Indian Army: News and Discussion

[F-14]

Armed for impact -

SECURITY

More fire power for special forces to ?counter terror strikes

By Syed Nazakat

The Mumbai attack changed the way India looked at one of its most valuable assets—the elite special forces. Now they are set to get more ammo to counter 26/11 type attacks in future.
The plan is to equip them for a new, long-term strategy to deal with the changing face of threats. Be it on the LoC or during clandestine and “irregular” warfare behind enemy lines, the special forces will get cutting-edge weaponry. The defence ministry has identified a list of items. It includes, besides traditional machine guns, the Tavor TAR-21s with a ‘modified’ single-piece butt and new sights; Galil sniper rifles with telescopic and night vision; 5.56mm assault rifles of bull-pup design with integrated laser range finder and grenade launcher; and 8,000 UBGLs (under-barrel grenade launchers). There will be lightweight bullet-proof vests on the pattern the US Dragon skin body armour that offers greater range of motion for the soldier wearing it.

Infantry platoons and sections will get integrated GPS-based navigation system, lightweight walkie-talkie radio sets and better protective gear like lightweight anti-fragment helmet to replace the heavy metal combat helmet. Most of the weapons will be used by the Ghatak commandos, an elite infantry platoon attached to each infantry battalion of the Army. The Army will include three more battalions and dedicated Army Aviation Special Operations Squadrons, with helicopters and aircraft. Defence ministry sources said most of these equipment were from the US and Israel.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation said the Army had shown interest in its Laser Dazzlers and modern submachine carbine assault rifles for the special forces. Developed by the DRDO Laser Science and Technology Centre, the Laser Dazzler is a non-lethal gun that can stun and blind terrorists for 40 seconds, giving time to capture them. “There are further request orders from the Army for INSAS rifles,” said a senior DRDO official. “Our focus is now to develop lightweight weapons and equipment.”

General Deepak Kapoor, the Army chief, said that while the defence ministry had decided to get the equipment to counter 26/11 type attacks, “We are looking at it from the perspective of improving the capability of our special forces.” Security experts said the purchase list had items that NSG commandos lacked during 26/11—the bullet-proof armoured golf cart that can protect commandos as they move around a hotel, school or airport under siege. A moving platform that can reach windows 200m above the ground, the golf cart could have helped quick evacuation of people from the Taj and Trident during 26/11.

Top of the list of the special forces’ requirements are intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems—unmanned aerial vehicles, remote detonating devices, laser range-finders and high-frequency communication systems. But as mobility is important, all-terrain vehicles and specially equipped transport aircraft and helicopters are needed. So, the government has fast-tracked purchase of two Aerostat air-defence radars and 80 fast-interception vessels for the Navy from Israel to plug gaps in coastal security. Aerostat radars can be moved to any location. And with a detection range of over 500km, they can track low-flying aircraft. The Navy has also proposed to buy offshore patrol vessels worth Rs 5,000 crore.

Former Army vice-chief Lt Gen. Vijay Oberoi said enhancing the capability of the special forces was imperative as terrorists had access to latest weapons. “The courage and top physical fitness of our special forces is just not enough. They need latest and state-of-the-art equipment,” he said.
The Air Force is also in shopping mode. It is planning to buy six C-130J aircraft from the US for its Garud Commandos who protect Air Force bases and conduct search and rescue operations. The C-130J can land on makeshift landing grounds without lights. The Navy is also looking to acquire integrated surveillance systems. It is buying eight Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, worth $2.1 billion, from the US. The P-8A Poseidon—a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft— will replace the ageing and fuel-guzzling Russian Tupolev-142Ms. The deal has been long in the making, but 26/11 has brought it closer to closure.

“The equipment requirements have altered considerably in recent years, in keeping with the dramatic changes in the special forces’ employment trends around the world,” said an Army officer. “The modernisation of the special forces should focus on precision and mobility. In a hilly terrain like Kupwara, the light but effective weapons and other gadgets allow troops to act faster.”

