COAS General Upendra Dwivedi has done well to set the agenda for the Army for the years ahead as modernization through operational commitments on a two front scenario is a challenging task.
As for Viksit Bharat@2047, maintaining territorial integrity and operational excellence will be the biggest contribution by the military. In the same vein whole of government support for the Army Chief’s modernization plans needs handholding by the Ministry of Defence.
Though not stated as such this was the central theme over two days, 19th and 20th August, General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) held the first high-level meeting since he assumed the role of COAS on 30th June 2024.
The Army as well as other services hold meetings with respective theater commanders biennially in April and October each year. These meets are held with a specific agenda that follows an up and down process with the commanders floating proposals for approval or discussion at the highest forum of respective arms.
The August meeting is in addition to these and was possibly designed by General Dwivedi to emphasise priorities on taking over command.
Key areas of focus as was reviewed in a press release by the Ministry of Defence included the following:-
Reorganisation of various key formations to enhance “optimal efficiency and operational readiness”.
Modernisation of all arms units and logistics services.
Enhancing jointness and integration between the Army, Navy and Air Force to face the future challenges of warfare.
Commitment to indigenization and in addition, “supporting the domestic defence industry and facilitating India’s position as a leading defence exporter”.
This appears surprising as it is the domestic industry that is required to support the armed forces in operational readiness but the priorities seem to have been reversed.
Given the large deficits in the military the onus is on the Ministry of Defence and the domestic public and private sector industry to ginger up the systems for timely support to the armed forces. Supporting the defence industry will be incidental to this primary purpose which is also highlighted in the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 as amended.
In addition issues such as military education particularly for UN Peacekeeping with the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) being recognised as a Center of excellence, defence diplomacy with a view to enhancing Indian Army’s role in United Nations missions and participation in joint exercises with foreign countries.
The Army’s involvement in national initiatives like Gati Shakti particularly dual-use infrastructure and also in other activities of national importance such as “empowering the youth through the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and promoting sports through the Mission Olympic for providing world class training to the potential medal winners in Olympics”.
On the whole, while the agenda set is not new, the Chief of the Army Staff General Dwivedi has outlined the same succinctly as indicated in the Press Release to take up the pathway in his tenure ahead.
The Indian Army apart from the challenge of modernization faces a two front adversarial threat from China and Pakistan.
Large army formations continue to be deployed to manage the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control respectively with China and Pakistan.
The People’s Liberation Army and Pakistan Army pose a versatile threat on the borders supplemented by proxy terror campaign with almost 60 to 75 highly trained terrorists presently in the Jammu region and some in Kashmir. Border Action Teams are also active on the Line of Control.
Quite surely the Army Chief and Commanders would have reviewed the situation which for obvious reasons is not disclosed in public press releases.
Modernisation through operational commitments is a task that the Indian Army has faced over the decades and under General Dwivedi the same is expected to be continued with focus on the ‘eye on the ball,’ so to say on the LoC and LAC and “antics,” of the adversary.
As for commitment of the army for Viksit Bharat@2047 defending the frontiers will be the greatest contribution to which commanders need to focus.
Towards this end all arms of the government need to support the military in modernization and maintaining operational readiness.
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