Most armies tend to prepare for the last war. The battle-hardened Indian Army has also been raditionally conservative. From the Pakistani incursions into Kashmir in October 1947 to now, the nation's territorial integrity has often been threatened by inimical neighbours. Forever in battle, the Indian Army has fulfilled its role admirably, in a spirit of valour and sacrifice, fighting several wars as also helping stem insurgency within the country. However, the changing nature of warfare, the emerging geo-strategic environment, the existential threat from India's nuclear-armed military adversaries and the danger from terrorism, require a quantum jump in the army's operational capabilities.

In order to successfully face the new challenges, the army must modernize its weapons and equipment and upgrade its combat potential by an order of magnitude. Indian Army: Vision 2020 spells out precisely how that can be done-it examines the threats and their changing nature, identifies the key operational commitments, makes a comparative analysis of how other modern armies are coping and offers a considered guide map for a modern fighting force that is light, lethal and wired to meet the operational challenges of the 21st century.

This is a scholar-warrior's view of the nation's defence preparedness, especially that of the army, born of experience and a close study of the security environment and how it is changing. As a former soldier, Brig. Gurmeet Kanwal does not present his views clouded in diplomatic niceties. The threats are stated bluntly, as are the responses that would be required. Most of all, This book gives a practical perspective on an issue of overriding importance that has been rarely addressed in such detail. In doing so it provides an invaluable guide on a subject that concerns us all, ordinary citizen and defence expert alike.