Funds will flow to maintain Indian military's 'cutting edge'

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and Finance Minister P Chidambaram have assured that funds crunch will not affect the armed forces's urgent requirements.

Disclosing this to the media, Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said the government was determined to maintain the ''cutting edge of India's military might''.

He said the ninth defence plan, prepared by his ministry in tandem with the prime minister and the finance minister, underlines the necessary requirements.

Providing funds for defence purposes would not be a problem as an ''atmosphere of unanimity'' had come about in Parliament and outside in this regard, he said.

Though the defence minister did not outline the contents of the ninth defence plan, it is estimated that India's defence requirements would be around Rs 200 billion in the next five years.

Besides funds are urgently required for a host of other things including the light combat aircraft, the advanced light helicopter, various missiles under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, submarines and additional Sukhoi-30 warplanes.

The minister said the nation had full faith in the country's scientific community in building a self-reliant defence capability. He cited the example of Indian scientists developing a supercomputer indigenously when the United States backed out of an agreement to supply one.

Secretary (Defence Research) A P J Abdul Kalam, who was present at the media conference, said, ''We are working very hard (to ensure that the test flight of the indigenous LAC is conducted) by the year-end.''

Kalam said the government had decided to provide funds for the Seabird naval project at Karwar. ''It would take about a decade to complete the project as it is a huge facility.''

He said the first Trishul missile would be ready by the end of 1998.

Kalam said another test of the Akash missile would take place in September at the Balasore test range.

The surface-to-air missile is virtually nearing completion with the command guidance flight trials beginning in September.

UNI