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The issues of post of Chief of Defence Staff and creation of strategic forces under him, are turning out be a bitterly fought battle between the three services.
Recent letter of navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar to Union Defence Minister Jaswant Singh, suggesting that he is pulling out of the race for CDS, has only added a twist to the controversy.
Under recommendations of the Group of Ministers, Chief of Defence Staff, the permanent chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and the single point military advisor to government, would be commander of nuclear weapons.
As the three services fight it out and the government defers its decision on the appointment of the CDS, experts are urging the government to hurry up with the top defence management restructuring and setting up of a nuclear force.
The air force is peeved with the manner in which the navy is trying to put all blame at its doorsteps, for delay in appointment of the CDS. Though the navy chief's letter do not name the air force, it has given enough hints about how allegations are being leveled against him for trying to corner the CDS post.
These allegations are from the air force, which believes that the nuclear weapons should be under its command and not with the CDS from some other service.
Air force officials pointed out that though Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis has conveyed opposition to the CDS, "if it is implemented, we will abide by it".
The navy chief's letter has sparked off strong reactions from senior officials in the army and air force. They believe the letter was a pressure tactic to speed up Admiral Kumar's appointment as CDS.
"Otherwise, in our system, where is the need for him to put this down in a letter and leak it out to the media," asked a senior army official. He said that if the government appointed Admiral Kumar as the CDS, "can he reject the appointment?"
A senior air force official pointed out that though the exact contents of Admiral Kumar's letter were not known, recent media reports quoting naval sources have been blaming the air force for delay in the appointment of the CDS.
"That is not the situation. The IAF feels it would be sidelined in the new set-up. It is not the CDS, but the air force that should be controlling nuclear weapons of the country, as we are a long-range force capable of thinking and acting on targets hundreds of miles away. We also feel that we are being shortchanged over the appointment of the CDS," an air force official said.
He pointed out that the government's reluctance to clarify the fact that the air force should be the custodian of nuclear arms and other recent moves "shows that we may end up as a small support arm".
The air force believes that it is the only force with a proper and reliable nuclear capability. It believes that it should be the "strategic force" and should not come down to become a "support arm".
It says that India today has no missiles long enough to be nuclear tipped. And the navy's nuclear submarine is nowhere near completion. Aircraft are the only reliable platform for nuclear weapon delivery as of now, it adds.
"So it should naturally come to us," air force officers argued about nuclear weaponry.
In fact, there are several experts who support this. Rear Admiral (retired) Raja Menon, a renowned expert on nuclear issues, said it was logical to hand over the nuclear arsenal to the air force.
He pointed out that even if Agni II or other long-range missiles are introduced as nuclear delivery platforms, they should be with the air force.
The air force is already the co-ordinating force for satellite imagery and targeting. "The army should keep away from nuclear weapons. Nowhere in the world is the army in charge of nuclear weapons," he said.
He said the air force should be appointed the strategic force and if army personnel are needed to handle missiles, a regiment should be posted under the air force.
Along with the nuclear issue, the government "needs to ruthlessly decide on the CDS", he said. "I don't know why are they so frightened about implementing the CDS."
EARLIER REPORTS IAF says it's not responsible for delay in creation of CDS Navy chief withdraws from CDS race
SPECIAL REPORTThe General's Call
COLUMNCDS -- A needless controversy: Admiral (retd) J G Nadkarni
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