The debate was essentially around how in the past 30 years, continuous CI operations across the country particularly J&K has worn down the IA , debilitated their operational efficacy & efficiency as a war fighting force & limited their strategic thinking into believing that large scale operations like the 1971 war or battle set pieces like the Battle of the Bulge, Kursk, Stalingrad etc out of WW-2 were passe with the emphasis being more on CI & at the most CS type of operations involving rapid mobilisation for shallow thrusts across the border to hold territory under the overhang of N weapons until the eventual & inevitable foreign intervention enforced cease fire pending negotiations.
But that view, of limited duration conflicts, is pertinent. The only condition wherein the large group based wars will be fought is one like now, where the world is distracted with COVID19 pandemic and will have hardly any time to react in a cohesive manner to any aggression with an intent to occupy territory.
As for operational efficiency and war fighting taking a hit, it is true to certain extent but not for the reason being put forth. In fact, I have a counter argument. The experience of fighting in CI grid sans air support or heavy weaponry in urban set up, has trained our men more to match the increased urban pockets of resistance and defence one may expect to encounter in any conventional war on western border. Syria, Iraq, Libya remain perfect examples.
He also argued strongly for an exclusive CI force like RR to be completely divorced operationally & doctrinewise from the IA exclusively under the command of the MHA leaving the IA & the RM / MoD to focus exclusively on manning the border
We saw how that worked out in BSF, didn't we? Who is going to plug your gaps in any conventional war or is doing the same in CI grid along LC? It is the BSF. But the disconnect with soldiers of the officer cadre hailing from IPS is so glaring that effectiveness of BSF is severely compromised in select locations. Operationally, their officers are found missing except for few spirited ones, along LC, choosing to sit comfortably at battalion headquarters away from LC.
This was one view which Army wanted to do in Assam Rifles. If anyone wants to see how the CI force works other than RR, it is AR. Their officer cadre in executive is Army, Administrative is predominantly from own cadre. That makes a substantial difference.
You can also look at the performance of ex-army CRPF officers as compared to IPS officers to get an idea. It is about the level of training and the general mindset.
strategize, procure accordingly & sharpen their war fighting abilities. Apparently all these continuous CI operations has affected the scheduling of war drills / exercises & the R&R schedules of the IA too. I'm increasingly coming around to agreeing with them that the IA as of today is like the ubiquitous potato in our cuisine. You can utilize it as you like except for the primary & exclusive task it was supposed to undertake.
Strategize - mediocrity has increased in the society. It is rewarded. You get in forces what is prevalent in society. One option which was put forth back in 1997 was to make NDA entry from Standard X on, and rest all from standard XII on so that the army can have choice of people in an impressionable age bracket moving for education into their environments to be groomed and prepared for forces. The proposal remained as such.
Procurement - it is simply not in army's hands. If you won't do it, you will be posted out and someone else will be brought in Simple. Has happened too often in the system.
War fighting abilities - need exercises. In an era where Army's authorised land is being given away as cities and towns miserably fail to build infrastructure and want to tap into the land of Cantonment and better roads there to provide access to areas they dont connect due to poor planning and sheer corruption, the availability of land is an issue. Ranges have been denotified. Earlier, artillery fire used to take place at Shamirpet, north of Hyderabad. Today, there is extensive farming and settlements being done there. Also, funds. There are simply no funds. Then, battle innoculation, where in people were put under actual fire to get used to responding under fire, has been stopped by GoI.
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