India continues arming its military

The Indian Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) recently handed over the first batch of six Dhanush artillery guns to the Indian Army. Dhanush is claimed to be the indigenously-upgraded gun of the Swedish Bofors gun procured in the 1980s. It is a 155 mm, 45-calibre towed artillery gun with a range of 36 km and has reportedly demonstrated a range of 38 kms with specialised ammunition. It is said to be an upgrade of the existing 155m, 39 calibre Bofors FH 77 gun and compatible with all North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) 155 mm ammunition system.

Six guns were handed over to the Indian Army at a ceremony at the Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur. The first Dhanush regiment with 18 guns is expected to be ready by the end of next year. All 114 guns for the Indian Army are expected to be delivered within four years.

“Indigenisation to the extent of about 81 percent has already been achieved. By the end of 2019, the indigenisation level of the gun will go up to 91pc,” the Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Also, the Indian Army has approved the import of 240 Israeli-made Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Spike medium-range (MR) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and 12 launchers “as part of an emergency purchase to meet immediate operational requirements”, media reports have revealed.

Following the February 2019 military standoff between India and Pakistan following the Balakot airstrikes, the Indian Army’s vice chief of staff has been given authority to procure goods and materiel worth up to $72 million without prior approval from the Indian Ministry of Defence under an emergency purchase provision.

The decision to procure the third-generation fire-and-forget weapon system was taken at the five-day Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi recently.

Earlier, on January 31, 2019, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council had approved procurement of 5,000 French-made second-generation MILAN ATGMs.

On the other hand, as elections in India continue, a letter by over 150 armed forces veterans has appeared, expressing concern at the politicisation of the Indian armed forces. Maj. Gen. S. G. Vombatkere (retd), who has coordinated the effort, said many senior veterans have endorsed the sentiment and asked to be part of the appeal.

“The focus of the whole exercise was to request the President to advise all political parties not to use the army in furtherance of their political agenda as it will affect its apolitical character and adversely affect national security,” Maj. Gen. Vombatkere told The Hindu newspaper. Giving details of the initial exercise, he said that it was initiated and coordinated by three veterans, led by former Navy chief Admiral L. Ramdas, Major Priyadarshi Chowdhury and himself.

Maj. Gen. Vombatkere said that he had recorded all email responses of veterans who had endorsed the letter, including those of the two former chiefs, who had later denied supporting it.

In the letter dated April 11, 156 veterans, including eight former Indian chiefs appealed to the supreme commander of the armed forces, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, to “ensure the secular and apolitical character of our armed forces is preserved” and direct all political parties to desist from using the military in any manner for political purposes or to further their political agendas.

Whatever the effort by the veterans, it seems Hindutva and BJP will continue to try and see that India and its armed forces shed the cover of secularism and embrace communal agendas and character.