Naresh Chandra panel recommends military preparedness to deal with assertive China

[Yusuf]

NEW DELHI: India has to be prepared militarily to deal with an "assertive" China even as it seeks to build bridges of cooperation with Beijing, the Naresh Chandra Task Force on national security has recommended.

The committee's suggestions for the military - details of which have been accessed by TOI - also buries the proposal for a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the single point military adviser to the government. Instead, it has recommended that a permanent Chairman Chiefs Of Staff Committee be appointed from among the three service chiefs, allowing India to have four four-star generals.

The panel has given a set of recommendations for reforming the national security architecture, covering both intelligence and military apparatus, as part of its mandate to review it.

It has recommended a re-look at the process of blacklisting truant defence firms, separating the post of DRDO chief and scientific advisor to the defence minister, appointing military officers upto the rank of joint secretary in the ministry of defence (MoD), creating new Special Forces Command etc.

The recommendations of the panel are being studied by individual services and agencies that would be affected by the changes. Their responses are expected to be with the government over the next few weeks.

While conceding that there has been improvement in Sino-Indian relations in recent years, the report has conceded that it is "still clouded in mistrust". The committee, headed by the former cabinet secretary, says, "There is concern about China's policy of "containment" of India, marked by growing Chinese interest in countries of South Asia. China will continue to utilize Pakistan as part of its grand strategy for containing India in a "South Asian box"."

"China's growing assertiveness on the border and in its territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh has intensified misgivings," the committee says. "The crucial concern is whether China will become militarily more assertive and nationalistic as its economic and military power grows, or whether it will abide by the policies advocated by Deng Xiao Ping," the report says.

More importantly, across Asia there is concern that as Beijing grows "the United states will become more circumspect and accommodating in dealing with China," the panel says.

The committee has recommended that the government take an immediate decision on the existing recommendation that the Army be given management of Sino-Indian borders, and retain operational control over forces deployed in the areas.

On Pakistan, the committee suggests that it "remains both unable and unwilling to set its house in order, or put in place economic policies that can increase or sustain growth". And there is "nothing to suggest that the Pakistani military has given up the use of radical Islamic groups to promote terrorism in both India and Afghanistan." But its biggest concern is Pakistan's ambition to use Afghanistan for strategic depth. The panel has recommended that India "should spare no effort, politically, diplomatically, economically and through military assistance to ensure that Pakistani efforts to convert Afghanistan into an extremist run, pliant and client state are frustrated".

Calling for better coordination between the ministries of defence and foreign affairs, the panel recommends that the MoD set up a bureau of politico-military affairs. "The primary role of this Bureau would be liaison with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) on issues and actions having foreign policy applications," the committee says.

It has recommended that MEA affairs also consider accepting officials from civil services and armed forces on short duration (five years) deputations.

The Times of India on Mobile

 

[Yusuf]

Re: Naresh Chandra panel recommends military preparedness to deal with assertive Chin

Some very important and good recommendations. Question is, will the governement sit on these forever or act on it?

 

[ani82v]

Re: Naresh Chandra panel recommends military preparedness to deal with assertive Chin

Same old story: Red tape blocks critical defence projects on China border

Red tape blocks Army, Air Force projects on China border - Rediff.com India News


Clearance for many strategic roads have been delayed because the ministry of environment and forests as well as respective state forest and public works departments have been sitting on the proposals without realising their importance to national security, reports RS Chauhan

The Indian Army [ Images ] and Air Force are worried about the slow pace of implementation of several crucial infrastructure projects in the country's north-east and Ladakh region, mainly planned in support of improved defences along the China border

Army and Air HQ have separately told Defence Minister AK Antony that many crucial projects in Arunacahl Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh are held up because of bureaucratic and terrain issues.

Clearances for many strategic roads, for instance, have been delayed because the ministry of environment and forests as well as respective state forest and public works departments have been sitting on the proposals without realising their importance to national security.

In the ministry of defence itself, many plans like the revamp of eight advanced landing grounds for the Air Force all along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh are stuck at the detailed project seport stage. Last year, the IAF managed to upgrade and operationalise the ALG at Vijaynagar after great difficulty. But plans for the remaining ALGs have been gathering dust in the MoD for almost eight-nine months now.

These ALGs, located close to the China border, are crucial for troop insertion and maintaining supplies to the forward positions. The revamp has been planned for enabling landing of bigger aircraft like the newly-inducted C-130Js planes in the IAF.

Similarly, the IAF's plan to extend the runway at Kargil [ Images ] and Nyoma (25 km from China border) in Ladakh have not been cleared by the MoD citing financial crunch.

The Air Force had proposed to extend the runway at Kargil airstrip as a backup plan in an emergency. The plan was to turn it into a full-fledged airport capable of handling heavy and medium transport aircraft like the C-130J Hercules and the C-17s that the IAF will be inducting into its transport fleet in the next couple of years.

The IAF feels Kargil will add to its airlift capability in Ladakh even if the Thoise air base close to the Siachen base camp becomes inaccessible in case the world's highest motorable road at Khardung La (18,500 feet) shuts down due to heavy snow or landslides.

Kargil, mid-way between Srinagar [ Images ] and Leh, is ideally suited to become a major transport hub since areas beyond it are highly prone to natural calamities and consequent physical isolation, given the fragile mountain roads that connect it to the rest of the country.

The Army's ambitious plans to build several strategic roads have been hampered not only by the slow moving bureaucracy in the MoEF but also by the lack of interest shown by private firms capable of undertaking such projects in remote areas. Most of these companies find the projects in the difficult, high altitude terrain unfeasible due to a variety of reasons.

The government's own Border Roads Organisation, on the other hand, does not have enough strength or modern equipment to fully meet the needs of speedily building these roads.

Yes... talk of countering China!!

Last year the high-level China Study Group was asked by the Prime Minister's Office to review and re-prioritise projects along the high Himalayas. A comprehensive border roads development programme that envisages the construction of 75 important roads in the border areas stretching from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh was to be accelerated.

But over 10 months after that directive, military leaders say nothing much has changed on the ground.