Publication: DISAM Journal
Publication Date: 22-JUN-05
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Winston, Greg
Article Excerpt
Introduction
South Block is part of one of New Delhi's most impressive and imposing building complexes. In this century old red sandstone structure, decisions on the future of the Indian military are made. Two years ago personnel from the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in India had little reason to visit this facility. One measure of the recent transformation in the Indo-United States (U.S.) defense supply relationship is that the South Block guards now know all ODC personnel by name. It was not always this way.
Defense cooperation with India has gone through a cycle of boom and bust over the past forty years. From a high point in the early 1960s with hundreds of personnel, the Office of Defense Cooperation, previously known as the Defense Supply Advisor, almost closed down completely on at least two occasions, one of which followed India's nuclear tests in 1998. Luckily that did not happen, because today ODC New Delhi is a busy and rapidly growing office.
When Lieutenant Colonel Scott Denney learned he would be going to India to head up the ODC three years ago, he anticipated a relatively relaxed assignment, with plenty of time for golf. Today his golf game is no better than when he arrived, and it does not appear as though it will be improving anytime soon. The ongoing transformation in India and U.S. relations began during the watch of the Honorable Robert Black will, U.S. Ambassador to India, and continues unabated today under the leadership of former financier Ambassador David Mulford. What happened in between, and the current state of security cooperation programs with India, are the subjects of this article.
India Overview
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes invaded the region from the northwest about 3500 years ago and their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Non-violent resistance to British colonialism under Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru led to independence in 1947. At that time, the subcontinent was divided in two: the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A war between the two countries in 1971 further resulted in the creation of Bangladesh from East Pakistan. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and a booming high technology sector, fundamental concerns for India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, overpopulation, environmental issues, poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
India is roughly one-third the size of the U.S., with a geography and climate even more varied than that of the U.S., with the Himalayan mountains rising to the north, dense jungles in the east, the deserts of Rajasthan to the west, plains in center and more lush forests in the coastal areas of the south. The diversity of the country is astounding, with entirely different cultures, diets, and languages contained in a nation that has enjoyed more than five decades of democracy. India's population is approximately 1.1 billion (second only to China) with the following religious breakdowns:
* Hindu 81.3 percent;
* Muslim 12 percent (the world's second largest Muslim population);
* Christian 2.3 percent;
* Sikh 1.9 percent, (additional groups including Buddhist, Jain); and
* Parsi 2.5 percent. (1)
Although Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30 percent of the people, there are fourteen other major official languages spoken by more than one million people. English is also spoken throughout India and is the lingua franca of national politics, the military and commerce.
India is the world's most populous democracy, with a government consisting of a central parliament and state legislatures, balanced by judiciary and executive branches. Each arm functions independently, although they are intertwined and operate under a national constitution. The President is the supreme commander of all Indian armed forces, but it is the Prime Minister that wields the real power. Under India's parliamentary system, coalition parties are the norm, one effect of which is to moderate governing parties and seek consensus on all issues. The Congress Party defeated the BJP in May 2004, taking control of parliament as part of the national elections that take place every five years.
India's economy encompasses all levels from traditional village farming and handicrafts to a wide range of modern industries and support services including a world class high technology industry. Since 1991, government controls have been reduced on imports and foreign investment, and privatization of government monopolies such as electrical power is proceeding slowly. The economy has grown at an average rate of 6 percent since 1990, reducing poverty by about ten percentage points in the process. India contains large numbers of well-educated English speakers, which has enabled it to become a major exporter of software services and workers.
India is committed to improving its defense posture as well, and has allocated a large portion of its budget to make this goal a reality. Defense spending in the 2005 national budget year is approximately $18.7 billion, an increase of almost 8 percent over the previous year. Of this amount, approximately $7.7 billion has been allocated for capital expenditures, which includes upgrades and new acquisitions. (2) While major recent purchases such as the British Hawk jet trainer, the Israeli Phalcon radar system...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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