What is the issue?
The evolving geopolitical scenario demands an assessment of India's strengths and weaknesses in the sea to take appropriate measures.
What are the recent developments?
- India’s security interests are becoming increasingly focused on the sea.
- In the context of possible adversaries, the Indian Navy is prepared to respond immediately to any misadventures by Pakistan.
- This includes incidents of the type that took place in the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai through the coastal route.
- The meeting with ASEAN leaders and the recent one with French president, all had maritime security highest on the agenda.
- Indian Ocean Region (IOR) taking centre-stage in these, reflects its increasing importance in the global arena.
- The activities of Chinese naval units in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are closely watched by the Navy.
- In the South China Sea (SCS), due to proximity and numbers, the Chinese are obviously better placed.
- The Indian Navy had increased its deployments in the Indo-Pacific.
What are the strengths?
- China's ventures into the IOR are well known.
- Nevertheless, India's ability to locate and track its ships and submarines in these waters is also quite substantial.
- The dozens of airfields on the two coasts and in southern India facilitates largest surveillance and attack aircraft operation.
- Added to this are the airfields in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and reconnaissance satellites.
- These together can allow India to keep the northern Indian Ocean under watch.
- Besides, interfaces with countries like Oman, Seychelles and France further extend this reach.
- Our ability to deal with Chinese energy lifelines is not something that can be ignored.
- Both operationally and logistically, the Chinese will be hard put to match India in the IOR.
- But, investment in the navy largely decides the worth of these several advantages.
What are the challenges and weaknesses?
- Budget allocations - There is an increasing interface with the US, Japan and Australia and enhancement of security interests.
- But these are not reflected in defence budget allocations.
- For the military to modernise in keeping with the challenges faced, resources are needed.
- The defence budget falls well short of what is needed.
- Strategy - Budget allocations are weak because of the inability to crystallise a holistic national security strategy.
- A strategy to identify what our interests are and how they can be best safeguarded or enhanced has to be devised.
- Pakistan - At sea, India is superior over the Pakistan.
- But, vigilance along the long coastline is important.
- Submarines - The Navy is ahead of the other two services in Make in India.
- But the submarine scenario is worrying with poor availability.
- The first Scorpene submarine built at Mazagon Docks is delivered after a delay of several years.
- However, the total number of submarines stands at just over a dozen; but all are more than 20 years old.
- Some have undergone modernisation but that does not equip them for current needs.
- Delays - The plan to continue beyond the Scorpenes and the urgently needed replacements for multi-role helicopters continue to languish.
- The decision-making process is slow and no improvement has been visible in the past four years.
What is the way forward?
- Allocation - Its existing 15% share of the budget is not encouraging for the Navy.
- But reality is that any great enhancement in allocation to meet all the requirements is just not possible, given the competing needs.
- There is no option but to operate within this constraint.
- Revamp - So it calls for several of its segments to be revisited to have a modern military of the type that India needs.
- Deadwood, especially manpower, should be identified and eliminated.
- Similarly, the Air Force needs more resources and the Army needs to revisits its present strength.
- Army notably operates with nearly 68% of its equipment being old and only 8% of it suited to the needs of today.
- Political will - Every year, services go before parliamentary committees and complain about their inadequacies.
- There is thus the need for strong political will at the highest level.
- This is extremely essential to have the security concerns reviewed critically.
Source: Business Standard
