General V.K. Singh took over as the Chief of Army Staff on April 1, 2010. In the first installment of a candid interview with SP Guide Publications, General Singh shares his thoughts and perceptions on the security challenges facing the nation, modernisation and transformation of the Army for future challenges.

SP Guide Publications (SP’s): Having taken over as one of the largest and most combat experienced armies of the world, what are your feelings as the Chief of Army Staff?

Chief of Army Staff (COAS): It is indeed a matter of honour and privilege for me to take over the reins of the Indian Army, one of the world’s finest fighting forces comprising absolutely dedicated and professional officers and men. It is indeed an onerous responsibility. I feel humbled by the trust reposed in me.

I am conscious of the emerging security challenges – both homeland and in the subcontinent. The Indian Army will undertake all challenges to the nation’s security with utmost commitment and professionalism. The responsibilities and challenges bring about a feeling of great concern for the valiant men who make up our Army.

SP’s: What would be the major challenges that you will have to confront and how do you propose to tackle them? What are the key result areas that you propose to adopt during your tenure?

COAS: At the outset let me assure you that the Indian Army is fully prepared to meet the variety of security challenges confronting our country. There has been a paradigm shift in the nature of conflict and emerging technologies with its centre of gravity now focussing towards Asia.

Terrorism, proxy wars, militancy, insurgencies, fourth and fifth generation war are likely to be employed by the non-state actors against stable and economically progressive nations. Conventional conflicts in future will be reinforced by the inclusion of large force multipliers and PGMs. Our country, therefore, faces a large number of challenges ranging from conventional land-centric threats to fourth and fifth generation warfare and internal security challenges.

However, the fast-changing nature of conflict and emerging technologies require constant reappraisal and improvement. I have laid down an allencompassing vision for the Indian Army, which is to hone the Army into a well-motivated, operationally-prepared, well-equipped force capable of meeting the security challenges faced by the nation. Also initiate the transformation process to function in a networked joint services environment to leverage technology and the human resources capital in consonance with the rich values and traditions of the Indian Army.

Having said that, I would essentially focus on the following issues:

• Enhance operational preparedness
• Consolidate and address deficiencies
• Enhance meaningful training to prepare for existing and emerging challenges
• Uphold the image of the Army, and ensure inculcation of core values of selflessness and professionalism
• Provide dignity to the art of soldiering and restoring pride in all ranks
• Speed up modernisation process and ensure refinement of procedures and work culture
• Improve quality of life, habitability and living conditions in forward deployment areas
• Enhance synergy with other services
• Commence transformation process for a more agile, lethal, versatile and networked force
• Contribute towards nation building through initiatives on environmental issues, greening programmes and sportsprojects

SP’s: What, in your view, are the major operational challenges confronting the Indian Army currently and what additional challenges do you foresee in the future? Is the Army structured to take on the challenges likely to be encountered in the future? What is the type of transformation that the Indian Army should undergo to confront these threats and challenges?

COAS: The Indian Army needs to prepare for challenges across the spectrum of conflicts. It has to be prepared to fight a conventional war and also fight insurgencies. At the same time, we have to fulfill our commitments to UN peacekeeping, contribute to regional security and stability, and undertake humanitarian assistance and management.

With these challenges emerging, it is imperative on our part to develop matching military capabilities in consonance with its growing economic and technological advancements so as to provide a peaceful and conducive environment for ensuring a selfsustainable economical growth and prosperity. Hence, operational challenges range from ensuring constant vigil on the border, preparing for conventional land-centric threats from super high altitude areas to the deserts, constant engagement to fight proxy wars and insurgencies, and be prepared to assist the nation in internal security situations as also disaster relief operations. The Army is well structured for these challenges and we have also worked out changes to make ourselves agile, lethal and capable of functioning in a digitised, network, joint service environment. We are looking at making ourselves better by reducing our logistics tail and yet ensuring a functional and efficient logistics grid to sustain our forces.

SP’s: India has been absorbing internally all punishment meted out by the jihadis/terrorist elements unleashed by Pakistan and this passivity has encouraged the terrorist groups operating inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to escalate their activities on Indian soil, both in Jammu & Kashmir, and in the hinterland of the country. India’s failure to evolve credible conventional responses to Pakistan’s asymmetric provocations has seriously eroded its deterrence and credibility. May we have your views on this issue?

COAS: It is not prudent to assume that we have failed to evolve a suitable response to any asymmetric provocations. A number of regional and international factors have to be considered while formulating our options and the government takes all these into consideration.

As far as the Army is concerned, it is capable of responding adequately to meet any threat today and those that may develop in the future. I can assure you that the Army is prepared to mete out deterrence in conformity with our politicostrategic decision process.

