IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 151- PADDING AND DECEPTION Brig PS Gothra(Retd)

  As the court convened, the Principal Judge said, “Brigadier, yesterday you promised us something about padding.”

    “Yes, My Lord. I did. But I have decided not to tell that story. A lady heard about it and objected rather violently. She said it does not behove a retired Brigadier to tell sexist stories.”

     Justice Ladyfinger shook her head. “This is 2047. Who is this regressive lady? If you remove all that, your stories will become insipid.”

     “So today, instead of padding, I will tell you about deception. In September 2044, after its Defence Acquisition Planning Conference, the Republic of Kaddu announced that it was acquiring S-800 air-defence systems.”

     The Defence Minister interrupted. “So what? We had the superior S-900.”

    “Exactly, Minister. You had the S-900. You also had nearly five times as many systems as Republic of Kaddu.”

    Coconut leaned forward. “Then how the hell did they win the war?”

     “That,” said the Brigadier, “is where the story becomes interesting. Soon after receiving the S-800s, the Republic of Kaddu began displaying them to the public. One week, seven or eight systems appeared at different locations. The following week, apparently different systems appeared elsewhere. Then more appeared. Each time, the crews were changed. The vehicle markings were changed. The equipment numbers were changed. Photographs appeared in newspapers and on social media. Naturally, intelligence agencies began counting. The numbers kept growing. Your intelligence people concluded that Kaddu possessed considerably more S-800 systems than had originally been estimated.”

     The Defence Minister shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. In military intelligence, it is safer to overestimate the enemy than underestimate him.”

     “Normally, yes.” The Brigadier smiled. “But only if the enemy isn't deliberately helping you overestimate him.”

    The courtroom went quiet. “The Republic of Kaddu wasn't displaying its strength. It was padding its strength.”

    Justice Ladyfinger laughed. “So you managed to bring padding into the story after all.”

    “My Lady, this padding is completely gender-neutral.”

    Even the Defence Minister smiled. “But Kaddu had another purpose,” the Brigadier continued. “Their displays provoked a reaction—if they could flaunt their S-800s, why shouldn’t you display your superior S-900s?”

     “What was wrong with that?” said the Minister.

     "Nothing—if Kaddu merely wanted to see them.”

     The Minister stopped smiling. “They wanted something else?”

     “They wanted to touch them. Kaddu’s sleeper agents mingled with visitors and secretly attached tiny trackers to the S-900s.”

     The Defence Minister stared at him.

    “And when war began, they knew where your S-900s were. They destroyed them, clearing corridors for their aircraft and missiles.”

     Coconut frowned. “But we destroyed many of their S-800s too.”

     “My assumption is that you destroyed exactly what they wanted you to destroy.”

     “Meaning?”

     “Decoys.”

     The Defence Minister sat upright.

     “What evidence do you have?”

      “Two days before my arrest, I saw an intelligence summary. It mentioned two Indian civilians who had repeatedly visited the Republic of Kaddu during the previous eighteen months.”

    “So?”

     “The moment I saw their names, several things suddenly fitted together. They manufactured military decoys.”

    Silence.

    “First, they made a small number of S-800s look like a large number. Second, they induced you to publicly display your own S-900s. Third, they used those displays to track your systems. And fourth, when the war began, you may have expended costly weapons destroying targets that were never real.”

     Justice Ladyfinger leaned forward.

    “So one deception created another?”

    “No, My Lady. One deception induced us to deceive ourselves. But let me tell where is the fault.”

   "Where?"

    "It is taught in your academies that the deception should be planned at the highest level."

   "Is it wrong?"

   "No, but that leads young leaders to believe it is not their job to think on this aspect. And those same officers become senior officers. It is something like in my country people used to avoid studying air defence because they felt that the low weightage questions asked in the staff college exam is not worth the effort required to study the subject. Op Sindoor was a jolt to such people.

     The Principal Judge removed his spectacles.

     “That is a serious matter. Mr Minister, have this examined. I want a preliminary report within one week.”

     Then he looked at the Brigadier.

    “Your execution is withheld for another seven days. If you possess any more such inconvenient information, perhaps you could share it tomorrow. Court adjourned.”

    Outside, a journalist thrust his mike forward and asked, “What are you going to tell the court tomorrow?”

    “Dressed Chicken."

 Note:- If you found it insipid please indicate in comments.