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III/ 2020
Aerospace & Defence Review
Combating the Covid-19
III/ 2020
III/ 2020
Aerospace & Defence Review
“Prioritising Critical “Hand-in-Hand”
18 Requirements”
27
HE BEST
was imposed in India. This ‘Vayu-on-
www.irkut.com
Combating the Covid-19 the-spot’ report highlights events
where major international companies
Aircrew getting into Jaguar two-seater showcased their expertise with P&W
(photo by Simon Watson) announcing progress at its customer
In midst of the Covid-19 situation, Air India’s Armed Forces have been training centre.
Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of working around-the-clock to provide
the Air Staff IAF interviewed with select medical and logistics support to
Indian media, both print and electronic contain the Covid-19 pandemic, 67 Grim Covid-19
Editorial Panel on 18 May 2020. Not surprisingly the
first questions were focused on the
the Armed Forces Medical Services
(AFMS) deploying their resources in
Impact
MANAGING EDITOR IAF’s status during the pandemic, and aid of civilian authorities, establishing
as to how the Service was affected quarantine facilities around the country.
Vikramjit Singh Chopra operationally.
Saluting the ‘Corona
EDITORIAL ADVISOR
‘Flying Bullets’ 30 Estimates from IATA indicate worsening
Admiral Arun Prakash 21 Warriors’ of the country-wise impact from
Resurrected Covid-19 in the Asia-Pacific region. In
EDITORIAL PANEL a related piece, the Covid-19 effect has
Pushpindar Singh impacted on 25 million jobs which are
Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal at risk with many airline shutdowns.
Dr. Manoj Joshi
IADE 2020 in Tunisia
Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar 77
Air Marshal M. Matheswaran
Cdr M Nirmal
Nitin Konde On 27 May 2020, the Indian Air Force At a widely televised press conference
received the first Tejas LCA Mk.1 at New Delhi on 1 May 2020, the CDS
Sayan Majumdar (FOC) aircraft at Air Force Station General Bipin Rawat accompanied by
Richard Gardner (UK) Sulur (near Coimbatore) from HAL all Service Chiefs addressed the nation
Reuben Johnson (USA) and, with it, stood up No.18 Squadron to acknowledge efforts of India’s Corona This first International Aerospace &
(Flying Bullets) which is the second Warriors and vowed “to continue the Defence Exhibition (IADE 2020) took
Bertrand de Boisset (France) unit (after No.45 Squadron) with the support of (those) front-line warriors place in Tunisia’s Maghreb region of
Dr Nick Evesenkin (Russia) indigenously-developed and built light over the passage of the crisis”. North Africa, the first on this continent.
Tamir Eshel (Israel) combat aircraft. Although a somewhat modest event,
‘Lifeline Udan’ this has spurred the organisers to plan
ADVERTISING & MARKETING MANAGER ‘A Tiger in the Sky’ 34 ahead.
Husnal Kaur
25
Also : Post Covid-19; Navantia’s
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER online event; General Atomics
Premjit Singh ‘Launching into the Future’; The
MPF programme; Continuing
Developments at Saab; Iran’s
Published By
As directed by the Ministry of Civil Weapons of Deterrence; The F21
Aviation, more than 700 flights Artemis programme; USN awaits
concerning Covid-19 were operated by Super Hornet Block III; MiG-
Vayu Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. Air India, Alliance Air and some private 21 in Croatia; Dutch ‘Lifeliners’;
E-52, Sujan Singh Park, carriers as on 15 May 2020, with some Double (Dutch) Anniversary; ‘The
Sayan Majumdar reviews the status
New Delhi 110 003 India 1000 tonnes of cargo transported over Forgotten War’.
of HAL’s Light Combat Helicopter
Tel: +91 11 24617234 a total distance of about 600,000km.
(LCH) which is projected to meet
Fax: +91 11 24628615 requirements of the Indian Army and Regular features :
Wings India 2020
e-mail: vayuaerospace@lycos.com
e-mail: vayu@vayuaerospace.in
Air Force and has “significant export
potential”. Development costs of 36 This biennial civil aviation
Commentary, Opinion, Viewpoint,
Strategy, Aviation & Defence in India,
the LCH have been “relatively low” and aerospace show took place at World Aviation & Defence News,
compared to that of other helicopter Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad from 12 Ancient Aviator Anecdotes, Vayu 25
Printed at Aegean Offset Printers types in its class. to 14 March just before the “lockdown” Years Back, Tale Spin.
The opinions expressed in the articles
published in the Vayu Aerospace & Defence
Review do not necessarily reflect the views
or policies of the Publishers. Follow us on @ReviewVayu
Visit us at: www.vayuaerospace.in
C O MM E N T A R Y
“Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan” to travel to hospitals for fear of contracting Covid-19 or found it
impossible to reach hospitals or receive treatment.
T he Prime Minister has announced a special economic package
and gave a clarion call for Atmanirbhar Bharat, noting that
this package, taken together with earlier announcements by the
It has been observed that traffic accidents and violent crime,
also domestic violence, have registered a sharp decline thanks to
the lockdown. Therefore, the number of those who die every day
government during the Covid crisis and decisions taken by RBI, should be coming down.
is to the tune of Rs 20 lakh crore, which is equivalent to almost But it is likely to have gone up on account of the collateral
10% of India’s GDP. He said that the package will provide a much damage of fighting Covid-19. As our editorial argued, it makes
needed boost towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat. sense to divide the country into containment regions – areas that
The package will also focus on land, labour, liquidity and laws, pose the risk of spread of Covid-19, meaning individual residences
will cater to various sections including the cottage industry, MSMEs, of patients or clusters of residences if that is called for to identify
labourers, middle class, industries, among others. The details of the a perimeter for control – and the rest where life resumes, albeit to
contours of the package would be provided by the Finance Minister, the new normal of safety protocols at the workplace and during
“in the coming few days.” commutes.
