HSTPL creates history by receiving first order for its’ revolutionary IMCS from
Indian Armed Forces
March 15, 2023
The Standing Committee on Defence (SCoD) routinely laments, and admonishes the MoD officials for inadequacy of the defence budget. But it has not been able to suggest anything better than that the defence budget should be increased to 3 per cent of the GDP which begs the question where the money is going to come from. On its part, the MoD seems to think that the problem can be solved by delegating more financial powers to the Services, tweaking the procurement procedures, and enforcing indigenisation of defence production by banning import of defence items. These are not practical solutions, as these skirt the basic question: Where is the money?
While financial outlays are important, much can be achieved in military modernisation though improved acquisition procedures, informed decision making, improved productivity of the public sector workforce, co-opting the private sector in a big way in the manufacturing process and by creating a business-friendly eco-system. We also need to shed our ideological chains with respect to exports of weapons and platforms. Thankfully, this has begun.
The process of indigenisation should aim at harmonising the capabilities of our scientists, technicians, industrialists and entrepreneurs with the strengths of our academic and scientific institutions to promote technical innovation in industry including the Defence Sector.
In the wars of 1962, 1965 and even 1971, most of the technologies used by the Indian Armed Forces were not indigenous. Our troops were in the transformation stage and thus, they were dependent almost totally on foreign technologies and this was a lesson for us. In 1958, the government[Read More…]
To re-emphasise, drones help keep our war-fighters out of harm’s way, and are better options in executing some of the abovementioned missions. However, at current state of technology, most missions that a drone is expected to execute, can be executed by a manned asset; vice versa is not true. Given[Read More…]
Subsequently, our battalion received for the capture of Ramnagar, the Theatre Honour: ‘East Pakistan 1971’. On 20 August 1998, on the eve of the golden jubilee of the raising of 8 Madras, a First Day Cover was issued by the Army Postal Service to commemorate the victory. The cover carries[Read More…]
For India the worst-case scenario is a two-front war which would have to be managed with external support—militarily and diplomatically to maintain status quo. Our present war fighting doctrines demand large ground holding formations, thereby eating up our meagre resources with little left for modernisation and reorganisation.
Bureaucracy in the absence of a political leadership which is well versed in national security issues, will continue to stall the coming of a CDS and Integrated Theatre Commands system in their full form. Equally in this concept of CDS with Integrated Theatre Commands, the three Service chiefs have no[Read More…]
Reports appearing in the print and electronic media point to an apparent change in the thinking of the current senior military leadership from that of the past. In the past, the military leadership conscientiously kept itself engaged with core responsibility as well as competence of a military professional – preparing[Read More…]
Change, to paraphrase, a hymn from the Gita, is a rule of nature. In that it is ordained, there will be change, constantly and without fail, come what may. In a number of instances change is to be welcomed since it brings in another dimension to life, and the order[Read More…]