Indian Defence Review

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar, the Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R.K. Dhowan in a group photograph at the INS Vikramaditya.

The Combined Commanders Conference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired in recently was different from earlier such conferences. This is the first time that the Combined Commanders Conference has been held on board an aircraft carrier; INS Vikramaditya this time which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 16 November 2013. The fact that the conference was held at sea signaled that India acknowledges the growing importance of the Indian Ocean that is fast becoming the centre of gravity of global competition, even conflict. The Prime Minister first arrived at INS Kochi where he was given a tri-Service guard of honour before arriving on board INS Vikramaditya, where he was received by the three Service Chiefs.

Addressing the Commanders, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the Indian Ocean that holds the key to the fortunes of the world and will continue to influence Indian history. He lauded the Armed Forces for their power, maturity, responsibility, defending the country, keeping the citizens safe and their role in calamity and conflict specially mentioning relief and rescue operations in Chennai, Nepal and Yemen. He expressed the nation’s gratitude to the military and paid homage to those who made the supreme sacrifice. He said OROP had been moved with speed, the National War Memorial and Museum will be built and that skills and opportunities for ESM will be improved. He also paid tributes to the internal security forces.

He drew attention to hope and optimism in the country, international confidence and interest in India, progress to become the fastest growing economy in the world, and new intensity and purpose in foreign policy; strengthening ties, partnerships and security cooperation with Japan, Korea, ASEAN, Australia, Mongolia, Pacific Islands, Central Asia, West Asia, Gulf, Russia, US, Africa, Europe, India’s neighbours, and articulated clear strategy for the maritime region including raising engagement with Africa. At the same time, he drew attention to India’s difficult neighbourhood replete with challenges like terrorism, ceasefire violations, border transgressions, reckless nuclear build up and threats, uncertain political transitions, weak institutions and internal conflicts, while major powers have increased engagement in our land and maritime neighbourhood. He mentioned the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh and engaging Pakistan to try and turn the course of history, bring an end to terrorism, build peaceful relations, advance cooperation and promote stability and prosperity in our region. He emphasized that India will never drop its guard, will continue to judge progress on others commitments on terrorism, and commitment to help Afghanistan’s  build a united, peaceful, prosperous and democratic nation. With reference to China, he said India is pursuing closer relations to optimize the economic partnership while addressing all other issues.

The Prime Minister said we will continue to strengthen defence capabilities and infrastructure, engage neighbours more closely and strengthen regional and global partnerships, including in maritime security since India faces challenges not only over land, sea and air but also the full range from terrorism to conventional threat to a nuclear environment and old rivalries can play out in new theatres like space and cyber. So, India must be ready for the present and prepare for the future. He said we have speeded up process of defence procurements, taking firm steps to address shortages, advancing pace of developing border infrastructure and transforming defence manufacturing in India through radically new policies and initiatives. The public and private sector is gearing up and foreign defence companies are coming here with ambitious new proposals for Make in India. He cautioned that India can never be a secure nation and a strong military power unless we develop domestic capabilities. So defence technology must be a national endeavour tapping potential of all institutions, and greater involvement of Armed Forces in innovation, design and development for success of Make in India.

He asked the Armed Forces to: prepare for the future discarding perspective plans based on outdated doctrines and disconnected from financial realities; examine requirement of forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technology, not just human valour; more reliance on technology; develop capabilities to win swift wars and re-examine assumptions that keep massive funds locked up in inventories; prepare our forces for range and mobility; incorporate power of digital networks and space assets into capabilities both pro-active and defence; networks must be seamless and integrated across agencies and forces for real-time response; promote jointness across every level of our Armed Forces and at the top; senior military leaders must have experience of tri-service commands, experience in technology-driven environment and exposure to the full spectrum of challenges; reforms in senior defence management must get priority; we must develop comprehensive strategy for external defence engagement, to develop our capabilities and fulfill responsibilities to advance peace and stability including in our extended maritime region.

He emphasized that the Armed Forces and the Government need to do more to reform beliefs, doctrines, objectives and strategies, defining aims and instruments for the changing world.

After the Conference, the Prime Minister witnessed an operational demonstration of India’s naval and maritime air capabilities. It is significant to note that no Prime Minister in the past has ever addressed the Combined Commanders Conference in such outstandingly clear and comprehensive fashion, not only bringing out the geopolitical realities but also the threats and challenges that India faces and what needs to be done for the defence of India to secure India’s rightful place in the comity of nations. The challenge is how to translate this into action because the military can only do so much when it has little say in security policy formulation and unaccountable and generalist bureaucrats of MoD do the decision making.

Judging from past decades, is the MoD in its present avatar capable of defining a clear road map with matching financial support from the government? The answer is no. Addressing the Combined Commanders Conference in 2004, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said, “Reforms within the Armed Forces also involve recognition of the fact that our Navy, Air Force and Army can no longer function in compartments with exclusive chains of command and single service operational plans”. But has any worthwhile follow up happened despite a lapse of more than a decade?

Wonder if Prime Minister Modi knows that at least on two occasion in the past, HQ IDS has tried to present to the political hierarchy how the military can help draft the National Security Strategy but were told to lay off, with the hierarchy with disparate policy letters meeting the requirement. The PM wants greater involvement of Armed Forces in innovation, design and development for success of Make in India but how can this be translated into action when the users (Military) are kept away from the defence-industrial complex by design for obvious reasons. It is time military professionals are posted at design, planning and decision making levels of the DRDO-DPSUs-OFB, without which not much change should be expected.

The current dispensation appears to be going along with the bureaucratic ploy of appointing a permanent Chairman COSC without any operational powers instead of a CDS that was recommended by the Kargil Review Committee and the follow up Group of Ministers (GoP) reports. If the PM really wants to see the transformation he has talked of in his address, a CDS should be appointed without further delay. The CDS is essential not only to bring synergy in the three Services but also execute the much needed Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) under the political direction – to include strategy formulation, comprehensive defence reviews, reorganization and equipping of the Armed Forces, transforming the military into a NCW capable force and developing full spectrum capabilities .

The MoD needs to be replaced with a Department of Defence (DoD) headed by the Defence Minister and manned by military professionals. Without such top level changes, the transformation as directed by the PM is unlikely to be realized. Meanwhile, measures like thousands of crores of projects “cleared” with little forward movement in past 19 months and Defexpo 2016 being shifted to Goa from Delhi discounting all the disadvantages, that don’t impress anyone.