Dragon's teeth

[Ray]

It is time, at least, to make up the void in the Defence armoury at the earliest!

We can't do another 'Nehru - Krishna Menon', can we?

 

[neo29]

It is time, at least, to make up the void in the Defence armoury at the earliest!

We can't do another 'Nehru - Krishna Menon', can we?

India does make mistakes but makes sure it rectifies them. I dont think they will ever trust China again. Besides we had Nehru who was obsessed with Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai concept till he got a slap. Lucky our current PM aint that way. He recently delivered a speech about being careful with China.

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

If INDIA had made use of its Air force during the 1962 Indo-China war Chinese would have not dared to make any further incursions or attacks. I t was the then prime minister Nehru's decission for not using the Indian Air force duting the 1962 war.:emot154:

 

[Ray]

India does make mistakes but makes sure it rectifies them. I dont think they will ever trust China again. Besides we had Nehru who was obsessed with Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai concept till he got a slap. Lucky our current PM aint that way. He recently delivered a speech about being careful with China.

Talking will not solve the issue.

There are voids and I am not talking of modernisation (which is light years away it appears). From open sources, there appears to be a void in the artillery, the armoured, the air force, as also the navy.

In short, not optimally poised.

 

[neo29]

If INDIA had made use of its Air force during the 1962 Indo-China war Chinese would have not dared to make any further incursions or attacks. I t was the then prime minister Nehru's decission for not using the Indian Air force duting the 1962 war.:emot154:

The war was limited to ground troops and was good that it was that way. Use of AF would have been disastrous as the PLAAF with their massive number of fighters would have pounded us. We did not even have SAM's in place at that time.

 

[SHASH2K2]

The war was limited to ground troops and was good that it was that way. Use of AF would have been disastrous as the PLAAF with their massive number of fighters would have pounded us. We did not even have SAM's in place at that time.

You are wrong my dear friend. They had no airfield near Indian borders compared to Indian Airforce which was having airfields which can easily target Tibet and also Their Airfiled still have disadvantage of being at higher altitude . Even sukhoi there cannot take off with full payload. Indian Airforce at that time had better infrastructure than Chinese.

check this : http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2007/04/no-use-of-combat-air-power-in-1962.html

It appears that the IAF leadership was quite confident about using combat air to own advantage and did advise the political leadership at every possible opportunity.10 It is a fact that Canberras flew 22 photographic reconnaissance missions between Oct 13 and Nov 11, 1962, during the conflict period, over Aksai Chin, Towang, Se la and Walong area. Some of the sorties were at 300 feet above Chinese concentrations. No damage to the Canberras from Chinese anti aircraft artillery was the proof showing the poor level of Chinese capabilities.11 However, as Lieutenant General Kaul states in the "Untold Story", "Our intelligence set-up, of course, knew little on the subject and was only adept at presuming some facts and not realising the dispensation of exaggerated information about the enemy was as dangerous as understating vital facts".12 Here General Kaul is referring to Mullick granting exaggerated capabilities to Chinese Air Force. Major General DK Palit put the quandary in the right perspective when he stated that the Intelligence agency (IB) which should have been supplying inputs to user agencies was not only collating information, but also interpreting the same and recommending policy action, mostly directly to the Prime Minister. A case of cart before the horse.

 

[Anshu Attri]

Sino-Pak Cooperation in Building Submarines, Bigger Ships Identified

Sino-Pak Cooperation in Building Submarines, Bigger Ships Identified

After successful completion of construction of three F-22 P Frigates in China, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir said that Pakistan has identified to China the cooperation in the field of construction of submarine, bigger war ships, acquiring modern weapons and equipments. "We have the history of cooperation in the Navy with China like we have cooperation in all other fields", said Noman Bashir while talking to media here at a reception on Saturday evening in which Ambassador of Pakistan to China Masood Khan was also present.
The CNS said that Pakistan Navy has already taken over three Frigates and the fourth one is being constructed with Chinese cooperation in Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works and hoped that like the three frigates, the construction of fourth ship in Karachi will be completed ahead of schedule.
" We will not stop here and this cooperation will continue", said Admiral Noman Bashir while replying to a question.
He said that during his meetings with Chinese side, he had identified areas including building of submarines, as so far we had not entered into joint construction of submarines.
This is one of areas Pakistan would now like to explore, he noted.
He said that Pakistan also like to go for construction of bigger ships with cooperation of China.

