“Strangling ourselves with our own systems’
With China having violated various agreements towards maintaining peace and tranquility along the LAC along with associated confidence building measures, it is perhaps time for us to reflect on why we find ourselves at the receiving end of their offensive action yet again, having similarly been deceived in 1962.
One area of weakness that must tempt China to take liberties is our perennial under- equipping and modernising of the armed forces driven by an over-cautious and unresponsive defence procurement mindset. What better indication of this than the flurry of activity towards making good equipment deficiencies once the militaries are face- to- face across the LAC? Convening of an emergency meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council and announcing approval of purchase of weapons and ammunition worth Rs 38,900 crore in which were included 33 new ( some second- hand) fighters for the IAF as also authorisation for the Armed Forces Headquarters to process cases for buying urgentlyneeded weapons and equipment to meet their critical operational requirements, are but recent examples. The MOD statement accompanying the announcement perhaps says it all. “Considering the security environment due to the prevailing situation along the northern borders and the need to strengthen the armed forces for the defence of our borders……”
That the IAF is way short of its authorised combat force level strength has long been known and something that more than our security planners, the Chinese strategic planners are acutely conscious of, as they are of the factor that had India used offensive air power in 1962, the story of that conflict may well have had a completely different ending. One can conjecture that whatever strategic offensive plans the Chinese have conceived towards breaching the LAC this time around, Indian air power capability and its potential use will have played an important part in the thought and planning process and in this, they perhaps sensed a window of opportunity before Rafale aircraft augmented the IAF’s arsenal. This is so because, unlike India, China recognises the potential of air power and has long worked on a strategic plan in aeronautics which vision is to develop aeronautics with Chinese characteristics,
of technological progress, self-reliant advancement and aeronautical patriotism and this vision is being guided and driven by none other than their highest political leadership.
Whether or not the IAF’s rapid deployment of its front-line assets and flexing its airborne muscle at the front line has come as a surprise to the Chinese is difficult to say. What is certain, however, is that this development will certainly put a spanner in their plans of moving forward.
This is where our democracy needs to introspect, if we are to handle a ruthless and wily adversary like China. It is worth recalling the controversy that erupted following the government’s bold decision to order 36 Rafale fighter aircraft along with associated systems and weapons, after five years of dithering. Allegations of wrong-doing, favouritism and corruption flew thick and fast and the media dutifully reported this as such. Even assurances by the top serving IAF leadership failed to placate the critics, thus displaying a lack of trust by a section of our people even in our armed forces. Perhaps this is a new low in our traditional civil-military bonding!
This writer, who had for long dealt with procurements when in service and understands the decision-making process, could only marvel at some far-fetched comments even by respected personalities and publications. Although commercial competitive jealousies are known to take place in the arms trade, what one witnessed at the time appeared far more deep- rooted and complex and not merely politically-driven. Mercifully, some semblance of calm was restored when in December 2018 the apex court dismissed all petitions and gave a clean chit to the Union government. But the damage inflicted by this needless conflict within our society, to the detriment and morale of the armed forces and the IAF in particular and the credibility of the state can never be quantified.
The deafening silence on this subject thereafter and now a banner headline ‘ China be warned! First Rafales to touch down on 27 July’, however would have been a pleasant closure to this unfortunate past, but intriguingly another divisive debate has now reared its head wherein statements regarding the actual state of intrusions and pull back by the Chinese forces by official spokespersons are being hotly contested by some, amongst whom are even distinguished veterans. Whilst it is not the writer’s case that official versions cannot be questioned, there are appropriate forums and times for the authorities to be held accountable. When our armed forces are poised on the battlefield, this just cannot be the right time, since a bickering democracy does not contribute to enhancing their morale. The armed forces draw their inspiration on the battlefield from a nation that is solidly behind the cause for they are willing to give their lives for, not a democracy at war with itself!
It is with this background that one needs to take note of views of Joshua Philipp, an awardwinning investigative reporter and a recognised expert on unrestricted and asymmetrical hybrid warfare and subversion, with ten years research on the Chinese Communist Party. He has been quoted as saying, “As a part of their agenda to instigate trouble in the enemy country, the Chinese Communist Party observes how different countries operate, sensitivities of people in those countries, what are the controversial elements in their system, and how can they be exploited to use those drawbacks against them and unleash chaos in the country.” He terms this strategy as ‘ Strangle them with their own systems’ which the Chinese Communist Party then achieves through psychological warfare, media warfare and legal warfare.
As one looks back on those dark days when the nation appeared at war with itself and the present when we seem to be reliving the past, when Chinese offensive strategic designs are yet to unfold fully, one cannot but help wonder how much of this is fueled by psychological warfare designed by the CCP towards “strangling us with our own systems”?
In support of Indian Army build up in Eastern Ladakh to counter aggressive Chinese moves in the high mountains and plateau regions bordering the Aksai Chin and western Tibet, the Indian Air Force (and Navy) have been in much evidence as shown in these images taken by visiting Indian media and others.
There are also reports of the IAF’s new (if few) Rafales from Ambala carrying out sorties over the mountains, both Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, even though no photographs are available.