Upgrade of the security forces is part of the government’s strategy to prevent spillover of trouble from Pakistan. “The surge of elite special forces units would represent a multi-layered effort aimed at strengthening the Army that the defence ministry sees as key to fighting terrorists,” said Lt Gen. (retd) Rajinder Singh, who had commanded troops in J&K.

Special forces commandos would be the tip of the spear in any Indian attack on terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “The special forces are not designed to cover the full range of challenges we face today on the low end of the conflict scale,” Singh said. “We should prepare them for a large intervention that goes well beyond the use of small packets of troops on lonely hillsides.”


Special forces of the world

US
US Army Special Forces, the ‘Green Berets’, are equipped with sophisticated weapons like long-range sniper systems and M203—a 40mm grenade-launcher fitted to SAS rifles

UK
Its recently formed new special forces units—SRR & SFSG— have a wide range of weaponry like C8 carbine, M16 and its variants, HK G36 and Claymore, a portable anti-personnel mine for defence and ambush

Germany
Fernspher, members of Germany’s elite special force, use weapons with special additions not available to regular troops; the main weapon system is the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, and variants of the HK MP5 SMG

Israel
Exact weapons of its special force, Sayeret, are not known, but it is one of the best equipped in the world; uses remote-controlled robot to scan tunnels that are used for smuggling

China
Special Operations Forces is a sub-branch of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Force; PLA’s main infantry rifle is the recently issued QBZ-95; also uses locally-made versions of the Russian AK-47 rifles and SKS series carbines with the Chinese Type 56 assault rifle

Pakistan
Its Special Service Group is similar to the Green Berets and the British Army’s SAS; the SSG weaponry includes Steyr AUG, HK G3, and Type 56 (Chinese AK-47 variant) and HK-MP5 Submachine guns; in sniper, SSG has Steyr MP 69, Finnish Tikka bolt-action and HK PSG1; most of the weapons are of US origin

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::

 

[nitesh]

2 curretnly getting raised and two more to follow:

FORCE - A Complete News Magazine on National Security - Defence Magazine

The government has sanctioned raisings of four mountain divisions (nearly 60,000 troops) for the Indian Army against China on the 4,056km disputed Line of Actual Control. To be accomplished in two phases, two divisions, 71 and 56 mountain divisions are to be raised by end-2010; the remaining will be done within the 11th defence plan (2007-2012). These raisings will be accretions, the first since 1983. Just as this ends the two-decade long debate about the army to reduce or retain its numbers, the credit for this increase goes to the army chief, General Deepak Kapoor. Within months of taking over the command, he initiated the case for accretion, which got the nod by end-2008, around the time 26/11 attacks happened. The irony of the timings was not lost on the army’s leadership; just when the government had, without saying so, decisively ruled out war with Pakistan, the army was adding to its numbers. For the army, the accretion of forces marks a cataclysmic re-orientation in its thinking: it is preparing to fight a two-and-half front war, with Pakistan and China. The half-war refers to combating terrorism.

 

[plugwater]

Army medical charts not revised for 50 years

In a revelation that could have serious health implications for the armed forces and on the medical classification of soldiers, charts used to define the correct weight for height and age are not only outdated, but are apparently based on data applicable to western population that is inherently different from Indian population.

A study, conducted by three armed forces medical specialists, has found that the weight for age and height calculated in the study after recording anthropometric measurements of about 1,000 healthy armed forces personnel was at considerable variance with the charts currently being used in the Army.

This, according to some medical experts, implies that all along the army may have been using inappropriate parameters to gauge the physical standards ot the troops. Further, police and para military organisations may also be affected by this.

Pointing out that the existing reference weights have not been revised in the last 50 years, the study has recommended a large-scale multi-centric study should be taken up for replacing the existing charts. The study has been published in a recent issue of the Medical Journal Armed Forces India.

