Withdraw helicopters on UN assignments first
If the IAF is feeling the pinch by deploying four MI-17 helicopters for providing logistics support to anti-Maoist operations, it must withdraw the 17 helicopters deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Africa first.
Indian Air Force[IAF] wants to withdraw its helicopters deployed for providing logistics support to the state and central police forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations. Out of its inventory of 200 MI-17 helicopters, four helicopters are deployed for the anti-Maoist operations. The reason behind this proposal:
A top IAF officer told HT, “We are hamstrung by inadequate resources. We have diverted helicopters to support anti-Naxal operations at the cost of training and air maintenance operations. It’s about time that the BSF steps into our shoes.”[HT]
While it is understandable to expect the BSF Air Wing to shoulder the responsibilities of internal security operations, the top IAF officer is only proffering a part of the whole truth. Besides helicopters on training and air maintenance operations, IAF has also deployed seventeen MI-17 helicopters [and eight attack helicopters] in two UN peacekeeping missions, in Congo and Sudan. It defies all logic then for the IAF to press for withdrawal of helicopters deployed in the Maoist-affected areas before withdrawing those with the UN peacekeeping missions in far-away Africa. Somewhere along the way, the Indian defence services seem to have lost track of the fact that their own priorities must always remain subservient to the larger national interest.
And just for the record, IAF has had an under-recovery of Rs 205 crore from the UN for the reimbursement of the helicopters deployed with the UN assignments between July 2003 and March 2008. Because it agreed to provide helicopters to the UN at much lower rates than its own actual cost of operation per flying hour and then forgot to revise the rates for the next three to five years, despite having signed the agreement for only one year. [2.9-I, Pages 46-47 of CAG Report No. CA 18 of 2008-09 (pdf here)]
Of course, needless to say that this fits in snugly with our long-held view at the INI that India must stop contributing its resources for UN peacekeeping missions.
Clearly its not a question of whether IAF can spare four choppers. Its more to do with turf battles with the BSF and command issues between MOD and MHA.
@smita:
Perhaps, you are right that its more about a turf-war between the MoD & MHA than the number of spare choppers. But that exactly is what I said : Somewhere along the way, the Indian defence services seem to have lost track of the fact that their own priorities must always remain subservient to the larger national interest.
National Interest; I am of the opinion that it is an interesting term no doubt, but we as a nation do not possess a cohesive train of thought on any issue except personal gain. So why single out the poor Armed Forces when the rest of us are busy with our snouts in the trough?? Let them also earn a few UN dollars when they can:)
On the question of recovery from UN, is it not ironic that we Indians who are known to be good at recovering profits/interests (mostly vested!) may completely forego this ‘earning’ opportunity? Or is it that someone has ‘earned’ something out of this 205 crores and UN is complicit in this?!
The smog and fog of non-transparency in the defence sector is just getting murkier and if I may say, reaching frustratingly dangerous levels. Our administrators and defence – both seem to be living in another world where there is no danger to the nation in their minds. Maoism is NOT a problem in their world and India is perfectly integrated and at peace. Maybe the HM has hallucinations of Maoists being number one threat to India. Maybe Congo is really an Indian national priority which we poor humble citizens have been vastly ignorant about as usual!
@Kurian Jose, I guess the problem is not about letting them earn. India should have earned more and it has FORGOTTEN to earn money here which was rightfully hers because of our ‘inefficient’ (!?) administrators. That’s disastrous for country like us. We have pressing security and national issues, not least of which are existential ones. We need the dollars and helicopters both – but, AT RIGHT PLACE, AT RIGHT TIME & IN RIGHT AMOUNT. I guess that’s what Pragmatic has been hinting at.
…I guess the problem is not about letting them earn. India should have earned more and it has FORGOTTEN to earn money here which was rightfully hers because of our ‘inefficient’ (!?) administrators….
@Amit, To use the collective ‘India’, in order to signify the motley crew that we are is erroneous. The ‘nation’ is but a legacy of the Brits and fast falling apart. The Armed Forces, perhaps the only group not involved in corruption as a way of life. But then I guess, it is but a matter of time before they too, succumb…
The ‘nation’ is but a legacy of the Brits and fast falling apart. The Armed Forces, perhaps the only group not involved in corruption as a way of life. But then I guess, it is but a matter of time before they too, succumb…
@Kurien, I do agree to what you are saying here. I guess the one need that we as a nation never met was defining our nationalism. What is ‘Bharat’?… and to that extent I agree with Ramdev Baba about not calling ourselves India .. but Bharat… Without straying further, yes it is erronous to use collective ‘India’. But, then this was or should have been the responsibility of the civilian leadership to make that profit for India and hence, I used it that way. But they have not bothered. Unfortunately, we have no identity to derive from – no concept of Bharatiyatva. Once that is done, things will hopefully get back on. British Indian legacy and their systems have run the course. But, our octogenarians love the goras too much and won’t change that …tragic..
