Armed Forces

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  • Parliament and Defence Preparedness

    The leakage of the former Army Chief General V.K. Singh’s secret letter of 12 March 2012 to the Prime Minister, on large scale deficiencies in the Army, created an uproar in Parliament. While the issue of who leaked the letter and the motive behind the leak is under investigation by intelligence agencies, the bigger aspect that needs to be examined is how did we reach this level of hollowness, and what needs to be done to rectify the situation and avoid a recurrence in the future.

    July 2012

    Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee: A Midway Solution

    The Chairman COSC will neither be the Commander of India’s Armed Forces nor will he be able to do justice to his advisory role because of the constraints that will affect his functioning in the present system.

    August 07, 2012

    Major Issues of Immediate Concern for the Indian Air Force

    The multitude of challenges the IAF faces during its ongoing transformation ranging from a high accident rate to cyber warfare need to be addressed to ensure that it remains an effective fighting force.

    June 11, 2012

    Cultural Heritage and the Armed Forces

    Imagine if there is a war between India and Pakistan and the National Museum at New Delhi was vandalized and precious historical artifacts and other historical objects were stolen; or close your eyes and visualize India without the Taj Mahal which may be destroyed in an air attack. The standing bodhisattvas, dating back to seventh century AD, and the arms and armours of the Mughal era are some of the fabulous cultural wealth stored in the National Museum that is priceless for the nation and the loss of which can be the loss of the entire golden history of that era.

    April 2012

    Rajesh Kumar Sharma asked: What is the role of the infantry in capability enhancement of the armed forces?

    Vivek Chadha replies: Capability enhancement of the armed forces in today’s battlefield milieu is representative of a synergised and cohesive approach to the process. Therefore, the armed forces as an entity are not merely the sum of the capability of its constituents, but the integrated culmination of their ability to function in unison. This implies that every constituent of the forces, which very much includes the infantry, would be an integral part of the process of capability enhancement.

    In India’s context, the role of infantry is further highlighted by virtue of infantry centric responsibilities in a number of spheres of operations like counter insurgency and counter terrorism. The specific aim of enhancing this capability has been initiated through a number of initiatives. A highly trained, equipped and networked soldier as visualised in the “Futuristic Infantry Soldier as a System (FINSAS)” programme currently underway for the army is one amongst the many initiatives in this context. The initiative visualises a highly networked soldier, with better weaponry and communication facilities. It also aims to make him more agile, mobile and lethal. The enhancement of educational levels for intake, emphasis on further improving this capability while in service and providing opportunities to imbibe technology in an increasingly automated environment are some other initiatives in this regard.

    The recent experiences of the US forces, both in Iraq and Afghanistan have also proved that shock and awe may be important, however, an army finally needs “boots on ground” to achieve desired objectives. It was also demonstrated in Libya that the ability to force victory is finally achieved through the infantry, which needs to capture and occupy ground to force a favourable decision. Therefore, the role of Infantry in any form of capability enhancement will remain critical. However, as mentioned earlier this will be in concert with other constituents of the force.

    Faulty Manpower Policy in Indian Armed Forces: Time for Action

    Faulty promotion policies and the unsatisfactory professional education of the officer corps deprive Indian military officers of the opportunity to master strategy and develop capacities for handling high level issues.

    June 13, 2011

    Enhancing Self-Esteem of the Soldier

    This paper attempts to address the increasing challenges faced by the Army -both individually for the soldier and collectively as an organization. It is an attempt to balance the soldier’s individual need for personal growth and development, optimizing his potential, as well as the military’s need for mission effectiveness.

    April 2011

    Reconciling AFSPA with the Legal Spheres

    The present paper analyses and examines the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in respect of legal aspects. It first discusses it in terms of domestic law, international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law. Given India’s obligations under international human rights instruments going beyond domestic law is necessary in any such discussion. Ensuring complementarity between the Act in its application in armed conflicts and IHL, would contribute towards making the Act more ‘humane’. The second part discusses the Act from security perspectives.

    April 2011

    Restructuring the Indian Armed Forces

    This paper broadly deals with two important aspects. First, it analyses various security challenges that India is facing at present; and second, it examines the need for restructuring the Indian Armed Forces to address these security challenges. It explains that India is in a two front situation with China to the

    April 2011

    Relevance of the Nepal Army Proposal on Integration

    The Nepalese Army’s proposal on integration addresses both the Maoists’ insistence on integration of the ex-combatants and the non-Maoists’ anxiety that the army could face a professional crisis and politicisation.

    May 16, 2011

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