Reading the defence budget tea leaves

MoD has managed the defence budget well in a difficult year, but long-term fixes are needed

Given the double challenge posed by the Covid-19 related economic crunch and the Chinese troop intrusions into Ladakh, the government’s management of the defence budget over the current financial year seems praiseworthy. On the one hand, the military has deployed around 40,000 soldiers on the remotest of picquets along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China without greatly overshooting the revenue budget — from which activities such as troop movement, training and the construction of accommodation are funded. 

Second, the three services have managed the crisis with China without busting the capital budget. Together, the army, navy and air force