Indian Army: News and Discussion

[RPK]

After Air force ,Army places orders for Akash missile

The Indian army is set to order an unspecified number of Akash anti-aircraft missiles to replace its aging Russian SAM-6 Kvadrat air defense missile system.

The missile system is for the T-72 main battle tank and has a Hyderabad-developed Rajendra phased-array radar capable of tracking up to 64 aircraft simultaneously over a radius of just under 40 miles. It can shoot down aircraft within 15 miles, according to Indian media reports.
The Akash is part of India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. Its main target will be use against attacks from unmanned combat aerial vehicles including Cruise missiles and aircraft.

The order is another win for the BEL consortium set up in January 2008 by two Indian public sector companies — Bharat Dynamics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd. — and which included private-sector firms specifically to manufacture the medium-range Akash missiles.

BEL tied up with Larsen & Toubro, Tata Power, Walchand Industries and ECIL. But Bharat Dynamics is the actual manufacturer of the solid-fuel, two-stage, ramjet Akash missile.

BEL signed its first major order in January this year when the Indian air force placed an order for two squadrons of the missile, according to a report in the national newspaper The Hindu.

The newspaper also noted that the Indian air force had had performance reservations about the missile. Specifically, the air force wanted a smaller, lighter missile with a longer range and that was more maneuverable, according to The Hindu. The missile also does not have a seeker, but batch-by-batch improvements and enhancements are planned.

Analysts have said that one Akash missile has an 88 percent probability of kill. But two missiles fired five seconds apart raises this to 98.5 percent. The payload is reportedly around 140 pounds.

The Akash has been developed by the Defense Research and Development Laboratory, which will oversee the weapon system integration and provide support throughout the missile’s 20-year lifecycle.

The missile is in the same class as the U.S. Patriot, Israel’s Barak and the U.K. SAM system, the article said. It is around 19 feet long, weighs 1,550 pounds and travels at nearly 2,000 feet per second, according to India’s Business Line newspaper.

The air force’s missiles are being delivered over three years.

Development of an indigenous defense missile has taken around 20 years, and criticism of the project has been harsh at times because of this.
Similar criticism has been leveled at the Defense Research and Development Organization over development of the Arjun Tank, of which the army only recently agreed to take 124 examples to replace some of its older Russian-made T-90 tanks.

The Arjun has been 35 years in the making, and getting the first batch operational has been a battle in itself, lasting a decade, according to a report in the Hindustan Times newspaper last May.

 

[bsn4u1985]

India strengthens border, irks China

India strengthens border, irks China- Hindustan Times

india continues to beef up its defence along its border with China in Arunachal Pradesh, despite protests and warnings from Chinese analysts and the Chinese media.

The Indian Air Force now plans to upgrade six air-strips near the border to make movement of troops and equipment to the region easier.

Hindustan Times had reported on Thursday that the Indian Army was planning to deploy a new 15,000-strong division in Arunachal within four weeks.

On Friday, Zhao Gancheng, director of the South Asia Research Division of the Shanghai International Affairs Research Institute was quoted in the state-run Global Times, as saying: “Indian officials have tried to convince us the border is
peaceful. But now the fact (of India’s reported border deployment) betrays the words.”

China has for long claimed almost all of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.

The six airstrips are all within 40 km of the border. Following the renovation, much bigger and heavier aircraft than before will be able to land there, defence sources said.

“Reactivating these airstrips is an integral part of the modernisation of Air Force infrastructure,” said an IAF official.

The measures were taken to counter similar efforts by China on the other side of the border, defence sources added.

 

[bsn4u1985]

India quietly bolsters disputed China border


India quietly bolsters disputed China border | Reuters

 

[nitesh]

was this posted? Really interesting 200 ICV's per year

Ordnance Factory gears up to meet Army demand

This must be catching as these are produced 200 per year

DRDO Tech Focus aug09

DRDO has developed a light tank based on BMP-II chassis with 105 mm turret (GIAT industries, France). This vehicle is aimed to carry high caliber weapons without sacrificing the strategic or tactical mobility. Mechanical integration of turret with chassis, stability during firing, and compatibility of 105 mm Indian Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) ammunition with turret have been established during the trials.

