Opinion Excerpts from Jasjit Singh’s columns in ‘The Indian Express’,2007-12

China’s policies provide for an integrated approach to civil and military capabilities and their optimum utilisation. Compared to this,our space programme continues to remain almost entirely devoted to civil uses… The rapid strides China has been making in space may be judged from the fact that its “long march” rockets made two-dozen consecutive successful launches during the past five years; and the total consecutively successful indigenous launches during the past 10 years was 46 (compared to our 15)! …During the past five years China “independently developed and launched 22 different types of man-made satellites” thus acquiring new capabilities,mostly for military uses… At the fundamental level,space power has become a pre-condition to control of land,sea and air power.

On energising India’s defence industry

‘On a wing and a plan’,August 31,2007

The race in the arms market has just speeded up for the procurement of the next fighter for the Indian Air Force in what has been called the ‘mother of all deals’ to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft. This procurement is important not just for the purchase of a new aircraft. It would be a defining point in our techno-economic development if we leverage the opportunity properly. Our defence modernisation has been stymied for nearly two decades…

Large investments in defence modernisation… must be leveraged to energise our defence (especially aerospace) industry. This should aim to serve two key purposes: build interdependence through horizontal and vertical partnerships,and empower Indian industry through capacity building with acquisition of modern aerospace technology. Both these principles are crucial to strengthening self-reliance through enhancing mutual dependence with countries and their industries that are willing to do so.

On military,equality and gender

‘In elders’ court’,May 21,2008

The military in essence is a social organisation,though with clearly defined goals and objectives that every member is expected to work for. At the same time… it has to be a hierarchical institution,though with its own characteristics of egalitarianism. It is important that we judge specific incidents within this broader framework. As a social organisation,the military would inevitably reflect changes happening in society at large — but it creates its own norms to deal with those changes…

From this perspective,it appears to me that the case of the young lady officer and the sergeant wanting to marry is not a gender issue,and certainly not an issue that has only to do with women officers… This is squarely an issue that concerns the social norms and customs of a hierarchical system like the IAF. The commanders must acknowledge that responsibility. At the same time,we must recognise that the issue has brought into the open the apparent tension,and even conflict,between the human and constitutional rights of individuals on the one side and the service needs of maintaining organisational customs… We must pay closer attention to the pressures of changes taking place in society outside the force and see how best to harmonise them with the fundamental needs of the service.

On laying the Bofors ghost to rest

‘Rafale comes home’,February 7,2012

The much delayed process of aircraft acquisition and the excruciatingly tough trials to evaluate the six aircraft on offer has finally led to the shortlisting of the French Rafale as the key MMRCA… But this process,systematic and almost scientific even if rather prolonged,should also finally lay the ghost of Bofors — that has been the major cause of delays in defence modernisation for the past quarter century — to rest. Its utility would last only if the principles on which the shortlisting and final contract are signed became a regular procedure… But this can only happen if the armed forces,who are the most crucial stakeholders in arms acquisitions,become an integrated part of the process from the design to the end state… though this factor did not play a part in the current procedure,France has been a reliable partner in India’s quest for self-reliance in combat aircraft except that previous attempts to manufacture them in India had not borne fruit.