What's new

US preferred Pranab over Antony as defence minister

angeldemon_007

SENIOR MEMBER
Nov 29, 2010
5,298
0
2,164
NEW DELHI: The US would have preferred Pranab Mukherjee to continue as the defence minister rather than present incumbent A K Antony, who it believes drags his feet in inking crucial bilateral military pacts and other matters.

Washington, however, can barely contain its glee that New Delhi is increasingly turning to it for arms imports, "frustrated" as India is with Russia for huge delays and price hikes in defence projects.

The latest tranche of US embassy cables, made public by WikiLeaks, make it clear once again that Washington is desperate for New Delhi to import even more American weaponry as well as ink bilateral "foundational agreements" to strongly cement the strategic relationship.

But it gets frustrated by "bureaucratic inertia and recalcitrant officials" in Indian defence and foreign ministries continuing to "complicate attempts to improve the partnership".

US, however, is full of praise for the "uniformed leadership" of Indian armed forces, especially Navy, as well as ministers like Mukherjee, who in June 2005 inked the 10-year Indo-US Defence Framework "within a few hours of his delegation agreeing to a final text".

An October 2008 cable, for instance, holds Mukherjee's involvement in the discussions on the EUM (end-use monitoring) pact "offers an opportunity to deal with a minister who has demonstrated the ability to conclude bilateral agreements without painstaking reviews (unlike Antony or the bureaucrats in both the defence and external affairs ministries)".

The EUM pact, which gives US the right to periodically inspect its defence equipment and technology sold to India, was of course finalized during secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India in July 2009.

In January 2010, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao did assure US ambassador Tim Roemer that, with the communist parties no longer "constraining foreign policy", the "Indian government shared the US perspective and the only issue now was how to educate the naysayers" on the other foundational pacts.

But to this day, with Antony leading the dissenters, India has not inked the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA), much to US dismay despite years of hard-sell.

There have, however, been no full-stops in armament deals, with US notching up sales worth over $8 billion over the last decade and many more contracts in the pipeline.

"For the first time, India can afford (politically and financially) to purchase frontline US equipment," says a January 2010 cable, holding that Indians were "astounded" by US systems and aircraft.

"The near doubling in cost and extensive delays in delivery of Russian aircraft carrier Gorshkov, issues with transfer of technology on T-90 tanks and universal problems with spare parts have convinced even pro-Russian members of Indian government that new sources of supply are needed to balance Russia," it adds.

While all this is certainly true, with India for instance forced to pay $2.33 billion for Gorshkov's refit instead of the earlier $974 million fixed for it, the fact also remains that Russia will remain India's largest defence supplier for the foreseeable future.

India will spend around $35 billion over the next two decades to induct 250 to 300 of the stealth fifth-generation fighters it is going to develop jointly with Russia.

US preferred Pranab over Antony as defence minister - The Times of India
 
Antony is a good defense minister better than Mukherjee but i believe the bureaucrats in the defense ministry should be replaced by retired military personnel i would love to see PV Naik or JJ singh as defense minister a bureaucrat only knows how to push papers let the military affairs be taken up with the military
 
NEW DELHI: A spate of controversies about the Army may have been a result of the vicious factional feud within the force, but there are indications that the controversies are also being used as fodder to target defence minister AK Antony.

Allegations against Army chief Gen VK Singh, ranging from deployment of off-the-air interceptors to unauthorized troop movements to the capital, may have emanated from internal rivalries in the Army, but many now suspect these are now being used to make a case against Antony for his "inaction" and inability to handle the delicate equation between the political leadership and the Army.

The reasons for the suspicions are twofold. First, with the Army chief set to retire on May 31, the main worry of his rivals has ceased to exist. Second, Antony's anti-corruption stand has antagonized a whole range of interests: arms lobbies, middlemen, foreign governments and armament firms.

Antony firm on clean process

Last month, Antony banned six armament companies, including four foreign firms - Israeli Military Industries, Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Rheinmetall Air Defence ( Zurich) and Corporation Defence ( Russia) - for 10 years.

