Indian Army: News and Discussion

[bhramos]

...............................................

 

[WolfPack86]

Alexander Maksichev, the managing co-director of the BrahMos Aerospace company says range of #BrahMos will be increased to 500 KM and speed will be increased to more than Mach 4.5!

 

[12arya]

Dont know what this is about


https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...ping-army-nsab-ps-raghavan-1498080-2019-04-10

Surgical strike hero Lt Gen DS Hooda accused of revealing details of secret report on revamping army

Chairperson of National Security Advisory Board PS Raghavan has accused Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda of "leaking" details of a report on "right-sizing" the Indian Army.

Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda. (File photo)


A controversy broke out on Tuesday (April 9) when chairperson of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) accused Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda of "leaking" details of a report on "right-sizing" the Indian Army.

Lt Gen DS Hooda is the former Northern Army Commander under whose watch the 2016 surgical strikes were conducted after the Uri terror attack.

At a lecture on 'National Security Institutions: Tackling Emerging Challenge', organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), NSAB chairperson PS Raghavan said Lt Gen (retd) Hooda had contravened the terms of the agreement on the report that he was preparing for the NSAB.

"We were the people who asked Lt Gen Hooda to prepare the report. It was the NSAB. He actually contravened the terms of the agreement by going public with it. He was not supposed to do it. He gives me a report on which he writes secret and writes copy number 1, 2 and 3. Then he goes to the next Manekshaw Centre conference and says this is what he has said [in the report]," said PS Raghavan.

He responded to a query posed regarding the Task Force report that Lt Gen Hooda had prepared for the Congress. Instead of responding to this specific question, the NSAB chairperson spoke about Lt Gen Hooda "divulging" details of a classified document.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Hooda refuted the allegations levelled by Raghavan and said he has no recollection of any conference where he revealed the details of the said report.

Challenging the NSAB chief, Lt Gen Hooda said, "We should not let accusations fly loosely. There was no seminar in Manekshaw Centre where I spoke about the report that had been submitted to the NSAB. If there is even one person who can certify that I spoke and divulged details in that seminar then I am at fault, else Raghavan should take back his words."

Last year, Lt Gen Hooda was assigned the task to prepare a report by NSAB for "right-sizing" of the Indian Army. He submitted the report of the single-member panel to the National Security Advisory Board in late November, 2018.

While there have been many reports in the media regarding what the report entails, there isn't any that says Lt Gen Hooda revealed details of the report.

The Narendra Modi government has been trying ways to "optimise" the size of the military forces. This is being seen as the largest reform programme of the defence forces since India gained Independence in 1947.

Some media reports have suggested that the report prepared by Lt Gen Hooda had recommended the possibility of cutting down the size of the 1.2-million strong Indian Army by creating a reserve force that can be called up during war; making the Special Forces (SF) a strategic resource; and setting up a new directorate to accelerate technology induction.

Raghavan gave no clarity on whether the recommendations were considered and accepted. He rather called it just an "additional" report.

"It was just and additional report on right-sizing of the Indian Army. There were a number of issues that then had to be taken up and discussed with a variety of people before we could give advice to the government," he said.

The initial question posed to PS Raghavan was regarding the report Lt Gen Hooda had prepared for the Congress party. The retired officer was entrusted by the party to prepare a national security strategy document for the party, most of which was incorporated by the party in its manifesto as well.

In March this year, Lt Gen Hooda submitted a "comprehensive report" on national security to Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Congress president had constituted a task force which was headed by me on national security. I have prepared a national security strategy document and today submitted it to the Congress president," General Hooda had said after submitting the report.

Thanking the retired general and his team for their efforts, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Lt Gen (Retd.) DS Hooda and his team have put together a comprehensive report on India's national security that he presented to me today. This exhaustive report will at first be discussed and debated within the Congress party."

While Lt Gen Hooda's integrity has been questioned by Raghavan, India Today TV is yet to get a response from the NSAB regarding the allegation levelled against him. India Today TV is also yet to get a confirmation on any conference held at the Manekshaw Centre where Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd) spoke publicly about the details of this "secret" report.