Talking about the positive impact of reforms like the Janadhan- Those who have been able to work from home reasonably
Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) trinity and others, brought about in the last efficiently should be encouraged to continue as they have been.
six years, the Prime Minister said that several bold reforms are Public transport capacity and shopping hours must be increased,
needed to make the country self-reliant, so that the impact of crisis rather than reduced as some states have been doing, to reduce
such as the Covid, can be negated in future, and include supply crowding. India must get back to work at the earliest, to save
chain reforms for agriculture, rational tax system, simple and clear
incomes and lives.
laws, capable human resource and a strong financial system. These
reforms will promote business, attract investment, and further From The Economic Times
strengthen Make in India.
The Prime Minister continued in that self-reliance will prepare
the country for tough competition in the global supply chain, and
China’s syndromes
it is important that the country wins this competition. The same
has been kept in mind while preparing the package. It will not T he recent skirmishes between China and India in Ladakh and
Sikkim underline the need to understand Beijing’s motives and
respond to them appropriately so that mistakes — most notably
only increase efficiency in various sectors but also ensure quality.
Highlighting their contribution to the country, the Prime Minister in responding poorly to signals in the run-up to the 1962 border
said that the package will also focus on empowering the poor, war — are not repeated. Since the Chinese have already moved
labourers, migrants, etc., both from organised and unorganised a few kilometres into previously uncontested Indian territory,
sectors. He observed that the crisis has taught us the importance getting them to vacate and reverting to status quo ante can be
of local manufacturing, local market and local supply chains. All done only diplomatically. Speculation on China’s motives for this
our demands during the crisis were met ‘locally’. Now, it’s time escalatory behaviour has so far focused on Beijing responding to
to be vocal about the local products and help these local products India improving its border infrastructure, especially in upgrading
become global, he said. and linking border roads to military bases further inland. But these
upgrades have been going on for some time, and, despite this,
PM Modi’s address to the Nation on 12 May 2020 significant asymmetry remains between the quality and sophistication
of Chinese and Indian border infrastructure. It is possible that part
“End the Lockdown … so as to of the provocation is on account of the recent move by the Indian
government in closing the automatic route for Chinese investment.
Save Lives” It is equally possible that this can be read as a warning that India,
T he coronavirus kills, on that there is no dispute. But the
lockdown meant to soften the killing power of the virus
might also be causing a large number of deaths, which might not
which has already tilted towards the US in the area of defence,
should not join the Washington-led chorus of condemning China’s
handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and desist from supporting the
immediately be linked to the virus or the lockdown but could end reinstatement of Taiwan’s status in the World Health Organisation.
up being quite significant. It makes sense to end the lockdown and Indeed, the fact that China has moved into both Ladakh and
resort to test, trace and quarantine strategy, if the goal is to save Sikkim suggests that this could well be part of a larger foreign policy
lives. Swaminathan SA Aiyar pointed out in his column that an objective. In the post-Deng era, China’s growing economic clout
investigation by the Financial Times of London shows that excess has encouraged its leadership to adopt a more aggressive foreign
mortality caused by the lockdown in Europe is about 40%. policy. Since 2010, China has more or less had its way against
FT looked at the number of people who died in March and April Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines with regard to territory in the
this year, as compared to the average for these two months of the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea. It is now pushing harder on
past five years, regardless of overt causation. Excess mortality was as Hong Kong, where protests have erupted afresh over a new national
high as 60% in Belgium. But it was a low 12% in Sweden, which security law, and in Taiwan (though with less success). China has
did not enforce a lockdown. Patients have either been reluctant also sought to penalise Australia (through the imposition of penal
2 VAYU
C O MM E N T A R Y
tariffs on specific products, an old tactic used earlier against the Thus, Beijing has been vehemently opposing Taiwan’s
Philippines and Bolivia) for some of its recent anti-Chinese moves. participation at WHO – despite Taiwan’s demonstrated success
Its actions in Ladakh and Sikkim appear to fit that pattern. in containing Covid – and wants New Delhi to take its side.
It is clear that China, which has earned grudging admiration It may also want New Delhi to reverse its recent move closing
for the pace at which it is recovering from the pandemic, will the automatic route for Chinese investments. But New Delhi
play an even bigger role in the post-Covid-19 world order. must firmly stand up to Chinese pressure. This is especially so
The question is whether the world will make room for a rising since Beijing rarely gives any diplomatic quarter to New Delhi
power, or whether there will be conflict, latent as in a Cold War on issues important to India, such as Kashmir or terror. On the
or overt in terms of military action. The possibility of tension is economic front too, China rarely adheres to reciprocity and has
underlined by the fundamental re-reading by the West of China’s done little to mitigate the huge bilateral trade deficit by giving
long-term direction, compared to the thesis when China entered Indian investments or imports more access. A China-dominated
the WTO in 2001 that it would become “normal” as it became Asian order would be disastrous. India should join cause with
more prosperous. Already, China has split and neutralised the like-minded nations and entities, including Taiwan, and push
EU by making overtures to Italy (though Belt and Road Initiative for a rules based, multilateral order.
projects and other investments) and Germany (where China From The Times of India
is viewed as favourably as the US). For a country that equates
hierarchy with stability, in which each country knows its place,
there is no question that China expects India to recognise and Daring the Dragon
accept Beijing’s growing military power, both on land and in the
Indian Ocean, and in missile capability. This will increasingly test
India’s long-standing search for strategic autonomy, especially
C hinese President Xi Jinping’s call to the People’s Liberation
Army on 26 May to think about worst-case scenarios and
to scale up battle preparedness has come at an inopportune
when the country’s defence capability vis-a-vis China gets steadily moment during a face-off between China and India in Ladakh.
more unbalanced. Coming as it does from the highest Chinese authority, the
message is a riddle, as is often the case with Chinese military-
From Business Standard
diplomatic signals. It appears more as provocative muscle flexing
rather than a subtle attempt to make its neighbour strike a
Don’t succumb! balance between its priorities, possibilities and vulnerabilities.