 

[Anshu Attri]

China Tries Long-distance Air Attack Mode in SCO Drill

China Tries Long-distance Air Attack Mode in SCO Drill

Six warplanes took off from within China and launched long-distance "sudden attacks" in neighboring Kazakhstan in the on-going anti-terror drill of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said a Chinese general on Monday.

The simulated cross-border strikes were the first by the Chinese Air Force, according to Major General Meng Guoping, deputy commander of the Chinese military participating in the drill.

The six warplanes — four H-6H bombers and two J-10 fighter jets — were split into two missions. They were supported by an air early warning aircraft and were refueled by a flying tanker before they crossed the border into Kazakhstan, said the general.

Although the drill venue is within the range of both warplanes, they were refueled in the air to ensure a complete success of their missions, said General Meng.

Meng said by carrying out such a move in the war games, the Chinese Air Force is trying to build an integrated air battle group encompassing early warning, command, long-distance bombing, escort and air refueling.

He said the exercises are also taken as an opportunity to strengthen the air fight and support capabilities of the Chinese Air Force.

General Meng also summarized a number of new characteristics of the "Peace Mission 2010"³ drill, including information-based operations, field training exercises, coordinated command and control, combined actions, and diversified external support.

"Through many years of joint exercises, we have clearly understood that these (SCO) exercises could not only showcase power and deter the 'three evil forces (of terrorism, separatism and extremism)', but also serve as an important way to train our armed forces," said the general.

"Peace Mission 2010," the seventh joint drill of its kind, involved 5,000 troops from five of the six SCO member states — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan is not taking part in the drill, which runs between Sept. 9 and 25.

 

[ajtr]

MoD clears joint amphibious exercise at US base near China​

A year after the Defence Ministry backed out of a military exercise at a US base near China at the last minute, a go-ahead has been given for a joint amphibious exercise at the US Marines base in Okinawa, Japan. The war game, which will involve senior officers of the Indian Navy and Army is scheduled to start later this week and will continue till October.
The same exercise, under the Habu Nag series of war games, was cancelled at the final stage in 2009 when 12 officers who had been earmarked were sent back to their formations days before they were scheduled to depart. While no reason was given for the last minute pull-out, regional sensitivities were thought to be behind the move. Okinawa is located close to China and has a significant US presence where several military bases are concentrated.

The island has also been in the news recently for frequent spotting of Chinese naval vessels, including submarines by Japanese self-defence forces. A Japanese white paper on defence has also raised a red flag over the increasing operations by the Chinese Navy near the Okinawa island.

India is sending a 14-member delegation for the Habu Nag exercise that will consist of officers from the Indian Navy and Army. The exercise has been described as "very unique" by a US government official who said that there aren't many marine forces across the world that carry out such operations.

This also brings out the increasing military exercises that are being carried out by Indian forces with their US counterparts. A US official said that India is conducting more exercises with American forces than any other nation in the world. While a brigade-level exercise will take place in Alaska next month where 200 army personnel are expected to participate, a special forces exercise is already under way at Belgaum.

However, military relations with China have chilled after the recent denial of a visa to Northern Army Commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal who was to lead a military delegation to Beijing on the grounds that he commanded troops in a "disputed area". Sources say that it is too soon to comment on whether a joint exercise with the Chinese army scheduled for next year will go ahead following this.

 

[ajtr]

Following is the blog of Mr. Rajaram with slideshow...

China's Multi-dimensional threat to India's National Interest​

​

The following is a presentation that I made to a private forum on China's multi-dimensional threat to India's national interests and security.

It takes into account an analysis of the Chinese threat in various dimensions of:

1. Geo Political
2. Military
3. Economic
4. Socio-cultural
5. Science & Technology

The idea is to present a holistic view of the challenges that we face from the inevitable competition between China and India.

