India’s million man-plus armed forces are unfit to fight a war, according to the country’s army chief. “The army’s tanks have run out of ammunition, the air defense is as good as obsolete and the infantry is short of critical weapons,” Gen. V.K. Singh wrote in a leaked letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India’s DNA news agency has reported.
Singh is said to have approached the prime minister after failing to get a response from the Defense Ministry. He warns in the letter that the state of India’s military is “alarming,” noting that the country’s air defense is “97 percent obsolete,” while the elite Special Forces are described as “woefully short” of “essential weapons.”
“This news is causing a lot of angst here,” said The Diplomat contributor Manpreet Sethi, who lectures regularly at India’s armed forces training centers. “Reports are pouring in from both sides – those who are angry with the general for allowing such a leak to happen, especially in the wake of allegations over a bribe he supposedly made earlier in the week, and those who believe that the corruption in the system can only be cleansed if such issues come out in the public.”
“The government is really on the back foot, as it has been on many issues for some time now,” she said.
Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony confirmed to parliament Wednesday that Singh had indeed sent the letter, and he vowed to “protect every inch of our motherland” by upping the pace of modernization efforts. According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2007 and 2011, India emerged as the world’s largest weapons importer. India’s defense budget, meanwhile, is rising by between 13 and 19 percent, depending on the interpretation of the numbers, against forecast GDP growth of 7.6 percent.
“Like any commander of the armed services, he (Singh) is determined to do the best for his service and has accordingly informed the prime minister about the poor decision making in the Defense Ministry and the long delays his army is suffering,” said Devindra Sethi, a retired Indian naval captain. “What’s shocking is that it has been leaked to the media. As only two copies exist, one with the prime minister and the other with the commander of the armed services, it now remains to be confirmed which copy has been copied and leaked.”
The leak comes at an uncomfortable time for New Delhi. With neighbor China itself ramping up military spending in recent years, and with the border between the two still tense, India has felt compelled to revise its own military plans, including deepening ties with allies and focusing on modernizing the country’s Air Force.
“The Air Force, currently the largest beneficiary of India’s rising military budget, is in the middle of shifting its focus from being a purely Pakistan-centric force, to one that will be capable of simultaneously meeting the twin threats posed by an insecure Pakistan and an increasingly belligerent China,” defense analyst Nitin Gokhale wrote in The Diplomat. “In fiscal 2009-10 alone, for instance, the Air Force spent over $4 billion in capital acquisition, almost three times the amount spent by the Army.”
Gokhale says that over the next few years, the Air Force budget for new purchases is only likely to rise with plans to buy six new-generation tanker transports, 22 attack helicopters, 12 heavy-lift helicopters and nearly 200 basic trainer aircraft.
But Indian Decade writer Rajeev Sharma argues that Singh’s letter anyway has politics written all over it.
“This is the first time a serving army chief has posed such political problems to the government. The Indian armed forces have been apolitical for the past 65 years, since independence,” Sharma noted, drawing a contrast with neighbors Pakistan and Nepal. “So the general mood in India on this subject is that the general has been speaking more like a politician of late and therefore his words need to be taken with a pinch of salt.”
Still, fellow Indian Decade contributor Sumit Ganguly suggests where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
“I fear that Singh’s revelations, though possibly motivated by a sense of personal piqué, are essentially correct,” Ganguly said. “India’s weapons acquisitions process is dilatory, cumbersome and plodding. I’ve no independent means of affirming if the situation is as dire as the general has claimed. However, reliable press reports suggest that there is some truth to his assertions.”
“The revelations and the ensuing controversy also underscore the current political disarray within India. For months, there has been an unseemly battle between the Chief of Staff and the Defense Ministry about his age. With the latest revelations, the political atmosphere will become even more miasmic raising serious questions about the workings of civil-military relations in India.”
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Shipwreck1775
From what I know of India’s military I would tend to agree with the general. While India is capable of waging a war with Pakistan, it could not deal with it neighboring rival, China. China has been modernizing for the past twenty years and their efforts are bearing fruit. Much of India’s military is roughly 1970′s vintage and not fit for a war of technology. China is gearing itself to fight the US in a techno war.
Perhaps India should do what the US once did when it modernized its forces. Follow a “build down,” strategy. For example for every one modern battle division, India would demobilize two obsolete division. The US is no longer using F-14′s and the F-15 will soon be relegated to secondary service. Currently F-16′s and F-18 form the backbone of US Airpower. Stealth and survivability are becoming more of a factor in the 21st century.
