Excessive Defence Articles For Pakistan: Destabalising Military Balance

The United States handed over 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers to Pakistan as part of Excessive Defence Articles (EDA) besides approving a billion dollars worth of sale of military hardware, identifying Pakistan as a country of vital importance for US foreign policy and national interests.  The use of such heavy calibre platforms provided by US for counter terrorist operations is debatable and ostensibly either indicates US Government endorsement of indiscriminate use of these lethal weapons to conduct counter terrorism operations which may result in large scale collateral damage or its willingness to disturb the military balance in the region.

The United States handed over 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers to Pakistan to be employed for counter terrorism operations in the Af Pak region. This equipment had been used by the American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq and is technically classified as “Excessive Defence Articles (EDA)”. The US Army handed over this equipment to allied nations as shipping it back would result in high cost over heads and would be cost ineffective.

Besides, handing over the above equipment, the US State Department has also approved Pakistan’s request for a billion dollars’ worth of sale of military hardware, identifying Pakistan as a country of vital importance for US foreign policy and national interests. Pakistan had submitted last year its request for the military equipment, stating that the weapons were needed for fighting insurgents in the country’s mountainous regions. The main items of the sale include F-16 armaments including air-to-air missiles; bombs and laser-guided kits; anti-ship missiles, utility, attack and multi-role helicopters, besides surveillance aircraft and general purpose vehicles.

The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency certified Pakistan’s requirement and notified US Congress that the State Department has approved the possible sale of military hardware to Pakistan for an estimated cost of $952 million as the proposed sale would contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a country vital to US foreign policy and national security goals in South Asia. It further added that the proposed sale would provide Pakistan the capability to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in North Waziristan, FATA, and other remote and mountainous areas in all-weather, day-and-night environments. The US while justifying the proposed sale assured that “it will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

Platforms provided by the US, like air to air missiles, anti ship missiles and other heavy calibre bombs and armament are capable of causing large scale damage to civil population and property in counter terrorist operations. In this context the rationale of providing such heavy-calibre weapon platforms and munition to conduct counter terrorism operations by Pakistan Army is debatable. There is, apparently, tacit endorsement by the USA, of Pakistan’s potential to indiscriminately use these lethal weapons (fighter jets, helicopter gunships, artillery and Armoured Personnel Carriers {APC}) that may result in mass killing of innocent civilians, exodus/displacement of large volume of population and absolute destruction of habitation and infrastructure during conduct of CI Operations by Pakistan Army using armament and munition supplied by them.

Extending the argument, the supply of 14 combat aircraft and 59 military trainer jets to Pakistan, as part of EDA, for counter terrorism operations in the Af Pak region defies logic in the same vein. Employment of such quantum of force in densely populated areas would only aggravate the situation rather than resolve it. In a statement, Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, a retired general and former head of Pakistan’s intelligence service said “These Taliban are dug in the caves, so you can’t do it by aerial bombardment and  you have to go in there and physically dislodge them." Similarly, the 374 APCs handed over by US as part of EDA constitute the equivalent of a mechanised division. That a mechanised division cannot manoeuvre and operate in the rugged and mountainous terrain of Af Pak region and effectively undertake counter terrorist operations is but obvious. A Pakistan daily also reported that soldiers from armoured regiments were training in infantry operations as tanks were of little operational use in rugged North Waziristan. Lt Col Amin, Commanding Officer of a Pak Armoured Regt undergoing Infantry operations training prior inducting into counter terrorist operations, in a statement mentioned that  "Especially for the younger soldiers, this is more challenging because they were trained for armoured operations but will now be doing infantry".

In the past India had opposed the transfer of such arms to Pakistan as it believes that India is the ultimate target for their use. The concern expressed by India is genuine. Dispassionate analysis of the equipment proposed for sale or handed over as EDA by the US for counter insurgency operations fails to pass muster.

Contrary to US belief the proposed military aid to Pakistan would definitely destabilise the basic military balance in the region. India thus needs to vehemently project its concern to US. The military aid by US has very limited applicability for the role it is being offered, rather it would result in escalation of tensions along the border. Speaking only of EDA, a squadron of fighters, 5-6 squadrons of trainer aircrafts (whose role in CT operations is questionable) and 8-9 battalions of APC, attest to formidable conventional military capability and with available/developing infrastructure along the Western borders including POK, can be employed to swiftly effect a superior combat ratio at the point of decision.

India needs to build up its military capability to counter Pakistan’s force accretions.  Mr Doval, National Security Advisor, while   speaking at a function also highlighted the need to include the 106 Km border that India shares with Afghanistan in the national security calculus and be prepared for the fallout post-NATO withdrawal. Thus, the temporary freeze imposed on the ongoing raising of 17 Corps needs to be reviewed as the force is critical for acquiring requisite deterrence capability by the Indian Army, besides making up the hollowness of equipment and ammunition. 

Most importantly diplomatic initiatives need to be taken by India to highlight its concerns. The new defence framework pact signed on 03 Jun 15 to bolster Indo US strategic partnership over next 10 years, besides assuaging the concerns against China and maritime issues, must also include Pakistan. USA must ensure, as a strategic partner, that none of its policy decisions taken for the region are detrimental to Indian interests.

The author is Senior Fellow at CLAWS. Views expressed are personal.