Revisiting ‘Forces Goal 2030’: Bangladesh’s Military Modernization Plan Under the New Government

The toppling of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a preferred mass rebellion has modified the strategic, political, and social dynamics of South Asia’s second-largest economic system. Given the nation’s pacifist overseas coverage motto, it typically will get missed that Bangladesh has the third strongest armed forces within the area, solely behind nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Thus, Bangladesh is militarily probably the most highly effective non-nuclear weapons state in South Asia.

Given its coverage of non-alignment and strategic balancing with worldwide and regional powers, a navy with skilled manpower and fashionable gear has all the time been an important ambition for enhancing Bangladesh’s deterrence. Nevertheless, the emphasis given to financial improvement – and the ensuing lack of funds within the protection price range – meant that navy ambition by no means materialized. 

This modified in 2009, when, underneath Hasina’s path, Dhaka initiated its first formalized navy modernization plan, Forces Objective 2030. This plan – revised in 2017 – created a historic groundwork to fulfill the Bangladesh Armed Forces’ demand to remodel into a classy twenty first century navy. After greater than 15 years of this initiative, the Armed Forces of Bangladesh (AFB) have been considerably upgraded. 

With Hasina’s 15-year reign now over, the brand new interim authorities of Muhammad Yunus has initiated plans to reform key sectors and establishments of the nation, together with the police, judiciary, and structure. Each main step taken through the earlier administration is now topic to alter. Subsequently, it isn’t past query that the successes and limitations of Forces Objective 2030 may additionally bear a reassessment by the present authorities. 

Bangladesh’s shuffled geopolitical panorama and shifting safety priorities within the post-Hasina interval could require revisiting the present navy modernization plan. This can even require securing deeper strategic ties with Dhaka’s major arms sellers, similar to China and Turkiye.

AFB Modernization Below Forces Objective 2030

The first goal of Forces Objective 2023 is to modernize all three arms of the AFB, specifically the Military, Navy, and Air Power. The plan requires the reconfiguration of navy formations, growing manpower, creating new models, together with of contemporary weapons with enough coaching, revising navy doctrine, and growing the protection industrial base (DIB) for indigenous manufacturing, together with transfers of know-how. Given these targets, it may be termed as a holistic technique to develop the AFB right into a twenty first century succesful drive.  

Below Forces Objective 2030, the AFB has been renovated considerably. The Bangladesh Military acquired fashionable Russian BTR-80 and Turkish Otokar Cobra Armed Personnel Service (APCs) for its newly fashioned mechanized infantry models. Refined MBT-2000 tanks and VT-5 gentle tanks have been launched to the Armored Corps from China. The Artillery Corps was inducted with a number of launch rocket programs (MLRS) just like the Turkish TRG-230 and TRG-300 Kasirga alongside the Chinese language WS-22. Self-propelled artillery programs just like the Serbian Nora B-52 have been additionally added to the stock. The Air Protection Artillery (ADA) Corps acquired FM-90 Quick Vary Air Protection Floor to Air Missiles (SHORAD SAMs), popping out from the legacy of working solely out of date self-propelled weapons for air protection and safety of key level installations. Turkish Bayeraktar TB-2 drones have been purchased for Military Aviation alongside transport plane and multipurpose helicopters from the West and Russia, respectively. 

As a consequence of consecutive authorized victories towards India and Myanmar over maritime boundaries, Bangladesh retains sovereignty over a big chunk of the Bay of Bengal (BoB). This heightened the significance of modernization for the Bangladesh Navy. Dhaka subsequently acquired two Ming-class submarines from Beijing and main ships for its floor fleet like Sort 053H3 and Sort 053H2 guided missile frigates, and Sort 056 stealth-guided missile corvettes. Bangladesh additionally purchased a pair of decommissioned cutters from america to reinforce its naval presence. In 2011 Bangladesh’s Naval Aviation wing was fashioned with 4 German Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Plane (MPA) and two Italian Augusta Westland maritime helicopters. 

Subsequently, Dhaka’s deal with enhancing airpower additionally grew on account of Myanmar’s repeated and aggressive breaches of Bangladeshi airspace. The Bangladesh Air Power acquired fourth-generation fighter trainers just like the Russian Yak-130 and Chinese language Ok-8. License-produced F-7BG and F-7BGI fighter interceptors have been additionally launched into the air fleet. The Air Power additionally acquired FM-90 SHORAD SAMs for small-area protection and Italian Selex RAT-31DL superior 3D surveillance radar for land-based early warning programs.  

Apart from upgrading its stock, Dhaka additionally established new formations with elevated personnel. The Military raised three new divisions in 15 years, specifically the seventh, tenth, and seventeenth Infantry Divisions, alongside the just lately fashioned Adhoc Military Air Protection Corps. The lone Para-Commando Battalion was additionally strengthened to a Para-Commando Brigade in 2016. The Bangladesh Navy launched aviation models, and the Bangladesh Air Power fashioned cell SHORAD SAM models. 

The AFB additionally targeted on increasing its protection business by way of its subsidiary Bangladesh Machine Instruments Manufacturing facility (BMTF) and Bangladesh Ordinance Manufacturing facility (BOF). The BMTF now produces gentle automobiles like Arunima utility vehicles, and the BOF supplies indigenously produced small arms like BD-08 rifles, MANPADs, rockets, and grenades. This gear is primarily produced indigenously by way of the know-how switch agreements with overseas companions. 