The average weight for a majority of height and age category among the surveyed individuals was found to be higher than in the Indian Army chart. For example, as per the old scale, individuals in the height category of 178 cms and 28-32 years should have an ideal weight of 68.5 kg, whereas the study found the average weight to be 71.19 kg. Similarly those who should have an ideal weight of 72.5 kg were found to be 81.23 kg.

The study states that the origins of the anthropometric charts used in the Army are obscure and it is widely believed that these were obtained from life insurance tables made for British and American civilian population.

Anthropometry is an accepted method of measuring obesity, the prevalence of which has increased globally. In India alone, there are over 100 million obese people, which indicates that they are amidst an obesity epidemic.

The Indian Armed Forces, the study points out, are not immune from this epidemic and studies indicate a rising trend of obesity in the armed forces. Although armed forces personnel are subjected to periodic medical examinations, the standards for body weight used to classify individuals as overweight are very old. Overweight and obesity not only have serious health consequences, but also are a cause of lowering the medical classification in the forces, which adversely affects a soldier’s career.

Therefore, the study noted, it was imperative that reference anthropometric values related to overweight and obesity for the Indian Armed Forces should be established based upon data for the same population instead of using outdated data meant for individuals of different ethnic origins.

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

 

[nitesh]

Another exercise on the cards:

India. China prepare for another joint military excercise - India - The Times of India

 

[enlightened1]

Army asks troops to be extra vigilant​

http://www.ptinews.com/news/456038_Army-asks-troops-to-be-extra-vigilant​

http://www.ptinews.com/news/456038_Army-asks-troops-to-be-extra-vigilanthttp://www.ptinews.com/news/456038_Army-asks-troops-to-be-extra-vigilant

Jammu, Jan 6 (PTI) Alerting the security forces to be "extra vigilant" in coming months, the Army today asked troops to neutralise the designs of anti-national elements.

"Coming few months are crucial on the security front, and security forces need to be extra vigilant to neutralise the designs of anti-national elements," General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 corps, Lt Gen Rameshwar Roy today said at a Core Group meeting at Nagrota in the outskirts of the city.

Roy, who is security advisor to Jammu and Kashmir government, said there is a need to maintain continuous pressure on terrorists and ensure that complete peace is maintained in the region.

The meeting was attended by DGP Kuldeep Khuda, heads of various BSF, CRPF, CID, ITBP and Intelligence organisations.

Various issues, including security measures in view of Republic Day, were also discussed during the meeting.

 

[Sridhar]

Army hunts for night-vision goggles for its copter pilots

BY : TNN

The Army is now hunting for advanced night-vision goggles (NVGs) for its pilots flying helicopters like Cheetahs, Chetaks and Dhruv advanced light helicopters to ensure they can operate effectively after sunset.
The RFI (request for information), floated by the directorate general of weapons and equipment on Tuesday, says that the NVGs for Army Aviation Corps must be capable of “operating in low ambient light conditions”.
Seeking specific technical parameters of the NVGs on offer, the Army wants the armanent companies to submit their responses by February 4. IAF, incidentally, already operates quite a large number of helicopters with night-vision capabilities.
AAC, on its part, is now going in for a major expansion, having projected `concrete’ requirements for the 11th (2007-2012), 12th and 13th five-year plans. In the long-term, the Army even wants to operate its own attack helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, which of course has not gone down too well in IAF.
India, for instance, has sought bids from six foreign firms to supply 197 “light utility and observation” helicopters (LUHs), in a Rs 3,000 crore project, to service Siachen, Kargil and other high-altitude areas.
Another 187 such choppers will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) by 2016-2017 to fulfil the overall requirement of 384 LUHs for Army (259) and IAF (125) to replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets. The Army has also signed contracts with HAL to acquire 145 Dhruv ALHs for Rs 11,237 crore.
While IAF will continue to have its `strategic role’, the Army wants its own air force for `tactical’ roles. As per plans, AAC wants to have a mix of reconnaissance, utility, tactical battle-support, armed and attack helicopters as well as tactical airlift fixed-wing aircraft.


