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WHY ‘MADE IN AMERICA’ COSTS MORE?
geopolitics VOL I, ISSUE VIII, DECEMBER 2010 `100
D E F E N C E D I P L O M A C Y S E C U R I T Y
MODERNISING THE
PARAMILITARY INDIA AND RUSSIA
STILL GOING STRONG
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RIDING THE WAVES India needs quality warships to project its maritime power
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Contents December.qxd
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COVER STORY P38
The sea power Indian warships have been vital in guarding the Indian Ocean over the years.
GLOBAL EYE (P33)
SPOTLIGHT (P14)
STABILITY IN INDIAN OCEAN
MADE IN INDIA
With increasing globalisation, the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean has grown manifold.
It's high time for defence PSUs to develop indigenous products to compete with the best.
INTERVIEW (P46)
DEF BIZ (P24)
DEF BIZ (P18)
EXUDING CLASS
COSTLY AFFAIR
DUBIOUS DEAL
The Indian Military Academy continues to be a world-class institution that turns boys into men, Lt. Gen. Rajinder Singh Sujlana tells GEOPOLITICS.
Are US defence companies charging India more money for their products?
Established procedures have been violated in procuring detection equipments.
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December 2010
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TRADITION HOLDS STRONG (P68) Defence relations between India and Russia have reaped rich dividends for both the countries.
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GENDER BIAS (P56) Indian paramilitary forces still remain a tough terrain for women.
A BETTER TOMMOROW (P60) Indo-French ties are heading for a qualitative change.
ON TOP (P30) Pipavav Shipyard is poised to become grandeur on the scale.
DIPLOMACY (P64)
DO WE MISUNDERSTAND CHINA? For the Chinese, dragon is a symbol of joy and happiness and has nothing to be afraid of; likewise, China and its rise in the world are for global peace and prosperity.
SPECIAL REPORT (P8)
g GEOPOLITICS
WATER WARS
Editor-in-Chief
K SRINIVASAN
THE SHARING OF WATER
Editor
PRAKASH NANDA
ORIGINATING IN THE TIBETAN
PLATEAU HAS BECOME A
Sr. Correspondent
ROHIT SRIVASTAVA Publishing Director
ROHIT GOEL
TICKLISH ISSUE BETWEEN INDIA
Director (Corporate Affairs)
RAJIV SINGH
Conceptualised and designed by Newsline Publications Pvt. Ltd., from D-11 Basement, Nizamuddin (East), New Delhi -110 013, Tel: +91-11-41033381-82 for NEWSEYE MEDIA PVT. LTD. Managing Editor: TIRTHANKAR GHOSH All information in GEOPOLITICS is derived from sources we consider reliable. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract or in interviews are not necessarily shared by us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part(s) without prior permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear. Owned and published by K Srinivasan, 4C Pocket-IV, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, Delhi-91 and printed by him at Nutech Photolithographers, B-240, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020. Readers are welcome to send their feedback at geopolitics@newsline.in. www.geopolitics.in
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AND CHINA.
Cover Pix Courtesy: INS Nirbhik Indian Navy Cover Design: Jitendra Rawat
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gONLOOKER THE EQUATION brief, clamp on exports of rare-earth minerals is clear. “We obviously share the view that we want to see China’s rise be successful, bringing benefits to the Chinese JULIA GILLARD people, but [want ChiAustralian PM na] to take on greater responsibility and a rulesothbased approach towards all of its neighbors,” er’s additional civilian Clinton said in Melbourne. And added:”We and military contributions for Afghanistan are discussing that within Asean and the during the recent Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) summit in Melbourne. AUSMIN is an important reaffirmation of the US-AusWe’ve been here for 100 years,” she said. tralian alliance by both nations. The talks “You know, we’ve been here, we are here marked the 25th and we will be here. The United States is anniversary of AUSboth a Pacific and an Atlantic power. If MIN and the 70th there were any question or doubt about anniversary of the our intentions, I hope that the last 20 establishment of diplomonths of the Obama administration matic relations has put those finally to rest. between the two counAUSTRALIA AND the US welcomed each
I believe we have a shared perspective with the US that we want China to be a force for good, strongly engaged in global and regional architecture, strongly engaged in a rules-based framework.
tries. The annual meetHILARY CLINTON ing between the two US Secretary of State countries’ foreign and defence ministers replaced the former Anzus Asean regional forum, as you know, when it talks 25 years ago after the nuclear rift of the comes to maritime securimid-1980s ended New ty and freedom of naviZealand’s role in the Our challenge now is one of the evolving gation.” three-nation alliance. agenda of this body and how we make it Gates said AUSMIN work for the future so that all the counhad authorised an Austries of our region share a common, rulestralian-American based order and abide by those rules. working group to
KEVIN RUDD Australia Foreign Minister
assess, in the context of the US Global Force Posture Review, the options for “enhanced
We cooperate very fully with the United Rudd and Clinton States. There’s a prospect that may be have already signed a enhanced in terms of further and greater new “Melbourne Stateaccess. That’s a good thing. ment” marking 70 years of diplomatic STEPHEN SMITH relations and reaffirmAustralian Defence Minister ing a fundamental commitment to the joint activities”. This process was just starting two countries’ “enduring partnership”. Meanbut options included while, Clinton and more US force training Gillard have been We would like to do things that in the on Australian soil, careful not to cast eyes of the Australian people enhance more port visits, disasour alliance, not create controversy ter relief co-operation about it. and greater US regional naval presence.But ROBERT GATES new bases were unlikeUS Secretary of Defence ly. Gates said the US had no wish to create “political difficulties” in Australia. The two China as a threat, but nations signed an agreement on space surveilconcern at its growing lance co-operation. influence and military power - and its recent, www.geopolitics.in
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HAVE U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN FAILED? MOJTABA SAMAREH Hashemi ,a foreign policy expert and longtime confidant of Ahmadinejad's, said in a recent Washington Post interview, a top adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that measures designed to pressure Iran have been useless.Hashemi said that actions such as the banning of Iranian ships from European ports, a fuel blockade against Iran Air and increasing financial restrictions have had "no noticeable effect" and that the failure of the sanctions has propelled the West to restart talks - a direct contradiction of the U.S. view. He said it is time for the United States and other Western nations "to stop fooling themselves" over their effectiveness."The delay in the negotiations has been a good opportunity for the other side to realize the effects of its political decisions," Samareh Hashemi said. "We hope they will make the best use of" it. Hashemi was referring to what Obama called landmark nuclear talks with Iran over 18 months back. More than a year has passed since the last negotiations between Iran and world powers, which were followed by increasingly tough Western sanctions, military threats and alleged technological attacks on the Islamic republic's nuclear program. Iran has indicated that it will want to broaden the discussions beyond its nuclear program, asking its six counterparts to declare their positions on Israel's alleged possession of nuclear weapons and their commitment to nuclear disarmament.Samareh Hashemi elaborated on the issue. "If they do not state any response on these questions, it means they have not chosen the path of friendship," he said, adding that this would not preclude talks but would force Iran to take a tougher position. "Not answering these questions will mean they have decided not to commit to nuclear disarmament and support the Zionist regime being armed with nuclear weapons."
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O N L O O K E R
UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP
THE NEW DICTATOR?
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Photo courtesy: www.torontoglobalist.org
HAS THE recent bombardment of a South Korean island by North Korea something to do with the succession saga in arguably the world’s number one totalitarian country? That is what leading analysts all over the world seem to agree, the argument being that by this provocative action and the subsequent justification North Korea is conveying to the rest of the world that the country’s new de-facto leader is firmly in command. The attack came just within six weeks of the North Korean supremo Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent. Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be about 27 years old, was named vicechairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party and was appointed to its central committee. Kim has been given the rank of a fourstar general. He attended recently a massive military parade marking the 65th anniversary of the communist nation’s Workers’ Party in Pyongyang. A generalship for Kim Jong-unwas a prerequisite for his ascendancy to power. His father’s doctrine of songun - the “military first” policy - has given the armed forces the leading role in the political life of the country, even ahead of the Workers’ Party. Any future leader of North Korea will need a substantial military paragraph on his or her resume. Kim Jong-un’s other significant new positions - he now has a seat on the party’s Central Committee and is one of two deputy chairmen of the party’s military commission - are seen as more purely political, policy-making postings. (The National Defense Commission, a different body that is described in the national Constitution as “the highest guiding organ” in the country, is led by Kim Jong-il.)
BRITAIN AND France signed defense agreements mid November that promised cooperation far beyond anything achieved previously in 60 years of NATO cooperation, including the creation of a joint expeditionary force, shared use of aircraft carriers and combined efforts to improve the safety and effectiveness of their nuclear weapons. For two nations that spent centuries confronting each other on the battlefields of Europe, it remarkable indeed. The agreements envisaged a new combined force available for deployment at times of international crisis that is expected
to involve about 5,000 service members from each nation, with land, sea and air components, and rotating French and British commanders. The pacts also foresee each nation alternating in putting a single aircraft carrier to sea, with the vessels operating as bases for French, British and American aircraft in times of need. The nuclear agreement was in some ways the most surprising, since it committed the two nations to sharing some of their most carefully kept secrets. Although the two leaders emphasized that France’s “force de frappe” and Britain’s similar, submarinebased ballistic missile force would remain separate and under the sole control of each government, they agreed to establish joint research centers, one in France and one in Britain, to further research on their stockpiles of nuclear warheads. The cooperation pact was set to last 50 years and could transform the way the countries project force, fight wars and compete for defense contracts with the United States. One goal appeared to be to give the two militaries greater buying power to support the struggling European defense industry.
Myanmar's unique record MYANMAR IS now the only government still laying landmines after Russia stopped using such weapons, campaigners said noting that 2009 marked the lowest usage of the deadly explosives in a decade. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) credited the 1997 Ottawa international treaty banning anti-personnel mines for the reduction in usage. Although no additional countries joined the Mine Ban Treaty in 2009 or the first half of 2010, the power of the international standard rejecting the weapon continued to be evident,” said the group in its annual Landmine Monitor. Only one government - Myanmar newly laid antipersonnel mines, no state transfers of mines were recorded, and as few as three states were actively producing mines,” it said. This is the lowest level of recorded use since the monitor began reporting in 1999. For the first time, Russia was not identified as an active user.” However, the report criticized Venezuela, saying it was the only signatory not to meet its obligations to dispose of the mines. The report said
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only 12 countries manufactured anti-personnel mines, with three actively producing India, Myanmar and Pakistan. Nepal was dropped from the list of producers. Nevertheless, such mines are still laid by non-state armed groups in six countries - Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Yemen, noted the report. Landmines and explosive remnants of war caused 3,956 new casualties in 2009, although this is the lowest annual total since the ICBL began monitoring the issue in 1999 and 28 percent lower than in 2008.
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SPECIALREPORT
THIRSTING FOR WATER Is the blow-hot, blow-cold assessment of analysts in the perceived `water differences` between India and China justified? What is the real issue and how can we resolve it? PIA MALHOTRA examines the pros and cons
A
REPORT BY the Strategic Foresight Group (28 June 2010), titled ‘The Himalayan Challenge’, outlines Indian and Chinese plans of constructing over 200 big and small dams on the Himalayan rivers — the Yangtze, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges — to meet their escalating water needs. Asia is a region that is home to two of the fastestgrowing economies of the world, India and China, and as reserves of oil dwindle, pressure on alternative sources like hydro- power is only expected to mount. The report also mentions that as water shortages increase, friction between the countries could increase and potentially lead to a conflict between India and China. Uttam www.geopolitics.in
Kumar Sinha, an expert on climatic change and water security at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, claims that China’s intransigence on Tibet is linked to its need for securing water resources. The Tibetan Plateau also known as the “Third Pole” is a massive storehouse of freshwater and is the headwaters for all of Asia’s major rivers barring the Ganges. China’s water resources are dwindling and it is expected to fall short of its water demands by 25 per cent by 2030. Keeping conjecture aside, what is the real nature of water issues between India and China? Are they serious enough to cause a conflict between the two? If yes, what precautions can be taken to obviate such a confrontation?
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THE THREE ISSUES Zangmu Hydroelectric Project: There are essentially three water issues between India and China. First is China’s Zangmu project in Tibet, which is a ‘run of the river’ hydel generation dam on the Brahmaputra (Tsangpo in China). The dam, which is expected to be completed in 2015, is being constructed at a place called Namcha Barwa on the eastern plateau of Tibet and is going to be the world’s largest dam with 26 turbines and is equipped to generate 40 million kilowatts per hour of hydroelectricity. It is believed the power output could be twice the output of the famous Three Gorges Dam. India has reservations about this project, which it fears would result in a decline in the December 2010
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g SPECIALREPORT flow of waters from the Brahmaputra. The Chinese government however has assured India that the dam does not have storage capabilities and would not lead to a reduction in the flow of the Brahmaputra in India. Moreover, some Chinese engineers have suggested that the dam could provide cheap electricity for India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and could facilitate flood control in the Brahmaputra-Ganges basin. A lingering issue that still persists in India though is China’s reticence on the project: China had denied building this project till last year. South to North Water Diversion Project: The second issue between the countries and the real concern for India is China’s ambitious plans to divert water from its south to the arid north. The ‘South to North Water Diversion Project’ was first mooted by Mao Zedong in the 1950s and involves diversion along three main routes. The central and eastern routes will not have any impact on India. The western route, however, could affect the lives of millions in India’s northeast and in Bangladesh. It will involve drawing water from several rivers that originate in Tibet including the Tsangpo and India fears this would cause a drastic shortage of water for India. This project envisages building a dam on the ‘great bend’ of the Brahmaputra before it enters India. India depends on the waters of the Brahmaputra for its own hydroelectric projects. Taking out
“CHINA'S INTRANSIGENCE ON TIBET IS LINKED TO ITS NEED FOR SECURING WATER RESOURCES. THE TIBETAN PLATEAU, ALSO KNOWN AS THE “THIRD POLE”, IS A MASSIVE STOREHOUSE OF FRESHWATER AND IS THE HEADWATERS FOR ALL OF ASIA'S MAJOR RIVERS BARRING THE GANGES.” UTTAM KUMAR SINHA, EXPERT ON CLIMATIC CHANGE AND WATER SECURITY AT IDSA www.geopolitics.in
“INDIA'S HULLABALOO OVER THE WATER DIVERSION PROJECT IS UNFOUNDED, AND EXCESSIVE CLAIMS LIKE THESE ONLY INCREASE THE MISTRUST BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES” BG VERGHESE, LEADING WATER EXPERT IN INDIA about half of the river’s water, which flows through the centre of India’s northeastern state of Assam, “would make the river a seasonal ditch,” to quote analyst Rajiv Ranjan. Of India’s hydropower potential of 150,000 megawatts (MW), 50,000MW are in the northeast and Arunachal Pradesh, which are mainly fed by Brahmaputra’s tributaries — Siang, Subansiri and Lohit — support development of 28,500MW hydro-projects. The Brahmaputra accounts for 29 per cent of the total run-off of all India’s rivers and its waters are also central to India’s own ‘National River Linking Project’, which envisages diverting waters from the water surplus Himalayas to the water scarce river basins of South and Peninsular India. The project is currently in a limbo due to concerns and reservations within the country, but if and when initiated, the Project would be heavily dependant on the waters of the Brahmaputra. There are, however, Indian analysts who believe that these aspersions are nothing more than hyperbole. The Brahmaputra in reality is a ‘smallish’ river before it enters India and it picks up the bulk of its water in India itself. “When the Brahmaputra enters India, it picks up considerable waters from the Yangsang Chu at Jidu, the Siyom and the Sipi at Yembung and several others before it leaves the hills at Passighat. Around this place, it more than doubles its size with the waters from the Lohit and Dibang”, wrote Gen. Raj Mehta in a recent issue CLAWS Journal. Thus any decline in waters of the Brahmaputra is the result of Indian waters, not Chinese waters. Dr. Srikanth Kondapalli, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, says that even though the Brahmaputra picks up more water from the Indian side, the fact remains that the headwaters of the Brahmaputra are in Tibet. If the origin itself is controlled, the scope of any water reaching India is indubitably ruled out. China for its part claims that it has no
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plans of diverting the Brahmaputra and that the Zangmu dam is not a storage dam and is intended only for the generation of hydroelectricity. It would not result in water shortages in India. The Ministry of Water Resources in China has been a Tower of Babel over this issue, with many dissenting voices. China’s former Minister for Water Resources, Wang Shucheng, has said that the water diversion proposal is “unnecessary, unfeasible and unscientific,” and has no government backing. China is skeptical about the project since it would involve building a 300-metre-high dam at an elevation of about 4000 metres, which is technically impossible. Moreover, it would be built in an earthquake prone zone and also the delays and costs that were associated with the other two routes have already generated suspicions about the third route. These routes have lead to displacement of millions and are running much behind schedule. Work on the western route has still not started and China has not even conducted technical and feasibility studies on this route. Chinese engineers have also claimed that being a difficult terrain, there would be huge technological challenges that would have to be overcome for building this project. The plans at this stage are, hence, clearly nebulous. The Chinese officials and people are anxious about the displacement, technical and ecological costs of the Project. In an exclusive interview to this writer, BG Verghese, a leading water expert in India, says that India’s hullabaloo over the water diversion project is unfounded, and excessive claims like these only increase the mistrust between the two countries. He states that China’s Zangmu project should not be a concern for India, as it is only a run of the river project and every country has the right to build hydroelectric projects to generate electricity for its people. Instead of arguing over speculated projects, he would like to see India and China finding December 2010
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g SPECIALREPORT ways of cooperating in the Brahmaputra basin. Absence of an Institutionalised Water Sharing Mechanism: The third major issue between India and China is the absence of a water-sharing mechanism or water treaty between the two countries, which makes a resolution of a potential problem, highly complex. For instance, India and Pakistan have recently been quibbling over water issues, but since their issues are within the framework of the Indus Water Treaty, the countries have institutionalised mechanisms like the Indus Water Commission, third party arbitration, and neutral expert intervention, to help mitigate any pestering problems. China and India do not have a similar arrangement. As a result, being the upper riparian, China has more leverage on the issue and India feels that it would be at China’s mercy during the dry season, and for protection from floods during the rainy season. The only agreement between India and China are two MoU, but these are limited to readings of water levels and do not include agreements on river diversion. There is sharing of hydrological data for three stations (Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia), on the Brahmaputra river, every year from 1st June to 15th October. It was also agreed that the upper riparian, China, would provide hydrodata in times of crisis. There were flash floods in Assam in 2004 and India requested China for data on the quantity of water being released by it. Initially this information was being provided, but later China stated that Indian officials would have to pay for the water readings, which invariably tended to be on the higher side, if Prof Kondapalli is to be believed. India’s former National Security Adviser, MK Narayanan had told The Hindu, (October 20, 2009) that India has been following a “trust but verify” approach on the Chinese diversion project. “Our information is, and satellite pictures also show, that there is no work which has taken place,” he said. “As of now, we have not seen any evidence of them doing the great bend so to say.” The third issue of the lack of a water treaty seems to be the crux of the problem. At present, India suffers from an information gap on water issues with China, and thus it becomes hard to assess how serious the problem is. Weak international laws and the absence of robust water-sharing agreements between the countries only magnify the problem. According to Kondapalli, at present, the potential for a treaty or a water-sharing mechanism between the two countries seems extravagant largely due to looming border www.geopolitics.in
“EVEN THOUGH THE BRAHMAPUTRA PICKS UP MORE WATER FROM THE INDIAN SIDE, THE FACT REMAINS THAT THE HEADWATERS OF THE BRAHMAPUTRA ARE IN TIBET. IF THE ORIGIN ITSELF IS CONTROLLED, THE SCOPE OF ANY WATER REACHING INDIA IS INDUBITABLY RULED OUT.” DR. SRIKANTH KONDAPALLI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, JNU
issues. A water treaty would necessarily make certain assumptions on borders and boundaries, which have not yet been resolved between the two countries and thus would be inordinately hard to negotiate. Moreover, China has never signed an official agreement with any of its lower riparians, for the rivers flowing out of it. There is no agreement on the Irtysh river between China and Kazakhstan, or on the rivers between China and Russia. On the Mekong, there is not an agreement but a commission and China is not part of that. On the Indus or the Brahmaputra as well, India does not have an agreement with China. Kondapalli explains that China is not completely opposed to an agreement in a limited fashion with some countries. For example they have privately, not officially, stated that they would be willing to discuss water issues with the lower riparians, only if they would agree to using water for agricultural and not industrial purposes. Such a suggestion has been previously made to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Even though the chances for a treaty at present are slim, there are certain options that India could exercise. It could take this issue to the World Water Council or the International Court of Justice and ask them to resolve it. Some West Asian countries have taken their water issues to the World Water Council and their issues have been successfully resolved. An intervention like this, however, might stiffen the stance of China, instead of relaxing it, Kondipally cautions. Another option is to advertise the issue and hope for good counsel to prevail over China. It is imperative that India and China invest in water conservation techniques, either individually or collectively.
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In the ultimate analysis, a blanket refusal to heed the Indian claims of an impending crisis, or creating excessive fear are two options that should be avoided. Instead, India and China need to start engaging on water-sharing issues. This engagement should not be open ended and should be carried forward with the final goal of an institutionalised water-sharing mechanism or a water treaty between the two. India also needs to strengthen its intelligence and information capabilities, in both groundand satellite-based imagery on what China is doing with its Tibetan water resources. Also any step that India takes must be kept in the context of India not only being a lower riparian but also an upper riparian. If it expects China to shelve its plans of diversion, would it be ready to do the same as demanded by its own lower riparian, Bangladesh? Bangladesh worries that India’s national riverlink project( NRLP ) would create great water shortages for the country. More than 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s farmers grow rice and for this, they depend on waters flowing through India. The countries should simultaneously strengthen avenues of cooperation. They could work on substitutes to big hydroelectric projects, which have negative ecological impact, and instead focus on water conservation and water management. Protection of water sources, improving and maintaining water quality, issues of drainage, flood control, water harvesting and watershed management are some areas where cooperation can be envisaged. In the absence of these, India and China risk turning the now seemingly excessive claims of water crisis, in to Cassandra claims of disaster. (The writer is a Research Officer at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies) December 2010
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PERISCOPE
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GRIEVANCES REDRESSAL COMMISSION FOR FORCES THE SUPREME Court has directed the Centre to constitute the Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission to look into the grievances of serving or former members of the armed forces (the Army, the Navy and the Air Force) or their widows or family members for pension or other issues and make suitable recommendations expeditiously to the Central government in this regard. The Supreme Court has also decided who will head this Commission. “The Commission, to be headed by the former Supreme Court Judge Kuldip Singh, will also frame and recommend to the Central government a scheme for proper rehabilitation of discharged soldiers.” It appointed the retired Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, SS Sodhi, as vice-chairman, and General VP Malik, retired Chief of Army Staff, and Lt. Gen Vijay Oberoi, retired Vice-Chief of Army Staff, as members. The Centre could, at its discretion, appoint a retired civil servant as another member. The Court in its order said, “Indian armed forces are bravely defending the borders of the country, often standing on guard at a height of 20,000 feet and in minus 30 {+o}C temperature, day and night, so that the people of India can live, work and sleep in peace. However, there is widespread discontent among the serving and former members of the armed forces (by which we
mean the Army, the Navy and the Air Force) and their widows and family members regarding their service conditions, e.g. pay scales, allowances, anomalies regarding pensions, inadequate pension (particularly to those disabled while in service), widows benefits, promotion matters (including promotion policy and process) etc.. They have a feeling that the bureaucrats do not care for them and do not properly address their grievances. As a result, thousands of ex-armed forces personnel have returned their medals, and some have even burnt their artificial limbs. “These grievances include the grievances relating to pay; allowances; one rank, one pension; other pension matters; suitable benefits to be granted to war veterans, war widows; promotion matters; rehabilitation of soldiers who are discharged at a young age, etc. Our courts of law
(L-R) Lt. Gen Vijay Oberoi, Justice Kuldip Singh, Gen V.P. Malik and Justice S.S. Sodhi
INDIA, S ARABIA COOPERATION FOUR YEARS after King Abdullah visited India in January 2006, the Indian Army will hold joint exercises with the Royal Saudi Land Force in that country in March next year. New Delhi has also agreed to build a mountain
gence sharing, with high-level visits from both sides to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism. After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a historic three-day visit to Riyadh this January, Intelligence Bureau
warfare school to enhance the fighting capability of Riyadh against non-state players. While the India-Saudi Arabia relationship is shrouded in secrecy due to interests inimical to both countries, New Delhi and Riyadh have broadened bilateral intelli-
Director Rajiv Mathur was in Saudi Arabia in October to strengthen intelligence sharing with his counterpart. Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud is expected to visit India next March and interact with the Indian leadership.
