Having PM, DM and top brass of Army, Navy and Air Force on board INS Vikramaditya is no cruise

It is a little surprising that the Combined Commanders’ Conference of the three services which will be held onboard India’s latest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in Kochi was public knowledge as much as a month or more before its scheduled start tomorrow. Since this is the first time the conference has shifted away from Delhi and brings together the top brass of the army, navy and air force as well as the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister and specific Cabinet ministers who will all congregate on deck, the security risk in being so casual about the details is compounded. While it might sound a bit paranoid, the act of ferrying and placing so many important people on a vessel in a port does intensify security concerns. Securing waters is always a tough proposition and though one is not sure whether the carrier will sail to sea or stay berthed (what with Mr Modi’s tight schedule in Kochi) the logistics of getting everyone on board is complex as compared to driving down to South Block and doing the same thing. [caption id=“attachment_1569253” align=“alignleft” width=“300”] File image of INS Vikramaditya where Combined Commanders’ Conference will be held. PTI[/caption] The effort to sanitise the port must generate loss in shipping terms and patrolling the harbour will be a tough task. A cordon sanitaire is mandated. A huge amount of manpower and effort and cost has been thrust into service for an event that has no advantage in being held offshore or at anchor. The weather, too, in Kochi warns of rain on Tuesday and if the seas get choppy (calm at present) we could have a lot of green faces with VIP landlubbers desperately finding their sea legs. If she sails, even in calm waters mal de mer (seasickness) is a possibility. The idea of having these annual conferences at more esoteric venues was Mr Modi’s at the last coming together in October 2014. The logic of it was not explained. Imagine 30-odd four and three star officers (senior commanders and Principal Staff Officers with their respective staffs, the PM and the Defence Minister’s entourages, the Cabinet Ministers and their back-ups, all milling about on an aircraft carrier. Regardless of its size it is still a ship and living and moving space is tight. Just going up and down the ladders could be a hazard and there will be a queue for the limited heads (restrooms) besides totally disrupting the readiness of India’s premier warship for this carnival in uniform. A VIP visit is one thing. You come in on a chopper, stay a while and push off. Having these many VIPs congregated in one spot quite another. The pattern is usually speeches by the PM and the Defence Minister and the Defence secretary and a sharing of ‘intel’ with the chiefs of the armed forces. There will probably be a debriefing of the NSA talks recently held in Pakistan and also a discussion on weaponry especially our front-line air force strike capacity where we are seven squadrons short. Prime Minister Modi will also have to address border readiness on a 24x7 basis. While conventional wars are not likely to occur insurgencies will increase. One of the sobering aspects is that of top quality training facilities because no one in the armed forces has been exposed to true battle conditions, be it officer or soldier. Each arm also puts forward its demands and these are given to the MoD for consideration. There is usually a chilly politeness between the bureaucrats and the men in uniform best described in a legendary anecdote where a senior defence ministry official stood up and addressing the forces said, I ask only one question. How many Emperors are there in the world? A three star officer stood up and said, “Who do you think you are talking to…tenth class students?” The rivalry, not always pleasant, continues. On the bucket list will be revitalising obsolete armament, upgrading artillery which is 30 years out of date, ensuring more ammunition quotas for training exercises, upgrading maintenance of ships, tanks and aircraft and, most importantly, giving general morale a boost. In this list, if your ammunition reserves are limited you are already on the backfoot. The navy’s submarine wing needs to be upgraded. We are still stuck with the 36 Rafales and nothing else. There is no movement on the Typhoon offer from UK Prime Minister David Cameron which seems to have been totally rejected. India’s gunships (replacing fighters in many parts of the world) are outdated by two generations. Choppers are the new fighters. They have the distance, they have the firepower and they do not need landing strips. No decision is yet forthcoming on the Russian T14 Armata Main Battle Tank. I do not imagine OROP will get a mention since it is not an operational issue but the general line is: matters of national defence policy, doctrines and operational challenges will be tabled. In all nothing dramatic happens unless one of the visitors falls down a ladder or slams into a bulkhead… Largely because the interchanges between the various arms are ongoing and the conference is more a pleasant interlude. The periodically revised wish-list is already with the signing authorities. Generally, the armed forces will make demands, the bureaucracy will promise to study them, the PM will give a rousing speech of gratitude and there will be cheery rounds of handshakes On a naval ship, though, it is no cruise. Hopefully, the navy will have informed its civilian guests to wear sensible shoes.