I do not know the political affairs of India but based on what people have posted here, I can guess that India spends quite a bit on its military but corruption wastes much of this effort.
Capt. (Retd.) Rakesh Asthana
Saju: Agree with you a 100%. I was a proud 3rd generation Indian Army officer, who took a release from SS commission in 1985. The General has the guts and, (pardon my French),balls to stand up like a true soldier with a back bone to call a “Spade a Spade!” Who leaked the letter is not a matter of concern. The real matter of concern are Gen. Singh’s notations. Bottom line ….. “WE ARE NOT READY TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY!!”
WAKE UP INDIAN POLITICIANS, ENOUGH IS ALREADY QUITE ENOUGH!
And by the way, who ever did it. “Thanks to the guy who leaked the letter, atleast now we know!
Mazo
Sir, the problem is that this is “common knowledge”. The Indian Army has been unable to defend the country from a modern adversary for decades now. Be it the shortage of APFSDS rounds, the dismal state of the infantry that been run ragged or the dismal state of the artillery. Even the shortage of air-defense in the Army is well known for decades but neither the MoD nor successive COAS have actually sat down and taken concrete steps to correct this problem. The Army is too large, too unorganized and too divided into cliques that are more interested in politics than the defense of India. The Navy and the Air Force also have their fair share of troubles but by and large they have organized themselves better and have less divisive politics inside them.
The time has come for the civilian legislature to set the military right if the military is incapable of doing so themselves. Plus many issues like Joint Services chief and other contentious issues remain to be solved that the MoD nor the services are able to do themselves. The one good thing about today is that defense forces receive far more attention and scrutiny than they have in the past and ordinary Indians citizens and politicians alike are more interested in defense issues. This “focus” can perhaps do more good than the neglect of previous decades.
venkat s kanakamedala
what general letter to pm may be correct.better is to modernize the military of all units.better to have 200 squadrons of 50 advanced jet fighters.better to advanced jet fighters from all NATO allies. India needs ten fleets of navy with aircraft and nuke carriers. army should have 2 LAKHS latest battle tanks. India needs a ten million army.all f series of american jet fighters like f-14,f-15,f-16,f-17,f-18,f-22,f-35and stealth,jaguars of BRITAN,mirages of french, and sukoi’s of Russia should be in all squadrons. India needs 10,000 nukes of ICBMS like MX MISSILES. India should plan for defense missile and theater missile systems.better to have back up of NATO,america and Russia.5 million paramilitary and 500 special commando teams should required.this will be a correct answer to china, Pakistan and other evil states in Asia.
scdad07
To achieve all the military equipment, India either collects every rupee from her citizens or wish to live under the shadow of a protectorate. None of such will happen.
What insane country nowadays will try to invade or conquer a country with over 1 billion people?
Sleep at peace.
Harry Khan
You must be the child star of Slum dog Millionaire! First find out homes for 860 million slum dogs then wish for all these weapons.
Liang1a
It is no secret that Indian society and government are all very corrupt. So why should its military be exempt from corruption? The surprising thing is that given its shabby state of military India is still so provocative of China. And what is even more surprising is the cowardly way China is responding to India’s provocation. China simply can’t do anything more than “protest” of which the Chinese people are sick and tired. The Chinese people should first get rid of the CCP government and then clear the Indians from the S. China Sea and Zhang Nan to reclaim China’s rightful sovereign territories.
ACT
@liang1a
why can’t things stay the way they are now, and save millions of lives that could be potentially lost fighting over a 50-year-old territorial claim?
John Chan
Because the bellicose and predatory nature of the Westpac and India, their culture is might based, they do not appreciate harmony and coexistence. They treat conciliatory as weakness and the sign of inviting predator to pounce on the weak.
China’s conciliatory approach to the international affairs is a sign of weakness to the India and the Westpac.
ariel
@Chan & liang1a
It would be better if you please mind your business. China has enough problems of its own. Let them put their own house in order before commenting on other nations. Talking of corruption, China’s record is equally abysmal, if not worse.