The Chinese threat is real. The case for that is built on observable Chinese actions rather than offical or unofficial policy pronouncements. The fact that emerges very clearly is that from a Chinese perspective, India remains a potential threat to their national aspirations. The objective therefore is to box India into a Sub-regional context in South Asia. It is also true that their India policy is also a reflection of their own National Security and National Interest concerns.

The Chinese regime is principally propelled by the need to:

1. Maintain the Communist Party's hold on power
2. Ensure Economic Progress through Stability over all other considerations
3. Ensure the peaceful re-unification of Taiwan and the overall soverignity of the Chinese Nation State

The Indian response to the Chinese challenge is also discussed in this presentation. However, the overall picture that emerges is that we are at best reactive and under prepared. A policy of drift and a self imposed shackle in our minds tends to either over demonize China and over emphasize the Chinese strengths or completely deny the existential threat that China poses by its acitons.

The need of the hour is to get out of this directionless drift, clearly articulate a China policy and actively and assertively pursue our National Objectives. The government and the media have been doing a disservice to the nation by not taking the multi-dimensional threat that China poses seriously and preparing the nation to face this challenge

The country's interest is either being subsumed at the alter of international power politics for questionable gains or being given a very low priority. This must be stopped. This talk was a small effort in bringing in the awareness to concerned nationalistic minded citizens

slideshow​

 

[Ray]

MoD clears joint amphibious exercise at US base near China

Wow!

Antidote to Dragon's Teeth?

 

[Anshu Attri]

Tension over India-China border - 15 Sep 09

 

[ajtr]

two Dated articles giving perspective into indo-sino relations way back in 2008 till 2010 and how these relations deteriorated in later part of 2010.

India and China's Rise – Competition and Cooperation?​

Sino-Indian relations are marked by old conflicts centered on border disputes, the new fight against terrorism, differing concepts of state sovereignty, the desire for recognition at the international level, and the search for natural resources beyond Asia to support their economic growth. Mutual economic interests have led to Chinese and Indian state oil companies establishing joint ventures to explore new oil fields in Africa.

To help maintain a balance in its relationships with the two countries, the U.S. has attempted to strengthen its relationship with India in recent years. The civilian nuclear agreement both countries reached in 2006 remains the crowning achievement of this effort. Tellis explained that because the U.S. and India share a common interest in preserving the balance of power in Asia, every U.S. administration will protect the relationship with India as a hedge in case U.S. – China relations deteriorate.

Tellis concluded the discussion by presenting three precepts for future U.S. foreign policy. First, preserve strong relations with both China and India with weighted priority towards the latter. Second, encourage continued interdependence as a means to encourage economic growth. And third, maintain a robust military capacity to protect American interests in case globalization fails to produce solutions that resolve conflicts.

China, India stoke energy bond​

The International Energy Agency predicted that China and India's foreign oil dependency will be 61 percent and 85 percent respectively by 2010. At present, China is the world's second largest consumer of oil. India is the world's fifth largest consumer but soon to become the fourth largest. By 2030, India will likely pass Japan and Russia to become the world's third largest energy consumer.

This is why the two governments of China and India have begun a dialogue and cooperation on energy. In April 2005, during Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India, the two governments issued a joint declaration. Article 9 of the declaration states that the two countries have agreed to cooperate in energy security and energy savings. It also encourages a collaboration to explore and exploit oil and natural gas resources in the third country.

In December 2005, oil companies from the two countries teamed up for the first time to purchase 37 percent of oil assets in Syria that belonged to the Canadian Oil Co at a cost of $573 million. India Oil and Natural Gas Corp is also working with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp in Iran to exploit Aveda Varan oil field, of which China holds 50 percent and India holds 20 percent in shares.

On Feb 22, 2005, India Gas Co signed an agreement with China that India would invest $243 million in China Gas Co. It became the first-ever cooperation between listed companies of the two countries. In August 2006, China and India worked again to buy 50 percent of the shares of an oil field in Colombia.