A good read about vehicles tech getting developed

 

[bsn4u1985]

Reality check: Army at only 50% of its capabilities

Reality check: Army at only 50% of its capabilities

New Delhi: While Pakistan is flush with funds and weapons from the United States, and China is modernising its military on a massive scale, the Indian army has presented a bleak picture of its capabilities. The army has admitted to having achieved only 50% of the capabilities required to defend the country's borders and fight insurgency in the north-east and Jammu & Kashmir.

Worse, it will take another 20 years to achieve 100% capability to repel any act of aggression, the army has revealed in an internal assessment report submitted before members of the standing committee on defence.

According to the army's 'state of capability development' assessment, most of its arms, including the infantry, artillery and armoured, would achieve 100% capability only by around 2027.

Beijing has for long been flaunting its capabilities along the border, where it has built up all-weather infrastructure up to the last posts which are equipped with modern amenities.
The shortfall in Indian capability is attributed to the delay in the acquisition of modern systems. The report says the infantry, artillery and mechanised forces have achieved about 60% of the capability required.

The projection is worst in case of combat helicopters, where the army has achieved just 17% capability. The army believes it would achieve 100% combat chopper capability only by the end of the 14th five-year plan in 2027.

The army's efforts at emerging as a modern military with full network-centric capability would also be achieved by 2027 -- currently, the capability stands at 24%. The concept refers to integration of the army into a force sharing real-time information using several networks, improving situation awareness and fighting capabilities.

Equally worrisome is the capability of the key fighting arms of the army.

The artillery has just 52% of the total capability required to defend the country. The figure would touch 97% only by the end of 2027, the report said.

The situation is the result of a lack of any major acquisitions in artillery since the Bofors scandal in the late 1980s. Subsequent scandals involving companies such as Denel and Singapore Technologies, both of which have been blacklisted, further crippled modernisation of the artillery.

The infantry, the army admits in the report, has only achieved 65% of its capability. It will reach the 100% mark only by 2027. The infantry wants to replace its indigenous INSAS rifles, acquire night fighting capabilities, new generation anti-tank missiles and rockets, and better protection for its soldiers.

The armoured regiments have reached 71% of the capability development, the best compared to other arms. The army is producing T-90 tanks indigenously, besides inducting 126 indigenous Arjun tanks. It is also looking at night fighting capability, NBC (nuclear-biological-chemical) protection, and enhanced air manoeuvre capability.
The mechanised units of the army have achieved 62% of the required capabilities, while the engineers have achieved 60%. Special forces and para units have achieved 69% of the capabilities required.

Overall, if one were to take the average of individual arms' then the army's "state of capability development" is just over 51%, the report says.

Reality check: Army at only 50% of its capabilities - dnaindia.com

 

[bsn4u1985]

Tanks and carriers on army shopping list

Tanks and carriers on army shopping list

New Delhi, Nov. 15: The Indian Army is in the market to buy hundreds of new troops carriers and tanks to reshape and re-inforce its mechanised forces, partly for deployment in high-altitude border zones and partly for counter-insurgency operations.

On the army’s shopping list are infantry combat vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and light tanks.

It has issued requests for information to buy 300 light tanks and 100 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It expects to increase the total number of new APCs to 500 in five years.

The army is also looking to buy an unspecified number of Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs) to replace the Soviet-origin BMP-I and BMP-II machines. There are more than a 1,000 BMPs in service with the army’s mechanised forces.

Infantry Combat Vehicles and APCs are comparable — each is capable of carrying nine to 11 troops with equipment into an offensive. But ICVs have greater firepower.

The Indian Army wants an ICV that can be mounted with a cannon, a machine gun and anti-tank guided missiles.

The Strykers, deployed by the US in a joint exercise (Yudh Abhyas 09) with the Indian Army in Babina last month, are also in the sameleague. The US used Bradley fighting vehicles, now being replaced by the Strykers, in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

An army source said the light tanks were to be deployed in high-altitude areas, particularly along the border with China.