Khulna Shipyard, underneath the Bangladesh Navy’s jurisdiction, has additionally efficiently produced a number of small and evenly armed Offshore Petrol Vessels (OPVs) domestically. It intends to construct bigger vessels like frigates and corvettes, probably with technical help from China or Turkiye, sooner or later, to bolster home manufacturing capability.

The Rationale for Revisiting the Forces Objective 2030 and Potential Overhauls

The interim authorities in Dhaka is now dealing with further safety challenges amid a brand new geopolitical actuality in addition to inner points. In Rakhine and Chin states of Myanmar, rebels are gaining strongholds, and the Bangladesh-Myanmar border has was an energetic warfare zone. The Arakan Military (AA) has shot, kidnapped, and killed Bangladeshis close to the Naf River. The violence throughout the border has additionally sparked new incursions of Rohingya refugees, in addition to unlawful border crossings by Myanmar safety personnel searching for to keep away from seize.

The connection with India can be strained as anti-Bangladesh sentiment is driving excessive in India, culminating in a vandalism assault on Bangladesh’s Assistant Excessive Fee in Agartala. Prime Indian authorities officers like Amit Shah have publicly known as for forces to prepared for warfare, citing the scenario in Bangladesh. 

Inside Bangladesh, threats of destabilization are seen from non-state actors just like the Kuki-Chin Nationwide Military (KNA), which is more and more rising robust and receiving alleged overseas help, together with arms, coaching, and secure haven. 

The instability in neighboring Myanmar, warfare rhetoric propagating from India, and prospects of insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts require the AFB to a construct a powerful drive that is ready to deter and counter any exterior and inner threats. For such functions, a stronger AFB is necessary, which would require revisiting the prevailing drive modernization plan. 

Dhaka should determine a few of its modern shortcomings and look to enhance the plan. New targets might embrace diversifying arms imports, buying crucial weapons programs, prompting protection companions for a wider vary of know-how switch offers, countering data warfare from adversaries, formulating an irregular warfare doctrine, and bettering intelligence-based operations. 

Apart from, Dhaka may also combine its second layer of territorial protection by formulating related modernization plans for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard. Integration of those forces is important as they may fall underneath the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Protection in case of a nationwide safety disaster like warfare or battle. 

Voluntary primary coaching will be launched in tertiary schooling establishments just like the nation’s Cadet Faculties. By such packages, models of the Bangladesh Nationwide Cadet Corps will also be expanded for youth participation. It will create future candidates for the AFB’s officer corps and promote youth contribution to nationwide safety.

China Dependency and Turkish Options 

Lately, Turkiye has turn into one of many main suppliers of weapons to Bangladesh. Dhaka is amongst Ankara’s prime 4 locations of navy gear. Dhaka’s curiosity in buying Turkish weapons stems from a number of components, such because the poor high quality of Chinese language gear, the goal to familiarize the AFB with NATO-grade weapons, a lower cost tag as compared with different Western suppliers, and Ankara’s willingness to facilitate indigenous manufacturing by way of know-how transfers. The Bangladesh-Turkiye strategic partnership has seen important constructive improvement in recent times, which brings a robust impetus for each to deepen the prevailing ties. 

This has now raised the potential to problem China’s standing as the first arms exporter to Bangladesh. Arguably, it’s onerous to interchange China’s prime place; Beijing accounts for greater than two-thirds of complete arms gross sales to Dhaka. The AFB’s officers are well-trained in working Beijing’s warfare materiel and have a deeply embedded custom of utilizing Chinese language gear. Subsequently, the potential for choice bias in procurement can’t be dominated out. 

Furthermore, Beijing’s ambassador has already launched a allure offensive with main political events and stakeholders in Bangladesh. A constructive picture of China and brewing anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh may outcome within the deepening of a strategic partnership between Dhaka and Beijing. Dhaka may also want to buy crucial programs like multi-role fighter plane from Beijing given the dire necessity to replenish its air energy and strategic deterrence. 

Turkiye and China have been Bangladesh’s main suppliers of crucial programs. Each international locations have additionally opened new areas of strategic cooperation, like joint navy drills and annual protection dialogues, with Bangladesh. Each Turkiye and China promote know-how transfers to assist develop Bangladesh’s protection business. Thus, a prudent step for Dhaka can be to strike a steadiness between each strategic companions and keep away from overdependency on any single provider. This coverage can even align with Dhaka’s overseas coverage of geopolitical balancing, neutrality, and peaceable coexistence. 

As extra complicated relationships with India and Myanmar develop, the necessity to revise Bangladesh’s navy modernization plan turns into important. Bangladesh may additionally go for cooperation from China and Turkiye on this regard. Irrespective of the interior political end result, the strategic relationships with Ankara and Beijing appear to be sustainable. 

For now, Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus’ interim authorities, has a spectacular alternative to revisit Forces Objective 2030. It will bolster Dhaka’s protection capabilities, fulfill modern drive necessities, and preserve efficient deterrence towards conventional and nontraditional threats. Such feats are important for Bangladesh to take care of inner and geopolitical stability.