Notwithstanding the resource crunch, a number of measures can be instituted to get the maximum mileage from the existing allocation. At the macro level, a culture of political-military fusion to optimise the payoffs for attaining national objectives should be the linchpin of our security strategy.

Diplomacy must be vigorous to impose minimum demands on the military, which cannot remain over-stretched. This translates into a number of areas including the control of insurgencies in India's periphery. The expenditure on Rashtriya Rifles alone accounts for 2.5 per cent of the army's revenue budget, while almost a third of the army is deployed for counter-insurgency in various configurations.

A wrong notion persists among the politicians that nuclear weapons provide a deterrent at all levels. Rather, it raised the threshold of tolerance and the extent to which Pakistan could fuel passions without risking retaliation. The political echelon was out of sync with military reality, an area which must be rectified.

Demilitarising Siachen is another thrust area. Even Pakistan, which faces a resource crunch, should now favour a de-escalation in Siachen where casualties continue to mount. Intelligence is an area requiring a fillip at the apex level. Sound strategic intelligence inputs are the starting point for the strategic Defence Review being prepared. Emphasis on strategic and real-time tactical intelligence will provide a force-multiplier of great value.

An integrated approach is essential to cut wasteful expenditure and optimise funds. Greater industry-military linkages for dual-use technologies, including research and development, will pay off. To overcome the housing backlog, multi-storied flats, financed by defence personnel themselves through government soft loans, could be leased for defence accommodation for 15-20 years. This would solve the housing problem in a mid-term perspective; post retirement housing for a large segment of the service; and generating more jobs in the building sector.

The writer is researching the media's role in the Indo-Pak relations