 

[12arya]

https://www.thebetterindia.com/1782...s-entrepreneurs-bengaluru-organisation-india/

Bengaluru Initiative Helps Indian Army Veterans Turn Entrepreneurs After Retirement!

“Every year 60,000 soldiers from the Indian Army retire. Since, most of these jawans retire in their late thirties, it is easier to mould and teach them entrepreneurial skills,” says I Create India.
by Gopi Karelia April 5, 2019, 7:58 pm

Courage, determination and a passion to serve the country in every way they can.

These three traits are ingrained in each soldier who takes an oath to serve and protect their homeland despite the risk of facing a bullet or a bomb.

Serving the country by guarding its borders so that others may sleep easy is not for everyone, it needs a certain kind of dedication and selflessness that very few possess. Being a part of the Indian Army has its rewards both at a personal and social level, but life post-retirement is not as easy. Transitioning from the life of a military person to a civilian can be challenging especially when it comes to securing the future of their loved ones financially.

Though the existing monetary retirement plan may help the retired veterans lead a reasonably comfortable life, lack of skills or education, especially for soldiers of lower ranks, can be a hindrance to those who wish to establish an alternative career.

40-year-old R Y Naidu, who served as a havaldar (equivalent to a sergeant) at the ER-5 unit of the Indian Army for nearly 20 years, faced the same worries.

R Y Naidu who retired in 2018 today owns a business
Speaking to The Better India (TBI), about his retirement plans, Naidu says,

For nearly 20 years I served my country and given my family a comfortable life. I wanted to do the same after retirement. I did not have a fancy degree or any other skills to get a decent job.

After retiring from the army, Naidu wanted to start a small-time business in his native Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, because a business venture does not require formal training or education. “As I was nearing my retirement in October 2018, I came across an organisation who helped me to become an entrepreneur,” says Naidu.

Today, he has his own Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant that he built using his savings and a loan from the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme Scheme (PMEGP). His monthly business turnover from selling water bottles, cans and pouches is Rs 3-4 lakhs, and his take-home is up to Rs 50,000. He has also started paying his loan instalments.

Talking about his future plans, he says, “I am planning to set up a bottle manufacturing unit next to the RO plant as, currently, I have to export the bottles from Vishakhapatnam.”

A thousand kilometres away from Vishakhapatnam, Namdev Ghotane in Belgaum, Karnataka has not only revived his failed dairy business but has also established another business of earth-movers. In the ER-14 unit of the Indian Army, Namdev used to drive heavy-duty vehicles in challenging terrains.

Namdev Ghotane in Belgaum invested his personal savings to start his business in Belgaum
Banking on his skill, he invested 22 lakhs from his savings and purchased 2 JCBs and one tractor. The income generated from his dairy and earth-mover business is proving to be a boon for the 36-year-old and his family of five.

Likes Naidu and Ghotane, 50 other ex-servicemen across India have benefited from the 5-day Entrepreneur workshop by a non-profit organisation called ‘I Create India’

I Create India helps ex-servicemen from the Indian Army to start their business
Started by a US-based Indian couple Harsh and Aruna Bhargava, the 20-year-old organisation aims at imparting entrepreneurship and employability skills development to the underprivileged across India apart from retired army veterans.

While the founders would visit India regularly for updates, they wanted someone in India to take charge and so Ulhas Kamat, the CEO of ‘I Create India’, got on board. Kamath had worked in the US with a minority business development agency after which he moved back to Bengaluru 10 years ago.

Talking to TBI, Kamath says,

Every year 60,000 Indian Army soldiers retire. Our objective is to help create micro-business so that they can live with dignity. Since most of these jawans retire in their late thirties, it is easier to mould and teach their entrepreneurial skills.

From Retirement To Business

“I Create India” signed an MoU with the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV) in 2016. As per this MoU, Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) would be sent for the programme.