The army maintains a small unit of heavy T-55 and T-90 tanks in North Sikkim, near the China border.

But the heavy T-90 — the army’s main battle tank — is incapable of negotiating the hairpin bends in the mountains. Light tanks are expected to be able to perform the task better.

The army wants the light tanks for all-terrain use. It is looking to buy 200 wheeled and 100 tracked light tanks. The source said the number of tanks to be procured was likely to be increased from 300.

For all the platforms — ICVs, APCs and light tanks — the defence ministry will want to buy a small number off the shelf and insist on a transfer of technology agreement with the vendor.

The Indian Army is in the process of raising two new mountain divisions. Each division will have about 17,000 troops. The first is likely to start deployment in the Northeast, including the Arunachal border, by the end of the year.

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Tanks and carriers on army shopping list

 

[ppgj]

Barracuda pitches camouflage system to Indian Army | StratPost

Barracuda pitches camouflage system to Indian Army
Saturday, November 14, 2009
By Saurabh Joshi

Saab’s unit Barracuda Camouflage has pitched its products to the Indian Army, for both vehicles as well as individual troops. The firm’s Mobile Camouflage System or MCS was tested at Suratgarh last summer, by the CVRDE (Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment), Chennai and the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. The CVRDE makes many of India’s armored vehicles, including the Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT)

While normally camouflaged tanks were spotted by six spotters over a distance of 2400 meters, vehicles with the benefit of the MCS were could only be spotted at a distance of 1600 meters. “So then the relative advantage is 800 meters,” says Naresh Ummat, Managing Director of Barracuda Camouflage.

According to Ummat, a global tender was issued in 2007. “We had to study the product and the temperatures involved. We made some preliminary fittings. We gave them three sets of mobile camouflage. While in the field it must perform with the given parameters, it must also adhere to what the company claims in the laboratory,” he says.

The Indian Army, he says, is also interested in the MCS for its T-72 and T-90 tanks. Ummat says the camouflage has already been supplied for Prithvi missiles in the Indian Army.

One feature of this camouflage system is that it works to try and bring the temperature variance of the vehicle and the surrounding environment to within four degrees Celsius.

Barracuda has also offered its individual soldier-specific Special Operations Tactical Camouflage Suiting. This system, when tested by the Indian Army’s Northern Command, denied detection to 45 meters, where ordinarily it was 200 meters. The SOTCS is also available for all kinds of terrain including jungle, snow, desert etc. “We have now been asked for laboratory tests. This should happen in the next two weeks. We should be able to get a consolidated report within a month,” says Ummat, who also expects the army to be interested in MCS systems for 30 per cent of its armored vehicles.

 

[RPK]

Lt Gen A K Singh becomes GOC Strike Corps

New Delhi, Nov.16 (ANI): Lieutenant General A K Singh has assumed charge of the Strike Corps on the Western Front.

Commissioned into the 7th Light Cavalry in June 1973, Lt. Gen. Singh is a graduate of the Staff College at Camberley, Higher Command Course and the prestigious National Defence College.

He has also attended a number of other prestigious courses abroad.

A foremost expert on manoeuvre warfare and operational planning, he converted the first T-90 Brigade of the Indian Army during - ‘Op Parakram’; and has commanded a prestigious Armoured Division.

The General has a varied exposure in Staff at high altiude, Military Opertions, the Foreign Division and Perspective Planning. He is Col of the Scinde Horse, 74 and 51 Armd Regts. (ANI)

 

[blade]

by Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 17th Nov 09


Over this last decade, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has “blacklisted” so many foreign arms corporations that the military’s modernisation plan has virtually stalled. The MoD “blacklist” is not a formal document; an arms vendor is mostly embargoed unofficially, when senior bureaucrats agree that it is playing dirty.


The hit list reads like a Who’s Who of global weapons suppliers, including corporations with good records of delivering arms to India. Starting with Bofors in the late 1980s, the list grew to include Denel of South Africa; Israel Military Industries (IMI); Singapore Technologies Kinetic (STK); and now Thales of France. Earlier this year the world’s biggest defence contractor, Lockheed Martin, was on the blacklist. Now another global giant, BAE Systems, seems headed there after problems with setting up an assembly line in HAL Bangalore for the Hawk jet trainer.


