Indian Army- A Formidable force

Sixty five years after Independence it is time to recall the past, assess where the Indian Army stands today and gaze into the future to see how the Army will meet the challenges of the future.

The Indian Army’s sterling performance in the two World Wars was praised by the Allied field marshals and the enemy alike. Indian Army soldiers won an unprecedented 39 Victoria Crosses in the two Great Wars.

The Indian Army lived up to its reputation as a thoroughly professional and highly trained organisation in the 1948 Indo-Pak conflict, when it decisively defeated Pakistan-sponsored raiders and regulars.

The Hyderabad Police Action in 1949 and Operation Polo to evict the Portuguese from Goa, Daman & Diu, in 1961, were two swiftly implemented operations. The defeat at the hands of the Chinese in 1962 can be attributed to the neglect of the forces and inadequate estimation of the military situation. Nevertheless, stories abound of incredulous courage and bravery on the part of the soldiers, in many cases to the last breath and last round.

A very high degree of generalship came to the fore in the 1965 War with Pakistan. In 1971, the Army covered itself with glory with a lightening campaign, liberation of Bangladesh and taking 93,000 POWs in just 14 days. The Kargil Conflict of 1999 will be remembered for the outstanding deeds of bravery of its young soldiers.

Since the 1971 War, the Army has projected itself as a formidable force capable of thwarting aggressive designs and kept our territorial integrity intact.

In counter-insurgency (CI) operations, the Army has consistently delivered decisive results. Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam stand out as examples of successful operations resulting in negotiated settlements. The J&K insurgency has been kept under control and foreign armies have eagerly sought training in CI techniques from the Indian Army.

In international sports competitions, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics, servicemen have made an indelible mark. In public service, Ex-servicemen have risen to the highest positions as Governors, chief ministers, bureaucrats and corporate leaders.

The citizens of the country at large have great respect for the army. They consider it as the vestige of honesty. It has remained staunchly apolitical. In times of crises, natural disasters or to restore law and order in any part of the country, the Army has always delivered and earned praise. The Indian army is one of the most admired institutions in Indian public opinion. Discipline and values of army life make its personnel winners in various spheres of life. "The strong arm of the Republic" willfully commands immense respect from the 1.25 billion population of the country.

Amongst the larger armies of the modern world, the Indian Army can claim to occupy a place of pride, thanks to the quality of its professionalism, its training standards, its outstanding performance in all operations in the country and overseas and above all, the unstinting commitment of its officers, men and women.

As far as conventional deterrence goes, in concert with the other two Services, the Army has the punch and resolve to exercise its doctrine and keep the threats at bay.

An indication of the Army’s training standards and experience is the number of countries seeking its assistance to provide training for its officers at various levels. Hundreds of officers have been trained at the NDA, IMA, Defence Services Staff College, Army War College, National Defence College and other institutions. Indian army teams have excelled and won numerous international endurance and proficiency competitions abroad, army instructors have been requisitioned by foreign armies.

Will the strengths of the Indian Army stand it in good stead in the future? What should be reinforced, what should be shed and what should be imbibed to make the Army capable of meeting the challenges of the future? Junior leadership, guts and gumption come into effect after contact with the enemy. In today’s and future wars, actual eyeball-to-eyeball contact and close combat will be preceded by days of stand-off warfare, missiles, cyber attacks, electronic warfare and precision munitions raining down on strategic targets.

The army's warfighting doctrine must be reflected in the acquisition of advanced technology and training to fight short-duration limited conflicts in a nuclear environment. The current doctrine was formulated recently and is considered adequate for the near term to meet challenges to India’s territorial integrity. For overseas operations, the country's policy has been to deploy only under the UN flag or to intervene at the invitation of the host nation. The changing character of war in South Asia points to the complex challenges that India’s armed forces are likely to face even in the first quarter of the present century. The army may find it necessary to meet some of the challenges by operating as part of coalition forces or as an expeditionary force. For such operations, the long-term perspective plans must be implemented in letter and spirit, warranting a change in India's defence budgeting procedures.

The Army lays strong emphasis on attrition warfare, firepower and standard operating procedures, although, after Operation Parakram there has been a gradual shift towards manoeuvre warfare. A balance between both is necessary given the variety of terrain. Manoeuvre warfare requires speed and flexibility of the mind as well. Unfortunately, there are not only acute shortages in manpower, the army also needs to expand in order to man new weapon systems and platforms.

The present arrangements for joint operations may be workable but the way forward can only be genuinely institutionalised joint planning, coordination and leadership. Advanced information technology, sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and communications systems which are central to network-centric operations, require dedicated satellites, large bandwidth and infusion of funds to develop and integrate.

Maj Gen R K Arora (Retd) is Editor, Indian Military Review and Visiting Fellow, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, 15 January 2012