“Just when the army personnel from Madras Engineer Group (MEG) regiment are about to retire, they are expected to visit the MEG headquarters from across India. They get about a week free while completing the formalities. We utilise these days to train them,” says Kamath.

Staff from I Create India mentors ex-servicemen during the initial days of the business
The organisation uses the preferences, skills, hereditary traits and resources that the ex-servicemen already possess to their benefit and prepare them accordingly without charging any money.

Take, for example, the case of Naidu. For most of his time in the Indian army, he worked in technical operations department and dealt with water treatment plants. Meanwhile, back in his village, there was no RO water plant because of which water had to be brought from other areas. Thus the staff at I Create India gave him the training that helped him utilise his experience in the army to solve the water problem of his village.

The model is a five-stage process that involves awareness, imparting skills, mentoring, helping them access financial options and finally hand-holding the ex-servicemen after they have established the process. The first two stages are implemented in the five-day workshop that takes place at the Madras Sappers Headquarters MEG and Centre in Bengaluru’s Ulsoor area.

Each batch contains up to 30 participants in the first stage. Of them, 30 per cent of them back out in the next stage. The remaining ones present their idea in front of the tutors and other batch mates.

Once the idea is approved, mentoring begins that lasts for 1-3 months. At this stage, they are taught about basic business fundamentals like investment, profits, marketing, and customer relations and so on.

After they are confident about managing their business ventures, financial investment options are explored. In most cases, the retired servicemen prefer using their personal or family savings. For those, who don’t have enough capital, the organisation helps them explore other options.

“Various government-approved schemes help the retired army personnel to acquire a plant, land or raw materials at subsidised rates and the interest charged by banks is very low,” says Kamath. The staff of I Create India then helps them prepare the necessary documents.

Once the capital is acquired, the final stage of execution begins, and the organisation staff remains in constant touch with the retired serviceman until he is ready to fly solo.

So far, 730 ex-army servicemen personnel have been a part of this workshop and 50 are successfully running their business.

Future Plans

Currently, the training workshops are taking place in Bengaluru and Ahmednagar. Six other centres will come up in cities including Delhi, Lucknow, Belgaum, Ahmednagar, Bengaluru and one in Odisha.

The annual cost of running each centre is around 25 lakhs. To fund these centres, I Create India is currently looking for corporates or companies for funding through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

 

[Bhadra]

Hope the company that is supplying armour to army starts using this instead of the CHINA Made one.
The company that is supplying armour is home company though.

If India has not developed its "Rare Earth Mineral" resources (The PSU is under DEA) why blame China who have become almost monopolist in Rare Earths.

European company supplying material to Indian manufacturer are getting their raw material from China. Why should the Indian company not get it from China and cut cost ?

Prejudices galore....

 

[12arya]

Army does not work on public suggestions, says General Bipin Rawat:biggrin2:
General Bipin Rawat of Indian Army addressed media on Saturday. He talked about Medex 19, Indo- Myanmar Army relations and also about government’s decisions on Indian Army. During the interaction with media, Rawat said, “When Army works, it doesn't work on public suggestions. Army works according to the political decision. It is a well-thought political-decision which is followed by Army.”

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...ys-general-bipin-rawat/videoshow/68440872.cms

 

[12arya]

https://www.telegraphindia.com/opin...to-india-for-training-and-weapons/cid/1688466

Myanmar's army is increasingly turning to India for training and weapons
The reciprocal military operations in Myanmar and India are a landmark in Indian military diplomacy in the East.

Myanmar military officers march during a parade to commemorate the 74th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP)

Amid much rejoicing over the Indian air strikes at Balakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — seen as evidence of escalation in India’s counterterrorism response — the Indian army has achieved a major breakthrough in military diplomacy in the East. After several high level exchanges with the Eastern Command in the last 18 months, the Burmese army, known as the Tatmadaw, struck a huge blow to the bases of the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim in Myanmar’s Sagaing province. It followed up by attacking the bases of the United Liberation Front of Asom and Manipuri rebel groups. The Ulfa has admitted to losing a major of its military wing. Indian army sources say there has been a spate of surrenders from the ranks of the Ulfa and Manipuri rebel groups as a result of the Burmese military operation.

