By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
India is among the world’s top five military spenders, as per Stockholm based International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It is fifth behind the US, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia in terms of defence spending. India’s military expenditure last year was about $63.9 billion, compared to the US spending of $610 billion and China’s spending of an estimated $228 billion.
However and naturally it is much more than the spending by much smaller countries who even though armed with nuclear weapons are now HAVE BEEN military powers, such as the UK spending $47.2 billion and France spending $57.8 billion.
In spite of this expenditure country is still grappling with the urgent requirement of modernising its armed forces to cope with a challenging security environment.
Presently India faces a severe shortage of combat aircraft — while the Indian Air Force’s ideal strength should be about 65 squadrons (though sanctioned number is 45), it is effectively down to about 31 squadrons — and it also needs new warships, aircraft carriers, submarines, artillery and a host of equipment for the army.
Therefore, as more new equipment is inducted, the outlay for capital expenditure must increase over the coming years. This will also require matching of Defence Expenditure with sustained growth of the GDP. Required funds must be specifically allotted for bigger defence deals. In fact, the defence budget to GDP ratio for 2018-19 being mere 1.49%, will just not do it needs to be raised to 2.5% at once if not the 3%.
SIPRI report do not always give the true or complete picture. A large chunk of India’s defence budget goes towards the salaries of around 1.4 million serving personnel and pensions for some two million veterans. In 2017, for example, 67% of the defence budget went towards these heads and only 33% was spent on new acquisitions of hardware and equipment. There is a need for a healthier ratio here, which can be achieved by increasing the outlay for capital expenditure. It may be imperative for the government to hike the allocation for capital expenditure.
Many so called experts at once have started howling for a cut in manpower. They use fancy terms like, A lean and Mean Army, Mechanisation, Teeth to Tail Ratio and what not. All this is fine but we cannot and should not try and impose western templates. We need manpower, to protect the Himalayan borders, Pakistan Border and Bhutan border and to guard the Burma, Bangladesh, and Nepal borders. Yes mechanisation is required, so is pure infantry manpower. Also a healthy vibrant TAIL is most important for any Predator to keep it fighting fit and guide it to its kill.
So what is required it to go full steam ahead towards MAKE IN INDIA and earliest switch to designed and MADE IN INDIA. Ensure integration of national manpower and seamless movement from Military to other departments, so as to reduce defence pension bill to minimum. Also streamline Higher Management of Defence by appointing a Chief of Defence Staff to prioritize procurement and give single point military advise to the CCS.
This is all the more necessary in view of the need to keep the military prepared for all eventualities, especially challenges from China and Pakistan. Also to take its rightful place at the international seatings.