Army hunts for night-vision goggles for its copter pilots idrw.org

 

[ppgj]

50% Lt Cols promoted

Saturday, January 9, 2010
By Saurabh Joshi

The Indian Army’s results for the promotion of officers to the rank of full Colonel are out. The good news is that more than fifty per cent of infantry and artillery Lieutenant Colonels from the batch of 1994 will get their red collar dogs, with the increase in the number of vacancies due to the AV Singh committee’s recommendations. 55 per cent of the artillery officers and 53 per cent of the infantry officers under scrutiny have been promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Officers from the armored and mechanized infantry have not, however, benefited much from these recommendations because of the comparatively smaller number of vacancies available at the rank of Colonel. Less than 40 per cent of the 1993-batch armored officers under consideration have been approved.

While in infantry regiments there is a ratio of 21 junior officers to a Colonel, in armored regiments the proportion is roughly 26 junior officers to a Colonel.

Significantly, across all the arms and services, all officers having attended Technical Staff College courses at the Institute of Armament Technology in Pune have been approved for promotion. Also, more than 90 per cent of the infantry and artillery officers who have passed staff college courses at the Defense Services Staff College in Wellington have been promoted, with the figure swelling to 100 per cent in the case of armored officers.

The purpose of the AV Singh committee’s recommendations was to effect a general reduction in the age of the commanding officers of the units of the fighting arms.

But while this result has shown an increase in the number of officers getting promoted, there is still dissatisfaction at the number of officers who can no longer hope for further promotion. “Half the number of army officers still find their career progression blocked. In contrast to civil and police service officers, the army will still be a dead-end for many Lieutenant Colonels,” said one officer, who did not wish to be named, as he was not authorized to speak on this issue.

The percentage of Lieutenant Colonels promoted is only in the context of the existing officer strength of the Indian Army. This percentage would be diluted, and fall, if the army were to achieve its sanctioned officer strength of more than 45,000.

50% Lt Cols promoted | StratPost

 

[Sridhar]

Another exercise on the cards:

India. China prepare for another joint military excercise - India - The Times of India

Not this year nitesh , may be 2011.

No Sino-Indian army war game this year too

BY : Expressbuzz
Amidst reports that China has managed to alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC) over the years, New Delhi has pinned hope on military confidence building measures to keep the borders calm.Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar has just returned from Beijing where he finalised a slew of measures that would bring ample opportunities for the Armed Forces of the two countries for friendly interactions.These goodwill exchanges had begun
couple of years ago and continued despite recent diplomatic posturing over territorial claims.Kumar and his counterpart General Ma Xiaotian agreed that the Armed Forces would carry out a joint exercise in 2011. It was not specified if it would involve Army, Air Force or Navy.The Indian and the People’s Liberation Army have conducted two joint exercises named ‘Hand in Hand’. The first one was held at Kunming in China’s Yunnan province in 2007 and the second at India’s town of Belgaum in Karnataka the following year. But it was not repeated in 2009. This was the time when the relations between the two sides were not passing through best of the times.


No Sino-Indian army war game this year too idrw.org

 

[enlightened1]

Army chief to take action against Generals in land scam: Antony​

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-chief-to-take-action-against-Generals-in-land-scam-Antony-/articleshow/5439987.cms​

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-chief-to-take-action-against-Generals-in-land-scam-Antony-/articleshow/5439987.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-chief-to-take-action-against-Generals-in-land-scam-Antony-/articleshow/5439987.cms

NEW DELHI: Army chief Deepak Kapoor will take "some disciplinary and administrative action" against the four Generals involved in a land scam in Darjeeling, defence minister A K Antony said.

