India's Military Deterrence Policy Will Raise All Boats

India’s Military Deterrence Policy Will Raise All Boats

What happens when end-of-life-cycle military equipment and antiquated/inadequate infrastructure meets heightened tensions?   

Everything pending is fast-tracked, technology leap-frogs, billions are spent.

This is all beneficial, provided military preparedness and strategic deterrence does not tip over into actual war.

Our new battle stance is what Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser (NSA) calls “Defensive Offence”. It is short of an all-out shooting war, but not shy of seeking and using opportunities to take the fight to the enemy. Means employed can be overt, covert and political/economic.

This new policy could continue to stretch beyond our borders, mostly in the form of training and strategic infrastructure building. Therefore, more work can be anticipated, for example, in Afghanistan where we could be building a dam on the Kabul river next.

And, of course, we will develop facilities at and near the new Iranian port of Chabahar. We will probably also offer ‘material support’ to the insurgencies in PoK /Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan.

It is clear we cannot do all this without substantially increasing the budgetary allocations, in 2017, and beyond.

 But India has not really bought any military hardware since the Rajiv Gandhi administration, 30 years ago.

It has refurbished, retro-fitted and refreshed various weapons platforms to keep going, but now they are not only obsolete, but finally stretched to the end of its days.

But, given that China has a 20 year head-start, we need to prioritise.  What will give India maximum strategic gains?

In one word- the answer is - Missiles.

India has done well with satellites and missiles in the interregnum, and must build further on these strengths.

It’s now down to supersonic speed and strike punch. Mach 4 missiles, state-of-the-art AWACS surveillance, air-fuelling systems to extend range and air-time, satellite monitoring, attack helicopters, drones.

And also, the stealth of submarines, preferably nuclear ones, that can stay down indefinitely.

India has developed some cutting edge missile systems. These include the Indo-Russian BrahMos Block III cruise missile, Barak 8, the Indo-Israeli surface to air (SAM) missiles, being fitted on Indian warships, the secrecy shrouded Surya ICBMs, the air-to-air Mach 4 plus Meteor missiles to be fitted on the Rafales.

Additionally, India has ordered $81 million worth of 21 Harpoon anti-ship missile systems from Boeing for its fighter jets.

It is also why we are positioning hundreds of BrahMos missiles in the North Eastern Arunachal Pradesh theatre- enough to set Chinese teeth on edge.

 We need hundreds of new aircraft, in addition to the time-tested  French Mirages and Russian Sukhois we do have. The MiGs are old now, and the Rafales have just been ordered. What next, India produced US F-18s, Swedish Griffens?

The home-grown Tejas, recently inducted, will come in greater numbers.

Helicopters- the Russian multi-task Kamov-226 will be manufactured in a joint venture here shortly. The formidable American twin-rotor AH-64 Apaches and Chinooks will soon be with the Indian Army. Boeing already manufactures componentry for them in joint venture here. Drones from Boeing, are also under discussion.

Indian produced war ships, aircraft-carriers in collaboration with the US and Russia, submarines, both the six French Scorpene diesel-electric units being made jointly in India, and several more nuclear submarines after the indigenous Arihant, are on the anvil.

India has bought 145 American M777 howitzers for $750 million from BAE Systems, to replace the 30 year old Swedish Bofors guns.

$1 billion worth of high-powered automatic rifles, make not yet finalised, will be inducted in place of the old ENSAS.

But since exceptions prove the rule, we have also deployed tanks, more than a 100 of them on the flat plains of Ladakh.

We need Light-weight, high velocity bullet-stopping helmets, quality bullet-proof vests, good night vision goggles, fire-retardant tents, high altitude clothing, shoes.

Our list of defence requirements runs to at least $150 billion worth, making India the biggest defence customer in the world.

In addition, we are furiously building roads, bridges, train-lines, ports, tunnels, fuel-reservoirs underground, airports, strips, helipads; all to support rapid troop/military equipment movements. $ 5 billion will be spent by 2020, to build a new set of roads, railways and aerodromes alone.

New mountain corps, an armoured brigade and two new infantry brigades  at an estimated cost of $ 15 billion will be raised, especially to guard  the Chinese borders.

Nuclear weapons and installations, that assure mutual and complete destruction, must nevertheless be constantly upgraded and maintained.

All this will benefit GDP and enhance the lives of civilians. If deterrence is achieved, we will have the best of all worlds- raised boats, security, and progress.

For: ABP Live

(754 words)

September 28^th, 2016

Gautam Mukherjee