Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:-

(a)        whether it is a fact that Government is pursuing a modernization programme for the Armed Forces; and

(b)        if so, whether Government will take up the restructuring of the Armed Forces to allow for better coordination and reduced duplication/overlap of work amongst the three services?

ANSWER
(SHRI A.K. ANTONY)

MINISTER OF DEFENCE 

(a) & (b): A statement is attached.

STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) & (b) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 463 FOR 8-7-2009 REGARDING MODERNISATION PROGRAMME FOR ARMED FORCES.

Modernization of Armed Forces is a continuous process based on threat perception, technological changes and available resources.
To synergize and optimize the capabilities of the three Services for joint war fighting, restructuring of Armed Forces is underway. The three Services have taken steps towards achieving jointness in various operational, training and administrative fields and significant strides have been made in this regard. The Long Term Perspective Plans of the three Services are analyzed and suitably merged to evolve a Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, thus avoiding duplication and overlap of effort and achieving better coordination and synergy amongst the three Services.