In February, Burmese troops stormed the NSCN-K headquarters at Taga. The rebels did not resist because their leaders appear keen to remain within the Burmese peace process. The NSCN-K, divided after Burmese Naga leaders ousted the chairman, Khango Konyak, and forced him to return to Nagaland in India, is a signatory of the nationwide ceasefire arrangement in Myanmar. Although it reneged on its ceasefire with India in 2015, it maintains the ceasefire it signed with Myanmar in 2012. This is understandable as most top leaders of the faction, like its founder, S.S. Khaplang, are Burmese Nagas. India has now included the Khango faction in the peace process, listing it as a ‘Naga national political group’, like the other Naga rebel factions, although Delhi has negotiated a final settlement with only the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) faction since 1997.

Indian security forces were hit hard by the K group after they reneged on the ceasefire . In 2015, the Indian army initiated the first surgical strike against a K group base to avenge the killing of 18 soldiers of its Dogra regiment. But ambushes by the K group continued. Khaplang, with support from the Ulfa’s Paresh Barua, formed a rebel coalition, the United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia, leading to a spurt in insurgent activity in India’s Northeast. The rise in Ulfa recruitment in the aftermath of the citizenship bill controversy in Assam added to India’s worries. That is when the Eastern Command started extensive parleys with the Tatmadaw. The latter’s February operation has knocked out the last trans-border regrouping zone of the northeast Indian rebel groups, a blow from which it will not be easy to recover, especially since the governments in both Bhutan and Bangladesh are in no mood to let them return to their old bases in those countries.

The Indian army reciprocated Myanmar’s gesture by starting a major counter-insurgency operation against the separatist Arakan Army in south Mizoram, which has killed a number of Burmese soldiers and policemen in Rakhine in recent months and emerged as the most potent rebel group in the disturbed province. Although there has been peace in Mizoram since the Mizo National Front ended its bloody separatist campaign in 1986, its remote southern fringes have been used by the Arakan Army as a base area. Denying this base to the Arakan Army is as important for the Tatmadaw as denying the Northeastern insurgents the Taga base area is for the Indian army. This is the first time the Indian and the Burmese military are working in tandem.

But the Arakan Army recently sank a vessel carrying steel girders for the Paletwa bridge and then kidnapped labourers working on the Mizoram-Paletwa road, which is part of the Kaladan multi-modal connectivity project financed by India. Although no Indian national has been hit, the Arakan Army is perhaps signalling to Delhi not to intervene against its forces because it can, if it wants, disturb India’s key project in Myanmar.

India-Myanmar military cooperation dates back to the 1960s when the Tatmadaw attacked Naga and Mizo rebel columns heading to China for training. But Indian support for the pro-democracy movement in the 1980s upset the Tatmadaw, and they stopped operations against the northeastern rebel groups. Indian intelligence, especially the redoubtable officer from the Research and Analysis Wing, the deceased B.B. Nandy, established relations with the Kachin rebels to deny passage to China to the rebels, but that was discontinued in the mid-1990s. Since then, India has left it to its army to woo the Tatmadaw in an effort to deny the Sagaing base region to the rebels.

This is finally yielding results. The Tatmadaw is increasingly turning to India for training and weapons because it suspects foul play by China in the peace process. Rebel groups like the United Wa State Army, the Kokang Army and the Kachin Independence Army enjoy Chinese backing, leading the Tatmadaw to believe Beijing is playing a double game. The West is shunning the Tatmadaw after the atrocities on the Rohingya community in Rakhine. India is the only viable alternative source of training, military hardware and counter-insurgency cooperation. The reciprocal military operations in Sagaing and south Mizoram are a landmark in Indian military diplomacy in the East.

