Without defence reforms, inadequacies in military capability will continue

Unless the Services identify and eliminate deadwood, modernisation to keep in step with the looming challenges will not be possible

Generally, when the highest military dignitaries take the public platform, they tend to be somewhat forceful in their articulations and the increasingly verbose media adds to the rhetoric. It was, therefore, a pleasant surprise to hear the interview given by the Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, to a TV news channel some days ago. Even though his candid and understated exposition of issues related to his own service and came as a breath of fresh air in the otherwise noisy medium that TV has now become, these issues need to be viewed in a larger context.
 
Briefly, Admiral Lanba