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Random Thoughts
Sensible Security Strategies
by
Gaurang Bhatt, MD
The major
difficulties faced by India in upgrading its military ability are lack
of advanced technology, financial constraints and less than stellar
performance and delivery by the DRDO. Trishul, Astra, Dhanush, Agni 3,
Arjun MBT, Tejas LCA and other projects have been plagued by delays,
cost overruns and cancellation. The performance of the corresponding
Pakistani agency in the Khalid battle tank, Agosta submarines, JF-17
fighter planes, Ghauri missiles compares more favorably. Even Iran has
shown better performance in missiles, planes and APCs. Russian, Chinese
and North Korean assistance maybe partly responsible for that, but our
failures are difficult to justify.
India is on a right trajectory in foreign weapon acquisition like Green
Pine radar, Barak anti-missiles, Spyder SAMs, UAVs and Phalcon AWACS
from Israel, Su 30 MKIs, Gorshkov aircraft carrier with MiG 29 KUBs,
Multiple Rocket Launchers, Mi-17 and Kamov 31 helicopters, Akula
submarines and T-90 tanks from Russia, Mirage 2000 aircraft and Scorpene
submarines with AIP from France and the fire detection radars, USS
Trenton, Bell and Sea King helicopters from the US, but we need to
acquire technology and joint production of advanced weapon systems. The
co-production agreements for Brahmos missiles, Bell 407 helicopters are
a better path and similar deals with Boeing for ASW P-8s, MRCA Super
Hornets should be considered if restrictive covenants can be avoided.
It is currently not advisable to waste our limited resources on unproven
technologies like the expensive Patriot, Arrow or S-300 ABMs. It is a
good idea to continue building submarines and aircraft carriers and not
lose our indigenous manufacturing knowledge as we did after the bribery
scandals of the German HDW submarines or the lapse of the lease of
Russian nuclear submarines. Having said that, it is difficult to justify
the enormous investment in aircraft carriers. They need support vessels
like destroyers, submarines and with their complement of aircraft cost
nearly three billion dollars for a single carrier plus protective
flotilla, all susceptible to total loss by supersonic cruise missiles
like our Brahmos or their Chinese and Pakistani equivalents.
If one assumes that India’s navy has no primary aggressive ambitions and
is meant to defend the country, its shipping commerce and sea lanes from
the Straits of Hormuz to those of Malacca and project power in war no
further than Pakistan or block the oil supply route at the straits of
Malacca, even three carriers are not really necessary. What is required,
is to beef up our three unsinkable aircraft carriers (like Malta for the
British in WW2) Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar islands with a fleet at
each of 20 long range attack, ASW and anti-ship aircraft to patrol and
destroy ships and submarines in the vicinity. Frigates and destroyers
with helicopters would provide additional coverage. The Nicobar islands
are only 750 miles from the Straits of Malacca. Ideally naval bases on
the Maldives and Sri Lanka would help a great deal but the naval bases
at Mumbai, Goa, Karwar, Vishakhapatnam and the new naval base between it
and Chennai would help counter the string of Pearls strategy of China.
The Persian Gulf and the South China Sea are being patrolled by the US
with whom we are presently on friendly terms and too weak to even dream
of combating with. Our naval power cannot meet China’s in its own sea
either, so huge investment in more aircraft carriers will not give us
enough bang for the buck. This requires strengthening our naval air arm,
making it independent of the air-force and assigning it clear
responsibility for defense of our shores and sea lanes by fast patrol
craft with missiles, ships, submarines and Ilyushins, P8s or P3C Orions.
We also need to develop Land Attack Cruise Missiles (like the Tomahawk)
with a thousand mile range and extend the range of Brahmos to 1000Kms,
for attacking enemy ports from a safe distance and for keeping future
enemy carriers far enough so that their planes cannot attack our port
installations or populations.
A laudable development is the army’s decision to have its own attack
helicopter force. The US has its Apaches with anti-tank and other
missiles which have become tank killers as the devastation of the Kuwait
retreating Iraqi armor in the 1991 Gulf War proved. The Indian army
needs this capability as wars with our potential enemies like Pakistan,
Bangladesh or China are likely to be wars at our long land borders
involving tank warfare. Helicopter squadrons need to be under the
control of the army for transport, rescue, surveillance, supply and
providing close air support in land battles. Their other use is in
marine rescue, rescue and anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare and those
should be under the navy, as many are ship based.
The above suggestions are not to pare the air-force but to hone it for
the its fighter-interceptor and bomber roles of convention and nuclear
weapons. We need to have adequate fleets of light and medium MRCAs and
heavy bombers. A combination of planes to destroy enemy radars,
anti-aircraft targets, runways and fighter-interceptors to achieve air
superiority and to bomb military targets, are needed to emulate the
tactics that US followed in its war strategy as shown in Serbia,
Afghanistan and Iraq. Finally, a fleet of silent hunter killer
submarines and nuclear submarines with nuclear SLBMs is a top priority.
December 3,
2006
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Random Thoughts
The Week of December 3, 2006
India's Security Environment: Turbulent and
Uncertain by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Sensible Security Strategies by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Nepal: Raising Hopes of Normalcy by Col. Rahul
K. Bhonsle
Lawless and Vibrant: Criminal Union Cabinet
Ministers by V. Sundram
It is Not Women Who Declare War by Mehru Jaffer
Living Among Enemies by J. Ajithkumar
The Fate of Mankind: Is the World Heading
Towards War or Peace? by TA Ramesh
Impact of Globalization on Indian Culture
by V. Sundaram
A Rebel of Innocence by Ashwini Ahuja
Trip to Heaven by Arya Bhushan
When the Sun Sets by Dr. Manasi Dutt
Meenaxi by Dibyendu Ghosal
Rinanubandh by Julia Dutta
A Country Deluged by VK Joshi
Food for Thought by Attreyee Roy Chowdhury
Skiing in Dubai by Rajesh Talwar
That Thing Called Love by Tuhin Sinha
The Witty Side by Melvin Durai
Mothers Feeling Blue by Rasana Atreya
'Silence is Complicity' by Elayne Clift
Dissent through Dance and Drama by
Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Concrete Threat to Goa's Beaches by Lionel
Messias
Imprisoned by Daylight by Swapna Majumdar
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