It's said that some warned him against this radical step, saying the backlash could be severe. But the defence minister factored in the warning, kept the top political leadership informed about every step taken by him, and went ahead and blacklisted the companies in his deep belief that defence procurement by world's largest arms importer should be completely free of any taint.

Despite the growing criticism about his handling of defence ministry, Antony remains unapologetic. Only this week, he acknowledged that blacklisting Israel's IMI had derailed a Rs 1,200 crore project in Nalanda, Bihar, for an ordnance complex of five plants to manufacture propellant charges for heavy-calibre artillery ammunition for Bofors Howitzers and other guns. However, he defended the decision.

"Blacklisting IMI has further delayed our Nalanda project. We are determined to modernize our armed forces fast but there will be zero tolerance on corruption. So, sometimes delays will take place," he said at the induction ceremony of nuclear submarine INS Chakra at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

His quest for corruption-free defence purchases has been attacked as impractical and he has been blamed for delaying the modernization of the armed forces. But while this has argument has virtually been turned into conventional wisdom, facts prove that armed forces have fared much better under Antony in using up budgetary allocations. Last year, the defence ministry spent the entire allocation.

Defence minister AK Antony in crosshairs for taking on arms lobby? - The Times of India
 
Last month, Antony banned six armament companies, including four foreign firms - Israeli Military Industries, Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Rheinmetall Air Defence ( Zurich) and Corporation Defence ( Russia) - for 10 years.

So who will supply us artillery guns as he have blacklisted almost every major manufacturer.
 
Ministers are not elected or selected accordance to US Preference. It is the PM who decides the cabinet. And I do not think, MMS would become an american ku++a.
 
A.K Antony is honest but not exactly a good minister.He isn't active.But he is still a safe guy.I would prefer him as a defence minister anytime.

BTW,its ok for USA to express their views for their own diplomatic sake,but we should stick to our needs and views.
 
A.K Antony is honest but not exactly a good minister.He isn't active.But he is still a safe guy.I would prefer him as a defence minister anytime.

BTW,its ok for USA to express their views for their own diplomatic sake,but we should stick to our needs and views.

He is better suited for some low profile ministries like Chemicals, Textiles, Fertilizers etc as Defense Ministry needs a decisive minister, a go getter. He is a good man with a clean image but he presides over an army with 2 days of ammo and an air force with many obsolete aircrafts.

Pranab's name is heard for the Presidents post from all quarters.

Yeah make him president and remove any competitor for Rahul Baba.
 
He is better suited for some low profile ministries like Chemicals, Textiles, Fertilizers etc as Defense Ministry needs a decisive minister, a go getter. He is a good man with a clean image but he presides over an army with 2 days of ammo and an air force with many obsolete aircrafts.



Yeah make him president and remove any competitor for Rahul Baba.

I think he has made it public that no more elections for him.

He would have been much better than MMS .

There is no competition for Rahul, we all saw the crying of workers to make sonia PM during the first term of the MMS Govt.

There is not much thoughts beyond a single family after all these years in the biggest democracy.
 
If BJP ever comes in Power, Khanduri would be the best for this seat, but no harted against Antony, he is a good chap.
 
I think he has made it public that no more elections for him.

He would have been much better than MMS .

There is no competition for Rahul, we all saw the crying of workers to make sonia PM during the first term of the MMS Govt.

There is not much thoughts beyond a single family after all these years in the biggest democracy.

Its pathetic that a guy who still has to steer his party to a decisive win in any state that he campaigned is still considered top prime ministerial candidate. For God sake he don't even debates in Parliament.
 
Indian army, air force and navy is going through the modernization process. They have already lost 2 decades. And we have this guy as defence minister who is particular about his image than acting quickly to complete the tender processes for military infrastructure acquisitions. If he cant do his job then let this guy better resign. I remember George Fernandes threatening to sent the idiotic bUreaucrats to Siachen for delaying snow scooter purchase for Siachin and the corrupt civil servants immediately processed the request. This guy issues and reissues tenders on smallest allegations by vested interests and takes years on processing a deal.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)


Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom