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Akhil Govind |
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The "Growing" Indian Military Might |
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Posted on 4/9/2012 |
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A few days ago, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released a report on the global arms deals in the period 2007-2011. India has been cited as the largest arms importer accounting for 10% of the total deals. The defense budgets have been on the rise each year; the last one gave $40 Billion to the Defense ministry.
The Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Competition to select the fighter which will be inducted into the Air Force has just concluded. The French Dassault Rafale has clinched the $ 16 Million deal to provide 126 sleek fighters for the forces. The competition started in 2001, witnessed participation of fighters like the F-18, F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon, MiG-35, and Saab Gripen along with the Rafale. The Indian Navy shall soon receive its second aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) by December 2012. Earlier the largest ship of the navy was the INS Viraat, also an aircraft carrier. A lot of tanks, grenades, guns, bullets etc have been also purchased from the Swedes, French, Israelis and Russians in the last 5 years.
But this report also brings to light the inability of the Defense Research and Development Organization, with a budget of $2 Billion annually and over 50 labs countrywide, to account for even $4 Billion of the defense budget annually. An organization with the best military brains of the country can’t even provide it army the arsenal they need.
The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas hasn’t even entered service. 32 years have been spent in manufacturing this one aircraft while the Russians and Americans are on their 5th / 6th Generation fighters.
The age issue of the General VK Singh has brought some skeletons out of the cupboard. In a letter he sent to the Government, leaked by someone, he states that the army’s ammunition and equipment are 97% obsolete. Soldiers are underprepared for a war and the surveillance technology out of date. Deals have been plagued with bribes and corruption. An example would be the INS Jalashwa (USS Trenton) purchase from the United States navy in 2007. The Comptroller and Auditor General has found that the vessel can’t be used in a war according to terms of the contract and the US can conduct checks on the vessel anytime.
A mountain of corruption lies before us. The poor victims are the ordinary people and scientists who become the scapegoats.
The only ray in the tunnel is that at least some youngsters are trying to make a difference. But the actions of some officials negate the good work done by these individuals. The question is, Will APJ Abdul Kalam’s Vision: 2020 be ever realized?
Sources used – the SIPRI website, Wikipedia, Indian Navy and Air Force websites for images.
Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and written by them; the author is solely responsible for the content in this article. IndiansinKuwait.com does not hold any responsibility for them. |
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Report: Akhil Govind
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