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are flooded with cases relating to members, both serving and retired, of the armed forces; e.g. cases relating to pension, promotion, etc; and the obvious reason is that the armed forces personnel have a feeling that their grievances are not being properly addressed. Today our ex-soldiers have not only been demanding but are agitating to get their legitimate dues. They were compelled to resort to public protests and even return their War-medals and burn their artificial limbs, as was done by Captain C.S. Sidhu whose right arm was amputated while serving at the front but was getting a pittance as pension. This, in our opinion, is not good for the nation. The armed forces personnel should have a feeling that their grievances are heard by an independent body. Even if some of their demands are not accepted, they will have a feeling that they were given a proper hearing.”
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Clean up DGDE: Antony WITH SCAMS dogging defence lands across the country, Defence Minister AK Antony has directed the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE) to clean up its act swiftly. There is about 17.3 lakh acres of defence land around the country. As it is, the MoD has already ordered "an all-encompassing'' CBI probe into the Adarsh Housing Society scam , which saw politicians, bureaucrats and several military officers, including three former chiefs, getting swanky flats in the tony Colaba area in south Mumbai for literally one-tenth their values. Army Chief General VK Singh had himself recommended such a step. The DGDE has "advisory and executive functions'' in matters relating to defence land and civic administration in 62 cantonments. Of the 17.3 lakh acres of defence land, the Army has 13.79 lakh acres under its control and management, while the much smaller IAF has 1.51 lakh acres and Navy 0.37 lakh acres. Incidentally, the controller general of defence accounts has also asked MoD to disband DGDE in its current shape due to widespread irregularities in the department. It has recommended transfer of DGDE's functions, activities and expert manpower to the land directorates of the three Services. December 2010
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g E COASTAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IAF upgrading N-E INDIA IS installing along its long coastline a sophisticated surveillance system capable of tracking movements as distant as 20 km in the sea with a command and control centre in Delhi from where the entire coast can be monitored, officials said here. Civil works to put in place the system, comprising a radar, electro-optic sensor and command and control software are underway. With the system, "we can monitor any square inch of the entire sea of the country and see visually," according to I V Sarma, Director (R&D) of Bengaluru-headquartered BEL, a defence electronics company, which developed the system for the Coast Guard. Trials (for testing the system) are over and a formal contract will be signed with the government before
December end and BEL will start putting equipment from January onwards. Though contract negotiations have not been completed, BEL expects the first phase order to be worth ` 500 crore to ` 600 crore. While surveillance stations are being put up in sensitive areas in the first phase, the subsequent second and third phase to be taken up would address the 'gaps' to ensure that the entire coastal region is covered. Cameras in the coastal surveillance system operate during day and night as well as in low-light conditions. Both radars and camera are capable of going up to a distance of 20 km into the sea. The entire command and control of the system will be based in Delhi.
facilities
IN VIEW of the persistent Chinese threats in the North-East, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to go for a ‘composite upgradation’ of its establishment in the region where violations by the neighbour have been recorded in the past. The government has appointed an empowered committee headed by the Vice-Chief of IAF (PK Barbora) on upgrading the facilities in the NorthEast and a lot of things have happened on ground. The IAF will up its capacity for eight advance landing grounds and five major air fields in the North-East. Major airfields of the North-East are Guwahati, Panagrah, Tejpur, Chabua, Bagdogra and Salwa. These are being modernised under the project, Modernisation of Air Field Infrastructure (MAFI). This would involve better runway facilities, ground manoeuvring area, navigation apparatus, radar facilities, ammunition dumps, etc.
BrahMos missile for IAF
ARMY TEST-FIRES JAVELIN MISSILE INDIAN ARMY soldiers have conducted Javelin anti-tank missile live-fire test along with the US Army personnel during the annual Yudh Abhyas 2010 bilateral training exercise in the US. Surrounded by the snow capped mountains of the Alaskan Range, soldiers from the US’s 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 25th ID, and the Indian Army’s 62nd Infantry and 5th Parachute Regiment
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Brigade participated in a number of tactical training exercises culminating in a Javelin anti-tank missile live-fire, the US Army has said in a statement. Two Javelin anti-tank missiles were test fired on November 8, which “hit a target with pin-point accuracy,” the statement said. It may be noted that India has decided to buy the third-generation Javelin missile system from the US under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. The Javelin is a ‘fireand-forget’ missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The system takes a top-attack flight profile against armoured vehicles (attacking the top armour, which is generally thinner) but can also take a direct-attack mode for use against buildings or fortifications. This missile also has the capability to engage helicopters in a direct-attack mode.
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SIVATHANU PILLAI, Chief Executive and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, has said that the development and induction of BrahMos, India’s supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Air Force, will be completed soon. The missile had already been inducted into the Indian Army and the Navy. India testfired an advanced version of a supersonic cruise missile in September, as part of the country’s drive to boost its defence system. The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound, and can carry conventional warheads up to 300 kg for a range of 290 km. India and Russia are jointly designing the BrahMos missile. It is a supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from submarines, ships, aircraft and land-based mobile autonomous launchers (MAL). The BrahMos missile is a two-stage vehicle that has a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ram-jet system.
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WHEN WILL IT BE ‘MADE IN INDIA’? Economic might with a poor record in manufacturing cannot get you a seat on the high table, argues ABHIJIT BHATTACHARYYA, who examines the woeful neglect of home-grown answers to our defence needs and its dangerous consequences
H
ISTORY AND contemporary international relation show that no state can be counted upon as a top-grade power by being permanently at the mercy of foreign arms manufacturers to supply “imported equipment” to deal with its aspiring agenda. Seen thus, the present plight of India can very well be appreciated and understood. If one takes into account few military hardware like combat aircraft/rotorcraft, Naval ships and main battle tank, the Indian scenario is unambiguous and “loud and clear”. Take, for example, MBT (main battle tank). Of the 4047 plus MBT, more than 300 are Russian T-90s; 1950 are T-72M1; 715 are T-55 and only 1008 vintage Vijayanta are of Indian make. The 100-odd Indian-made Arjun tanks still have not won the confidence of the Army brass, reportedly owing to its over-weight, excess girth, underperforming gear box and under-par hot weather performance, recent
desert trials notwithstanding. All of the artillery regiments’ 410 155mm FH-77B Bofors guns are from Stockholm, controversial legacy thereof notwithstanding. In the frontline fighter squadrons, not a single aircraft is “Made in India”, though the rising/prohibitive cost of each imported unit should have given a wake-up call to the defence planning, financial, procurement, research and development officers long ago during the formative era of nation’s defence strategy. Indeed, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 2010 figures of the recipients of major conventional weapons between 2005 and 2009 reveal that India with an average of seven per cent of global arms imports in the market, stood second only to China’s nine per cent. The interesting perspective is that the number two importer stands at 34th position amongst the suppliers (exporter) of major conventional weapons during 2005-
2009 with virtually no significant market share. China, on the other hand, as a supplier of major conventional weapons worth $2.731 billion, stands 9th, in the list of exporters of major conventional weapons during 2005-2009. Clearly, therefore, there exists an unbridgeable hiatus between India’s defence expenditure of $8.398 billion (incurred on import) and revenue earning of $94 million (through export of military hardware) between 2005 and 2009. To fight the potential external enemy, India also fights with price of expensive arms fetched from external sources with constant cost and time over-run thereby leaving enough room for chaos and confusion in the midst of a crisis, should the foreign suppliers choose to impose their terms and conditions, in mid-stream, to hike their profit. After all, arms bazaar and ethics are inherently contradictory. Armament transaction follows the free-enterprise/market economics of the western world’s economic and financial systems.
FLYING HIGH: Indigenously developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Rustom 1 was successfully test-flown in October 2010 www.geopolitics.in
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g SPOTLIGHT To understand Indian situation better, let us go to the SIPRI 2010 list of world’s 100 largest arms-producing companies (excluding Chinese companies). Accordingly, “Chinese companies are excluded because of the lack of readily available data”. It thus comes as little surprise that USA leads the list with 15, out of first 20 arms-producing companies, followed by UK (BAE Systems) 1st; Italy (Finmeccanica) 8th; France (Thales) 10th and Russia (AlmazAntei) 18th. In contrast, India, the second biggest importer of conventional arms in the world, finds its Hindustan Aeronautics (with 30000 total employment) at 44th position of the list. Indian Ordnance Factories (112000 workforce stands 54th and the Bharat Electronics (11960 personnel) on 65th position. It is thus clear that on the purchasing compulsion and capability of India depend the quantum of job creation in the arms-manufacturing countries in the West. Understandably, it comes as no surprise that the USA was more than keen to finalise a $4.4 billion deal for the Indian Air Force to acquire 10 C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft ahead of its President Obama’s visit to India. According to Robert Blake, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, “This $4.4 billion deal could potentially create up to 30,000 jobs in the USA and would be particularly important for Southern California as the assembly line for these colossal aircraft is located in Long Beach.” On India’s order and open-purse also prospered Moscow’ military industrial complex for close to five decades as the bulk of India’s MBT and aircraft originated from Russia and Ukraine. Similarly, as the Indian Navy submarines are also imported from the shipyards of France and Germany and now orders have been placed for UK and US-manufactured aircraft and vessels, New Delhi could try to appraise as to what it takes to be a power-tobe-counted and respected in the high table of international diplomacy. The stark reality emerges from the inventories of UK, France, Germany, USA, Russia and China all of which are there owing to their being self-reliant on home production to equip their forces. Thus, not a single fighting ship (included in which are submarine, aircraft carrier, destroyer, frigate and corvette) of the German and French navies is imported. All vessels of Berlin are made in their own shipyards at Kiel, Emden and Hamburg and the ships of Paris too are built in its units located at Cherbourg, St. Nazaire, Brest and Lorient. The traditional British ship-building industry continues to this day, cost-cutting, cash crisis, fleet reduction, deficit budget of the government notwithstanding. From submarine to aircraft www.geopolitics.in
A SUCCESS STORY: Finishing touches being given to LCA Tejas in the production line carrier and amphibious assault ships, offshore patrol vessels, mine warfare vessels, survey ships, fleet tankers, fleet replenishment ships, frigates and destroyers, London’s marine engineering skill and expertise continue unabated and unhindered. However, so far as the inventory of Indian Air Force is concerned, it would not be incorrect to state the obvious: the indigenous combat aircraft production in India simply refuses to take off, investment of millions and billions notwithstanding. Not surprisingly, therefore, every fighter of the Indian Air Force today continues to be of foreign origin, transfer-of-technology production thereof at HAL’s various units notwithstanding. The sole indigenous fighter programme (of light combat aircraft) Tejas, feasibility study of which began in 1983, is expected to have its IOC (initial operational capability) declared with delivery of half a squadron at the end of 2010 and full operational clearance is likely to be had by December 2014. Hence, by then it would be more than a 31-year ongoing-enterprise to put indigenous fighter aircraft in the air. Reportedly, Indian Air Force plans seven squadrons. As if the ceaseless failure to build its own fighter was not bad enough, more distressing now is the latest news that India cannot even produce “basic trainers” for its budding pilots. Hence, the Indian Air Force is shortly beginning “field trials” with at least six competitors in support of New Delhi’s desperate need for basic trainers. Thus Poland (EADS PZL Warsza-
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wa-Okecie); Brazil (Embraer EMB-312 Tucano); Germany (Grob Aircraft AG); Italy (Aermacchi M-311); South Korea (Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1) and Switzerland’s Pilatus will compete for the tender, which covers the outright purchase of 75 training aircraft. The saddest news, however, is that “106 units would be licence-built by stateowned HAL in Bengaluru” to replace the IAF’s fleet of 180-200 locally built Hindustan Piston Trainer (HPT-32) basic trainers, which have been grounded in July 2009 after a spate of fatal accidents. Thus, the tragic part of the indigenous defence preparedness story is that India, with all her military-industrial complex plus one of the top five military powers, which can manufacture nuclear weapons, inter-continental ballistic missiles, sophisticated destroyers, frigates, corvettes and join the exclusive club of aircraft carrier manufacturers, just cannot either design or produce fighters and basic trainers for the Air Force thereof. Indeed, it is like a crisis-situation wherein the entire fleet is imported: from Sukhoi, Mirage, Jaguar, MiG, Ilyushin, Antonov, Boeing, Lockheed to now the “most” basic trainer of the pilot training schools! Translate this military hardware inventory into the quantum of cash outflow for acquisition thereof from foreign manufacturers, can one realise the helpless and hopeless position the Indians are in. Clearly, if the foreign suppliers know that India can neither design nor produce even a December 2010
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g SPOTLIGHT a space of 51 pages to India’s 14 in Jane’s, arguably the most authentic and credible annual aviation bible. Indeed, in a bewildering show of its future might, Beijing has virtually all types of aircraft in production line: from two-seat light plane, multirole fighter, attack fighter, multirole medium helicopter, light utility singleengine helicopter, attack helicopter, four-seat amphibian, advanced jet trainer, light utility twin-engine helicopter, basic trainer airtwin-turboprop light transport, prop trainer, craft for her budding LCH developed by HAL basic jet trainer/light attack jet, agricultural pilots, there is a possprayer, medium transport/multirole aircraft, sibility that they will special mission aircraft, air superiority fighter, gramme initiated by Beijing in not supply the “best” utility biplane to strategic bomber. The most the early 1970s. China also launched her and the “latest” at a given time. Also, when the spectacular of all is Beijing’s daring entry into Harbin Hongzhaji-5 equivalent to the then desperate importing customer (like India) is at 100-150-seat commercial aviation, which at Soviet Ilyushin-28 three-seat tactical light the mercy of the confident foreign manufacpresent is dominated by the European consorbomber. And finally, the Nanchang CJ-6 basic turers, do not expect either any concession or tium Airbus and the US giant Boeing. In comtraining aircraft was essentially an indigenous mercy on the price tag of the imported stuff. parison, India’s indigenous military aviation is design of the Chinese aerospace industry and Weak buyer makes strong seller, thereby makvirtually “no show” owing to “foreign hand” was the first such type to enter large-sale proing it a seller’s market. And if one adds the corand lags miles behind China. duction. ruption factor of the buyer’s system in the Today, one of the main features, which disThus, with the beginning of a modest entire game, one can be rest assured that even tinguishes between China and India, is that enterprise for an aviation enterprise in the late if India may or may not get the best material whereas Beijing faces numerous “restrictions, 20th century, Beijing soon turned into a fascifor her military men, cost-wise it is likely to be embargo, sanctions” etc on military hardnating and fierce demonstration of its determore expensive than the normal market price ware and technology transfer from the West, mination to dominate the airspace with an available/offered to non-Indian buyers of Delhi does not face such hurdle. Hence, the array of home-grown flying machines. And identical hardware. various types of import restrictions/sanctions Jane’s all the world’s aircraft 2010-2011 gives a Understandably, therefore, India will rue imposed on China appear to have helped the detailed account of both, a rising-Beijing and her failure to match, or catch up, with the ChiHans go fast-forward indigenisation to countdeclining-Delhi’s indigenous aviation nese aviation industry next door. Today’s Chier the “superior” technology of the west. programme. The difference is stark, real and nese enterprise is a pathetic reminder to India, on the other hand, appears more than wide. And it is widening by the day. China gets India’s lamentable lack of enterprise. A quarter complacent to receive “readymade, ready-tocentury ago, it was not like this. In the early use” screw-driver technology on the platter, 1980s both India and China were comparativewhich in turn becomes a supreme disincenly at even keel, being at similar “development tive to indigenous research and development. curve”. Indira Gandhi, with all her human When “cash-rich” India gets the “best” fault-lines, was keen on indigenous enterprise. straight off-the-shelf, why then an Indian Thus, the HJT-16 trainer aircraft was designed think of being laborious and diligent to be by an Indian team led by Dr. V.M.Ghatge to “better than the best”? meet the needs of the Indian Air Force for a jet Indeed, India today is at crossroads on basic trainer. It had first flown on September 4, defence hardware acquisition. What began 1964 and delivered to IAF in March 1968. The long ago as a cherished dream, selfmodel was upgraded in 1983 and joined operreliance in defence technology and proational duty in 1984. India also was, on its own, duction appears to be fast giving way to to build HAL Ajeet (trainer) tandem two-seat the easier path of import for the advocates operational trainer. On top of all, however, was of “latest and best technology from the the development of HAL HPT-32 fully aerobatWest”. This “easy path” to defence modic piston engine basic trainer, which now ernisation is also an “even easier path to stands grounded. prosperity” through “acts of commission In contrast, the Chinese too were trying to and kickbacks” for which the country of 1.2 come up, to be self-sufficient in aircraft probillion people is so well “reputed” and duction. They took the Soviet origin design of deeply “respected”. Indeed, with a rank of MiG-17, MiG-19 and MiG-21, which were 84 out of 190 odd nations in the corruption licence-building for its air force. Simultaneindex, we have not done so badly as such. ously, however, China was also trying to come Hence, the unending import and end of out of her dependence on imported military indigenisation are a win-win situation for hardware and technology thereof. Thus, ROBERT BLAKE, China’s Shenyang Jianjiji-8 (fighter aircraft) US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR both, the Indians and rule-breaking schemes of foreign arms dealers. was the subject of an advanced fighter pro- SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA
“THIS $4.4 BILLION DEAL (C-17 GLOBEMASTER ) COULD POTENTIALLY CREATE UP TO 30,000 JOBS IN THE USA AND WOULD BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AS THE ASSEMBLY LINE FOR THESE COLOSSAL AIRCRAFT IS LOCATED IN LONG BEACH.”
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WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE AMERICAN SCANNERS? The MI’s decision to scrap a global tender in favour of a single supplier has opened a Pandora’s box
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GROWING FORCE: Detection equipment is crucial to homeland security especially in context to India
PREFERENTIAL CONTRACTS: HIDDEN TRUTH
NDIAN DEFENCE procurement is a sorry tale of poor governance and has given birth to numerous controversies. The major deals go through enormous public scrutiny but the smaller acquisition and procurements done by Ministry of Defence go unscrutinised. In early November, several leading firm manufacturing detection equipments went to Chief Vigilance Commissioner against the irregularities in the procurement of full body truck scanners by Military Intelligence (MI- 15) copies of the letter sent by these global giants to CVC is with Geopolitics, which clearly states that order has been placed to one particular company without a competitive bid, which is against the government set guide line. The process to procure these scanners began way back in March, 2004 when the first of the three Request for Information (RFI) was floated. Two more were subsequently floated in 2005 and the present one in 2010, all three were subsequently cancelled — after inviting the RFP — without any notice. However, some two
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Defence contracts as per the procurement procedure is to be transparent and through open commercial bidding. But the loopholes in the guidelines and vague technical specification are in general used to give contracts to specific suppliers ignoring other bidders and circumventing the process. Here is the first part in a series on such acquisitions that we hope to bring forth in the coming months
months back, the Directorate of Military Intelligence issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) to one company, after the cancellation of third RFI which was released on May this year to six companies including two public sector undertaking. What is most shocking is that RFP was issued under the fast track procedure when
the time gap between last RFI and RFP is just two months. Moreover, if indeed the equipment was required on such an urgent basis what was the MoD doing for the last six years when document after document was issued and cancelled? As per the Fast track procedure guidelines in DPP (Defence Procurement Procedure)
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HERE ARE RELEVANT EXTRACTS OF THE FAST TRACK PROCEDURE AS LAID DOWN BY MoD Defence Procurement Procedure -2008 Fast Track Procedure pg 198-199
CHAPTER IV. FAST PROCEDURE -2006 GENERAL
TRAC
1. Fast Track Procedure for meeting urgent operational requirements was promulgated; vide MoD ID No: 800/SS (A)/2001 dated 28 Sep 2001. This procedure has been reviewed and modified based on experience gained in implementation. This procedure, named the Fast Track Procedure-2006, is set out in succeeding paragraphs.
AIM
2. The objective of this procedure is to ensure expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements foreseen as imminent or for a situation in which a crisis emerges without prior warning.
SCOPE
3. The Fast Track Procedure-2006 (FTP2006) will cover acquisitions undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and Defence Services under ‘Buy’ category or outright purchase. The acquisitions may or may not be part of long Term Integrated Procurement Plan (LTIPP)/Services Capital Acquisition Plan (SCAP)/Annual Acquisition Plan (AAP). Such acquisitions are applicable forboth indigenous sources and ex-import. Procurement proposals in which user trials are envisaged will not be under the purview of FTP. 4. The acquisition under FTP-2006 can be categorised as under: (a) Procurement of equipment already inducted into Service. (b) Procurement of new equipment.
ACQUISITION PROCESS ACCEPTANCE OF NECESSITY (AON)
5. The adoption of FTP-2006 to meet urgent operational requirements will be authorised by special DAC meeting chaired by the Raksha Mantri based on proposals moved by respective SHQs with the approval of the concerned Service Chief. This Committee would comprise of the Service Chief(s), Defence
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Secretary, Secretary (Defence Production), Secretary (R&D), Secretary Defence (Finance), Director General (Acquisition), HQ IDS (CISC) and other officials of the MoD as deemed necessary. The proposal would be processed by HQrs IDS which will act as Secretariat to the special DAC. Copies of the proposal/s would also be circulated to the other members of the committee. The projected requirement must be related to an operational situation foreseen as imminent or for a situation where a crisis has emerged without prior warning. The requirement, as projected, must identify the items required, their numbers, mode of procurement, broad Operational Requirements (ORs)/Services Qualitative Requirements (SQRs) desired and the time-frame within which they need to be inducted. 6. Consequent to the initiation of the proposal, a special meeting of the DAC would be convened within seven days. The DAC would discuss the proposal and accord Acceptance of Necessity to the proposal. Decisions on following aspects will explicitly emanate from the analysis by the DAC:7. Minutes of meeting of the special DAC, as approved, would be construed as the AON and based on which the SHQ/Acquisition Wing/Empowered Committee would initiate the procurement process. 8. Given the limited time-frame, the FTP2006 would necessarily have to be confined to such items as would be available within the specified time-frames and therefore, long lead items such as major weapon system should be avoided. The items involved should preferably be such which are already in Service or have been trial evaluated or are available widely in the world/in service in foreign defence forces/indigenous market for ready procurement so that the time required for evaluation is minimised. The Indian DAs/Ambassadors in their respective country would confirm the information furnished by the vendors regarding the item being .In Service in Foreign Defence Forces. The TEC would include such information received from DAs in their technical compliance statement.
