General Underlines Need for Combat Readiness

While cautioning against any kind of hysteria, Chief of the Army Staff, Deepak Kapoor has said that all Indian defences were being in the process of being geared up as a fallout of escalating Indo-Pak tensions I the aftermath of the audacious terror strikes in Mumbai last November.

General Kapoor said steps were being taken to strengthen the country’s defences. He said that the Mumbai terror attacks necessitated concentrated efforts to curb response time by the Armed Forces in the event of a calamity.

He added that the Army needed to maintain highest levels of combat readiness at all time.

"After the Mumbai terror attacks, it has been decided to get equipment, which would be of use to counter such terrorist strikes. That is more of a counter-terrorist equipment," said the General.

"We are looking at it from the perspective of improving the capability of our special forces. And to improve the capability of the 'Ghatak' platoons within every battalion. Both to react to any such terror activities," he said.

Stating that his Key Result Areas, when he took over as Army chief, was modernisation of the forces, Kapoor said it continued to be so because of the simple reason that the primary role of the Army was ensuring the territorial integrity of the country.

"There is a requirement that we continue to upgrade our conventional capability and ensure the Indian Army remains a potent fighting force in any future scenario," he said.

Kapoor said the army had already placed the Request for Proposals for all types of artillery guns, "because we have not got a single gun since 1986 when Bofors happened."

"I am happy to say that we have issued RFPs for all different types of artillery guns, be they towed, self-propelled and wheeled guns or ultra-light howitzers. This process is on going. It takes time, but it will fructify in due course," he informed.

He said the army was also getting special night vision devices for its troops to end their "night-blindness" during operations.

Noting that Pakistan has moved troops towards border with India, Kapoor said New Delhi has kept all options open - diplomatic, economic and the "fighting option", which is being seen as a last resort.

Kapoor however, cautioned that despite the tension between the two countries in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks there was no need to create any hysteria.

"We expect Pakistan to move some troops from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to its eastern borders with India," he stated. He said the Indian Army had already "factored this" into its planning and there was "no cause for concern" in India.

"Nuclear weapons are a worry for entire world and we hope Pakistan's weapons are as secure as any other civilised nation's," Kapoor added.

On the issue of deploying troops in Afghanistan, Kapoor said that the deployment of Indian troops in another country was a political decision.