Indian Army: News and Discussion

[black eagle]

DRDO Test-flies Nishant UAV With Structural Health Monitoring

DRDO Statement: Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) a premier DRDO laboratory has conducted Nishant trials (N15-32) on 28.10.2010 at Kolar Airfield in which a technology breakthrough has been achieved. A new technology called the Structural Health Monitoring has been developed by Bangalore based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) (a CSIR establishment), for the monitoring of structural health parameters while the UAV is in flight. This break-through enables the structural health of aeronautical structures to be monitored, so that online health can be monitored and online and corrective action for the flight can be taken. This enables the aircraft to be flown without unnecessarily grounding them.

Analysis algorithms have been developed to predict onset of failures which would be perfected using the data obtained through today's flight. Usage of such techniques will avoid periodic grounding of the aircraft and make the maintenance schedules to be more like "on condition maintenance", the condition being detected even before the failure occurs. It will avoid unnecessary grounding of aircraft for inspection. Such a monitoring can be used for LCA, MCA, FGFA and other UAVs. Such techniques are going to be extensively used in the future in order to cut down the operation costs of the aircraft and can also lead to reduction in airfares. Such techniques can prevent ensuing danger of the flights by pre-warning the occurance of failure.

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/10/drdo-test-flies-nishant-uav-with.html

 

[nitesh]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101103/edit.htm#7

Revving up the airborne force multiplier
Vijay Mohan

Plans are formulated, future scenarios envisioned, policy papers drafted and issues debated, but on-ground implementation, more often then not, gets bogged down in turf battles, financial constraints, bureaucratic wrangles, indecisiveness and other detrimental factors so commonly associated with the procurement of weapons.

This also seems to be the case with Army Aviation Corps (AAC), in existence for almost a quarter of a century., but still to take off as a full-fledged combat arm that can effectively provide the complete ambit of air support to ground formations or facilitate rapid troop redeployment within a tactical battle zone.

Air power is the dominating force in the battlefield, not only being the eyes and ears of commanders, but also adding a devastating punch to formations' firepower and enhancing logistic capability. Army's aviation units have the advantage of firepower, speed and flexibility, greatly enhancing the field formations' combat effectiveness and the ability to strike in the enemy's depth with little forewarning.

The much-needed expansion and restructuring of the Corps been floundering over the years and the bulk of its assets - the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters -- are obsolete. Acquisition of 197 utility helicopters to replace the aging fleet, the contenders for which include Kamov, Eurocopter and Agusta-Westland, remains mired in technical and bureaucratic muddle.

AAC was raised in 1986 with transfer of the Air Observation Posts from the Regiment of Artillery to form a new corps. It has now 35 Recce and Observation Flights forming 11 squadrons. The only contemporary machine in its inventory is the HAL-made Dhruv, with the French-origin Cheetah and Chetak being of 60s and 70s vintage. Some Cheetahs were upgraded to the Lancer configuration, giving them a marginally enhanced operational capability. It has no medium-lift helicopters or fixed-wing assets.

Tasks envisioned for army aviation are onerous. These are engagement of fixed and mobile targets and fire support to ground forces, reconnaissance and observation, electronic and visual surveillance, provision of airborne command posts, monitoring nuclear, chemical and biological environment, casualty evacuation, communications and logistic support and airlift of troops.

Most of the vital tasks, at present, are carried out by the air force, which maintains and operates attack as well as medium helicopters like Mi-25/35 and Mi-8/17. Some IAF Chetaks also have anti-armour capabilities.

At the conceptual and operation levels, the IAF and AAC are vastly different. The IAF, perceiving itself as an emerging aerospace force through exploiting the realm of outer atmosphere for achieving military objectives, is a strategic force, trained and oriented for missions beyond borders and operations across the entire spectrum of conflict covering the total theatre(s) of war.

On the other hand, AAC is concerned with tactical operations within limited geographical areas and is primarily intended as force-multipliers for field commanders and give them the desired punch and operational flexibility within their area of responsibility. AAC was also conceived to free air force assets to concentrate on achieving the larger strategic objectives.

Given the size of the Army -- six operational commands, 13 corps, three armoured divisions, 32 infantry divisions, two artillery divisions and eight independent armoured brigades, ACC's strength of 200-odd helicopters is, as reiterated often by experts, grossly inadequate.