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AIDING SECURITY: Scanners can provide a secure, prompt and reliable detection 2008 : “The objective of this procedure is to ensure expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements foreseen as imminent or for a situation in which a crisis emerges without prior warning”. The point is what had significantly altered in this short time that the competitive bid had to be modified into a fast track bid ? Rapiscan systems one of the contenders for the RFI in its letter to the CVC has mentioned that, "RFP issued to the only vendor, seemingly justifies this egregious violation of norms by citing the need for a particular technology, namely combination of X-ray and Backscatter transmission for scanning of the vehicle to be inspected. This specification has no mention in the initial RFI which required the application of X-ray transmission technology which is the globally accepted procedure". In the same letter it is also mentioned that the compliance statement in the RFPs doesn't mention this specific technology as requirement. Thus the whole purpose of the RFP was to acquire the specific technology is nullified. It is of utmost importance that the purpose and importance of limiting the technology only to the backscatter technology and availability of this technology with vendors involved in the previous RFI, hasn't been explained to us in spite of our questionnaire sent to them in this regards. "Smiths" the other prospective contender have also made similar observations and have lodged their protest letter with the CVC. Nalco and L3-HCL are also believed to have expressed similar concerns (see box). It is not surprising that MPs too have now got into the act and written letters to the Cabinet Secretary, Raksha Mantri and others. Obviously some of the manufacturers who have lost out have decided that they have no option but to lobby and have the decision reversed. Two honourable Members of Parliament, Bhudev Chaudhari, MP LS, Jamui and Vishwa Mohan Kumar, MP LS have written letters to the Cabinet Secretary on this procurement. Shri Kumar has also written to the CVC on this. Shri Kumar in his letter sent to CVC and December 2010
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QUESTIONS SENT TO MoD HERE ARE some of the questions that we are seeking an answer to. They were sent well in advance to Ministry of Defence/Directorate of Military Intelligence for response but we received no reply. ❁ DGMI has cancelled three RFI issued for request for Technical and Commercial proposal for Mobile Cargo Search System. These were issued in 2004/2005 and 2010. Could you please tell us the reasons behind the cancellations? ❁ RFI issued on 6th May, 2010 was issued to six manufacturers and the response was submitted by more than one manufacturer. But the RFI was cancelled later. Again on Jul 2010, separate RFP under Fast Track Procedure was issued to M/s American Science and Engineering Inc, which was one of the applicant to the RFI issued on 6th May 2010. What were the reasons behind this sudden change in the process? What were the reasons for going for fast track procedure? ❁ What is the exceptional technology that Ms American Science and Engineering Inc. offering that is not available with the others? Were the other five bidders asked about this technology and what was their response? ❁ One of the applicants of 6th May RFI in its letter to Mr. P.J.Thomas, Chief Vigilance Commissioner has mentioned that to justify single vendor the technical requirement was changed in the last RFP issued to M/s American Science and Engineering Inc on Jul 2010. If it is true why was the technical specification changed? What was so significant in that particular technology that within two months, a new proposal was floated while there had been no change in the specs of the 2004.2005 and the 2010 tender? ❁ Why this single vendor situation was allowed to emerge which is against the government norms? Were there no manufacturer which had that technology and how could DGMI was so sure about that without floating tenders? Has a reply been filed to the complaint made with the CVC in this issue?
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NEED OF THE HOUR: (Top) Bus undergoing detection through scanner; (bottom) a scanner stationed at one of the transit points.
Cabinet Secretary on Nov 10 has written, “It is learnt that the purchase order worth `350-400 crore public money for supply of the said system have also been placed in hurry on the same American Company on single tender basis under precarious ground of fast track procurement in violation of the prescribed procedure laid down by CVC/government for such procurement.” DPP suggest the fast track has to be followed for “expeditious procurement for urgent operational requirements” which doesn’t imply for this deal as the urgency of the equipment can be well understood from the three cancelled RFI and RFP since 2004. The decision for the procurement must have come from the highest level as the DPP Fast Track Procedure guideline suggests (see box). If the equipment was so important then why three RFI were cancelled and repeated request by the vendors — that included two leading PSUs — for presentation were denied. Truck scanner is very important equipment in today’s uncertain and troubled time, no one
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can disagree but this is readily and easily available equipment with multiple commercially available vendors. By following the — open tender route — the department could perhaps have benefitted both from price and the best available product in the market. Chaudhary in his letter to Cabinet Secretary on Nov 10 has said, “Kindly take immediate corrective steps and stall the order immediately and get the independent inquiry conducted to check the delinquent official who are playing with the safety and security of the country …….have taken shelter of fabricated Fast Track Procurement with ulterior motive to justify their action and have gone for single vendor procurement and have avoided better participation.” Truck and cargo scanner can improve the overall security scenario of the nation and the procurement of this should have been done long back. By losing six valuable years, we have lost on a better security environment. RFI proves that the Government has sanctioned amount for it and the procurement was delayed for no apparent reason for six good years and then going for a single vendor on dubious technical ground, an economical unsound decision, is a proof that the process followed has been far from transparent. A closer scrutiny of the smaller deals is required. For every one Adarsh comes in the public domain, there are scores like these that go unreported. December 2010
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NAVY STRENGTHENING ASW CAPABILITIES
THE INDIAN Navy has issued a tender seeking anti-submarine bomb capable of aircraft delivery. The contract initially pertains to munitions capable of fixed-wing aircraft delivery. These are to be used as an urgent attack weapon against submarines. The bomb being sought should be capable of being dropped from an aircraft for engaging a submarine in deep waters as well as those on surface and periscope depths. The Navy is also said to be looking for bombs that could be launched from rotary wing (helicopters) platforms too. The intended bombs should have sufficient high explosive to destroy target submarine at proximity distance. The conventional warheads’ shelf-life should be about 30 years. The Navy’s contract is particularly interested in munitions capable of sinking submarines in the Indian Ocean’s tropical conditions with a penetration range of up to a half-mile below the surface.
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SRS FOR POST-CRASH RECOVERY A REQUEST For Information (RFI) was issued in September 2010 for Combat Search & Rescue Systems (SRS). The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to procure personal rescue Beacons for its fighter, transport and helicopter fleet and emergency location transmitters (ELT) as well as Air borne Locator Interrogators for its Transport and Helicopters fleet. The estimated cost is `120 crores. During the past one year, there have been two fatal accidents and the bodies of three pilots, who lost their lives in these accidents, were recovered. Since these accidents took place near IAF airfields under positive control of Air Traffic Control (ATC), the present SRS was not required to be used to recover the bodies/debris.
MILITARY TRAINER FOR IAF HAWKER BEECHCRAFT Corporation’s (HBC) T-6 military trainer is all set to take part in field evaluation trials with the Indian Air Force officials as part of its competition for a new basic trainer. The T-6 is a primary trainer aircraft that accommodates instruction in instrument flight procedures and basic aerial manoeuvres. The aircraft delivers an outstanding training capability that is appropriate for the most basic introductory flight training through more challenging and complex advanced training missions. To date, it has been used to train pilots in approximately 20 different countries.
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Deliveries of the T-6 began in 2000 after the aircraft was initially selected to fill the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System role for the US Air Force and the US Navy. Since then, additional military programmes worldwide, including NATO Flying Training in Canada, the Hellenic Air Force of Greece, the Israeli Air Force, the Iraqi Air Force and the Royal Moroccan Air Force, have chosen the T-6 and its derivatives as their primary trainers.
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DPV FOR NAVY BAE WHICH, INDIAN Navy is planning to buy diver propulsion vehicles (DPV) for its diving teams that would enable them to carry out undersea clearing operations during combat in quicker time. The Navy has issued a request to manufacturers of the original equipment for furnishing details of their products for a likely future global tender for the equipment. The sought DPV’s length will be not more than three metres and it will weigh less than 80 kg. Driven by an electric battery, the vehicle will be able to carry two divers at a time in operating depths of 30 metres. It will have a submerged speed of two knots and range of four nautical miles, while the surface speed would be 1.5 knots and range 2.5 nautical miles. One of the conditions for the DPV is that the Navy will consider before buying is minimum noise, both on surface and underwater, so that a stealthy diving operation can be carried out without the enemy detecting them, the officer said. The shelf life of its battery will be three years and charging time less than 12 hours. The Navy’s ideal requirement is that the DPV should be of light weight and portable with compact and robust design to withstand extreme environmental conditions including pressure and temperatures from minus 15 to 40 degree Celsius. The DPV will be deployable from air or boat and easy to operate with user-friendly controls, inbuilt navigation systems with depth gauges. The battery-operated propulsion system will be capable of functioning while submerged without requirement to recharge for at least three hours.
SHOPS FOR PATROL AIRCRAFT, SPY DRONES AFTER FINALISING the acquisition of 12 P-8I Poseidon long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft for $3.1 billion, the Navy has now re-launched the hunt for six to eight new medium-range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) planes and additional spy drones. The Defence Ministry floated global RFIs (request for information) in October for the MRMR aircraft, with an operating range of over 350 nautical miles, and HALE (high-alti-
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tude, long-endurance) unmanned aerial vehicles, with a service ceiling above 40,000 feet and endurance over 25 hours. The aircraft to be procured will replace the ageing fleet of 12 Islander aircraft in service. The radar-packed LRMR and MRMR planes will also be equipped with anti-ship and submarine warfare capabilities in the shape of deadly missiles, as well as the UAVs form part of Navy`s plan for an effective three-tier aerial surveillance grid in the IOR. It may be noted that the Navy had first issued a global request for proposal (RFP) for procuring the MRMR aircraft in June 2008 before the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai but the deal was scrapped later by the Defence Ministry after the submission of bids by contenders in the race. The companies likely to receive the tender for the contract include American Boeing with P-8 (a derivative of P-8I), Russian llyushin, French Dassault Falcon and EADS.
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SYSTEMS AHEAD IN HOWITZER DEAL BAE LAND Systems 155mm/39cal M777 ultra-light howitzers is undergoing what is dubbed in the Indian media “confirmatory trials”, which means that if the howitzer passes the test, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will place the order for 145 howitzers on the US made system without going through the tendering process. The M777 howitzer is supposed to be sold under the US foreign military sales (FMS) route through a possible government-to-government deal. The confirmatory trials are said to be taking place in Sikkim. The deal for the 155mm/59cal howitzers is worth an estimated $650 million and two of the guns have been sent to Sikkim for trials. India had earlier announced a tender for the light howitzer deal but the only other bidder, Singapore Technologies was blacklisted from doing business with the MoD on grounds that it was involved in a bribery base. Singapore Technologies Kinetics had fielded its Pegasus howitzer and had brought it for possible trials in India. However, even before the howitzer could be tested, Singapore Technologies found itself fired from India.
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UK UNDERLINES STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON CAMPAIGN IN INDIA DR. LIAM FOX visits Eurofighter Typhoon Office in New Delhi
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uring his India visit at the end of last month, UK’s Secretary of State for Defence Dr. Liam Fox made a strong pitch for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is competing in India’s tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft. Apart from meeting high ranking Indian officials he also visited the Delhi office of Eurofighter Typhoon. There, Fox was briefed by Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Cassidian Air Systems and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter on the current status of the Eurofighter Typhoon MMRCA campaign. On this occasion Gerwert said: “We are
grateful for the visit of the UK Secretary of State for Defence in our Delhi Office and his encouraging messages to further intensify our campaign activities. Our governments in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy are strongly supporting the Eurofighter Typhoon campaign in India. Europe’s leading aerospace and defence companies are ready to enhance their industrial cooperation with India’s advanced defence industry for the benefit of all parties. Our goal is to integrate India into the global supply chain of the Eurofighter Typhoon by developing a strong and diverse supplier base in India which will also cater to this global programme.”
(L-R) Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Cassidian Air Systems and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter GmbH and UK's Secretary of State for Defence Dr. Liam Fox
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Strong political support from the UK augurs well for the company which is committed to deepening its strategic and industrial partnership with India. Last month the entire Supervisory Board of Eurofighter met for the first time in New Delhi. The Supervisory Board has top management representation from the consortium partners — EADS (Germany & Spain), BAE Systems (UK) and Alenia Aeronautica (Italy). In Delhi, the Board had discussed additional opportunities for industrial and technological cooperation with their Indian partners. “The Eurofighter Supervisory Board is meeting in New Delhi to underline the importance we attach to integrating India into the programme as a true and equal industrial partner. Even ahead of any contract, we are ready to engage India’s defence and aerospace industry in joint production and research & development (R&D) for Eurofighter Typhoon,” according to Mr. Gerwert on that occasion. Enzo Casolini, CEO, Eurofighter, argues, “We have the potential to elevate Indo-European political, industrial and technological relations to a completely new level. All Eurofighter partner countries are supporting the Eurofighter campaign in India. Four nations, four air forces and Europe’s leading aerospace and defence companies want to increase their industrial cooperation with Indian defence companies for mutual benefit through the most advanced multirole fighter available on the market.” The Eurofighter Supervisory Board meeting has further highlighted its commitment to develop a long-term strategic relationship with India and to establish a new benchmark for Europe’s defence and industrial cooperation with Indian defence and aerospace companies. December 2010
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HEAVY-DUTY AIRLIFTER: C-130J Hercules is one of the best in its class of transport aircraft. Its performance is outstanding
WHY DO YOU CHARGE US MORE? Incredible, as it may sound, India pays far more, sometimes more than double for hardware that it acquires from the USA.Why are the acquisition costs so high and what is the way out? ABHIJIT BHATTACHARYYA analyses
resident Obama has just concluded his high-profile visit to India. Among others, he made it clear that the USA was ready to expand defence ties with India and ease export controls. However, the issue of Indo-
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US defence relations is inherently tricky, complex and virtually a one-way profitable “employment-and-economics project” for the USA with not much remaining for India, as on date. No wonder, American Defence Secre-
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tary, Robert Gates has his eyes firmly on Indian Air Force modernisation programme when he says: “I am sure that they (India) have a big competition going on for a new modern fighter. We will probably have some conversations about that.” On being quesDecember 2010
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tioned about the traditional US restrictions on high-tech defence exports, Gates had only a wishful answer “India certainly is high on our list in terms of a country that I would like to see those restrictions eased... in ways that are mutually beneficial.” “Mutually beneficial” indeed are pious words used by Gates, and these should gladden the Indians aspiring to attain appropriate status in the global theatre. However, both past and present still do not reflect a rosy enough picture for India to take a plunge in the dark. This point becomes clear only if one looks into combat aircraft and vessels of US origin and the utility thereof in India thus far. Everything suggests for India and the US being natural allies and one sincerely hopes that what one is writing today is subsequently proved wrong thereby giving India the right and transparent signal pertaining to purchase of high-end defence hardware www.geopolitics.in
from the USA. As is well known, owing to indigenous defence industry’s inability to meet the demands of the Indian armed forces, approximately 70 per-cent of military hardware is imported from overseas sources. Further, as the western manufacturers face grim reality of drastic reduction in western military expenditure, the harsh prospect of over-capacity in their manufacturing plants may very well result in glut followed by another bout of retrenchment and increased unemployment in a shrinking market where the sellers may have to give a fresh chase to potentially “prosperous” defence customer like India. In this situation of a buyer’s market (which signifies choice being available to the buyer rather than the seller), one really thought India would be able to make a good bargain thereby making the seller to offer his product at a price lower than the “usual contract price”. However, that does not seem to be happening in general thus far, while purchasing military hardware, especially from the USA. Take the case studies of US made military equipments on sale/offered to/and contracted with India. In 2007, India contracted with Lockheed Martin for supply of 06 C-130J Hercules medium multirole (transport) aircraft worth $1.02 billion under “foreign military/government sales” programme thereby making it $170 million per unit. According to Military Balance-2010, these aircraft are “for special forces operations configuration with AN/AAR-47 missile approach warning system and radar-warning receivers”. Obviously, there does appear to be some special stuff embedded in the aircraft to be used by the Indian Air Force, which takes the price of each flying machine to $170 million. However, it appears from Jane’s all the world’s aircraft 2010-2011 that the price of same type of aircraft sold to Australia in 1995 cost $55 million; and the “baseline price of C-130J for US Air Force quoted as $67 million in early 2002”, and “multilayer procurement of 40 C-130J-30s for US Air Force unit price $67.5 million”. Again in 2003, contract for one aircraft for Air Force Reserve Command was worth $70.5 million. Thus the wide variation of more than US $100 million per aircraft between Australia and USA on one hand and India on the other is intriguing, USA’s consistent claim of India as a “strategic partner” notwithstanding. Why did the price of the same type of aircraft shoot up (so high) when sold to India? Can it be solely
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explained in terms of inflations and rising costs of production? In 2008, India placed an order with Boeing for 08 P-8i maritime patrol/anti-submarine aircraft (“to replace current Ilyushin-38 and Tupolev-142M”) worth $2.1 billion. “Deliveries due 2013-2015” reports the Military Balance 2010. Since Indian Navy is the “first overseas customer”, it is neither possible nor feasible to compare the unit price thereof with any other overseas customer of this flying machine. Suffice it to appreciate that each aircraft is costing Indian Navy a little over ` 1,125 crore. Nothing more can be said, as yet! Interestingly Boeing P-8i is not yet operational in the USA too. Although US Navy has ordered a total of “72 aircraft, plus 12 for training”, Boeing is “confident of securing export orders” and the “US Navy had sought international partners to share development of the aircraft”. Initially, in early 2002, potential buyers were expected to be Australia, Canada and Italy, which were to begin negotiations “concerning cost and work-sharing aspects of collaborative venture”. However, all “three countries withdrew by mid-2005”. Not unexpectedly after the retreat of three developed countries, took place the “early” entry of India with a $2.1 billion order for an aircraft, which was still far (five years) away from development and production line. Jane’s 2010-2011 reports that the “unique aspects of Indian P-8 requirements include provision of aft (rear)-facing radar to give full hemisphere coverage, a magnetic anomaly detection system and compatibility with depth charges”. The USA is aiming to sell up to “$5.8 billion of military-transport aircraft to New Delhi”. Thus, India’s proposed 10 Boeing C-17A Globemaster III medium transport multirole aircraft will be worth $580 million per unit. At present, only 25 C-17 Globemaster aircraft have been contracted for sale to six customers (Australia, Canada, UK, NATO, Qatar and United Arab Emirates). “Qatar, which signed agreement to obtain two aircraft on July 21, 2008, at a total cost of around $400 million”— will, therefore, pay $200 million per unit in compared to India’s US $580 million per (identical) aircraft. This is surprising. Why does USA charge India virtually triple the cost for the same aircraft supplied to Qatar? Jane’s 2010-2011 reports that “on February 24, 2009, United Arab Emirates announced intention of placing of order for total of 04 aircraft at cost of $1.2 billion” thereby fixing the unit cost of the December 2010
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g DEFBIZ aircraft at $300 million. Thus, the $200 million price tag for Qatar and $300 million for UAE prima facie do not impress an Indian to find his country end up paying a whopping $580 million for the same type of machine originating from the same manufacturer! One, therefore, can only express regret at such huge price fluctuation, which does not help the cause of India’s “defence finance” at all. There, however, is no doubt that the quality of American aviation continues to be top class, which understandably is the magnet for overseas clients. As the Americans are conscious of the unmatched quality and technology of their product, they also tend to be difficult at times, and try to arm twist those customers who may dare have a contrary view. And here lies the
danger for India as a customer of US military aircraft. The bottom line could be an extreme American reluctance to part with their “latest and best technology”. So much could be the US resistance that even UK is not immune from Washington DC’s sporadic robust obstinacy. Thus, during his first visit as Defence Secretary to Washington in June, 2010, a “frustrated Dr. Liam Fox” declared: “We expect the United States to deliver us what we were promised.” According to Jane’s Defence Weekly (September 22nd 2010),” The checks that the US imposes on its allies, including the UK, are unnecessarily burdensome and have costly side effects.” Washington “requires an individual export authorisation for even the most anodyne components, including bolts or rubber hoses designed for military aircraft”. This piece would remain incomplete without referring to the USA’s latest technology demonstrator to the world; Lockheed Martin manufactured twin-engine F-22 Raptor and the single engine F-35 JSF (joint strike fighter) Lightning. Conceived in 1981 and first delivered in September, 2003, the original 648 F-22 Raptor aircraft production programme of 1991 was reduced to 442 in January, 1994. The planned procurement further fell to 339 and subsequently to 333 and then to 295 in 2001. Subsequently in December 2004, US Department of Defence cut total procurement to 180 aircraft. Ultimate total now is to be 187 F-22 Raptor for the US Air Force. With the advent of President Obama’s www.geopolitics.in
IN GREAT DEMAND: India will get 10 Boeing C-17A Globemaster III medium transport multirole aircraft from US.
administration it was decided/announced to halt and then terminate production. According to Jane’s all the world’s aircraft 2010-2011, “This decision was announced by Defence Secretary Robert Gates on April 06, 2009 and confirmed by US Senate on July 21, 2009 with a 58 to 40 vote in favour of halting production.” That all was not well to the multi-billion dollar project and production of the much-publicised F-22 Raptor had become clear in July 2007 itself when the “US House Appropriation Committee enacted legislation banning export of the F-22”. The tale of the single engine joint strike fighter F-35 Lightning, however, is somewhat different as it is a multi-nation risk-sharing project. The USA aside, UK, Australia, Cana-
“INDIA CERTAINLY IS HIGH ON OUR LIST IN TERMS OF A COUNTRY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE RESTRICTIONS EASED... IN WAYS THAT ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL.” ROBERT GATES, US DEFENCE SECRETARY
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da, France, Greece, Israel, Singapore, Spain and Sweden have “briefed on JSF programme”. Initial planning called for some 3000 F-35s for USA and UK but US Navy and Marine Corps requirement cut in 2003 to 680 with US Air Force seeking 1763 aircraft, “although significant reduction expected in eventual quantity”. Foreign customer Canada has reduced its requirement from 80 to 65; Netherlands from 85 to 52 and “the planned UK procurement programme may also be reduced signifi-
cantly as part of major cost-saving efforts”. Cancellation understandably implies financial loss and the loss inevitably leads to search for new customers. Seen thus, one can appreciate as to why and how F-35 was also offered to India in July 2007 as potential follow-on to current multirole combat aircraft programme. What, however, remains unsaid is that no US government can afford to offer the “latest and the best technology state-ofthe art fighter aircraft” to India at a competitive price because of the twin compulsions of Pakistani objection and Chinese annoyance. That being the case, is India going to be offered not the best but the “second best” and at a price higher than those offered to other western users and customers hostile to India? One hopes that it is not going to be the case as Obama sounded sincere on Indian soil about the deepening of Indo-US strategic ties. It is a sad reality that today India is being sandwiched between Moscow and Washington in matters of military hardware. USSR/Russia offered the best and the latest in the past. Some segments of the USA too want to, but cannot do so as successive US governments have acknowledged existence of rigid export controls but have failed to loosen the checks owing to opposition from US Congress. Even President Obama may not be the best person to take on and undo what his predecessors could not do thus far. Hence, India needs to remember the ground reality of cost, quality, control and rigid checks of the US aviation and the acquisition thereof for its Air Force. (The author is an alumnus of the National Defence College of India and a Member, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London) December 2010
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POLICEMEN
DIED ON DUTY IN ONE YEAR IN INDIA
CENTRAL RESERVE Police Force (CRPF ) topped the list with 191 such cases. Others were from state police and para-military forces like BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF and NSG(National Security Guard) were killed during a period from September 1, 2009 and August 31 this year. Uttar Pradesh and BSF followed CRPF in casualties with 99 and 64 cases respectively. During 2008 September and August last year, the police forces lost 841 lives with UP topping the list with 107 cases followed by CRPF (81) and BSF (72). Punjab Police lost 57 policemen during the period while Naxal-affected state Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had 43 and 21 casualties respectively. The figures for Jammu and Kashmir (49), West Bengal (48), Shastra Sena Bal (29), Railway Protection Force (18), Central Industrial Security force (8) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (6).
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CENTRAL AFRICAN NATIONS HAVE SIGNED A SMALL ARMS TREATY THAT OBSERVERS hope will bring stability to the region. Experts with the United Nations say Central Africa is one of the world’s most profitable markets for arms smuggling, amid simmering conflicts, from oil separatists along Angola’s Western coast, to the Lord’s Resistance Army, and a series of rebellions in eastern Congo.
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PLUS CRPF, BSF PERSONNEL HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE
SINCE 2007 owing to reasons like depression, marital discord and financial issues in the last four years. The data provided by the government has revealed the figures since 2007. The CRPF had the larger number of suicides at 143 while the BSF had 75.
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AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THREE YEARS.
31.6 BILLION DOLLARS WAS THE TOTAL US MILITARY SALES IN 2010
OVERSEEN BY the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in the United States. The sales topped the $30 billion mark for the third consecutive year. Sales under the government-togovernment sales program called Foreign Military Sales (FMS) were $25.2 billion. Non-FMS security cooperation cases managed by DSCA under various security cooperation authorities were $6.4 billion. The DoD programme for support of Afghanistan's security forces using the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) made up the majority of non-FMS security cooperation cases in fiscal year 2010 and totaled some $4.7 billion. The government of Israel at $4 billion led the FMS customer list with the highest value in sales, followed by the Government of Egypt at $2.6 billion. Israel and Egypt are also the largest recipients of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds appropriated by Congress through the State Department to be used to pay for purchases of US defense articles and services.