B eijing is bringing in a national security law in Hong Kong that The Chinese are clearly anxious about a new Cold War in the
effectively spells the end of the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ post-pandemic world and their foreign minister Wang Yi stated
approach granting autonomy to the economic hub. Its move to it in no uncertain terms, warning the US. In this context, any
integrate Hong Kong could lead to the US revoking the city’s overture by India towards the US for a quasi-military alliance
trade privileges; and possibly offering asylum to Hong Kong’s through the Quad will surely tilt the balance against China,
dual passport holders thereby stripping the city of its best and militarily and economically.
brightest. That Beijing still decided to go ahead despite the risks But instead of offering India reasons to remain equipoised,
involved – besides unilaterally declaring new administrative districts the Chinese are merely offending India by focusing on its
to incorporate disputed islands in South China Sea – indicates vulnerabilities. Every small border skirmish gets magnified and
that it is willing to up the ante as a major revisionist power in the overstated in Indian media, particularly in the toxic electronic
world system. media with its hyperventilating, super-nationalist anchors. So,
Alongside, Beijing is also stepping up the ante along the LAC. even if China is attempting to thwart India’s border infrastructure
The confrontation began earlier in May in Sikkim and eastern construction in a benign stand-off, or it has grand plans to throttle
Ladakh and has seen both sides send in additional troops to the India’s new economic aspirations, it has done it the wrong way. A
forward areas. The situation is particularly tense at Galwan Valley public opinion is getting created, which will force the government
with an estimated 1,200 Chinese soldiers pitching 80-100 tents to strike a strong, muscular pose.
and setting up bunkers much ahead of China’s claim lines in the India, unfortunately, has not learnt from its own past follies
region. or the history of its neighbour. The Chinese grew keeping their
Indian diplomats have rightly seen a connection between head low, turning the rhetoric down, avoiding bravado and
Chinese aggressiveness along the LAC and the broader trend of working hard to get cats from all over to catch their mice, to quote
“wolf warrior” diplomacy that Beijing is currently showcasing. Deng Xiaoping. So, instead of poking a creeping dragon with
announcements that could be read as a statement of intent against
It is willing to hit countries like Australia with import bans, for
Chinese imports, India ought to focus on building its economy.
example, when the latter legitimately broached the question of
The government has so far done well to create capabilities on the
probing the Covid pandemic’s origins. Since Beijing permits few
LAC and to stand firm against Chinese incursions. India survived
imports from India in any case, pressure along the LAC may be
the last Cold War, despite being on the losing side; it should
its instrument of choice in coercing India to back its international
thrive during the next one with elastic diplomacy.
positions, now facing flak from Western countries, and to accede
to a China dominated order. From The Tribune
III/2020 3
O P I N I O N
Admiral Arun Prakash urges that this is the
“Right time to usher in reforms
in India’s Armed Forces”
I
f we take the 2001 Group of Ministers rectified, the process of defence reforms should responsibilities and status of the armed
Report as the starting point, the Indian be set in motion and pursued with vigour. forces, and their Chiefs, found no mention
state has taken 19 years to initiate the But before proceeding further, let me in the Constitution of India or any Act of
process of genuine national security reform, deal with a seemingly trivial issue. The Parliament. Even the GoI Allocation of
whose ‘green shoots’ are represented by term CDS does not connote a ‘rank’; it is a Business Rules (AoBR) have ignored them.
the newly constituted Chief of Defence ‘post’ tenable by a General, Admiral or Air This absence of recognition and lack of
Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Chief Marshal. Therefore, the creation of a defined status has worked to the detriment
Affairs (DMA). Although unduly delayed, new rank-badge for the first incumbent was of India’s military in many ways.
this move, by the NDA government unnecessary. The new, maroon shoulder The PIB note of 24 December and brief
represents the most significant development epaulette seems designed only for an army gazette notification of 30 December 2019,
in the national security domain since uniform and conveys an inappropriate has added two more anomalies that can
Independence. message since the navy and air force wear further complicate the already tangled arena
To put things in perspective, the their ranks on the sleeve. of higher defence management.
Indian military has, for the first time, been Coming to a more substantive issue, Firstly, the CDS, in the pay-grade of
accorded recognition in the edifice of the if the relegation of Service Headquarters Cabinet Secretary/Service Chiefs, has been
Government of India (GoI) and has thereby (SHQ) to ‘attached offices’ was an early ‘act designated as ‘Secretary DMA’, which is
been empowered to take decisions that will of commission,’ which made the military a rung lower. This sets a wrong precedent
shape its future. The first priority for the subaltern to the bureaucracy, an equally and jeopardizes the status of Service Chiefs
armed forces should be to squarely address damaging ‘act of omission’ was the failure who are on par with the Cabinet Secretary.
certain fundamental incongruities that have to accord recognition to the armed forces of Secondly, having created a CDS it seems
stunted their capabilities vis-à-vis adversaries the Union in the new Constitution. anomalous to retain the responsibility
and impinged adversely on India’s national While Article 312 created the IAS and for, “Defence of India and every part
security. While these anomalies are being IPS as ‘All India Services’, the functions, thereof…” with a bureaucrat, the Defence
4 VAYU
specified any deadlines for creation of what
is called, ‘Theatre Commands.’ In fact, while
embracing every other aspect of jointness
at the earliest possible, the constitution of
such commands, their span of responsibility
and geographic boundaries must be decided
after due consultation between the CDS,
the Service Chiefs and their staffs. There
are two other reasons for proceeding with
due caution.