It is hardly news that arms sales and corruption walk together. Arms vendors routinely bribe political leaders, bureaucrats and senior military officers, not just in India but worldwide. BAE Systems allegedly bribed Saudi Arabian royals with hundreds of millions of dollars in the infamous Al Yamamah contracts. Thales, credibly accused of bribing South African presidential hopeful, Jacob Zuma, is also being sued by Taiwan to recover US $590 million allegedly paid in kickbacks to win a deal for six warships. Most arms companies maintain multi-million dollar slush funds to ease the way for their giant deals.


But the Indian MoD is wholly wrong in behaving as if the problem is just one of predatory arms corporations. All those bribes are being paid to somebody; but no Indian MoD official is in jail for having accepted a bribe. Instead South Block’s vendor blacklists grow longer and longer.


These blacklists are now choking defence procurement. The Indian Army’s artillery firepower is grossly inadequate today because --- starting from the original Bofors scandal --- every time an artillery gun looks like it may be selected by the army, a cloud comes over its vendors. In recent years, the Bofors 155mm towed howitzer has been the standout candidate in repeated Indian trials. But the cloud over Bofors has never really lifted, even though it is now owned by the UK-headquartered BAE Systems.


In the procurement of tracked guns South African company, Denel, was to fit a gun turret on the Arjun tank chassis. That was scuttled in 2005 when Denel was unofficially blacklisted over bribery allegations, never proved, in another sale. That also blocked a crucial ammunition factory, being built in George Fernandes’ constituency, Nalanda, for which Denel was providing technology. In 2007, Israel Military Industries replaced Denel as technology partner; this June, after former Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) chairman, Sudipta Ghosh was arrested, IMI was prohibited as well. The Nalanda factory languishes.


Also ostracised after Ghosh’s arrest was Singapore Technologies Kinetic, whose Pegasus ultralight howitzer was the lone gun being evaluated for the army’s mountain divisions. Despite strong protests from the army (Business Standard, 18th July 09) that crucial procurement remains blocked. Two new mountain divisions for the Sino-Indian border are being starved of artillery.


“Today, anyone who wants to block an important Indian arms purchase has only to level an allegation against the vendor”, complains an Indian army officer furiously. “Anonymous letters, motivated charges, press reports, whatever… just kick-start an investigation and the MoD will kill the procurement. This is now routine business practice for rival arms dealers and, sooner or later, Pakistan and China will realise how easy it is to stop vital purchases from going through.”


Former OFB Chairman, Sudipta Ghosh, was granted bail in July after the CBI failed to file a charge sheet against him. But the seven arms companies (4 foreign and 3 Indian), which were blacklisted after his arrest, remain proscribed.


This situation, ironically, is rooted in Defence Minister AK Antony’s crusade against corruption. But his onslaught has entirely bypassed wrongdoing within his own ministry. And, increasingly, US companies are being let off the hook in situations where lesser mortals might have paid a heavier price. Lockheed Martin, discovered with classified information, was ordered to dispense with the services of its India CEO, Ambassador Douglas Hartwick (Business Standard, 13th July 09). But it remains in contention for the IAF’s lucrative medium fighter contract.


Similarly, even after the US Department of Justice revealed that the subsidiaries of two US companies, York Navy Systems and Textron, paid bribes to secure defence contracts in India, these companies face no blacklists or restrictions.


In a procurement environment characterised by paranoia, blacklists, and dwindling vendor options, India will inevitably drift towards sourcing most of its defence sales from the US, using the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. In this, New Delhi will provide Washington with its requirements; the Pentagon will nominate a vendor and negotiate a price; India will pay and and receive the equipment. This will be non-controversial in terms of corruption and kickbacks, but renew dependency on Washington in the crucial military arena.