AS MANY as 60 military aircraft including fighter jets and helicopters have crashed in the last three financial years, the Lok Sabha has been informed. Forty-eight persons including five civilians were also killed in these crashes in different parts of the country. 20 civilians have been injured in these accidents.
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10 426 BILLION DOLLARS IS THE ESTIMATED ARMS EXPORT FROM RUSSIA
THIS YEAR. In the past 10 years, Russian arms exports have soared, growing from $3.7 billion in 2000 to $5.8 billion in 2004 and from $7.5 billion in 2007 to the present $10 million. With contracts totalling $34 billion, Russia is the second-largest exporter of arms and military equipment after the United States, and it is steadily expanding its presence on the arms market. Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport accounts for 85 per cent of the country’s arms sales worldwide, with the remainder coming from several companies authorised to deal in arms on the global market. Russia has completely changed its armsexport model. Instead of using arms as a means to ensure military and political balance in the Third World, Russia now sees the arms trade as a business. Customers now buy full-fledged weapons systems with 2030-year warranty and postwarranty support contracts.
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TERRORISTS TRIED TO SNEAK INTO J&K THIS YEAR.
INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS across the Line of Control continue unabated, as terrorists having attempted to sneak into the border state this year. Defence minister A K Antony , in a written reply to Lok Sabha, has said that 1,253 terrorists had tried to infiltrate into J&K over the last three
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years. While 168 militants were killed, the Army lost 37 soldiers in thwarting infiltration bids since 2008. “The Army has adopted a robust counter-infiltration strategy, which has an appropriate mix of technology and human resources put together to check infiltration effectively,’’ he said.
CRORE IS THE AMOUNT DRDO WILL INVEST
IN 'AVIATION hub' Hyderabad. The State-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said it willl be spending around this sum on development activities in and around Hyderabad over the next five years. "About `650 crore will be invested for augmenting the missile manufacturing programme, while `350 crore will go into developing a hypersonic wind tunnel for testing scram jet engine, which will be six times faster than sound velocity," according to scientific adviser to the defence ministry and DRDO Director General VK Saraswat.
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SCIENTISTS HAVE LEFT DRDO
BETWEEN 2006 and 2010. Even as the country is talking about indigenisation in the defence sector, India's premier military research body, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is on an average losing one scientist every two days to a plum post in the corporate world. According to the Ministry of Defence, in the year 2009, in the aftermath of the recession and the Sixth Pay Commission, the number of scientists leaving DRDO declined, as only 191 out of 7,400 quit their jobs. Till June this year, only 98 quit.
IS THE NUMBER OF FIGHTER PLANES INDIA PURCHASED
DURING 2005-09, making it the world's leading buyer of fighters during the last five years. India is followed by the UAE with 87 and Israel with 83 fighter aircraft buys. Ironically, the world's top
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fighter aircraft exporter, the US, bought only 33 fighters during the same period, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In a report published on November 10, SIPRI said that the US had sold 341 fighter jets, up from 286 planes sold during the previous five-year period, while Russia sold 219 planes, down from 331, and France sold 75, up from 58.
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Pipavav Shipyard Limited and Nikhil Gandhi have set a tearing pace in the ship-building business. Is Gandhi a long term player? Will Pipavav be a trail-blazer in the huge offset business that will come with defence contracts? ROHIT SHRIVASTAVA talks to the man and pieces together the Pipavav story
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IPAVAV SHIPYARD Limited (PSL) has received permission that allows the shipyard to bid for construction of submarines, destroyers, frigates, LDP, coverettes as also aircraft carriers. This makes it the first shipyard in the private sector to receive such a licence. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) issued the licence after screening by the ministries of home and defence and other related agencies. The licence permits Pipavav Shipyard to build five warships in a year. With the average construction time of 3-4 years for a warship, Pipavav can take up construction of up to 20 warships at any given time, the company said. Pipavav is the only modular defence-focused shipbuilding company in the country, which can build warships in a
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much shorter time and in a cost-efficient manner, the company said. The shipyard is capable of building new aircraft carriers and even dry-dock INS Vikramaditya (ex-Admiral Gorshkov) for repairs and maintenance, simultaneously. All this happened earlier this month, but some time ago a gung-ho and ebuillent Nikhil Gandhi told journalists: “Our order book is very comfortable and we are expecting some more development during the course of the next two quarters. Secondly, we have the order book fully intact with `1,000 crore advances from the customers. We have construction of the ships going on in full swing. We have the best of man and machinery to deliver the goods to the customers, on time and within the specified cost.” Does the evolution and robust growth of companies like Pipavav tell us about the
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coming of age of the Indian private sector? More so, the private sector segment of the Indian defence business has slowly begun to take shape and acquire capabilities that are essential for self-sufficiency in indigenous production. The emergence of the Indian defence market and the offset clause has ushered in an era of robust growth for the country’s defence industry. India’s maritime requirement has increased by leaps and bounds in the last decade. The defence shipyards are short of space for expansion and new shipyards with larger dry dock facilities are required for reducing construction time. The gap is being filled up by private shipyards which have begun to capture and contribute to the business in this regard. Nikhil Gandhi commented some months ago: “This area has huge untapped December 2010
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WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN INFRASTRUCTURE AS A COUNTRY IS MERELY 10 PER CENT. THERE’S ROOM FOR 90 PER CENT, WHICH WILL BE ACHIEVED IN 20 YEARS. THINGS WILL SPEED UP FROM HERE. IN PIPAVAV, WE TURN AROUND SHIPS IN ONE-AND-HALF DAYS, AND THE CUSTOMER, WHO SAVED SEVERAL DOLLARS WITH A FASTER TURNAROUND, WAS WILLING TO SHARE AN EXTRA DOLLAR. IN REALITY, IT IS NOT SO BAD, AS CUSTOMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR BETTER SERVICE. NIKHIL GANDHI CHAIRMAN, PIPAVAV SHIPYARD www.geopolitics.in
potential. We want to make sure that we are in for the long haul. We want to demonstrate this very strongly and that is the reason why we are putting in this kind of commitment. No one does it the way we are doing it. We raised `500 crore five months ago and have put in `1,500 crore off the table. So, we are basically here for a long haul.” Long haul indeed, considering the investments and gestation in such mammoth projects. Around 95 per cent of India’s foreign trade is through sea lanes. For strategic reasons, it is critical for India to be self- sufficient in the maritime domain, be it in ship building, ports, shipping and related infrastructure and technology. India has the entire essential requirements for development of this sector — a long coastline, large labour force, raw material, engineering capacity and rising economy and maritime demands — both naval and commercial. Pipavav Shipyard, situated on the Saurashtra coast of Gujrat is one of the emerging shipyards of India and considered to be the largest shipyard in the country. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, while dedicating the shipyard to the nation in June this year, said, “I have often said India is destined to be a major trading nation of the world and if India is destined to be a major trading nation of the world, I think shipping, ship building and management of our ports assume great importance in our scheme of development planning.” Two parameters are implied to judge the shipyards production capacity, fabrication capacity in dead weight tonnage and the size of dry dock. A dry dock is a place where a ship is erected. The 662 m X 65 m, sized dry dock - incidentally, the third largest in the world — can accommodate a ship of almost equal size for construction. This dry dock facility is capable of constructing two INS Vikramadityas, of 40,000 DWT and 270m in length, one after another, without any problem. This capacity makes it suitable for any type of ship construction. Another dry dock, much larger than the first one is under construction. The dead weight tonnage (the total weight of steel that can be fabricated in the shipyard) is around 144,000 tonnes which is more than the combined capacity of all shipyards in India. Simply put, in a year Pipavav Shipyard can build a ship of 144,000 tonnes, which is more than the DWT of the Nimitz class aircraft carrier. Indian maritime defence has gone beyond merely Navy and Coast Guard. Since 26/11, coastal security has taken an altogether new dimension with focus on fast patrol vessels. Offshore vessels are being considered in large number for coastal
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police and other agencies operating in the domain. Acquisition from abroad is a costly and time-consuming affair. With the defence shipyards busy in naval projects, it is the upcoming shipyards that can deliver these urgently required small vessels. Pipavav has forayed into this sector with orders from ONGC for 12 offshore vessels and has also emerged as the lowest bid contender for five Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel orders. It is expected that all the orders would be delivered in the next 36 months. Ship manufacturing in India is still done by the old method of erection in the dry dock while the world has moved to the block building method. Block building method saves time and is more precise. In this method blocks of steel are made based on the design before beginning of the ship erection. The blocks are then assembled as per the design in the dry dock. So each block is simultaneously made and they are just required to be welded together saving time. In fact, simultaneous work on different ship can go on. The time taken for a ship erection in the dry dock comes down while providing flexibility and economy of time. To help in this whole process of ship erection are the two goliath cranes with 600 tonnes lift capacity. Together, they can lift up to 1200 tonnes — the highest in India. That
PIPAVAV SHIPYARD is located within the vicinity of Pipavav Port, Gujarat. Pipavav Shipyard was initially conceived as a ship-dismantling yard. For this purpose, the yard was developed with two large wet basins each measuring 680 metres length and a respective width of 60 metres and 65 metres. These are among the largest wet basins built in the world. The yard offers the flexibility of being easily adaptable to a shipyard facility. Given its size, Pipavav Shipyard has the potential to become one of the largest shipyard complexes in the world. The yard has the distinction of being one of the five largest docks in the world and largest in the country, and will therefore be equipped to handle almost any size of ship. The project is inherited with various unique features in its design, location, facilities, size, integration, environment compliant, funding, etc.
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g FOCUS On the under-construction ship Currently export (Panamax vessels) and OSV (Offshore Supply Vessel) are under construction and propose to undertake construction of naval OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) after receipt of final order. On the big ticket deals — ONGC Offshore supply Vehicle and naval OPV deal PSL has received orders from ONGC for supply of 12 OSVs valued at about `550 crore and emerged as the lowest bidder for construction of five Naval OPVs, which are valued at about `2,600 crore. On delivery schedules The delivery dates of the existing orders are spread out: they will be delivered in the next 30 months. On monthly and annual tonnage capacity Annual steel fabrication capacity is 144,000 MT, which is more than all other domestic PSUs, Defence and Private shipyards put together. On the Navy being Pipavav’s main focus area Our current focus is on the naval and offshore segment. The Indian Navy has come out with several tenders and enquiry. PSL has already submitted bids and we are in the process to bid in line with the tenders process. Recently, PSL emerged as the lowest bidder for supply of 5 OPVs. It has also received enquiry and tenders from the Coast Guard besides offshore assets including jack-up, platforms, etc. On plans for subsurface and aircraft carrier construction PSL also intends to construct large aircraft carriers in collaboration with foreign designers and Indian defence PSUs. PSL facilities are also capable to have dry docking and refittment of
naval assets including aircraft carriers. Pipavav is the only shipyard in the country that can build new large aircraft carriers (e.g., INS Vikramaditya, Ex-Admiral Gorshkov). On foreign collaborations Pipavav has established technical partnerships with global industry experts, including SembCorp Marine, Singapore (owned by Temasek, the investment arm of the Singapore Government), the largest offshore asset construction company in the world and KOMAC, Korea (a leading ship design consulting firm). In addition, it is also teaming up with several key global players across the globe, including the Russian Ministry of Defence, to enhance its capabilities to meet the Indian defence sector requirements on the naval front. On domestic tie-ups Pipavav has set up a state-of-the-art and most modern infrastructure and facility. Pipavav is first Indian company to have modular block-making facility, almost fully- outfitted. As per information, defence PSUs have the largest order books and are not able to meet the delivery schedule as envisaged. PSL, if required, has the arrangement to execute the orders in order to deliver on time through partnerships with defence PSUs. On building smaller vessels Pipavav has state-of-the-art and most modern infrastructure including fabrication capacity. Currently, Pipavav has the largest capacity and if required can also convert its second wet dock into dry dock (740 mtrs X 60 mtrs.) with smaller capex in order to cater to the increasing demands from the Navy and the Coast Guard. On the financial health of PSL Pipavav currently has an order book of $900 million comprising export of $785 million and offshore segments (order from ONGC) of $112 million. It has already received more than $ 230 million as advances from customers. Recently, PSL has become the lowest bidder for construction of 5 Naval OPVs, which is valued at about `2600 crore. On global ambitions Pipavav is currently focused on Indian defence and offshore segments and will also cater to offset segment, which has a huge market and potential. Pipavav also plans to cater to US Navy assets deployed in the region. On future expansion to allied defence businesses PSL shall always explore various opportunities in defence and offshore segments for growth in addition to backward and forward integration. - Nikhil Gandhi
shipyards are moving towards this. Recently, Defence TRUE GRIT: Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh dedicates Minister A K Antony ‘Pipavav Shipyard’ India’s largest world-class ship building made a statement and engineering facility to the nation, in New Delhi on June 1, regarding the placing 2010. The Union Minister for Shipping, G.K. Vasan is also seen of orders for the Navy to both private and public shipyards. He said, “Both public secmeans a ship of 1200 tonnes can be erected tor shipyards will have to compete with the in two blocks only. Pipavav is the only shipIndian private shipyards to get projects for yard with this technology and other defence www.geopolitics.in
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the Indian Navy. So all the Indian Navy’s procurements in future will be from ‘Buy Indian, Make Indian’ … So, they will have to compete… ‘Buy Indian and Make Indian’ is going to be the major component of our procurement policy. That will help us to have a strong defence industrial base in India.” This statement has made every one from industry to analysts, eager for the defence production policy, which is expected early next year, for speedy indigenisation. December 2010
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INDIA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN Nirupama Rao outlines what India as a Consensual Stakeholder in the Indian Ocean means for India, our neighbours and the world at large, in her wide-ranging assessment INDIA AND the Indian Ocean are inseparable. In the midst of the third largest ocean in the world, India’s location is in many ways her destiny. That is not just a statement regarding a fact of geography but of deeper civilizational, historical, cultural, economic and political linkages that have been forged between India and the Ocean that bears its name.
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Throughout history, India’s wellbeing and prosperity was linked to its access to the Indian Ocean region. It is no coincidence that the decolonisation of the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean region was catalysed by India’s independence and emergence as a free nation. The Indian diaspora is a prominent presence in almost all countries of the region. Apart from the Monsoon, the India-link, in its broadest sense, is the single common thread that is visible in the Indian
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Ocean region. The organic unity of the Indian Ocean was fractured during the colonial period. Now, the winds of globalisation are bringing a fresh bond of unity in the Indian Ocean region. Globalisation is inseparable from its maritime dimension, as 90 per cent of global trade by weight and volume is carried by sea. India is a major stakeholder and beneficiary of globalisation. As an emerging global economic and trading power, India has thus
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g GLOBALEYE a vital stake in maritime security. India’s global mercantile trade has grown phenomenally and now constitutes 41 per cent of our GDP. 77 per cent of our trade by value, and over 90 per cent by volume is carried by sea. India is now projected to become the fourth largest economy in the world by 2020, after China, Japan and the US. Our dependence on sea borne trade is expected to expand exponentially. The maritime dimension is also vital for our energy security. India’s oil consumption is expected to rise to 245 million tonnes annually by 2020, with the country likely to be the world’s single largest importer of oil by 2050. Our economic growth would continue to be critically depended upon the unhindered flow of oil. The Indian Ocean region is important for India in terms of trade and as a source of energy supplies. Trade with the littoral States of the Indian Ocean constitutes close to 40 per cent of India’s total trade. The Indian Ocean is virtually a landlocked ocean. It is distinguished by a land rim on three sides; Asia to its north, Africa to its west and SE Asia and Australia to its East. Access to the region is only possible through seven established gateways or choke points. To the east, the Straits of Malacca, Sunda and Lombok connect the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. The congestion and the narrow width of these straits make them susceptible to possible terrorist attacks. The Malacca Straits are the primary route, through which more than 50,000 vessels transit annually. To the west, the world’s busiest shipping lanes pass through the Straits of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. The Malacca Straits handle 40 per cent of world trade; the Straits of Hormuz handle 40 per cent of all traded crude oil. It is not hard to imagine the consequences to the global economy if these choke points are indeed choked. The Indian Ocean is also one of the world’s most important waterways, with 50 per cent of the container traffic and more than 70 per cent of crude and oil products being carried through it. The disruption of energy flows in particular is a considerable security concern for littoral states, as a majority of their energy lifelines are sea-based. The world thus has a vital stake in the stability of the archipelagic countries. It’s not just the use of waterways that is important, but access to them as well. Landlocked countries are now therefore gaining a new geopolitical significance, for transit roads and pipelines. It is a now a widely accepted truism that the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean region is a microcosm of global geopolitical trends. www.geopolitics.in
WE HAVE PRODUCTIVE BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH ALL THE STATES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION There are countries which are developing rapidly; on the other hand, there are those which are on the brink of collapse. In between, there are those which are emerging from conflict and show promise of making rapid strides in the future. There are a large number of democracies in the region but it cannot be said that democracy is a universal norm for the region. A number of countries suffer from weak governance and regime instability, vulnerable to non-state actors driven by extremist ideologies. Threats to stability in the region abound, ranging from terrorism, piracy, warlordism, proliferation, smuggling to drug trafficking. The situation off the Horn of Africa is a source of particular concern. The situation in land-locked Afghanistan also impacts on the Indian Ocean region, as a substantial portion of the international military presence there is dependent on support from maritime assets and capabilities. The impact of climate change is of concern to several island states that face a threat to their very survival. But, the bright side is that parts of the Indian Ocean littoral are witnessing an unprecedented economic boom, driven by positive economic and demographic factors. The overall picture is therefore mixed and complicated, not lending itself to easy categorisation or solutions. What is certain is that India stands out both in what it has achieved and the untapped potential that still lies ahead. In short, the future of the Indian Ocean region is unthinkable without India. By any objective criteria, India has very significant maritime stakes in the Indian Ocean. We have a coastline of over 7,500 km. Between the Lashwadeep and the Andaman and Nicobar chains we have over 600 islands, with the southern-most tip just 90 nautical miles from Indonesia and the northern-most tip less than 10 nautical miles from Myanmar. In terms of maritime security terms these are significant assets. Our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is more than 2.5 million square kms. The mining areas of over
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150,000 sq kms allotted to India under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) are about 2000 kms from our southern-most tip. We have significant interests in Antarctica as well. For several decades, India was the only Asian country to possess an aircraft carrier. Our naval force posture in the coming years will require the necessary capabilities in terms of reach, sustaining power and sea control. Following the sea-borne terrorist attacks on 26/11 in Mumbai, concerted efforts have been undertaken for strengthening maritime and coastal security against threats from sea, with greater involvement of the Navy, the Coast Guard and all the coastal states. As India’s development is predicated on a stable geo-strategic environment, as a mature and responsible nation, it is in our interest that we play an active role in the architecture of maritime security based on the twin principles of shared security and shared prosperity. India is well poised to play a leadership role in this regard. We have friendly and productive bilateral relations with almost all the states in the Indian Ocean region. Our bilateral relations with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles, Oman, Madagascar, Kenya and others give us unprecedented access to a wide swathe of the Indian Ocean. Some of these are territorial neighbours but all are maritime neighbours. We have historical and civilisational ties with many of these countries. Some of these countries have large Indian communities. The broad spectrum of our ties with these countries has a strong economic and socio-cultural dimension. Maritime security thus gives us a new perspective to our bilateral relations with these countries. We are actively engaged with almost all regional bodies that are either based in or border the Indian Ocean regionranging from SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum), ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations), GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) to the AU (African Union). We are interested in building a web of cooperative relations that brings together all the stakeholders based on mutual interest and benefit. Our ‘soft power’ gives us advantages that few other countries can match in this region. There is almost universal acceptance of India’s credentials and recognition of the vital contribution that we can make for stability and prosperity of the entire region. December 2010
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g GLOBALEYE Our economic growth acts as a driver for growth across the entire region. Our bilateral and multilateral assistance programmes are crucial for the security and development requirements of a number of countries. Drawing on its human resources and scientific expertise, India has been assisting traditionally in areas such as agriculture, health, education and IT, as also in capacity building in areas such as hydrography, oceanography, dealing with climate change, etc. It is true that optimizing our economic and technical assistance programmes, even while integrating them with our larger security and strategic interests would yield even greater benefits. This will require leveraging India’s soft power and technological strengths as also ensuring greater synergy amongst the various instruments that we can deploy — diplomacy, trade and economic factors and military assistance. We are proud of the fact that our Navy has emerged as a versatile and flexible diplomatic instrument to mark India’s presence in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Navy have partnered together as maritime diplomats. There is hardly a port in the region where our ships are not welcome. We have the distinction of undertaking naval exercises in the Indian Ocean with all the major navies of the world. The prompt assistance provided by the Navy in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami was an eye-opener with regard to our capabilities for providing timely disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. The Navy did a commendable job in helping in the evacuation of over 2280 people from strifetorn Lebanon under Operation Sukoon. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) initiative, launched by Indian Navy has provided a forward-looking framework for constructive engagement among the navies of the region. This initiative has tremendous potential as an inclusive forum for all stakeholders, which have legitimate interests in the region. Under the ARF, India has contributed to discussions on maritime security. India has also contributed to regional efforts for safe navigation in the Malacca Straits. While India is seen as a net security provider, we cannot carry the burden of regional security on our shoulders alone. There is no doubt that maintaining a favourable maritime balance will require development of a credible naval presence with adequate assets commensurate with our defence and security interests as well as those required to discharge the role and responsibility expected of India by the international community. The era of gun boat diplomacy is long over. A robust Indian naval www.geopolitics.in
INDIA IS ENGAGED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE AREA OF ANTI-PIRACY IN INDIAN OCEAN presence is seen as a necessary contribution to a cooperative regional security order. The cooperative burden sharing of naval forces to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia is a case in point. Our Navy has discharged its responsibilities with distinction and is viewed as an indispensible partner not just by regional states but by the UN, EU and NATO naval forces. India is engaged with other countries on capacity-building and consultations in the area of anti-piracy to devise measures for keeping open access points to avoid choking international trade. While we are addressing the immediate threats to maritime security, the international community must find ways of dealing with the failed or failing states where violence and institutional fragility are being exploited by non-state actors and others which have a presence of international terrorist groups on the Indian Ocean littoral which in fact radiate instability in the region as a whole. The recent global financial and economic crisis has aggravated the fragility of many littoral states, some of which are among LDCs. While addressing the threats posed by non-state actors is important, we would also require states themselves to abide by “rules of the road”. Maintaining free access to the sea is very much part of defending the ‘Global Commons’. This will require a common vision of maritime security and freedom of navigation in accordance with universally agreed principles of international law and peaceful settlement of maritime territorial disputes. The maritime balance in the Indian Ocean region is linked to developments in South East Asia, the Pacific Rim and the Mediterranean. It is unrealistic to presume that we would be able to insulate our region from instability elsewhere. Maritime security cannot be sustained if there is an exclusive focus on the military dimension alone, for it has economic, political and social dimensions as well. It is also unrealistic to expect that any single power can presume for itself the role of a “sea-based balancer”. Lastly, cooperation on maritime security issues could
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provide the necessary trust and confidence to build a flexible and adaptable Pan-Asian Security Order. A popular theme in the media is to project the Indian Ocean as the new theatre of big power conflict. A widely read analyst who has also published a book on the Indian Ocean recently spoke of India being a “global pivot state supreme”, in the so-called tussle between the United States and China. While this description is flattering, we do not make policy on the basis of ‘feel-good labels’. There is no inevitability of conflict. India views the emerging trends with realism — building a sustainable regional security will require a cooperative effort among all regional countries on the one hand and all users of the Indian Ocean. As the main resident power in the Indian Ocean region, we have a vital stake in the evolution of a stable, open, inclusive and balanced security and cooperation architecture in the region. By definition this would need to be a consensus-based process, where all the stakeholders who have a legitimate presence in the region make their respective contributions to regional security. India stands for harnessing the forces of geo-politics for new forms of cooperation rather than it being used as an excuse for domination by any single country. That is the vision that we aspire to. And that is the vision we look forward to realising our partnership with all countries of the Indian Ocean region. Let me briefly speak about the Indian Ocean Rim — Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) that came into existence in 1997. India was one of the 14 founding member states. Given the growing strategic significance of the Indian Ocean, this organisation is the only one which aims to create a web of cooperative relationships between the now 18 member countries spanning three continents and three water bodies: this provides the right balance in terms of developing the littoral countries, across the political and geo-political spectrum, in a direction where economic, trade, academic and cultural cooperation constitutes the core of these relationships. The political and the strategic subtext of this organisation’s activities is very relevant in the current times. Although the organisation has not been able to fulfil its stated potential as yet, it does provide us with a useful platform to articulate our inclusive non-polarising vision of the future of the Indian Ocean and its littoral. (Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao made the above speech at a National Maritime Foundation event on November 19, 2010) December 2010
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THE BOUT ODYSSEY PANORAMA
According to an official: “Viktor Bout is one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth.” The so-called “Merchant of Death”, who has been second on the US intelligence agencies’ most-wanted list — after Osama bin Laden, had a weapons smuggling empire which lasted at least a decade and spanned three continents, including in Africa’s most murderous hotspots. VIKTOR BOUT, the Russian national accused of selling arms to rogue nations, is cooling his heels at a Manhattan detention center, after pleading not guilty to terrorism charges. Bout was extradited from Bangkok to late November, two years after being ensnared in a U.S. sting.
