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'Nothing' in the Defence Budget: experts

George Iype in New Delhi

A substantial chunk of the biggest ever hike in the defence outlay in Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's post-Kargil Budget will go for the purchase of new arms and ammunition and upgradation of vital equipment for the armed forces.

But some defence experts warn that there is "nothing" in the defence allocation to be ''over-excited about'' as the hike will be just enough for the armed forces to make their both ends meet.

Sinha has proposed an 28.2 per cent increase -- Rs 130 billion -- in the Budget taking the defence allocation to an unprecedented Rs 585.87 billion.

The armed forces which suffered considerable losses during the Kargil operations in May-July last year are now happy that the conflict with Pakistan has forced the government to understand the need for advanced technology weapons for the Indian security forces.

"The increase in the defence allocation was essential. The Kargil conflict has shown that if our armed forces have lagged behind, it is because they have not been provided superior equipment. Therefore, the hike in the Defence Budget should go for the purchase of critical equipment," Lieutenant General (retired) Satish Nambiar told rediff.com.

He said there have been no shortage of plans and proposals from the armed forces for technological development. "But money and government sanction have always been the problems. Now let us hope that post-Kargil, the situation has changed in favour of the armed forces," he said.

As per the defence allocation, the Indian Army has been given Rs 289.39 billion, the Indian Air Force Rs 78.96 billion and the Indian Navy Rs 40.40 billion.

Major General (retired) Afsir Karim said that there is nothing in the Defence Budget to be ''over-enthusiastic about. A substantial part of the hike will be eaten up by inflation. Then more money will have to be spent on the increased spending on the revenue side also."

"Overheads on pay and allowances for the defence forces and the expenses on infrastructure will also take up a good sum," he said.

Therefore, General Karim said that the additional money sanctioned in the Budget will be just sufficient for the acquisition of unmanned air vehicles for high-altitude areas, high-tech communication and surveillance systems and direction finding machines.

Defence ministry officials said that the additional allocation will mainly be utilised in two sectors. First, meet the huge additional expenditure of deploying forces in the high-altitude Kargil sector. Second, purchase of new weapons and advanced technology equipment for the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Ever since the Kargil operations, the government had given the green signal to the armed forces to go in for an overseas shopping spree for the purchase of new weapons and upgradation of the existing equipment.

Defence experts and the K Subrahmanyam committee which probed the Kargil conflict had said that the Indian security forces lagged behind in the quality of their surveillance and communication equipment.

"The Kargil battle was fought with less than optimum communications capability. While self-reliance and indigenisation are sound principles, the availability of critical equipment in time of combat is the supreme consideration that must govern acquisition policy," the Subrahmanyam committee report said.

The Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have already finalised their plans and some orders for advanced weapons have been placed. But they have been waiting for the budgetary allocation for defence.

Officials said the Indian Army's first priority will be to buy aerial vehicles, electronic surveillance equipment, T-90 tanks, radars and high-altitude equipment especially meant for Kargil.

The Indian Navy, which has already decided to purchase the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, will spend some money on it and the remaining on the purchase of Tu-22 and IL-38 aircraft.

The Indian Air Force will place orders for more advanced jet trainers, Mirage 2000 aircraft and upgradation of existing equipment.

According to Major General (retired) Ashok Mehta, the hike in the budgetary allocation was on the expected lines. "The Kargil conflict significantly added to the imperative need for a hike in the Defence Budget. But in fact the additional money will be just sufficient for manning the Kargil and other border areas," he told rediff.com.

Therefore, he said the armed forces' plans for new defence purchases will not probably get top priority though the budgetary allocation in this Budget has been the highest ever.

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