The Indian Armed Forces under siege?

6 February 2010 India’s Ragtag Army
It is low on money, officers, equipment and strategic vision. It just does not seem to have what it takes to fight a war—and win. By Ninad D. Sheth

The Indian Army is clearly under siege, and has trouble closing in from almost all directions— the lack of weaponry and missing officers to the failing morale and central question of its military doctrine. The force’s adhoc approach, however, continues as usual— as senior officers go golfing, lulled by the long period of peace since 1971, peace defined here as an absence of war. Four decades is a long time indeed. An entire generation of soldiers and officers has grown up with no record of action. The mess in the Army calls to mind words of the Prussian master of strategy, von Clausewitz. He once said that everything is simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult. The Army must break out of its current crisis. But it will take more than a restoration of its image for probity.
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India’s Ragtag Army

Short service commission officers to fly IAF fighters
[The Indian Express] Battling a shortage of 1,343 officers, the Indian Air Force has started allowing short service commission officers fly fighter aircraft. Officers who join the service for 14 years now get to fly fighter aircraft. Until now, only permanent commission officers were allowed to train for fighter operations. It takes almost four years and over Rs 4 crore to train a fighter pilot — short service officers will be able to do active fighter duty for a maximum of ten years. In the past, these officers had joined the helicopter and transport streams.

The acute shortage of officers in the flying branch — the IAF is over 300 pilots short against the sanctioned strength of 3,278, most in the fighter stream — seems to have necessitated the decision. “To overcome the shortage of pilots, we have very recently started short service commission for fighter pilots also. Initially it was only for lady officers, now it has been started for fighter pilots. After 14 years, they will also be given an opportunity to leave,” a top IAF officer told a parliamentary panel after being questioned on the shortage of pilots.

The decision is also in line with the policy of creating more posts of short service officers in the armed forces and having a leaner cadre of permanent commission officers. There is also an urgent need for fighter pilots. Over the next decade, the IAF is expected to get close to 400 new fighter jets.

The first batch of short service commission fighter pilots will pass out at the end of this year.
Short service commission officers to fly IAF fighters