 

[Anshu Attri]

Aggressive Chinese troops turn up the heat on India's border


Aggressive Chinese troops turn up the heat on India's border - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Indian establishment is worried about a startling increase in the number of stand-offs between Indian and Chinese border patrols and more aggressive posturing by Chinese soldiers along the border.

The political leadership has been briefed about this qualitative change in the assertiveness of Chinese troops along the border, sources said.

The latest stand-off between the two sides along the disputed Line of Actual Control was about three weeks ago, when Chinese soldiers brought a bulldozer into a disputed area in the Ladakh region to construct a road. Even after the Indian side objected to it and asked the Chinese to take it back, the PLA unduly delayed the withdrawal of the machine and took it away only about four days later. The delay of the Chinese was unusual, said a senior official, but it fell into the trend they have noticed this summer of greater assertiveness by People's Liberation Army soldiers.

In fact, the 2010 summer has already recorded an almost 100% increase in the number of stand-offs between the patrols of the two sides. Sources said these peaceful stand-offs were reported from Depsang, Demchok and Pangong Tso areas of Ladakh region in recent weeks.

Sources said they had recorded at least six stand-offs between the two sides this summer. With at least two more months for winter to set in, putting an end to such long range patrols, 2010 may wind up with a record high in the number of such encounters in recent memory. Compared to it, the disputed areas of Ladakh only recorded about three stand-offs a year between the two sides every summer in recent years.

Sources said these stand-offs had been between patrols of the Army and the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) with PLA soldiers. The increasing number of stand-offs apart, the changing posture of the PLA during the stand-offs is equally worrying.

Sources said the security establishment is also reporting a significant step up in the assertiveness of Chinese military patrols whenever they encounter Indian patrols in the disputed areas of Ladakh region. For one, the Chinese soldiers are no more slinging their rifles on their shoulders but are holding it in their hands in a more readiness posture.

In the past, whenever the patrols came face to face, the two sides withdrew simultaneously, which is the accepted norm. It is no more the case, according to sources who say they are worried about the developments. Now, the Chinese military personnel wait for the Indian patrol to withdraw fully from the area, he said. The traditionally accepted guidelines for such instances are a simultaneous withdrawal by both sides.

There are no significant reports of such stand-offs coming in from the northeastern border, sources said.

Read more: Aggressive Chinese troops turn up the heat on India's border - The Times of India Aggressive Chinese troops turn up the heat on India's border - The Times of India

 

[Anshu Attri]

China tests renovated airfields and runways with Su-30 along Indian Border

China tests renovated airfields and runways with Su-30 along Indian Border

India will upgrade IAF's Nyoma advanced landing ground (ALG) in Ladakh into a full-fledged air base closer to the borders with China to deploy its top-notch fighter jets including the Sukhois there.

The proposal for modernising the compact airstrip at Nyoma, just 23 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, has gone to the Defence Ministry for approval, IAF's Western Air Command chief Air Marshal N A K Browne told a press conference here on Friday.

"Nyoma ALG is to be expanded into a major base and a proposal in this regard has been sent to the government. It is being currently examined actively by the Defence Ministry. If the approval comes today, it would take about four years to get it ready as a major base," Browne said.

"When we look at developing a base, in our view we have to be able to operate each and every platform of the Air Force at that base. It will not be confined to one or two types of aircraft alone," he said to a query if Sukhois could be deployed there permanently.

Stepping up its military activities in Tibet, the Chinese PLA has carried out a major exercise there with its Air Force that for the first time saw Sukhoi-30s being pressed into action. By operating Su-30s, the Chinese military was also able to test recently renovated airfields and runways.

As per Indian assessment, there are now seven airfields in Tibet from where Su-30s can operate. Two of these have been built recently.

While the exercise took place about two months ago, details have begun to emerge only recently and formed part of a detailed security review undertaken by Defence Minister A K Antony a few days ago. The Cabinet Committee on Security was also kept informed. The armed forces were of the view that there was no major cause for worry as India was also upgrading its capabilities.

From what is known so far, this was a division-level exercise but was also ambitious because the PLA had moved a mechanised formation into Tibet for this purpose. This mechanised outfit is essentially part of the Rapid Reaction Force which have been developed by the PLA to cope with future "small-scale, high intensity regional combat and military operations".