Firstly, we lack officers with the
background or qualifications to function on
DRDO Bhawan the staff, and as ‘component commanders’
or Commanders-in-Chief, of a unified
Secretary. Indeed, the Defence Secretary to appoint Service officers as CMDs/ command and to operationally deploy its
has been given even greater institutional CEOs of DPSUs and to ensure military three service components. Creating a cadre
responsibility by adding “…defence policy representation on the boards of directors of such officer’s calls for re-shaping the
and preparation for defence,” to his new of these units. system of professional military education
charter. This goes against the very spirit The most serious consequence of followed in the armed forces. Important
of reforms and needs to be reviewed. The the military’s isolation from MoD has steps in this process will be to re-cast the
recognition of senior military appointment- been the huge delays imposed in the Defence Services Staff College as the Joint
holders as “functionaries of the GoI” will processing of cases; related to hardware Services Staff College and to alter syllabi
provide a legal basis for the discharge of acquisition, infrastructure and personnel- of the service War Colleges so that their
their duties, and is an issue that needs to management. Each case, after being graduates are competent to fill billets in a
be pursued by the new DMA on priority. steered through multiple layers of MoD unified HQ.
This brings me to the second area of bureaucracy, is questioned all over again by Secondly, once unified commands
concern; India’s failure to attain self-reliance its Finance Wing. Queries are sequential, are created, the operational control of
in defence hardware. Dependence on repetitive and often raised to prevaricate. field forces would devolve from respective
foreign countries for weapon systems not Integration of SHQ with MoD has been SHQs to the unified commanders. The
only diverts our defence budget into their sought for decades because bringing civil Chiefs, having been divested of operational
coffers but also undermines our strategic and military expertise under one roof would responsibilities, would, then, focus only on
autonomy and freedom of action. reduce file discussions and eliminate delays. recruitment, training, and logistics. Since
The main reason for the dismal failure of These attempts have been firmly opposed the critical transition from one system
India’s Defence Research and Development by the bureaucrats, who insist that the to the other could lead to degradation of
Organisation (DRDO) and massive status quo is quite satisfactory. Loosening operational capability, it must be preceded
defence-production complex, to achieve the stranglehold of the bureaucracy and by adequate preparation and undertaken in
self-reliance, is three-fold. Firstly, the SHQs putative ‘financial advisors’ on the SHQs, phases. Creation of a Joint Staff HQ would
have been denied a say in the prioritisation through civil-military integration, should facilitate the oversight of this process.
of DRDO’s projects, and the latter is be an important objective of the DMA. Its The armed forces, after decades of
free to spend its budget on technologies attainment will have the most beneficial clamouring, have been accorded a historic
which often do not have relevance to the fallout for force-modernization and combat opportunity to usher in change and reforms.
military’s operational needs. Secondly, since efficiency. It is imperative that this opening is utilized
no instrumentality exists for independent Finally, I come to the crux of the with sagacity and deliberate forethought.
review and oversight of DRDO’s projects, reform process – the evolution of ‘unified’ While making haste, it is important that the
time/cost overruns, performance shortfalls or ‘joint’ command structures. Contrary leadership gets it right the first time, for there
and even failures go unaccounted for. Lastly, to the general impression, the GoI has not may never be another opportunity.
the armed forces, by focusing exclusively on
‘current combat capability’, have displayed
indifference towards the indigenous defence
industry and so contributed to the current
stasis.
A key result area for the CDS must be
to ensure that DRDO and the defence-
production complex are put on the right
track and provided motivation and guidance
so that India can aim for self-reliance in
defence by 2070. Apart from other policy Staff College Wellington
changes, the GoI must be persuaded
III/2020 5
VIEWPOINT
Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal has a message for the Chief of Defence Staff
“Please make haste slowly”
C
reation of the post of Chief of commanders of their respective forces rather limited to bringing about some jointedness
Defence Staff (CDS) is rightly being than chiefs of staff to the Prime Minister in nearly every area of functioning of the
billed as a major reform in the higher and Defence Minister’. It observed that this three services including formation of Joint/
defence management of the country. While had introduced an element of command Theatre Commands. Some of these may be
such a post identifies the senior-most armed culture in otherwise staff areas of long term desirable objectives, but there are historical
forces’ officer, its area of responsibility and planning and strategic issues impacting reasons why these and others have defied
authority varies significantly depending on negatively on them. resolution. These sensitivities need to be
the higher defence management model that The Group of Ministers that reviewed heard and factored in discrete deliberations
a country wishes to adopt and the authority this report, however, shied away from and discussions amongst major stakeholders
the elected government wishes to endow proposing the integration of the service — not through public statements. This is
on the post. headquarters with the ministry of defence because apart from parochial reasons that
Traditionally, such appointments are (MOD) but proposed appointment of a can be addressed administratively, there
viewed with hope and expectations by some CDS. Due to lack of consensus within the are sensibilities peculiar to the military
who wish to see a cohesive military machine entire civil-military spectrum, this proposal profession where much of the strength of
and a degree of trepidation by others who continued to linger until the PM made a each arm comes from its own ethos, culture,
worry of too much authority being endowed surprise announcement from the ramparts comradeship and other such intangibles
in the hands of one military leader. In India, of Red Fort. that make for the cohesion and strength of
the history of this conflict of ideas goes With the creation of a new department a fighting force.
back a long way and in his recent book on of military affairs (DMA) in the MOD One could argue that since the first
Krishna Menon, Jairam Ramesh reveals how with the CDS also its Secretary, and with announcement, things have moved at a
in the early fifties, Lord Mountbatten was the service chiefs continuing with their pace that may not only be too rapid for
pushing Pandit Nehru to appoint Thimayya commanders’ role, we have now opted for the Indian administrative system to cope
as CDS, but Menon was opposed to the idea a unique higher defence management model but may inject an element of confusion
of giving too much importance in policy not practised in other democracies. There in the otherwise very structured and
matters to a single military man. In one is hence merit in laying the foundations regimented ranks of the armed forces if
form or the other, this reservation on the of the organisation with its systems and not handled sensitively. There is every
part of the polity has continued. processes in place, before wading headlong reason for the nation to be conscious of the
The Kargil Review Committee tasked into the deep end. This is in the context of sensibilities of the profession of the armed
to investigate events leading to the Kargil the defence secretary’s statement that the forces and introduce change progressively
intrusions had noted: ‘India is perhaps the DMA has to hit the ground running and and constructively without in any way
only major democracy where the armed show tangible outcomes in a hundred days! interfering with military preparedness. This
forces’ headquarters are outside the apex With the defence secretary responsible needs a staff approach and not a command
governmental structure. The chiefs of for defence policy, preparation and capital one. It is perhaps worth making haste
staff have assumed the role of operational acquisitions, the CDS’ role appears to be slowly.
