Urgent need to build defence capabilities: Par panel

Highlighting huge gaps between the required and existing force levels in its report tabled today, the Standing Committee on Defence said there was a need to allocate adequate budget for the three armed forces as the country was surrounded by difficult neighbours.

The Committee also pointed out that in the Air Force, which currently has 34 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42, "the number of fighter squadrons is likely to reduce further to 31 during the 12th Pan period."

"The defence expenditure as compared to some of the European and neighbouring countries, the data made available to the Committee indicates that defence expenditure as percentage of GDP in India is lowest as compared to US, China, Pakistan, Russia and France," the report said.

The Committee said military expenditure in terms of percentage of GDP in all these countries except Pakistan is increasing over the years.

"There is an urgent need to build defence capabilities to face any challenge including the worst scenario of a two front war....The Committee may like to emphasise that India is surrounded by difficult neighbours and as such there is an urgent need to allocate adequate outlay to the Services," it said.

The Committee also expressed concern over the fact that of the Rs 66,032 crore allocated for capital acquisitions in 2012-13, only Rs 5,520 crore would be available for new acquisition projects as the remaining would be used for committed liabilities.

The total outlay for defence in the budget for 2012-13 is Rs 1,93,407 crore. (MORE) PTI AJD