New Delhi: Besides the challenge posed by the adversary, the Indian Army was left fighting another war at its rear during the Kargil conflict and Operation Parakaram — that of scarce supplies of military equipment and ammunition.
Underscoring the critical importance of having indigenous solutions to fight wars, the Indian Army’s vice-chief Lt Gen Sarath Chand was quoted by military portal DefenceAviationPost.com as saying: “After attacks on Indian Parliament, we were very keen to teach Pakistan a lesson. We had mobilised and some of the formations had actually started moving also… but we had to halt our troops on their tracks as were not sure if we were adequately prepared with our equipment and ammunition”.
During the Kargil conflict, which was a limited war, “the Army had to scout all over the world to get ammunition for it’s artillery guns,” the Lt Gen said during a Make in India event organised jointly by DefenceAviationPost.com and industry body FICCI in Coimbatore.
While Operation Parakram was a major military mobilisation move against Pakistan just after the 2001 terrorist attack on Indian Parliament, the Kargil conflict was fought in the summer of 1999 between Indian and Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Kashmir’s Ladakh.
“This would not have been the case if we had our own industry here to give us the ammunition not just at a much cheaper rate but also in enough quantities…they would have surged production of ammunition based on our requirements,” he was quoted as saying.
“We are terribly short of spare parts and dependent on Russia since most of our equipments are Russian made…spare parts for our tanks and equipments. Since most of these parts for our equipments have to come from abroad, parts don’t reach on time thereby disturbing our timelines”, said Lt Gen Chand.
Speaking on the huge potential Indian small-scale and medium-scale military industries have for growth, the vice-chief said: “The Indian Army is 1.3 million strong, 1.4 million if you also add to it the Navy and Air Force but it becomes 2.5 million strong if you also include other forces including the para military, police and others. In 15 years, the requirement of small arms by them will be anywhere or over 2 million and ammunition needs will be over a billion a year…This is the potential that Indian industry should sense”.
