<p>Unlike the conventional bullet-proof jackets, these vests can be taken off part by part depending on the task. If a soldier is standing against a wall or sand-bags, he do not require bullet-proofing on his back. In such a case, he can remove the back of the vest and keep it aside.<br /><br />But when he is going inside a terrorist’s den, the soldier not only needs bullet-proofing from all sides but also a helmet with an earphone so that both his both hands are free for the operation. The modular bullet-proof vest would provide just that.<br /><br />The Army faced sharp criticism from a parliamentary panel for being short of vital bullet-proof jackets. Besides the shortage, the existing jackets are too heavy.<br />While the Army is authorised to have 3,53,765 jackets in its stock, the shortfall was as much as 1,86,138, according to a 2009 report of parliamentary standing committee on defence. These vests weigh 10.5-11.5 kg, which adversely impact the agility of soldiers, as they need to carry guns and other equipment.<br /><br />Following the panel’s instructions, the Army reworked the General Staff Qualitative Requirements(GSQRs) for six months and zeroed in on expensive modular jackets. It has identified potential foreign suppliers.<br /><br />“We will now undertake trials at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh, which should be over in a couple of months. Supply can happen next year,” a senior Army officer told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />Crucial change<br />Not only bullet-proof jackets, the Army will also acquire new artillery guns, night vision, air defence systems and helicopters within a couple of years, as the government has silently made a crucial change in the Army’s capital budget. The budgetary change ensures more money will be available with the force for long-term acquisition.<br /><br />On Friday, Army chief Gen V K Singh said at least one artillery gun should be inducted in 2011, as the artillery is waiting for a long time. No guns were inducted in the artillery since the Bofors guns of 1980s, which came out in flying colours in Kargil conflict.<br />Till now, close to 70 per cent of the Army’s capital budget was under the budgetary head of “new projects” while the rest was available for “contractual liability”.<br /><br />But big-ticket military deals being a long-drawn affair, Army had little resources available for meeting the contractual obligations for a period of time. The budgetary need was to spend most of the money within a year, which was not possible with large military deals.<br />The scenario was completely reverse in the IAF and Navy because of which they were able to go ahead with many major deals.<br /><br />Concerned with the lumbering pace in the modernisation of the Army vis-a-vis China, the Centre and the Planning Commission decided to follow the same practice for the Army as in the IAF and Navy from the 2011-2012 fiscal to allow the Army to go ahead with big-ticket purchases.</p>
<p>Unlike the conventional bullet-proof jackets, these vests can be taken off part by part depending on the task. If a soldier is standing against a wall or sand-bags, he do not require bullet-proofing on his back. In such a case, he can remove the back of the vest and keep it aside.<br /><br />But when he is going inside a terrorist’s den, the soldier not only needs bullet-proofing from all sides but also a helmet with an earphone so that both his both hands are free for the operation. The modular bullet-proof vest would provide just that.<br /><br />The Army faced sharp criticism from a parliamentary panel for being short of vital bullet-proof jackets. Besides the shortage, the existing jackets are too heavy.<br />While the Army is authorised to have 3,53,765 jackets in its stock, the shortfall was as much as 1,86,138, according to a 2009 report of parliamentary standing committee on defence. These vests weigh 10.5-11.5 kg, which adversely impact the agility of soldiers, as they need to carry guns and other equipment.<br /><br />Following the panel’s instructions, the Army reworked the General Staff Qualitative Requirements(GSQRs) for six months and zeroed in on expensive modular jackets. It has identified potential foreign suppliers.<br /><br />“We will now undertake trials at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh, which should be over in a couple of months. Supply can happen next year,” a senior Army officer told Deccan Herald.<br /><br />Crucial change<br />Not only bullet-proof jackets, the Army will also acquire new artillery guns, night vision, air defence systems and helicopters within a couple of years, as the government has silently made a crucial change in the Army’s capital budget. The budgetary change ensures more money will be available with the force for long-term acquisition.<br /><br />On Friday, Army chief Gen V K Singh said at least one artillery gun should be inducted in 2011, as the artillery is waiting for a long time. No guns were inducted in the artillery since the Bofors guns of 1980s, which came out in flying colours in Kargil conflict.<br />Till now, close to 70 per cent of the Army’s capital budget was under the budgetary head of “new projects” while the rest was available for “contractual liability”.<br /><br />But big-ticket military deals being a long-drawn affair, Army had little resources available for meeting the contractual obligations for a period of time. The budgetary need was to spend most of the money within a year, which was not possible with large military deals.<br />The scenario was completely reverse in the IAF and Navy because of which they were able to go ahead with many major deals.<br /><br />Concerned with the lumbering pace in the modernisation of the Army vis-a-vis China, the Centre and the Planning Commission decided to follow the same practice for the Army as in the IAF and Navy from the 2011-2012 fiscal to allow the Army to go ahead with big-ticket purchases.</p>