The ministry had received a report from the Army Chief in this regard only last night and, therefore, it was "too early" for him to comment on the action to be taken against the Generals, he told reporters on the sidelines of a CII defence seminar.

"The defence ministry received a report from the Army chief that he is going to launch some disciplinary and administrative proceedings against some of his colleagues, who are involved in this inquiry. At this stage, it is too early on my part to comment on this," he said here.

Refusing to be further drawn into the issue, Antony said he was yet to examine the report and as the information provided by the Army Chief was for the defence ministry only, it would not be possible for him to make any remarks.

"This is an information only for the Defence Ministry. I told you, I got it yesterday night only.The recommendation is for the Ministry's information only. I still have to examine it," he said.

The Army chief has initiated disciplinary proceedings against former 33 Division Commander Lt Gen P K Rath.

He has also issued show cause notices to Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, 11 Corps Commander Ramesh Halgali and Major General P Sen to take administrative action.

 

[Sridhar]

Antony dismisses reports of China grabbing Indian territory - India - The Times of India

 

[Sridhar]

Pakistan up to something big, Army informs Antony

13 Jan 2010, 0656 hrs IST, Masood Hussain, ET Bureau
SRINAGAR: Defence minister A K Antony has asked for ‘intensive operations’ against militants and stepping up of vigilance on the Line of Control
to ensure development process in Jammu and Kashmir does not fall prey to militant activities.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah requested Mr Antony to consider more recruitment of the youth from border belts in defence services and using choppers to address the winter isolation of these areas.

During his day-long visit to Jammu, Mr Antony was briefed about the repeated infiltration bids from Pakistan and the status of the counter-insurgency operations. Border Security Forces gave the visiting minister a detailed presentation about the recent bid to infiltrate, using dynamite to destroy the fence on the international border.

Militants who returned after over 40 minutes of firing on BSF positions, according to the presentation, had used cordex wire to blast an IED that destroyed a vast portion of fencing including cobra wire and seven wires of concertina . The incident took place between Pillar Nos. 621 and 627 near Alfa Machail post in Gho Manasan area between Domana and Kanachak sectors.

The Army informed the minister about the ongoing operations against militants. They referred to the encounter in a Pulwama village in which one militant was killed. Reports said another militant who was besieged had actually fled. Reports from Jammu suggested that a senior Army officer in the unified headquarters meeting told the defence minister that “Pakistan is up to something big” and “we need to know what it is” .

“Outside forces inimical to the country are making several attempts to infiltrate borders, therefore, there is need to heighten vigilance,” Mr Antony told the meeting. He complemented J&K Police and security forces for efficiently handling incidents in Lal Chowk, Khrew, Pulwama and Reasi and hoped such incidents would be handled with same efficiency. He informed the meeting that the Army had vacated all hospitals and school buildings in the state.

Mr Antony asked the defence forces to mount pressure on militants to neutralise them at every level. He said the current situation called for intensive operations against militants in the state, and also put an effective mechanism in place along the LoC and international border to check infiltration.

Pakistan up to something big, Army informs Antony- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

 

[plugwater]

100 new helipads proposed for India's northeast - India - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The paramilitary Assam Rifles proposes to construct over 100 helipads in India's northeastern states for quick mobilization of its
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troopers along the 1,600-km Myanmar border even as it plans to raise 26 battalions to add to the existing 46.

"We have proposed the construction of over 100 helipads to the ministry of home affairs. These helipads would be constructed all over the northeastern states and help in quick mobilisation of troopers, dealing with medical emergencies and supplying rations," the Assam Rifles chief, Lt. General KS Yadava, said.

"We hope this proposal would be cleared by year-end. These helipads would be built along the India-Myanmar border because the terrain is very vast and difficult. It takes days to cover even a few kilometers. It would be to largely support the 26 additional battalions which we will be raising in the next 10 years for deployment along the 1,600- km India-Myanmar border," Yadava added.

