Defense Supply Chain Management Assessment Answer

Key Topics

• Defense Supply Chain Management
• Introduction
• Program to increase capability and ability of Indian Air Force
• Various Strategies Available to Consultancy Company 
• Strategies available to the Company
• Assessment of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Different Approaches 
• References 

Defense Supply Chain Management

Introduction

One of the air arms of the Indian armed force is the Indian Air Force. The aircraft assets and the complement of personnel rank fourth in the world among the air forces. The primary mission of the Indian Air Force is to secure the airspace of India and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict (Radhakrishnan et al., 2017). The Indian Air Force was established officially on 8th October 1932. The Indian Air Force was established as an auxiliary air force of the empire of British that honored the aviation service of India with the prefix Royal during Second World War. After India's independence in 1947, the Indian government kept the prefix of Royal with the Indian Air Force but when India became a republic in 1950 the prefix royal removed from Indian Air Force (Radhakrishnan et al., 2017). After independence, India has engaged in four wars with Pakistan and China.
The rank of supreme commander of Indian Air Force is holding by the President of India. There is more than 139576 personnel are in service as per 2017 with the Indian Air Force. The chief of air staff of the Indian Air Force is a four-star officer (Martin, 2015). The chief of air staff of the Indian Air Force is responsible for various operational command of the air force. At present the active aircraft in Indian Air Force are the following; MiG-21, MiG-27, Mig-29, Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas, Dassault Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30, SEPECAT Jaguar, etc. (Martine, 2015).

Program to increase capability and ability of Indian Air Force

A modernization program is undergoing in Indian Air Force for replacing the outdated and aging aircraft and equipment and upgrades the equipment to advanced standards. For the same reason, Indian Air Force has started a program to procure and develop weapons, infrastructure, aircraft, and related technologies (Babbage et al., 2016). The Indian Air Force started some of these program ways back in the 1980s. The main aim of the modernizing the Indian Air Force is to upgrade the aircrafts and equipment and replace aircrafts which have purchased from the Soviet Union.
In 2007, the Indian Air Force started an upgrade of its MiG-29 with the help of Russia. For this purpose, India offered US$865 million contracts to Russia for upgrading the superiority of MiG-29 into multi-role standard warplane (Tellis, 2016). In this contract, Russia agreed to rearm the aircraft with air-to-air missiles. It also aimed at increasing fuel capacity of the aircraft. By 2020, it has been estimated that Indian Air Force will receive 40 upgraded Su-30MKIs which would be capable of carrying BrahMos Cruise Missile. 

Various Strategies Available to Consultancy Company 

As the consultancy company has got a contract to work with the Indian Air Force the company is considering a new fighter aircraft program for acquiring capabilities. The new aircraft program aims at acquiring new upgraded and updated aircraft and equipment by replacing the aging and outdated aircraft and equipment. However, there are various other strategies to acquire such capability. The consultancy company can opt strategies from the available strategies before the company to strengthen the Indian Air Force (Barry, 2018). But before entering into the strategies available to the company to strengthen the Indian Air Force we need to understand the goal of Indian government regarding Indian Air Force. The Goals of Indian government regarding Indian Air Force is the following (Burgess et al., 2016);

Strategies available to the Company

For achieving the high goals of Indian Air Force, the company can use the following strategies (Khilnani, 2014). 
1)Strategy to have the best defense policy:
Notwithstanding spending near Rs 500,000 crore on capital acquisitions between 2002– 03 and 2014– 15, the Indian Armed Forces keep on experience the ill effects of an incessant lack of gear and ammo, low levels of serviceability of hardware as of now in benefit, and a substantial reliance on imports. The acquisition programs continue getting slowed down or take excessively long to fructify (Cowshish, 2012). The conceptualization of 'Make in India' in connection to barrier creation regarding the requirement for advancing indigenous generation of the barrier gear isn't any not the same as the supporting of all strategies and methodology took off by the MoD previously. Actually, the accentuation on switching the proportion of imports to trades backpedals to the Educator A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Committee of the 1990s. 
As the defense and security environment is changing appreciably day by day both at international as well as at the national level, so it required keeping the eagle eye over the changes to inculcate the flexibility and responsive approach in a way to have better defense policy (Cowshish, 2012). A better defense policy helps in fighting with the obstacles in the way of ensuring security in the country. The defense policy formulated should be in response to the changing in the security and defense environment (Khilnani, 2014). A better defense policy should encompass the level of agreement of service with other state agencies and department of government across a diverse role, the domestic sphere, the development of a memorandum of understanding and the work of the emergency planning office. The defense policy framework should also include defense policy inputs to regional defense and global or international defense as well as the policy of security, the collaboration with the foreign department trade and affairs. A better defense policy needs to follow some strategies such;

