Leaked Letter of Indian Army Chief Reveals India's Military Weaknesses

India's tank fleet lacks ammunition, its air defences are "97 percent obsolete" and its elite forces lack essential arms, the country's army chief wrote in an explosive letter. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

NEW DELHI: India’s tank fleet lacks ammunition, its air defences are “97 percent obsolete” and its elite forces lack essential arms, the country’s army chief wrote in an explosive letter leaked Wednesday.

The letter to the prime minister dated March 12 – widely reported by the Indian media – lists the shortcomings of the armed forces in embarrassing detail in a blow to the government and the Asian giant’s military prestige.

Its publication also ups the stakes in a public battle between army chief General VK Singh and the government which began with a dispute over Singh’s retirement earlier this year.

“The state of the major (fighting) arms i.e. mechanised forces, artillery, air defence, infantry and special forces, as well as the engineers and signals, is indeed alarming,” Singh wrote in the letter, DNA newspaper reported.

The army’s entire tank fleet is “devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks”, while the air defence system is “97% obsolete and it doesn’t give the deemed confidence to protect… from the air,” he wrote, according to DNA.

The infantry is crippled with “deficiencies” and lacks night fighting equipment, while the elite special forces are “woefully short” of “essential weapons”.

Singh also told The Hindu newspaper this week that he had informed Defence Minister A.K Antony of a $2.8 million bribe offered to him in 2010, leading to embarrassing questions as to why the government did not order an enquiry.

Antony told parliament on Wednesday that he was aware of the letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he would reply appropriately.

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Laptop with India's Sensitive Nuclear Data Still not Found

Islamabad: An Indian nuclear scientist’s laptop with classified nuclear data was stolen from a passenger rail car and is still missing raising serious alarm all over India.

According to a report the Indian nuclear researcher raised an alarm when his laptop, reportedly filled with critical data, was stolen on March 15, 2012 and remained missing till date.

India Blooms News Service reported that the scientist, who is reportedly involved with the Kaiga atomic power plant in Karnataka, demanded that train officials find his laptop and other stolen personal effects that included identifying documents. It is believed that the laptop contained secret nuclear codes and possibly the blue-print of Kairga Atomic Plant.

The report added that Thiruvananthapuram-bound train was stopped and several passengers were searched and interviewed but the laptop could not be found. Rajdhani Express was forced to have emergency

halt at Ratnagiri Station (Maharashtra) when a nuclear scientist’s laptop containing vital information was stolen.

According to latest reports despite emergency search raids conducted on train it did not turn up any clues as to what happened to the stolen laptop.

Law enforcement officials have opened an investigation into the matter and began detaining potential perpetrators.

The scientist who was not named for secrecy and classified works told Police that he had also lost very important credential papers. Indian railway officials have confirmed that a report has been lodged but other senior police officials were trying to hide the scandal-like incident and advised journalists not to overplay the issue.

IT SEEMS PEOPLE WHO ACCUSE OTHERS THAT THEIR NUCLEAR ASSETS ARE NOT SAFE AND VULNERABLE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ARE 'THEM SELF' CARELESS ENOUGH TO COMMIT SUCH BLUNDERS WHICH CAN COST OPEN THREAT TO THEIR OWN NUCLEAR ASSETS.

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