6 VAYU
Strategy
Whither self-reliance in
defence hardware?
India’s political establishment seems to have utterly failed to appreciate the need for self-sufficiency in
military hardware. Consequently, no roadmap or grand strategy has ever been drawn up for attaining
autonomy in defence production, writes Admiral Arun Prakash (retd).
I
n a clear declaration of his priorities, the contribution of manufacturing to Politicians, therefore, make liberal use of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had India’s GDP. Over the past six years, apart catch-phrases, not just for garnering votes,
launched the laudable ‘Make in India’ from an initial spurt in FDI, the indicators but also, as placebos to assuage the peoples’
campaign within weeks of election to in respect of all three stated objectives have disappointment in other spheres. The time has
office in 2014. Aimed at making India a disappointed. come, for the Indian voter, to look beyond
“global design and manufacturing hub”, the Past elections have shown that, while political sloganeering and ask why India’s
initiative targeted 25 sectors, with the triple the Indian voter may detest “policy landscape is littered with so many stalled
objectives of creating jobs, increasing the paralysis”, he is quite susceptible to being projects, and why planned developmental
growth rate of manufacturing and enhancing swayed by catchy and aspirational slogans. goals and objectives, are so rarely met.
III/2020 7
The answer, one suspects, is to be unarguably vital is India’s underperforming Organisation (DRDO), with its large
found in the harsh reality of flawed defence production sector. In this context, cadre of talented scientists and network of
policy formulation, coupled with absent it is heartening to note the reforms, 50 laboratories, backed by the production
mechanisms for policy implementation as announced by the finance minister. That facilities of nine Defence Public Sector
well as programme oversight. Thus, if many they come in the midst of a mortal struggle Undertakings (DPSU) and 41 Ordnance
of the PM’s lofty aspirations for the nation recently against COVID-19 should be seen Factories. The complex has been churning
remain unrealised, it is, clearly, his cabinet as evidence of the government’s resolve to out an array of military hardware, including
colleagues and/or civil-servants who should convert this ‘crisis into opportunity’, and warships, fighters, tanks, missiles, radars and
be held to account for their lackadaisical one must refrain from carping. aero-engines, proclaimed as “indigenous”.
approach or non-performance. The abject failure of our government- Lamentably, the core of each
Against this backdrop, the PM’s latest owned Defence Technology and Industrial indigenous platform, essentially its engine
exhortation to his countrymen, to strive Base (DTIB) to attain self-reliance in (whether diesel, gas-turbine or nuclear),
for an ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ or ‘self- weapon systems represents, not just security guns, missiles and radars, as well as key
reliant India’, in the midst of the grave vulnerability, but also a colossal missed electronic components like microprocessors,
health and economic crisis wrought by opportunity. Thriving arms, aeronautics magnetrons and travelling-wave-tubes, are
COVID-19, has mystified many. It has and shipbuilding industries could have all of foreign origin. Representing 60-70
also left sceptics wondering whether this made a dramatic contribution to the percent of the platform’s cost, these vital
indicates a retrograde lurch towards the old success of PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ components render the availability and
days of swadeshi, or ‘import substitution’ campaign; by spawning a complex of effectiveness of our weapon-systems, in war,
and an autarkic economic mindset as ancillaries in the MSME sector, by skilling contingent on support from foreign sources
manifested by India’s refusal to sign up on our youth and creating jobs for them and of uncertain reliability.
multilateral trade agreements. by positioning India amongst the world’s India needs to introspect how, starting
Given the uncertainties of the global weapon exporters. from a similar base in the 1950s, the
economy and increasing trend of trade There is huge irony in the fact that defence industries of Brazil, Turkey,
protectionism, arguments for and against India, the world’s second-largest arms South Korea and Taiwan has left India
self-reliance, as a recycled policy maxim, importer also happens to possess one of miles behind! China’s military-industrial
could go on forever. However, the one area the world’s largest DTIBs, comprising the complex, which took wing in the 1960s after
in which Atma Nirbharta or autarchy is huge Defence Research and Development Beijing’s doctrinal breach with the Soviets,
8 VAYUhas stunned the world by its ingenuity, are, collectively indicative not just of the and guidance, coupled with a deficit of
innovation and productivity. Today, China organisation’s lack of focus but also of the project-management skills. The navy’s
is engaged in rapid serial production of total absence of political direction in the warship and nuclear-submarine building
modern aircraft-carriers, destroyers, nuclear vital area of military-industrial capability. programmes have clearly demonstrated that
submarines, stealth aircraft and hypersonic No accountability has ever been demanded user participation and project management
missiles amongst much else. by any government from any organisation by hand-picked military officers are the twin
India’s political establishment seems to or individual for this dismal state of affairs. keys to the success of such vital programmes.
have utterly failed to appreciate the need The Defence Production portfolio, usually Having embarked afresh on the ‘Atma
for self-sufficiency in military hardware. allotted to a junior Minister of State, is Nirbhar Bharat’ campaign, the bitter
Consequently, no road-map or grand- actually overseen by the Ministry of Defence experience of the past should prompt the
strategy has ever been drawn up for attaining bureaucracy, which wields authority but Prime Minister›s Office to ensure that past
autonomy in defence-production. Since lacks comprehension as well as interest in mistakes are not repeated. Nothing short of
the 1960s, India has poured billions of military technology. Their sole function a complete revamp of our DTIB will deliver
dollars into Soviet/Russian coffers for seems to be protecting their DPSUs from desired results.
weapon purchases, often helping keep the private sector competition. Amongst the measures those merit
their bankrupt corporations afloat. But The three Services have been denied a serious considerations are:
no Indian statesman has ever thought of say in the prioritisation of DRDO’s projects, Evolution of a 50-year Defence
leveraging these huge transactions to acquire and the latter is free to spend its budget on Production Strategy that spells out
advanced technology for India’s laggard technologies which may lack relevance to actions required for rejuvenation and
DTIB. Exactly the same play-book is being the military’s operational needs. The three planned growth of India’s DTIB.
re-enacted in the American context. The Services regularly provide the DRDO with a Creation of an independent Ministry of
past decade has seen us purchasing over Technology Roadmap spanning 10-15 years Defence Production.
20 billion dollars’ worth of US military and draw up Staff Qualitative Requirements Re-structuring of the DRDO to
hardware, but not an iota of technology has in close consultation with this organisation. inject transparency, efficiency and
been either demanded by India – or offered Scientists, must, therefore, refrain from accountability. Participation of user
by the USA. pursuing ‘technology demonstration’ and Service(s) must be mandated, in terms
Prominent amongst DRDO’s many other self-assigned goals, while the military of management as well as a financial
failed/overdue undertakings are the waits, in vain, for ‘hardware’ that would contribution to the project.
meandering Tejas fighter, the Arjun battle bolster its combat capabilities. Mobilisation of the private sector as a
tank and Kaveri jet engine projects and the Most DRDO projects have failed full partner in defence R&D as well as
rejected INSAS family of small arms. These owing to the absence of political vision production.
III/2020 9Post COVID-19: Re-imagining
the new world order
back which took millions of lives, the atom
bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
Japan by the US Air Force at the near-end
of World War II or the 9/11 terrorist attack
on the Twin Towers in the US could be
categorised as Black Swan events.
Prior to ascertaining through the prism of
uncertainty the contours of the “new normal”
or the “next normal”, it will be in order to
study what all went grievously wrong in the
globe’s response to the pandemic. Firstly
and, unquestionably, was the emerging
superpower China’s total disdain for the
fallout of the coronavirus. Reliable reports
in the western media point out that as early
as 17 Nov 2020, the virus was detected in
the Wuhan laboratory in China’s Hubei
province. It was attributed to the major
animal market of Wuhan which sells dead
bats, dogs, cats, fish, seafood and many other
forms of animal produce for the Chinese
A
s the world grapples, rather The onslaught of this coronavirus was palate. Once the virus started spreading
unsuccessfully so far, with its worst indeed a Black Swan event and hence uncontrollably, it was only on 31 Dec 2019
pandemic in a century, COVID 19, it found the world, including the most that China cared to inform the WHO regards
it would be an understatement that the powerful nation on the earth, USA and most the spread of an “abnormal pneumonia”.
world, as mankind has known for decades, of the technologically advanced nations, like From the beginning of January 2020,
will ever be the same again! The Coronavirus in Europe, grossly under-prepared – a fact the pandemic rapidly spread its tentacles to
is not just a medical emergency which has that will puzzle future historians. For the the US and most nations of Europe with
afflicted the entire world, already caused uninitiated, a Black Swan event is a metaphor devastating effect. Amazingly and regrettably,
near half-million fatalities and with its for an unpredictable event that is beyond the US and most nations were rather sluggish
rampage continuing alarmingly, the socio- what is normally expected of a grave situation in their response mechanisms to combat
economic-political consequences for the and is characterised by both extreme rarity this dreadful virus. No stringent lockdowns
world, in the near future, are likely to be as and equally severity in occurrence. Events like or social/physical distancing or curbs on
horrendous as the employment of a weapon the Black Death plague which had engulfed travel or congregations was enforced---- the
of mass destruction(WMD). the world 600 years back and took a toll of 25 tragic results were for all to see with medical
Post COVID 19, whenever that period million lives, the Spanish Flu a hundred years systems collapsing and no drugs/vaccines
dawns, what the new world order or
disorder would be is agitating the minds of
governments and analysts the world over.
Though it is rather premature today to
crystal-gaze as to when the world can rejoice
that COVID 19 is now part of history,
it is equally imperative for governments
and global institutions, the world over,
to frankly analyse the ramifications of the
aftermath of such an apocalyptic event. It
will be better to be prepared for the after-
results now than be found ill-prepared as
the world was when this pandemic struck
in full surprise and ferocity.
10 VAYUavailable, no hospital beds or ambulances, as announced a US $ 2.2 billion package for It is now clear to the entire world that a
required, available. It was only that by end their industrialists to pull out of China. virus can prove to be far more lethal than
Feb/ mid-March some emergency measures Others like Taiwan may do so too. Some many megatons of explosives and modern
were enforced---much too late though. The of the industries moving out of China may weaponry. According to many western
world expects all fellow nations to share prefer to re-locate to India and here is a journalists, China may deny its botched-up
critical information with each other in the good chance for India to welcome them bio warfare experiment, but it is a matter of
event of such emergencies as such viruses here and give a fillip to India’s currently time when the bitter truth will unravel. India
do not recognize any international borders. near-stagnant “Make in India” programmes. as a signatory of the Geneva Convention of
In India too, there is a view that we may However, the Indian establishment will 1972 (effective since mid-1975) to eschew
have been a bit late in enforcing lockdowns have to shed its hollow big talk, traditional production and experimentation of WMDs
and other stringent measures. Nevertheless, lethargic attitudes and genuinely encourage including bio weapons should not only
PM Narendra Modi’s much awaited 21 days foreign investments into India. India’s use its moral authority to make nations be
lockdown announced on 24 March (and its private industry is modern, robust, and sincere adherents of existing UN protocols
subsequent extension till 31 May 2020), skilful enough to work together with foreign but, importantly, for its own safety put
though necessary, could have been better collaborators. into place adequate defensive mechanisms
implemented with some advance planning. The world now must rise and strengthen to thwart such challenges. The lessons to
Though the centre and state bureaucracy global institutions like the UN and its be drawn from COVID 19 must be taken
did step up subsequently to resolve the various agencies to combat global challenges. seriously. In addition, the UN must draw up
teething problems, especially of migrant No country, however powerful, can exist as contingency plans to prevent, contain and
labour, many helpful interventions from an island as witnessed now. Nations like manage and ultimately defeat such likely
well-meaning NGOs, gurdwaras, temples, China, notwithstanding its deep pockets, challenges in the future. It will have to be a
the public and others, the humanitarian must be cautioned not to disturb the synthesis of health, economic, political, and
problems have been overcome to a large economic equilibrium of the world, most even military measures.