Categories : India

 

[Patriot]

Beijing Spreads It Wings

ASIAN DEFENCE: Beijing Spreads It Wings

 

[ajtr]

Dragon closing in on India?​

Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, October 2
Even as the ongoing race for military supremacy between India and China becomes more and more competitive, the Chinese have been making incisive inroads into Asian countries neighbouring India in the past two weeks.

In the least 10 days, China has gone ahead and set up an in-house training facility for Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft pilots of the Indonesian Air Force at the Hasanuddin Air Base where the unit is based. Indonesia had also approached India to train its pilots but sources told The Tribune that the proposal was pending with the Ministry of Defence, which was still "studying" the request.

Apart from Russia, India and China are the two major countries operating the Russian Sukhoi-30s. In the past 12 months, Indonesia has acquired 10-odd Sukhoi-30 and Sukhoi -27 and is looking to buy 16 more.

India already trains Malaysia's Sukhoi-30 pilots. The Singapore Army has a tie-up with the Indian Army to practice on Indian soil using cantonments and firing ranges.

Sources said the Russians were not pleased with the Chinese inroad into Indonesia. For India, it strategically means a lost chance to cement ties with Indonesia. Both Indian and Indonesian navies often practice together.

Chinese pilots, on the pretext of training Indonesians, will now be flying much closer to the Andaman Nicobar Islands, some 150 miles away from Indonesia. Crucially, almost all of China's sea-borne imported crude oil trade and a large part of its export trade is carried out through the 500-mile wide Strait of Mallaca. China has been fidgety about India's proximity to these crucial shipping lanes and has developed its Navy to tackle exigencies.

As if this were not enough, the Chinese have also made an inroad into Myanmar. Two weeks ago, Myanmar finally agreed to allow China to use its land to build a highway to connect Kunming in its south-east with Chittagong in Bangladesh. Once built, the highway will allow China first-ever direct access to the Bay of Bengal. The highway will run very close to the North-Eastern Indian states of Tripura and Mizoram.

On September 15, China announced "firm assistance" to Bangladesh to set up a deep-sea port at Sonadia in Cox's Bazar in south-eastern Bangladesh. The two countries signed a defence agreement in May while Myanmar already has one with China. The Chinese are also aiding Bangladesh to launch its own telecom satellite at a cost of $300 million. India's eastern neighbour announced its intent last week even though the satellite will take some 24 months to launch.

Lastly, Pakistan - China's key ally - received delivery of the third of the F22-P frigates, PNS Saif, on September 15. The Chinese handed over three such ships within 12 months, raising eyebrows at the pace of construction. India takes about four years to build one such ship.

China's Circle

Myanmar & B'desh: China to build a highway to connect Myanmar with Bangladesh

India's worry: The highway will run very close to Tripura and Mizoram & China will get first-ever direct access to the Bay of Bengal

Indonesia: China sets up training facility for Indonesian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 pilots at the Hasanuddin Air Base there

India's worry: Chinese pilots will fly much closer to the Andaman Nicobar Islands, 150 miles from Indonesia

 

[ajtr]

Why some fear China and India are on the road to war​

When Manmohan Singh warned of China's "new assertiveness" last week, Asia watchers snapped to attention. The normally sage Indian prime minister accused Beijing of seeking to expand its reach in South Asia. With China muscling for resources and geopolitical clout, India, he warned, had better take heed. The timing of the rare public rebuke was especially provocative, as it came hot on the heels of a series of diplomatic flare-ups between the two giants. Temperatures on the continent are rising in step with the Asian rivals' growth.Last month, China denied a visa to an Indian general on the grounds he was based in disputed Jammu and Kashmir. That was retaliation, experts figure, for India's earlier denial of a visa to a senior Chinese diplomat. China has, for more than a year, been angering India by refusing to issue normal visas to residents of Indian Kashmir. It is also stoking Indian fears of being encircled by a Chinese infrastructure build-up in northern Pakistan, and Indian Ocean port and rail developments in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Last month, India's excitable media seized on reports that China has stationed as many as 11,000 troops in northern Pakistan, feeding growing fears of the "Chinese dragon." For now, a planned defence exchange between the two has been halted at New Delhi's behest.