Dear Prag,
A brilliant article by you once again. Though I have regard for your brilliance-you do make some fundamental errors. For Example – Attributing the comments of one Top IAF Officer as “Indian Air Force wants to withdraw”. Now who was that Top Officer? The C in C of Central Air Command. He has only XX Mi 17 choppers in his command. Most of them ageing and without spares coming from the erstwhile USSR because of bureaucratic hassles set by intelligent people like you who do not know the least bit about IAF Command structure. The 200 Mi-17s you talked about are a mix of Mi-17 1Vs and older Mi-17s- the parts of which are quite unchangable. These Mi-17s and Mi17 1Vs are distributed in various commands like Northern Command – XX, SWAC – XX, Eastern Air Command XX and Central Air Command XX. And if I knew right, of the XX Choppers in NorthCom, YY are waiting grounded for spares and IAF is not able to send Z of these at a time to Siachen and the Valley. Holy God- only XXX Choppers of which 17 are in Congo. Perhaps I got my Mathematics wrong. Perhaps there are 200 Choppers after all. Perhaps I haven’t counted the Mi-8 helicopters lying in the graveyards and Prags did. Perhaps Pragmatic is right and is not writing due to his virulent dislike of the Armed Forces and suiting the appreciation by wording his posts to prove that IAF is full of incompetent guys who do not want to do the job that BSF and ARC were given Choppers for.
/Sarcasm Alert.
Anyway, I hope you can get our Choppers back from Congo – You are on the right track but have got the wrong end of the stick. You have absolutely no idea about the forces in play. It is a badly guarded secret that Bureaucrats have the least access to/interest in. Bark up the right tree and open a Can of Worms. Bash On Prags. Bash On. As I said you are on the right track. God speed.
@Roxy,
Unlike you, I have no insider information. I was just quoting from the Hindustan Times as I mentioned there which gave the figure of 200 helicopters in the inventory. The figure of 17 with the UN missions is from the CAG report which I have linked below in the post. Let me again reiterate that all the information in this post was from publicly available sources on the internet.
I am editing your comment to take out the details that are not publicly available. Thanks.
“is but a legacy of the Brits and fast falling apart.”
“But, our octogenarians love the goras too much ”
goras, st pancras > aghoras, banaras (toi, sunday, 21 march 10)
“the parts of which are quite unchangable.”
Dear Prags,
Do you think I was quoting from memory or Classified Sources haven’t read the Official Secrets Act. The figures were not the real figures. I was also quoting from Open source- A Paki site (in case you were interested). Quoting CAG reports and suiting them to make IAF look bad doesn’t earn you credit points. Look at what your buffoons have done to the Army’s plan of getting XXX nos of “Medium Lift Helicopters”. They scuttled it saying that the IAF is getting 80 more Choppers (open source). Simultaneously, the scuttled the IAF plan of getting the Choppers by quoting that the Army has demanded these. Sad state of affairs. You quote articles written in “US Public Interest” of keeping their factories in production and call it National Interest. You quote articles saying ” India should buy more Su-30 MKI’s”. Who will fly those SU-30s? Pilots who graduate from the HJT / Kiran!?. Or those who will fly the LCA- on drawing boards for 30 years and still far from production. Or those who have read about the scuttling of the plan of buying 126 X MMRCAs and are motivated to prove that they can race a F1 Ferrari (Su-30) when they have just learned to drive on a Maruti 800? (Refurbished deathtraps). Why are you so rabid about the Defence Aquisitions? You actually do not understand the grave implications of the bufoonery going around which has crippled the capability of the Armed forces [How many Sqns does the IAF Have? What? Oh S.H.I.T?]
Perhaps, your guys are very intelligent and have some long term plan in mind but I have serious doubts. Please understand that even normal pilots, who are in Command positions in the IAF are brilliant guys with IQs of 130+ to the last man. What they say in Public Forums is not always “what they know” and is a watered down public version. They have reached their positions because of their cultivated diplomacy. Do not misquote them using soundbytes. Use their word for furthering a discussion towards furthering the National Cause instead of beating them down.
Bash On but “Hosh with Josh”. Bast of Luck.
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