Defence: DPM gets updates from Admiral

While North Block is tightlipped about the meeting, Singh’s meeting with Advani assumes significance as the Armed Forces is unhappy with the cut in the capital outlay of the defence budget. The military establishment this year was forced to surrender more than Rs 9,000 crore leaving the Armed Forces acquisition plan in a lurch.

The standing committee on defence report, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, sparked off a heated debate in the House with members accusing the Centre of neglecting the military establishment. The members wanted to know whether the country is in ‘‘safe hands’’. It is learnt that Advani discussed the implementation of recommendations of the Group of Ministers with Singh.

He also called for the GoM report after the Parliamentary uproar on Wednesday. The Andaman Command was set up on the basis of GoM report to monitor the sea lanes in the context of energy security and tackle gun-running and narcotics smuggling in the Andamans sea. Sources said Singh made out a case for increasing force levels of the Armed Forces with Advani. The three services have been crying for acquiring more force multipliers so that conventional parity with India’s neighbours does not go down.

For instance, the Advanced Jet Trainer deal for the Indian Air Force has been hanging fire since 1984. The Army has been asking for self-propelled guns for the past five years and Navy has been keen on acquiring Admiral Gorshkov Aircraft Carrier for the past decade.