This alarming operational military gap was disclosed in the latest CAG report tabled in Parliament on Friday, which was also released online in the public domain, at a time when Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a tense face-off at Doklam near the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.
The audit watchdog also punched gaping holes in the quality control of Akash Missiles, which are designed by DRDO and produced by defence PSUs like Bharat Electronics, because one-third of them miserably failed in test-firings. “These deficiencies posed an operational risk during hostilities,” it said.
The Akash air defence missiles, with an interception range of 25-km, are meant to prevent enemy fighters, helicopters and drones from attacking vital installations like airbases. The IAF has ordered eight Akash-1 missile squadrons worth Rs 6,200 crore, while the Army is now completing induction of two Akash regiments for Rs 14,180 crore. Moreover, the government has also cleared another seven squadrons of the improved Akash-2 missiles for IAF, with Army slated to get two more Akash-2 regiments from December 2018 onwards, as earlier reported by TOI.
But the CAG report said, “The missile systems were to be installed at six designated sites (in the North-East) between June 2013 and December 2015. But till date (March 2017), none of the missile systems, procured for Rs 3,619 crore, have been installed. The main reason was the delay in execution of civil works (missile storage facilities, workshops and ramp structures) at the sites.”
As for the quality control, six of the 20 missiles tested by IAF flopped in 2014, with two even failing to take off from their launchers due to malfunctioning booster nozzles.
“Preliminary failure analysis report revealed the missiles fell short of the target, had lower than the required velocity, and there was also malfunctioning of critical units like servo control units and connectors,” said CAG.
Though the lack of operational Akash squadrons in the North-East is a major operational gap, senior military officers say several other steps have been taken over the years to create “credible deterrence” against China all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control.
Apart from the development of the Agni series of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, the armed forces have deployed additional Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, T-72 tanks, drones and helicopters in the region.
The Army is also progressively raising the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, with two new high-altitude infantry divisions as well as armoured, artillery, air defence, engineer brigades spread from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. “It will be fully in place, with 90,274 soldiers, by 2021. In 2009-2010, two new infantry divisions (36,000 soldiers) were also raised at Likabali and Missamari in Assam,” said an officer.
Incidentally, the CAG report did not actually name the Akash missile, and erroneously called it a “strategic” (a term used for nuclear missiles) system. But it was quite clear – even to those with a modicum of military knowledge, which particular missile was being talked about. The armed forces in the past have complained about “too many operational details being revealed” in CAG reports, as was reported by TOI.
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Source : timesofindia
