Exemplary Work | Unanswered Questions | A Haunting Absence… !

Of What Use Is A System That Is Not Taking Measures To Prevent Accidents Of Its Military Planes ?

On 8th December 2021, the Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 helicopter, with India’s CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) General Bipin Rawat onboard, crashed in the afternoon. The accident occurred in Coonoor in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu and the ill-fated helicopter was carrying a total of 14 people including CDS General Rawat, his wife and other armed forces personnel, leaving 13 dead, including General Rawat. It is learnt that a high-level enquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. The truth will eventually emerge; however, this unforeseen incident points fingers at some serious problems plaguing the nation’s current defence system and the unpardonable negligence of not having implemented effective measures to curb them.

Exemplary work !

General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat was India’s first CDS (Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces) entrusted with heading the nation’s tri-military forces – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. All the chiefs of military forces report to this position that was created in January 2020. This position is extremely important from the context of multilevel modern warfare and for improving the tri-service effectiveness, overall integration of the combat capabilities of the Indian armed forces and their coordination with the defence ministry. Before taking on the responsibility of CDS, General Rawat as the Chief of Army Staff implemented some bold and extremely important amendments in the procedures of the Indian Army between 2017 and 2019. It was in his tenure that the renowned Surgical Strikes were carried out in Pakistan. As such, the mere mention of General Rawat’s name would instil fear in the minds of the Pakistani Army. The Pakistani Army and the media would discuss ‘General Rawat’s policies’. This underlines the necessity and importance of General Rawat and his work.

Unanswered questions !

Due to this accident, the grave irregularities in the defence system have become talking points yet again. The Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying CDS General Rawat is one of the most technologically advanced transport helicopters in the world. Whenever higher officials of the armed forces, such as General Rawat, travel using these helicopters, a thorough check is carried out as part of the routine procedure to ensure the smooth functioning of all equipment from the viewpoint of security. There is no room for technical or human errors. This accident has raised questions such as, “Were all technical checks conducted before General Rawat boarded the helicopter ?”, “Did the helicopter crash due to technical snags ?”, “If the helicopter was fit for flying, how did it crash ?”, “Is this a case of planned murder ?”, etc. The people of this nation deserve answers to these questions.

This accident has also highlighted a few other topics. In 2012, the then Defence Minister A K Antony of the Congress-led Government had presented a report in the House, of the various mishaps of the Indian Air Force that occurred in the past 4 decades. As per the report compiled in April 2012, as many as 482 MiG planes were involved in accidents leading to the death of 171 personnel and 39 civilians. Many of these victims needlessly lost their lives. Since then, these fighter aircraft came to be infamously known as ‘flying coffins’ or ‘the widowmakers’. The last ten years have not been vastly different. As per a 2019 report, a whopping 12 fighter aircraft crashed in the first 9 months of that year causing the deaths of over 20 pilots. The accident involving CDS General Rawat just shows that there have been no lessons learnt from the history of five decades. It should not come as a surprise if a thorough enquiry into these incidents raises serious questions on the functioning of the defence organisation as a whole.

The Western media that is always eager to find an excuse to blow the smallest incidents out of proportion and paint India in a negative light, is rejoicing. These entities will go any distance to ridicule India on the global stage. This incident will be used as an example for several years to come, and attempts will be made to slow down India’s progress.

A haunting absence !

The accident and untimely demise of CDS General Rawat is conducive for the internal and external enemies of the nation. The Chinese Army at the Ladakh border is all equipped to launch an attack on India. In case China misuses this sensitive time to attack India, will anybody be able to fill in the shoes of General Rawat ? Will any officer be able to now replace General Rawat who had a sizeable experience of two years as the nation’s first CDS ? This question is staring India in the face currently. To sum it up, the accident involving CDS General Rawat leading to his death is an assault on the defence organisation of the country. To move on from this accident and spiritedly restructure the nation’s defence organisation with full capabilities is of paramount importance for national security.

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.