Besides numbers, deficiencies AAC suffers from include lack of all-weather and night capability, absence of dedicated attack helicopters so vital for fire support, negligible tactical airlift capability and non-availability of electronic surveillance equipment.

Further, the army's involvement in counter-insurgency, anti-terrorist operations and low-intensity conflict had placed added demands on the AAC, but with little wherewithal to meet them. Material and technical constraints notwithstanding, men of the ACC have performed commendably in all operational environments.

Mid and long-term perspective plans to restructure and expand its aviation corps have been drawn up, which include raising aviation brigades at the command and corps level, with each strike formation having its own independent air assets for attack, surveillance and communications.

A special operations squadron is also stated to be on the cards for dedicated air support to the Special Forces or extraordinary missions. Next is a electronic warfare flight to exploit the electromagnetic spectrum for battlefield superiority.

Restructuring is to be backed with new acquisitions, including the proposed 197 utility helicopters, additional squadrons of Dhruvs, including its armed version, medium lift choppers like the Mi-17, tactical battle field support helicopters and, in the long run, light fixed wing aircraft for surveillance and communications. Improvements in its capabilities are focused at achieving all-weather day and night capability, precision strike capability, ability to rapidly induct and de-induct troops and enhancing logistic support capability in high altitude areas. Besides induction of new generation aircraft, it would also require a close look at issues like manpower, training, infrastructure, technical support and maintenance.

As the security environment remains in a flux, the challenge before the AAC is two-fold - have the capability to execute its mandate in a fast-paced convectional war fought in a network centric environment in the back drop of a nuclear threat, and secondly, have the ability to support ground forces in low intensity war or anti-terrorist operations in a varied terrain including mountains, jungles and built-up areas. It would also not be out of place to mention that India's security interests are not just limited to the sub-continent, but encompass central Asia and the Indian Ocean Region and, if experts are to be believed, necessitate force projection and expeditionary operations that would require aerial assets.

If the AAC, so vital for battlefield dominance, is to meet its envisioned charter then there must be a holistic approach and a concerted effort to restructure the force in consonance with the emerging security paradigm and suitably equip it with state-of-the art weapons and logistic platforms.

 

[nitesh]

good read:

The intelligent solution

 

[black eagle]

Yudh Abhyas 2010 videos

 

[black eagle]

does anybody have any info about T-72 upgrade status??

 

[RPK]

NSG in International Bodyguarding competiton
http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2010/11/06/state-bodygurads-competition/#more-22760

 

[RPK]

Indian army chief visits Tajikistan

http://centralasianewswire.com/Inte...hief-visits-Tajikistan/viewstory.aspx?id=2300

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - The head of the Indian army, General V K Singh, arrived in Tajikistan on Tuesday night to begin a four-day working visit to strengthen defense ties between the two countries.

"Gen Singh's visit will further cement our defense relationship with a key friendly country in our extended neighbourhood and provide an impetus to our defense cooperation roadmap in Central Asia," the Indian Times on Wednesday reported an official source as saying. "Gen Singh's visit assumes special significance in the light of enhanced defense cooperation between India and Tajikistan."

India has an airbase already stationed in Tajikistan at the Ayni Air Force Base, where over 150 military staff are stationed. In recent years, India has been working to extend the runway at the air base and to construct a perimeter around the base as well as an air-control tower.

Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev met with General Singh on Wednesday to discuss enhancing military-technical cooperation between the two states, the Tajik news source AsiaPlus reported on Wednesday. The officials also talked about personnel training in the Tajik army and military cooperation between Tajikistan and India to combat international terrorism.

General Singh is expected to meet with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Thursday.

He will also visit the training grounds used by the Tajik Defense Ministry, a hospital and the Tajik Military Institute during his visit.

 

[luke holmes]

From the description of the rocks in the Chattisgarh Supergroup given in the sources below, it's clear that they are unmetamorphosed.

From first source: "The Chattisgarh is a major Proterozoic (Purana) basin in the central part of the Indian craton and comprises a thick succession of sandstone, shale and limestone, known as the Chattisgarh Supergroup. The lower part of the succession is dominated by sandstone (Chandarpur Group) whereas limestone and shale dominate the upper part (Raipur Group). K–Ar dating of authigenic glauconite from the lower part of the Chattisgarh succession yields an age of 700–750Ma." [Datta, B. Provenance, tectonics and palaeoclimate of Proterozoic Chandarpur sandstones, Chattisgarh basin: A petrographic view. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 114, No. 3, June 2005, pp. 227–245.]

