TO BE FIGHTING FIT
Important points to be noted in this article are as follows :
Why has this issue cropped up ?
The Army has generally been critical of defence budget. The Indian defence budget has now overtaken that of the U.K. to become the fifth largest in the world. Despite this, the Army pointed out that the current capital allocation is grossly insufficient.
Implications of an insufficient defence budget
• An insufficient defence budget impacts not only modernisation but also the current operational readiness of the force.
• Reduction in revenue allocation means cutting down on training requirements and routine replacement of items like surveillance and protective equipment.
• India faces not only a long-term strategic challenge from China but also the continuing efforts by Pakistan. Thus a weak budget puts Inda at risk.
Way forward
• The government should order a comprehensive strategic review of the future threats to India. This will provide a clear picture to the political leadership, and also directions to the military on its doctrine and force structures.
• A long-term capability development plan can then be prepared by the military and approved by the government. This will form the basis for the defence budget. The annual bickering over the mismatch between what the military demands and the actual allocations made will be avoided.
• The government must also take a holistic look at all border-guarding forces — the Army, Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). A comprehensive and an integrated approach to border management could result in considerable savings.
• The military also must understand the realities of India’s finances and look to reconstruct itself. Military capability is not all about money. The military must stop talking in terms of numbers, of squadrons, ships and divisions, and focus on capability.
• Future need of war must be kept in mind. We need to to look at technologies such as robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to enhance our military capability.
• There is a crying need to move towards greater integration among the three services and with the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The luxury of each service running its own training, administrative and logistics system is no longer affordable.
• The MoD, staffed entirely by civilians, seems oblivious to defence requirements and follows a procurement process which appears completely broken.
Conclusion
Civil-military differences over defence budgets are an inevitable part of any democracy. However, these differences can be minimized if there is a common understanding of the contours of a national security strategy, and of the genuine requirements of the military for putting this strategy into effect. On its part, the military must focus on capability for future war fighting, not mere numbers.
Relevance : GS 3