 

[bsn4u1985]

China adds 20,000km of railways during the period India added 960km

China adds 20,000km of railways during the period India added 960km

16 Nov 2009 8ak: A Planning Commission review noted that since 1990 India has added 960km to our network whereas China added 20,000km during the same period which included a rail-link to Kathmandu. Railway infrastructure is directly linked to economic progress and defence preparedness and India has failed to realise the true potential of a good railway network to address both these issues. Lack of economic progress is part of the Maoist problem and poor defence preparedness will affect our ability to protect our borders.

A senior railway official on the condition on anonymity told 8ak, "The figures can be deceptive, the main reason of China's rapid progress in laying rail routes is because they did not have a developed railway network like India, they are also a bigger nation. In India's case their is not much room for expansion in terms of expanding the rail-route, but what we need is undertaking heavy maintenance work of the existing system because virtually no work has been done in the past 50 years except of some routine work and the focus should be on improving schedules and introducing new technology to reduce accidents. A great insight but it unfortunately proposes that we continue to ignore the difficult mountainous states of Sikkim, Arunachal, Himachal etc all of which are vital for defence.

In response, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has advocated deep reforms for the Indian railways reports LiveMint. This comes as a big relief for Indian passengers as the previous plans for uplift of railway network, which includes laying of new rail routes, maintenance of British era bridges, introduction of world class facilities in trains and construction of new state-of-the-art railway stations have been kept in the back burner and yet to be achieved. The Indian railway network, built by the British, is one of the largest networks in the world. The total track length of the railways is around 111,500 km, whereas, the total route length is 63,000 km.

8ak - Indian Defence News: Army

 

[blade]

Posted by Igor Djadan at 5:23 PM 17.1109

T-90S tests in India and Malaysia
This video is from the Russian 'Culture' TV-channel program about the national tank industry. The fragments of T-90S tests in Malaysia and India are demonstrated. A man from UVZ, which took part in T-90 program speaks about these trials. The essentials of his interview:
1) T-90S has overcome the most hard sectors of the route which deterred the Ukrainian T-84.
2) Crew was able to extract and fix up the engine in the field conditions.
3) Pakistan T-80UD purchasing pushed India to seek more advance tanks abroad.
4) For India T-90S is a second deterrence factor after nuclear weapon (cited an Indian General words).

check this link for the video http://igorrgroup.blogspot.com/

 

[bsn4u1985]

Baffle range opens at WC

Baffle range opens at WC

CHANDIGARH: With an aim of sharpening the shooting skills of its personnel, the Western Command has set up an advanced baffle range at Chandimandir. The range was formally inaugurated by Western Command GOG-in-C Lt Gen T K Sapru on Tuesday.

The range would be operational round the clock and all kinds of firing, whether rifle or pistol, would be be possible there. Experts said as against the traditional ranges that require huge manpower and extra caution, this one would minimize the logistical requirement. A highly improvized range, baffle has been developed by Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL) of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Urbanization and shortage of space for training led to DRDO in designing this range, which would require only 50 acre. Traditional ranges need 500 acre to function properly.

The Indian Army had recently accorded its consent and given order to TBRL for establishing a baffle range at various Army establishments.

A senior scientist of TBRL, Rajesh Kumar Verma, who worked on the project, was also present on Tuesday at Western Command. He briefed Lt Gen Sapru and senior officers about different features of the place. Some jawans also carried out firing practice in the presence of Army commander and the scientist.

Experts said baffle reduces the area required for operations. As compared to conventional range, it needs only two hectare and it also dispenses with the requirement of a danger area of approx 120 hectare. It is 22 m wide and caters for six fires at a time. Baffle walls are perpendicular to the line of fire, and the range has a growth potential for extension up to 500 m for 5.56 mm INSAS.

Baffle range opens at WC - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

 

[RPK]

Lt Gen Ghosh to be next Western Army Commander

fullstory

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (PTI) A veteran Infantry officer Lt Gen Shankar Ranjan Ghosh will take over as the next Western Army Commander at Chandimandir on December 1.

He will take over from the incumbent Lt Gen Tej Sapru who retires, an official release from Chandigarh-based defence PRO said.

