Challenges : External and Internal
Interview with General Bikram Singh, Chief of the Army Staff
In an interview with General Bikram Singh, the COAS stresses the key thrust areas to enhance overall operational effectiveness of the Indian Army. The contemporary security environment is dynamic and poses challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict, ranking from “conventional threats, along our borders to sub-conventional threats, including its proxy war manifestations”
On taking over as COAS, you had enunciated on your vision and focus areas. How far have you been able to achieve these?
On taking over command of the Indian Army, I had laid down certain key thrust areas based on my vision that seeks to enhance the overall operational effectiveness of our Army to ensure it remains a potent, responsive, accountable and relevant instrument of National Power. These form the basis of a holistic approach to building an Army that meets the aspirations of our Nation. My team has translated these thrust areas into an implementation plan with stipulated timelines.
Enhancing the operational readiness to enable effective fulfilment of our constitutional obligations remains the single most critical area of focus. The high levels of operational responsiveness have been on display both on the borders and in Internal Security commitments. In addition, our timely response to deal with disaster and emergency situations has helped save many precious lives of our people and their property. There is also an unwavering focus on capability development and capacity building including infrastructure development in forward areas. The sanction for accretion of forces and infrastructure by the Government is a case in point.
We have embarked on a mission of Force Modernisation to be able to meet the complex challenges of the future battlefield. When I took over as the Chief of Army Staff, there were certain slippages in procurement. We have refined the systemic shortcomings to arrest this trend and catch up on the lost time.
Our Army prides itself on upholding the core values of integrity, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, courage and honour. These can never be compromised. It has also been my endeavour to bring in greater transparency and accountability in our policies and procedures. As the head of the Indian Army, it is my bounden responsibility to ensure the highest standards of motivation and morale of the troops, since it impacts every facet of our functioning. A review of the Human Resource Development policies has been undertaken to fulfil the aspirations of the officers and soldiers along with requirements of the organisation.
Conscious efforts to enhance the sense of pride and professionalism within the
Army are being made with encouraging results. I have myself interacted extensively with commanders and soldiers across the Army to further enhance pride in our profession and revitalise the bond that exists between the officers and soldiers - this has always been the bedrock of Army’s culture, ethos and discipline.
I must also mention here that in our efforts to prepare our scholar warriors for future challenges as leaders of character and competence, as also to build on the military strategic culture and awareness, revision of the curricula of various courses of instructions has been undertaken.
A number of schemes are underway and regular interaction it also being carried out with the State governments to provide gainful employment to our veterans, veer naris and widows and strengthen their sense of belongingness to the larger fraternity of the Indian Army.
A dedicated mechanism in my secretariat has been closely monitoring these issues and ensuring that I am kept updated. In the organisational interest, for aspects that have long gestation periods, my effort is to set the process on track that will see the culmination in times to come.
It seems that the Indian Army is on the back foot in counter infiltration and Counter Terrorism operations, especially when it comes to Jammu & Kashmir and facing Pakistan-sponsored terrorists who seem to be able to get in almost at will. Your comments.
To state that the Indian Army is on the back foot in Counter Infiltration/ Counter Terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir will not only be factually incorrect but will also trivialise the immense selfless contributions of our brave soldiers in defeating the nefarious designs of the terrorists and other inimical forces.
The internal security situation in the hinterland, though marked by some incidents of violence in the recent past, is well under control and infiltration levels have been brought down. From 1,852 terrorists that infiltrated in 2001, the number in 2013 was 90, which is owing to the efficacy of the dynamic, multi tiered counter infiltration grid as also consistent and relentless operations by our Army along with the Police and the Central Armed Police Forces.
What are the internal and external challenges before the Indian Army today and how well are we prepared to meet the emerging situation?
