Editorial: Enhance defence capital outlay

Long delays in domestic procurements will negate the objectives of the indigenisation drive

Hyderabad: At a time when India is facing a two-front threat from hostile neighbours — Pakistan and China —, the challenges facing the defence sector like inordinate delays in procurement of the required weaponry, lack of coordination among the stakeholders and inadequate budgetary allocations must be addressed on priority. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, in its latest report tabled in the Lok Sabha, has rightly flagged the concerns of the armed forces and called for increasing the capital budget of the army. This would go a long way in enhancing the deterrent capabilities to meet any external challenges. While the Defence Ministry’s efforts towards the indigenisation of military platforms are appreciable, the long delays in domestic procurements will only negate the objectives of the indigenisation drive. Of particular concern is the delay in the supply of 40 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a public sector undertaking. The Tejas LCA — an all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft that can be deployed for offensive air support, close combat and ground attacks — is critical for the country’s military readiness. The procurement of additional fighter jets should not be delayed any further. It is inexcusable that issues pertaining to the premier fighter jet’s design, systems and weapons have still not been resolved. The 2023-24 union Budget too had come as a big disappointment because the capital outlay for modernisation and infrastructure development was inadequate. It has been pegged at Rs 1.62 lakh crore, which is only a marginal rise of 6.7% over the previous year.

Earmarking adequate funds is one of the prerequisites to ensure that the projects related to defence modernisation and indigenisation are not held up. Optimum, time-bound utilisation of these funds also has to be prioritised. There is a need for a separate allocation for committed liabilities and new schemes under the capital budget for defence modernisation. Another area of concern is the hefty import bill. The parliamentary panel has asked the government to come up with ways and means to not only reduce imports but also give a push to indigenous products for exports. Incentivising indigenisation can help in decreasing the dependence of the armed forces on foreign sources. The key is to deliver aircraft, weapons and equipment within the deadline. In 21st-century warfare, the focus is on remaining ahead of the game in terms of cutting-edge technology and ready-to-use weaponry. The lack of funding has been a persistent problem in India’s modernisation of the military. Mounting security challenges require proportionate defence preparedness, but over the years, India’s defence modernisation has been moving at a very slow pace. The lack of budgetary provisions has forced the armed forces to give priority to filling the critical gaps first. Most of the weapon systems and platforms are ageing as some of them were acquired way back in the 1970s.

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