The new optical fibre network being laid as an alternative to the 3G spectrum surrendered by the armed forces will go a long way in providing modern land-line communications in peace stations and to limited extent up to the war-time locations of higher formation HQ.

This programme was a sincere effort by the MoD to walk the talk on participation of the private industry in defence manufacturing. The success or failure of this programme will have a long lasting effect on MoD’s efforts to strengthen the defence industrial base in the country.

The avro replacement is not a design and development programme which will involve extensive use of the airfields for test flights. It is an aircraft that is already flying and will be built as per the OEM’s specifications that will go into manufacture of the aircraft in India.

The objective of the TPCR is to give an opportunity to the Indian industry to draw up business plans for developing technologies which could be transformed into capabilities required by the armed forces.

The systems and procedures for capital acquisitions, introduced by the MoD in 2001-02, provide a decisive, if not the final, say to the Services, including the Indian Coast Guard.

NCNC trials in capital procurements have been found to restrain quality participation in the tender process and in turn defeat the purpose of quality acquisition of military hardware through competitive bidding. This calls for a review of the practice.