The contemporary security environment is dynamic and poses challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict, ranging from ‘Conventional Threats’ along our borders to ‘Sub-conventional Threats’, including its proxy war manifestations. Towards that end, strengthening of our security apparatus, to combat multi-spectral threats, remains our priority. Accordingly, the Indian Army is constantly gearing up and training to counter multiple threats, ranging from a conventional conflict to tackling the ongoing proxy war and insurgencies.
What according to you is the right mix between internal security duties and conventional duties for the Army?
The Army should be employed primarily for the management of our borders and its employment in the Internal Security domain should be undertaken only as an instrument of last resort, when the security situation is beyond the control of the Police and Central Armed Police Forces.
Our experience in Counter Insurgency/ Counter Terrorist operations has shown that such commitments impose great strain on resources and continue to suck ‘boots on ground,’ which invariably is at the expense of our conventional war fighting potential. In a great democracy like ours, the Army must continue to be seen as a ‘People’s Army’ and a resource essentially for the effective management of our borders against external threats and for furthering the National interests in consonance with our national strategy. Blunting this instrument of National power, through excessive application in Internal Security situations, would not only be detrimental to our stature as the People’s Army but also to our capability development initiatives along the borders.
Keeping the Army trained and prepared for a conventional conflict scenario, which is its primary role, while many of our units are committed in Internal Security tasks on a day-to-day basis, is a major challenge that we face today. What needs to be kept in view is that despite our internal commitments, there are a large number of military formations and units which continue to be focussed on conventional operations. While there is no laid down right mix of Internal Security and conventional duties, we are prepared to face challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict, as they manifest. Our operation oriented training and responsive human resource management system ensures that the Army is adaptive and motivated to switch roles when so required.
When do you expect the new Mountain Strike Corps recently cleared by the government to become operational? What combat, combat support and logistics units will it have ?
As part of the Indian Army’s capability development, a Mountain Strike Corps ( 17 Corps), including two Infantry Divisions and associated combat support, reconnaissance, surveillance and logistics components have been sanctioned by the Government in the 12th and 13th Plans.
The raising of units commenced on 1 December, 2013. The Corps Headquarters along with the Headquarters of one Infantry Division and two Infantry Brigades commenced raising on 1 January, 2014. These raisings will be accompanied by induction of combat and logistic capabilities as per a pragmatically evolved road-map and laid down timelines.
What is the Army’s current perspective on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)?
The improvement in the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been a result of the sustained operations undertaken by the Army along with the Police and Central Armed Police Forces. However, intelligence reports still allude to the presence of over 400 terrorists in the State, who are yet to be neutralised. In addition, the terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control is intact and has the potential to vitiate the security environment in the State. Any let up at this stage, therefore, is likely to be exploited by the terrorists and other inimical elements to their advantage.
As earlier brought out by me on a number of occasions, the AFSPA is merely an enabling act that empowers troops to operate in an area declared disturbed and provides the requisite legal safeguards to carry out effective Counter Terrorist operations. Its withdrawal or even partial withdrawal at this juncture, is likely to prove detrimental to the ongoing Counter Terrorism campaign being conducted under aegis of the Unified Headquarters. It is also a strategic imperative that we wait and watch the developments in Afghanistan post draw down in 2014.
The Indian Army has a commendable Human Rights record and its actions are guided by the highest military ethos of upholding Human Rights and law of the land. Besides, a mechanism exists within the organisation to deal with Human Rights violations and in the past defaulters have been expeditiously dealt with as per the law.
What are the thrust areas of our modernisation effort in the future, say in the 12th and 13th Army Plans?
Our modernisation plan is aimed at capability building, based on state-of-the-art technology, to cover the entire spectrum of conflict envisaged in future. The projects aim at enhancing ‘ transparency’ in the battlefield and augmenting the individual and collective ‘operational capability’ of our soldiers, units and formations to operate effectively in a complex battlefield milieu.
As the COAS, are you satisfied with the current holdings and the status of equipment and munitions for war?
