Zebra
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2011
- Messages
- 6,060
- Likes
- 2,303
By vivek raghuvanshi , Published: 16 June 2008
NEW DELHI - Indian officials are questioning whether the Army structure and the average soldier are capable of handling the influx of sophisticated equipment being procured, and if Army doctrine has kept pace with global challenges.
The majority of the troops will need substantial training before they can adapt to the changes advanced technology will bring to the service, officials said.
"The Indian Army, like most armies of the world, is highly traditional and therefore very conservative in its attitude and outlook. It does not visualize and accept changes easily. I have personal experience of that. The old adage that 'armies tend to fight the last war' is not without some level of truth," said former Gen.Ved Pratap Malik, retired chief of the Army Staff.
A senior Army serving officer said modern weaponry and equipment has been inducted at a much faster pace over the last five years, but the soldiers who will use the equipment are being recruited at lower education levels.
The officer said the Army needs to restructure itself to accommodate more technology-literate soldiers into the service hierarchy.
Indian global interests also have changed while military doctrine has lagged behind, officials said.
The Indian Army Doctrine – 2004, said, "As part of the Southern Asian region, India has considerable interests in the areas stretching from West Asia through Central Asia and South Asia to South East Asia."
The doctrine further says that the Indian Ocean region is of great importance to India due to the high volume of Indian and international trade that transits. The Army should be prepared for swift, short-lived battles in the future, including preparation for littoral warfare, the doctrine says.
Since then, there has been a steady shift in weapon procurement toward more precision-guided weapons; reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition assets; automated command-and-control systems; network-centric systems; and long-range firepower.
While equipment procurement has been guided by the 2004 doctrine, some Indian defense planners say doctrinal reviews must be made more frequently.
Discussing trends of military acquisition, Rahul Bhonsle, retired Army brigadier and New Delhi-based defense analyst, said, "The trends indicate that there is greater willingness and acceptability of integration of resources, particularly for reconnaissance and surveillance as well as battlefield interdiction, more reliance on firepower and greater use of precision weapons to attain battlefield objectives. Network centricity as a concept has been accepted, but its full implementation is likely to take some more time."
Service weapon procurement trends will continue to focus on increased firepower rather than maneuver assets, Bhonsle said.
According to Malik, "Army developments in weapons, equipment and other capabilities give rise to new tactics and strategies. Due to faster technological progress, military doctrinal revisions are now needed more frequently; every five to seven years, instead of 25-30 years as was the case earlier. There is much greater emphasis on the versatility of the combat forces. The military has to be more innovative, receptive to new ideas and changes."
In the last few years, Malik noted, many serving and retired Army officers have sought revisions in Army doctrine and organization due to the changed geopolitical and strategic environment.
The threat from China and Pakistan are real, while low-level conflicts will become a permanent challenge, the officer said. â–
Indian Army Finds Change Difficult - Defense News
NEW DELHI - Indian officials are questioning whether the Army structure and the average soldier are capable of handling the influx of sophisticated equipment being procured, and if Army doctrine has kept pace with global challenges.
The majority of the troops will need substantial training before they can adapt to the changes advanced technology will bring to the service, officials said.
"The Indian Army, like most armies of the world, is highly traditional and therefore very conservative in its attitude and outlook. It does not visualize and accept changes easily. I have personal experience of that. The old adage that 'armies tend to fight the last war' is not without some level of truth," said former Gen.Ved Pratap Malik, retired chief of the Army Staff.
A senior Army serving officer said modern weaponry and equipment has been inducted at a much faster pace over the last five years, but the soldiers who will use the equipment are being recruited at lower education levels.
The officer said the Army needs to restructure itself to accommodate more technology-literate soldiers into the service hierarchy.
Indian global interests also have changed while military doctrine has lagged behind, officials said.
The Indian Army Doctrine – 2004, said, "As part of the Southern Asian region, India has considerable interests in the areas stretching from West Asia through Central Asia and South Asia to South East Asia."
The doctrine further says that the Indian Ocean region is of great importance to India due to the high volume of Indian and international trade that transits. The Army should be prepared for swift, short-lived battles in the future, including preparation for littoral warfare, the doctrine says.
Since then, there has been a steady shift in weapon procurement toward more precision-guided weapons; reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition assets; automated command-and-control systems; network-centric systems; and long-range firepower.
While equipment procurement has been guided by the 2004 doctrine, some Indian defense planners say doctrinal reviews must be made more frequently.
Discussing trends of military acquisition, Rahul Bhonsle, retired Army brigadier and New Delhi-based defense analyst, said, "The trends indicate that there is greater willingness and acceptability of integration of resources, particularly for reconnaissance and surveillance as well as battlefield interdiction, more reliance on firepower and greater use of precision weapons to attain battlefield objectives. Network centricity as a concept has been accepted, but its full implementation is likely to take some more time."
Service weapon procurement trends will continue to focus on increased firepower rather than maneuver assets, Bhonsle said.
According to Malik, "Army developments in weapons, equipment and other capabilities give rise to new tactics and strategies. Due to faster technological progress, military doctrinal revisions are now needed more frequently; every five to seven years, instead of 25-30 years as was the case earlier. There is much greater emphasis on the versatility of the combat forces. The military has to be more innovative, receptive to new ideas and changes."
In the last few years, Malik noted, many serving and retired Army officers have sought revisions in Army doctrine and organization due to the changed geopolitical and strategic environment.
The threat from China and Pakistan are real, while low-level conflicts will become a permanent challenge, the officer said. â–
Indian Army Finds Change Difficult - Defense News
