The News, 17 May 2010,
ISLAMABAD: The armed forces could not hear single word of encouragement from their supreme commander and president of the country during their largest ever war games and field exercises concluded this week.
The six-week war games and field exercises Azm-e-Nau-3 started in the second week of April. The defence authorities were not allowed to even plan the visit of President Asif Zardari in the exercise areas even for the cosmetic purposes. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani did visit the exercises thrice; once for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) demonstration of airpower while on two occasions he was with the army. On first occasion he visited Cholistan in scorching heat while second time early this month he was present as chief guest at the test launching of two ballistic missiles.
Highly placed defence sources told The News that the president had fear about his personal security during his visit to any defence installations and exercises reason best known to him. He did not ask for even briefing about the military exercises. He is the first head of the state who opted not to visit to the General Headquarters (GHQ) for briefing on threat perceptions to the motherland soon after assuming the office. Interestingly it is done even in India. He never visited the areas where the troops are fighting unabatedly against the terrorists especially in the tribal area including Waziristan and Swat.
The sources pointed out that more than 20,000 troops, officers and jawans, from almost all departments of the Pakistan Army took part in the first phase of the exercises. The PAF joined Pakistan Army during the exercises. The aim of the exercises was to practise the preparedness of the forces for any conventional war threat, to work out the contemporary military planning, modern war techniques and the use of latest weapon system. It is worth mentioning here that Army Chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani had declared the year 2010 as ‘The Year of Training’. At the initial stage of the exercise, various departments of Pakistan Army like tanks, artillery, anti-aircraft, engineers, infantry, signals and supporting units participated in the manoeuvres while a heavy anti-tank battalion successfully demonstrated the dispersal manoeuvres, in which the Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs) also took part. Troops valiantly exercised their professional skills and techniques. Azm-e-Nau 3 was the culmination of typical broad-based and long-term process of War Games and conceptualisation of conventional war. The exercises continued in diverse areas of Sindh and Southern Punjab till Thursday last. The exercises were the true depiction of excellent professional training system in armed forces of the country.
The defence experts are of the view that armed forces have send a strong response to the Indian Forces across the border what it evolved a so-called doctrine ‘Cold Start’ aimed to cow down neighbouring countries armies. The strategists world over termed the doctrine ‘the most stupid and impracticable’. The Indian doctrines based on the capability and explanation of the limitations of India’s military to allow the army to mobilise rapidly for war against Pakistan. The doctrine is intended to ensure Indian forces deploy faster than in 2001/2002 when India mobilised troops along the Pakistan border after an attack drama on its parliament blamed on Pakistan-based militants. It would also aim to integrate army operations with those of the Indian Air Force and to a lesser extent its navy.
The doctrine has caused much alarm in the region, which is seen as evidence of a threat to all the neighbouring countries of India. The doctrine was authored in 2004 secretly and later articulated by former Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor who lacked the soundness.
Indian military experts termed the concept as a problem. And said that Cold Start does not actually work – or at least has yet to be developed in ways which would make it effective in an environment where both countries have nuclear bombs.
‘The Indian National Interest website argues that by refusing to admit that Cold Start never really got off the drawing board, India does itself a disservice by giving Pakistan a reason to play up the threat from India,’ they opined.
“…the army’s armoured units have continued to be focused on a doctrine that is unlikely to be employed in the event of even a limited war in a nuclear environment, in which air power is likely to play a greater role in any case. The army clinging to Cold Start is in many respects impractical, and diverts resources and attention from more meaningful and creative endeavours related to its military preparedness,” they say.
“Second, the political costs of leaving the doctrine announced but unexplained are not insignificant. As is its wont, Pakistan has framed Cold Start as evidence … of imminent Indian plans to initiate hostilities or invade. India also gets questioned unnecessarily by friendly powers for its apparent recklessness in contemplating limited warfare in a nuclear environment.”
“The responsibility lies with the Indian Ministry of Defence and the national security apparatus, if not the Indian Prime Minister himself, to affirm Cold Start as a work in progress or admit that it never left the drawing board. Either would render advantages-operational or political-those six years of ambiguity has not,” they added.
With both Pakistan and India had war games this month, there was much attention on each country’s military capabilities. What is probably equally important is how each sees the other – Cold Start is seen as much more of a threat in Pakistan than in India, where it is regarded with scepticism.
The same was true with comments made in December by the General Kapoor, who was reported to have said India should be able to fight a war on two fronts with both Pakistan and China. Presented in India as an aspiration comment reflecting the reality of two disputed borders, the remarks – made at a closed door conference – were seen as a clear threat in Pakistan. Both countries tend to think they know each other well, and yet repeatedly see each other’s military intentions differently. That is not a good thing when overconfidence could one day lead them to misjudge the other’s red lines on the use of nuclear weapon, they concluded.
The defence experts in Islamabad are of the view that Indians kept a close eye on the exercises of Pakistan and they were astonished to see the effort as great success despite their engagement on the Western border, again an atmosphere created by New Delhi’s support.
Pakistan 