Defence & Security Alert January 2019 Edition

January 2019 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 04 | `150 www.dsalert.org

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ARMY SPECIAL TERRITORIAL ARMY / RESERVES, POLICY AND CONCEPTS

THE FIRST CHOICE IN THE DOMAINS OF

Defence, Security and World Affairs Wo r ldW i d e

9

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

9

editor’s note

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

DSA is as much yours,

as it is ours!

I

ndia’s largest armed force, and the one that conjures up the maximum brownie points, is making news about its structural studies, as well as solutions being thrown up for the related problems.

Indian Army has seen a number of assessments through various committees that have analysed its structures and cadres while recommending remedial steps.

Over the years, many reports have been made available that seek to redress the internal manpower management shortcomings. Each report seeks to address the issue from a new perspective, offer new solutions, whether it is in terms of a cadre review, or, a structural assessment.

The problems, however, persist despite much analysis made over the years. Simply because none of the reports care to address the basic issue, major reason being military bureaucracy is more difficult to change than its civilian counterparts. When the military bureaucracy is itself reluctant and resistant to change, getting it to implement well intentioned review reports is a tall order, to say the least. This is not to say that there

is something rotten in the system, far from it. The army remains one of India’s most outstanding institutions, largely untainted by the prevailing national malaise affecting everything else.

All militaries are an extension of their national cultures and ethos. They have to be since the same society that supports and sustains them also provides the legs on which the nation moves.

So, it is worth analysing the role of society and its cultural impact on the army when it comes to assessing the outcome of all those remedial reports made over the years. And, the same applies to understanding the importance of a policy and clear concept for an effective Reserve system for the army. After all, every report that has been generated over decades has been motivated by budgeting efficiency.

It is a proven fact across world militaries that a well constituted and efficient reserve system is the most important component of good budgeting. In some countries, it has been deployed to such an extent that reserve officers fly combat missions on top of the line fighter aircraft and

then return to their daily civilian life on disembodiment. The same holds true for some manning posts on naval combat vessels or tanks in the case of others. All it takes is a national will, ethos, spirit, and the political gumption to put the system in place.

In India’s case all of the ingredients were in place way back in 1948 when late C Rajagopalachari pushed for raising the Territorial Army, with the same motivation that is in place in most of the developed world. Over a period of time, the concept was to include the other two services as well but nothing much happened. And, nothing can happen unless the prevailing national culture encourages it; particularly when it comes to the corporate and government sectors. Both have to be in tandem in order for this concept and policy to gain traction. The benefits are being enjoyed by many militaries worldwide, so there is no logic for India to deny itself the same. It does so at its own costs which are very heavy.

Hence, the repeated cycle of new committees producing the same reports.

Manvendra Singh January 2019 Defence AND security alert

1

publisher’s view

Knowing An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Magazine

Volume 10 | Issue 4 | January 2019

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Editor: Manvendra Singh

2

The Indian Army

D

o we really understand the importance of the Indian Army? Once a year we are reminded that it is the single largest group of volunteers in the world who have dedicated their lives to defend their motherland. And to die for it. Every strand of the varied religions, castes, languages and regions are represented in it. This year is also special as it is the centenary year of the end of World War I and occasion to remember and glorify the acts of bravery on foreign soil by warriors from the subcontinent.

Its participation in World War II has a special connotation in that there was general expectation that it would be repaid by the British Raj with the grant of dominion status to a colony that was acknowledged to be the “jewel in the crown”.

As it turned out the floodtide of the demand for self-rule germinated into the urgent insistence that Britain quit India after granting it independence and sovereign status.

It eventually happened in 1947 with the partition of subcontinent into India and Pakistan. Almost immediately, those in the Armed Forces who opted to stay in India were confronted by former colleagues executing a sly manoeuvre to delink Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. Ever since then the Indian Army has been in a constant state of combat as hostile neighbours tried every trick to nibble away or instigate insurgencies all along the 7,000 km periphery from the northeast to Punjab in the west.

This is a factor not always appreciated by those who charge it with human rights violations in cordon-and-search operations. There are frequent demands for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act which provides protection to those fighting undeclared wars by proxies of India’s enemies. Most of these complaints have been proven to be false and recognised to be part of the psychological warfare intended to subvert the morale of a fighting force that gave the nation a resounding victory in 1971 and in 1998, showed exemplary grit and determination to dislodge Pakistani soldiers from the rugged heights of Kargil.

The Indian Army has protected and preserved the nation’s territorial integrity and has risen to the task when political will dictated stern action.

That is why it hurts when criticism of its actions in the defence of the nation are torn out of the extant geopolitics of the region.

I, sometimes, wonder what has happened to our brothers and sisters in media houses who hardly highlight the positive stories of the Indian Army in the current context and the admittedly glorious history of the Indian Army. In fact, glorifying the Indian Army would have added a great value to the overall development of the young minds that are still very eager to join the Indian Army as crowds at recruitment centres testify.

Beside the regular Indian Army, we also have another force in place known as Territorial Army which takes over the defence of the lines of support to the men fighting on the frontlines. The TA consists of well-trained civilians who opt to serve the nation through joining this force.

This edition, dear reader, is to highlight the Indian Army and the importance and role of Territorial Army and I am sure you will come to know many unknown facts about the best army in the world. So, enjoy reading this edition and do share your comments with us.

Jai Hind!

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

Pawan Agrawal

contents

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Magazine

Restructuring – Need for A holistic Approach Lt Gen S N Handa PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) Airfield Security and Territorial Army Air Mshl Anil Chopra PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM (Retd) Tehreek-e-Labbaik Rules The Roost Lt Gen Dalip Bhardwaj PVSM, VSM (Retd) POTENTIAL OF THE TERRITORIAL ARMY Lt Gen Aditya Singh PVSM, AVSM (Retd) Downsizing: Security Preparedness Lt Gen Kamal Davar PVSM, AVSM (Retd) Manpower Reduction: Wings of Technology Lt Gen (Dr) V K Saxena PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

04

10

16

21

26

30

Lean And Mean With Smart Weapons Col Rajinder Singh (Retd)

34

Terriers: The Ecological Knights Col Utkarsh S Rathore (Retd)

38

How To Shed The Flab Cecil Victor

42

Territorial Army: An Alternative Narrative Dr Krzysztof Kuska

48

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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tri-services NEED HOLISTIC APPROACH

Restructuring –

Need for A holistic Approach A holistic review of entire national security establishment including the CPOs / paramilitary forces is urgently merited and not a stand-alone exercise by the army to generate a measly 6,000 to 7,000 crore, which will be grossly inadequate to meet any worthwhile capital procurement cost.

T

he Indian Army is in the midst of a massive organisation-wide exercise to ‘trim its tail’ in its endeavour to cut down revenue expenditure

budget point to a dismal capital to revenue ratio for army as against the two sister Services and other allottees of defence budget as shown in table below (Laxman Behera, IDSA Brief on Defence Budget 201819, February 2, 2018):-

to the tune of `6,000 to `7,000 crore. The exercise aims to achieve a ‘cut’ of one lakh in its manpower including a reduction of 4,000 to 5,000 officers. The army is under pressure to engage in such an exercise since statistics of defence

Revenue and Capital Expenditure of Defence Services, 2018-19 Army

Navy

Air Force

OFs

DRDO

Revenue Expenditure (` in Crore)

128077

19571

28821

727

8127

Capital Expenditure (` in Crore)

26826*

20848

35770

804

9734

Revenue Expenditure as % of Total

83

48

45

48

45

Capital Expenditure as % of Total

17

52

55

52

55

Note: * Includes `9.96 crore allocated for capital expenditure for the inspection organisation.

The army seems to have taken a cue from, and lead to implement the suggestions contained in Prime Minister’s address at the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2015 held on board INS Vikramaditya. Relevant extracts from his address are reproduced below: “Above all, we look to our Armed Forces to prepare for the future. And, it cannot be achieved by doing more of the same, or, preparing perspective plans based on outdated doctrines and disconnected from financial realities....our forces and our government need to do more to reform their beliefs, doctrines, objectives and strategies.

4

PM Modi on board INS Vikramaditya.

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

9 At a time when major powers are reducing their forces and rely more on technology, we are still constantly seeking to expand the size of our forces. We need forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technology, not just human valour. We need capabilities to win swift wars, for we will not have the luxury of long-drawn battles.

We must re-examine our assumptions that keep massive funds locked up in inventories……We have been slow to reform the structures of our Armed Forces.

We should shorten the tooth-to-tail ratio.

Minister’s remarks on ‘expansion’ and ‘tooth-to-tail ratio’ would seem to be primarily directed at the army.

In April 2018, the government constituted the Defence Planning Committee (DPC) to be chaired by NSA. According to the notification issued by the government, the DPC has been mandated to:  

…In conclusion, to transform our country, every institution must reform itself. And, we expect you to lead from the front in expenditure reforms…as you reform, we will do our best to meet your needs and keep you prepared. As our economy grows, we will be able to secure ourselves better. In turn, India pursues its dreams in the comfort that it is secure in your hands.”

The Prime Minister also emphasised the need to incorporate power of digital networks, space assets and jointness.

Army Centric

Viewed in the context of army’s projection for a strike corps for its Eastern Theatre, the Prime

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 

Prepare a draft National Security Strategy Develop a capability development plan Work on defence diplomacy issues Improving defence manufacturing ecosystem in India.

As part of its mandate, the DPC has also been made responsible to establish linkages between foreign policy and defence planning.

As a first for perhaps any country in the world, a person with no military background, whatsoever, has been made directly responsible for matters military in operational domain. Not surprisingly, therefore, in its very second meeting, held less than a month after its constitution,

Lt Gen S N Handa

PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) Commissioned into 5/3 GR in November 71, the writer fought the Indo-Pak War 1971 in the Kargil Sector. An alumnus of National Defence College, he is a seasoned Infantry officer with vast experience in mountain and desert warfare, low intensity conflict operations and internal security. He was Chief of Staff of Srinagar based Chinar Corps before assuming command of Jodhpur based Desert Corps in February 2008. He retired as Director General Infantry in 2011.

The three Services Chiefs as members of Defence Planning Committee.

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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tri-services NEED HOLISTIC APPROACH

COAS Gen Bipin Rawat delivering opening remarks at the Army’s Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi.

the DPC, putting the cart before the horse, took off from Prime Minister’s address at the Combined Commanders’ Conference, 2015, and advised reduction of forces without articulating any doctrine. Extracts from a report carried by The Times of India, dated 5 May 2018, below suggest that the primary reason for this reduction is cutting down revenue expenditure:-

6

operational flab and proper prioritisation of arms procurements, in the backdrop of Centre being unable to hike the budget in any substantial way year after year.

In the 2018-19 budget, ….the Defence Ministry already accounts for 33.1 per cent of the Central government’s total capital expenditure pegged at `3,00,441 crore. ….in the defence budget of `2.95 lakh crore, the revenue expenditure to pay and maintain the manpower-intensive armed forces is pegged at 67.3 per cent, which by far outstrips the capital one for modernisation at 33.7 per cent”.

“The 15-lakh strong Armed Forces have been asked to become leaner and meaner for technology-intensive futuristic wars because there is simply not enough money for unbridled procurements in the face of the ballooning wage and pension bills.

Contours Of Restructuring

….the top echelons in the government are of the view that India needs to go in for restructured and integrated Armed Forces, drastically slashing of non-

The process of ongoing restructuring of the army commenced soon after the aforementioned meeting of the DPC. It was preceded by a MoD-led initiative for ‘improving combat capability and

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

rebalancing defence expenditure’ of the military by the Shekatkar Committee in 2015-16. Most of its 90 recommendations, approved by the government in March 2017 and reportedly under implementation, are measures to improve tri-Service coordination, improve financial management, and ‘cut down flab in the army to make it lean and agile’. The committee has recommended reduction of approximately 50,000 personnel, mostly from the army, with projected savings of `25,000 crore.

Four study teams have been setup by the army to steer its ongoing restructuring – ‘Re-organisation and Rightsizing of the Army’, Re-organisation of Army Headquarters’, ‘Cadre Review of Officers’, and ‘Review of Terms of Engagement of Rank and File’.

9 resistance. Nevertheless, the process and pace of reform raise some serious concerns.

First, the process; all military perspective plans are to flow from the national security strategy. The prime minister would certainly know better, but the suggestion that military planning in the country has been based on ‘outdated doctrines’ definitely merits detailed examination. Drawing a link between military doctrines and these being ‘divorced from financial realities’ is again worthy of examination. Military doctrine has to be a ‘war winning’ doctrine factoring ‘military realities’ and not ‘financial realities’. It is for the nation to provide the resources to support such a doctrine so that the military does not come out second best in any future military engagement with its adversaries – ‘there are no prizes for runners up in a war!’ The primary responsibility of military in any nation is to ensure victory and it must not allow itself to be misguided or distracted from that by considerations of ‘financial realities’ even while remaining

Military doctrine has to be a ‘war winning’ doctrine factoring ‘military realities’ and not ‘financial realities’ Most of the over 24 recommendations of the four studies considered by the top brass of the army at its last Army Commanders’ Conference in October 2018 have been approved subject to validation of all suggested operational aspects during field exercises.

Flawed Approach

Viewed against the traditionally held belief that militaries are averse to change and reform, the ongoing reforms in the army are to be welcomed, more so since an earlier attempt at ‘Transformation of the Indian Army’ in 2010-12 floundered due to organisational

alive and sensitive to the same. As a responsible pillar of the nation, the military must do all it can to cut ‘flab’ and control expenditure but not at the cost of compromising its primary duty and responsibility towards the nation.

Vague National Security Strategy

The next issue which merits deliberation is – is the army going to fight its own war or will the next war be fought based on an integrated tri-Service doctrine and strategy? If the latter, then do we as yet have a national security strategy to guide evolution of the integrated triService military strategy? Should force

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

restructuring be based on doctrine and strategy or should restructuring be done to meet budgetary / financial imperatives and doctrine / strategy follow such available forces that can be financially sustained, even if such a doctrine / strategy is questionable from military point of view to ensure victory? The DPC, which was to address issues of national security strategy, has put the cart before the horse by handing out a missive to the military to create financially sustainable force structures without articulating the national security and related military strategy and perspective planning – the primary objective of constituting it! Rightly, military professionals are sounding notes of caution against the nation reverting to a 1962 like situation.