This diplomatic tit-for-tat is getting a lot of attention because the lineup features the world's two biggest countries, its two fastest growing economies, and two of its biggest militaries, which boast a combined four million troops, and nukes in both arsenals. To regional analysts, China and India are gearing up for what the Economist recently dubbed the "contest of the century." To hawks, they're on the road to war. Not only has China become a key concern for Indian strategists and decision-makers, but Beijing has begun fretting about India's diplomatic assertiveness and military modernization, says Jonathan Holslag, a Brussels-based scholar of Chinese foreign policy and author of the recent book China and India: Prospects for Peace.

Right now, "the top leadership in each country is well aware of the high costs of a clash," he says. "But there is huge pressure to respond strongly to alleged provocations and to keep the other's military power in check."

Cooler minds, however, point to a long history of economic co-operation, an interdependent relationship cheerily named "Chindia." The two countries, meanwhile, see eye-to-eye on a range of issues, from development to global finance--especially since Washington backed off its recent push for deeper ties to New Delhi, says Joseph Caron, a former Canadian ambassador to both China and India. Two-way trade, he adds, is booming, and should top $60 billion this year.

Yet they are also rivals for increasingly scarce resources, notably oil and water; the fight for the latter is sure to get ugly, given that many of India's big rivers rise from Tibet's rapidly melting glaciers. And their long-standing grudges aren't going anywhere. Beijing continues its support for India's foe, Pakistan, while the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, remains happily ensconced in exile in India. Trade, even doves admit with worry, is deeply skewed.

While China exports manufactured goods to India, India, a resource provider--chiefly iron ore--can't get its products into China. Beyond the massive trade imbalance, many Indians have deep-seated security concerns about the products China's Internet and telecommunications giants are selling them, says Caron. These fears were reinforced when in April, Canadian researchers exposed the systematic penetration of Indian government computers from locations in China.

Their brief but bloody 1962 war has since faded from memory, but tensions remain over their shared 4,000-km border. In places, there simply is no agreed border, says Caron, now a distinguished scholar with the Vancouver-based Asia Pacific Foundation. China, meanwhile, claims some 90,000 sq. km in India, an area more than twice the size of Switzerland. A lot of its claims are tied to Tibet, which Beijing now considers a "core interest" on par with Taiwan, according to China expert Susan Shirk, a former Clinton administration official. With cross-border incursions recently spiking to one a day, Brahma Chellaney, an expert in strategic studies at New Delhi's Centre for Policy Research, sees a "perceptible hardening" in China's stance toward India. In response, India has had to beef up its Himalayan forces, which he considers an "attrition tactic" by the People's Liberation Army designed to bog down India's military.

Many of the incursions, however, are bogus. After all, no one knows where the border really falls. Shirk even accuses India of "exaggerating" the Chinese threat. "It's frustrating to them that China doesn't take them more seriously." Caron agrees. China puts itself on the same mat as the U.S., he says, not India. This underlines a big problem, he adds: the Indians don't know much about China, and vice versa. "They're close neighbours geographically--but the societies couldn't be more different," and their interaction for long years has been minimal, says Caron.

To many Chinese, according to a recent opinion poll, India remains a backward country, teeming with "poor, homeless people," not a rising giant. Their mutual incomprehension does little to build friendships.

To Caron, there's nothing new or noteworthy about China and India's cat-and-mouse game--"they've been at it for 300 years." Certainly none of it signals a march to war. Bad as it may seem, Beijing and Delhi are also sitting down for their 14th round of border talks, and recently orchestrated a joint walkout at the Copenhagen Climate Conference. The outside world's interest does, however, serve to underscore the immense and growing power of the Asian rivals. Even five years ago, this odd little spat would have drawn a yawn from the West.