 

[patriots]

http://idrw.org/indian-armys-decision-to-buy-failed-missiles-raises-eyebrows/#more-198167

Interesting part of article

Another reason for cancelling the deal was that the importing of the Spike missiles would adversely affect the indigenous weapons manufacturing system by the DRDO. The DRDO has completed the trials of its man-portable anti-tank guided missile and will be going ahead with the production of the missile once the Army gives order

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/indian-armys-decision-to-buy-failed-missiles-raises-eyebrows/#more-198167 .

 

[patriots]

Medium range air defense system......next year for army.....

 

[patriots]

Medium range air defense system......next year for army.....

Once both.....s400.....mrsam...bmd
And qrsam got inducted.,....
We will have a multilayer defense system

 

[bhramos]

#DRDO's Border surveillance system

 

[Prashant12]

Army to build tunnels to store ammunition


NHPC being roped in for the purpose
Indian Army is planning to construct underground tunnels for storage of ammunition along the border with China and Pakistan and Public Sector Undertaking NHPC Limited is being roped in for the purpose, army sources said.

“Indian Army is in the process of executing pilot projects for construction of semi underground and cavern type ammunition storage construction through NHPC Ltd., for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed in the next few days,” an Army source said on Wednesday.

Underground storage offers improved safety, easier camouflage from enemy observation and satellite imagery and protection from enemy strikes like those seen during the aerial engagement on February 27, a day after the Balakot air strike when Pakistan Air Force jets targeted Indian army installations along the Line of Control (LoC). Major armies, including China and the U.S., already use underground ammunition storage, a second source observed.

These tunnels will be built in high altitude areas in the Northern and Eastern borders. Initially, four pilot projects would be taken up at four different locations along the Northern border and in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of ₹15 crore, the source said. “These are expected to be completed within two years.”

As the conditions in the caverns are controlled, it ensures better safety of sensitive ammunition minimising accidental explosions. As part of the project, a number of caverns with storage capacity of 200 metric tonnes will be built in mountain folds in identified areas.

NHPC is being roped in for their technical expertise in the development of tunnels. The source said the Army had earlier tried tunnelling on its own in Sikkim and Tawang, but there were problems of seepage and dampness. It was then decided to bring in NHPC given their experience, the source added.

The Army had approached NHPC in November 2018 after which the company made detailed presentations on the modalities of executing the project. The four locations for pilot projects have been identified and work will begin once the MoU is signed.

The Army has debated the idea of underground storage of ammunition for a long time as it has several advantages compared to over ground storage. A range of ammunition used by the Army, ranging from bullets, rockets to anti-tank and surface to air missiles, can be stored in the caverns.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-to-build-tunnels-to-store-ammunition/article26935120.ece

 

[rkhanna]

http://idrw.org/indian-armys-decision-to-buy-failed-missiles-raises-eyebrows/#more-198167

Interesting part of article

Another reason for cancelling the deal was that the importing of the Spike missiles would adversely affect the indigenous weapons manufacturing system by the DRDO. The DRDO has completed the trials of its man-portable anti-tank guided missile and will be going ahead with the production of the missile once the Army gives order

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/indian-armys-decision-to-buy-failed-missiles-raises-eyebrows/#more-198167 .

Please don't post articles form idrw. Nothing more than the rambling musings of a child. Very very low credence.

PS notice how they love all things Russian and love to hate everything else.

 

[sthf]

Please don't post articles form idrw. Nothing more than the rambling musings of a child. Very very low credence.

Imbeciles of the highest order. Hell, there are Porkis on the Porky forum whose words are worth 10x times than these morons who missed the evolutionary bus.

 

[itsme]

Interesting. Now porks will be killed by women jawans too.

 

[samsaptaka]

From the video I see that in para military forces women are allowed combat duty ? Is this correct.

 

[Bhadra]

Army to build tunnels to store ammunition


NHPC being roped in for the purpose
Indian Army is planning to construct underground tunnels for storage of ammunition along the border with China and Pakistan and Public Sector Undertaking NHPC Limited is being roped in for the purpose, army sources said.