US PROSECUTORS claim the arms he sold or brokered have fuelled conflicts and supported regimes in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
“EXTREME UNJUSTICE,” fumed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Said the Foreign Ministry: “There is no doubt that the illegal extradition of V.A. Bout came as a consequence of unprecedented political pressure” from the United States.
CREATED THE movie ‘Lord of War.’ The film stars Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, a Ukrainian gun runner apparently modeled on Viktor Bout, with other characters resembling former Liberian President Charles Taylor and his son Chuck.
BEMBA, a former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is on trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes at the International Criminal Court.
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HE WAS also fortunate to call many African leaders his ‘friends’. These included; Angolan rebel leader Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, Mobutu Sese Seko
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HOWEVER ABSURD it may seem, we will be pressing the Thai Government to act to get the US to return Viktor to Thailand,” she said, explaining that according to Viktor Bout’s lawyers his extradition contravened Thai law.
CHARLES TAYLOR-CURRENTLY, on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone at The Hague for war crimes allegedly perpetrated during the 1990’s civil war in Sierra Leone, is thought to be a beneficiary of Mr Bout’s alleged arms cargo business.
Bout is also believed to have supplied arms to Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. This came to light post Bout’s arrest two years back. December 2010
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HOW GOOD ARE WE ?
NO MEAN FEAT: Indian Navy ships play an important role in maritime defence and security www.geopolitics.in
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For a country with one of the largest coastlines in the world, India has paid little attention towards the sea. Post-26/11, there has been considerable attention on the need to bolster and beef up our maritime defence. The Indian Navy plays a crucial role in this. How prepared are we? VENKAT BHARATHAN analyses
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HAT IS our Navy? What does it do for the nation? Why is it called the silent service ? Is it strong enough with adequate force levels is the question often asked about it. Last things first — Imagine just off the coast, naval operations become invisible out of sight with no immediate impact on life ashore. Our operations are neither seen nor heard. That is why the Navy is truly a silent service. It is critically in this regard that the Indian Navy both as an effective component of India’s foreign policy and a potent economic/commercial contributor would make a crucial difference to our nation’s calculus of global influence in the comity of sea-faring nations. The Indian Navy is the image of India in portrait, presence, essence and existence. It represents India in all its colours and secularism. Its people are true ambassadors of our country in form and fettle.
THE GOOD NEWS FIRST In six decades, the Indian Navy has transformed itself from a brown water flotilla to a reckonable blue water fleet that has readiness and reach with long sturdy sea legs. Over the years it has developed a unique three dimensional capability to silently perform with professional flair and competence. The legacy of its consistent leadership of vision, value, steadfastness in planning and execution, enabled it to reach where it is today. A Navy with global recognition, regional respect that displays enthusiastic readiness to be both proactive and reactive whenever called for. In 1965, 1971 and Kargil operations we not only stood our ground but carried the battle to the enemy when needed. Operation “Sukoon” to bring stranded Indians/foreigners out of Lebanon is a classic example of Indian Navy reach. The dedicated post-Tsunami assistance/aid to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives while looking after its own affected areas displays its flexibility and readiness. Escorting the US Navy in the Malacca Straits is its hallmark of international cooperation. Its aid to civil power during earthquake, floods and the very recent display of force in dealing with pirates are prime examples of optimal use of sea power with sense and sensibility. Over the decades our policy of engaging other navies in joint exercises is proving to be fruitful. Providing training opportunities www.geopolitics.in
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to many navies like Bangaldesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South Africa, Oman are quality value add ons. Hydrographic support to some Indian Ocean littorals and constabulary assistance to a few African countries have spread goodwill. The recently held Indian Ocean symposium has added to India’s international stature. In short, it would be correct to affirm that the Indian Navy is fully capable of carrying out all, sorts of war tasks, with a high degree of professionalism. It can also contain the Pakistan Navy with a degree of certainty. Its cooperative engagement with USA, UK, France, Russia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka has given it reciprocity of understanding, goodwill and respect. Its Tsunami effort has won the appreciation of Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia. India’s look-east policy is slowly paying off and in many ways stemming Chinese influence
THE NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS The steady growth of the Indian military, particularly the Indian Navy has to be acknowledged. Yet analysis and introspection would reveal significant hollowness in our overall security calculus, be it maritime or in other dimensions. India has to become at least a reckonable maritime power with self-reliant military, commercial potential and sustainable technology support. We have moved forward to becoming a builder’s Navy from being a completely buyer’s Navy. There are however severe technological limitations in weapon systems, ordnance, propulsion machinery. www.geopolitics.in
COMING TO warship building, I would like to mention that with our expanding maritime responsibilities and interests, we would need to maintain our force levels and increase numbers to a degree. This would require our shipyards to deliver ships at the rate that the Navy and Coast Guard need them to realise their replacement and expansion plans. While we started early in our quest for selfreliance in warship building, our three Defence PSU shipyards did not keep pace with the expansion plans of the Navy and the Coast Guard. Unless spare warship construction capacity is created, the demand-supply gap will continue to expand. While capacity expansion in the commercial sector will have positive spin-offs for warship construction, dedicated capacity expansion for warship construction is inescapable. In our quest for self-reliance, the Navy is fully committed to participate in, and promote any government initiative to enhance indigenous warship construction capacity. We need to harness the resources of all the stake-holders in this endeavour, both government and private in a coordinated and synergistic effort. In the process, as customers, the Navy would also need to introspect and find ways to overcome any internal procedural impediments that may have a negative effect on the productivity of our defence shipyards. Former Navy Chief, Admiral Suresh Mehta
naval aviation assets, in terms of fighters, maritime aircraft, helicopters and their weapons are not yet our forte. It makes us “punch dependent” on external sources like Russia, USA, France, Israel and the developed world. External dependencies and vastly increased costs of assets, systems do impact acquisitions.
NAVAL ASSETS A quick glance of Navy holdings would show that most of the Navy assets are nearly two decades plus, in all the three dimensions of warfare. The cycle of replacements cannot keep up the numbers required. Retro fit options are being exercised as viable alternatives
THE RUSSIAN EFFECT Our past of being Russia (as Soviet Union) dependent while slowly being disengaged would take considerable time, effort and mind-set. Another negative factor is the reality of coping with a weakened military structure of Russia. It has definite downside effects on operations and combat readiness.
THE ACQUISITION STATIC The nature of the beast in military acquisition in terms of money value as well as gestation times calls for tremendous forward planning and synergy. Even today’s improved processes are unable to cope due to inherent complexities as well as the prevailing compartmentalised work culture of our argumentative democracy. Delays in acquisitions with time and cost overruns are common-place and well known. All our ship-yards need Continued on page 43
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THE NEED OF TIMELY IN SUPPORT of the nation’s growing strengths and responsibilities, the Indian Navy is determined to create and sustain a three dimensional technology enabled and networked force capable of safeguarding our maritime interests on the high seas and projecting combat power across the littoral We seek to evolve relevant conceptual frameworks and acquire war-fighting capabilities to operate across the full spectrum of conflict. The Indian Navy will also be prepared to undertake benign and humanitarian tasks in our maritime neighbourhood, whenever required. Our operational endeavours shall be underpinned by continuous upgradation of human skills of the Navy’s uniformed and civilian manpower. We will aim for enhancement of the quality of life and the wellbeing of the naval community Ensuring combat readiness, professional competence and willingness to transform by adopting change will remain our primary focus. So said the Indian Navy’s “Vision Document” of May 2006. In fact, this statement and its accompanying “broad guiding principles” did, say experts, assert India’s resolve to transform its Navy from a ‘brown water’ coastal defense force to a formidable ‘blue water’ fleet. Blue water navy has indeed two connotations: the technical and the political. Technically, a naval force having the capability to operate 200 nautical miles (320 km) from its sea shore into the deep sea on the longer ranges can be graded as the blue water navy. However, politically, it is the long range extension of the state’s presence, as the former Indian Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Jayant Nadkarni once said, “Legitimate use…of a Blue Water navy is power projection which is necessary” for a “power like India”. Finally, the Indian Navy brought out in 2009 what is
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called an amended “maritime doctrine”, first announced in 2004. The doctrine represents a geo-strategic environment that may require the Indian Navy to be prepared for expeditious warfare, amphibious operations and deployment at long distances. Importantly, it has a concept of the kind of platforms the Indian Navy would, require to meet these challenges in the form of the aircraft carriers, landing platform docks, landing ships and other assets to compliment these platforms. A new chapter on “Naval Combat Power” has been added underlining the ever-changing demands on three critical components — conceptual, physical and human — in the context of rapid changes in technology and consequently tactics. To put simply, the Indian Navy must have the “capability” to protect overall economic interests in the country’s economic exclusive zone, thwart outside interference, influence over regional competitors, adapt to littoral warfare, and execute the nation’s eventual nuclear second strike. And in this, the importance of platforms in the forms of warships, be they the surface fleet or carriers or submarines, is too obvious to explain. There is a nearconsensus among India’s strategic analysts that challenges to the Indian Navy in Indian Ocean could emanate essentially from three sources: the United States, Pakistan and China. Of these, the mainstream strategic thought in India about the American presence in the Indian Ocean
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seems to have changed. India no more talks seriously of making Indian Ocean a zone of peace by keeping it free from outside powers. Though it does not say openly, India now views American presence to be a stabilizing factor in the Indian Ocean region. As regards Pakistan, the country is no match to India’s naval capabilities and fleet of warships. Its strategy is essentially based on the concept of “Sea Denial” to Indian power. The strategy is not seeking surface action but to pose a threat to Indian assets through missiles and bombs from submarines and aircraft. The real threats or challenges that Indian Navy faces are mainly from China and its “contain India strategy”. China is not prepared to accept the naming of the ocean after India. And compared to India’s “Fleet-strength”, China has more frigates, strategic submarines and destroyers. India’s surface navy currently consists primarily of a single vintage aircraft carrier, eight destroyers, 11 frigates, five tank landing ships (LSTs), and assorted corvettes and patrol craft. The strength is going to be augmented. As far as aircraft carriers go, apart from the old Viraat that may last another five years, Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) from Russia is expected to come by 2014 and there will be two such ships if the new Vikrant (under construction at Cochin Shipyard, and due to be launched in the first quarter of 2011) is delivered by 2015. The picture regarding destroyers/frigates — the major ocean-capable ships — is not that assuring, say experts. There are 14 today and nine more in the pipeline, three being acquired from Russia and six under different stages of construction at Mazagon Docks (MDL) in Mumbai. From this should be deleted all ships built earlier than 1990, which would either be scrapped or become irrelevant for the work required to be done; there are 10 of these, so the effective remaining numbers of such ships will be a mere 13.
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DELIVERY It is said that six more frigates, three each at MDL and Garden Reach Shipyard (GRSE), are being built. But then, the record of indigenous production is not assuring enough that they would be delivered in time within next 10 years, particularly when there has been no selection of a suitable foreign shipyard as collaborator. If that is the case, then as Admiral Premvir Das projects, the Navy will have somewhere between 14 and 15 destroyers/frigates by 2020, just where it stands today. As regards the diesel submarines, the picture is also not that comfortable. Admiral Das says that by 2020, all boats built before 1990 would be gone, leaving us with just four. Six Scorpene submarines are on order, two through import and the other four to be built at MDL. In other words, the force level of diesel submarines will be no more than 10, much fewer than the numbers operational today. As for nuclear submarines, Arihant, launched early this year, should be operational by 2014 or so. In short, unless some adequate steps are taken on a priority basis, after 10 years, the warships of the Indian Navy may well be short of tits present levels and will be quite behind the strength of its Chinese counterpart. Besides, what naval planners dread most is the onset of obsolescence of weapon systems as soon as the ship is launched. It is because a war-ship takes about eight years to be built and within that period the weapon-systems, often imported, become old. Thus when the ship completes just half her life, the on-board systems are already over 25 years old, rapidly losing efficacy against contemporary threats. As Admiral Arun Prakash says, while we may indigenously build ships, the hard reality is that it is only 85 per-cent in content of an operational warship, “the remaining 15 per
cent consists of weapons, sensors and combat management systems, which define the fighting potential of the ship. These systems not only constitute the most expensive component of a warship, but are also most susceptible to obsolescence and have so far remained beyond the capability of DRDO as well as the defence PSUs to design or produce”. It is against this background that defence Minister AK Antony’s recent indication that “the Indian Navy will no longer rely on imports when it comes to warships as all future procurements will be made in India” assumes significance. The Minister has also announced that private shipbuilders in the country will be given a level playing field and will have to compete with public sector shipyards for defence contracts. Come January and India will come up with a new procurement policy that will contain ‘drastic steps’ to speed up the goal of decreasing dependence of imports for defence platforms. So says the minister. As of now, the MoD owns and controls four defence shipyards: Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL); Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata (GRSE); Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL); and the recently (and misguidedly) acquired Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam (HSL). Then there is Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), a central PSU, which is building an aircraft carrier for the MoD since none of the MoD shipyards has facilities large enough for this. Talking of the private sector, there is the recent emergence of private sector shipyards — L&T, Pipavav and ABG Shipyards — with claims of globalquality facilities. Time will say whether they will deliver products in time. — Prakash Nanda
revamping in terms of organisation, infrastructure and ship-building technologies. Integration of the Ministry of Defence, improved understanding on preparing staff requirements, collegiate decision-making processes and establishing facile information communication technologies are the progressive steps that need implementation.
FORCE PLANNING Military force planning is both a science and an art. It requires education, expertise, experience, and exposure to mature processes elsewhere. Force planning also requires policy directives India is unique. Our military spending is nearly 2.8 per cent of our GDP amounting to nearly 25 odd billion $. Yet we have no stated security policy or a broad military road-map highlighting our “interests and threats”. The Indian Navy shares about 14 per cent of this budget. Roughly 55 per cent of this is towards costs of running a daily Navy. The remainder goes towards capital acquisitions. Any discussions of Navy force levels have to be preceded by a brief on the roles of the Navy well documented in the Indian Maritime doctrine 2009. The roles of the Indian navy are: military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign. The adequacy and inadequacy of our naval force levels appear in newspapers and articles. Historical and cultural reasoning has been given by scholars and senior officers. The Indian polity seeks balance between progress and security. Hence naval force planning needs are prioritised on the same scale with available funds. Past experience, future trends, technology absorption abilities, indigenisation probabilities and increasing maintenance and manufacturing selfdependencies all have to be factored. The breakup of the Soviet Union has its own adverse effects. At the same time, our economic progress, democratic stability, mature military restraint have opened western doors in a more vigorous manner. Along with this is the Government of India’s “Make Policy” with the intent of becoming truly indigenous within the next decade, which has been adopted by the Ministry of Defence and Service Headquarters. This transition and its change will have its own advantages, adjustments and shortfalls. Operationalising these would take time and getting used to.
NAVY FORCE LEVELS A Navy is capital intensive with long build periods. Published sources reveal that long-term integrated perspective planning caters for a well-balanced navy within the spread of monies available. In this the Navy www.geopolitics.in
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g COVERSTORY HAVING EMBARKED on this brave venture over four decades ago, India has attained considerable experience and expertise in the arcane art of warship building. However, this field has been monopolized exclusively by public sector shipyards, in which the Government of India has failed to make timely investment, leaving them with archaic infrastructure, and a matching work ethic as well as technical and financial practices. The sluggish throughput of our shipyards, resulting in perpetual delays and cost overruns has cast a dampener on the IN’s capability building plans, and there is need to ensure that they induct modern equipment, adopt contemporary processes including modular construction techniques, and improve cost competitiveness. The areas of weapon and sensor integration, procedures for acceptance of ships, and life-cycle support of systems also require focus.
Former Navy Chief, Admiral Arun Prakash
Indian shipyards need to ensure congruence between their developmental plans and the Navy’s future operational needs. For example, they must urgently obtain skills and technology required for building of amphibious assault ships, mine counter-measure vessels (MCMVs) and use of STANFLEX (Standard Flex is a modular mission payload system) concept in multi-roling of ships, as well as the introduction of electric propulsion onboard. The navy’s most ambitious shipbuilding project — the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier or IAC — has had to be entrusted to a MoST shipyard, and appears to be currently in doldrums for various reasons. In all their endeavours, our warship builders would benefit greatly from association with private industry, and selective collaboration with foreign shipyards.
CURRENT ACTIVE FLEET STRENGTH (AS ON JULY, 2010) AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (1 building, 1 more approved), Kiev Class(1 [in refit]), Centaur Class (1)
SUBMARINES
Pr.971 Nerpa (NATO Akula) - due for hand over in Q4, 2010, Arihant Class (1+2 bldg), Kilo Class (10 total of which two are in MLU), HDW Class (4 of which 1 in MLU), Foxtrot Class (1) - to be decommissioned in 2010
DESTROYERS
Project 15B (4 approved), Project 15A Kolkata Class (3 building), Project 15 Delhi Class (3), Rajput (SNF) Class (5)
FRIGATES
Project 17A Class (7 approved), Project 17 Shivalik Class (1, I on trials, 1 fitting out), Modified Krivak III Class (3 building), Talwar {Krivak III} Class (3), Project 16A Brahmaputra Class (3), Project 16 Godavari Class (2 active, 1 in MLU), Nilgiri {Leander} Class (3)
CORVETTES
Project 28 Class (4 building), Project 25A Kora Class (4), Project 25 Khukri Class (4), Project 1241RE Veer {Tarantul I} Class (11), Projeact 1241PE Abhay {Pauk II} Class (4)
AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE VESSELS
Austin-Jalashwa Class LPD: 1 in service, Shardul Class LSTL: 3 in service, Magar Class LSTL: 2 in service, Mk.2/3 Landing Craft Utility: 8 in service, Polnochny C/D Class LSM: 4 in service, new LCU: 8 approved, New LPD: 4 planned
MINESWEEPERS - OCEAN
Pondicherry Class (Natya/SNM): 6 in service, New MCMV : 2+ 6 approved
Source: www.bharat-rakshak.com would have a combination of ships and aircraft. A quote by the former Chief of Naval Staff as part of vision 2022 is relevant here. Stating that India’s expanding maritime responsibilities and interests would necessitate enhancement in force levels too, Admiral Suresh Mehta said the Navy was looking at becoming a 160-plus ship force by 2022. “By 2022, we plan to have 160-plus ship Navy, including three aircraft carriers, 60 major combatants, including submarines and close to 400 aircraft of different types. This will be a formidable three dimensional force with satellite surveillance and networking to provide force multiplication,” Admiral Suresh Mehta said. The probability of the Indian Navy www.geopolitics.in
becoming a reckonable Navy by 2022 is certainly high. However, the chances of becoming operationally sensor, weapon system, ordnance capable in the complete dimensions of warfare would take a much longer time. It would also call for revamping of DPSUs, dynamic tie-ups with advanced military entities and a will to achieve self-reliance. The small but potent aspects of “Single Shot Kill Probability” for damage/destruction of enemy platforms, “Circular Error of Probability” for weapon drop accuracy all would take years to comprehend, experiment and master.
CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF ADMIRAL NIRMAL VERMA: A lot to do...
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(The author is former Vice-Chief of the Indian Navy) December 2010
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“THE IMA WILL NEVER COMPROMISE ON THE QUALITY OF INTAKE”
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NE OF the most renowned institutions located on the Chakrata Road of DehraDun on the DehraDun-Chandigarh highway is the Indian Military Academy (IMA), which has had a chequered past. Following the vociferous demand of the Indian nationalists for training and granting commission to Indians within the country, and following the report of the committee headed by the Commander-in-Chief Lord Chetwode. It was announced in the Central Assembly in March 1932 to set up the Academy. The locale of three places — Satara (Maharastra), Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) and DehraDun (then Uttar Pradesh) were suggested but the government zeroed in on DehraDun primarily because of the availability of eminently suitable buildings to house the new academy as the Railway Staff College which had been opened at DehraDun in 1930 had been closed down due to the economic crisis caused by the Great Depression. Brigadier LP Collins, DSO,OBE was appointed the first Commandant of the Academy in January 1932, and Colonel A.J. Bird, DSO was made the Assistant Commandant two months later along with a battery of well-qualified officers. The entrance examination was held in July 1932, and the first batch of 40 cadets commenced their training on 0ct 1, 1932. Smith Dunn of Burma, Sam Manekshaw of India, and Mohammad Musa of Pakistan of this batch known as the “Pioneers” rose to become the heads of the armies of their respective countries. Sam Manekshaw, the hero of the Bangladesh war of 1971, became India’s first Field Marshal. Presently the Academy’s strength is around 1800. Gentleman Cadets of about 600 get commissioned at the Passing Out Parade every six months. The IMA’s present head , better known as Commandant, is Lt Gen RS Sujlana, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, who is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Army War College Mhow and
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National Defence College, New Delhi. A third generation Army Officer he has had wide and varied experience as a professional armyman and belongs to the one of the oldest and most famous regiments of the Indian Army, The Sikh Regiment of which he is Colonel Commandant. He has seen action in the Indo-Pak War of 1971, and has had a large degree of acquaintance with counter-insuregency operations both in Jammu Kashmir and the NorthEast. He has been a Divisional and Corps Commander before assuming command of the Indian Military Academy. Excerpts of an exclusive interview with ARVINDAR SINGH, a Dehradun based security analyst
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What would you feel are the major achievements of the Indian Military Academy in its over 75 years of existence? The Indian Military Academy trains raw young Gentlemen Cadets to be officers of the Indian Army who show the righteous way to their men with personal example both in war and peace. Since independence the officers who have passed out of the hallowed portals of this Academy have given insurmountable accounts of bravery and made the ultimate sacrifice, be it in the four wars, the war in Kargil or in the ongoing counter terrorism/insurgency operations in J&K and North East. Since inception the sole aim of the academy has been to turn boys to men who are so baptized in the fire of combat that never can any situation prevent them from achieving honour and glory. Nation before self — always and every time, I believe has been the singular and important achievement of the IMA. It is this ethos that has been imbibed in the heart and soul of every officer who have always made our country proud in the battlefield or otherwise. The IMA War Memorial bears testimony to the outstanding bravery of 813 brave hearts who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the country. It has been reported in the press on various occasions that the December 2010
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The sacrifices made by soldiers towards the cause of the Nation against external and internal threats is recounted and commemorated at memorial services organised at the Academy. The War Memorial at the Academy epitomises the valour of the martyrs and is a major source of motivation for Gentlemen Cadets who will embark upon defending the borders of our country on passing out from IMA.