Few other important concerns that merit flagging are: Relationship and inter-se priority between internal and external security and resource allocation – what justifies rightsizing military on one hand and unbridled expansion of Central Police Organisations (CPO); should expenditure on manpower, especially fighting manpower of land forces, be treated as revenue or capital expenditure; what has been / is being done to deal with vested interests that have over the decades prevented implementation of measures suggested by various pay commissions / other committees to control manpower costs of the army through lateral absorption of retiring military personnel in CPOs and other government jobs; what is being done to review and downsize defence civilians whose manpower cost by way of pensions is five times that of a military pensioner; does the nation have the financial muscle to foot the cost of technology-driven forces?

As regards the pace, there appears to be anxious haste driving the ongoing restructuring. This becomes glaring since recommendations of Shekatkar Committee are yet to be fully implemented. The issues flagged above need to be satisfactorily answered before engaging in such far-reaching reforms. Far greater deliberation

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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tri-services NEED HOLISTIC APPROACH

a country where from time to time, the political leadership has been complicit in allowing ‘loot’ of national resources in various forms including implementation of conceptually highly regressive albeit appeasing measures like ‘non-functional upgradation’ and decision in 2008 to create hundreds of new posts of Secretaries, special Secretaries, Director General of Police (DGP) at the apex grade pay level to ensure that all civilian and police officers, including defence civilian officers, retire at the highest pay grade with the apex pay grade pensions with One Rank One Pension (OROP) creating avoidable turbulence and loss of morale among the defence fraternity, both serving and retired.

Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman

is merited than merely achieving a milestone in one’s innings at the helm.

The army would also be well advised to test out restructuring of even peace establishment based organisations since it will be absolutely impossible to undo any hasty and inadvertent damage to the organisational structure in the years to come. All structural reforms need to be put through a mandatory five-year provisional phase before being finalised.

Flab And Reality

It is unfortunate that in the last over a decade and a half, a fallacious notion appears to be determining and driving national security imperatives. There is a growing belief among national security planners across the political - bureaucratic spectrum, shaped in no small measure by the latter, that since conventional wars are no longer thinkable in the nuclearised environment of the sub-continent, military preparedness can be relegated to a lower priority. As a corollary, internal security assumes higher priority. Nothing can be farther from reality and the nation has already paid dearly for such convoluted thinking in 1962. Notwithstanding such thinking, the military must never allow itself to be guided by it. As an instrument of last resort for the nation, the military, especially its senior military leadership, must always remain conscious of its constitutional obligations. It must

8

steadfastly resist any government measure which impinges on its military preparedness to come out victorious in any future military engagement to live up to the implicit trust and faith, which the nation and citizens repose in it. Equally, it must also demand the resources that it feels are needed to maintain that level of preparedness.

Playing To Gallery

The military also needs to guard against playing to the politico-bureaucratic gallery as also its propensity to act ‘more royalist than the monarch’ especially in

First Cut Defence Civilian Tail

Any exercise to review / manage expenditure must be holistic and must not only look at defence budget; within defence budget again, it must not only look at army but all the three defence services. It must also look beyond the defence services at defence civilians who are five times more expensive as pensioners and as expensive, if not more than a soldier, to maintain. Any ‘teeth-to-tail ratio’ exercise must look at the defence ‘tail’ as a whole and not only at the ‘Army tail’. The defence civilian ‘tail’ must be the first one to be cut.

Civil Services under the Ministry of Defence S. No.

Name of service

Group

1

Indian Naval Material Management Service

A

2

Border Roads Engineering Service

A

3

Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service

A

4

Defence Quality Assurance Service

A

5

Defence Research and Development Service

A

6

Indian Defence Accounts Service

A

7

Indian Defence Estates Service

A

8

Indian Defence Service of Engineers

A

9

Indian Naval Armament Service

A

10

Indian Ordnance Factories Service

A

11

Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service

A

12

Defence Accounts Department

A

13

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services

B

(Source: Wikipedia – Ministry of Defence India).

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The CPOs and paramilitary forces need to be equally a part of the holistic exercise for reforming the national security set-up. Since it has been considered prudent to place the defence services under a person with hardly any military exposure even for operational matters, it would be more in the fitness of things to constitute a Committee on Internal Security to be chaired by a former senior army officer to objectively analyse and initiate action for reforms relating to issues of organisation structure, size, tasking, equipping and cost-benefit analysis.

Ratio Between Civil / Military

A deeper and more comprehensive analysis including of cost-benefit aspects needs to be carried out of costs of military manpower versus defence civilian manpower to arrive at rational and realistic restructuring of defence set-up.

Approximately 36 per cent of amount budgeted for defence pensions is on account of defence civilians. The per capita expenditure on 25 lakh military veterans is approximately `1.5 lakh annually, as against `5.38 lakh a year for civilian pensioners paid from the defence services estimates. Thus, on an average, a defence civilian pensioner costs five times

Ex-servicemen stage a demonstration to press for `OROP` at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

canteen services and others, which were earlier extended exclusively to uniformed personnel owing to their harsh serving conditions. This has added to manpower costs of defence civilians.

All civilian set-ups under the MoD, especially the OFB, PSUs and DRDO need to be subjected to performance audit. Ordnance factories, other than those engaged in production of arms and ammunition, have outlived their utility and should have been shut down long

As a responsible pillar of the nation, the military must do all it can to cut ‘flab’ and control expenditure more than a military pensioner because

time back. There is also a vast scope

defence civilian officers serve longer, reach

in today’s environment to overhaul the

the highest grades in the pay scales,

logistics systems and processes to save

are eligible for One Rank, One Pension

on revenue expenditure.

(OROP) pensions, and are entitled to NonFunctional Upgradations (NFU). (Source:

First Things First

Wikipedia – Defence Pensions, India).

Even as change and reform are an imperative and inescapable part of

Over a period of time, the defence

any organisation, greatest prudence

civilians have also been demanding

is merited in undertaking reform and

and have been extended facilities like

restructuring of the military owing to its

consequences and impact on national security. Restructuring must be part of a well deliberated, holistic national security exercise following due military process and must not be undertaken for financial expediency alone. Restructuring must flow from an integrated tri-Service military doctrine / strategy and not the other way around with financially sustainable forces dictating a suboptimal doctrine / strategy.

Manpower – ‘man behind the gun’ – is the major fighting component of land forces, which determines victory and must not be looked upon as mere ‘revenue expenditure’.

The concept of revenue and capital expenditure for land forces merits a re-look.

Within the defence establishment, there is a strong case for cutting down defence civilian manpower after an in-depth study of manpower costs and costbenefit analysis between uniformed and civilian defence manpower.

A holistic review of entire national security establishment including the CPOs / paramilitary forces is urgently merited and not a stand-alone exercise by the army to generate a measly 6,000 to 7,000 crore, which will be grossly inadequate to meet any worthwhile capital procurement cost.

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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real-time threats TERRITORIAL ARMY ROLE

Airfield Security

and Territorial Army Since many TA personnel come for training with their battalion only for few days in a year, the constraints of training at operational locations multiply.

Undoubtedly, the TA battalions are at a higher state of operational thinking than the DSC and in a better state to defend the airbases. Till they arrive, the IAF and DSC would have to man the security. Allocation and peace-time locations of the TA battalion need a major review. They need to be placed very close to their operational locations.

O

n 2 January 2016, six heavily armed terrorists suspected to belong to Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, made a pre-dawn attack on the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Pathankot airbase.

The terrorists were wearing Indian Army fatigues and rode a stolen car of a Superintendent of Punjab Police. All six terrorists were finally killed in the gun battle on 4th January while seven security forces personnel were martyred and 20 injured. The operation was carried out jointly by the Indian Army, National Security Guards (NSG) and IAF’s Garud commandos. The terrorists were apparently in India for at least 48 hours prior, and had studied the base layout and selected soft entry points. They, perhaps, had local assistance. The choice of early morning when security could be weak was a military-like decision.

The airbase is located close to the border and this strategically crucial

10

area has a very dense Indian Army deployment. The terrorists managed to breach the outer wall of the Pathankot base through an entry point that adjoins a village.

Due to advance intelligence inputs, day and night airborne surveillance had been mounted and security greatly enhanced.

Enhance Security

Yet, it took four days to neutralise the six Pakistani intruders. In peace time, the airfields are

Soldiers at the site of militant attack in Pathankot.

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

guarded by personnel of Defence Security Corps (DSC) who are mostly retired servicemen.

Important strategic IAF forward bases like Pathankot are vulnerable to such attacks. Does the IAF have the adequate ground infrastructure and troops to safeguard its bases?

Many of these questions are still searching for answers. During war, most forward IAF bases are expected to be manned by Territorial Army (TA) units. Is the

9 interface and training between IAF and TA adequate? Will they reach in time and adequately be able to defend the airfields is the question?

Territorial Army

The British raised the TA in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920. It comprised of two wings – ‘The Auxiliary Force’ with Europeans and Anglo-Indians, and ‘The Indian Territorial Force’ with Indian Volunteers. After independence, the Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948. The TA initially had various types of units such as armed and infantry battalions, air defence units, medical regiments, engineers field park companies, signal regiments, EME workshop, coastal battery, ASC transport companies, ASC composite platoon, AMC field ambulance, etc. But, by 1972, these units were either disbanded or converted to Regular Army except TA Infantry Battalions. The TA is a part of Regular Army and its present role is to relieve the

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened and to provide units for regular army as and when required.

It is a second line of defence.

Presently, the TA has strength of approx. 200,000 persons.

Forty thousand are first line to support the army, and rest second line comprising of departmental TA units such as Railway, IOC, ONGC, Home and Hearth battalions, Ecological Battalion, and Engineer Regiment (TA) for maintenance of Line of Control fencing. The TA units were actively involved in 1962, 1965 and 1971 operations. The “Terriers” as they are called have also taken part in OP PAWAN in Sri Lanka, OP RAKSHAK in Punjab and J&K, OP RHINO and OP BAJRANG in the North-East

Air Mshl Anil Chopra

PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM (Retd) The writer was a pioneer of the Mirage 2000 fleet and commanded a Mirage Squadron, two operational air bases and the IAF’s Flight Test Centre ASTE. He was the Team Leader of an aircraft upgrade project in Russia. He was head of IAF in J&K and Inspections in IAF, and has been member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, and JNU Executive Council.

BSF soldiers patrolling the Bamiyal border, Pathankot.

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

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real-time threats TERRITORIAL ARMY ROLE

An Indian Army truck transports troops to the Air Force base in Pathankot.

in a most active manner. TA came to the aid of the civil authorities during the earthquakes in Latur and Uttarkashi and the Super Cyclone in Odisha. The ecological units have arrested man made environmental degradation by planting crores of trees. Volunteers of the TA usually serve in uniform for a few days every year, so that they can bear arms for national defence in times of dire need or national emergencies. After initial detailed training, infantry training is carried out for certain number of days each year. TA personnel have been decorated for their gallantry and distinguished services, including five Vir Chakra.

TA units have been assigned to many front-tier IAF airbases which are supposed to take-over airfield security from the DSC.

12

Essentials Of Airbase Security The IAF airbases in western sector are in close proximity to the border.

Typically, an airbase could be around 2,000 acres in size with boundary wall between 15-20 km.

Each airbase has a geographical peculiarity depending on the lay of the land and topography.

Airfields have been shaved clean of vegetation for better security watch and to deny habitat for birds which are hazardous for flying operations. Areas immediately across the boundary walls have been cleared of obstructions for a clear view of the intruders. Most airfields have a near 10 feet high boundary wall with a barbed-wire fence and is laced with concrete watch towers manned by DSC personnel who mostly comprise of ex-servicemen in age bracket of late

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

40s or 50s. The watch towers have outward facing search-lights for night-surveillance. The aircraft are dispersed in blast protected aircraftpens or sometimes parked on open tarmac. The domestic (residential) and operational areas are clearly separated, and the operational area security is enhanced with extra fences and air-warrior guards.

Higher risk airbases also have a unit of IAF Garud commandos to support high-value asset protection.

High-value assets have fully armed extra air-warrior guards. Handheld remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) are there at some airbases for aerial surveillance. A few also have night-vision sensors. The Garud commandos have night-vision binoculars. Aircraft operating area, bomb dumps and bulk petroleum storage have greater physical and manned security. During war, enemy will make attempts

9

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

to penetrate airfields to destroy operational assets on the ground.

In 1965 Indo-Pak War, Pakistani commandos made a failed attempt to raid IAF airbases, including a para drop.

Lessons From Pathankot Attack

There is a need for inter-agency coordination, and IAF has to have better information flow with local army units, police, and intelligence agencies. The IAF requires physical support from battle-hardened local army units during serious contingencies. Airfield security needs a fresh look especially in border districts. There is a need for directional jammers to prevent use of cell phones by terrorists/ enemy. There is a need for domestic area evacuation plan. India needs an enhanced security grid in all border districts. There is a need to control media access and coverage

NSG, Army and Air Force commandos mopping the entire area inside the Air Force base, Pathankot.

security to detect an on-board bomb on Air India Flight 182 ‘Emperor Kanishka’ from Montreal to London in 1985 crashed over Atlantic killing 329 on-board. Another on-board bomb that slipped through airport security was on Pan Am flight in

The TA is a part of Regular Army and its present role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities of security operations, and conduct repeat formal media briefings. High value assets in border districts need security strengthening. A fully fenced and brightly lit border in plains cannot be allowed to be so porous to allow intrusion with huge cashe of arms. Border security needs to tighten-up.

Lessons From Civil Aviation Civil aviation went through some major disasters before they woke up to serious airport security. The single deadliest airline catastrophe resulting from the failure of airport

1988, which killed 270 people in the disaster known as the Lockerbie bombing. The 11 September 2001 multiple attacks across USA are the most widely recognized terrorist attacks in recent times involving air travel. Airport access has since been tightened. Passengers and baggage are screened using ever improving metal and explosive detector machines. More recently, backscatter X-rays machines are being used. India stepped up its airport security after the 1999 Kandahar hijacking. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF),

a paramilitary organisation was given the charge and put under the regulatory framework of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (Ministry of Civil Aviation). They created especially trained group for airport security. Things did improve thereafter. Another problem that some airports face is the proliferation of slums around the boundary walls and in the approach zone and with a potential of mischief.

IAF Airfield Security

Entry into any airbase is through the few double-secure entry gates which are well-manned and have drive-in barriers. There is no entry without identity check. However, a large number of other than uniformed personnel like airfield maintenance and construction contractor labour also pass through these gates to work inside.

There are CCTV cameras on the gates, but time has perhaps come to introduce airport like checking devices for humans and materials.