Modernisation of the Indian Army is a continuous process that ensures the Army is fully capable of meeting any threat in the operational environment prevailing on our borders. Efforts are ongoing in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence, to enhance the capability of indigenous weapons and equipment. It would be reasonable to state that our soldier is optimally equipped for any operational contingency along our borders.
Ammunition management is a dynamic process wherein consumption and recoupment of deficiency is a function of production capacities of Ordnance Factories and availability ex- import. A comprehensive long term ‘Ammunition Roll on Plan’ for continued build up of ammunition reserves in a phased manner has already been approved.
Have the plans to make the Army’s Special Forces and Infantry ‘Ghatak’ Platoons more potent and effective, been realised? What is the new equipment, if any, that has been inducted to ensure this?
Indian Army Special Forces have been raised, organised, equipped and trained for tactical, operational and strategic level special operations in support of the Indian Army’s mandated roles in sub conventional and conventional operations. Indian Army Special Forces are highly professional forces being developed in consonance with threat perception, our war fighting philosophy and the ongoing modernisation plan.
As regards the Ghatak Platoon of Infantry Battalions, a composite package of additional equipment and devices for special operations, referred to as ‘Ghatak Brick’, is also in the pipeline. This upgradation would facilitate the Ghatak Platoons to conduct their tasks with enhanced efficiency and comparative ease in conventional as well as sub-conventional operations.
What is the concept of our Future Main Battle Tank ( FMBT)? What is the Army’s broad time plan and vision for its development?
In congruence with the Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan and based on our operational doctrine, the Army is looking at developing a Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT) that would be comparable to any advanced Armoured Fighting Vehicle of modern armies the world over.
Conceptually, the FMBT is envisaged to be capable of operating in high intensity, high technology, network enabled digitised battlefield of the 21st century. The FMBT will be required to conduct sustained operations round the clock, in a dense anti-tank hybrid environment comprising missiles, aerial platforms and precision munitions, while catering for a 360 degree protection and at the same time being capable of delivering decisive and lethal response. The tank would be designed to have versatility in terms of tactical and strategic mobility, capability of employment over varied terrain as obtaining in our country and in line with our strategy and operational philosophies.
Currently, the ‘ Qualitative Requirements’ are being deliberated upon. We hope to achieve a major technological breakthrough with reference to the FMBT in the next two to three ‘Plan’ periods. The endeavour would be towards indigenisation with key focus on self reliance.
Many feel that the ‘quality’ of officers enrolling in the armed forces has dropped. Would you agree?
We have a large pool of trained and dedicated youth from which to select our leadership material; hence we have the option to select the best without any degradation of quality. Also, the selection procedure adopted by the Service Selection Boards is a time tested one and only the cream from the applicants, based on existing vacancies, is selected. Their grooming and nurturing at the training establishments thereafter, makes them into well rounded leaders of character and desired competence. I, therefore, disagree with this perception, which is ill founded. As the COAS, I am very happy with the quality and standards of my officers, who always lead from the front and are the ‘Best’. I am proud of them !
The Government has announced the 7th Pay Commission. We are given to
understand that the Service Chiefs have turned down the offer of a separate pay commission for the armed forces which was made earlier. Have all the anomalies of the 6th Pay Commission been resolved? Will the Services be able to impress upon the government for fair representation on the 7th Pay Commission, something which has always been denied in the past?
The 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) was announced on 25 September, 2013. While the announcements were made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister, there has been no mention of a Military Pay Commission; thus the question of turning down of a separate Pay Commission does not arise. The Services have taken a de-novo holistic view of the issue of a separate Pay Commission. The issue has been debated and deliberated at length at all levels of leadership and it is the considered opinion of the Services that the interests of the Defence Services would be best served by being part of Central Pay Commission with full representation from the three Services.
Not all the anomalies raised post 6th CPC have so far been resolved. Efforts are on to get these resolved before the 7th CPC, so that the base for 7th CPC is devoid of anomalies. The matter of full representation in the 7th CPC has been taken up and the Services are optimistic of a favourable decision.