Indian Army is facing a deficiency of officers joining its ranks. Is this assessment correct? If so, what steps are being taken to remedy it? With ever-increasing and growing job avenues in the corporate world due to globalisation, there has certainly been a certain divergence of talent from the Armed Forces as such. However, this will never be an excuse for us to dilute our intake standards. As such, no compromise on the quality of intake — this has been the important and irrevocable term of reference for the services selection boards. Yes there is indeed a shortage of officers, but the challenge is being met with available officers doing double/ triple hatting. However with enhanced promotional and monitory benefits, career in the Armed forces has rekindled the charm of soldering among the youth. While the Armed Forces are doing their bit, this issue has to be addressed at the highest level in the nation so that the challenge is met squarely.
The Indian Army is increasingly involved in internal security duties nowadays. Has the IMA introduced some specialised training in this regard? Yes certainly, training is dynamic and futuristic. It is all encompassing to ensure that, it caters for varied threat manifestations for which the training curriculum is regularly updated. The training at the IMA is multidimensional and caters to the entire spectrum of conflict which an Indian Army Officer is likely to face at any stage in his service life. The young officers on passing out from this Academy are capable of facing all types of challenges.
What would you spell out as the ethos of the Indian Military Academy? The ethos never needs to be spelt out as it is imprinted in the heart and mind of one and all who has passed out through the august portals of this great institution. The IMA credo imbibed in each individual speaks for itself.
What are the new aspects of training being introduced in the Academy, given the tendency of push-button warfare nowadays? Revolution in military affairs is a constant ongoing process. The graduation from platform centric-warfare to network centric warfare is underway in the Indian Army. Presently, it is at a semi optimised stage of incorporation into our way of life in the defence forces and the same has obviously been catered for in the training schedule here at the IMA to enhance the technological threshold of the Gentleman Cadets. Also due impetus towards combat shooting skills has been given and Gentlemen Cadets are put through battle drills employing simulators and modern equipment to improve their reflex shooting. Adequate changes in the training programme have been made, so as to provide them the required technical and electronic know-how, so as to provide the basic platform from where they can progress further as and when they join their particular arms or service.
The safety, honour and welfare of your country come First always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you Command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come Last always and every time. Besides the credo the Code of Warrior and honour Code have been enunciated which embodies the Karma of a soldier and his responsibilities towards the Nation. “I am a warrior, defending my nation is my dharma I will excel in all devices and weapons of war present and future. I will always protect the weak. I will be truthful and forthright. I will be humane, cultured and compassionate. I will fight and embrace the consequences, willingly. “God give me strength that i ask nothing of you” www.geopolitics.in
Could you shed some light on the strength of the Indian Military Academy? Presently the IMA has adequate training and administration capacity to accommodate 2000 Gentlemen Cadets.
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CHALLENGES OF MODERNISATION
GENDER WATCH Even after getting entry into the paramilitary forces, women continue to face many prejudices
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CISF to guard Jamnagar refinery AN ELITE commando contingent of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is now manning one of the world’s largest refinery complexes owned by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. In view of the security threats to vital installations of national importance, the Centre had amended the CISF Act to provide security cover to leading private establishments, regardless of their private domain. RIL’s refinery complex situated in Jamnagar is a vital asset of national economic importance. It is believed to have been one of the prime targets of terror strikes. CISF, through its 217 elite combat commando contingent, has pledged to protect the refinery complex.
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Paramilitary troops debate security and human rights THE BORDER Security Force knows how to make its points in these turbulent times when there are mounting demands for scrapping the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the country. It bagged the first award in the annual debate organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and conducted by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on November 17 at the national capital. The dabate was on whether human rights and security-related duties could go hand-in-hand. The debate is conducted since 1996 to promote human rights awareness amongst security personnel. A total of 64 police officers from Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG, RPF and SSB participated in the competition, which was titled “Human Rights can be observed by security forces without compromising national security concerns”. While 32 officers spoke against the topic, 32 others spoke for the topic. Some speaking for the topic said human rights are not an obstacle. They are a guiding tool. By following them forces can win the hearts and mind of the common population. They can win their confidence and loyalties, through which, they can get intelligence and support base among the local
Centre to check anti-Maoist fund THE HOME Ministry has planned audits to find out whether state governments have properly used funds given to them for combating Maoists. A request for proposal (RFP) for a comprehensive study of fund use has recently been floated by Ministry of Home Affairs. The organisation that gets selected to do this work would have to get ground-level feedback about the utilisation of central funds. Under the central reimbursement scheme,
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population. The others who spoke against the topic said security personnel who get killed by terrorists and militants also have human rights and they should be protected. NHRC Chairman K G Balakrishnan gave away the awards while paramilitary chiefs of forces like ITBP, NSG and CISF were present during the event.
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Maoist-affected states are paid for the costs incurred on anti-Maoist operations. This includes money spent for paying compensation to civilians, setting-up of village defence committees, rehabilitation of hardcore, underground Maoist cadres, propaganda and logistics for fighting Maoists forces. The study will check the speed of fund use, the security environment created by the states for optimum utilisation, and the effect the antiMaoist scheme has had on the morale of security forces.The central scheme has been running for the past eight years in the Maoist-affected states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A total of 81 districts across nine states are covered under this scheme. Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have 15 districts each for which the Centredispenses money. Three districtsfrom Maharashtra — Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia — alsoget cover. As per the RFP, “All districts in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will be reviewed, whereas in the remaining states the study would be required to review just 50 per cent of districts.” December 2010
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Marrying technology to tackle crime! UNION HOME Minister P Chidambaram has stressed the need for capacity building by providing adequate police personnel to man the police stations in the country and promised adequate funds with matching technology to tackle crime rates in the country. By March this year, there were 400,000 vacancies in all police stations in the country. It is not as if India cannot find 400,000 personnel. But the Home Minister is of the view that the problem is due to the fact that in many states, finance ministers are loathe to allocate funds to police. ‘Unless we marry technology and police, the
COASTAL SECURITY UP AFTER 26/11: HOME MINISTER P Chidambaram has said coastal security has been strengthened in the country after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Chidambaram said the government has identified all the gaps and will plug these in a phased manner through the coastal security scheme. The scheme aims to provide assistance to nine coastal states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal — and four coastal union territories of Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The first phase of the scheme, operational since 2005, will end March next year. “Phase-II which will be launched thereafter will considerably strengthen infrastructure in terms of boats, police stations, jetties, vehicles, equipment and trained personnel,” the Home Minister added. The scheme also provides for setting up 73
However, he cautioned that in the name of innovation, the concept of community policing should not be trivialised, as there are good as well as bad examples of community policing. Giving examples he said the 'Salwa Judum' movement in Chhattisgarh where young men of the community were given arms to counter serious internal threats and in West Bengal where political party cadres had been armed to counter the threat of Maoists are two bad examples of community policing. Police cannot abdicate their responsibility for private militia, he said. The 'Janamaitriyi Suraksha Project (JSEP) in Ker-
coastal police stations, 97 checkposts, 58 outposts and 30 operational barracks. So far, 71 coastal police stations have been operationlised and construction of 75 checkposts, 54 outposts and 22 barracks completed, while 158 boats were delivered to coastal states up to the end of last month, he added.
police personnel will remain far behind law breakers', he said recently while inaugurating the three day International conference on 'Global Community Policing Conclave' being attended by police personnel from 42 countries. There is so much intelligence information pouring in and there is need to analyse the same to keep pace with time, he said adding, unfortunately this area is neglected.
ala and Delhi's 'Eyes and Ears' are good examples of community policing, which had helped in crushing crime rates, he said. Stressing the need for “authentic” community policing, he said that it could be possible if it is an exercise in trust which, in turn, can be built only among partners who are equal. It is important for community policing to address the requirements of neighbourhood and beyond the neighbourhood.
NATGRID on anvil
have been picked up in one particular state and it has taken almost a month before the police force in that state has obtained information about the detainee from his home state, resulting in investigation delays. Natgrid, which is proposed to be launched next May, will ensure that police officers feed information about individuals into a database. Officers from other states can log in and access this information. It will compile information about every citizen in the country, not criminals alone. It will have information about the citizen's bank accounts, her/his fingerprints, property s/he owns etc.
A MOVE is on to set up a NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid) to ensure better exchange of information between security agencies across the country. It has been necessitated due to the realization by the Union Home Ministry that the lack of inter-state coordination and informationsharing between police officers is one of the important reasons why terror-related investigations in India are often botched up. There have been instances where individuals www.geopolitics.in
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INTERNAL SECURITY
BlackBerry nears a deal on data
THE GOVERNMENT and the makers of BlackBerry phones, Research In Motion Ltd (RIM), seem to have moved closer to an agreement on lawful access and monitoring of the highly encrypted BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) that allows the exchange of secure corporate emails among BlackBerry phone users. It is believed that BlackBerry has in principle agreed to provide the security authorities recorded data from its servers. A series of meetings has taken place over the last one month between executives of Canadabased RIM and officials of the Home Ministry, Intelligence Bureau and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO). The government has fixed December 31 as the deadline by which the company has to agree on sharing its data. The government has been demanding access to BES and other encrypted BlackBerry message services, as it fears, they could be used to plan terrorist attacks. RIM has already given in to the demand for access to the BlackBerry Messenger Service. Home Ministry officials say they have been provided manual access to the service, and RIM has assured a final solution for lawful interception of the messenger service by January 31. The company offered a technical solution to BES after the government set a August 31 deadline. The deadline was later extended, but meetings between government officials and RIM executives could not take place. Officials were busy, initially due to the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and then in preparation for the November 6-9 visit of US President Barack Obama. RIM has been saying it does not have the ability to change the BES server’s security architecture, which is the same globally. BlackBerry has more than a million subscribers in India, which is its fastest — growing market in terms of subscriber additions. December 2010
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GEOPOLITICS
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HALF-HEARTED EFFORT Modernisation of central paramilitary forces (CPF) has been going on for now almost a decade. The positive changes are clearly visible but the complete makeover is a distant dream. The gap between requirement and availability of resources is still wide. The challenges are more sophisticated and diverse, which call for acceleration in modernisation of forces in all aspects. A special report
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BEST AMONG EQUALS: NSG security force needs greater push in modernisation to tackle growing terrorism
M
ARCH THIS year the police modernisation plan came to an end after eight years without achieving its full objective. What began with sanctioning of 3740 crore in 2002 for period of five years was extended for another five years (see box) The first duty of the government is to provide security to its people, without which no development is possible. The centre has been forced to substantially increase the strength of its paramilitary forces, because the state forces could not be augmented and modernised to the desired level. In my estimate, states would have to recruit over 400,000 constables this year and in the next two years in order to fill the vacancies and in order to provide for expansion of the police forces. “The massive expansion of central paramilitary forces is indicative of inadequacies of state police. The police-population ratio in the country is much lower than the desired level
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of 220 and there is also wide variation among the states. This is not a good sign for the federal structure,” said Home Minister P Chidambaram during a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the Home Ministry. Any force, to keep up with the threats perceived and existent, must modernise with time. The current threats that our CPFs face vary from Naxal in the jungles of central India to terrorism in metropolitan cities. To achieve overall superiority against these threats, augmentation of the capability was envisaged in the modernisation plan. In this plan money was sanctioned for the upgradation in weaponry, machinery, equipment, transport, communication, surveillance, training, clothing and shelter. The fighting capability of any force doesn’t only depends upon the weapons they have but requires mentally and physically better-trained police, which has quick and safe modes of transport and accurate situaDecember 2010
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EXUDING PHYSICAL STRENGTH: ITBP personnel showing their martial arts skill tional awareness to make accurate plan. The increased efficiency reduces the mortality of men and time taken in the operation. But what is worth mentioning is that since 2002 when the modernisation plan was sanctioned the threat has increased and manifested in newer, deadlier and technically more sophisticated forms but the plan which was suppose to be completed in 2005 has not achieved its objective even before expiring in March this year. Reasons for the lapse of funds are many. The cost of this incompletion in terms of loss of human life both civilian and security personal is worth researching. Similarly the economic impact of this incompletion is worth an effort. The overall utilisation of these funds by CPFs varies, which suggests that some organisations are more efficient than the other. This efficiency could be in terms of quick assessment of the requirement and timely procurement of the required assets. With just 1.95 per cent of unspent fund Indo-Tibet Border Police tops the chart followed by CISF with 4.93. CRPF and Assam Rifle, the two main counter-insurgency force of India has 13.7 and 22.84 per cent of unutilised fund respectively. BSF, SSB and NSG have 33.62, 36.04 and 42.47 respectively of unutilised fund. Post-26/11 the under utilisation for NSG, the premier counterinsurgency force of India is the most disturbing. “One of the reasons for this is the inability of the forces to think at a macro level, ahead, five to ten years. They are focussed simply on the present,” said a senior official in the www.geopolitics.in
MADHYA PRADESH, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orrisa, Assam, Meghalaya have topped the chart of shortage of police officers in the country. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is a shortage of 630 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in India now. Currently, India has 3,383 IPS officers against the authorised strength of 4,013. Whereas there is a shortage of 76 such officers in Madhya Pradesh, the figure is 60 in Orissa. In Uttar Pradesh, out of an authorised strength of 404 IPS officers, there are currently 346 officers in the state, making a shortage of 58. The combined AssamMeghalaya cadre has a shortage of 48 officers, whereas in Andhra Pradesh, 41 IPS can be accommodated according to authorised strength. At present, 122 IPS officers of 2009 batch are undertaking training at NPA. In order to increase the number of IPS officers, recommendations of Kamal Kumar Committee have been taken seriously. The strength and composition of the state cadres have already been reviewed and the total cadre strength was raised to 4730. The annual batch size of regular recruits has been increased to 150 from 130 earlier, from 2009 onwards, according to Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha recently.
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Home Ministry who declined to be named. There are two major administrative and procedural flaws in the system, which contribute to unspent and misuse of funds — the procurement process and non-exclusivity of fund. It has been found that forces have used funds from general budget and modernisation budget to purchase same equipments. The decision regarding this has been taken by the finance dept of the forces. For example Assam Rifle has bought genset both from regular and modernisation budget. Similarly radio sets, JCB Tipper and bullet-proof jackets were bought from both funds. In the same way CISF has also bought Carbine and Insas Rifles. No one knows how this discretion is made on what to be brought from where and how much. In fact the modernisation budget should not include goods which are available through regular budget. The process of acquisition is marred with bureaucratic hurdles. The process is cumbersome and time consuming to an extent where the whole purpose gets defeated. Any purchase which is beyond DGs competence has to be approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and this becomes a timeconsuming process. Before giving any approval MHA asks for numerous clarifications and justifications for the said purchase at every level and this is a time-taking procedure. On top of this, there are quality requirement issues. For any purchase a QR is made, which doesn’t have a set time frame, thus if the product has not been selected, and if new improved version appears in the market the quarter is revised. This has become an annual affair. There should be a time frame for every QR. The bureaucratic control over the forces, on the matter of purchase, has been the main culprit. The MHA is authorised to approve the item to be purchased at the time of launch of the scheme, now many of those items have become upgraded. To get these next generation items approval is required from MHA. The idea of ‘pre-defined’ item for purchase has to be done away with as this causes delays and products become obsolete by the time they are purchased. But in the meantime the adversaries do not waste time and acquire the latest. Thus the gap remains between desired and existing capabilities. Procurement of the latest weapons is not modernisation. Any force which is not ahead of its adversary will never be able to ensure law and order and security. The overall infrastructure and human resource is needed to be upgraded. A level of dynamism has to be achieved where forces are capable of planning as per their assessment of the future threats. December 2010
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g INTERNALSECURITY THE GOVERNMENT has approved a five-year plan (2002-07) for modernisation of six central para military forces Assam Rifle (AR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Forces (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Security Guard (NSG) at an estimated const of ` 3740.71 crore in February 2002. Separately, the government also approved a
Name of the Force
2007-08
three-year plan (2005-08) for modernisation of Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) at an estimated cost of `444.43 crore in April, 2005. The government also approved the extension of both the above plans up to 31.03.2011. The force-wise funds utilised during each of the last three years and the current year force-wise are given below:-
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11 (Up to August 2010)
Assam Rifle
10.65
34.15
43.60
83.0
BSF
176.50
53.84
148.31
57.5
CISF
2.83
0.90
0.41
0.0
CRPF
5.08
0.00
25.50
6.9
ITBP
0.28
5.64
12.21
2.0
NSG
14.72
3.33
9.99
0.2
SSB
55.60
21.94
33.38
1.2
Total
265.66
119.80
273.40
150.8
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Mullappally Ramachandran in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
The process should be a constant and ongoing process based on threat perceptions emerging, existing and expected, but this doesn’t seems to be happening. Every paramilitary force must have a dedicated well-trained group to do this work. It has also been found that there is dearth of qualified technical staff in the CPF,s which can be used for the evaluation and procurement of modern equipments. The different forces operate in very close areas and also have similar requirements. The
forces must try to buy generic equipment which can be used by all the forces. For example, if assault rifles are to be bought what is the point to buy different ones by different forces. Any one assault rifle can be selected after due trials and should be procured for everyone. This would be economical as well as easy to maintain the inventory. In one assessment of modernisation in CPFs, recommendations have been made to improve the current procedure. The report has found the modernisation scheme very useful and should be continued. It has accepted that the failure in exploiting the sanctioned fund is a proof that there is need for altering the way in which scheme is built. Extension of scheme by five years has not helped in full utilisation of sanctioned fund which to proves some thing is seriously wrong. More flexibility has been advised for the scheme. Cabinet approval only for total amount for each force with its details, but List of items shouldn’t be part of the approval. The allocation of funds to forces under the operational heads must be KEEPING THE STRICT VIGIL: The retained by MHA. The forces can send the paramilitary force jawan removing a stranger likely requirement which can be sent to cabito facilitate the voters waiting outside a net for approval instead of entire list of items. polling booth Recommendation for a high power com-
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mittee to allocate funds for two years at the beginning of the financial years has been made. The committee should comprise of Home secretary, DG of CPFs, Joint Secretary (Police Modernisation, DG Bureau of Police Research and development, Financial Advi sor ( Home) Joint Secretary( PF-1). Separate provision is required for acquisition from abroad. A permanent committee of DGs of CPF,s and BPR&D has been suggested which will act as technical consultant for latest technical gadgets available in the market. The recommendation sounds very strong on surface but there are couple of points that must be asked. Firstly, if the MHA allots the fund for the operational heads after the approval from the cabinet, then the same process of justification and clarification will go on as the forces will have to give reasons for the items purchased under the operational head. Secondly, the technical advisory committee of DGs doesn’t sound good as the technical competence of the respective CPFs is still available to forces. The DGs do not have the technical know-how of the latest weaponry and other system which they have neither used nor have any training in this regard. Young officers should be trained for this purpose with DRDO and armed forces. December 2010
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GETTING WOMEN ON BOARD Are women good for tougher paramilitary and military duties? India has taken several steps forward in this complex process in spite of the unresolved issues that concern women in the forces. S BANERJEE analyses
I
NDIAN SOCIETY is undergoing fundamental changes in which the women are coming out more and more in the social arena and finding their place in the society shoulder to shoulder with the men. There is not only a growing awareness about their rights but they are also eager to participate equally with the men in the ever-changing social scenario and are participating with them in all types of social activities including demonstrations and even in riots. These types of activities sometimes lead to violence which calls for a new system of policing to be put in place. One of the most
important components in this context, amongst others, would be the need to have more police women to deal with the women demonstrators; otherwise if men were to deal with this work then this would lead to widespread allegations which would have very undesirable e men in the police forces and particularly in the paramilitary organisations which are involved in antiterrorist operations which also include cordon and search operations in the civilian areas. While recruiting women the police forces have to take care of certain basic issues:
ON THE FLIP SIDE: An ITBP woman constable keeping watch during Commonwealth Games, 2010
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„
It has to be recognised that the women have a different physiological and psychological makeup, which is biologically determined and is basically different from that of the men. „ Another important issue that needs to be addressed is the male prejudice that the women are not capable of performing the kind of tasks that their male counterparts can do. A study carried out of 183 police women in India in 1996 indicated that 50 per cent of the respondents believed that the women were less competent than the men in patrolling duties, surveillance, foot patrolling, dealing with crowds and dealing with situations when someone had a lethal weapon and interviewing male suspects. It also showed that the majority of the women police believed that they were more competent at clerical work, writing reports, interviewing female suspects, dealing with domestic disputes and with juvenile offenders, than with the patrolling duties. A study by The National Center for Women & Policing, California, US found that the women police officers in the USA utilised style of patrolling that relied less on physical force and more on communication skills that defused potentially violent situations. Women police officers were much more likely to effectively respond to police calls regarding violence against women. Although it is true that the women cannot undertake the kind of arduous and hazardous duties that the men can do, it is a fact that they are better in communication skills, use less force during agitations and generally have a more sobering effect in the force. In balance, the women are no less in December 2010
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g INTERNALSECURITY performing the tasks than the men. The fact that their representation in the police forces is less than 20 per cent in the world clearly indicates that the women are highly under-represented in the forces. In the civil police the women are more effective in dealing with juvenile delinquencies, victims of rape, child protection and in dealing with women prisoners and suspects. In this area, the men are far less effective than the women. This clearly indicates the need for better women’s participation in the forces and thus the need for more recruitment of the women personnel into the police. A study was conducted into the problems of, ‘Induction of women in the Central Police Forces - Their Impact on the Forces, and the Early Retirement Scheme’, under the aegis of the Bureau of Police Research and Development at Delhi’s Institute of Social Sciences. The study collected samples from amongst the personnel (412) of various ranks of the Central Police Forces (CPFs). Discussions were also held with the senior officers up to the Directors General of Police so as to elicit their views on various issues in this regard. A panel of doctors comprising gynecologists, physicians and a psychologist was also set up to look into the medical problems faced by the women personnel. Eminent sociologists were also consulted to understand the women’s point of view from the sociological angle. On the basis of these three parameters, the sample study, the report of the panel of doctors as well as discussions with the sociologists, revealed that the women personnel faced a number of problems during the course of their work. In order to study these specific problems, the service cycle of the women personnel was divided into the periods of 0-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-15 years and 16-20 years of service, coinciding with age groups of 18-25 years, 26-30 years, 3135 years and 36-40 years and above respectively. After 20 years of service all government servants are entitled to take voluntary retirement from service. Although women inductees are able to undergo the same kind of training as the men, they face certain basic problems. The women inductees who have not undergone group activities like the NCC, or sport meets and join the training centres which are far away from their homes, face, what the psychologists term as, the ‘separation anxiety’. They feel great tension and adjustment www.geopolitics.in
A SILVER LINING: The Ist Mahila CT/GD taking oath at passing-out parade and attestation ceremony, at ITBP Basic Training Centre, Bhanu, Haryana, on January 29, 2010 disorder resulting in anxiety, depression and at times fear psychosis. This problem can be addressed if the authorities arrange for counseling and familiarisation courses at the initial stages so that the inductees feel more at ease in their new surroundings. Apart from this, the inductees also face problems particularly during the outdoor trainings. A major problem arises because of the lack of separate toilet facilities and other amenities like changing rooms, etc. The tough physical training also causes problems for them. Other issues like the
rude behaviour of the male instructors who sometimes use abusive language and also have a lack of understanding of their physical problems like the monthly periods, also add to their stress. The absence of female instructors is another factor that causes problems for the women trainees. The indoor training programmes, however, do not cause any major problems as these are held mainly inside clasrooms where the basic amenities are available. An important issue that the women face all through their careers pertain to the inter-personal issues like the attitudinal
UNIFORM ISSUES A MAJOR problem that comes about during the pre-natal and post-natal stages is regarding wearing the prescribed tight uniform. The study revealed that there are no formal orders issued by any of the CPFs for the women personnel to wear any other uniform during these times. Some of the CPFs have however issued administrative orders locally, allowing the women personnel to wear salwar-kameez or sarees during these periods. Keeping in mind these issues, the Bureau of Police Research & Development had conducted a study entitled, 'Alternative Uniform for Officers in Advanced Stage of Pregnancy' and had sent its recommendations to the Ministry of
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Home Affairs, in which an alternative uniform had been suggested for the women personnel at these stages. The BPR&D has recommended the wearing of khaki saree or khaki salwar-kameez and alternatively khaki jacket, short sleeved for summer and long sleeved for winter, with black/brown rubber-soled shoes as these would be more comfortable for the pregnant women. The recommendations of the BPR&D are worth considering and formal orders in this regard need to be issued by the government so that there is uniformity about the uniforms during these stages and it is not left to the whims and fancies of any commandants. December 2010
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IN BIG NUMBERS PARAMILITARY FORCES have been inducting women in their ranks and training them for combat duties. The forces train women as commandos and deploy them along the IndoPakistan border, in volatile Liberia, as guards in Rashtrapati Bhawan and as crack personnel guarding the Delhi Metro. The CISF that has over 5 per cent women on its rolls, with over 4,000 women in its ranks, has a platoon of only woman commandos serving in the Special Security Group ( SSG), which guards high-profile VIPs. These personnel are specially trained in handling Glock pistols and sophisticated MP5 submachine gun/carbine. All CISF women serving at airports and the Delhi Metro are fully trained in assault duties and work shoulder to shoulder with our men. The Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF) has sent an all-woman contingent to Liberia for the third year in running on a United Nations (UN) mission. This unit has earned accolades from the UN for encouraging Liberian women to join the local police there. Most women, who have gone to Liberia, are married and have children, who they have left behind. We made a decision not to send any woman with a child less than six months as we felt the child needed her. The women on mission have made adjustments with their family life just like our men on foreign missions.. In 2009 Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram inducted women into the Border Security Force. The first batch of 178 women in Punjab, who have since been posted on the India-Pakistan border. Buoyed by the encouragement, the BSF decided to induct 640 more women into its ranks for border duties. According to a BSF officer, the women have undergone a rigorous 38-week training in handling all modern arms, ammunition and explosives as well as in advanced combat like their male counterparts. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police to, will induct 218 women soon for guarding the President and the Rashtrapati Bhawan. “These woman commandoes can handle arms such as the AK- 47 and light machine guns and are trained to counter a terror attack,” an ITBP officer said. However, the government has ruled out any women officers post for select paramilitary forces even as a significant number of women were recently recruited in lower ranks of some of the border-guarding forces. The new notification issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which recruits entry-level officers for central police forces, will make it impossible for any women officer to head the almost 2,000 young women personnel in the combat ranks of three of the borderguarding forces.