The boundary walls sometimes have drains passing under them and are secured by iron-rod gates. These have sometimes been breached. Thick forest / vegetation near boundary wall / fence often

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real-time threats TERRITORIAL ARMY ROLE

Front-line fighters, Su-30MKI, of the Indian Air Force.

hampers security. In most places, these have been shaved clean but in the northeastern states, the growth is rather dense and rapid.

More night-vision devices are being introduced. Outfacing, swiveling search-lights atop watch-towers help floodlight area outside the fence. Many airbases continue to have unauthorised structures nearly touching the boundary walls in spite of clear laws against this. A typical IAF base is secured during peace time by DSC soldiers manning the peripheral watch-towers and the important operational assets augmented with air-warrior guards comprising non-technical staff who are not engaged in active operational activities. The DSC numbers need serious augmenting and forward bases should have relatively younger lot. The limited Garud Commandos act as Quick-reaction force and take-on larger realtime threats. While the Garud are better armed and better trained, they have other tasks and roles such as Suppression of Enemy Air

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Defence (SEAD) through radarbursting, and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR). Garud units need to be increased to two from present one in forward bases. The Vital Assets (VA) at an airfield include the runway, Air Traffic Control building, base operations centre, the communication hub, bulk petroleum storage, bomb and weapon storage, and hightechnology laboratories among others. The air warriors and their families also have to be kept safe.

IAF-TA Interface

In war, the assigned TA units are supposed to take-over airfield security. Often the peace-time location of the TA unit could be so far that it could take a few days to reach its destination after mobilisation is ordered.

They are unlikely to reach in time for an ‘incident-trigger’ led war. The TA units are supposed to come and familiarise and train at the operational locations regularly. Due to administrative and financial constraints, such

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training is often carried out only during very major exercises and that too only partially. Many times it is restricted to visits and discussions by the TA battalion commander. Since many TA personnel come for training with their battalion only for few days in a year, the constraints of training at opeational locations multiply. Undoubtedly, the TA battalions are at a higher state of operational thinking than the DSC and in a better state to defend the airbases. Till they arrive, the IAF and DSC would have to man the security. Allocation and peacetime locations of the TA battalion need a major review. They need to be placed very close to their operational locations.

Role Of An Airbase Commander

A good local commander would have to be pro-active and make the best of his assets and environment.

Airfield-wise Counter-Terrorism Contingency Plan (CTCP) has to be evolved and rehearsed. Unmanned

9 Aerial Vehicles (UAV), observers in helicopters or micro-light aircraft, or aerial recce aircraft could be used in case of an imminent attack.

Helicopter gunship could be used to engage the threat. Nearby army units, local police, home-guards, and the adjoining village Sarpanch and youth would have to be roped in. The IAF base and TA unit have to build a great interface.

Options And Challenges For IAF

After Pathankot attack, the IAF has planned to strengthen security at 54 airbases of the country by installing ‘smart fences’, electronic surveillance systems, thermal imagers, closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and drones.

Money has been sanctioned and project is underway. Integrated Parameter Security Solution (IPSS) is a detailed airbase security plan which will be implemented first in Western Air Command (WAC) stations, and later elsewhere. The IAF has revived a four decades old proposal to form airfield security regiments of its own to become independent from TA units. This may also allow them to shed DSC. The IAF has also asked the government agencies to remove encroachments around

the airbases. The rule stipulates that no construction can take place 100 meters from the airbase and no structure can come up within 900 meters around the ordnance depots. However, these rules are breached in many places.

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

grazing inside the camps has been stopped. The domestic areas with shops, including CSD canteen, where ex-servicemen sometimes accompanied by civilians have been segregated and checking remains stringent.

Garud Commando Force was formed in September 2004 after attempted terror attacks on the two major airbases in J&K. Their current strength is approximately 1,500 personnel. The IAF has sought government sanction to recruit more Garud commandos More heavy-duty equipment is needed to clear foliage in some densely vegetated stations. A wall can be scaled, so surveillance systems with CCTV cameras are required across the wall. Social media is being used to honeytrap and blackmail unsuspecting youngsters and using them as possible moles. This needs restrictions and monitoring. The earlier practice of allowing cattle

Garud Commando Force, special forces unit of the Indian Air Force.

The Garuds

Garud Commando Force was formed in September 2004 after attempted terror attacks on the two major airbases in J&K. Their current strength is approximately 1,500 personnel. The IAF has sought government sanction to recruit more Garud commandos.

The Western Air Command has directed critical air stations to adhere to shoot-at-sight if anyone tries to enter the premises in an unauthorised manner. The IAF has prominently displayed this warning at vantage positions.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have been evolved with local army units to coordinate assistance in case of emergency or attack. There is better coordination with civil administration, including the police, in regards to suspicious movements near airbases and about the shoot at sight orders in case of trespassers.

Finally, the local commanders have to use innovative basespecific ways and local liaison to strengthen security.

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dogmatic rules SHADOW GOVERNMENT

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Rules The Roost The writing on the wall is clear that the TLP especially and other Islamic parties will call the shots in the final decision on any social issue which even remotely has a religious strain. If the government machinery does not steel its spine and be prepared to take hard decisions, it will be the rabid minority which lurks in the shadows of the government which will handle the affairs of Pakistan by remote control.

O

n 31 October 2018, the Pakistan Supreme Court in a landmark judgement acquitted Asia Bibi,

a Pak Christian, who was charged with blasphemy in 2010. The world

at large and the majority in Pakistan indicated their support, however, the euphoria was short-lived for within a span of the next three days, the Islamic fundamental party, Tehreeke-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) managed to usurp the judgement. Pakistan has for the past five decades been

Conservatives protest against the acquittal of Asia Bibi in Pakistan.

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manipulating religion to further their agenda. Faced with unstable borders, both in the east and west, successive governments supported by the military, in particular the ISI, have exploited this religious fervour to gain strategic depth in Afghanistan and ferment trouble in India, especially

9 in J&K and Punjab by employing a galaxy of non-state actors. Initially, the ISI had full control over these militant groups, however, they rapidly grew in strength and influence and having gained legitimacy by forming political parties are now threatening the constitution and attempting to control the government as per their dictate. A very dangerous situation for any country.

Genesis

In 1971, with the dismemberment of Pakistan and Bangladesh having gained independence, the Government of Pakistan now led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the military attempted to assuage the anger of the nation which felt it had been let down and humiliated by the defeat. To cover up their shortcomings, they resorted to playing the religious card to mobilise mass support and deflect the blame for their incompetence. Hence, in 1974, PM Bhutto declared the Ahmadi Muslims as non-Muslims by a constitutional amendment, thereby, restricting their voting rights to reserved constituencies and creating a feeling of apartheid. In 1976, Ziaul Haq having assumed power as Chief Martial Law Administrator, after a coup, ruled Pakistan with an iron hand indoctrinated and guided

A supporter of Imran Khan during a rally.

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the military and the population at large towards implementation of the Sharia law. He even created separate seats for elections for Muslims and non-Muslims for the National Assembly, thus dividing the country along sectarian lines.

The Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) prohibits blasphemy against any religion, providing penalties from fines to death.

Blasphemy has always been a sensitive issue in Pakistan, however prior to the rule of Gen Ziaul Haq, there were only 14 cases of blasphemy reported, but once he amended Section 295 of the PPC wherein a number of clauses were added defining what constituted blasphemy and enhancing the punishment to death, there has been an astronomical rise in the number of cases and by 2014, a total of 1,300 people were accused of blasphemy. The law has since been used to persecute minorities and settle personal scores.

From 1986-2007, a total of 647 persons were charged of which more than 50 per cent were non-Muslims who constitute only 3 per cent of the population. Those accused are subject to harassment, threats and attacks. Even the police, lawyers and judges are subjected to these threats. The accused for their own safety, are put in solitary confinement and if acquitted, go into hiding or leave

Lt Gen Dalip Bhardwaj PVSM, VSM (Retd)

The writer is a former Director General of the Mechanised Forces, Indian Army.

Pakistan. Though 68 per cent of the population believes that blasphemy law needs to be repealed, however, whenever the issue is discussed the Islamic parties successfully galvanise street power with the aim of obstructing reforms, provoking sectarian violence and undermining the rule of law and the constitution.

Islamic Fundamentalist Parties

As mentioned earlier, it was at the behest and support of the military and particularly the ISI, that militant organisations (non-state actors) were raised and nurtured to further their strategic goals. Having grown in size and influence, these militant groups have now sought legitimacy by forming political parties and legally contesting elections to form part of the legislature at the provincial and national level.

The Mutahid Majlis-e-Alam (MMA), an alliance of many religious parties including Jamait Ulema-e-Pakistan did win a few seats and was part of government at the provincial and national assembly but could do no real progress on its agenda of Islamisation.

The elections of 2018 were expected to be the game changer and all Islamic

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dogmatic rules SHADOW GOVERNMENT

parties participated and contested in large number of seats, however, the results were disastrous and the TLP won only two seats in the Sind Assembly.

The MMA fared better and secured 15 seats in the National Assembly but is in the opposition. Between the MMA and the TLP, they secured 9 per cent of the vote share but the TLP did not win any seats in the National Assembly. Despite the lack of legislature control, the TLP controls the power in the shadow of the government.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)

The TLP is an Islamist political party with an Islamic ideology. Founded by a radical Islamic preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi in August 2015, it is best known for its ability to mobilise street power and in opposing any change to Pak’s blasphemy law. The party members belong to the Barelvi School of Islamic thought and their basic demand is that the Sharia law be adopted as part of Pakistan’s Constitution. The party fought the 2018 Elections at the national and provincial level and fielded 550 candidates; however they won mere two seats in the Sind Provincial Assembly. Their cadre strength is growing at an astronomical rate and their sphere of influence is expanding

Asia Bibi being placed on the Exit Control List (forbidden to leave the country) in effect back to solitary confinement and has overshadowed all the other Islamic parties primarily due to the hard populist line it adopts on the blasphemy law.

Case Of Asia Bibi Asia Bibi (Asia Noreen), a Christian and mother of five, is a farm labourer and in 2010, had taken a sip of water from a jug and passed on the same to her co-workers. These co-workers (all Muslims) objected that they could not share the drinking vessel from an infidel and demanded she convert to Islam, to which she flatly refused. A mob gathered and she was accused of insulting Prophet Muhammed.

Asia Bibi faced trial and the Sessions Court, finding her guilty of blasphemy, sentenced her to death which was

Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), addressing a campaign rally.

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upheld by the High Court. The Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, supported Asia Bibi, met her in jail and subsequently held a joint press conference. This was objected to by many Imams who accused Salman Taseer of blasphemy and sentenced him to be killed. The irony is that in 2011, Salman Taseer was shot dead

by Murtaza Qadri, his policeman bodyguard with his service weapon.

The trial lasted for four years, by then Murtaza Qadri had become a cult hero but in 2015, he was sentenced to death and executed in 2016.

Exploiting the emotions of the people on the martyrdom of Murtaza Qadri, the radical preacher Khadim Rizvi formed the Islamic party, Tehreek-eLabbaik Pakistan, with the sole agenda of calling for blasphemers to be put to death and celebrating the alleged perpetrators.

Rise Of TLP

In a short span of two years, the party has created a formidable base. Their first opportunity to show strength came in October 2017 when the Government of Pakistan controversially made some minor changes in the election bill.

The TLP opposed these changes and demanded a roll back and resignation of the Minister of Law and Justice

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Asia Bibi

Pakistani Christians in support of freedom of Asia Bibi.

Zahid Hamid. To enforce their demand, they stopped all traffic at the Faizabad interchange and soon the protest spread across the country including Islamabad in which six protestors were killed and over 200 injured. To resolve the situation Minister Zahid Hamid resigned.

effectively especially when “namoose-riasat” (honour of the prophet) was at stake. Candidates canvassed in the name of the Prophet and they managed to galvanise power where other Barelvi parties such as Jamait Ullema-e- Pakistan and Sunni

Since the members of the MMA did not come out in proactive support of the execution of Murtaza Qadri, nor the amendment of the election bill, the TLP assumed authority of being the sole representatives of a radicalised population. They fought the polls on the twin planks of anti-blasphemy and anti-corruption. Due to lack of good governance in Pakistan over the last few years, a vacuum had developed and to aggravate matters in Punjab, the PML (Nawaz) found itself leaderless and in Karachi, there was infighting within the MQM. Along with this the civic forums were weakened – trade unions, grass root political associations, ethnicity-based organisations – which resulted in the working class, especially those who migrated to big cities with little option but to seek the support from religious parties formed around neighbourhood mosques and madrassas. The voters considered the TLP as a party that represented their religious ideals most

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

on which they relied for support especially in FATA. The PTI is known to have funded the Haqqani seminary known as “Oxford of Global Jihad,” hence, it is not without base that Imran Khan was referred to as ‘Taliban Khan’. However, once

They aired on Youtube a press conference warning the judges that they would meet a horrible end if they freed Asia Bibi.

Tehreek, who have been in existence for decades, failed. The popularity of TLP is summed up by Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaik, a social scientist, “Attacks on Sufi shrines and Qadri’s execution has generated a sense of victimisation among Barlevis”. “They are drawn towards TLP because of its uncompromising politics of agitation which they see is the only way to attract the attention of the State and have their agenda implemented”.

the PTI came to power and Imran Khan elected as Prime Minister, he announced the evolution of “Naya Pak” where all religions and sects would live in harmony. Though, the reality on ground does not change as the PTI won the elections on the backing of the military and the military needs the radical organisations and Islamic parties to further their agenda and maintain control over foreign affairs and security.

Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by Imran Khan prior to the elections was always seen as supportive to the radical organisations

Asia Bibi Exonerated On 31 October 2018, the Pakistan Supreme Court in a landmark judgement by a bench of three judges

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dogmatic rules SHADOW GOVERNMENT

Islamist protesters burn a poster of Imran Khan after the acquittal of Asia Bibi.

acquitted Asia Bibi of the charges of blasphemy due to lack of evidence after having been confined to solitary confinement for eight years. It appears that the TLP were anticipating an adverse judgement or they wanted to pressurise the judges for a favourable decision, hence on 30 October 2018, they aired on You tube a press conference warning the judges that they would meet a horrible end if they freed Asia Bibi. It is to the credit of the Supreme Court that despite such extreme pressure, they refused to yield. On hearing the judgement the mob was out on the streets, within 24 hours life in Pakistan was paralysed – schools shut, universities post-poned exams, flights delayed, trains cancelled or changed routes and all highways blocked. The TLP sentenced: a. The Chief Justice of Pakistan and the two other judges be killed. b. The Chief of Army Staff was no longer acceptable and so be put to death. He was declared a closet Ahmadi and the Army was encouraged to mutiny.

