mrcritic
Minister (2k+ posts)
NEW DELHI - The 12th Army Plan by Indian military charts out an ambitious roadmap to improve the combat ratio against both China and Pakistan, upgrade military infrastructure along the ‘northern borders’, ensure third-generation night-fighting capabilities and induct attack helicopters, reported Times of India on Tuesday.
Another thrust area in the 2012-2017 plan is to ‘overcome the slippages’ or the ‘critical hollowness’ in arms and ammunition that seriously hobbled the 1.13-million strong force in the 11th Plan period, say sources.
All this, of course, will not come cheap. The Indian Army has projected a requirement of over Rs 10 lakh crore for the 12th Plan period spread over five annual budgets. But, as is the practice, the finance ministry is likely to approve only around 60 per cent of this amount being demanded.
Incidentally, the Indian Army’s budget is pegged at Rs 96,564 crore this fiscal, with the capital allocation for new weapons being just 24 per cent of it. The ray of hope is defence minister AK Antony’s promise to seek a mid-year hike in the overall Rs 1,93,408 crore defence outlay in the 2012-2013 budget in the backdrop of ‘new ground realities’ and the deepening military nexus between China and Pakistan.
Dedicated for ‘rapid reaction ground force capability’ against China, this corps will have its HQs in Panagarh (West Bengal). It will add to the two new infantry divisions already raised at Zakama (Nagaland) and Missamari (Assam).
Capability development along the ‘northern borders’ facing China, to be completed by 2020-2021, is pegged at another Rs 26,155 crore. Ongoing infrastructure development in the Eastern Army Command, at a cost of Rs 9,243 crore, in turn, is slated for completion by 2016-2017.
The Army also plans to spend over Rs 40,000 crore on ‘night enablement’ of its mechanised forces, with over 3,000 tanks and 1,900 infantry combat vehicles, as well as infantry battalions. Long-term plans for enhancement of ‘aviation assets’ include at least a squadron each of attack/armed, reconnaissance/observation and tactical battle-support helicopters for each of the 13 corps in the Army. Over this, each of the six regional or operational commands will at least get ‘a flight’ of five fixed-wing aircraft for tactical airlift of troops and equipment, say sources.
> AND WE HAVE @$$wipes in our society asking for reduction in Defense budget <
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