An alumni of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Ghosh was commissioned into the prestigious Brigade of the Guards Regiment on November 14, 1971.

In a career spanning around 38 years, he has held various important staff and command appointments, which includes a tenure as the head of a potent Strike Corps.

The General officer has commanded a Brigade on the Line of Control with Pakistan, where he was awarded a Sena Medal, and a Division under a Strike Corps.

Army's Western Command is responsible for protecting the frontiers along Pakistan in Punjab and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and China along Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

 

[RPK]

NSG to train with Germany's counter-terror force

To sharpen its skills in executing anti-terror and special operations in urban areas, the NSG will soon undertake a joint tactical exercise with their German counterpart 'GSG 9'.



A team of the National Security Guard (NSG) led by its Director General N P S Aulakh is visiting the GSG 9 headquarters at Bonn.

The specialised training and joint exercises have been worked out by the NSG headquarters after the November 26 Mumbai attacks last year.

"GSG 9 is one of the commando forces that the NSG is modelled on. In the process of continuous learning from each other's experience, the black cats of the NSG will undergo a joint training," official sources said.

The plan was being worked out for quiet some time, they said, adding the new joint exercise will be useful before the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.

The GSG 9 has been involved in resolving hostage situations and terror since 1977.

After the Mumbai operations, urban terrorism with terrorists holed up in large buildings has come up as a new challenge for a special force like NSG, they said.

The NSG, setup in 1984, was modelled on the pattern of commndo forces like SAS of the UK and the GSG 9.

The NSG will also share its experiences of the Mumbai operation, termed 'Operation Black Tornado', with the GSG 9 on a reciprocal basis.

Both forces will share their experiences once such joint exercises and courses are planned, the sources said.

GSG 9, the special unit of the German Federal Police, functions under the direct control of Germany's Interior Ministry and executed its first successful operation in 1977 when they freed 86 hostages held captive in an aircraft in Mogadishu in Somalia, killing three terrorists and injuring one.

The NSG, sources said, is also looking forward to share lessons on absolute prevention of commando causalities and deployment of technical gadgets in live operations by combat commandos.

During the about 60-hour Mumbai operation last year, NSG lost two commandos and killed eight terrorists.

 

[RAM]

Army to procure 600 avalanche victim detectors in J&K

Jammu: With high altitude mountainous belts in the state already under heavy snowfall, army is procuring around 600 state-of-art technological equipments for its use in the avalanche prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The army's northern command has already issued tenders for purchase of 600 Avalanche Victim Detector (Triple Antenna) for use in the mountainous belts of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu and other vital areas in the state. "These AVDs would be used for locating victims caught in avalanches in the mountainous belts. This is of most importance for the troops serving in the high altitude and mountainous areas," a senior officer said.

The AVDs would be available to troops serving in Kargil, Siachen, Batalik, Sonamargh, Leh, Niyoma, Tangdhar, Kupwara, Bandipora, Banihal, Warwan, Kishtwar, Baramulla, Gurez, Karen, Doda, Poonch, Mahore and Rajouri. These equipments would help in tracking those injured in avalanches, which would minimise civilian and military casualties due to such disasters in the state.

The AVDs have large LCD display which would show virtual avalanche field positions and would double up into a single unit by combining its receiver and transmitter. Also, the transmission frequency of this equipment would be as per the international norms which would make it a useful equipment for the army.



Army to procure 600 avalanche victim detectors in J&K - dnaindia.com

 

[bsn4u1985]

IAF's UN peacekeeping contingent leaves for Congo

IAF's UN peacekeeping contingent leaves for Congo

The sixth batch of the Indian Aviation Contingent (IAC) Wednesday left on a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo.

Consisting of 243 air warriors, including 37 officers, the contingent was flagged off by the Air-Officer-in-Charge Administration of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Marshal J.N. Burma.

'The contingent also comprises Mi-25 and Mi-17 helicopters,' an IAF spokesperson said.

The contingent is led by Group Captain A. Nabh.