The basin sediments include pyroclastic volcanic rocks, as discussed in the second source:

"Chhattisgarh is the largest Meso to Neoproterozoic sedimentary basin having more than ~2500m thick cyclic arenaceous-argillaceous-calcareous sediments constituting the Chhattisgarh Supergroup which is divisible into Chandrapur group and Raipur group and covers an area of 33000 sq. km in the Bastar Craton in Central India. The sedimentary rocks in the NE part of the basin include felsic pyroclastic rocks such as ignimbrite, bedded welded tuff and pyroclastic flows. The pyroclastic rocks are emplaced into the Gunderdehi shale Formation of the Raipur Group at Sukda area in the NE part of the basin. They are characterized by the presence of microporphyritic texture, glass shards, volcanic rock fragments and magmatic garnet." [D.V.SUBBARAO DENDULURI , MUKHERJEE ARUNANGSHU, V.BALARAM , K.NAGARAJU, Proterozoic felsic volcanism in the Chhattisgarh Sedimentary basin, Central India: Its Implications on the basin evolution. Abstracts of the 3rd Asia Oceania Geoscience Conference, July 10-14, 2006, Singapore.]

 

[Kunal Biswas]

does anybody have any info about T-72 upgrade status??

Many are now covered with ERA, But still their are some without any upgrades..
The ERA upgrades are done by DRDO/Polish/L&T etc...
So upgadation is going fast, But it also making logistics look difficult in future..

 

[black eagle]

does anyone know what this is?? this photo was taken from an army exhibition..

 

[Rage]

 

[Rage]

does anyone know what this is?? this photo was taken from an army exhibition..

Yeh, it's a Heman 175 Skid Steer Loader, offered in India by the Vectra Group.

It's a hydrostatic-drive earth mover.

 

[RPK]

ExWeb interview with Col. Anand Swaroop: The Indian Army is ready to face the South Pole challenge

Polar News Explorersweb - the pioneers checkpoint

The Indian Army is trained, ready and motivated and wants to face the challenge, says the leader of the group, Colonel Swaroop to ExplorersWeb. The eight men will attempt an unassisted, unsupported expedition from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole with guides Devon McDiarmid from Canada and Svante Strand from Norway.

ExWeb's Correne Coetzer caught up with Anand in Punta Arenas while they wait for the runway at Union Glacier to be cleared so that the Ilyushin flights can take off. Meanwhile ALE's skeleton staff who flew in with the Twin Otters works around the clock to clear the snow.

ExplorersWeb: How do you feel at the moment, being in Punta and getting the South Pole vibe?

Anand: Well, our flight to Antarctica has got delayed due to weather on Antarctica. We are just waiting for it to clear and move. It's a bit tense situation as we have that much less time to make it to the South Pole. Otherwise, we are ready and eager to move.

ExplorersWeb: Are the teammates the 10 names on your website? How do you know each other?

Anand: We are now 8. Hem Chandra and Nim Bahadur are not in the final team. We are all from the Indian Army. We did not know each other prior to May 10, 2010 when we got together and after a thorough selection camp formed a team.

ExplorersWeb: It is quite a large group – how do you plan to stay together during the day?

Anand: Well, it's not that large a team. When we climb in the Himalayas we are usually 20. So relatively it's a small team. We move together and stay two each in tents. Staying together is easy as there is no other place to go.

ExplorersWeb: What made you decide to do this expedition?

Anand: We have climbed most of the major challenges in mountaineering in Indian Himalayas. We were looking for worthwhile challenges and doing polar expeditions is definitely one and we just chose that.

ExplorersWeb: How did you prepare for this expedition?

Anand: We had a 6 weeks selection camp in Indian Himalayas followed by 4 weeks ski training in Greenland.

ExplorersWeb: What are you looking forward to on the expedition?

Anand: We are looking forward to safe and successful expedition. We hope to gain immense experience in polar journey through this expedition.

ExplorersWeb: What are you not looking forward to?

Anand: Injuries, bad weather, et al.

ExplorersWeb: Anything else?

