House panel asks MOD to seek PMO help to solve fund crunch IAF not keen on stealth fighter deal with Russia
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has asked the defence ministry to seek intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to resolve its budget crisis at a time the Indian military is struggling to scale up its capabilities due to a worrying fund crunch.
In a report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the parliamentary standing committee on defence said, “The ministry may once again take up the matter with the PMO for intervention so as to ensure that adequate allocations are available for the modernisation of army.”
The panel’s observation came in response to the ministry’s reply — in an action taken report — that it had taken up the issue of fund shortage with the PMO but it was unsure if the top office had made any reference to the finance ministry.
A defence ministry official said the army would have to prioritise its requirements and supplementary funds could be sought at a later stage, refusing to comment on whether the ministry would approach the PMO again. A government spokesperson also refused to comment.
“Hollowness in our capabilities is an issue that has been flagged consistently during the last six to seven years. It is only right that adequate attention is given to it,” said Lieutenant General KJ Singh (retired), a former army commander.
In another report which was tabled the same day, the army told the panel that even as neighbouring China and Pakistan are modernising their militaries at a lightning pace, a looming financial crisis is crippling India’s combat capabilities at a time when it should be prepared for a two-front war.
The army painted a grim picture of how budgetary outlay was coming in the way of emergency purchases following the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks last year, procuring critical ammunition, and undertaking strategic road projects on the Chinese border.
Army vice chief Lieutenant General Sarath Chand told the panel the Budget 2018-19 had dashed the army’s hopes and overall shortage under the capital head stood at ₹12,296 crore. NEW DELHI: A multibillion dollar programme to develop and produce a stealth fighter with Russia appears to be in peril, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) against pursuing it as it believes that the platform lacks the desired stealth characteristics and is inferior to Us-made F-35 and F-22 jets, said a senior IAF officer familiar with the project.
He clarified there were no plans to go for a US stealth fighter.
In the IAF’S assessment, the proposed Indo-russian fifth generation fighter aircraft, or FGFA, comes with limited capabilities and design issues at an exorbitant price. “Whether the FGFA programme is on or off will be a political decision. The IAF doesn’t think it’s worth pursuing,” the person quoted above said.
The government is finding it hard to reconcile two different points of view on FGFA. While the IAF wants the project to be abandoned, a high-powered panel appointed by defence ministry to examine different aspects of FGFA recommended in its report last year that India should go ahead with the scheme.
“We are spending more time to see what are the merits and demerits of both arguments. But yes, the FGFA is abhorrently expensive, so we are looking at what we are getting for our money,” said a top defence ministry official familiar with the project.
Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman (retd), who headed the ministry’s panel, refused comments on his report or the contrary IAF view on the stealth fighter. “I would like to leave it to the defence ministry,” he said.
India has been in discussions with Russia but has not signed a $4bn research and development contract for FGFA. “I was never enthused by it and I would go by what IAF has to say,” said Air Marshal Vinod Patni (retd), head of Centre for Air Power Studies and a former IAF vice chief.