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c. Prime Minister Imran Khan was declared to be a Jewish child.

Government Succumbs

At the time of the judgement, PM Imran Khan was in Beijing negotiating a loan to bail out Pakistan from an economic crisis. In a bold statement, the PM warned the protesters “the government will not stand aside and see property and livelihood being destroyed. Do not force us to take action”. The PM’s statement was lauded in Pakistan and abroad, however the resolve disappeared within three days as on November 2, the government and TLP came to an agreement whereby they called off their protests in lieu of Asia Bibi being placed on the Exit Control List (forbidden to leave the country) in effect back to solitary confinement and that the government would take up with the SC a case to review the judgement. In addition, all TLP agitators arrested were freed. So, once

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again the Pakistan government has appeased the extremists in the garb of avoiding bloodshed. If a State, through its machinery, cannot implement its orders then the authority, rationality and stability of the State is in question.

In a short span of less than four months, this is the second incident when PM Imran Khan had to retract from his spoken word. Earlier, he had on the insistence of TLP changed his choice of an internationally renowned economist as his Finance Minister because he was an Ahmadi. The writing on the wall is clear that the TLP especially and other Islamic parties will call the shots in the final decision on any social issue which even remotely has a religious strain.

If the government machinery does not steel its spine and be prepared to take hard decisions, it will be the rabid minority which lurks in the shadows of the government which will control the affairs of Pakistan by remote control.

Territorial Army STRATEGIC THINKING

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POTENTIAL OF THE

TERRITORIAL ARMY The range is vast from strategic thinking, economic engagement, logistics, technical prowess, cyber experts, for bright young minds at minimal cost. It has potential for a ‘smart’ solution. The TA could also take in personnel from other ministries to increase understanding and provide for cost-effective solutions.

T

he present role of the Territorial Army (TA) is to relieve the regular army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected, or, the security of the country is threatened. One advantage that it enjoys is that it can take in experts from all walks of life who serve for limited periods and in an emerging India could play a larger role in shaping the nation’s destiny.

China’s Resurgence

India cannot compete with China’s meteoric rise neither its pace. What it seeks is peace and stability in the neighbourhood to enable growth.

Challenges to national security have also to be seen in the new paradigm that the 21st century has been the safest ever with respect to international conflicts. That notwithstanding, India is in a dangerous neighbourhood with two nuclear armed neighbours with whom it has territorial disputes. The

fact that they are in collusion adds to the challenge. Maintaining territorial integrity and unity is, thus, foremost but must be ensured in a 21st century ‘smart’ framework.

Additionally, India is being subjected to the side effects of the new Cold War between China and USA wherein the former is building economic, technological and military capacity to take on the world’s superpower.

China is arming at a pace unseen in history. The PLA has been reorganised and the scope of changes span all domains of conflict. While they profess it as a ‘peaceful rise’, the capabilities they are acquiring will give them an offensive capacity across the entire spectrum. This is worrisome for its neighbours, especially India.

Cost-Effective Deterrent

Under the circumstances, building deterrence-capacity is essential.

However, it cannot be at the cost of development and well-being of people. A balanced approach to this requires intelligent thinking.

Given its current economic and technological status, India must

Lt Gen Aditya Singh PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

The writer is former Member, National Security Advisory Board.

He retired in 2007 as GOC-in-C, Southern Command, the largest Command of the Indian Army. Prior to this, he had been Commanderin-Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004. In his capacity as Operational Head, he was responsible for the emergency relief and successful rehabilitation of the ravaged Islands. He is associated on National Security matters with various think-tanks.

resist the temptation of playing above its capacity or getting involved in an arms race and incorporate every other means to fulfil its national security needs. The systems that it employs must be cost-effective.

Historically, India’s influence extended to all of Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean Region and littoral Africa. All this was as a part of an inclusive network where the longterm benefits of peace overrode the short-term advantages of conflict.

It is this strategy of a principled approach and engagement that needs to be re-examined. This is backed by

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Territorial Army STRATEGIC THINKING

examples of the high cost of conflicts in the last century. While China may have the capacity, a 21st-century conflict with its potential power for destruction, would be catastrophic for all. Hence, highlighting the cost of conflict by engagement could serve as ‘soft deterrence’.

That cannot be at the cost of its conventional and strategic deterrence.

What it will allow, however, is a multiprong and cost-effective approach and use of all elements to dissuade.

More so, it will provide for build-up of capabilities at a sustainable pace; it is here that the TA could assist.

Internal Security Role

Additionally, India’s diverse and heterogeneous make-up creates its own chinks which can be exploited by inimical elements. Thus, internal stability and harmony is equally important. Here too, an all India force like the TA could play a vital role. It is, therefore, necessary to examine the balanced approach that India needs to follow and within that, what the TA could do.

Most of the strategic assessment is possibly known and hence, will be covered in brief. What we need to seek to understand is how the vast potential of TA could be leveraged in this regard.

Chinese Geostrategy

There are two competing strains in Chinese strategic thinking. One values partnership and increased integration in global security structures. The other leans toward unilateral action and refuses to acknowledge global norms when they are seen to inhibit China’s interests.

With China’s continued growth and success, it is this second strain which now tends to dominate, hence its actions of pushing forward and ‘digging deep’. China’s concept of the rejuvenation of the Middle Kingdom and demonstration that there is a proven alternative system to Western

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democracies to usher in a new world power is of concern. The according of permanence to the leadership of President Xi Jinping has given him an ‘Emperor’ status. Unlike the USSR which wished to impose communism, the Chinese are convinced that they can demonstrate to the world that their system, in which the State and not the individual is supreme, is the best, thus there is no need to impose.

They draw great strength from history and tyranny which was intrinsic is glossed over. It is an autocratic system far removed from liberal thinking which most of the developed world follows. History has shown that it is such regimes that generate conflict, hence, the need for a 21st century approach to ensure peace.

contact war’ which could also cover the financial and social spheres.

Ramifications of this would be unpredictable and could lead to escalation and conflict. It must further be appreciated that this also has potential to create uncertainty in the nuclear realm. Half the world’s nuclear powers are in Asia and the two most unpredictable are China’s allies. It is a concern for all countries in Asia. Given tensions, any cyber uncertainly also runs the risk of a nuclear conflict, the effects of which will transcend borders.

The sheer numbers of Asia will drive growth in the coming years. Hence, the current US leadership has to be convinced that for America’s continued ‘greatness’, peace and stability of Asia

The concept of Cyber TA Battalions has been in limbo for years and needs to be implemented While singly no nation can confront China, it is also true that except for North Korea and Pakistan, it has no allies. All this creates ground for others to get together and form networks or partnerships. This allows for greater flexibility than an alliance. More importantly, nations can work towards the larger objective of the common good.

Economic Coersion

Recent examples of economic coercion by China such as those in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Eritrea are relevant. There is also growing realisation that its Belt and Road initiative is likely to tie countries in debt. All this has made countries wary and conditions for this network are more favourable than ever before.

China’s development and prowess in the cyber domain, has made the situation even more complicated.

There is now the danger of ‘non-

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requires its continued involvement.

Also, historically, no civilisation can continue to be great. Any neglect of the US’ security role in Asia will only hasten its demise as a superpower and allow China’s rise in an earlier timeframe.

There is also the possibility of an even closer Russia-China axis. All this is something that the US and rest of the world needs to take note of.

India’s Response

For peace and stability of the region, the 21st century requires a new approach to ensure VasudhaivaKutmabakam. Non-alignment must give way to partnership and a larger goal. This needs to be set down as a white paper or national security strategy. It would not only announce to the world what India seeks, but lay down guidelines for the defence forces and every other organ and institution of the State. A clear statement of intent could drive policy. Such a

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paper will also set down the process of engagement and benefits of mutual cooperation as also how each nation, big or small, could play a part.

polity, any acquisitions from abroad will always invite mudslinging and consequent delays.

Next, within its stated policy of protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty, India must strengthen its conventional and strategic deterrence. This must extend to unconventional and emerging domains such as cyber. Border infrastructure has to be built-up.

In keeping with the importance of ensuring open sea lanes for all, it must develop its navy and work with other nations for freedom of navigation. This must also extend to disasters and humanitarian missions. Budget for the navy need to be enhanced manifold.

Initiatives such as SAGAR to further build partnerships are also vital.

Along with this, it must proactively work with every nation for the common goal of peace and stability and engage them at every fora. Given China’s importance, it must engage

It must take a principled stance in keeping with international norms and seek compliance. China only respect strength and the recent draw down on the Dalai Lama

The TA, from being a backup force, could transform into a generator of ideas and practical solutions it as a partner in a spirit of mutual benefit. It must support China’s actions which are open, transparent and for the common good. At the same time, it must firmly oppose any unilateral violation or change in the status quo. To this extent, it can stress on its historic legacy and outreach to Asia and how for eons, it has always spread the message of peace. This should include the Indian Ocean Region. Building of trust especially between the defence forces is a must. It must continually and increasingly engage in bilateral and multilateral exercises with all nations. Potential of the Quad needs to be exploited; Indonesia needs to be taken alongside.

Self-Sufficiency In Arms

It must seriously work to building self-sufficiency in defence hardware and seek technology for developing modern weapon systems. There is no option. Further, given the fractured

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will only encourage it to further pressurise India. It must also fulfil any obligations and commitments in this regard. This would include all aspects of the global commons including space.

India must remain alive to the fact that in international relations, nothing is permanent and be prepared to adapt to changing scenarios. The policy of non-alignment was suitable during the Cold War. India’s economic strength and stature has changed.

It has to now adapt to be a partner.

China may not like it but should be given no option.

All actions should be driven from a position of respect and mutual benefit. The leadership must recognise that no nation has ever become great without sacrifice.

If India has to be a part of the Asian story and achieve its rightful destiny, then firm resolve and action

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on its part is called for. The political hierarchy must also understand that while there can be security without growth, there can be no growth without security.

Possible Roles For TA

Over the years, TA has recruited locals in the Home and Hearth Battalions as also, celebrities, sportspersons and public life who have brought in a wide range of talent which has contributed to building the outreach to the people.

With flexible procedures and minimal cost, it could be extended to take in a valuable pool of bright young minds from every sphere of activity to work to action which ensures conflict avoidance at minimum cost.

These bright minds will include scientists, engineers, academics, sociologists, political thinkers, medical, economists, social media experts’ et al. Closer integration of such thinkers and practitioners with a pool of experience will generate new thinking and provide fresh inputs to the defence forces and the government. Being uniformed, there would be intrinsic security backed by practical knowledge. Such personnel could even be tasked to work with other ministries and state. Being a quasi-military force, they present a softer image and can also be used for interaction with other nations.

Cyber Battalions

The concept of Cyber TA Battalions has been in limbo for years and needs to be implemented. This is especially so in view of the China’s capacity. Cyber or social media experts need to be co-opted to work out possibilities of a 21st century war in this sphere. Perception management also requires media experts who understand the larger security picture and can respond in an objective manner. More so, social

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China only respect strength and the recent draw down on the Dalai Lama will only encourage it to further pressurise India media and its ‘virtual friendships’ has made all personnel vulnerable and is a serious internal threat for the defence forces.

Working on internal peace and harmony is another role for the TA. The TA has performed exceedingly well in ecology and being an all India force, now needs to take on outreach in all parts of the country. Ideally, this has to be in consonance with State governments. Projects and out-reach in the Red Corridor’ provide possibilities.

Alternate Supply Chain

There is a pressure on cutting the teeth-to-tail ratio; TA could function as a link for all the logistic aspects.

This would include medical, supply of victuals, repair chain management, security outsourcing and so on. This should extend to the other two Services. All this will also provide capacity during natural and other calamities.

Language experts are another sphere in which the TA could play a role. Young men and ladies need to co-opt on a required basis to augment resources. The case will be similar in respect of scientists.

Serving with the TA will expose them to needs for which they could provide answers.

This is especially for emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), cryptography, material science, war gaming and so on. The TA could provide in-house experts who, in turn, could interact with the DRDO. The AI can assist in counterterrorism and counter-infiltration operations and needs personnel experience for implementation.

The range is vast from strategic thinking, economic engagement, logistics, technical prowess, cyber experts, for bright young minds at minimal cost. It has potential for a ‘smart’ solution. The TA

could also take in personnel from other ministries to increase understanding and provide for costeffective solutions. Such flexibility in procedures would require modification to current rules but is something worth being tried out.

For India to progress in a sustainable manner, every resource has to be exploited. This must avoid conventional hierarchies and provide ‘flat’ solutions. Bright young minds with patriotic fervour can be taken in to provide intelligent human capital.

The TA, from being a backup force, could transform into a generator of ideas and practical solutions. It could also assist in the internal wellbeing of the defence forces in the current social media milieu.

Modern technology and cogent thinking as also engagement can raise the stakes of conflict and ensure peace and security. The TA can be part of it all.

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downsizing SECURITY PREPAREDNESS

Downsizing:

Security Preparedness The nation’s current strategic environment and that likely in the foreseeable future precludes any drastic measures like downsizing the armed forces. Intelligent “transformation” to make the Indian Army’s war-waging abilities and potential, even better than it is currently, is indeed welcome but an in-depth prognosis will reveal that any reduction in its manpower strength will be only at the nation’s peril.

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“

ational security is the most talked about subject amongst India’s strategic community, it is also the weakest link in India’s governance,” Former Indian Army Chief Gen Ved Malik.

In today’s highly volatile and violence ridden world, the requisite preparedness by any nation to thwart internal and external threats to its security, political, economic and social well-being is sine-qua-non. Equally, a nation’s security forces and all its institutions — mandated to ensure its security — must not remain mired in the past in their organisational structures, strategies and tactics, training doctrines and concepts,

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weapons and equipment — but be ever responsive to face emerging challenges, both traditional and non-traditional.

Nevertheless, it must be appreciated by the government at its highest echelons that defence preparedness and the nation’s honour comes at a cost. Mere rhetoric or sheer dependence on the valour and professionalism of its armed forces is no substitute for adoption of pragmatic strategy, substantial resource allocations and hard-nosed, time consuming combat capability building endeavours.

Strategic Environment In the past two decades or so, there have been marked disruptions in the overall global security environment

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with newer threats to peace and stability. India is located in one of the most stressed and politically unstable regions of the world, namely South Asia. Today’s myriad nuances of security encompasses apart from defence—political, economic, energy, food security, environmental, societal, water resources and human strands.

