According to the data published by the Swedish research centre, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which tracks military expenditures and global arms trade, India was the third-largest spender on military and defence in the world accounting for 3.7% of the world’s military expenditure share in 2020. India’s expenditure saw a 2.1% growth from the previous year with 2020 seeing total spending of $72.9 billion. The budget covers employee salaries (including all the costs for training army personnel), maintenance of defence facilities across the country and additional capital for any upcoming mission. It also includes development, manufacturing and procurement of new defence technologies, equipment, weapons and vehicles.
However, even with the allocated military budget consistently hovering around 2.5% of India’s total GDP, the majority of the expenditure is spent on salaries, pensions and maintenance of cantonments. The expenditure on arms, ammunition and other defence-related equipment, however, has been gradually increasing. The defence sector was mapped as one of the critical areas to boost ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ with indigenous defence manufacturing being one of the key commitments by the government. A vision of $5 billion in exporting aerospace and defence equipment by 2025 has been set for which the capital outlay has been increased in the 2021-2022 budget to encourage defence modernisation.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has prepared a list of around 209 military items on which import embargos would be placed after a specific amount of time. This is to provide opportunities for the local industry to manufacture these items. There is also the support of the defence sector in building long-term strategic partnerships with global equipment manufacturers for technology transfers to help Indian manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. This has provided an opportunity for the private sector defence manufacturing companies to contribute more to the growing demand.
The increased focus on semiconductor manufacturing by the government also comes into the picture here. While previous efforts to set up a fabrication facility in the country have failed, the push provided by the government this time seems to have that extra quantum of effort and investment. There are also recent reports of possible tie-ups with Taiwanese companies to build a semiconductor manufacturing centre in the country. With the government curating policies to encourage defence manufacturing and start semiconductor manufacturing in the country, this is the time for a confluence of both in India’s national interest.
Considering the necessity of semiconductor technology in developing advanced military systems, defence manufacturing in India will see a massive boost with the help of semiconductor manufacturers.
Tie-ups between the domestic private sector involved in defence manufacturing as well as government-owned PSUs along with major semiconductor manufacturers can help address the issue of the supply of critical semiconductor materials and products. At the same time, fabrication facilities can strike a deal to manufacture specific components solely meant for the military and defence industry. This collaboration between the two industries can help in the modernisation of the Indian military with the help of critical, advanced technologies which are dependent on semiconductors. It can also help in the reduction of any additional investment necessary for the manufacture of key equipment.
There is the question of what must be India’s focus areas when using semiconductor components to manufacture military-grade equipment. A number of military applications exist but prioritisation is imperative when dealing with semiconductor technology. It would be better for the Indian defence industry to focus on the manufacture of existing applications rather than invest in research and development. With military modernisation the need of the hour for India, the domestic defence industry must look to leverage the most out of semiconductor technology with already developed applications.
There might be some military applications of semiconductor technology that the defence industry can benefit from in the short term:
Power Systems
Semiconductor components remain critical in the design of military power supply units. One specific use case which has been seen is the use of these materials and components in the development of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) used in the aerospace domain. This is an airborne, advanced radar system used to detect threats in the form of aircraft, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges. This system acts as the command and control when airspace remains on the battlefield along with helping direct offensive strikes by fighter aircraft.
Communication Systems
The use of semiconductor materials and components in systems specifically meant for communications has been seen for a long time. Radiofrequency (RF) systems remain integral in developing platforms, which utilise radio waves and microwaves for communication like radar and other electronic warfare (EW) systems. A specific area that can prove to be a game-changer for the military is in the development of jamming systems. These jamming systems help defence forces in gaining a crucial advantage in the electronic warfare domain by preventing any wireless communications from taking place on the battlefield. The other area of semiconductor usage is in the development of control tower systems that remain essential in relaying instructions and getting feedback on the battlefield during military operations.
Geo-positioning
In the era of first-strike capability advantage warfare, the ability of military systems to detect and track any threat provides an upper hand to any defence force. The extensive use of semiconductor technology in developing high-end navigation systems (both airborne and underwater) showcases the improvements that can be made to existing technology used by the armed forces. A critical area of geo-positioning that utilises semiconductors that the defence industry must focus on is in developing high-precision systems meant for detection and tracking. These systems combine the existing global navigation satellite systems like GPS with real kinematic (RTK) technology to provide real-time data of location and movement during military operations. This is especially useful when integrated with military vehicles, which can provide a strategic advantage to the defence forces.
Apart from the focus on existing applications, the defence industry along with the semiconductor industry can invest in the research and development of new semiconductors’ applications in the military domain. With the talk of diversification of supply chains, the defence industry can be bolstered with increased innovation in the emerging fields of semiconductor technology. In this way, both can complement each other’s growth.
Arjun Gargeyas is a research analyst at Takshashila Institution. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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