Defence Acquisition Archives - Page 8 of 10

Defence Acquisition Institute: A Viewpoint

While delivering the keynote address at the International Seminar on Defence Acquisitions on July 12, 2011, Defence Minister A.K. Antony accepted the need to impart training to the defence acquisition functionaries. Further, he agreed that a dedicated institute needs to be set up for the purpose. It is the first time that the training of acquisition staff has received the attention that it deserves as reforms in India’s defence acquisition regime have so far been limited to procedures only.

The Rafale : An Opportunity Towards Indigenous Aircraft Design And Manufacture

In the wake of the selection of the Rafale the offset clause currently in force must be used to revamp India’s domestic aerospace industry, making it more technologically current and capable of taking on advanced design and development tasks in future.

Vivek Kapur
February 17, 2012
IDSA Comments

The US Defence Acquisition System

This paper makes an attempt to analyse and evaluate the US Department of Defence Acquisition System by highlighting the relationship of the requirements generation and budgeting process, the key actors, the major phases in an acquisition programme, and the major categories of acquisitions. It argues that the Department of Defence Acquisition System represents an ever evolving system-of-systems that attempts to translate Warfighter requirements into actual developed, purchased and fielded systems.

Striking Balance among Diverse Oversight Concerns in Defence Acquisition

Transparency in public procurement bears an immediate cost both for government and bidders. However, it is a key element to support fundamental principles of the public procurement system, especially competition and integrity. The drive for transparency must therefore be tempered by making transparent what sufficiently enables corruption control. If the level of transparency is adequately defined, the benefits will outweigh the cost, especially when comparing the initial cost of transparency with the potential negative consequences of corruption.

Streamlining Defence Acquisition Process

The process for Defence Acquisitions in India has evolved considerably in the last decade or so, and is being refined further. The Ministry of Defence recognizes the importance of timely modernization, and of balancing the operational needs with the requirements of transparency and probity. There are a number of areas where further initiatives are being considered and the Ministry of Defence, in consultation with all stake holders, would be moving forward in this regard.

Dynamics of Rules and Regulations in Defence

During application of prescribed procedures, many contradictions and ambiguities crop up, resulting in delays in decision making and, in some cases, to even faulty decisions.

Arms Acquisition Accountability Processes

Most of the advanced democracies agree that confidentiality is needed in terms of technical performance parameters; the numbers to be procured and methods of deployment, which may provide unique advantages to the user. Instead of the military or the civil servants treating these aspects exclusively as military capability issue, legislative intervention is needed for professionalizing and institutionalizing public accountability of security sector. Parliamentary processes have constitutional legitimacy and duty to examine security sector accountability.

Defence Acquisition Process: Issues Pertaining to the Department of Defence Production

The issues of the Department of Defence Production pertain to the development of indigenous production capability in the sphere of defence. This is very important both from strategic requirements point of view, as also how we look at ourselves as a country, how we look at our future and where we want to be seen in the community of nations. It is also important from the point of view of strategic independence. That is why indigenous defence production base is important to us and that is why this accent on indigenous manufacture of defence equipment.

Defence Acquisition Process : Oversight Concerns

Aspects of cost-efficient QR formulation, RFI and RFP, technical and commercial evaluation including time frames for evaluation, imparting project management orientation to the entire acquisition process including post contract deficiencies were covered in a seminar organised by IDSA on October 27, 2009 seminar.

Food for Thought: Optimising Defence Spending

While India’s latest defence budget has no doubt catered for a sizeable capital component, it may be prudent to reduce costs by switching to more affordable programmes.