In India there isn’t a defined national security strategy, one that is based on logic, regional and the global environment, ambitions and goals that are achievable. Far too little intellectual effort has been made over the decades in working out a national security doctrine. The end result is that the entire defence planning process lacks planning and foresight. So there is no policy. And where there is no policy India lacks the vision that it needs to achieve its goals.
Recent Developments Make in India in Defence Sector As a major boost to ‘Make in India’ in Defence, the Defence Acquisition Council, in its meeting on 16 January 2018, cleared a simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure which will enable greater participation of industry in acquisition of defence equipment. This process will greatly help import substitution and promote innovative solutions. This simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure will amend the existing ‘Make Procedure’ in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2016. Key Features
First Phase of Reforms in Armed Forces In a first ever exercise after Independence, the Ministry of Defence in consultation with the Indian Army in August 2017 decided to reform the Indian Army in a planned manner. The first phase of the reforms involves redeployment and restructuring of approximately 57,000 posts of officers/JCOs/ORs and civilians. “Shekatkar Committee” was constituted by Ministry of Defence under the Chairmanship of Lt. Gen. (Retd) DB Shekatkar to recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces.The Committee submitted its report in December 2016. Some Recommendations taken up for implementation include:
Strategic Partnership Policy Government has finalized the policy on Strategic Partnerships in the Defence Sector.The same has been promulgated on 31.05.2017 as Chapter VII of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 as “Revitalising Defence Industrial Ecosystem through Strategic Partnerships”. The Policy is intended to encourage broader participation of the private sector, in addition to DPSUs/ OFB, in the manufacture of defence platforms and equipment.The following four segments have been identified for acquisition under Strategic Partnership route:
The Policy will serve to enhance competition, increase efficiencies, facilitate faster and more significant absorption of technology, create atiered industrial ecosystem, ensure development of a wider skill base and trigger innovation, leading to reduction in dependence on imports and greater self-reliance in meeting national security objectives. |
Indian Army
Indian Navy
India has a coastline of 7,516 km with a total of 1,197 island territories in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy, by virtue of its capability, strategic positioning and robust presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), has been a catalyst for peace, tranquility and stability in the IOR.
Indian Coast Guard
Indian Air Force
Since its formation on 8th October, 1932, the Indian Air Force has come a long way from its modest beginning to become a premier Air Force in the region with a formidable bulwark in national defence. The Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force in the world.
Training Events & Military Exercises by the Army during 2017-18 |
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NAME OF THE EXERCISE/ OPERATIONS |
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES/ FORCES |
TIME LINE |
REGION CONDUCTED |
Dharma Guardian-2018 |
1st India & Japanese Armies joint exercise |
01 to 14 November, 2018 |
Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengete, Mizoram |
INDRA-2018 |
Indo-Russian Joint Military Exercise |
19 to 28 November, 2018 |
Babina Military Station, Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh |
Milex-18 |
Participating BIMSTEC countries were India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. |
10 to 16 September, 2018 |
Aundh Military Station in Pune |
Yudh Abhyas-2018 |
14th Indo-US joint military training Exercise |
16 to 29 September, 2018 |
Foothills of Himalayas at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand |
Nomadic Elephant-2018 |
Indo-Mongolia joint exercise |
10 to 21 September, 2018 |
Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
KAZIND-2018 |
3rd Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise |
10 to 23 September, 2018 |
Otar region, Kazakhstan |
Maitree-2018 |
Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army |
6 to 19 August, 2018 |
Chachoengsao Province, Thailand |
Exercise Pitch Black 2018 |
Conducted by Australia, which saw participation of 16 nations and more than 140 aircraft |
24 July to 18 August, 2018 |
RAAF Base Darwin, Australia |
Harimau Shakti-2018 |
1st Indo-Malaysian bilateral joint Exercise |
30 April to 13 May, 2018 |
Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia |
Khanjar V |
5th Indo- Kyrgyzstan training exercise |
16 to 29 March, 2018 |
Counter Insurgency Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, Mizoram. |
VINBAX-2018 |
1st Indo-Vietnam military training Exercise |
29 January to 3 February, 2018 |
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
Ekuverin-2017 |
8th India-Maldives bilateral military exercise |
15 to 28 December, 2017 |
Belagavi, Karnataka |
Overseas Operations by the Navy during 2017-18 | |||
NAME OF THE EXERCISE/ OPERATIONS | PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES/ FORCES | TIME LINE | REGION CONDUCTED |
Sahyog HOP TAC-2018 | Maiden Indo-Vietnamese Coast Guard Exercises | 4 to 6 October, 2018 | Bay of Bengal, off Chennai coast |
SLINEX-2018 | 6th edition India-Sri Lanka bi-lateral Naval Exercise | 07 to 13 September, 2018 | Trincomalee, Sri Lanka |
22nd edition of Malabar exercise | tri-lateral naval exercise between India, US and Japan | 7 June to 16 June, 2018 | Guam, a major naval base in Western Pacific |
Exercise Varuna-2018 | Indo-French Naval Exercises | 1st Phase: concluded on 24 March, 2018 | 1st Phase: held in Arabian Sea |
2nd Phase: concluded in April, 2018 | 2nd Phase: was held off the Chennai coast in Bay of Bengal | ||
3rd Phase: 01 to 07 May, 2018 | 3rd Phase: was held in Reunion Island in SW Indian Ocean | ||
Naseem Al Bahr-2017 | 11th India-Oman Naval Exercise | 17 to 25 December, 2017 | Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Wudam |
Special Exercises During 2017-18 | |||
NAME OF THE EXERCISE/ OPERATIONS | PARTICIPATING FORCES | TIME LINE | REGION CONDUCTED |
Gaganshakti-2018 | It was one of the largest exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force | Phase-I: 08 to 17 April, 2018 | Phase-I: involved activation of Western, South Western and Southern Air Commands, with affiliated Army and Naval components. |
Phase-II: 17 to 23 April, 2018 | Phase-II: involved activation of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Air Commands. | ||
Hamesha Vijayee | Joint exercise of Indian Army and Indian Air Force | 16 to 22 December, 2017 | Thar deserts of Rajasthan |
Coastal Security/ Mock Dill/ Anti-Piracy Operations during 2017-18 | |||
NAME OF THE EXERCISE/ OPERATIONS | PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES/ FORCES | TIME LINE | REGION CONDUCTED |
Exercise IOWave18 | India along with 23 other nations participated in a major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill | 4 & 5 September, 2018 | Wave18 comprised two scenarios:
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Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018 | Indo-Korean joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise | 5 to 7 April, 2018 | Off the Chennai coast |
Sagar Kavach | The exercise saw participation of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Navy, Coastal Police and Marine Enforcement wing and various other security stakeholders | 24 to 25 April, 2018 | Off the Kerala coast |
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during 2017-18 | |||
NAME OF THE EXERCISE/ OPERATIONS | PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES/ FORCES | TIME LINE | REGION CONDUCTED |
Operation NISTAR | INS Sunayana rescued 38 Indians who were stranded on an island after a severe cyclonic storm | Safely rescued on 7 June, 2018 | Socotra Island off the coast of Yemen |
Samvedna: practicing Air Force-centric HADR solutions | Multilateral representatives from air forces of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UAE | 12 to 17 March, 2018 | Off the coast of Kerala |