• Continuous monitoring and reviewing of the environment of security and defense to ensure military advice, relevant and timely policy to the concerned authority and the government. The defense policy should also include advice in respect of the development of defense, peace support, and security. 
• The concerned authority should ensure that appropriate and relevant response in the defense services delivery are identified and tracked in response to change in the environment of security and defense.
• The concerned authority should continuously formalize the defense services provision as well as conduct monitoring of the provision of the services through service level agreement as well as the development of the memorandum of understanding. 
• The concerned authority should work proactively to contribute to the development of the policy of security in respect of international fora, international peace as well as to advance the interest of the nation.
• The concerned authority should also provide its support to the government in an emergency situation.

So, the consultancy company can provide help to the Indian Air Force to formulate a better defense policy with the aim to acquire capability. The first and foremost thing is to have a better defense policy to strengthen the Indian Air Force because a better defense policy provides ways to ensure security along with peace. 

2)Ensure the capacity to deliver:
The goals of the defense organizations are to ensure peace and security to the people of a territory. The goals of defense organizations are easy in writing but very tough in achieving. It is very important for the defense organizations to achieve the goals to save the national interest.
So, for this purpose or for achieving the high goals of the organization the combined effort of military and civil elements of the organization is necessary. The company should work to ensure that the military and civil elements of the organization are working together and both are collaborating with each other to protect the national interest. Defence policy is one of the major determinants of the capabilities of the military or forces (Khilnani, 2014). 
The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is one of the four noteworthy multilateral fare control regimes.1 It looks to keep the multiplication of rockets and other unmanned flying vehicles (UAVs) and conveyance frameworks, particularly those fit for conveying atomic, organic and compound weapons. Through the administration, states build up concurred principles, share data and keep up control records for double utilize and arms send out controls (Bauer et al., 2017). As an expanding number of organizations working in the resistance and aviation part are grasping this innovation, it merits assessing how national and worldwide control establishments apply controls to it and how these controls could be progressed. The extent of national controls on the exchange of arms and double utilize products are normally embraced from the rules furthermore, control records drawn up by the MTCR and the other multilateral fare control administrations.
The capabilities of the military have set up on the five pillars. These five pillars are deployability, readiness, interoperability, sustainability, as well as operational viability. The military development process is having a broad range of inputs. The major inputs are the following; the development of governance and regulatory structures, maintenance of the infrastructure, and the procurement of the equipment required. Apart from this, there are some activities for the development of the capability of the military forces. These activities are doctrine development, providing education and training to the personnel of military forces. The capacity to deliver can be ensured through the following;

• The development and maintenance of the capabilities of the military across the complete military operations spectrum. 
• Build and enhance the capability with the help of joint area of operation among the Air Force, Naval Service, and Army through exercises and training as well as improved tactical level, operational level, integration, situational awareness, and coordination.
• Through the development of the capability of the reserve defense force.
• Through continuous monitoring and reviewing of the capability of the defense force.
• Through implementing the transformational agenda throughout the defense organization.
• It should also be ensured that the organization of defense is acquiring the best human resource practices and management as well as governance frameworks. 

Through these activities, the consultancy company can enhance the capacity of the Indian Air Force. The capacity to deliver of the Indian Air Force would increase through these activities, and ultimately the Indian Air Force would acquire high capacity. 

3)The operational outputs of the defense force: 
The third strategy of the company for acquiring high capability for Indian Air Force is to maximize the operation outputs of the defense force. The capabilities of the military are used throughout the diverse roles which are assigned to the defense force in operation. The defense forces deliver the operational outputs which are drawn from the pool of resources. The capabilities and the capacity of the military forces are needed for the sustainability of operations to replace the equipment and to rotate personnel. A wide range of operational outputs are provided by the defense forces on a daily basis (Khilnani, 2014). Through this, the capability of the defense forces maximizes. There are some other activities or services which are provided by the defense forces to the civil authorities such as air ambulance flights, maintenance of ceremonial as well as essential services, ministerial air transport services, and fishery protection patrols. 
It is necessary to ensure that the military forces are capable of delivering maximum operational outputs to maintain and protect the national interests. It can be done through the following;

• Organize the capabilities of the defense forces for approving aid to the operation of civil power.
• The organize the capabilities of the defense forces for approving aid to the civil authority operations.
• Through conducting the operation as per the service level agreement or memorandum of the understanding target.
• Organize the capability of the defense forces to provide support to the overseas peace mission as per the requirement of the government.
• Through providing personnel for capacity building initiatives and to support reform in security sector as per the requirement of the government. 

Through the above-discussed activities, the consultancy company can acquire capacity or enhance the capacity of the Indian Air Force.

