Reference material on military strategy
R.S. Bedi

Indian Defence Year Book-2003
edited by Lt. Gen R.K. Jasbir Singh. Natraj Publishers, Dehradun. Pages 603. Rs 1150.

INDIAN Defence Year Book, as the name suggests, is an annual feature. It has grown in stature and circulation since its first edition in 1997. This compendium on the armed forces of India and of other countries is a storehouse of information. Perhaps, it’s one of the rare annual journals that go beyond the armed forces to cover comprehensively India’s paramilitary forces also. The BSF, ITBP, CISF, TA, AR, RR and the Coast Guard, besides others, constitute almost half the strength of the security forces of the country and yet sadly they are unable to take care of nation’s internal security. Lack of adequate training, motivation and quality leadership are some of their shortcomings, which should have been covered for more credible assessment of their performance.

The hallmark of the book is the information and the data that it carries on the armed forces of India, China and Pakistan, including their defence development projects. If the source of information on these countries’ hardware assets had been given, it would have added to the credibility of the book. Nonetheless, it remains a valuable and a comprehensive source of reference material on matters related to defence and strategy.

The passages concerning Indo-Pak relations are not only insightful but also contain information hitherto unknown to the common man. It’s generally believed that before resorting to coercive diplomacy against Pakistan to restrain it from its low-cost, high-gain war, India must have analysed that sufficient space existed between conventional and nuclear war. But the fact that India hesitated in the end, leaves a doubt whether that was indeed true. However, what is interesting to know is that besides the declared objectives, "India’s aim was to make the US war on terrorism to incorporate the Kashmir insurgency into it". In fact, the US did respond by banning some of the terrorist groups and forcing Musharraf to take measures to stop cross-border terrorism. It is a different matter that Musharraf wriggled out of it. He was, perhaps, "emboldened by ambiguous political and diplomatic utterances by our leadership". The art of coercive diplomacy is not India’s forte.

Being the COAS-cum-President, Gen Musharraf was fully aware of the weaknesses and strengths of the Indian Army. It was not easy to bluff him. The Army’s combat potential had been slowly eroding over the years. Modernisation of the armed forces has to go beyond acquisition of hardware to include infrastructure, shipyards, design, development and production capabilities. Services have to become IT-savvy also to survive the future battlefield scenario.

Strategic relations with other countries like the US, China, Russia, France, Israel and South Africa have been analysed comprehensively. The analysis of the Chinese strategy of defending sovereignty and territorial integrity against "Neo-economic colonialism and hegemonism practiced by the west, particularly the US" by enhancing its geo-political influence and strengthening its economy and the armed forces, is revealing.

The US has emerged as an important factor between India and China. Indo-US cooperation has suddenly gained momentum. "The US seeks to use India’s burgeoning security, economy and the diplomatic standing around the world to its advantage". Joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean and patrolling in the Strait of Malacca where the Chinese also exercise their influence make India, to the chagrin of China, a willing ally of the US whose long-term objective is to contain China. No wonder the US is promoting tacitly India’s relations with Israel which is now competing with Russia, India’s principal supplier of defence equipment. The US is, thus, able to support India without offending Pakistan, its ally in the fight against terrorism.

Although Russia is unhappy with India’s policy of diversification, it has nonetheless decided to upgrade its relations with India from one between buyer and seller to one of cooperation and collaboration in the field of design, development and production. In fact, the French, too, are seeking joint ventures and collaboration in high-tech areas, particularly after India opened defence production to the private sector. Analysis of strategic dynamics and power politics in inter-state relations are the high points of the book.

One only wishes that the editor were more judicious in selecting articles and issues in this otherwise comprehensive reference book. One is left wondering at the end whether it is a military yearbook or an amalgam of a bit of everything that has anything to do with the armed forces. Inconsequential and trivial issues not necessarily connected in content or concept, tend to give an impression that the book lacks a theme.

A novel, though disconcerting, feature of this yearbook is the inclusion of scores of glossy advertisements inserted rather indiscriminately all over the book. Otherwise, It is a well-produced book with wide-ranging information on varied subjects that can be a valuable reference material.

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