Anand: Thanks for interviewing us. We are ready, trained and motivated. Ready to go and face it.

 

[RPK]

http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_new-fleet-of-choppers-to-strengthen-aviation-corps_1467866

Encouraging commercial pilots to join the Army Aviation Corps, Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia, general officer commanding-in-chief of Central Command, and Colonel Commandant of the corps, said that in the near future, the army's air combat arm would be one of the strongest forces with modern equipment and training.
He was speaking after awarding the coveted wings to 34 officers at the Combat Army Aviation Training School (CATS) in Nashik on Tuesday.

An impressive passing out parade was held, attended by families of officers and the army fraternity at the Gandhinagar airfield of CATS. The officers demonstrated their capabilities and strengths of the helicopters.

The aviators had completed 13 months' arduous training, which began in July with the pre-army pilots course at CATS, after which they proceeded to basic flying training school of the Indian Air Force in Allahabad.

They also trained at the Rotary Wing Academy (HAL) in Bangalore on helicopters and were back at CATS to undergo advanced training in aviation.

Ahluwalia said, "It is most difficult to get this position because of the long arduous journey. However, this is just the beginning." He reminded them of the glorious past of the Army Aviation Corps that has won many gallantry honours and distinguished service awards. He told them that as aviators, their job will be challenging in areas of Sikkim, Uttarakhand and north-eastern states.

Hinting at the revamping of the corps, Ahluwalia said, "By 2027, the Army Aviation Corps will acquire a wide variety of aviation assets. The Cheetah and Chetaks will be replaced by medium and light helicopters."

Along with new equipment, provision is being made for training on simulators, he said, adding that trials of some helicopters are under way and the process of acquisition will be fair and
transparent.

 

[RPK]

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/engineers-celebrate-230th-corps-day-chandimandir/26163

Engineers celebrate 230th Corps Day at Chandimandir

CHANDIGARH: While all three wings of Engineer Corps of Indian Army celebrating their 230th raising day nationwide, the celebration by the Engineers of Western Command with traditional fervor and Zeal is on here at Chandimandir also.



Maj Gen V K Bhatt, Chief Engineer Western Command and Colonel Commander of Bombay Sappers along with other officers, retired officers and other ranks joined in a solemn wreath laying ceremony to pay homage to the martyrs at 'Veer Smriti', the War Memorial of Western Command today. The entire fraternity of the Corps of Engineers in the tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali are attending the celebrations.


The Corps of engineers, one of the oldest arms of the Indian Army, established in the year 1780 consists of three major wings namely Combat Engineers, Military Engineering Service and Border Roads. The Corps also provides officers to the Military Survey and Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).


The main role of combat engineers is to provide mobility to own forces by constructing bridges, tracks and helipads; on the other hand the Corps denies the same to the enemy by creating such as laying mine-fields and demolition of bridges.


The military engineers are mainly responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of all works, buildings, airfields, dock installations, etc. They are also engaged with additional Services such as military roads, water and electricity supply, drainage, refrigeration, furniture, required by the Army, Navy and Air Force.


The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is another major arm of the Defence service which is playing a vital role by constructing national highways, airfields, buildings and bridges. The Border Roads, by constructing a large number of roads in once inaccessible areas of the Himalayas, Rajasthan and North Eastern States have contributed significantly to their economic development.

 

[Patriot]

When the Indian Army impressed the US Army

Indian Army has received an overwhelming pat on its back from the US forces for the professional manner in which it went about carrying out tasks assigned to it in Yudh Abhyas 2010. The 14-day combined training exercise enhanced relationships between the two militaries and expanded operational and cultural knowledge between Indian and US soldiers.

Lt Col Christopher Cassibry, commander of 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, leads the colour guard during the November 14 closing ceremony of combined training exercise Yudh Abhyas 2010 at Buckner Physical Fitness Centre on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

"This two-week exercise brought these soldiers together for this increasingly complex exercise. What we've done here through Yudh Abhyas is important. It's important to this relationship between our two countries," said Brig Gen Raymond Palumbo, commanding general of the US Army in Alaska.

Approximately 750 soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (National Guard) and Indian army soldiers from the 62nd Infantry and 5th parachute Regiment Brigade participated in Yudh Abhyas 2010 and filled the formation during the ceremony.