4)Acquiring of new high-tech military equipment:
The capacity of the Indian Air Force can be enhanced through the acquisition of the high-tech equipment. The technology is being advanced day by day. As the technology is being advanced the requirement of technology is also increasing in the defense organization to maintain and protect the national interest (Khilnani, 2014). The aircrafts should be capable of carrying heavy missile and other required equipment in the emergency situations. The company should acquire new and highly capable aircrafts for the Indian Air Force to enhance the capability of the Indian Air Force. 

5)Collaboration with the other nation for the supply of defense equipment: 
The consultancy company can also establish collaboration with the other nations for the supply of defense equipment (Khilnani, 2014). With the help of collaboration, the Indian Air Force can acquire highly developed aircrafts and other defense equipment to enhance the capability of the Indian Air Force.

Assessment of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Different Approaches 

Strengths of defense policy: 
The defense policy provides the way to conduct the defense practices in the best manner. A defense policy includes the entire operational activities and the best way to deliver the operational activities (Dunne, 2015). A defense policy also includes provisions for ensuring security and protecting the interests of the nation. It also helps in building a good relationship with the other nations. A better defense policy includes a framework which guides the military forces to deliver the best in response to the emergency situations. 

Weaknesses of defense policy: 
The defense policy is not formulated by an individual without consulting with the expert or the concerning bodies. It is one of the most important policies to protect the interests of the nation and ensure safety and security in the nation from the outsiders (Dunne, 2015). The defense policy is formulated by highly educated, trained, and experienced personnel. But if there is a dispute between two countries the defense policy would recommend being ready to deal with any emergency situation. It would not give much focus on building a good relationship between the countries. The defense policy is formulated to support the favored nation and oppose the un-favored nation. It leads to the worse relation with the country which is not considered as a favored country.
Strengths of capacity to deliver strategy:

This strategy helps in enhancing the capability of the military forces or the defense organization which is necessary to protect the interest of the nation (Dunne, 2015). Enhanced capacity to deliver would ensure that the defense organization has enough potential to deal with any emergency situation effectively and provide security to the people of the country.

Weaknesses of capacity to deliver: 
To enhance the capacity to deliver needs huge investment in the defense equipment and training to the defense personnel. The cost of the defense of the country would increase significantly. For the developing countries such as India, it is not beneficial to invest such a great amount on the defense where around 25% of the people do not have meals for two times a day (Dunne, 2015). So, it is not in the favor the country to invest such a big amount on defense.

Strengths of operations output of the defense forces:
It is essential to cultivate maximum output with given minimum inputs in every field. So, in the defense field also it is needed to obtain a maximum operational output (Dunne, 2015). The increase in the operational outputs of the defense forces will cover not only the defense area but also additional services to the government in favor of the national interest such as air ambulance services, service at the time of natural hazards, etc.

Weaknesses of operations output of the defense forces:
To increase the operation output of the defense force also require huge amount of investment (Dunne, 2015). To increase the operation output of the defense force requires multi-purpose training to the defense force with cost huge. 

Strengths of acquiring high-tech aircraft and equipment: the capacity of the country would increase to deal with any emergency situation (Dunne, 2015).

Weaknesses of acquiring high-tech aircraft and equipment: it also requires a huge amount of investment to purchase high-tech aircraft and equipment (Dunne, 2015). 

References

Radhakrishnan, S., Chopra, A., Mitra, D., Gnanasekaran, R., & Kanagaraj, R. (2017). An observational study on the effects of aviation turbine fuel and lubricants on the skin of Indian Air Force ground crew in flying stations. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 73(3), 294-298.
Martin, G. (2015). The Indian Air Force--today and tomorrow. Military Technology, 39(1), 34-36.
Babbage, R., & Gordon, S. (Eds.). (2016). India's strategic future: the regional state or global power?. Springer.
Tellis, A. J. (2016). Troubles, They Come in Battalions: The Manifold Travails of the Indian Air Force. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Barry, B. (2018). Pakistan’s Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Practical Drawbacks and Opportunity Costs. Survival, 60(1), 75-81.
Burgess, C., & Vis, B. (2016). Soviet-Indian mission. In Interkosmos (pp. 205-223). Springer, Cham.
Khilnani, S. (2014). Nonalignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for India in the 21st Century. Penguin UK.
Dunne, J. P. (2015). Economic effects of military expenditure in developing countries.
BAUER, S., & BROCKMANN, K. (2017). 1.6. The Proliferation Security Initiative and UN Security Council Resolution 1540. for the Policy and Operations Evaluations Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 71.
Cowshish, A. (2012). A Perspective on Defence Planning in India. Strategic Analysis, 36(4), 680-686.