“Indian Army is in the process of executing pilot projects for construction of semi underground and cavern type ammunition storage construction through NHPC Ltd., for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed in the next few days,” an Army source said on Wednesday.

Underground storage offers improved safety, easier camouflage from enemy observation and satellite imagery and protection from enemy strikes like those seen during the aerial engagement on February 27, a day after the Balakot air strike when Pakistan Air Force jets targeted Indian army installations along the Line of Control (LoC). Major armies, including China and the U.S., already use underground ammunition storage, a second source observed.

These tunnels will be built in high altitude areas in the Northern and Eastern borders. Initially, four pilot projects would be taken up at four different locations along the Northern border and in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of ₹15 crore, the source said. “These are expected to be completed within two years.”

As the conditions in the caverns are controlled, it ensures better safety of sensitive ammunition minimising accidental explosions. As part of the project, a number of caverns with storage capacity of 200 metric tonnes will be built in mountain folds in identified areas.

NHPC is being roped in for their technical expertise in the development of tunnels. The source said the Army had earlier tried tunnelling on its own in Sikkim and Tawang, but there were problems of seepage and dampness. It was then decided to bring in NHPC given their experience, the source added.

The Army had approached NHPC in November 2018 after which the company made detailed presentations on the modalities of executing the project. The four locations for pilot projects have been identified and work will begin once the MoU is signed.

The Army has debated the idea of underground storage of ammunition for a long time as it has several advantages compared to over ground storage. A range of ammunition used by the Army, ranging from bullets, rockets to anti-tank and surface to air missiles, can be stored in the caverns.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-to-build-tunnels-to-store-ammunition/article26935120.ece

These are urgently required on India's Western borders where heat and dust has caused very big accidents and loses to India in past (Bharatpur, Birdwal, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer). However, I doubt tunnels could have those spaces inside which are required to store vast quantity of ammunition. Large safety distances required can not be dispensed. with even inside caves. I suppose they will be creating a cluster of multiple caves at an area.

But caves require rocky areas / mountains which are available on Aravali ranges. However, Aravallis are quite far from the borders.

As an alternative, Army can think of making underground RCC cluster along the railway line running parallel to Indo - Pak border with add on additional ramps..

If India contemplate to fight an offensive defensive or cold start war with Pakistan, then Army's deep fire resources, mainly missiles, rockets and artillery ammunition in large quantities must be as far forward as possible.

 

[Bhadra]

ROAD TO SSN (SUB SECTOR NORTH)
​

https://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6809&start=3720


Darbuk: 34.0992762,78.1002615
Shyok Village: 34.1772188,78.1345939
Murgo: 35.0412144,77.9359818 (not mentioned in the article but an important point on the route)
Burtse Camp: 35.1306079,78.0250103 (not mentioned in the article but an important point on the route)
DBO: 35.3923137,77.9228695

This road will allow Indian Army to move troops to DBO Sector (also called as Sub Sector North-SSN) from two axis.

One axis is what is referred to in the article. This requires troops to move from Leh over Chang La pass and then downwards to reach Darbuk. If you take south from here, one goes towards the Pangong Tso lake. If you move northward, you come to Shyok Village and thence north & north-east wards DBO.

Second axis the route from THOISE - you go due east along the alignment of Shyok River to reach Shyok Village and then follow the route towards DBO.

Indian Army had inducted a brigade especially for DBO/SSN as part of overall beefing up of troops for eastern Ladakh. DBO/SSN sector had also seen multiple large scale Chinese incursions. In fact, Google Earth will show you armor in Darbuk. If required, the same can now go north towards DBO/SSN through this route.


(What a road it is - a heaven for adventurer and explorer but a torture for soldiers and equipment)

 

[Bhadra]

ROAD TO SSN (SUB SECTOR NORTH)

 

[Bhadra]

ROAD TO SSN (SUB SECTOR NORTH)