16 Nov : With gaps in the military capabilities of India and China growing, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said the country should “build” asymmetric warfare capabilities to counter threats from larger armed forces.
“We (Indians) need to conceptualise and build asymmetric capabilities against superior forces,” Antony told the first Consultative Committee meeting of new Members of Parliament attached to the Defence Ministry, which dwelt on the Indian Air Force (IAF) strengths and weaknesses, in New Delhi.
He said the government’s endeavours were aimed at ensuring the IAF’s capabilities are in consonance with India’s stature, aspirations and threat perceptions, and it was taking a series of steps to develop the IAF into a “dominant aerospace power.”
The Defence Minister said the steps included enhancing significantly the strategic reach of IAF to operate effectively far away from the Indian mainland and integrating potent capabilities in terms of space-based assets, air defence, surveillance, modern aircraft and advanced weapon systems.
Referring to the perspective plans of the Armed Forces, he said the gestation period for induction of new equipment was long and, therefore, there should be clarity in strategic assessments and projection of requirements.
“We need to hasten our procurements to prevent voids in defence preparedness,” he added.
Antony said efforts are also being made in the Defence Ministry and its various wings to ensure that the country reached the level of developed countries in defence technologies, without going through all the intermediate steps.
“In our drive for modernisation and in execution of our daily tasks, we must be ever mindful of economy and avoid waste or duplication. We must lend our shoulders to indigenisation and think of ways in which we can reach the level of advanced states without necessarily following all the intermediate steps,” he said.
Antony informed the members that IAF was in the process of considerable transformation and modernisation.
Giving an account of various projects, he said the ‘Hawk’ Advanced Jet Trainers had already been inducted into the IAF, the inter-governmental agreements on the Fifth General Fighter Aircraft and Multi-role Transport Aircraft had been inked with the Russians, and the evaluation process for the selection of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft was on.
The Members of Parliament, appreciating the IAF’s role over the years in not only protecting the country but also providing humanitarian relief during natural disasters, wanted to know its road map for the next 10-20 years to meet the security challenges.
Some members expressed their concern over cases of corruption in acquisition process and under-utilisation of funds earmarked for capital acquisition.