The scourge of terrorism continues to spread its ugly footprint globally and since the last three decades, India has been seriously afflicted by Pakistan sponsored terrorism which shows no signs of abating and thus adding to India’s security concerns.

Geographically speaking, India has land borders with seven nations of over 15,000 km in length, a coastline of over

9 7,683 km besides 1,197 islands and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over two million sq km in size. Additionally, India’s strategic interests span a humungous geographical expanse from the Malacca Strait in the east to the African continent on the west straddling the waters of both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

In addition to terrorism concerns, as stated above, internal security challenges in the form of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affecting many States in the Indian hinterland remains a major headache, though primarily for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the National Security Guard (NSG) when deployed and the local police forces. The army can also be deployed, if and as required, for confronting the Naxals / Maoists.

Two-Front Situation

The major strategic security challenges to India emerge from its neighbours, China and Pakistan—independently from each, and, unmistakably from both in collusion. Since independence, India has fought four wars with Pakistan and one with China apart from many continuing border tensions with the latter including a serious face-off at Doklam in September 2017. Unsettled borders will remain a flashpoint between India and China. That both of India’s adversaries are nuclear armed and have achieved strategic congruence vis-à-vis India is clear as crystal. For China, against India, Pakistan remains a very cheap option to needle India, keep it busy and thus confined to South Asia. For Pakistan—in

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its myopic and persistent anti-India slant, China is the ultimate salvation.

China’s massive infrastructural improvements along the India-China border and in the Tibet region permits it now to deploy over 30 divisions against India in a matter of weeks.

As is evident, the Indian Armed Forces have security responsibilities which are indeed mind-boggling and enormous.

As the last bastion of the State and one of the very few institutions which work in India, the Indian Army and the two Services, namely the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy— all have to be fully prepared to thwart the myriad challenges to the nation’s security.

Terrorists As Forward Echelon

In addition, the nation’s armed forces have to be geared to confront the challenges emanating right across the entire spectrum of warfare to also include newer threats of hybrid warfare and from the world of cyber and space. Thus, it remains for the nation to critically carry out institutionalised time-bound reviews of its overall defence capabilities to adequately face all these threats mentioned ibid.

Overall Strength: Indian Army

Overall, the Indian Armed Forces with combined personnel strength of over 1.4 million and 9.60 lakh reserves are the second largest armed force in the world.

India has the world’s largest volunteer army, nearly 1.23 million strong. The Indian Army, being the focus of this

Lt Gen Kamal Davar PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

The writer, a distinguished soldier, is a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 operations and has served in all theatres of operations in India in his 41 years of service. He has been GOC of the Ladakh sector, Chief of Staff of Corps HQ in J&K and subsequently commanded a Corps resposible for the defence of Punjab. After a short stint as DG Mech Forces, he was especially selected by the GOI to raise the Defence Intelligence Agency. As the founder DG DIA, many innovative intelligence initiatives, both at home and abroad, were taken. After retirement, he writes and lectures on security and strategic subjects.

Is also involved with Track 2 initiatives and is widely travelled.

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downsizing SECURITY PREPAREDNESS

article, is also by itself, the second largest army in the world. However, as per media reports, the Indian Army is deficient of nearly 60,000 troops and around 10,000 officers.

The senior hierarchy of the Indian Army must put across to the political leadership their assessment of preparedness to confront India’s enemies and not succumb to any bureaucratic pressures The largest army in the world is China’s Ground Forces as part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with a total strength of 1.6 million and 5.10 lakh reserves. The PLA has been recently pruned down to a total of 2.3 million strength for all its services. The Pakistan Army’s total strength is 5.60 lakh active with 2.82 lakh as reserves.

In the strength of the Indian Armed Forces, the substantial figure of civilians serving in various branches of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), nearly 3.5 lakh personnel, is generally glossed over. This figure includes civilians serving in the DRDO, defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), MES, Defence Estates and personnel in the MOD itself. That this large percentage in manpower dips into the overall defence budget is conveniently forgotten in India by the powers that be.

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Budgetary Support

Even in affluent economies, budgetary constraints do exist for a variety of governmental endeavours including their security preparedness and India is no exception. However, what is alarming for our defence minimum is that the budget for defence compared to the GDP has been going down progressively which the nation will rue one day if this trend is not reversed. In 2017, the Indian defence budget was a total of US $63.9 billion with China’s defence budget a whooping US $228.2 billion and Pakistan just US $10.8 billion.

However in 2018, regrettably, the Indian defence budget was brought down to a mere 1.58 per cent of the GDP—the lowest ratio since independence. As is known, there exist many glaring deficiencies in India’s arsenal owing to lack of budgetary support.

Though the debate on “guns vs butter” and making the army “leaner and meaner” or improving the “teeth to tail ratio” is an ongoing and a relevant exercise everywhere including in India, pragmatism and ground realities vis-à-vis the nation’s adversaries is warranted.

Many committees since the Gen Krishna Rao Committee in the 1980s to date have addressed the problem of improving the “teeth to tail ratio” and a fair number of logistical units have been pruned / disbanded over the years. Nevertheless,

National Security Guard (NSG) commandos.

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the senior hierarchy of the Indian Army must put across to the political leadership their assessment of preparedness to confront India’s enemies and not succumb to any bureaucratic pressures and whittle down the requirements of the army for seeking personal benefits.

Current Churning

Since the last one year or so, a large number of media reports indicate a comprehensive internal transformational exercise being undertaken by the Indian Army to iron out its organisational deficiencies, streamline its basic structures, cut out the flab where existing, effect improvements in its officer cadre and their promotions by a cadre review, institute better service conditions for the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Other Ranks (ORs), etc.

Thus for “Transformation of the Indian Army”, its Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has reportedly ordered four sub-committees to analyse the current shortcomings in the aspects mentioned ibid. This article restricts itself to the analysis of the overall manpower strength of the Indian Army and the serious repercussions of downsizing the army.

There have been alarming reports of the Indian Army, trimming itself, primarily propelled by financial constraints, for reducing its manpower by anything

9 from 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh troops over the next few years. That reducing its ‘boots on the ground’ will release a fair amount of resources for newer acquisitions in weapons and equipment appears to be an unwise step, to say the least, and will be detrimental to the nation’s operational preparedness and unfair to the Indian Army.

Contraview On Reduction

Indian security decision-makers must pragmatically assess the serious challenges to the nation’s security, both external and internal and the emerging threats. India could learn a vital lesson that technology may assist in the augmentation of the forces efficiency, accuracy in firepower, reach and communications but cannot replace ‘boots on the ground’. The US, NATO and foreign troops in Afghanistan fighting America’s longest war in its history have realised that notwithstanding its tremendous technological advantages over the Taliban and other terrorist outfits, have not been able to subdue their foes. One of the reasons, clearly, has been the US and the foreign troops not having adequate troops in Afghanistan.

With a vast disputed border with China, the Indian Army needs adequate number of units and formations to physically hold ground and even without any trimming, our strengths in the defensive formations is far from adequate. The lack of adequate ‘boots on the ground’ could itself be a trigger for the ambitious Chinese. The concept of dual-use formations for employment in the eastern or western sectors, as operationally required, will be well-nigh a possibility now owing to serious collusion between China and Pakistan—thus, adequate independent reserves for each of the sectors will have to be ensured.

Mountain Strike Corps

The decision taken, a few years back, to raise the Mountain Strike Corps was indeed a wise one, but reportedly, its raising appears to be held in abeyance.

Operationally speaking, the deferment

of this raising is fraught with serious consequences for the Indian Army’s combat capabilities in the mountains.

The government must find funds to ensure that this critically required formation sees the light of the day.

Since budgetary constraints do effect capital acquisitions of critically required modern weaponry, the government definitely needs to prune unnecessary expenditure to finance these critical defence needs. Thus, there is a strong case to dismantle some ordnance factories which are running at a loss, some departments in the DRDO which have proved grossly inefficient and some civilian manpower in the MOD.

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accrue could be utilised for massive infrastructural development, welfare projects in the nation and some of it for state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

Another cost-effective measure for the government will be to transfer highly disciplined and well-trained armed forces personnel, on completion of their colour service into the para-military and Central Armed Police Forces. This manpower from the armed forces also remains as adequate military reserves for the nation in case of an emergency.

In addition, Army HQ opines that where some units / sub-units could be pruned / disbanded, this trained manpower

Another cost-effective measure for the government will be to transfer highly disciplined and well-trained armed forces personnel, on completion of their colour service into the para-military and Central Armed Police Forces Integrate HQs/MOD A major, long awaited significant measure to reduce flab in the MOD and exponentially increase its efficiency will be to truly integrate the service HQs with the MOD by merging the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) officers and assets into the MOD. A reorganised and trimmer MOD, thus, can eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic layers thereby enhancing speedier decision-making and substantially save on overall manpower costs within the MOD. In fact, if PM Narendra Modi wishes to live up to his 2014 electioneering slogan of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance”, the Government of India should order a comprehensive exercise to cut unnecessary establishments all across our bloated bureaucratic machinery in all ministries of the government. The savings which will

could be optimally utilised in the Territorial Army on a variety of tasks for missions, both in peace and war. This step too will affect some savings to the defence budget.

As sincere and deliberate efforts must be made to improve the “teeth to tail ratio” of the Indian Army and accord it enhanced combat capabilities to confront all security challenges in the future, downsizing the Indian Army will be a retrograde step. The nation’s current strategic environment and that likely in the foreseeable future precludes any drastic measures like downsizing the armed forces. Intelligent “transformation” to make the Indian Army’s war-waging abilities and potential, even better than it is currently, is indeed welcome but an in-depth prognosis will reveal that any reduction in its manpower strength will be only at the nation’s peril.

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manpower reduction COST-EFFECTIVE

Manpower Reduction:

Wings of Technology A big advantage is that the realistic “feel of the fire” effect can also be artificially built into the simulated system to be experienced by the weapon crews. These may include sound, jerk, recoil force, movement of the moving parts, platform vibration, smoke and dust, psychological feel, etc., cumulatively equal to the “feel” as if the weapon is firing live ammunition.

This was something which was not possible in the traditional training activity at the unit / formation level. All this at minimal manpower commitment.

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fforts to reduce the manpower in the Services that goes under several names like “downsizing”, “rightsizing”, “restructuring”, etc., has been an abiding practice in the militaries around the world.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced on 5 March 2018 that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has slashed 300,000 troops bringing down its strength from 2.3 to 2 million. This followed the earlier downsizing of the PLA in 1985 when its strength was reduced from 4.5 million to 2.3 million.1

Back home, major restructuring of the Indian Army to include rank restructuring and a downsizing to

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the extent of about 100,000 troops has been making news in the open source for the past couple of months.2, 3 The oft quoted reasons for the downsizing run on familiar lines, “cutting out flab”, “reducing tail-to-teeth ratio”, “cutting out non-functional manpower”, “cutting out non essentials”, and the like.

Auto-Reduction

Technology has its own pattern of striking down the quantum of manpower, albeit in its own miniscule way. In that, the enabling wings of technology make such options and opportunities available which permit many a combat / training functions to be executed with much lesser manpower than before. Technology provides ‘smart’

and ‘intelligent’ systems which possess their own bit of intelligence, structured logic and machine learning quotient, thus, requiring lesser manpower to operate them.

While this actually cannot be called manpower reduction in any of its classic way but all the same, technology does help in cutting net manpower liability in a unit in its own little way. The induction of the new technologies in the Services is a continuous process as various combat / training systems get upgraded or the new ones get inducted. Some of these technologies end up in making a lot of manpower redundant which can be removed. This is type of reduction implied in this article.

Some such technologies are highlighted.

1.

“China slashes 3 Lakh troops, reduces Peoples Liberation Army to 2 million,” at www.economictimes.indiatimes.com.

Accessed 3 December 2018.

2.

“Restructuring the Army - Managing transition and change,” at www.financialexpress.com. Accessed 3 December 2018.

3.

“In radical restructuring plan, Army Brigadiers, Major Generals to have same rank,” at www.ndtv.com. Accessed 3 December 2018.

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9 Training Gadgetry

Let’s commence with the need for training for live firing for air defence crews. It is known that before the guns and missiles are taken to the firing ranges for live fire training, the crews have to be practiced in firing drills at the unit / brigade training areas. This a major manpower intensive exercise as the weapons have to be deployed in the field area, aerial targets (pilotless target aircrafts or PTAs / aero models, etc.) have to be flown, command and control set up has to be put into place duly manned to coordinate the training practice, besides manpower has to be committed to logistics, etc.

Today, technology provides Virtual Reality (VR) helmets and goggles with a Head up Display (HuD) or very affordable dome structures which can generate a three dimensional environment with virtual realities of terrain, weather, time of the day and night as also aerial target profiles which can depict a user-defined air threat pattern.

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Such a set up can be put into place at a unit or a formation location. Once the set up is completed, minimal manpower is required to operate it and the same can be used for realistic crew training over and over again.

Reality Simulation

Another big advantage is that the realistic “feel of the fire” effect can also be artificially built into the simulated system to be experienced by the weapon crews. These may include sound, jerk, recoil force, movement of the moving parts, platform vibration, smoke and dust, psychological feel, etc., cumulatively equal to the ‘feel’ as if the weapon is firing live ammunition. This was something which was not possible in the traditional training activity at the unit / formation level. All this at minimal manpower commitment.

In an another instance, training to operate the electronics and electromagnetic systems, both in the communication (telecom and data) and the non-communication (radars)

Lt Gen (Dr) V K Saxena PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

The writer is former DG, Army AD. Currently, he is a Distinguished Fellow at VIF and a Fellow at USI. He is a UN scholar and a law scholar. He has authored five books and has hundreds of articles to his credit in various defence magazines. Besides three Service decorations and numerous awards, he is also an IETE awardee.

Virtual Reality Simulation.

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manpower reduction COST-EFFECTIVE

domain in a hostile electronic warfare (EW) environment used to be quite a cumbersome and manpower intensive exercise. Such a training involved deployment of live communication equipment in a network or noncommunication equipment in a tactical mode. Putting in place a source for conduct of electronic warfare attack, either from a ground-based platform or an aerial platform (aircraft / helicopter). Prosecution of the EW attack and the practice of electronic counter counter measures (ECCM) drills by the equipment operators to work through jam. A sizeable amount of manpower used to be consumed in the conduct of such training.

