The other big announcement about national defence that Mr Chidambaram made —
a 10 per cent increase in the defence budget - is also a major disappointment. The so-called increase is not enough even to cover inflation. Given the decline in the
rupee's external value, the defence budget for the coming financial year is indeed lower than last year's. It is $36.2 billion for 2014-15 as against $37.5 in 2013-14.
The tragedy is that even the notional 10 per cent increase has gone largely to the revenue budget that meets the bills for salaries and expenditure on oil and petroleum products and other supplies for current consumption.
The capital budget for modernisation and acquisition of new weapon systems - unfortunately India has to import 70 per cent of all the military hardware it needs — has actually gone down considerably.
This cannot but damage or delay some of the major projects for increasing India's
military power that have already been held up for long.
For instance, only recently did
the government formally launch the project of raising a mountain Strike Corps of
50,000 men in the North-east to improve our defence against China at a cost of
Rs. 64,000 crore over the next seven years.
It would be a pleasant surprise if the
project is completed on time and within the allocation made for it.
Similarly, the Air Force, with a rapid reduction in the number of its combat squadrons, is anxiously waiting for the 126 medium-range multi-role combat aircraft, Rafael, from France at the cost of $20 billion. All negotiations for this deal were completed long ago. But the signing of the agreement is being delayed again and again, presumably because this would require that the first instalment of payment be made to the manufacturers.
It is imperative that we bridge, or at least narrow, the great and growing gap between
China's military power and ours. But that is proving to be impossible.
Last year China's stated defence budget was thrice ours. Its domestic production of weapons and equipment also far exceeds ours.
On March 4 at a meeting of its version of Parliament the Chinese government will present its defence budget. It is well known that the People's Liberation Army - now integrated rather than divided into five autonomous regions - has demanded a
big hike in its allocation, especially in view of growing tensions between China and
Japan because of their dispute over the Senkaku/Diayo island in the East China Sea.
It is no secret that President Xi Jinping has agreed to do so. According to The New York Times, the Chinese defence budget will be as high as $148 billion, second only to that of the United States ($600 billion which is less than last year's) and more than the defence budgets of Russia, Germany and Britain put together.
The challenge before us is stark because our other adversary, Pakistan, is China's
all-weather friend and receives ample military and nuclear assistance from our northern neighbour that has also established a presence in the Pakistan-held Kashmir.
Are we adequately prepared to meet this challenge?
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RELATED PLEASE :
Will be tough to tackle collusive threat from Pak, China: IAF
Manu Pubby
February 19, 2014
New Delhi
" Faced with a sharp fall in the number of its operational fighter squadrons that is expected to worsen over the next few years, the Indian Air Force has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that it will be difficult for it to handle a “collusive threat from Pakistan and China but it has made plans for the contingency”.
"A senior IAF officer has told the committee that the current squadron strength of combat aircraft stands at 34 against the authorised 42 and even with the induction of all Su 30 MKI fighters on order, this would not increase over the coming years unless the medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal is signed".
Please read the full report at :
URL : http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/will-be-tough-to-tackle-collusive-threat-from-pak-china-iaf/
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