IDEAS 2006
The 2006 version of IDEAS came back to town, as usual with a bang. Due to heightened security, we thankfully avoided bangs of the real kind. This Exhibition of defence equipment, both indigenous and foreign, is well worth the effort. It is a logistics feat that takes some organizing, not possible without commitment and dedicated effort. Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) and PEGASUS have, through a consistent team effort made IDEAS a fixture on the Defence equipment display map of the world, an event that has now come to stay. The general public not having access to the Exhibition notwithstanding, those invited certainly found the display of hardware and services interesting. To have professionals explain the function and effectiveness thereof, is invaluable, icing on the cake.
The opening of the Exhibition was preceeded by a Seminar. Among those who presented their papers in the first Session for the seminar, viz Li Changhe, Vice-President of the China Arms Control & Disarmament Association on “Adapting Military Capabilities to deal with Natural Disasters – Cost Benefit Analysis” ; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on “Evolving Nature of South Asian Security Dynamics; Benoit D’Aboville of France on “Expanding Reach of NATO – Impact on Future Asian Security Dynamic; Prof Abdul Khaleeq Abdullah of UAE on “Impact of Foreign Military Forces on Regional Security; and Dr Shireen Mazari on “Root causes and Future Trends of Terrorism”. In the second Session Dr Bernard Loo of Singapore on “Military Growth in Southeast Asia: Explanations & Implications”; Bulent Meric of Turkey on “Small Arms Control and Its Impact on Developing Countries”; Rear Admiral (Retd) Hugh Edleston of UK (Transparency International) on “Distortion in Defence Procurement; Air Commodore M. Khalid Banuri on “Pakistan’s Approach to Export Control of Sensitive Technologies – Export Control Policy’; and Abdul Rehman Allana on “Privatising Defence Industry, Its Pros and Cons in the Wake of Volatile Security Environment”, made their presentations.
This was an occasion to discuss new ideas and debate the pros and cons of the technology and tactics of modern warfare. New concepts of regional and global security concerns, especially in view of the failure of the US-led war in stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan and the new threat to the West, were the hot topics in both formal and informal discussions. With so many foreign participants around security has to be tight, with the President around security was raised quite a few notches. Obviously this causes dislocation (and some heart-burning), in the circumstances the security apparatchiks were as tactful and efficient as they could be. Take into account that only a few days ago the Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff postponed his meeting with the Deputy Chief of the US National Security Council in Washington when he was asked to remove his uniform before he entered the Executive Office Building. The hosts subsequently apologised.
Having one of the largest Armed Forces in the world, it is imperative that Pakistan produce most of its arms and equipment indigenously. However this is easier said than done. While the numbers should give us economy of scale, a whole lot of commission agents (or as they are now known, as Consultants) over the years have individually and collectively discouraged this aspect till it became unavoidable.
Blessed with the Pakistan Ordinance Factory (now Factories), Pakistan was early in the manufacture of small arms and ammunition. Gradually this progressed into artillery shells and bombs even though quite a fair amount (specialized ammunition) is still purchased from abroad. Retired Brigadiers do not get to own stables of Rolls Royces on their pensions. And they spread the largesse to ensure captive purchases and continuity thereof. While POF Wah still does extraordinary work for the Armed Forces, there was a failure in the late 80s and 90s to change over from the 7.62 caliber to 5.56, and even lower. How can an Armed Forces with such weapon diversity and manufacturing potential thereof forget the poor bloody infantryman and his basic weapon? There is a mindblock here that extends to accommodation etc. Vested interest is at play, and those directly responsible for not allowing the induction of small arms that are now standard to all modern Armies act holier than thou in spouting analysis on issues they have no idea about, regretfully media involvement gives them credibility against exposure. The Army also needs vehicles of all kinds, these in numbers could easily be manufactured provided standardization is carried out to create economy in numbers. Where we have excelled is in armoured vehicles, both infantry carrying services and main battle tanks. Al-Khalid, Zarrar, etc are tremendous examples of what Pakistani expertise can achieve, no mean achievement has been the production of M-113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, at almost one-third the cost of import.
The Air Weapons Complex (AWC) is representative of the excellence of the PAF in all that they do. From manufacturing Mashaks under license to re-building a whole generation of Mirage aircraft, AWC has sustained the quality and precision required of such a facility. Despite step-motherly treatment in both funding and commitment over the years, the Navy’s performance has also been outstanding, in the shipbuilding context the most difficult prowess is of building submarines, the Agosta 90B is in a class of its own, our engineers and workers inculcating skills invaluable for the future in pursuing indigenous manufacture. We have a proven track record in missile technology while in the nuclear field, the knowledge, expertise and facilities would put far more advanced countries to shame. In the face of all this, the gaps in our production lower down the procurement ladder is surprising, even shocking. The Joint Chief of Staffs Committee must get involved in procurement, standardization being needed for economy of effort, on maintenance and manufacture of parts mostly indigenously! Have a look at the varied number of vehicles being used! While we must be more pragmatic in recognising the role of consultants, and involve DEPO with this, we must give more weight to Countertrade, Buy–Back, Counter-Purchase, Barter etc. A pragmatic public-private sector partnership will bear dividends for the country.
Whoever thought about having a singer and other performers at the formal inauguration should have his head examined, such things are good for dinners and informal receptions. One takes away the solemnity of the occasion in expecting senior Armed Forces delegations from different countries join in clapping and singing while in uniform. This discordant note notwithstanding, it is time to take IDEAS north to Islamabad, where the logistics will be that much easier. The younger generation in the bulk of the Armed Forces need to see new products and services themselves. The present location in Karachi requires too much effort for security, it disrupts the life of a fair amount of the population and is already too small to cater for more participants in the future. In particular the mobility exercise requires space for greater impact, the EXPO area is too small by half already. To sustain IDEAS, one must be pragmatic in choosing greener pastures, otherwise an excellent idea will not become the force-multiplier it was planned to be, in many ways that it has already become and has the potential of further becoming.
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