Technology, today, provides EW simulators which are minimal in manpower requirements (a single man crew). Such simulators can create a complete range and depth of EW attacks from a single point location with no need to deploy multiple ground EW attack stations or aerial sorties to conduct spot / sweep / barrage / deception jamming or

throw chaff / windows, etc. Use of such equipment ends up cutting out a lot of manpower which was earlier required to organise such training.

Omnibus Facilities

Modern combat platforms that are configured on wheeled / tank chassis (such as radar stations / missile stations / BMC2 platforms, etc.) normally permit only a minimal crew (2-3 at best) to be trained on one set of equipment. In order to train a large number of crews, multiple stations need to be deployed in the field involving considerable manpower and resources.

Technology, today, provides “class room variants� which feature one piece of actual combat equipment dis-assembled and re-deployed in a manner that is accessible to a large group of trainees in one hall / classroom. The field reality of the outside environment is created inside the classroom using signal scenario generators. This arrangement permits training of multiple crews on one piece

A Classroom Variant of a Radar.

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of equipment without having to commit manpower to deploy and operate multiple training stations in the field.

Another technology area that is helping reduce manpower commitment is the extensive use of Geo-spatial Information Systems (GIS). There used to be an earlier practice of physically checking out multiple deployment sites on ground to arrive at the optimum platform site. The manpower, time and effort in carrying out such physical check of multiple sites can be saved by the use of GIS-based simulation equipment.

GIS Inputs Take for instance that there is a requirement to find out the optimal sight for the deployment of say, a radar station in the given confines of the overall deployment area. The erstwhile primitive method was to carry out multiple deployments, check out the technical and tactical virtues of each site and arrive at the best.

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The induction of the new technologies in the Services is a continuous process as various combat / training systems get upgraded or the new ones get inducted Today’s option is to use GIS technologies combined with digital elevation models (DEMs). These have the capability to present topographic information in all its digital detail.

This is combined with the specially developed software tools and programmes that provide the technical signatures of the radar, as defined by the user. With these inputs in hand, the system can execute an interplay between the ‘technical radar signatures’ and ground virtues. This interplay instantly compares various sites across multiple variables and arrive at the most optimum selection without having the need to do the manpower intensive task of carrying out multiple deployments on ground.

Integrated Combat Teams

The advent of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been one significant savior of manpower that erstwhile used to be committed for hundreds of battle related functions like battlefield reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, keeping large swaths of areas under watch, direction of fire, post action damage assessment and more.

The latest use of such vehicles in their combat versions (called combat UAVs or UCAVs) is the manned and Unmanned Teaming or MUM-T for short. Here, the intelligence, grit, experience, decisionmaking capability and the hunch of the combat pilot is combined with the awesome range, reach, endurance and weapon carrying capability of the so called “dull, dirty and dangerous” unmanned machines as an integrated team in the conduct of joint operations For instance, in a typical MUM-T mission, a small number of combat pilots may be controlling the surveillance and combat resources of a large number of unmanned platforms cumulatively producing a multiplicative effect. The total throw weight of the MUM-T is equivalent to many combat platforms but the same has been actually achieved through a much fewer manned machines and hence, much less manpower commitment.

Autonomy

As the name suggests the unmanned platforms basically aim at execution of battle functions with nil (or much

less) manpower. The latest emerging trend is to go in for full vehicle autonomy. In this, the unmanned platforms duly programmed and armed, will conduct their assigned missions with no contact (read dependence) with the manned Ground Control Station (GCS) which can, thus, be dispensed with.

As the technology moves forward in providing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality based training and combat solutions, as more and more progress is made in deep machine learning and software defined solutions that produce self-managed and self-actuated systems, it will keep cutting down the raw requirement of manpower.

Like stated earlier, technology is not a manpower reducer in the classic sense of downsizing and restructuring, it basically makes such opportunities available in which many an erstwhile combat / training functions can be accomplished with much less manpower. The purport of this article was to give a glimpse of some such emerging technologies.

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smart wars NODAL FORCE

Lean And Mean with Smart Weapons It is pertinent to elaborate the composition of Response Force. It is in this context that a major restructuring of army was essential. It is needed only to keep adversary at bay through Nodal Force, equipped and trained to conduct smart war with smart weapons. It is clear that TRIPWIRE ROLE can be taken over by paramilitary forces. As part of the Cold Start Doctrine (CSD), they should be located close to the border. This would allow army to cut down its flab by 50 per cent of its present strength.

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n a seminar on Security, in Karachi, in December 2015, Gen Raheel Sharif, former Chief of Staff of Pakistan Army, gave out the blueprint of emerging concept of waging war. The Dawn Newspaper of Pakistan of 5 December 2015, quoted him, “-----Explosions are still a viable tool of war, but implosions are the new defeat mechanisms, -----”. And, exactly 25 days later, a terrorist attack took place on India’s air base at Pathankot.

Frankly speaking, Gen Raheel was outlaying a blueprint of “War by Other Means” (WOM), which aims at exploiting the internal vulnerabilities of one’s opponent. In other words, it is also recognised as “Fifth Generation Warfare” or “Hybrid War”.

Transformation Of Kill Capacity In military parlance, “land warfare” has undergone a massive shift in the South Asian context. No more armies of the region will enjoy the liberty of monkey-dancing across the borders.

With the nuclear arsenal piling up in the region; “Eyes in the Sky” watching

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round the clock through satellites; Laser beams making perfect kills; Hand-held UAVs / drones and Swarm bullets /-bombs taking on the role of mass destruction, war making has taken an altogether different turn. The targets can be destroyed without soldiers actually getting into combat zones. One does not have to use nuclear weapons to paralyse the enemy. Nuclear weapons have, thus, become “deterrents of direct aggression”.

Since the advent of atom bomb, weapon system technology has taken a giant leap forward.

More deadly weapons of mass destructions have appeared on the scene. There are three major areas where weapons systems have been affected by technology.

They are namely lethality, accuracy and range. Drones, missiles and “Swarm weapons” have made ‘fronts’ and ‘rears’ of combat zones disappear. In view of these developments, modern wars demand a shift from quantity to quality of soldiers. Second Gulf War is a testimony to the fact that it was not quantity of numbers

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but quality of numbers that mattered in a modern war. The world has come a long way from the collapsing duds of Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussain in a Hundred Hours War of 2001.

“Swarm Weapon System” being developed today can kill thousands of soldiers in the flash of a second, without causing any collateral damage. They are more lethal and deadly than nuclear devices. They are silent killers. They can take on enemy command and control structures, known nuclear silos / launch pads.

Drone cameras can detect on their own and fire the Swarm. As a weapon of blitzkrieg, it can destroy enemy’s war-making potential without even moving soldiers or crossing the borders.

Logic Of Hybrid War

Owing to above developments in weapon systems, opponents do avoid direct aggression at the outset and indulge in a ‘hybrid war’ (insurgency, cyber operations and information offensives - all inclusive) to weaken or destroy one’s adversary.

9 Kargil-99 incident bears testimony that emphasis was on WOM which transforms itself into “designer-cumniche war”. Even Doka La incident of June - July 2017 with China proves that there was reluctance of nuclear States to engage in an all-out war.

Therefore, between two “military equals” direct aggression on land will either confine itself to “border skirmishes” or as a “surgical offensive” after hybrid offensive has caused irreparable damage. Thus, modern war has two components, namely, hybrid phase and surgical phase.

Cut The Flab

It implies that large manpower heavy armies of dud soldiers were no match for technology-driven changes in war-making. Need is to cut the flab and move towards Smart Armed Forces of smart soldiers, handling smart weapons. It is time to move towards a Lean and Mean Army to suit future wars. Primarily, it means that standing army be drastically reduced in numbers and be

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supported by skeleton units as part of Territorial Army which can swell in times of need.

Threat Perception

In the Indian context, the threat to national security is from China, Pakistan and Sino-US developments in the Indian Ocean which pose serious problems to India’s security and integrity. India, China and Pakistan, being nuclear nations, direct aggression across the borders is limited to the final phase of a Designer War when adversary has been adequately weakened through hybrid war. Thus, the aim of the war on the land is not dictated by annexation of territory or real estate but total annihilation of your adversary. Emphasis has, thus, shifted to hybrid operations, which does not need large standing army.

Maritime Threat

At the same time, it is pertinent to note while nature of war on the land has transformed itself

Col Rajinder Singh (Retd) The writer is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and commissioned into 3 Bihar Battalion in June 1971. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Army War College, Mhow. He has vast experience of handling militancy, terrorism and insurgency intimately for over 20 years in Nagaland, Assam, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Heron: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle used by IAF.

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smart wars NODAL FORCE

A crashed drone surveyed by Indian Army personnel.

but it is the war in the space and sea which has acquired “Free for all” character. Indian Ocean has, thus, become very important for India’s security. Coastal area security must take priority over land borders. Mumbai 26/11 is not the only reason but China’s attempt to contain India from the ocean by her “String of Pearls” in the Indian Ocean, demands a much stronger Indian Navy. And to this, add Sino-US rivalry in this ocean. It makes a case for not only expansion of Indian Navy but equipping it with latest weaponry and equipment. Manpower released from Indian Army could be placed under navy as Marine Corps. As for as space war is concerned, it is well covered by satellites, drones, missiles and the air force. However, space shield, in the form of S-400, is envisaged along with beefing up of the strength of Indian Air force

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to around 60-65 squadrons. Again, manpower released from Indian Army be utilised.

The Calculus

The only deduction from the above discussion is that Indian Army strength be reduced by 50 per cent.

Manpower, so released, should be shared appropriately between navy, air force and internal security force dealing with hybrid threat, logistics units in peace stations be abolished.

Fifty per cent of Engineers, Signals and Armoured corps units to be reduced to skeletons— only to be mobilised to full strength once the full threat develops. Skeletons of these units be apportioned to Territorial Army, which certainly need an upgradation and an enhanced role in the security of the nation. In fact, Territorial Army also be made the main instrument of tackling hybrid war.

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Now, it is time to recognise the kind of security threat India faces from its nuclear neighbours in the 21st century.

Functional threat is in terms of internal conflict (hybrid war) followed by border skirmishes and culminating into surgical offensive and in that order of priority. The existential threat is from Pakistan, China and international developments in the Indian Ocean and outer space.

Abjure ‘Standing Army’ Format

Currently, in the ensuing century, the internal threat sponsored from outside and emanating from inside is more serious and it needs to be tackled as priority. It is actively supported by our existential enemies, Pakistan and China. Border skirmishes can take second priority. In all fairness, Indian Army must maintain a nodal strength to deal with final phase of “Designer War”, bulk of its strength to be cut down and allocated to internal security force.

9 Nations today are broken and destroyed not by physical offensive across the border but by “implosions”. If a nation implodes, what is the use of preserving a large standing army, if the nation loses its existence through hybrid war? Soviet Union and Yugoslavia are its biggest victims in modern times.

Indian Army needs to be restructured and fashioned on the lines of Israeli Army—a small Nodal Force, swelling into a large army in times of crisis. Recent re-organisation initiated by Gen Bipin Rawat is the initial step towards that goal. Unnecessary headquarters are rightly being proposed to be slashed.

Here is where Territorial Army and peace time civilian logistics can fill the role of a Reserve Army. Nodal Force should be adequate enough to take on the border offensive of the existential enemies.

echelon soldiers” such as internal security force of Rashtriya Rifles, Assam Rifles, CRPF, CISF, NIA, IB, SB, etc. They will physically deal with insurgency and militancy. c) Response army: Finally, Lean and Mean Army organised, equipped, trained to mobilise and swell into a suitable RESPONSE FORCE. Call it also NODAL FORCE. This should comprise minimum Nodal Force and Reserve Strike Force such as Territorial Army. d) Technocrat soldiers: Future fullfledged war in South Asia would be a Designer War. The hybrid phase of this war is already on. Insurgency in the Northeast; Maoists / Naxalite militancy in Chhattisgarh, MP, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand; Orissa

Drones, missiles and “Swarm weapons” have made ‘fronts’ and ‘rears’ of combat zones disappear. In view of these developments, modern wars demand a shift from quantity to quality of soldiers Thus, in real terms, security forces needs to be regrouped and reorganised to meet “functional and existential threat” in following categories: a) Trip wire force: Early warning elements to tackle border skirmishes and to initially stall enemy ingress.

It should be an appendage to Nodal Force. This would call for TRIP WIRE Force, such as BSF, Ladakh Scouts, Garhwal Scouts and Arunachal Scouts. b) Internal security force for hybrid enemy: This is required for “Irregular Soldiers” waging enemy’s hybrid war within the hinterland. They would not only deal with terrorist / insurgent attacks but also launch cyber war and economic war. This needs “Second

and Bengal; Proxy War in J&K and Pakistan sponsored terrorism are extensions of this hybrid war. As a ‘fire power offensive’ of the hybrid operations, Technocrat soldiers operating drones and launching missiles, besides directing artillery fire would dominate the conflict.

Spin Doctors as propaganda machine would be the cutting edge of this phase. Lethal weaponry with precise accuracy and unimaginable range will take on the hybrid soldiers of enemy. Smart technocrat soldiers, sitting thousands of miles away from battle zones, operating drones and Swarm weapons can destroy strategic assets with the twinkling of an eye lash. This creates the essential need for technology-driven

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defence shields such as S-400 missiles, satellites, drones, etc. operated by “civilian soldiers”.

Creating Response Force

It is pertinent to elaborate the composition of Response Force.

It is in this context that a major restructuring of army was essential.

Response Force is needed only to keep adversary at bay through Nodal Force, equipped and trained to conduct smart war with smart weapons. What should be its composition? It is clear that TRIPWIRE ROLE can be taken over by paramilitary forces. Nodal Force should be sufficiently equipped and organised to supplement the Tripwire Force. Nodal Force should be selfsustaining mission-oriented combat groups in a theatre of operations.

The combat groups should be air and ground mobile with its own logistic group. As part of the Cold Start Doctrine (CSD), they should be located close to the border. This would allow army to cut down its flab by 50 per cent of its present strength.

The Reserve Strike Force should be built around the Territorial Army which should be mustered and mobilised within 72-96 hours and swell into a military strength of 12-15 lakhs. Its manpower should be drawn from all ranks of the army, who have put in more than 10 years’ service and then absorbed in lateral occupation.

Territorial Army should also take over the duties of Schools of Instructions and other training institutes. Nodal army should be relieved of all such mundane jobs.

Advantage of this restructuring will lead to a comprehensive cut in the pay and pension bill. It will further make available defence funds towards acquiring sophisticated armaments and equipment. What is more advantageous is to allow more funds towards navy, which is going to be the prime arm of the armed forces.

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ecological knights TERRIERS

Terriers:

The Ecological Knights In India, about 60,000 personnel retire every year from the armed forces.

A large number of them are between the ages of 32 and 46 years and can be gainfully employed as ecological warriors. The ETFs can also galvanise support from the youth organisations like National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme and the non-governmental organisations to intensify the cause of the environmental protection.

I Dr Norman Borlaug

Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, an American agronomist and humanitarian who led initiatives worldwide, had coined the idea of involving ex-Servicemen for ecological restoration in India.

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ndia’s environmental woes, like any other developing country, are enormous and mounting. As we mimicked the various Western developmental templates to attain economic well-being, the environmental degradation followed in their wake. Without giving a thought to the long-term consequences, we seem to have bartered the environment of the future of our generations for such unsustainable development.

Major environmental concerns such as air and water pollution, deforestation, land degradation, resource exploitation and loss

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of biodiversity exacerbated by population growth and urbanisation have attained gigantic proportions.

Third Last In 2018, India ranked 177 among 180 countries in Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI evaluates countries on 24 performance indicators and 10 issues concerning environmental health and ecosystem vitality. The ranking amply highlights India’s environmental scenario, which needs urgent intervention at national level.

9 The consequences of the environmental apathy are too visible to be ignored. The air, water and land have been defiled beyond redemption. Truancy of weather has disrupted our agrarian economy; triggering an influx of populations to the urban centres.

Population growth and clamour for development in every nook and corner of the country is endangering the biodiversity. Even the common wildlife has thinned out from the countryside. Urban centres are merely a gargantuan concrete jungle, built on the hype and overcentralisation of amenities. These consume enormous resources; belch out toxic emissions and generate enormous amount of waste in return. Our cities are choked and dying. We only treat the symptoms of this monumental urban malady by pumping in more funds and resources to justify our mistakes.

Ironically, the quality of life, which is the aim of all developmental efforts, has deteriorated. People live a subhuman life there.

Borlaug Idea

Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug had coined the idea of involving exServicemen for ecological restoration in India. The idea was accepted and the choice fell on the Territorial Army (TA), affectionately called Terriers. In 1982, 127 Infantry Battalion – (TA) of the Garhwal Rifles was raised in Mussoorie as an Ecological Task Force (ETF) to restore Shivalik Hills

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ravaged by limestone quarrying. The results of this regimented approach were so encouraging that in 1983, another ETF, 128 Infantry Battalion (TA) of the Rajputana Rifles came into being to restore an ecosystem of different kind – the Thar Desert.

Since the early 80s, the ETF experimentation has been in fits and starts. From 2008 to 2016, there were no new raisings. To date, we have raised 10 ETFs; deployed in disparate terrains and ecosystems from Jammu and Kashmir to Assam, to Maharashtra doing a commendable job and winning every possible accolade. The youngest amongst the ETFs is 136 Infantry Battalion (TA) of the Mahar Regiment raised at Aurangabad (Maharashtra) for carrying out afforestation in the drought affected Marathawada region.

States’ Responsibility

The TA’s involvement and achievements in ecological restoration has been above par and perhaps better than the forest department.

It is rather baffling as to why this successful model has not been replicated with alacrity it deserves.

In 36 years, we could raise just 10 battalions, which amount to some 4,500 ecological warriors in all. At least all States should have raised an ETF battalion each.

The ETFs have been raised by the Ministry of Defence on the request from the Ministry of Environment

Col Utkarsh S Rathore (Retd) The writer is not only a defence and security analyst but also writes on environmental issues.

and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWRRD & GR) and the State Governments, who foot the initial and recurring costs of the ETFs. Incidentally, the sponsor ministry or State can also choose to raise a smaller subunit – company, if not the entire battalion. There are instances when the ministries and States have raised ETFs jointly. To date, there are 10 ETF battalions having 25 operational companies, of these six battalions / 14 companies are sponsored by MoEF & CC, four battalions / nine companies have been sponsored by the State

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ecological knights TERRIERS

From Guns To Spades

Then

Now

Nothing could be more efficient than the Territorial Army battalions raised for the protection of Ganga be deployed from Shivpuri in Uttrakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal

Then

Now

Picture credit: Directorate of Territorial Army

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9 Governments and, of late, three companies have been funded by the MoWRRD & GR. Citing resource crunch, many States have shied away from having an ETF to address their environmental problems.

Funding

To address the non-availability of funds for training and maintaining the ETFs, funds can be apportioned from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation and Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Corporate Social Responsibility and social welfare projects to raise more ETFs. After all, environment protection projects are going to create job and skilling opportunities for all sections of society. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways can also be considered as it has a humongous task of carrying out plantation along the highways and other roads. What could be better than ETFs to carry out this task for them?

Manpower Reservoir

In India, about 60,000 personnel retire every year from the armed forces. A large number of them are between the ages of 32 and 46 years and can be gainfully employed as ecological warriors. The ETFs can also galvanise support from the youth organisations like National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme and the non-governmental organisations to intensify the cause of the environmental protection.

Rivers of India are under a great stress; severely polluted and depleted of water; these are losing their socioeconomic relevance in our lives.

The Ganga, which is so inextricably woven into our lives, is in dire need of a resurrection. All along its 2,525

km stretch, the river has been defiled by the ugly offerings of the civilisation – pollution. Its tributaries like Yamuna, Gomati and Damodar are equally distressed. Success of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) lies in its implementation to check pollution, arrest erosion and curb illegal mining along its course.

In 2017, a parliamentary panel on Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen had suggested the deployment of ETFs of Territorial Army from Uttrakhand to West Bengal for conserving

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Role Expansion

The charter of the TA has its welldefined roles and responsibilities during the peace and war. The vision and mission of the TA especially in ecological restoration role needs to be rephrased to include capacity-building in terms of knowledge, expertise and infrastructure and statutory enforcement. From being behindthe-scene sapling planters, the force has to occupy the centre stage. This transformation may not

Citing resource crunch, many States have shied away from having an ETF to address their environmental problems Ganga. The report said, “Nothing could be more efficient than the Territorial Army battalions raised for the protection of Ganga be deployed from Shivpuri in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal.” Such an effort needs to be dovetailed into NMCG. Thirty TA battalions may be required to cover the entire course of the river.

The same year, the Central Government announced the raising of a TA battalion as a Composite ETF (CETF) in Allahabad as a pilot project for NMCG to monitor ecological and environmental projects. It is envisaged to give a larger role to the CETF to include public awareness campaigns, patrol sensitive river areas, monitor pollution levels, enforcing pollution control measures, ghat management, and disaster management. The 137 Infantry Battalion (TA) of 3/9 Gorkha Rifles has been raised at Prayagraj as CETF for the NMCG.

be a smooth one, as it will pitch this nascent force in competition with well entrenched ministries and departments whose dismal performance has brought India to the brink of an environmental catastrophe.

Involving ex-Servicemen in ecological restoration tasks through TA in a regimented manner has produced encouraging results. It has given us a hope that the ecological degradation can be mended and reversed. The model needs to replicate in good numbers for terrain and ecosystem specific roles. Involvement of army and exServicemen generates a lot of interest and confidence amongst the citizens.

The ETFs can be a good vehicle for spreading public awareness about the environmental issues.

Through their diligence and hard work, the Terriers have emerged like Ecological Knights in shining armour to save us from environmental catastrophe.

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Indian Army AT CROSSROADS

How To Shed

The Flab

The fact remains that neither the “declaratory policy” nor cross-border barrages with heavy artillery or the surgical strike has deterred Pakistan and China from pursuing their proxy war against India by using Islamist terrorists to attack India ever deeper into its hinterland in what has come to be known as the “hybrid war”. The need of the hour is to be better able to manage the long and difficult borders with several inimical neighbours and plug vulnerable gaps with innovation and imagination, One would suggest force multiplication with a differently trained dog squad that will not just point out the hidden dangers posed by infiltrators but attack and maim / neutralise the intruder before he can disappear into the hinterland.

S

eventy years after the first Indian officer became Commanderin-Chief of the Indian Army on 15 January 1949 (a date celebrated as Army Day), the institution stands at another crossroads. A debate is raging on how it should be ‘reorganised’; made ‘lean and mean’; its ‘teeth-to-tail ratio’ readjusted; and its higher command integrated to the Ministry of Defence. In the midst of all this, the long talked-about synergy among the three Services – Army, Navy and Indian Air Force – remains a distant dream.

Simultaneously, the threats to Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity have grown with the consolidation of the China-Pakistan nexus against India and the operationalisation of a “hybrid” war based on the launch of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists to try and delink Jammu and Kashmir

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from the rest of India. It is generally described by the strategic community as a “two-and-a-half front war”.

Nuclear Bully

Taking the attitudinal change in the Pakistan establishment, both civil and military, after the series of nuclear weapons tests by India and Pakistan in May 1998 as the benchmark, one can see how there has been an escalation

of terrorist attacks on India, planned and executed by the Pakistan Army Inter-Services Intelligence. Yet, it was in its very first attempt to use the newly proven nuclear weapons as a deterrent to force India into accepting changes in the Line of Control that it learned its first lesson in nuclear war fighting – that there is a bit of space still available beneath the nuclear overhang for a limited war. Even while

India’s display of power at the Republic Day Parade: Agni V Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

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9 abjuring first use of nuclear weapons, India managed to negate the intrusion into Kargil (although it took the better part of two months and more than two hundred thousand tonnes of heavy metal). It once again underscored the calibre of the Indian fighting man.

Lesson Learned?

Lesson learned was that it is difficult to gather Intelligence without boots on the ground (even at risk of fatalities caused by high-altitude extreme cold conditions). That overdependence on the Winter Air Surveillance Operations (WASO) was fraught with the possibility of deception by camouflage; by the noise and juddering of the platform, etc. Nonetheless, the Kargil Review Committee in its findings had noted that the Director of Intelligence Bureau had sent a communication that there was suspicious activity in Pakistan controlled FCNA (northern areas).

The information was sent to the PMO, Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, and the Director General Military Operations but none of them passed the information down to the official

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

heiraracy including the Secretary Research and Analysis Wing, who was also holding the additional charge of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). By suggesting that the information should have been sent directly to the authorised person, the Kargil Review Committee wholly exonerated the men at the top of the government structure for failing to act on the vital issue of national security even if the document had been delivered at the wrong (?) address.

Pakistan Undeterred

Since Kargil in 1999, Pakistan has launched other major attacks on the Indian hinterland. In 2001, the attack on Parliament triggered a nationwide alert and mobilisation under Operation Parakram of the armed forces which drove across the Indian heartland and came to a grinding halt without crossing the border and teaching Pakistan a second Bangladesh type of lesson. In 2008, the Mumbai carnage occurred. There too it took India several days to neutralise the threat and capture Ajmal Kasab who confirmed the Pakistan Army’s role in planning

Cecil Victor The writer has covered all wars with Pakistan and watched, commented and analysed Islamabad’s desperate attempts to find a peg of legitimacy for the Two-Nation theory by which it was created. He has reported from the conflict zones in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in South East Asia as well as from Afghanistan.

Author of “India: The Security Dilemma”. Has been associated with the DSA since its inception.

Indian BSF soldiers patrol over a footbridge near the LoC between India and Pakistan at Sabjiyan sector of Poonch district.

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Indian Army AT CROSSROADS

and executing the attack across the Arabian Sea from Karachi. In 2016, the Pathankot Air Force base was attacked followed eight months later by the gruesome attack on the Uri Army base camp in which 17 jawans were killed and about 25 injured. In two weeks, India finally executed a surgical strike, the remarkable characteristic of which was that all participants returned safely back across the Line of Control. But Pakistan remains undeterred and has expanded its nefarious activities to reviving the Khalistan insurgency in Punjab which was very effectively squashed by India by a judicious management of its counter-terror network of the army, the police and several paramilitary forces confirming that counter-insurgency was a manpower intensive operation as enshrined in the tomes of China’s Chairman Mao Tsedong and the Latin American icon Che Guevera on guerrilla warfare. Since China has forged an anti-India nexus with Pakistan and is mentoring terrorists involved in planning and launching hits against India, it should be imperative for the Indian Intelligence agencies to read up on Mao’s thesis on the use of guerrilla tactics and evolve counter tactics to deal with what is essentially a manpower intensive operation.

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The Crossroads

It is reported that the Pakistanis had drawn up plans many years ago to effect an infiltration that could cut off the Leh sector. It was resurrected by the Pakistani Army HQ led by Gen Pervez Musharraf and implemented sure in the knowledge that the Indian Army was in the habit of withdrawing from such posts during the winter months and returning when the cracks and crevices in the ice become visible and traversable after the end of winter. Both sides adhere to this practice of withdrawal for the winter—a practice generally described as a “gentlemen’s agreement”.

counter-insurgency / counterterror operations (in which, it must be stated, they have achieved considerable success as in the elimination of the Burhan Wani module and several other interconnected terrorist groups), this shifting has severely affected ongoing operations. The Kargil Review Committee noted the destabilising effect on counter-terror / counterinsurgency operations had on the Jammu and Kashmir situation that the withdrawal of several battalions for action in Kargil had.

It undercut the primary role of the army which was laid out to ensure zero infiltration across the Line of Control. The committee recorded that the redeployment created a gap in the anti-infiltration net through which a large number of hardened militants gained access across the Shamshabari range into the Kupwara-Uri sector and also south of the Pir Panjal range.

Infiltrations continue in spite of the completion of the barbed wire barricade and terrorists have managed to hit high strategic value targets like the Pathankot airbase. Already short of manpower and having to shift troops from

For starters, the military-politico establishment will have to make a clear determination whether the theory that counter-guerrilla operation is man-power intensive or not and what factors indicate that the concept is no longer valid

Kargil happened because there was no tripwire in situ to warn about the presence of intruders. Such a tripwire could be manpower posted in admittedly arduous terrain made worse by freezing weather conditions. It is just one of many gaps that exist at several places along the Line of Control.

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Lesson learned was that it is difficult to gather Intelligence without boots on the ground (even at risk of fatalities caused by high-altitude extreme cold conditions)

and why. Technology can reduce the ratio of counter-insurgency personnel to numbers of terrorists operating in a given area but do we have that kind of technology? Going by the manner in which China returned a surveillance camera installed along the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas some years ago in mangled pieces there is room for improvement.

Mountain Strike Corps

Growing out of the Kargil episode and China’s extension of claims in Arunachal Pradesh from just the

Tawang Tract to the whole of the State currently under Indian administration, the Government of India was forced by emerging circumstances to agree to a military appreciation that advocated the raising of a Mountain Strike Corps for the specific protection of the strategic State. The military appreciation of the Chinese threat was based in part on the deleterious effect transfer of troops from one sector to another has on ongoing operations.

It is pertinent to point out here that before Kargil happened, a very pronounced effort was made to

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Indian Army AT CROSSROADS

downsize the Army on the plea that the money so saved could be utilised for the modernisation of the largely moribund equipment with the armed forces. (Remember the “we will fight with what we have” assurance even as Defence Minister George Fernandes was doling out money to purchase munitions and specialised missiles required post-haste for accurate strikes on mountain pinnacles without endangering the attacking aircraft to shoulder-fired anti-aircraft Stinger missiles given by the US to Pakistan.

The method employed to affect the downsizing was to stop the recruitment of the 50,000 men required for replenishment of approximately equal number who retire every year. This is what the Kargil Review Committee had to say: “The decision taken two years ago to reduce the Indian Army’s strength by 50,000 men and reinvest the savings on establishment in force modernisation was a wise one. This reduction in numbers had no bearing on the Kargil crisis and it would be a

gross misunderstanding of military realities to believe otherwise.” If it was all that wise why was it discontinued?

“Siachenisation”

Of the many exploitable gaps that debouch into the Indian hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan selected the Siachen Glacier to launch an operation to capture the glacier and open the way to link up with Chinese troops in the Karakoram Pass sector. India preempted it by airdropping troops on the glacier all along the heights of the Saltoro range to prevent Pakistan from linking up with the Chinese.

This direct assault happened in 1984 and every subsequent attempt to dislodge it was successfully crushed in the subsequent years. Today, in 2018, the Indian Army has a permanent presence on the glacier.

In 1999, bolstered by its nuclear weapons tests (in 1998), Pakistan launched its attack on the unheld gap in Kargil. The intention was the same as in Siachen – cut off the road link from Leh

through Thoise to the Siachen glacier and starve out the Indian Army. This is what the Kargil Review Committee said in its report in 2000: “India must not fall into the trap of Siachenisation of the Kargil heights and similar unheld unpopulated gaps in the high Himalaya along the length of the entire border. The

Since Kargil in 1999, Pakistan has launched other major attacks on the Indian hinterland proper response would be a declaratory policy that deliberate infringement of the sanctity of the LoC and wanton crossborder terrorism in furtherance of proxy war will meet with prompt response in a manner, time and place of India’s choosing. Pakistan and the world must know that India’s defence of the integrity of its own territory, including that within its own side of the LoC, is not and cannot be held to be escalatory and that the aggressor and the victim cannot be bracketed and placed on par”.

Pakistan In Denial

Kargil War Memorial, Drass Sector in Kashmir.

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The fact remains that neither the “declaratory policy” nor cross-border barrages with heavy artillery or the surgical strike has deterred Pakistan and China from pursuing their proxy war against India by using Islamist terrorist to attack India ever deeper into its hinterland in what has come to be known as the ‘‘hybrid war”. The need of the hour is to be better able to manage the long and difficult borders with several inimical neighbours and plug vulnerable gaps with innovation and imagination, One would suggest force multiplication with a differently trained dog squad that will not just

9

YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Protesters raising anti-India slogans in Kashmir.

point out the hidden dangers posed by infiltrators but attack and maim / neutralise the intruder before he can disappear into the hinterland.

The “swarm” concept that is gaining traction in aerial combat can be applied to this terrestrial tool as well. The Indian security forces have been tardy in utilising the capabilities of the canine lauded in their own studies many decades ago. Time and again, clips are released of simulated attacks by Alsatian / German Shepherd on well-padded victims. This kind of ferocity needs to be turned against Pakistan’s proxy warriors. We need more attack dogs and their numbers must be exponentially increased. Two hundred and fifty or so per year is totally inadequate.

How to shed the flab is a task that began in 2017 with former Defence Minister Arun Jaitley’s announcement.

About 57,000 have been identified in jobs in what is described as the “tail” of a military establishment – composed of non-combatants and support staff.

The debate rages around how to make the Army “lean and mean” by altering the “teeth-to-tail” ratio. In some ways, new methods of repair and maintenance in ordnance depots and factories lend themselves to downsizing of personnel without deleterious effect on output and production. As reported, one other

Technology can reduce the ratio of counterinsurgency personnel to numbers of terrorists operating in a given area but do we have that kind of technology?

area where large savings can be affected is the closure of military farms that cater to the milk, milk products and vegetable requirements in cantonment towns. Many of the 39 military farms have already been shut down. These products can be sourced from local farmers who are suffering trauma over low prices and fall in off-take that the farm sector has been experiencing for some years. The downside is the possibility that vacant land could attract the attention of land sharks.

With telecommunications achieving a very high standard, the need for a postal department is being questioned. The Signals Corps will be drastically pruned as will the number of drivers in the Army Service Corps.

However, an optimum improvement in the “teeth-to-tail ratio” must also see some major upgradation of the teeth component. The new declaratory policy could then well be that “if you try to bite off our territory in little bits, we will bite you back”. Literally!

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technically sound TERRITORIAL ARMY

Territorial Army: An Alternative Narrative Of course, this model might not be appropriate for India. It is just one of the possible paths, and maybe more advanced plans like the US National Guard would be more suitable. Everything depends on the selected goals, available long-term funds and time in which India would like to achieve results if territorial structures would be the preferred way.

T

oday’s armies have changed significantly and don’t resemble the one that fought the battles of World War II, and it went far from the armies that fought in Vietnam or Afghanistan. It also no longer looks like the one that entered the conflict in the first Gulf War. From a time perspective, the most important conclusion one can draw is that the changes are accelerating. If one would dare to describe the changes in one word, then “complexity” could be one of the most appropriate ones.

tasks, thanks to the skills of their soldiers accompanied by superior technical equipment. This model worked quite well in the recent non-linear conflicts in which highly trained units could face many challenges at once and still got the job done. As the global architecture changes, we can observe a shift towards a more traditional conflict meaning two equal powers facing each other.

The complexity is still there, the highly trained personnel are also there, and

the advanced equipment is also used.

These seem to be constant things in this changing world. Due to the sheer size of the possible conflicts, the forces at hand will not be able to fulfill all of the needed tasks. One can even risk a statement that using them in everyday tasks would be a waste of resources and money spent on their training. Their skills should not be wasted on simple, but still essential tasks, and as was mentioned earlier, this would be an inappropriate allocation of

Rampant Complexity

Every aspect of today’s army got more and more complex due to constant technological development. Of course, soldiers are mostly ready to use the given tools as they are raised as children in a technical world and already got accustomed to it but there is still one factor that at this point cannot be quickly resolved – time. It takes vast amounts of time and money to train soldiers that can efficiently operate in today and future battlefields. This means specialisation, which in turn, leaves us with smaller and smaller armies that can fulfill the

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US and Polish soldiers during mass casuality exercise in Poland.

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9 available power. With the ever increasing tightening of budgets, vast areas that require modernisation, and with the constant growth of armament equipment costs, a solution has to be found to cover all the tasks that highly specialised troops should not be covering as they are needed elsewhere with their qualifications.

• protection of people against the effects of natural disasters, liquidation of their consequences;

Territorial Army

• protection of local communities against the effects of destabilisation and disinformation;

Taking all of the above arguments into account, developing a Territorial Army might be a perfect solution to better counter the today and future threats. The Polish government has decided to take the territorial path, and on 1 January 2017, it has officially established Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej (WOT) - Territorial Defence Force (TDF). TDF is the fifth branch in the armed forces accompanying the Land Forces, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Special Forces. As highlighted by the Polish Ministry of National Defence, the main objectives of the TDF are: • conducting military operations in cooperation with operational forces (in the event of a conflict).

These actions will be aimed at destroying or stopping the forces of a potential enemy;

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• protection of property, search, and rescue, or protection of health and human life, as well as participation in the implementation of tasks in the field of crisis management;

• cooperation with elements of the State’s defence system, in particular with voivods (provincial) and local self-government bodies; • protection of local communities against the effects of attacks in cyberspace; and • spreading the idea of patriotic education in society.

The main tasks of TDF will not be connected with fighting on the first line with the regular army but as mentioned earlier due to a massive amount of tasks and small forces at hand, their services might be vital to the overall war effort.

Thanks to the extensive knowledge of

Dr Krzysztof Kuska The writer is editor and analyst in the field of military aviation, defence, modern warfare and security, military historian.

the local territory and due to the fact of being a part of the local communities, their help in combating irregular warfare activities, sabotage, securing the critical local infrastructure and providing support duties to the front-line forces might, in the end, be very beneficial. There are dozens of tasks in which TDF might be a

Polish soldiers (foreground) with US soldiers during Exercise Puma 2 at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland.

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technically sound TERRITORIAL ARMY

sufficient tool in the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces toolbox. Due to the overall low cost of establishment and low sustainment cost, the Territorial Army is starting to reshape the landscape of the Polish defence system. On the other hand, there is no point in overvaluing those forces in the greater scheme of things. They have their place and capabilities in the whole structure and should be judged based on those and not on their sheer number or wishful thinking. Stretching the core of the armed forces and adding further 53,000 soldiers to the force, as the projected TDF strength will be, would be an overkill to the defence budget and the economy as a whole. That is why the TDF might be seen as a good and balanced solution to get the most out of the available budget.

Establishing The TDF

Although lower in costs than the regular army, the TDF forces also take a significant amount of money from the defence budget. One has also to take into account that Poland is currently in the process of buying new equipment for many branches, so the overall budget burden is significant. That is why it was decided that the establishment of the TDF should be divided into stages with forming the first brigades and battalions in the eastern part of the country where the most significant threat might emerge.

Although the TDF was officially established in 2017, the first brigades were formed already in 2016 in the three voivodeships (local name for provinces) located in the east. In the second stage, another 3 brigades were formed covering the voivodeship with the capital city of Warsaw and the northeastern province which also is located in the main projected enemy attack area. In the third stage, brigades in the middle of the country were established and as mentioned earlier, the last stage projected to end in 2019 should allow establishing the last brigades in the west. Establishing all of the brigades will not mean that they will be fully staffed.

The Ministry of National Defence projects that TDF will establish its full strength of 53,000 soldiers at hand in 2021.

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In October 2018, the formation process of the TDF was well underway with 14,000 soldiers already in the service of which 11,500 were volunteers, and 2,500 were core regular troops responsible for command and administrative duties. This means that it has become the second largest formation in the armed forces just after the land forces.

the cities and so forth. The smallest component will be a-12 men infantry section which could be further divided into two six men squad in which every specialty will be covered. The primary specialties in the 12 men unit are a commander, deputy-commander, sniper, scout, master sapper, sapper, master medic, medic, master radio operator, radio operator, master

One has to take into account that Poland no longer has obligatory military service and therefore, its trained soldier’s reserves will be shrinking in time Structure

The structures of the Territorial Defence Force will comprise of 17 brigades – one for each voivodeship except for Masovian Voivodeship which will have two brigades due to the location of the capital city.

Each brigade will have its battalions divided into companies, and they will be composed of platoons. It is worth mentioning that the companies will have their specialties connected with the local terrain and designated tasks.

For instance, units in the southern parts of the country will focus more on mountain training whereas units in the more urbanised territory will focus on tactics connected with fighting in

January 2019 Defence AND security alert

rifleman, rifleman. This structure was well tested in Polish Special Forces from which many experiences are taken. The commander of TDF is a former chief of the Polish Special Forces unit, JWK.

Armament And Equipment

The soldiers of the TDF will be equipped according to light infantry standards with 5,56mm MSBS modular assault rifles, PR-15 Ragun 9mm pistols, and 7,62mm, 8,6mm or 12,7 mm rifles for snipers. Additionally, the troops will be equipped with machine guns, mortars and Piorun and Spike missile systems. TDF units will also receive its small tactical UAVs with surveillance and strike capabilities. To allow transportation of the troops, the government has decided to buy several hundreds of light, all-terrain military trucks produced by local Jelcz Company.

Training

The training plan of TDF forces was tailored in a way that would cover as many cases as possible. Therefore, soldiers who finished their obligatory service when it was still present and reservists will undergo compensatory training in four, two-day classes.

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Snipers in Training Field.

Civilians without any training will undergo a 16-day extended initial training. After this initial shakedown, each soldier will undergo a threeyear lasting training with 11 twoday classes and a two-week long integration course in each year. The second year will focus more on the specialised courses contrary to the first one which will be more about tactics and shooting skills. By the end of the second year, integrated training for platoons and companies is planned. The third year will be used

acquiring experience from ally nations is planned as it was already observed with Israeli forces teaching urban SAR operations in 2018.

On top of regular training methods, the army has also prepared an app which can be installed on soldiers’ smartphones which will help to attain the required physical readiness between the training courses. Thanks to E-learning platforms, additional knowledge can be transferred to TDF soldiers via the internet.

A pool of TDF soldiers might be very useful in wartime and also might serve as a first step to join the regular army to integrate the companies forming the battalions. Therefore, only after those three years and overall at least 124 days of training (some soldier will have to train more due to their specialties in the unit), the operational readiness will be achieved. Special operations will conduct part of the instructor training forces soldiers which will be advising local companies and battalions in their work. Additionally,

Conclusions The creation of the TDF brought many controversies in the country which were aligned with political preferences. One of the main controversies was that often the newly created units received better equipment than regular, professional soldiers. Also, the tasks and abilities to fulfill them were highlighted as inappropriate. In

the grand scheme of things, those arguments might be considered valid, but one has to look beyond that. When the 53,000 strong formations will be created, Poland will have the ability to tweak the tasks, add or remove equipment, change the type and duration of training, etc. The force will be there, and if properly trained and further developed, it could potentially be a significant asset increasing the overall security of Poland. One has to take into account that Poland no longer has obligatory military service and therefore, its trained soldier’s reserves will be shrinking in time. Therefore, a pool of TDF soldiers might be very useful in wartime and also might serve as a first step to join the regular army for people who are not sure about such life-changing choices.

Of course, this model might not be appropriate for India. It is just one of the possible paths, and maybe more advanced plans like the U.S. National Guard would be more suitable.

Everything depends on the selected goals, available long-term funds and time in which India would like to achieve results if territorial structures would be the preferred way.

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