"I thought the outcome of this exercise was great. As far as our training objectives, we met all of them," Maj Edward Berg, brigade judge advocate, 4th ABCT, 25th ID, said, adding, "The thing that will last for me, that I will remember most, is just the time getting to know my counterpart and creating that friendship."

"We had a great time getting to know each other on a personal level as well as a professional level," Berg added. "I think it's important not only personally to make friends with people from different nations, but also professionally as we go more towards joint operating environments."

"It's been great working with the Indian army. They are very professional," said Spc Justin Coates, infantryman in Charlie Troop, 1-40th CAV. "They really know what they are doing, and I felt confident with their ability to jump."

"They have been able to adapt to our differences very quickly. So seeing them perform so well in this unfamiliar environment is amazing. From talking to them and working with them, I've learned that even though we wear different uniforms, we still share the same lifestyle," said Sgt Randy Henrion, team leader with Apache Troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

Yudh Abhyas 2010 included a command post exercise that focused on combined peacekeeping operations, a field training exercise that included several combined missions, marksmanship and tactical training highlighted by a Javelin live-fire, a combined US and India airborne jump, as well as various cultural activities and social exchanges.

The exercise was significant within all levels involved, Palumbo said.

It strengthened national bonds between India and the United States, it brought two allied militaries together on the same field, and gave each individual participant a chance to experience an unfamiliar culture and establish new friendships.

"It's great that we brought two professional armies together for something like this. I think we've created great friendships for the future," Major Edward Berg, brigade judge advocate, 4th ABCT, 25th ID said.

Soldiers and leaders from both armies presented gifts to commemorate the bonds established through the training event, and bid farewell to each other to conclude the ceremony and Yudh Abhyas 2010.

Yudh Abhyas is a regularly scheduled bilateral, conventional-forces training exercise, sponsored by US Army, Pacific and the Indian Army.

The exercise is designed to promote cooperation between the two militaries to develop US Army Pacific and USARAK relationships with India and promote interoperability through combined military decision making process, battle tracking and manoeuvring forces, and exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures.

Like in the last edition in Babina in India, this time too the Indian soldiers tried out several US-made weapons, including the Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile.

The Indian Army is buying at least 400 of the Raytheon-made weapons and the two sides are discussing a proposal to produce them under license and the Indian defence public sector Bharat Dynamics Limited.







http://idrw.org/?p=1398

 

[RAM]

Indian artillery inflicted maximum damage to Pak during Kargil

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) The Indian artillery, assisted by the Bofors gun and multi-barrel rocket launchers among others, caused the maximum damage to the Pakistani Army during the Kargil war, a fact now admitted by neighbour.

As per the official list of Pakistani soldiers who have been killed during the war period, put up on its website by the Pakistani Army, about 190 of the over 400 dead were killed because of shelling by the Indian Army.

The reasons for the maximum number of deaths given by the Pakistani army was "En Arty shelling" or "En shelling".''En'' stands for Enemy, an obvious reference to Indian troops.The Indian soldiers also killed another about 160 of regular Pakistani army men in exchange of fire with their hand-held assault weapons or as Pakistan puts it, "En Action".Besides the exchange of fire, the Indian Army men also killed about 90 Pakistan Army personnel by shooting them down.The reason given to such deaths was "En fire".

Even the Indian Air force, which bombarded certain territories captured by a mixture of Pakistan troops and militants, killed regular armymen.

It was not just the Indian army that Pakistan had to fight but also rolling stones and avalanches. About 30 enemy troops died in this category.

Interestingly, one of them was killed in lightning.Among other reasons for deaths given were also helicopter crashes.

The Pakistan Army which had been denying its role in the conflict has quietly put the names of 453 soldiers and officers killed in the battle on its website.
The names of those who died in Kargil are tucked away in a list of thousands of personnel killed while on duty that has been posted in the "Shuhada''s Corner" (Martyrs Corner) of the website.



The very first page of the long list of martyrs includes the names of Capt Karnal Sher and Havildar Lalak Jan, who were both killed on July 7, 1999 in Kargil and awarded Pakistan''s highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider.Several others were posthumously given other gallantry awards like the Tamgha-e-Jurat (Medal of Courage).

