National Security: Are Defences obsolete?

Aiming without aiming
A background paper prepared by the Delhi-based PHD chamber of commerce for the army seminar said that “most of India’s ground based air defences are obsolete” and that upgrades of basic artillery equipment were “ten years behind schedule”. The generals attending the seminar didn’t metaphorically blink at such unpatriotic statements – they knew only too well they are true.

The chief of army staff said recently that 80% of India’s armoured tanks are night blind. “That means like the medieval times you fight morning to evening and take rest at night - Pakistan has 80% of tanks capable to fight at night,” says Rahul Bedi, a defence journalist. “Planning and strategic thinking of the Indian Army’s procurement program is in complete shambles. Bureaucrats and politicians are throttling the procurement process.”

A more academic critique headlined “Arming without Aiming” will be coming soon from the America’s Brookings Institution. Co-authored by Stephen Cohen, a south Asia expert, it argues that India’s arms purchasing has “lacked political direction and has suffered from weak prospective planning, individual service-centred doctrines, and a disconnect between strategic objectives and the pursuit of new technology”.

And Ajai Shukla, a former army officer and now a defence journalist, writing in the Business Standard daily newspaper, this morning estimates that “Antony’s halo” is costing India 125% more than is necessary for half the equipment it buys because of price rises (during delayed contracts) and because tenders sometimes being abandoned in favour of more expensive negotiated deals.

70% bought abroad
India is the world’s largest buyer of defence equipment, with expenditure budgeted at least at $40bn over the next four years. Half of that is on capital expenditure and is likely to rise around 15% in the finance minister’s annual Budget speech on February 26 , even though not all of it is ever spent [[Feb 26 insert: the actual budget increase is only about 4%]].

At least 70% of purchases have been made abroad for decades, mainly because the generally inefficient and moribund public sector-dominated defence establishment cannot deliver even high technology night vision goggles and modern helmets, let alone fighter aircraft or guns. Until recently, the capable private sector was mostly kept out of doing more than supplying minor components because the defence establishment enjoyed the combined benefits of protected jobs, patronage, prestige, and foreign kickbacks – and because Antony instinctively supports public sector trade unions that do not want private sector competition.
Extracted: A must read article
The gun that crippled the equipping of India’s armed forces is “innocent”
Related reading
Feeding a Monster called Monopoly

DRDO slippages are they frustrating Modernisation of the Armed Forces?

The following steps have been taken to strengthen the organisation:

Consortium approach has been used for design, development and fabrication of critical components.

Three-tier project monitoring approach is being followed in the major projects / programmes.

Project Monitoring Review Committee (PMRC); and Project Appraisal and Review Committee (PARC) meetings are held regularly to monitor the progress of the ongoing projects.

Concurrent engineering approach has been adopted in technology intensive projects to minimize time-lag between development and productionisation of the systems, and Information Technology and modern management techniques have been applied.

Participation of Services in all major programmes right from the beginning of the projects, etc.

Large number of R&D projects and research initiatives taken up with nearly 100 academic and other scientific establishments.

There are also international collaboration to fortify DRDO’s strength.
This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Mangani Lal Mandal and others in Lok Sabha today. Samir / RAJ
Restructuring Of DRDO: Major DRDO Projects / Programmes which are yet to be completed
Related reading
Aerospace, defence face hurdles in globalising

Pension Slips to Defence Personnel

Is this true?
Relevant portion of RBI circular regarding issue of pension slip by Banks is reproduced below for your information. Please ensure you get these every month. This is separate from Annexure IV.
Para 20: Disbursement of Central Government Pension through Public Sector Banks-Issue of Pension Slips to Defence Pensioners: Master Circular- Disbursement of Pension by Agency Banks(Ref. DGBA.GAD. H-17663/45.05.031/ 2006-07 dated June 12, 2007)

It has been decided in consultation with the Office of Chief Controller of Defence Accounts and the Department of Ex-Servicemen welfare, Ministry of Defence to issue pension slip to Armed Forces Personnel/ Defence Civilian pensioners including family pensioners on par with the existing system as applicable to Central Government Pensioners (Civil). All the agency banks were advised to issue suitable instructions to their pension paying branches.
Deepak Verma, Veteran

Important RBI circulars

Master Circular- Disbursement of Pension by Agency Banks

Collection of account payee cheque – Prohibition on crediting proceeds to third party account

Grievance Redressal Mechanism - Display of Contact Details of Officials

GUARANTEES, CO-ACCEPTANCES & LETTERS OF CREDIT

Reconciliation of transactions at ATMs failure – Time limit

Indian defense minister urges networking

NEW DELHI, Jan. 30 (UPI) Indian Defense Minister Shri AK Antony is calling on India's private and public sectors to pool resources for defense research and development.

Antony addressed a crowd of defense industry professionals Tuesday at the National Seminar on Defense R&D and Technology Management. Antony urged audience members to increase collaboration to ensure that India's research establishments produce state-of-the-art products.

"The variables which impact our defense preparedness and threat assessments, including regional and global political dynamics, are in a state of continuous flux, forcing us to constantly reassess threats to our security," Antony said in a statement.

Antony cited the recent Society of Defense Technologists' contributions towards pooling of technological resources by organizing seminars and workshops among other events. He called on the audience to network in order to address India's greater defense goals.

"As we increasingly globalize and cooperate across international borders for the development and production of defense products, as the number of entities involved in defense material production and management grow rapidly, and as the number of players, particularly from the private sector, increase with the introduction of the off-set policy, it becomes all the more important that all players are enabled to network effectively," Antony said.

Credit: Anthony urges networking