 

[dove]

In case of a war with China, india will primarily be in the role of a defender, hence india needs relatively less conventional forces to match the chinese who will have to enter indian territory and wage war. As far as conventional forces go, we are in a reasonable enough shape to counter china - as long as we are not looking to capture and hold chinese territory.

The main 'fear factor' that would 'supposedly' make india think twice in escalating a war with china is their nuclear superiority - the hundreds of missiles with nukes aimed at india. At least that will be what the chinese would imagine.

This is where there should be an urgency of action. We need to be able to conduct a saturation strike on all Tier I and Tier II chinese cities, and also have the ability to conduct first, second and third strikes. This ability should be developed and also published. The most dangerous thing to do is to develop nuclear weapons and then keep it a secret as the main purpose of nukes is deterrence. Once we reach a point of using them due to enemy underestimating us, both sides have lost.

The most dangerous scenario for india is that an escalating border war results eventually in a nuke strike by china on one major indian city.

At this point, india will have two choices

1) retaliate and end up with massive losses and destruction - where the damage we inflict on china will still be less than what they inflict on us.

2) Surrender in the hope of stoping further blood shed. In case of surrender we will lose entire north east and J&K for sure. Perhaps other debilitating conditions will also be imposed to ensure india never rises up again.

So what does India do if we lose one city ?

The answer to me, at least, is that

1) We have to publicly have developed a nuke arsenal that matches china and can withstand multiple nuke strikes from china and be able to retaliate.

2) We should affirm 'No First Use' in every possible way to ensure that China and the world understands it is not mere platitude, but an inviolable aspect of our military strategy.

3) We should openly state that once the first use rubicon is crossed, india considers nuclear weapons acceptable as tactical weapons and has no strategic compulsions in handling nukes with care or worry about the costs of a nuclear war.

Basically the message should go out that We are bristling with nukes, we are morally opposed to nukes due to its effect on civilian population, but otherwise we are comfortable playing with nukes for as long as the enemy remains and that the cost of nuclear war holds little fear for us.

The 'fatalism' that indians are often accused of should be brought into focus here. The military strategy should state that once war has started, and we are forced into using nukes, then the aim of the military is total annihilation of the enemy without worrying about the consequences to india. Karmanye eva adhikarasthe and all that.

The military strategy should also include our belief in rebirth into a better world if we fight bravely and die.

The western style logic alone does not work with pakis and chinese. They underestimate the outwardly soft approach of indians to mean that we are scared of war and death. Such a misinterpretation of indian attitudes will lead eventually to nuclear war. They have to understand that our soft approach comes from an acceptance of inevitability of fate and rebirth - and that when pushed into war, we will go into the fight with the same delight and devotion as a skilled artisan goes to do his work - knowing we are doing our true duty and the rewards will come in the next life.

Only if the enemy understands this aspect of our psyche, will the no-first-use policy make sense.

 

[Anshu Attri]

Indo-US training exercise in East China Sea


Indo-US training exercise in East China Sea


Washington: Indian and the US navy are conducting their annual amphibious training exercise - Habu Nag -- in the East China Sea, which is designed to enhance their bilateral interoperability, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) is participating in this exercise, while several officers of the Indian Armed Forces embarked on it to observe Navy and Marine amphibious training and to participate in a tabletop exercise.

The exercise that started on September 29 is scheduled to conclude today.

"A key aspect is that the US has Marines embedded with Navy staff, doing jobs for the Navy that are Marine Corps oriented and vice versa," said Lt Col Evan Holt, a Marine liaison officer assigned to Commander, Task Force 76, who is working with the Indian officers.

"We want to demonstrate how two different services with two different goals mesh their operations and personnel to complete those goals," Holt said.



Cmdr Gagan Kaushal, of the Indian navy said the exercise gives them the chance to get a ground view of how everything is executed.

"It also gives us the chance to get a ground view of how everything is executed," he said.

Noting that it has been a wonderful experience being on a US ship, Col Manoj Tiwari, of the Indian Army said: "We have learned a lot about the US Marine Corps and how they function and work with the naval element.

We have the experience on land; what we hope to learn is how the Marines perform landings and facilitate more fluid interaction between our own naval and amphibious elements."

PTI