tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post1757974445175606127..comments2024-03-29T05:44:18.835-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: Raise the defence budgetBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-20779734731446931892016-10-13T19:05:08.815-07:002016-10-13T19:05:08.815-07:00Expecting the MOD to do ANYTHING to be of help to ...Expecting the MOD to do ANYTHING to be of help to the armed forces is worse than wishful thinking. It is stubborn refusal to acknowledge what everyone knows.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09121677855050308582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-44720365674556712482016-10-12T21:25:40.337-07:002016-10-12T21:25:40.337-07:00Why do we see it as combat aircraft, warships and ...Why do we see it as combat aircraft, warships and submarines, air defence units and even then basic combat kit items like helmets, boots and bulletproof jackets. Why is not the other way around; initially buy basic combat kit like BPJs, boots, helmets, night vision etc ... the stress seems to be on big ticket items and these will all rot on the shelf of deterrence ... the other LowBudget items on the other hand get used day in day out 365 days. These need to procured in double time .... Rafael Jets will be a waste if not used to strike back!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13697739468020035322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-18946613152625435512016-10-12T21:21:58.258-07:002016-10-12T21:21:58.258-07:00Ajai sir,
Earlier this year during budget month, y...Ajai sir,<br />Earlier this year during budget month, you talked about India's defense expenditure as percentage of total budget expenditure. That is a more correct way to understand a government's commitment towards it's armed forces. Military expenditure comes solely from union government. No state government or pvt sector company contributes to any country's defense budget. But GDP consists of both private and public expenditure, that too of both state and union government. So defense budget as percentage of GDP is just a figure and it tells us nothing.<br /><br />For eg. Consider China in 2014.<br />Military budget = $131 bn officially or may be $200 bn unofficially<br />GDP = $10 Trillion<br />Total Budget expenditure = $2.4 Trillion<br />Defense budget as % of GDP = 1.3% (Official) and 2% (unofficial)<br /><b>Defense budget as % Total budget = 5.4% (Official) to 8.33% (Unofficial)</b><br /><br />Similarly for USA in 2014<br />Defense budget = $614 bn<br />GDP = $17 trillion<br />Total Budget exp = $3.7 trillion<br />Defense budget as % of GDP = 3.6 % of GDP<br /><b>Defense budget as % Total budget = 16.5% to 17% </b><br /><br />Now you already know data for India which is<br />Defense budget = Around 1.7 % of GDP<br /><b>But Defense budget = Around 18% of total budget exp </b>.<br /><br />Further if you look at data of many <b> European countries i.e their defense budget as percentage of total budget exp, range is always 5-8 % only.</b> But India spends 18% which is more than twice of CHina and is even higher than that of USA.<br /><br />Again my point is this only that a government's commitment for military is better reflected by defense budget as percentage of total budget and NOT by defense budget as percentage of GDP. Therefore the ceiling you gave for defense budget 3% of GDP should be modified and given as % of total exp.<br /><br />To conclude, I can only say that even though Indian military faces shortages and wages related issue, to expect that defense budget would be increased significantly is simply unrealistic, as India already spends way more than most of the other countries.Anurag Upadhyayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09461960022308024209noreply@blogger.com