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CLAWS' seminar on Soldier Modernisation and key suggestions
28 Jun 2009 CLAWS: The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) organised a seminar on “Modernisation of Infantry in India” on May 25, 2009 at the CLAWS campus. Col Faujdar highlighted the following key areas:
• A road map for modernisation needs to be drawn up with an effective time line that must be adhered to.
• An internal defense force should be raised to free infantry from the task of dealing with the non-conventional threats during peace time.
• An infantry battalion or individual should preferably be rotated between two different or three near congruous terrain profiles only.
• A project to reduce weight of the present medium machine gun, automatic grenade launcher, and anti-material rifle by at least 6-8 kgs should be undertaken.
• Replacement of the existing Hand Grenade No 36 should be expedited with the introduction of a variety of grenades to meet all requirements.
• 81 mm Mortars should be made lighter and possibly based on tracked carriers and their range should be not less than 7,000 metres.
• A man-portable unmanned aerial vehicle troop (four-six aerial vehicles) should be authorised to the intelligence and surveillance platoon of infantry battalion. This would enhance the infantry battalion’s area of influence.
• The ‘bayonet strength’ of a rifle section should be preserved. In a single section, there should at least be 6-7 persons available for launching an assault on the enemy.
• Custom-built obstacle crossing expedients should be made available to infantry for negotiating water obstacles as well as mine fields.
• Infantry company ‘F’ echelon should be based on two 1.5 ton capacity low silhouette vehicles.
• Ghatak platoons should be trained for helicopter-borne operations and provided with light strike vehicles.
8ak - Indian Defence News: CLAWS' seminar on Soldier Modernisation and key suggestions
28 Jun 2009 CLAWS: The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) organised a seminar on “Modernisation of Infantry in India” on May 25, 2009 at the CLAWS campus. Col Faujdar highlighted the following key areas:
• A road map for modernisation needs to be drawn up with an effective time line that must be adhered to.
• An internal defense force should be raised to free infantry from the task of dealing with the non-conventional threats during peace time.
• An infantry battalion or individual should preferably be rotated between two different or three near congruous terrain profiles only.
• A project to reduce weight of the present medium machine gun, automatic grenade launcher, and anti-material rifle by at least 6-8 kgs should be undertaken.
• Replacement of the existing Hand Grenade No 36 should be expedited with the introduction of a variety of grenades to meet all requirements.
• 81 mm Mortars should be made lighter and possibly based on tracked carriers and their range should be not less than 7,000 metres.
• A man-portable unmanned aerial vehicle troop (four-six aerial vehicles) should be authorised to the intelligence and surveillance platoon of infantry battalion. This would enhance the infantry battalion’s area of influence.
• The ‘bayonet strength’ of a rifle section should be preserved. In a single section, there should at least be 6-7 persons available for launching an assault on the enemy.
• Custom-built obstacle crossing expedients should be made available to infantry for negotiating water obstacles as well as mine fields.
• Infantry company ‘F’ echelon should be based on two 1.5 ton capacity low silhouette vehicles.
• Ghatak platoons should be trained for helicopter-borne operations and provided with light strike vehicles.
8ak - Indian Defence News: CLAWS' seminar on Soldier Modernisation and key suggestions