The IAC commenced its induction into Congo in July 2003. The contingent has enabled UN peacekeepers enhance their visible presence in eastern Congo and have provided the opportunity of extending their reach to areas hitherto outside their sphere of influence.

IAF's UN peacekeeping contingent leaves for Congo

 

[bsn4u1985]

Army pays tribute to Kargil hero

Army pays tribute to Kargil hero

Shillong, Nov. 17: The army has dedicated a gallery at the Rhino heritage museum here to Kargil hero late Capt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum who was conferred with the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.

Maj. Gen. K.S. Sethi, the GOC of 101 Area, today inaugurated the Capt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum, MVC, gallery at the museum.

Capt. Nongrum’s notes, encouraging the youth to join the Indian Army, were made public today.

Capt. Nongrum had motivated the students of city schools to join the armed forces and dedicate themselves to serving the country even at the cost of their lives.

The copies of the handwritten scripts on How to join Indian Army as officer by Nongrum are indicators of his strong character, patriotism and writing skill.

Nongrum sacrificed his life for the country during Operation Vijay (Kargil War) on July 1, 1999.

When his body was brought to Shillong, thousands of citizens wept and praised him for his bravery.

The lecture note prepared by Nongrum and displayed at the museum indicates that the young officer was extremely motivated and conscious about encouraging boys and girls to join the army. He had delivered talks to students in a few schools here while on leave before joining Operation Vijay.

The citation of Maha Vir Chakra, photographs and a letter written by Nongrum’s father about his son have also been displayed at the gallery.

In recognition of his supreme sacrifice, the headquarters, 101 Area, has also named the Married Accommodation Project here Clifford Nongrum Enclave.

Gen. Sethi, who is scheduled to retire by the end of this month, also inaugurated the Captured Weapons of 1971 War Corner gallery at the museum.

The units under Command HQ 101 Area here had the privilege of reaching Dhaka first during Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971. Some arms and equipment captured during the conflict have been displayed at the museum.

Giving an impetus to the go-green drive in Shillong cantonment, Gen. Sethi also planted a tree on the lawns of the heritage museum.

The Rhino museum has many army photographs featuring significant occasions and items having a flavour of the local culture.
jai hind..pay tribute to our jawans.....:dfi-1:

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Northeast | Army pays tribute to Kargil hero

 

[bsn4u1985]

Rising Indian influence in Afghanistan worries US and Pakistan

Rising Indian influence in Afghanistan worries US and Pakistan

 

[bsn4u1985]

Yak, army’s new beast of burden

Yak, army?s new beast of burden- Hindustan Times

 

[bsn4u1985]

Landmines killed 3,000 Indians in 10 years

Landmines killed 3,000 Indians in 10 years

Some 3,000 Indians, mostly in Jammu and Kashmir, have been killed in landmine explosions over the past 10 years, according to an NGO working for a world free of antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions.

'In the last 10 years, around 3,000 Indians died due to landmines and over 2,000 were injured. Most casualties occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by Manipur,' according to Landmine Monitor Report 2009, which will be released Saturday.

Among the Indian states affected by landmines are Rajasthan, Punjab, Sikkim and areas affected by Maoist insurgency.

Landmine Monitor is the research and monitoring programme of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

Urging the government to sign the disarmament Mine Ban Treaty, the ICBL said India's antipersonnel stockpile is estimated to be between four and five million - the fifth largest in the world.

It said India's last major use of antipersonnel mines took place between December 2001 and July 2002, when the Indian Army deployed an estimated two million mines along its 2,880 km northern and western border with Pakistan during Operation Parakram. The operation directly affected more than 6,000 families across 21 villages in India.

Indian Army units have sustained heavy casualties in the course of demining operations, notably since the start of mine-laying on the Pakistan border in December 2001, the report said.

Some 39 countries, including India, China, Pakistan, Russia, and the US, have not signed the treaty.

According to Binalakshmi Nepram of Control Arms Foundation of India, the global use, production, and trade of antipersonnel mines have dramatically reduced and casualties have declined.

'But serious challenges still remain, with more than 70 states still mine-affected today,' she said.

Landmines killed 3,000 Indians in 10 years