India’s Defence Realignment

Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, was a tactical success but exposed India’s strategic vulnerabilities. It underscored the urgent need to recalibrate defence priorities amid unreliable global alliances, supply chain disruptions, and emerging asymmetric warfare trends.

Need for Strategic Recalibration:

• Geopolitical Realignment and Strategic Isolation
  • China-Pakistan Axis Deepens: China has escalated its military and economic support to Pakistan post-Operation Sindoor, including the likely supply of J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters, reinforcing Pakistan’s offensive capabilities and narrowing India’s strategic advantage.
  • Decline of Traditional Allies: Traditional partners such as the U.S. and Russia have shown signs of unreliability: the U.S. is re-hyphenating India with Pakistan, while Russia is increasingly aligned with China due to the Ukraine war, reducing India’s diplomatic leverage.
  • Fragile Neighbourhood Dynamics: Bangladesh’s regime is turning less cooperative, and India's porous eastern borders pose fresh security challenges, compelling a reassessment of its two-front defence posture, both West (Pakistan) and East (Bangladesh-China corridor).
• Indigenous Defence vs. Foreign Dependence
  • Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence: Indigenous systems like the Akash missile, effective during Operation Sindoor, cost nearly $500,000 compared to Western equivalents costing 2–3 times more, underlining the cost-efficiency of India’s domestic R&D efforts.
  • Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Delays in critical imports like GE engines for Tejas Mk1A and the Russian S-400 systems exemplify India’s over-dependence on unreliable external vendors during times of crisis, especially amidst global arms shortages due to ongoing wars.
  • Drones and Low-Cost Missiles as Force Multipliers: A strategic shift is needed towards developing “intelligent” low-cost drone swarms and missile-based defences, which proved more effective than high-cost platforms, as seen in Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone tactics and India's own engagements.
• Strategic Partnerships and Future-Ready Capabilities
  • Building with Mid-Power Nations: India must pivot towards defence co-development with mid-power nations like France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil to ensure non-monopolistic and politically diversified supply chains in aircraft engines, ships, and submarines.
  • Reassessing High-Cost Acquisitions: Large warships and stealth aircraft offer diminishing returns against evolving threats like hypersonic missiles and loitering munitions. Cost-effective and agile platforms are now critical for modern warfare.
  • Private Sector as a Key Defence Player: India’s private defence sector is poised to play a central role in boosting indigenous defence production capabilities and innovation, aligned with national interests and strategic autonomy.

Practice Question:

Q. In light of Operation Sindoor and the emerging global defence dynamics, critically examine India’s defence procurement strategy. Should India prioritise indigenous low-cost platforms over high-tech imports? Substantiate your argument with recent examples.