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The UPSC has notified that women applicants for these entry-level officer posts are ineligible for border-guarding forces of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Border Security Force (BSF). “Both males and females are eligible for CISF and CRPF. For SSB, BSF and ITBP only male candidates are eligible,” the notification for recruitment of Assistant Commandants for the five para-military forces said on May 29. Incidentally, the above mentioned forces started recruiting women constables for their active duties along borders for the first time since the last year but the all-women battalions and companies are still commanded by male officers. The forces had recruited women constables in their ranks with huge fanfare and Home Minister P. Chidamabaram had commissioned the maiden women batches for ITBP and BSF. The government has recently notified the Recruitment Rules for Central Police Forces Assistant Commandants (ACs) Examination 2010, held on October 24 this year. This is the entry-level exam for officers in these forces. Initially recruited as ACs, the officers rise to become Deputy Commandants and Commandants of an operational company (100 personnel) or a full battalion (1,000 personnel) subsequently. While the BSF, guarding Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, has about 700 women in its ranks, the SSB, which secures the Nepal and Bhutan borders, has been sanctioned 763 women constables posts. The ITBP, deployed along Sino-Indian border, recruited about 354 women. The government is also planning to raise a full-fledged women’s battalion in these forces so that the unit retains its individuality and performs its distinct role, while genderspecific requirements of the paramilitary forces are also met. 425 women constables of the First Women Battalion of police of north India passed out from the Sakoh police training centre of Dharamsala in Himachal. It is the 5th newly raised India Reseve Battalion (IRB) which was formally inducted into Himachal Pradesh State Police on successful completion of their training. Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, took salute of an impressive parade of the newly raised First Women Battalion, Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, said that the state government had got sanctioned three additional IRBs for the state out of which 5th Battalion was the First Women Battalion of the State which was a step directed towards women empowerment. He said that the state government had deployed three women constables in every police station to facilitate women complainants.
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problems of their male colleagues which include display of ego, jealousy and other negative behavioural problems and to an extent the absence of women-friendly office environment, leading to mental and sexual harassment. During the research study, the respondents expressed the view that conducting gender sensitization programmes would be a very good way of dealing with this basic problem. Such programmes should include group discussions, couselling, training on psychology, cooperation, coordination as well as lectures on morality and ethics. An interesting point that emerged from the study was that while a very large number of women felt that they could perform different types of duties efficiently, almost an equal number of men also shared this view. In other words, if in the given circumstances where the men and women work together, the men had a positive view of the working capabilities of their female counterparts. The study also revealed that while there were problems of women performing tough physical jobs, as well as performing duties on the borders and in the operational areas, the overall positive thinking among both men and women was that the women could perform various types of duties in an efficient way, they were honest and dedicated in their work and that a mixed workforce led to better efficiency. This is an encouraging finding because such a positive outlook could eventually help in dealing with the overwhelming male prejudices about the capabilities of their female counterparts. We have discussed the problems the women personnel face during training, as also the attitudinal problems of their male colleagues. During the discussions with the sociologists it was suggested that in order to develop the women personnel to their full potential, they may be put through training programmes like the Springboard Training Programme. This training programme is targeted at the women who are in the supervisory as well as non-managerial positions to move up to the managerial cadres. This training programme includes skills and understanding self, balancing home and work in managerial ways, improving their image, becoming assertive, developing better inter-personal relations, communications skills, managing stress and time better, achieving the set goals, and so on. (The author is a former DGP, ACB, Gujarat) Courtesy - BPRD December 2010
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DIPLOMACY
THE NEXT LEVEL
Consolidating the India-France partnership
RUSSIA’S RELATIONS WITH INDIA ARE UNIQUE
CHINESE IMAGE: DRAGON OR LOONG?
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MATURE
PARTNERSHIP
From being mere friendship, the India-France relationship has matured and blossomed in the last ten years into one that is strategic in nature. President Sarkozy’s visit will only further consolidate this relationship, writes CLAUDE ARPI
D
URING A RECENT visit in Delhi, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the French Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), quoted Kautilya: “An unfailing ally is one who receives and provides help because of old bonds, friendship and generosity.” At a press conference, the CDS explained that India and France not only “share similar ideals of freedom, democracy and cultural diversity”, but the two countries have also common objectives, namely “a safer world, a better-managed Indian Ocean and a more stable Afghanistan.” Guillaud recalled that 400 Indian jawans passed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Nicolas Sarkozy marching down the Champs Elysées in Paris on the occasion of the French National Day (July 14, 2009). Was it not a symbol of the closeness between the two nations? www.geopolitics.in
The visit of the CDS was part of the preparation for the State visit of President Sarkozy to India in December. Guillaud pointed out that France and India “have similar aspirations because we share the same ideals, the same values and the same vision of the world. That’s why we are true partners!” But to grasp the intricacies of Indo-French relations, it is necessary to have a look at some historical issues.
THE COLONIAL FACTOR
A STRONG BOND: India and France now have a dynamic partnership
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A factor which weighed heavily in the Indo-French relations is the colonial era’s hangover. While the British left the subcontinent in August 1947, the French remained present in Pondicherry (now Puducheri) and four other tiny establishments. For several reasons, Paris could not immediately follow the British example, though it later became increasingly difficult for both nations to come out of their entrenched December 2010
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ASSESSMENT positions. For France, to find an honourable exit and return the suzerainty over the French establishments was not an easy task. Only the wisdom and the determination of the French Premier Pierre Mendès-France in 1954 saved both nations from a longer and unpleasant conflict. The fate of the French establishments in India was mainly linked to the situation in other French colonies, particularly in Indochina and North Africa. The de facto transfer of the French establishments was linked with the fate of the Geneva Conference on Indochina and the de jure transfer was ratified by the Parliament soon after the Evian Agreement on Algeria. These elements, external to the bilateral relations between India and France played an important historical role.
THE DEFENCE RELATIONS: FIRST PHASE: 1947-1962 Due to the French colonial presence on the subcontinent, the relations did not start too well, though as early as January 1947, the French Government asked for a ten-year extension of the 1945 agreement permitting military air ferries to fly across India; in July 1947 the Agreement on Air Services between India and France was signed. For Paris, it was an important strategic link to Indochina. By the end of year, an interesting development occurred. Nehru was “anxious to help in every way in developing atomic energy in India”. He decided to unofficially send Dr Homi Bhabha to enquire about the possibility of collaboration for the peaceful use of atomic energy. Homi Bhabha had extremely
Rafale fighter aircraft
cordial contacts with Frédéric JoliotCurie and Raoul Dautry, the first heads of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), founded by General de Gaulle in 1945. Joliot-Curie was at that time doing research on two materials: beryllium and thorium. Though Nehru believed in the programme ‘Atoms for Peace’, he considered nuclear collaboration as discriminatory. Why countries with colonial territories should use raw material looted from these colonies for their research, he thought. This brought a halt to a possible collaboration. The French armament sales during this first phase were relatively large despite these factors. Some 49 Ouragan fighter planes (produced by Dassault Aviation), 110 Mystère and 12 Alizée (of Bréguet Aviation) were in service in the Indian Air Force in 1962. In 1957, the Army had bought 150 French AMX 13 light tanks. On September 22, 1962, General de Gaulle received Nehru in Paris. Nehru congratulated him for the settlement of the Algerian crisis as well as the ratification of the cession of the French Establishments in India. Four weeks later, the Chinese treacherously
STRONG DEFENCE TIES: French Defence Minister Herve Morin in conversation with former Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor. Also seen in the picture: Chief of Air Staff, P V Naik and Chief of the Naval Staff, Nirmal Verma
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attacked India.On October 27, Nehru called French Ambassador JeanPaul Garnier to tell him that it is ‘an invasion pure and simple’. A month later (a few days after the cease fire), the Indian Ambassador Ali Javar Jung met de Gaulle to thank him for the support spontaneously offered by Paris during these difficult times. The General told the Ambassador that he considered India a friend.
PHASE 2: 1963-1971 On January 31, 1964, French foreign policy took a new turn. President de Gaulle decided to recognise the People’s Republic of China. France had found a new friend. This ‘independent’ attitude of the French government was in many ways similar to the one advocated by Nehru, minus, of course, the Force de frappe (in French, ‘Strike Force’ for nuclear deterrence). Unfortunately for the two nations, this did not translate into a significant improvement in the Indo-French relations. France remained a friend, not an ally. During the period between 1962 and 1971, the French sales mainly pertained to Alizé aircraft, AS-30 air-to-surface missiles, Entac and SS-11/AS-11 anti-tank missiles. Operation Gibraltar, launched in August 1965 by Pakistan to infiltrate the State of Jammu and Kashmir and foment an insurgency in the Valley, triggered a new conflict between India and Pakistan. During the short war in September 1965, France followed the US’s leadership and imposed an arm embargo against the belligerents. It should however be noted that Paris continued to supply spare parts for French aircraft.The ‘commercial’ attitude of the French government was not always appreciated by its Western allies, but it enhanced France’s image in Delhi who December 2010
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probably considered France the most reliable Western ‘friend’.
PHASE 3: 1971-1990 During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, France continued to be India’s friend (André Malraux, General de Gaulle’s senior minister alerted the public opinion about the extent of the massacres in East Pakistan and declared that he was ready to go to fight on their side). From 1971 till its collapse in 1989, the Soviet Union remained the first supplier of armament to India, France was the third (the British were second). The purchase of 150 Mirages 2000 was announced in December 1981 to counter the American F 16 ordered by Pakistan, but the final agreement was for 40 planes only. Since India needed the fighter aircraft quickly, the first part of an initial batch of 26 single-seaters and four two-seaters was shipped in 1985. The second part of this initial batch consisted of 10 more single-seaters with the M53-P2 engine, with these aircraft designated Mirage 2000H. A second batch of six Mirage 2000H single-seaters and three Mirage 2000TH two-seaters was shipped in 1987-1988. In 1986, nine more planes were ordered. By the end of 1982, India received its first Milans, the reputed Franco-German antitank guided missile. The Bharat Dynamics Limited started manufacturing them in January 1985 under license. Before President Mitterrand’s visit in February 1989, France concluded a contract for the feasibility study of the construction of an aircraft-carrier in the dockyards of Cochin for the Indian Navy; this project never fructified. What India considered to be one of the most-damaging aspect for the bilateral relations was Paris’ ambivalent relation with Pakistan. France keeping equidistance between India and Pakistan remained a serious bone of contention between Delhi and Paris during the following years. These are some of the events which influenced, in one way or another, the bilateral relations between the two nations during this period.
PHASE 4: 1991-2007: INDIA BECOMES A POWER TO RECKON The beginning of the 1990s witnessed a new economic birth for India. On the international stage, this period saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the chaos in Afghanistan which eventually led to the advent of the Taliban regime. Despite the disappearance of the Soviet Union and the world turning www.geopolitics.in
FRANCE IS IN THE FAVOUR OF INDIA FOR A PERMANENT SEAT IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL unipolar, the Russian Republic remained India’s main armament supplier. An interesting aspect of the 1990s is the tremendous boost in bilateral relations given by the visits of President Chirac in January 1998 and Prime Minister Vajpayee’s trip to Paris later in the year. The most striking feature was the setting-up of a framework for a strategic partnership. Chirac said that he had come to show that “France wanted to accompany India in its potent march (towards the future)”. Chirac’s words were not mere political niceties. When India conducted its nuclear tests in Pokhran in May, France was one of the few countries which did not condemn Delhi (or impose sanction). This was greatly appreciated in Delhi and when Prime Minister Vajpayee returned Chirac’s visit in October,
“THE CHIEF PROJECT UNDERWAY IS THE MANUFACTURE, UNDER LICENCE IN INDIA, OF SIX SCORPENE SUBMARINES AT MAZAGAON DOCKS, MUMBAI; IT IS A PROJECT TO WHICH WE FEEL TOTALLY COMMITTED, ALONGSIDE OUR INDIAN PARTNERS.” HERVÉ MORIN, FRENCH DEFENCE MINISTER
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the new strategic dialogue could take its first concrete step. The Indian Prime Minister announced: “President Chirac and I have decided to initiate a strategic dialogue between the two countries. Both countries share a perspective that the new world order has to be a genuine multi-polar world order.” These events set in motion a closer collaboration. From the friendship mentioned by de Gaulle, the relation had become a partnership. By putting proper structures in place, the dialogue was institutionalised.Though President Chirac’s visit to India in February 2006 was marred by the Clémenceau controversy, it further cemented the close relations between the two nations. On the eve of the visit, France’s ambassador Dominique Girard had summed up the relations: “The strategic partnership that they have forged with one another must be based on sound and coordinated defence systems.” In the past, France’s India policy has been dependant on many external factors: French colonial past in Indo-China and Africa, General de Gaulle’s ‘discovery’ of China, Paris’ alliance with other Western powers, etc., but since 1998, Paris has turned a fresh page. Today the policy of equidistance between Delhi and Islamabad, which hampered the ‘friendship’ between Paris and Delhi, is no more. After September 11, 2001, it became even more obvious that India and Pakistan could not be equated. France has many cards in her hand: one is her strong stand in favour of India for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council; another considerable advantage is of a close Indo-French collaboration in the nuclear field. France and India were the first nations to sign an agreement for cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. On the occasion of the 2008 visit of Dr Manmohan Singh to France, the document was inked by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission on September 30. The Joint Statement issued after the France-India Summit in Paris stated that President Sarkozy and Dr Manmohan Singh “reaffirmed the importance attached by both countries to their strategic partnership and their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas”. During the bilateral Summit both sides reiterated their intention to keep up the momentum of these top-level exchanges. Indo-French relations in the years to come will probably take a new qualitative turn, even if it does not always translate into direct arms sales. Apart from a collaboration December 2010
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ASSESSMENT for the civilian use of the atomic energy, which has gone a long way from the days of Homi Bhabha and Joliot-Curie, the area which is the most likely to expand, is the field of joint-ventures and delocalisation. In an interview with this writer, Mr. Hervé Morin, the French Defence Minister gave details of the on-going projects: “The chief project underway is the manufacture, under licence in India, of six Scorpene submarines at Mazagaon docks, Mumbai; it is a project to which we feel totally committed, alongside our Indian partners. Among other projects that have matured, one can cite the modernisation of the Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fleet; two joint development projects — the
collaboration: “As part of this partnership, we are, of course, extremely attentive to the comments or specific requirements that the Indian Air Force or the Ministry of Defence may send us.” Mr. Morin also insisted on the role that India should be playing in Afghanistan: “France considers the regional aspect to constitute an important factor for the settlement of the Afghan crisis. For historical, geographical and strategic reasons, India is a major player in the region. It therefore, unquestionably, has an important role to play. Its contribution to Afghanistan’s reconstruction has, moreover, been welcomed by the international community as it brings
President, “The refusal is, inter alia, related to French-Indian relations.” The signing of this contract would not serve the French interests in New Delhi, he said. Pakistan wanted electronic hardware and missiles for the JF-17 fighter aircrafts developed in collaboration with China (three French companies, OTE, Thales and MBDA were involved). The cancellation (or at least postponement) of the deal is probably linked to the contract for refitting the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fighter planes, which could be signed during Sarkozy’s visit. When President Sarkozy arrives in Delhi, the Indian Prime Minister will probably not use the same carpet that for the US Pres-
ADDING VALUE: French Scorpene submarines will provide fillip to India’s inadequate nuclear submarine fleet Maitri project for a surface-to-air defence missile system, and the Kaveri fighter aircraft engine; the supply of reconnaissance and observation helicopters or, in the slightly longer term, the second phase of six submarines.” When asked about the tender for purchasing 126 medium multirole combat aircraft and Dassault’s offer of the Rafale, the French Minister said: “The Rafale is an exceptional aircraft, which meets the needs of the Indian Air Force particularly well. I am sure that the field trials, completed in spring 2010, would have enabled the Indian Air Force and the Ministry of Defence to gauge fully the quality of this aircraft, which the French Air Force itself is equipped with”, but added the importance France attached to www.geopolitics.in
direct benefits to Afghanistan’s economic development, the well-being of the local people and the consolidation of the rule of law.” Though officially, Paris remains shy to speak about Pakistan (Morin repeated the same old tune: “Pakistan is an essential partner for fighting terrorism. Our dialogue with this country, including the military sphere, has but a single goal: reinforcement of Pakistani military capabilities for fighting radical extremists”), the Sarkozy government knows where its interests are. In April 2010, Paris decided to suspend a military contract worth $1.6 billion to Pakistan. The French daily, Le Monde wrote that the contract with Islamabad could have affected Indo-French strategic relations. The newspaper quoted an advisor to the French
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ident; he will certainly not receive Sarkozy and his wife at the airport, but hopefully the visit will have some substance. One of the problems with the United States being that with a hostile Congress, the President is not the master in his own country. This is not the case for France. Will ‘old bonds, friendship and generosity’ take new heights? One will have to wait the first week of December to know. But undoubtedly, President Sarkozy who would just have taken over the Presidency of the G20 will try to make this visit a historic one and not just because of his wife’s presence. (The author is French-born author, journalist, historian and Sinologist) December 2010
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DANCING WITH THE DRAGON China should not be misunderstood through the English-version of the word dragon, argues JI PING
SYMBOL OF FAITH: Dragon is truly entrenched in the social ethos of Chinese people.
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HE IMAGE of China is so closely linked with the Dragon that whenever we talk about China, the Dragon will spontaneously appear in our mind. That is partly because many
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Chinese people often use the term “Descendants of the Dragon” as a sign of ethnic identity, and the dragon is regarded as animal symbols for representation of the nation, just as the elephant was used among Indians, and the wolf
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was used among the Mongols. However, the concept of Dragon in China and other East Asian Countries is extremely different from that in the rest of the world that creates a misinterpretation of People’s Republic of China. December 2010
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AMBASSADORJOURNAL glance”. And “they give off a noise like the clashing of brass whenever they are burrowing under the earth, and from their crests, which are all fiery red, there flashes a fire brighter than a torch”.
DANCE WITH DRAGON
TALES OF TWO DRAGONS The English word “dragon” derives from Greek, meaning “a serpent of huge size”. The two most familiar interpretations of dragons are the European Dragon, derived from various European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the unrelated Chinese Dragon. The European Dragon is usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, or a snake with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and able to spit fire from mouths. Sometimes they also have bat-type wings growing from its back. Following discovery of how pterosaurs walked on the ground, some dragons have been portrayed without front legs and using the wings as front legs like pterosaur on the ground. European dragons exist in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe. Despite having wings, the dragon is generally depicted as having an underground lair or cave, making it an ancient creature of the earth element. European dragons are usually depicted as malevolent. Naturally, Westerners sometimes confuse the benevolent Chinese dragon with the aggressive Western dragon. In most of Indian friends’ perception, the Chinese Dragon is more or less equal to the European one. The Chinese Dragon is also a “fleet-footed” animal of the mountains that “can move faster than the swiftest river, so that nothing escapes them”, and “they have teeth as sharp and indestructible as those of the largest fishes”, “their eye is sunk deep under the eyebrow, and emits a terrible and ruthless www.geopolitics.in
As a matter of fact, the Chinese dragon has quite different characteristics and origins from those of the European one. In European-influenced cultures the dragon has aggressive, warlike connotations. An orthodox Chinese Dragon should be assembled by the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, the palms of a tiger and the ears of a cow. It symbolises power and excellence, valiancy and bravery, heroism and perseverance, nobility and divinity. A dragon overcomes obstacles until success is his. He is energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelligent and ambitious. Moreover, unlike the negative images associated with the Western Dragon, the Chinese Dragon is elegant, friendly, and wise. They are the angels in China. Instead of being hated, they are loved and worshipped. Temples and shrines have been built to honour them, for they control the rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. Many Chinese cities have pagodas where people used to burn incense and pray to dragons as Indian people pray to Hanuman or Ganesha. Chinese people believe the dragon is the ruler of rivers and lakes who could marshal clouds and rain. So, whenever there was a drought or flooding, people would pray the dragon for rain or no more rain. On the front covers of the old Chinese lunar calendars, there used to be words telling how many dragons would harness the flood that year. In the folk festive days, dragons also served as a symbol of joy and happiness. For example, there is dragon lantern festival in the New Year and dragon boat race on the fifth day of the fifth moon. For thousands of years, the Chinese
people have respected and liked dragons, regarding them as a symbol of the character and spirit of the Chinese nationalities. Therefore the term “descendants of the dragon” is used to refer to the entire Chinese nation. And dozens of Dragon tales suggest that dragon symbolize the spirits of the Chinese peoples. In Chinese daily language, only excellent and outstanding people are compared to dragon while incapable people with no achievements are compared with disesteemed creatures. A number of Chinese proverbs and idioms feature references to the dragon, for example, “Wangzhichenlong” (Hoping one’s son will become a dragon), i.e. be as successful and powerful as a dragon. Kungfu movie star, Jackie Chen, famous for his acrobatic fighting style is still very popular among the Indian fans, though only few of them know that his name actually means “Becoming Dragon”. If the Chinese dragon doesn’t symbolize strength, good luck and auspicious powers, who will like to have such a”terrible” name.
