Indian Defence Strategy - Forces, Potential and Procurement Disasters

Sponsored by Private Internet Access: https://www.piavpn.com/Perun When debates arise on what the worlds strongest militaries are, attention tends to focus on the United States, PRC, and the Russian Federation. Less often mentioned is India...and I think that's a massive oversight. With a rapidly growing economy, young demography, and a developing military industry, India's military evolution and strategy are likely to become ever more significant regional and global factors in the coming years. So today, let's talk about it Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU Caveats & Comments: All normal caveats and comments apply. At one point I refer to the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2016 - as per the slide, it was actually the Defence Procurement Procedure at the time. My reading was focused on the 2020 document, not 2016 as mentioned. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions. Relevant Reading (to be expanded) Platform counts are generally MB2022 figures for sake of consistency with other episodes TIV figures are per SIPRI Defence Acquisition Procedure - 2020 https://www.ddpmod.gov.in/sites/default/files/DAP%202020%20%2011%20Nov%2021_0.pdf Defence Procurement Procedure - 2016 highlights https://www.scribd.com/document/312506309/DPP-2016-pdf Defence Procurement Procedure - 2013 https://cgda.nic.in/pdf/DPP2013.pdf Featured Comptroller and Auditor General Report (35 or 2014) https://cag.gov.in/webroot/uploads/download_audit_report/2014/Union_Compliance_Defence_Army_Ordnance_Factories_35_2014.pdf https://loksabhadocs.nic.in/Refinput/New_Reference_Notes/English/The%20Defence%20Procurement%20Procedure.pdf Defence Procurement Manual 2016 (DRDO) https://www.drdo.gov.in/sites/default/files/procurement-manuals-document/procurement-manual-2016.pdf Reporting on India China clashes https://www.wsj.com/articles/spiked-clubs-and-fists-at-14-000-feet-the-deadly-india-china-clash-11592418242 Reporting and Service Records https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/26707 https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/36000 https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/28708 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-air-force-group-captain-who-died-in-air-crash-cremated/articleshow/81570740.cms Reporting on QR bloat https://thewire.in/security/indian-military-qr-overreach-modernisation US Force Demographics -2021 https://www.defenseculture.mil/Portals/90/Documents/Research/Publications/DEMORPT-2021_demographics_report-20230203.pdf Dewey, McGerty, & Solanki (IISS) - Personnel vs. capital: the Indian defence budget https://www.iiss.org/en/online-analysis/military-balance/2023/04/indian-defence-budget/ Reporting on Agnipath https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/agnipath-scheme-aims-to-lower-forces-average-age-profile-by-4-5-years-3065496 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-move-to-increase-retirement-age-slash-pensions-triggers-uproar-in-military-circles/articleshow/79046152.cms https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1833765 Reporting on Russian arms deliveries to India https://www.reuters.com/world/india/russia-cannot-meet-arms-delivery-commitments-because-war-indian-air-force-says-2023-03-23/ Reporting on MiG-21 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/why-do-mig-21-crash-indian-air-force-fighter-aircraft-rajasthan-incident-pilots-death-1981575-2022-07-29 https://thewire.in/security/mig-21-squadron-retired-curtain-closing-iaf-most-abiding-fighter https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/why-are-mig-21s-still-in-service-in-india-despite-several-recent-crashes-2376381-2023-05-08 https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/indian-air-force-mig-21-fleet-rajasthan-crash-b2342898.html Reporting on QRs https://thewire.in/security/indian-military-qr-overreach-modernisation INSAS retiring https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/insas-rifles-to-retire-to-be-replaced-by-imported-weapons/articleshow/57479939.cms?from=mdr Featured WB article on Indian growth https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/10/03/india-s-growth-to-remain-resilient-despite-global-challenges Reporting on Indian defence budget https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-01/india-s-military-modernization-in-doubt-with-tiny-budget-rise F404 order https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/hal-orders-99-f404-engines-to-support-tejas-production/145127.article For comparison: F-16 mishap and pilot loss statistics https://www.safety.af.mil/Portals/71/documents/Aviation/Aircraft%20Statistics/F-16.pdf Timestamps: 00:00:00 — Indian Defence Strategy 00:01:20 — What Am I Talking About? 00:04:14 — History 00:07:59 — Strategic Situation 00:21:22 — Indian Armed Forces 00:27:29 — The Nuclear Program 00:36:21 — Strengths & Challenges 00:46:37 — Defence Industry & Procurement 00:50:14 — Why Procurement Goes Wrong? 01:10:15 — Conclusion 01:11:03 — Channel Update