616 million."
I very well understand what billion dollars means. A small fraction of the total budget allocated for defense purchases is itself sufficient to produce desired products given a merit based honest system in place. I suppose we produce far more engineers than any country which lineup to export us. Only their profits out of exports make them sustainable. I will not say that they are in any way exploiting our inability but rather it is our lack of strong will to have a fair public-private partnership which fails us.
I would appeal to put aside a minute percent of total annual defense purchase budget to setup autonomous indigenous R&D and production units with a strict mandate and recruit directly the best performers cutting across all best colleges across country.
India need another Vajpayee saab to get rid of all of these. Where we heading ?? Army, Navy and Air Force all having sub-standard equipments?
Still we spend around $ 40 bn on our defense budget. Even such a sensitive area is still not been free from corruption.
That the Army has bought $420m of equipment while the Coast Guard has
bought $616m of equipment since 2007 says it all. Maybe because of
this, corrupt officers of the army have strayed from their area of
core competence (equipment purchases) to other sources of revenue
(land scams) during this period, and as a result of their lack of
expertise, have been caught.
Defence sector takes an appreciable portion of GDP for its expenditure. Still it seems we are short of everything from guns to huge weapons. It would be enlightening if a similar article based on the expenditure and up gradation made in defence sector using the annual budget is published so that public can know how their money is spend or plundered by individuals !!
excellent analysis
Your article about defence acquisition mess is not only demoralising for an average Indian reader but of a major concern for the Nation. The root cause of all the problems are embedded in the psyche of greedy Indians to get rich at any cost for selfish motives. Why? It is because of lack of social security and justice for survival. This is the result of growing uncontrolled populace of India with depleting finite resources. Also with little or no prospects of decent wage to thrive upon. Every Indian, willingly or otherwise, is directly or indirectly involved in supporting the Indian curse of bribery. Indias best chances of putting a halt to this process & future survival are in reversal of population growth by 25-30 by an urgent encatement of law to restrict birth. If a responsible government does'nt do it then nature will force upon India its solutions. It is probable that there will be scarcity of even clean drinking water in the near future. Do NOT expect anything from politicians.
The root cause for the mess has been the spread of corruption in high places. The Judiciary and Army were once considered beyond the stigma of corruption. The case is no longer the same. People should wake up and vote for good people who have the courage to stand against corruption. Only such an awakening will stem the rot that our country is increasingly succcumbing to.
And they say.., "Ho ra hai Bharath Nirman". Every one wants to know how they build country on ruins.
The General deserve accolade for off-battle field bravery.He has alerted the people and the nation,by his revelation through his letters to the Defence Minister and the PM.Unfortunately there is no able MP in the Parliament to handle this kind of issues.Many are capable of joining the band wagon only and strong enough to disturb the day to day proceedings with their big noices!.They never care to do enough home work,to take the erring officials and politicians to task.With these poor men,indian democracy thrives while people enjoying the Films,TV shows and Cricket.
At last people paying taxes are getting the scene which is a tip of the iceberg.in Delhi's power corridor it is infested with various middlemen particularly retired from forces and defence PSUs.They are sucking the system and details of the scenario are already known to them.How are they getting information to do business?
Let there be open enquiry by a judicial commission to understand the loopholes.PSUs participting in the defence business must be put to tests to see how much effective they are in termsof technology or manpower.
"Fixing the crisis needs sustained commitment to reforming India's
defence acquisition system from root up" Well said. But how? There
is only one way to go. Not only with regards to defense but about
almost every aspect of the way the country is run. From smallest to
big we are witnessing rot primarily due to mediocrity, regionalism,
caste considerations, over whelming superstitious out look, non scientific out look etc. Attempts must be made to understand these
core issues systematically or other wise we will continue to whistle
in the dark attempting to cure deep rooted cancer with topical
medications. A promising start can be made by removing the
government hand from running things done best by tapping individual entrepreneurial genius of individuals. Root of the corruption can
traced government involvement right from selling vegetables to
manufacturing soaps!
democracy is in shambles with no solid leadership and vision at the
center and states. Economy is slowing down. Inflation and food/water
shortages are staring at us in the near future. And now army is not functioning smoothly .
A so called competent minister like AK Antony is supposed to fix the defense procurement problem, what is he doing? Is Mr. Antony so obsessed with his 'clean' image that India's defense preparedness be damned? That substandard rifle referred to in the article is India made INSAS which is inefficient and hard to operate in a battle situation. This has been discarded in Kashmir anti-terrorist operations as the army felt hamstrung with INSAS and they instead had to use AK-47. Now I guess army is testing AK-47 or AK-56 to replace the useless waste of money INSAS for good.
Indecision is worse than bad decision making. Army procurement is saddled with indecision. Decades ago, Indian politicians decided not to involve Indian private sector in weaponry manufacturing on the pretext that it would spread corruption into the system. Nevertheless, corruption has eventually crept into the system via middlemen and lobbyists. Why then not have a public-private partnership for development and manufacturing of sophisticated weapons? If we want innovation, efficiency and state of art technology, this seems to be one of the plausible solutions. The issues raised by the Army Chief are of utmost importance and have critical bearing on our preparedness. The timing and method of his communication could be disputed but not the contents thereof. I feel that it is now for our Prime Minister to take initiative and in consultation with all the stake-holders we should decide to break the dead-lock.
Very fair reporting as compared to HT & TOI, well done for informing the general public about obvious hidden under veil of national security. Its rot and happened over decades of negligence by different prime ministers and defense ministers but political fraternity is unanimous to condemn and sack the chief army general. If king doesnt listen to his doctor and army general, not only he will die but his kingdom is doomed.
The most important thing that is absent in the defense acquisition is strategic planning. It is waste of money to buy expensive equipment except to have bragging rights vis-a-vis Pakistan. The good thing about the smaller percentage of GDP they spend on defense is that they are wasting less money. Otherwise, their defense expenditures as a percentage of GDP is significantly smaller than needed in the light of threat perception.
I think whatever was written in that letter to the PM have been known to
everyone as isolated facts. Only new thing in that letter is the
conclusions of well known facts complied at one place. Therefore, I
don't know why so much noise being made of that letter.
For all the maladies our defence procurement procedure is having, the remedy is stunningly simple, HONESTY at all levels and honesty can not be purchased in any market. It has to be assiduously cultivated and nurtured as a culture and religion. Any other way of solving it will fail disastrously.
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