extent. Overall, the nation’s response, of which is reeking with poverty and under- The new world order, in all likelihood,
cutting across religious lines, to this medical development. China’s intransigent attitude will be drastically differing, more sobering,
emergency has been encouraging and not even allowing a discussion on the additionally fiscally prudent, and conservative
embellished with humanitarianism. pandemic at the United Nations Security and with nations becoming isolationist and
The other major fall-out of the COVID Council last fortnight is unacceptable to inward looking. China’s image and its
19 pandemic will, in all certainty, be the the world. economy will certainly take a sound beating.
catastrophic economic costs the world In the coming years, it is certain that Though the pandemic is world-wide and
will have to bear. The IMF has stated that owing to the gruesome after-effects of global problems, unquestionably, require
the current crisis is the most horrible in COVID 19, nations, both the powerful global solutions, yet in the coming years we
a century and will be likely worse than and the poor, are going to take far more may witness the rise of hyper-nationalism
the “Great Depression” (1929-1939). It seriously their public health preparedness and authoritarianism in most nations
visualises the global GDP to shrink by a and emergency standard operating including democracies. Nevertheless, as
whopping 3 percent though it forecasts that procedures. Medical infrastructures, rightly India strives to do its bit to get its economy
next year could witness an improvement. so, demand far greater thought, planning back on track and takes various prophylactic
As observed all over the world, stock and investments than hithertofore. measures for the future, it must do its bit to
markets have tumbled to abysmally low It is well on the cards that even the strengthen global institutions.
levels, production facilities come to virtual
militarily powerful nations will look into Lt Gen Kamal Davar (retd)
shutdowns, staff laid off, air and rail travel
the various nuances of biological warfare. (all images from the internet)
shut, supply chains both international and
intra-nation disrupted etc. In addition, oil
prices have had a dangerously steep decline
throwing the world trade and economy out
of gear. The US with its financial muscle
ultimately, despite being financially badly
mauled, is expected to slowly bounce
back. President Donald Trump, now in
his crucial re-election year, may take some
out-of-the box fiscal initiatives to bring the
US economy back on track. The ongoing
trade war between China and the US may
witness contours of a rivalry not witnessed
so far. Anyway, China needs to be globally
chastised for its unethical practices.
It will be a natural fall-out for most
nations now to take a fresh look at their
trade relations with China. Japan has already
III/2020 11AVIATION & DEFENCE
In India
“New procurement plans and take further steps to strengthen ‘Make in India’ initiative, refine Life
Cycle Support of procured equipment & platforms and hasten the
strategic projects” defence acquisition process by further simplifying the procedures
& reducing the overall procurement timelines.”
74% FDI in Defence production
I n a major policy announcement
made on 16 May 2020, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
has said that the FDI limit in
defence manufacturing under
the automatic route will be
increased from the present 49%
to 74% “subject to security
clearances”. This announcement
was in context of several measures
announced to ‘boost’ self-reliance
I n his review of India’s defence industry on 30 April 2020, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for self-reliance
and increased exports, which twin objectives will require adoption
in the defence sector and in
context of Prime Minister Natendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat
Abhiyan or ‘Self-reliant India Movement’. The Minister also
of a new procurement procedure which is “in the final stages of announced plans for Corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory
implementation” and gives an advantage for domestic firms involved Board (OFB), indigenisation of imported spares and setting realistic
in this industry. According to observers, the PM’s direction could qualitative requirements of weapons to support the local industry.
lead to accelerating of strategic manufacturing projects that are The Government is also notifying a list of weapons and equipment
already under process. The strategic partnership (SP) model is that cannot be imported, the list “to be reviewed” every year and
presently focused on naval helicopters, submarines and multi-role more items added to it after discussions with the department of
fighters in collaboration with select foreign companies. military affairs.
Draft of ‘Defence Procurement Import of defence equipment
Procedure’ 2020 C apital procurement of defence equipment is undertaken
from various domestic as well as foreign vendors, based on
D efence Minister Rajnath
Singh has unveiled a draft
of the Defence Procurement
operational requirement of the Armed Forces to keep them in a state
of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges”, as
stated in Parliament. Rs 45,705.57 crore was spent on the import
Procedure (DPP) 2020, wherein of defence equipment during previous FY (2018-19), while the
“leasing” has been introduced percentage spent on salaries was 46.10% and that on Defence
as another category for defence Research & Development Organisation (excluding salaries) was
equipment at affordable rates. 4.42%. Weapons procured under the Capital Acquisition Budget
Indigenous content stipulated in amounted to 24.73% of the Defence Budget during FY 2018-19.
various categories of procurement
has been enhanced to support
the ‘Make in India’ initiative. 450 new fighters for the IAF
Under the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’
category of the new DPP, only
Indian products (designed in-house, developed and manufactured
I n the Indian Air Force’s long
term re-equipment plan
which encompasses the next
with a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content of the two decades, the requirement
total contract value) of an Indian vendor would be classified is for some 450 new fighters,
in this category, which gets the highest priority during defence bulk of them to be indigenously
procurement. designed and manufactured. In
Also, in the new DPP, a new category of ‘Buy (Global- a series of interviews (see article
Manufacture in India)’ has been introduced, bringing in foreign in this issue), Air Chief Marshal
vendors’ products that have a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous RKS Bhadauria spelt out this
content under this new category. “With the experience gained by requirement which includes the
the industry and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it is now time to immediate procurement of 83
12 VAYUAVIATION & DEFENCE
In India
LCA Mk.1As to follow the first 40 Mk.1s even as development of
the LCA Mk.II (or Medium Weight Fighter, MWF) and Advanced IAF to procure 70 HTT-40s
Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) continues at Bangalore.
