Amid war, identifying sources for Soviet-era equipment spares: Army Chief

Addressing the press ahead of Army Day on January 15, General Pande said the Army has secured a waiver and sanction to import spares and ammunition for the sustenance of these equipment for the next two to three years.

“We have 40 such cases, including spares and ammunition, largely pertaining to air defence and the tank fleet,” he said. He said the Army is looking at finding alternative sources of supply for these spares which are currently being sourced from Russia and Ukraine.

The Army Chief said it is a good opportunity for the Indian industry to step up and see in which areas they can meet the Army’s requirements.

“Yes, there has been an impact in terms of supplies from these countries. We have put out a plan to overcome this and as we move forward, we will be able to overcome this successfully,” he said.

General Pande said the Army has a major role to play in military diplomacy, especially in the context of the immediate neighbourhood.

“In the immediate neighbourhood, it goes beyond exercises. Several officers from these countries have trained with us. So, there is a special connection,” he said.

Talking about various joint exercises the Army is engaging in, he said the Army is currently engaging with 40 countries in bilateral or multilateral exercises. “These largely pertain to mountain warfare, glaciated warfare, counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations in which our friendly foreign countries are keen to engage with us purely because of our combat experience in these fields,” he said.

He said in March this year, there will be an Africa-India joint exercise in Pune where contingents have been invited from African countries to train together with India. On the sidelines of the event, there will be an Army Chiefs conclave of the armies of these countries.

“We are also looking at enhancing the scope of the joint training and include cyber warfare and Info operations. It is not only the number of exercises, but also the scope of each joint exercise is being expanded,” he said, adding that India has also been sending tailor-made teams for a short period of three to six months to meet specific requirements of certain countries.

“In terms of military diplomacy, we are able to leverage the potential the army can offer to further our national interest,” he said.

Talking about the forthcoming Union Budget, Gen Pande said that so far, the Army has utilised 72 per cent of the budget allocated to the force but is confident of spending the full budget by 31 March.