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Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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Army must not be asked to downsize: J.J Singh

Ravi Sharma

“Challenges needed a manpower intensive army”

Right sizing can be effected after boundary issues are resolved
Army’s inventory should be made up of 40 p.c. of modern equipment

BANGALORE: Stating that the Army was “ready and relevant” to face any challenge, Gen. Joginder Jaswant Singh, who recently retired as the head of the 1.3 million strong force, said the Army must not be asked to downsize or “right size” at the present juncture. Speaking to The Hindu here on Tuesday Gen. Singh said the challenges facing the country necessitated a manpower-intensive army.

Though Gen. Singh agreed that a reduction in manpower was one sure way of effecting substantial savings in the Army’s share of the defence budget (Rs. 45,685 crore in 2007-08), savings which could then be channelled into modernising the large force, there was also the realisation this was currently an almost impossible task. Increasingly asked to take part in internal security duties, which by their very nature were infantry/manpower intensive operations, the Army had been unable to make any reductions in manpower levels. And being unable to transform itself into a leaner Army, modernisation lagged behind, the funds just not being sufficient enough.

Agreeing that the Army needed to modernise and a sure way of doing so was to become a leaner, meaner army, earmarking more of the allocation of funds from the defence budget to modernisation, Gen. Singh explained why India currently needed a large force. “We have a large number of unresolved boundary issues. Once these are resolved we can talk of right sizing. Also, armies around the world, including the U.S. forces and their allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, have realised that even the most modern of technology has its limitations against irregular or asymmetrical warfare.”

While at present as much as 70 per cent of the Army’s budget went towards the costs of maintaining the large force, with only the remaining allocated for modernisation, Gen. Singh said the ideal situation would be closer to a 50:50 spread. “The Army’s inventory should be made up of 40 per cent of modern equipment, 30 per cent of equipment of current vintage and 30 per cent of obsolete equipment which would get periodically phased out.”

In its bid to modernise, Gen. Singh said, the Army was looking to upgrade and enhance the effectiveness of existing systems and also at acquiring new equipment and systems that were relevant to India’s future challenges. “We are looking to acquire smart munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles, battle radars, surveillance radars, sensors, fire and forget missiles, more tanks, better artillery, communication systems, upgrading personal equipment and a variety of force multipliers. We are also keen on exploiting to its fullest extent information technology, including the concept of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance).”

Army’s readiness

Commenting on the Army’s readiness Gen. Singh said the Army had analysed the challenges and threats which could confront the country. “Operational readiness in all matters is a must. With this in mind we have conceptualised a doctrine. Our training is according to this doctrine, and our manpower is well trained, well led and motivated.”

Reiterating the Army’s policy of an iron fist in a velvet glove in their operations against terrorists in parts of the North East and Jammu and Kashmir, Gen. Singh said the people in those regions were tired of the violence and terrorism, and had “realised that terrorists had no credible ideology but were living by extortion, arson, kidnapping and other such activities.” Support for them had come down in recent times.

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