However, contrary to some views, the induction of 114 Multi-role
Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) would also proceed in parallel.
First IAF Rafales now by end July
P utting to rest several years of uncertainty, the Indian Air Force
will be placing orders for 70 HAL HTT-40 turboprop basic
trainers, to supplement the Pilatus PC-7 Mk.IIs presently in service.
This was confirmed by the CAS during a widely followed interview,
both in the print and electronic media in mid-May 2020. In their
original requirement, the IAF had projected need for 180 basic
turboprop trainers after the premature grounding of the HAL
HPT-32 following a series of mishaps. Following a somewhat
controversial selection process, the Swiss-origin trainer was selected
A ccording to sources in France, the first batch of four Rafales and ordered, the first tranche of 75 was to be followed by more
for the Indian Air Force will now be ferried to India only aircraft but this was not followed up.
by end July, some three months later than scheduled because of
the pandemic. Confinement measures announced by the French
Government in wake of the Covid-19 meant that there was
HAL achieves turnover of over Rs
temporary closure of some facilities which impacted on the training
and delivery programme. The first batch of Rafales for No.17
21,000 Crore
Squadron will now arrive in Ambala in late July, the rest expected
by early 2021. The second Squadron (No.101) to be formed at H industan Aeronautics Limited has recorded a turnover of over
Rs. 21,100 crores (provisional and unaudited) for the financial
year ending 31 March 2020 (Rs 19,705 crores in previous year). The
Hashimara in north Bengal, will get their Rafales in April-May 2022.
Company posted a revenue growth of around 7% during 2019-20
for the second year consecutively, post listing as compared to 3.8%
“Realistic” GSQRs during 2017-18. “The encouraging performance of the company
in 2019-20 has been achieved in-spite of difficulties in cash flows,
E choing an earlier statement
made by General Bipin
Rawat, Finance Minister Nirmala
interruptions in operations due to workmen agitation and the
interruption arising from March 2020 because of the Covid-19
Sitharaman has stressed the lockdown which affected the final tests and certification of certain
need for the “realistic setting” additional aircraft that were under final stages of production”.
of general staff qualitative
requirements (GSQRs) of
weapons and platforms.
“Sometimes unrealistic quality
requirements are set and quite a
lot of time is spent in searching
for suppliers who will meet all
those requirements…”, she said. However, professionals have
reacted in that it was inconceivable that the forces were to be given
equipment which did not meet their operational requirements fully
as “phase wise development of a war fighting system is an accepted
methodology but GSQRs must meet operational necessity in full”
said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur of the Centre for Air
Power Studies.
III/2020 13AVIATION & DEFENCE
In India
In 2019-20, HAL produced 31 new aircraft / helicopters and of the exercise included planning of HADR operations in a given
117 new engines plus overhaul of 199 aircraft / helicopters and 490 scenario, ‘learn best’ practices, executing missions during HADR
engines. These include Sukhoi Su-30MKIs from Nasik, Dornier disasters, ‘understanding’ SAR procedures, the exercise being
228s from Kanpur and Dhruv ALHs from Bangalore. conducted under aegis of Central Air Command. India and
Myanmar had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence
cooperation on 29 July 2019 “for furtherance of India-Myanmar
BEL turnover of Rs. 12,500 crore cooperation in the field of Defence”.
HAL re-enters NUH programme?
B harat Electronics Limited (BEL) achieved a turnover in excess
of Rs.12,500 crores during FY 2019-20, a growth of 6% over
the previous year’s turnover of Rs.11,789 crores, with an order book
totaling Rs 51,800 crore as on 1 April. The previous year had BEL
securing significant orders including for the Akash (7 squadrons),
coastal surveillance systems (CSS), upgrade of EW systems, radars,
AMCs for radars & weapon systems, software defined radio (SDR),
A s a direct spin off from the Government’s new defence policy
pronouncements, it is possible that HAL will re-enter the
competition to provide 111 naval utility helicopters in competition
sonars, advanced communication systems and others. with several foreign companies. This long pending requirement of
Some of the major projects executed during the year were Indian Navy has been subjected to many changes in the procurement
command & control systems, thermal imagers for tanks, upgrade procedure, the NUH being part of the SP process with several
of communication systems, land based EW systems, weapon repair the Indian private sector companies bidding for the programme
facility, electronic fuzes, various radars, smart city projects, Delhi alongside selection of the OEM. HAL would offer its navalised
CCTV project, Schilka upgrade, avionics package for the LCA, advanced light helicopter (ALH) including folding rotor blades.
classroom jammers, real time information system for railways and
the LRSAM. BEL also achieved export sales of $ 48.59 million
including those for cable looms, coastal surveillance system spares, Contract for MH-60R helicopters
radars, compact multi-purpose advanced stabilisation system
(CoMPASS), electro mechanical parts, and others. T he US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded a $905 million
firm-fixed-price, cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification to
Lockheed Martin for 21 MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopters for India
Joint air exercise with Myanmar plus three additional for the US Navy. The helicopters are to be
embarked on the Navy’s frontline warships including aircraft
T he first HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief)
exercise between the Indian and Myanmar Air Forces recently
took place at Air Force Station Bamrauli (Allahabad). The objectives
carriers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes. The MH-60Rs will
perform ASuW and ASW missions along with secondary missions
including VERTREP, SAR, and communications relay.
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