SP’s: Considering India’s current operational status, which are the key technologies that the Indian Army wishes to acquire and what are we doing about it?

COAS: The Indian Army for the last decade has been on the steady road to modernisation and considerable progress has been made in this regard. However, emerging threats makes it imperative to upgrade our technological threshold to meet the looming challenges.

We have formulated our plans and are evolving our implementation philosophy and roadmap to acquire net-centric capability. Projects have been undertaken to modernise and automate the battlefield functions at the unit and individual soldier levels. Battlefield management system (BMS) and future infantry soldier as a system (F-INSAS) are two such projects in the making. Similarly, at tactical and strategic levels, steps have been taken for battlefield automation and defence communication network. Project Kranti has been taken up to enhance communication connectivity. All this is to achieve networked joint service compatibility. Some of the areas of interest are better situational awareness through cutting edge technologies in the field of surveillance and night vision capability; increasing own lethality through PGMs and smart munitions; ensuring efficacy of our soldiers by lighter and multimode combat support systems.

SP’s: You have just handed over the Command of the Eastern Army. At present, what is the status of insurgency in the Northeast? How does it compare to the previous years and what are the new characteristics which have been noticed about the groups which are operating in the Northeast? Are they getting any support from outside?

COAS: The prevailing security situation in the Northeast (NE), owing to the continuous efforts by security forces and other government agencies, is under control. The insurgency related incidents have shown a downward trend in all NE states other than Manipur. Overall, there has been a decline in explicit violence due to better security environment in Tripura, dwindling support base of the ULFA, and surrender by Dimasa and Karbi groups.

The insurgency in NE is no longer ideology-driven. These fringe outfits thrive on extortion, smuggled arms and muted response of the populace. Broadly, the consistent sustenance of insurgency in NE can be attributed to ambivalence of local establishments, inter-community trust deficit, tardy criminal justice system, extortion, abundance of weapons in SE Asian markets and convenient havens across Indian borders. Overall the security forces have achieved great amount of success in last two years. We need politico-administrative and developmental initiatives to ensure long-term stability

SP’s: Considering the disputed border in the Eastern theatre, how well are we prepared to confront a conflict in the region? What are the areas of focus as far as military preparedness of this theatre of war is concerned? What is our operational status as compared to the fast paced modernisation of the PLA?

COAS: China has focussed itself towards building its comprehensive national strength through economic development along with impetus to military modernisation. They have been carrying out rapid infrastructural development as per their overall infrastructural development plan. We are fully seized of the security needs of the country as well as the requirement of the development of the infrastructure in the border areas.

Necessary measures as required have been initiated for the upgradation of our infrastructure which includes roads, railways and air fields as well as enhancement of operational capabilities of the Army to secure the desired national security objectives. We are well prepared to tackle the challenges posed and the modernisation of the PLA is factored into our preparation.

SP’s: There have been a political move to remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K. Such a move could seriously jeopardise the safety and credibility of the IA operating in J&K. What is the stand taken by the Army Headquarters on this issue?

COAS: While the security forces have through relentless operations substantially controlled the violence levels in J&K, the terrorist threat remains real and the terror infrastructure across the borders remains active. In such an environment, the security forces are required to undertake operations in challenging circumstances against highly trained terrorists armed and equipped with sophisticated weapons. Therefore, we need requisite legal protection. Any dilution/withdrawal of AFSPA will lead to constraining our operations. AFSPA is a misunderstood act and all who ask for its dilution/withdrawal, probably do so for narrow political gains. We are very clear on the subject that soldiers operating in hostile environment need legal protection to ensure that they perform their task efficiently.

Adequate measures have been instituted at organisational and functional levels to ensure that the powers entrusted through the Act are not misused.

SP’s: Serious delays have occurred in equipping the Army with critically required weapons and equipment whose non-availability could severely impact operational efficiency now and in the future. This includes long range artillery guns, air-defence weapons, suitable rifles and carbines, night vision equipment for infantry and tanks and other weapons and equipment for special forces among a host of other requirements. What action are you going to take to overcome such delays in the future?

COAS: I am conscious of the voids in equipment, weapon systems and its upgradation. You are aware that the process of acquisition is complex and also influenced by budgetary allocations. Delays occur due to necessary checks and balances as well as the procedures.

Procurement of equipment, upgradation to new generation technology and better equipment is an ongoing process and I consider this as my thrust area. The DPP is periodically reviewed and I have given directions for refinement of our own, in service procedures, to facilitate meeting the time lines of our modernisation process. The government has also adopted various measures to strengthen the defence equipment production capabilities of both public and the private sector within the country. In synchronisation with the MoD, we are taking measures to hasten up the acquisition.