A majority of those who died in Kargil were soldiers from the Northern Light Infantry (NLI), a paramilitary force that was made a regular regiment of the Pakistan Army because of its performance in the 1999 conflict.During the Kargil conflict and in subsequent years, the Pakistan Army insisted that none of its regular soldiers were involved in the hostilities.


http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4597116

 

[black eagle]

2 mountain divisions to counter China

NEW DELHI: With China's "assertive" behaviour showing no signs of abating, India is fast-tracking new troop formations for the North-East. Apart from the two new infantry divisions, this includes the interesting experiment of new Arunachal and Sikkim Scouts battalions.

Defence ministry officials said the two fresh infantry mountain divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers, should be "fully-operational with specialised equipment" by next year. Similarly, the first battalion of Arunachal Scouts will be up and running by May 2011.

While the new 56 Division has its HQ in Zakama (Nagaland) under the Dimapur-based 3 Corps, the 71 Division at Missamari (Assam) falls in the operational command of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps. Both the new formations are primarily tasked with the defence of Arunachal Pradesh.

"The two divisions are now virtually in place, with officers and soldiers already being posted for them. They are in process of getting new equipment, which includes armoured personnel carriers and light howitzers," said an official.

While this conventional troop-building continues, the experiment of Arunachal Scouts is also underway with the training of its first battalion beginning at Assam Regimental Centre at Shillong earlier this month.

"As of now, the government has approved one battalion of Arunachal Scouts. Sikkim Scouts is in the pipeline," said an officer. Patented on the Ladakh Scouts, which was elevated to a full-fledged infantry regiment after its sterling role in dislodging Pakistani intruders during the 1999 Kargil conflict, Arunachal Scouts are also based on the "sons of the soil" concept.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-mountain-divisions-to-counter-China/articleshow/6966941.cms

 

[Virendra]

2 mountain divisions to counter China

NEW DELHI: With China's "assertive" behaviour showing no signs of abating, India is fast-tracking new troop formations for the North-East. Apart from the two new infantry divisions, this includes the interesting experiment of new Arunachal and Sikkim Scouts battalions.

Defence ministry officials said the two fresh infantry mountain divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers, should be "fully-operational with specialised equipment" by next year. Similarly, the first battalion of Arunachal Scouts will be up and running by May 2011.

While the new 56 Division has its HQ in Zakama (Nagaland) under the Dimapur-based 3 Corps, the 71 Division at Missamari (Assam) falls in the operational command of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps. Both the new formations are primarily tasked with the defence of Arunachal Pradesh.

"The two divisions are now virtually in place, with officers and soldiers already being posted for them. They are in process of getting new equipment, which includes armoured personnel carriers and light howitzers," said an official.

While this conventional troop-building continues, the experiment of Arunachal Scouts is also underway with the training of its first battalion beginning at Assam Regimental Centre at Shillong earlier this month.

"As of now, the government has approved one battalion of Arunachal Scouts. Sikkim Scouts is in the pipeline," said an officer. Patented on the Ladakh Scouts, which was elevated to a full-fledged infantry regiment after its sterling role in dislodging Pakistani intruders during the 1999 Kargil conflict, Arunachal Scouts are also based on the "sons of the soil" concept.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-mountain-divisions-to-counter-China/articleshow/6966941.cms

Redundant. Posted elsewhere already. Please remove.

 

[Patriot]

6,749 Indian women officers in armed forces

NEW DELHI (PTI): A total of 6,749 women officers were working in the armed forces, with over one-third of them inducted during the last three years, Lok Sabha was informed Monday.

"2,591 women officers have been inducted into the armed forces in the last three years and a total of 6,749 of them are working in the Services," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Lok Sabha query.

He said the highest numbers of officers were with the Army followed by the Army Medical Corps and the Indian Air Force.

The Minister said a "zero tolerance" policy was adopted by the government on harassment of women.

Antony added that though some cases of sexual harassment have taken place, but no incident has been reported where a woman candidate has been declined a job due to discrimination or harassment.

He added that the government was considering a proposal to grant Permanent Commission to women officers in branches such as Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) and their corresponding branches in the other two services.

To a question whether the government has taken cognisance of the infrastructure development by China in Tibet and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Antony said the government keeps track of infrastructure development and military activities in both the regions.






http://www.brahmand.com/news/6749-Indian-women-officers-in-armed-forces/5552/1/13.html