Editorial: Shot in the arm

In a welcome development, the Ministry of Defense recently approved 24 military modernization proposals worth Rs 84,328 crore.

Hyderabad: The urgency of modernizing India’s defense forces cannot be overemphasized amid growing concerns about two-front military threats from Pakistan and China. As China rapidly builds up its air power and demonstrates its hegemonic expansionism, addressing the serious shortcomings of the Indian Air Force (IAF) must be a priority. Military modernization, which in the past has not received the attention it deserves, is now urgently needed. Bureaucratic apathy, archaic arms procurement procedures and long delays in delivering promised indigenous weapons have been key problem areas that have adversely affected the readiness of the armed forces. In this context, the recent approval by the Ministry of Defense of 24 military modernization proposals worth Rs 84,328 crore is a welcome development.

The Defense Acquisition Committee, led by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, endorsed the proposals, which include major indigenous programs to develop a light tank for the Chinese frontline and a future infantry fighting vehicle and airborne artillery system for the army. Of the 24 projects, the Navy has 10, the Indian Air Force and Army have six each, and the Coast Guard has two. The move, part of the “Make in India” initiative, is expected to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign imports of military equipment. The approved projects include 354 light tanks with excellent firepower and high-altitude protection, 480 future infantry fighting vehicles with enhanced lethality, night combat and ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities.

The number of IAF fighter squadrons is decreasing as some of them have been phased out in recent years. Currently, the Indian Air Force has around 31 fighter squadrons out of only 42 authorized fighter squadrons. These deficiencies must be addressed to maintain combat advantage. In addition, India needs to ramp up defense R&D spending, which has been stagnant for years at less than 1% of GDP. In fact, spending on defense research, which was 0.088% of GDP in 2016-17, has fallen to 0.083% in 2020-21.

The Standing Committee on National Defense in Congress has raised the issue and recommended that sufficient funding be provided to allow strategic programs to be pursued at full capacity. This is especially important given the current international situation, where threat perception is increasing due to ongoing conflicts around the world. Budget allocations for the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the country’s top defense research body, are far from satisfactory. In the current Budget 2022-23, DRDO has a shortfall of Rs 1,659.8 crore in its budgetary allocation. For years, DRDO’s budget has been running at around 6%, barely enough to deliver projects of strategic importance.