RENAME AND REBUILT If someone thinks the Chinese Dragon and the Western Dragon are the same, mainly because
they don’t know the culture background, but we also should not rule out the possibility of an anti-China political design. To label the Communist China as a Dragon with fire emitting from its mouth can easily mislead innocent people giving them the impression that the rising China is a potential threat. For example, a book recently published on Chinese military strategy improperly titled as “The Dragon’s Fire”. The China threat
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Photo courtesy: www.verythai.co.uk
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Photo courtesy: www.lantern-festival.com
TRUE SPIRIT: (Top) Dragon boat race; (bottom) the Water Dragon Lantern festival
theory is not only a byproduct of the tremendous economic growth, but also an intentionally misinterpretation of China’s image. They are very reluctant to believe that Chinese leadership’s call for a harmonious world is sincere. They’d rather believe China is a threat to other countries as the Dragon is a threat to the other creatures. Bhutanese use the same image of dragon as in China in their national flag and emblem, but who will title it as “The Dragon’s www.geopolitics.in
Fire” when we talk about Bhutanese military strategy? Chinese people will certainly not accept any propose to change its national symbol, since we love the legendary creature. If we are not able to change the set mind of those who believe in China threat and keen to demonize the country, we might be able to firstly change the mind of those who don’t know about the culture background, because people in this category are all peace loving people, they will accept the concept of the Chinese Dragon as a auspicious creature once they understand it cultural background. However, to understand the cultural background is not easy. Before education, what we can do now is that we can change
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the translation of Chinese Dragon into “Loong” to differentiate from the western Dragon. “Loong” is the pronunciation of “dragon” in Mandarin Chinese. The name will naturally arouse rich literary associations with the concept of longevity which is in fact one of features of Loong. By doing so, a correct image of the Chinese national symbol could be rebuilt. Most of people who misunderstand Chinese Dragon due to the incorrect information will possibly change their mind. Loong respects the others. Loong values cooperation. Loong promotes the concept of world harmony. In a word, Loong would be more peace loving than Dragon. China and India are great neighbors. On the occasion of celebration the 60 years anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, a new word shows the growing unity and friendship between China and India could also be created---Loongelephant or Haathiloong. We wish Loong and Haathi perfect cooperation and peaceful coexistence forever! (The writer is Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Delhi and a senior research fellow of the Chinese Center for Contemporary World Studies, Beijing.) December 2010
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India-Russia defence relations, in spite of the mixed contemporary perceptions, continue to be strong and focussed. DEBA R MOHANTY looks at the historic ties and the roadmap ahead
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ROM A mere $30 million worth of arms supply to India in 2002, the US has already agreed to supply or signed defence deals worth $11 billion in the last two years. Many defence deals with the US are also in pipeline. The current scenario gives sufficient indications that countries like the US, UK and France are emerging as major arms suppliers to India while countries like Israel and South Korea are fast emerging as military industrial collaborators in Indian defence industries apart from American, British and French companies. Since the resumption of full diplomatic ties in1992, Israel has in the last decade supplied $12 billion worth of weaponry to India and is already the second highest supplier to India. Even countries like South Korea which has recently bid in the LPD naval system has already signed MoUs with India for joint industrial collaborations in many military systems production. British supply of Hawks jet trainers and French Scorpene submarines have been instances of large multi-billion dollar deals that have been underway for the past few years and both countries also see India as a big
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opportunity for their defence companies. All these developments put together give an impression that the influence of Russia as the dominant arms supplier to India seems to be diminishing while that of others on the rise. Even, collaborative military industrial efforts with Indian companies seem to attract non-Russian companies more than the Russians would imagine. It appears that Russians are more depending on governmentto-government military transactions than expanding the larger defence relations to intra-company arrangements, including collaborative military R&D efforts. To sum up, perceptions seem real in the current context which gives rise to an assumption that the India-Russia defence relations are headed downhill while Russian peers in the Indian arms market are in ascendancy. Are then the prospects for Russia as a dominant military equipment supplier to India dim in future? Not really. Despite the hype and considerable attention toward other suppliers by India in recent times, its robust relationship with Russia will ensure that the latter’s influence will ‘certainly not’ wane in
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immediate (5-10 years), ‘may not’ be in medium (10 -25 years); and if Russia acts prudently then ‘perhaps never’ in long-term future. The bilateral relations would not suffer at the cost of any relationship that India may strive to improve with other major powers. Geopolitical calculations would suggest that India’s friendship with Russia would be independently nurtured despite much fluidity in international affairs.
FOUR ARGUMENTS Defence relations between two countries are determined by a host of factors. During the Cold War, alliance politics dominated strategic affairs whereby the two super-powers used to supply weapons to their respective allies or friends. This was also a period when dominant suppliers from either bloc were debarred from developing defence relations with countries from opposite camps. Countries like India which proclaimed independent foreign policy choices under the broader ‘non-alignment’ were left with hard choices for weapons acquisitions. India’s deepening defence relations with December 2010
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SPECIALFEATURE Soviet Union was thus criticised by the West while India had to make choices to either go for Soviet weaponry or build a formidable industrial base in an era of sanctions. Soviet help to India at a critical juncture in its history was a bi-product of mutual understanding between the two political leaderships, interestingly dominated by Communists in Soviet Union and Congress party’s long innings in India. As mutual political understanding between the two countries played out in larger global politics, it was obvious that both countries would deepen their defence relations. It is this mutual trust in each other that has stood the tests of time and will continue to be so in future. What are the major factors in the IndiaRussia relations that have not only withstood tests of time but also evolved in such a manner that the foundations of the relationship have actually gone deeper? A set of four arguments are advanced here for further debate.
First, there does not appear to be any major conflictual geo-strategic issues between the two countries which could mar their political relations in the contemporary times. In fact, Russia and India have common interests on major international issues. India’s aspiration to be in the high table is not opposed by Russia. The India-US civil nuclear deal and the entry into civil nuclear trade has been supported by Russia all along, knowing fully well that it would benefit considerably in this area of activity. Second, no other country has such a long defence relationship with India where defence supply has been central to the bilateral relations. Western European countries were dominant suppliers for slightly more than a decade from late 1940s till early 1970s. The US supplied a few systems during this period but after that it fully stopped its supply. It was only during the mid-1990s that Israel started supplying systems to India. Even in the case of Israel, very few big items have been purchased although of late its role in supply of critical technologies and involvement in programmes like UAVs, military electronics and avionics merit attention. It is only after India decided to open up its private sector for participation in defence production and enlarging its basket of choices in defence acquisitions that major suppliers like France, UK and the US have started coming in. Three primary factors — degree of politico-strategic relations, exports regulations and imparting or sharing of knowledge — typify a robust defence relationship between two www.geopolitics.in
countries. Except for Russia, none other supplier has reached a level whereby India can afford to look forward for a reliable strategic partnership. Russia is still ahead of others in this context. Third, India-Russia defence relations have already become mature which normally comes in alliance politics like Anglo-Saxon model or very special relationship like USIsrael. Very few parallel examples can be found in case of other countries like the ones that Russia has developed with India. All major purchases from Russia from T90, MiGs, Su-30s to Admiral Gorshkov and Nerpa suggest the range of products that a country can sell to anybody, which is indeed exceptional. Russia as a special country is willing to help in indigenous systems like nuclear submarines which other countries would hesitate to argue the least. Not to be left behind in other fronts, the India-Russia military cooperation has also witnessed a great leap forward in joint training and military exercises. The Indian and Russian armies have conducted a joint military exercise named EX INDRA -10 in the Kumaon Hills around Ranikhet in late October 2010. The exercise spread over a ten-day period enabling greater synergy between the forces and a clearer understanding of the doctrine practiced by each country to combat terrorism, thereby further cementing the relationship which has existed between the two countries. Fourth, India-Russia defence relations have long entered the next phase of industrial cooperation which even pre-dates
“WE HAVE VERY GOOD BIG PLANS AND WE HAVE VERY SERIOUS PROJECTS. WE WILL TRY TO DO OUR BEST IN ORDER TO PROVE THAT OUR BILATERAL COOPERATION CAN GIVE US VERY GOOD PRACTICAL RESULTS.” AE SERDYUKOV, RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER
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India’s new liberalised competition-based arms market. The Brahmos JV is the example in this context. Besides, sensing the changing mood of Indian political leadership to adopt and practice open, transparent and competitive arms acquisition as well as production policies, Russia has offered joint efforts in some strategic programmes which other countries would take long to decide. The recent tenth meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) held in New Delhi in early October 2010, led by the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony and the Russian Defence Minister Mr. AE Serdyukov, has expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of the shareholders agreement for formation of a joint venture company for the development and production of the Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA). Further, both sides have agreed to expedite modalities for the proposed project for the joint design, development and production of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). “India hopes to get 45 MTA and also finalise the FGFA, … all the issues we have discussed and solved between our two countries… now it is in the final stages of the Indian government, some technical formalities between the governments is needed and I am sure we will be able to complete very soon…within a few months,” Antony later told a joint press conference. “As per this agreement, India will receive approximately between 250 and 300 mostmodern FGFA. “These two projects are the major achievements of this year and for the next ten years these two projects, MTA and FGFA, will be a shining example of India and Russian defence cooperation,” he added further. The Joint Commission also reviewed the status of several other ongoing and proposed projects, including the licenced production of T-90 Tanks and the establishment of the repair and overhaul facilities for various Russian origin defence equipment in India.
CHALLENGES AND WAYS FORWARD Central assumptions on the robustness and promising futuristic scenarios of India-Russia defence relations may not be as smooth as it seems and thus should not be taken for granted. Four practical issues need to be highlighted here for understanding the flip sides of the relationship. First, a new Indian strategy of defence industrial cooperation model as well as competition based acquisition suggests that the often one-sided defence supply lines that have largely been processed through inter-governmental December 2010
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arrangements are likely to change tracks to embrace open competition. This is likely to put pressure on Russia to remain a player in the future Indian arms market. Second, although Russia has been able to forge industrial and company level ties with mainly state-owned entities like HAL, it faces a challenge in forging such ties with Indian private companies, many of which are expected to play a key role in the future Indian military industrial landscape. The ongoing or announced JVs between private Indian and foreign companies far outnumber such JVs between Indian and Russian companies. Russia practically works on a single window model with Rosboronexport as the nodal point for military acquisition and industrial cooperation. Third, as and when competitive model will take root, Russians may have difficulties in forging ties with Indian companies due to their rigid bureaucratic systems, which needs further reforms as like those in India which is already undergoing reforms in its higher defence management sector. And finally, although defence relationship
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EPITOMISING FRIENDSHIP: Brahmos missile has given a big boost to India-Russia defence ties
INDIA IS experiencing a unique moment in the history of its international relations where five heads of states visit New Delhi in a span of six months in 2010. The British Prime Minister has already visited in July 2010, signing nearly $1 billion worth weapons supply to India, among others. The US President Barack Obama visited India from 6 to 8 November 2010, hogging the limelight with a series of announcements and promises related to trade, defence and international relations. The French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President of the Russian Federation Dimitry Medvedev will visit New Delhi, while the fifth top dignitary Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is also slated to visit in December 2010 (the last with whom India has virtually no military industrial relations). This is unique, unprecedented and challenging on the part of India in terms of not only fashioning but also prioritising national foreign policy choices vis-à-vis major powers at a time when the global security scenario is witnessing much fluidity in current times. ‘Arms Dynamic’ plays one of the most important strategic considerations in this scenario otherwise dominated by esoteric
terms like shared values, shared visions, shared concerns, etc. Consider this: global military expenditure was $1.26 trillion at the peak of the Cold War era in 1987, it plummeted to $704 billion in 1996 and has gone up again to stand at $1.53 trillion in 2009. All indicators of military efforts — force structure, military R&D, equipment — have shown similar zigzag trends in the last quarter century, which suggest that arms dynamic has made a strong comeback in global affairs and is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. It is interesting to note that while countries like UK plan to slash their defence budgets with the US a likely follower and UK and France coming together to concoct their arsenals for meeting future threats, global military efforts are still likely to intensify and increase further. This has significant implications for a country like India. Pruning it down from arms dynamic to pure ‘arms trade’, it will be obvious that it is the lucrative Indian arms market, considered ‘weapons merchants’ paradise’, which is driving major arms suppliers to India of late, especially since 2002 when India opened up its military
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sector for private participation and open competition in arms acquisitions. Consider these: India’s military procurement budget has increased by 500 per cent in the last eight years (crossing $15 billion in 2010 from $3 billion in 2002); primarily equipment-driven long-term military modernisation programme underway since 2007 for the next fifteen years (2022) necessitating arms purchase worth $180 to 200 billion at a very conservative estimate (practically everything is needed either as replenishment or force modernisation); inability of the Indian state-owned defence manufacturers to even produce more than 25 per cent of the cumulative needs of the armed forces (license production arrangements excluded as they do not contribute much to self-reliance efforts); and last but not the least, the aggressive nature of industrial strategies pursued by arms manufacturers in order to survive in the global arms market. India offers one of the best platforms for arms manufacturers to do business. Interpreted in simple terms, it is lucrative arms business which drives major powers to India where there is convergence of business interests under larger ‘strategic interests’.
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“INDIA WILL RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 250 AND 300 MOST-MODERN FIFTH GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT (FGFA). MULTI-ROLE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT (MTA) AND FGFA WILL BE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF INDIA AND RUSSIAN DEFENCE COOPERATION.” AK ANTONY, DEFENCE MINISTER constitutes only one of the cores of any strategic partnership, Russia has thus far managed to deepen its relations with India based overwhelmingly on defence with very low degree of economic/trade relations. This may prove counter productive for Russia in coming times as its peers have been stressing on simultaneous economic and defence relations in a larger framework. It is high time Russia adopted trade with India as a strategic tool to enhance its relationship with India. India and Russia have enjoyed a partnership that has been special throughout the last half a century. Russia is likely to be India’s predominant defence supplier for the foreseeable future. Even though other suppliers are likely to increase their stake in the lucrative Indian arms market, Russia will in all probability retain its predominant position. However, new realities must lead to pragmatic approaches by both countries in order to reap the best of their friendships. In this scenario, India’s new strategic outlook is increasingly becoming evident, while it remains to be seen as to how Russian strategy shapes up in future.
CLAIM TO FAME: INS Tarkash, a guided missile frigate being launched at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia on June 23, 2010
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(The author is a Senior Fellow in Security Studies at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi) December 2010
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FIGHTER AIRCRAFT of the Indian Air Force and Navy will now have an advanced technology to enable them to strike almost anywhere in the world from the bases in India. Especially, aircraft-carrier-borne fighter planes fit with the advanced system — called integrated life support system (ILSS)—could give the Indian Navy the much-needed capability to grow into a blue water navy on the lines of that of USA. The ILSS ensures uninterrupted oxygen supply to the pilot even as it protects him from adverse effects of high altitude flying and extreme gravitational forces acting on his body during high-speed combat manoeuvres. Defence Bioengineering & Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) (a Defence Research & Development Organisation — DRDO laboratory) has developed this advanced technology. It will now improve immensely the present situation where the IAF’s fighter aircraft merely carry oxygen cylinders for the pilots to breathe. But these have limited supply and the pilots need to return to base to replenish the oxygen needed for the pilots to survive in the cockpit at high altitudes. The engineering model of the ILSS, which has
an onboard oxygen generation system, or OBOGS, will continuously supply oxygen to the pilot without fears of being exhausted. The oxygen supply will be ensured as long as there is fuel in the aircraft, the engine of which will supply the life-supporting gas to the pilots during long-distance, high-altitude flights. Since most of the advanced fighters in the IAF have mid-air refuelling capabilities, there is no problem of oxygen being supplied, as the OBOGS would separate nitrogen and oxygen from the compressed air in the engine to supply the latter to the pilots. The OBOGS maintains the pilots’ oxygen status at sea-level condition even while flying at high altitudes, with the overall ILSS performs the task of protecting the pilots against the extremes of altitudes and severe gravitation (G) forces that they are subjected to during aerial combats. ILSS’ anti-G valve renders adequate G-suit inflation pressure to maintain the pilot’s blood circulation and prevent him from losing consciousness. The technology is available only with five other countries in the world — USA, Russia, UK, France and Israel. This
TEJAS — THE light combat aircraft — will reach a crucial development landmark in December when it gets the initial operational clearance, a much-delayed critical step before its induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is eagerly awaiting replacements of
its ageing fleet. Defence Minister AK Antony has assured a Parliamentary panel that the LCA, under development since 1980s, was now on the way to get final operational clearance by the end of 2011. The IAF expects to start raising two squadrons of
advanced life-support system will be integrated with India’s light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, to begin with. Subsequently, the ILSS will be customised to the needs of other Indian aircraft capable of longduration flights like MiG-29s, SU-30 MKIs and Mirage-2000s.
TEJAS TO GET NOD
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the LCA by the middle of 2011 and will await for the introduction of improved version of the aircraft, LCA mk-II, for further orders. LCA-mk II will have more powerful GE engine which was selected recently after competitive bidding. All the systems of the aircraft, including the multimode radar, air data computers, navigations equipment and weapon platforms have to be in place for getting the IOC. It is a much -awaited development in the project. The IAF had planned LCA to be the mainstay of its fighter fleet replacing Soviet-era Mig-21s which have been in service for far too long. The delays in the LCA project unsettled the replacement arithmetic and it has now reached a point when IAF is left with only around 30 combat squadrons. December 2010
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g Kaveri flight test successful DEFENCE RESEARCH and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight-tested the indigenously designed and developed Kaveri Engine during the Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI),Moscow, Russia. The engine, running right from take-off to landing, flew for a period of over one hour at an altitude of 6000 m at a speed of 0.6 mach in its maiden flight. The engine control, engine performance and engine health were found to be excellent during the test. With this test, the Kaveri Engine is said to have completed a major milestone of the development programme. Another 50-60 test flights will be carried out in the coming months to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness. These trials would pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri Engine with a fighter aircraft.
A team of 20 scientists from DRDO has been working along with GFRI for these trials. An existing IL-76 aircraft was modified as a flying test bed for this trial, with Kaveri engine replacing one of the four engines of the aircraft. The modifications included instrumentation required for trials as well as integration of mechanical, electrical and fuel system. The engine was controlled by the pilot from the cockpit. A number of taxi trials were carried out with Kaveri Engine integrated with the aircraft, before this maiden flight. The engine data was recorded in the aircraft as well as transmitted to ground station by telemetry. The Kaveri Engine is being developed for fighter aircraft, at Gas Turbine Research Establishment, a DRDO laboratory based in Bengaluru with the active support of several other DRDO labs, academic institutions and industry partners.
“AVATAR” FOR SPACE MISSIONS
SOON THERE will be hyperplanes, the multipurpose, fully reusable aerospace vehicles are going to be used for passenger or freight transport as well as satellite launching. Many nations including United States, Russia and India are working on hyperplane technology. The only successful hypersonic flight was shown by X-43 of USA.The hyperplane “Avatar” being developed by India is expected to be used as a reusable missile launcher. Avatar is a single-stage reusable rocket plane developed by DRDO and ISRO for launching satellites at extremely low cost and taking tourists on rides into space. Avatar is currently in the prototype testing stage. DRDO plans to build and fly a scaled-down version of Avatar, weighing just 3 tonnes at takeoff.
Rustom test flies “RUSTOM”, THE Medium altitude long endurance Unmanned Aircraft being developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment, a premier DRDO lab specializing in UAVs and flight control systems, has been successfully flown in its maiden flight. On October 18, the aircraft was flown in a manner exactly as planned, up to a height of 3000 ft. and remained airborne for 30 minutes and completed all mission requirements. It taxied, took off and landed (among the most challenging maneuvers for a UAV), using a runway at an air field owned by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation (TAAL), Hosur, like a normal aircraft. The subsequent flights will test and www.geopolitics.in
demonstrate these capabilities such as GPS controlled Way Point Navigation, Get U Home, altitude and endurance parameters, the systems for which have been already incorporated in the aircraft.Ruston with a designed endurance of 12-15 hour, 25000 ft. altitude ceiling and 75 kg pay load is forerunner to the more advanced Rustom H and UCAV. The data link for this aircraft has been developed by DEAL, another DRDO laboratory and the airframe has been built by Zephyr Aerospace, Coimbatore. Rustom UAV can be used by all the three armed forces of our country. Such Unmanned Aircrafts help to avoid the risk to the human pilots in operations that involve flying in hazardous zones.
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FUTURE MBT THE DEFENCE Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will soon bring out India’s future main battle tank (FMBT) with a 1500-horsepower (HP) indigenous engine. This future MBT, weighing only 50 tonnes, will replace beyond 2020 the imported T-72 tanks, renamed Ajeya, with the Indian Army. The work is moving on speedily with various specifications for the FMBT been finalised. The DRDO is launching a project to develop the transmission for the tank. The indigenous engine and transmission will together be called Bharat Power Pack and it will meet the FMBT’s mobility requirements. December 2010
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GEOPOLITICS
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Comprehending the totality
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HE CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) often, and rightly so, disturbs India’s military elites. After all, the CAG’s job is to ensure financial transparency in the country’s vital institutions, including the Indian military, which is one of the largest receivers of the money that Indian tax-payers pay. And what is more important, with the regional security environment becoming increasingly complex and India inevitably playing a bigger global role in the days to come, the military-spending will only grow further. It is all the more reason, therefore, that the CAG will have a greater responsibility in ensuring financial accountability and transparency in the Ministry of Defence. Over the years, the CAG has been critical of many aspects of the Indian military’s Prakash logistics and supply chain setup — from planning and procurement to storage and supply. It has pointed out how the Defence Ministry has been making too many financially irresponsible deals. Weapons deals have always been shrouded in secrecy and there have been accusations of substandard and overpriced weaponry being purchased. Allegations of corruption and defence procurement scams have surfaced many a time. The Bofors scandal allegedly involved former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, while the coffin purchase scandal during the Kargil War implicated the then Defence Minister George Fernandes. The latter was also accused of pushing through the Barak missiles deal with Israel. Likewise, the MiG-21s came under a lot of criticism a few years ago and were called “flying coffins”. The most recent instance of the CAG pointing out improprieties in defence matters is the alleged corruption in the supply of provisions through military canteens. However, as of now, no high authority implicated by the CAG in matters pertaining to Indian military has been convicted. Rajiv Gandhi was cleared of all charges. George Fernandes, against whom the CBI even launched criminal cases after the assumption of office by the United Progressive Alliance — in fact, the Congress party had made the Coffin and Barak scandals a major issue in its electioneering — remains untarnished. And that brings the question: Is CAG right all the time? It is precisely here that the Prime Minister’s following observation makes sense: “The reports of the Comptroller & Auditor General are taken very seriously by the media, by the public, by the government and by our Parliament. This casts a huge responsibility on the institution to ensure that its reports are accurate, balanced and fair. Very often, there is a very thin line between fair criticism and fault-finding, between hazarding a guess and making a reasonable estimate, between a bona fide genuine error and a deliberate mistake. As an
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important watchdog in our democracy, it falls upon this institution to sift the wheat from the chaff, to distinguish between wrong-doing and genuine errors, to appreciate the context and circumstances of the decision-making processes. This requires a very high degree of professional skill and competence. The institution of Comptroller & Auditor General has acquitted itself very credibly in the past 150 years. However, times are changing and so are our needs. The institution will have, therefore, to further enhance its capabilities and its skills and re-orient itself to deliver results that our nation expects of it in the years that lie ahead.” It is quite possible that the CAG has not been able in some cases “to distinguish between wrong-doing and genuine errors, to appreciate the context and circumstances of Nanda the decision-making processes”. Take the case of coffins. They had to be procured during the Kargil War. Time was the essence. Besides, one had to see the prevailing prices then, not at what cost the ministry had bought them before. Then there was the case of quality. Similarly, in many a case the CAG has raised concerns over the government buying weapon systems on the ground that Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on them. But then the fact remains that the DRDO’s record in delivering quality systems is far from inspiring, evident by an essay on the subject in this issue of Geopolitics. In such a situation, the country, to retain its military edge, has to look for foreign suppliers. And in doing so, the procurement procedure, which is arguably not in tune with the present needs and time, gets transgressed, leading to the CAG’s reprimands and subsequent scandals loaded with political overtones. In the process, and that is unfortunate, the morale of our military gets adversely affected. It is in this context that another observation of the Prime Minister on the CAG is important: “Traditional, time-tested ways of doing things, which lend credibility to an institution in the public eye, may prove inadequate in the face of rising aspirations and mounting pressure for quick and efficient delivery of public services.” In my humble opinion, the CAG often goes beyond “procedures established by law” (in which it does a wonderful job) to “due process of law” (in which it has not been up to the mark). Once you go by “due process”, various factors need to go into the judgment since the matter involves a picture in totality, including the justification of its very need and implications. And, to quote the Prime Minister, “This requires high degree of professional skills and competence” — something the CAG should think about positively. prakashnanda@newsline.in
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December 2010
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