China is responsible for rampant proliferation of nuclear weapons’ technology which has made the world a more dangerous place. China’s stance on territorial disputes vis-a-vis its neighbours have created potential flashpoints. China pays lip service to peace while it itself prepares for wars. China’s human rights record is despicable. The views aired by these two Chinese characters only reflect the malaise which is deep-rooted in the minds of an average Chinese.
bangsarster
Liang1a,
You got it. The Chinese are indeed a cowardly race who only stand tough when they are outnumbering their enemy. One on one perhaps they are the most coward of all. I agree with you my friend.
Khalid Arab
@Bangsat : Looks who’s talking. Speak for yourself stranger-behind-a-mask. You are very brave behind a pseudonym. Cowards are those who shouts from behind a woman’s skirt.
Mazo
The difference between Chinese and Indian societies is Indian society is open where all the faults are there for all to see, while in China everything is hidden. That’s why when 30 Tibetans set themselves on fire in Tibet, the best people outside can get is grainy cellphone pictures and a hushed rumors while one Tibetan who sets himself on fire in Delhi is splashed across the headlines of every newspaper around the world!
Corruption is the same thing, India has an open society where corruption is exposed and condemned loudly by society while in China corruption that is even hinted in burred quickly and all connected are “shot” in China’s judge-jury-executioner 5min justice.
If China is “tired” of protesting they should “try” to take back the so called “south Tibet” and the “south china sea” and see how Shanghai, Beijing and ALL of China is turned to ashes as the entire world pounces on them, what the Japanese did in Nanking will look like a comedy compared to what ALL of Asia, America, India would do “TOGETHER” to China. Everybody is looking for an excuse and if China is arrogant enough and foolish enough to give the world an excuse, China will be the next target for the “coalition of the willing”.
L Dodd
India could always invite the Brits back?
John Chan
It is time for the Brits to reclaim their historical glory of Victorian era instead of living under the shadow of their outcast Americans. Brits armada beat the Argentinean on the other continent, so they can do it again in the Indian Ocean as well in the western Pacific Ocean too, India should invite the Brits back, so that they can rule the wave under the colors of her Royal Majesty again.
Colonial Master
Yes and China should invite the Dutch, Germans, French, and Brits again. Should return Hong Kong to Britain as well.
John Chan
@Colonial Master,
There is a big difference between China and India. China has been fighting against all those imperialist powers for its independence, but India always is an accomplice in the wrong doings of those imperialist powers. Even nowadays India is cooperating willingly with those imperialist powers including its former colonial master Britain to harass all its peaceful neighbours.
Mazo
It is hilarious when China lectures India about siding with “imperialist powers” when it was China that welcomed Nixon with open arms and sided with America against its close friend the Soviet Union for “money” during the Cold war. Today, China has again gone back to Russia’s side shouting slogans against the USA and standing with Putin internationally against the US. This two-faced behavior is only see by China which has already shown that it is ready to sell out its principles, its former allies and everybody for money.
Dev Saha
Is that a surprise? The whole thing started right at the birth in the year of 1947.
Saju
This might be a huge surprise to civilians but to be quite honest this is very accurate. This has been a known fact for the last 15 some years. Army is very poorly funded compared to Navy and Air force. The soldiers have outdated weapons, no adequate bullet proof vests, out dated helmets. One look at NATO service men in combat uniform and you get picture Indian soldiers still wears 50 year old uniforms! Same goes for heavy weapons like howitzers.
Instead of fixing the problem the poor General is being crucified for his honesty. There is no doubt he is frustrated as any caring and loyal General would. As for timing, who cares about the timing? The fact is fact; Army sucks and is in no shape to fight a war if attacked by powerful nation like China.
Kargil was a reminder, India won that but after huge casualties thanks to poor out dated equipment. Soldiers want to fight and defend the nation but they are not fools that they will sit quietly and get abused by their civilian rulers who show complete lack of compassion and care and expect them to just die for the country in 1000’s just because some politicians failed to give them what they need.
No wonder most middle class Indians today don’t want their kids to join service and specially the Army as they know it’s not worth getting killed for a nation that does not really care about their needs.
The General just wants to be on record that he has warned the civilian leadership of their total lack of concern/urgency and that if tomorrow Army is unable to do the job, it won’t be blamed as army will say, we warned the civilians but they just ignored it.
The biggest scandal here is not the General writing a letter to PM but why the Indian Gov for the last few decades has failed Its Army and even its civilian population. Why have they failed to fix out dated legal system? Why have they failed to fix the militaries problems?
If they can’t fix any of these problems fast then they need to get out!
guest
They remind me of peacocks