He said three to four battalions would be raised every year. Infrastructure like roads will also be developed.

Noting that the helipads would be independent of those operated in the northeast by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, Yadava discounted suggestions that their construction was linked to countering the perceived threat from China.

"It has nothing to do with China. We are having it to reach our men sitting far out along the Myanmar border," he said.

Yadava said for transporting its troopers in helicopters, the Assam Rifles would seek the help of the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF), which has an aviation wing and is the nodal organisation for providing aircraft and choppers to the other central paramilitary forces.

"At present, we do not feel the need of having our own choppers. We will think about it if the need arises in the future," he added.

Headquartered in Meghalaya capital Shillong, the Assam Rifles is deployed only in the northeast. It traces its roots to the Cachar Levy that was established by the British in 1835 to protect settlements against tribal raids and other assaults as British rule slowly moved towards the northeastern parts of India.

At present, the force has 46 battalions comprising 65,000 men. Fifteen battalions are deployed along the border and the rest are reserved for counter- insurgency operations.

The Assam Rifles is the only paramilitary force that relies solely on the Indian Army for its officer cadre. The other such forces have their own officer cadres and also take officers on deputation from the army and the Indian Police Service (IPS).

 

[plugwater]

The Hindu : News / National : BSF warns Pakistan Rangers of retaliation
After a series of rocket attacks in Punjab, the Border Security Force has warned that future incidents of hostile fire could invite calibre-for-calibre retaliation across the India-Pakistan border.

BSF Deputy Inspector-General of Police Mohammad Aqil informed his Pakistani counterpart, Colonel Mohammad Kamran, of India’s decision at a flag meeting held at Attari in Punjab on Monday.

Pakistan’s border police, the Rangers, claimed the attack was carried out by non-state actors over whom they had no control, government sources told The Hindu. However, the sources said, the BSF responded that it was the Rangers’ responsibility to prevent hostile actions — and India would be left with no option but to retaliate if it failed to do so.

India’s warnings came days after rockets were fired across the border late on the night of January 8, hitting fields around the villages of Attari, More and Atalgarh. A fourth shell landed on the BSF’s Border Observation Post at Kangarh, but failed to detonate.

The attackers fired 122-mm rockets, likely from improvised platforms fabricated using metal plates and the jacks used to replace truck tyres. BSF sources said the attacks had likely been preceded by reconnaissance carried out by Pakistani nationals despatched across the border.

In July 2009, suspected jihadists fired four 107-mm improvised rocket-assisted mortar shells across the India-Pakistan border. Three landed in India, while one exploded near a Rangers post facing the village of Pul Kanjari. In September 2009, 107-mm shells hit fields around the villages of Atalgarh, More, Rattan Kalan and Attari.

Each of the attacks, BSF ballistics experts believe, came from near the village of Gopal Singh Wala, which lies along an anti-tank ditch running along the border. The headquarters of the Satluj Wing of the Pakistan Rangers is located just a km from Gopal Singh Wala.

Following the September attack, Pakistani media sources said the head of the Gopal Singh Wala mosque was detained by the police on suspicion of having harboured jihadists.

Mohammad Khalilullah, a Tehreek-e-Taliban leader held by the Lahore police in December 2009, told the Pakistani authorities that the jihadist group had been planning to attack the flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah, which draws hundreds of visitors. Khalilullah was arrested from a safe house at Manawan, near the border.

 

[plugwater]

'Night blindness' worries Indian Army

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): As the Indian Army geared up for the 62nd Army Day Friday, its chief General Deepak Kapoor expressed concern about the force's 'night blindness' in the area of armoured corps and mechanised infantry.

'My major concern is that night blindness of the army is removed so we are able to fight in the night as in the day,' Kapoor said.

Earlier when his attention was brought to the fact that the Indian Army's tanks have a night vision capability of 20 percent, Pakistan's have 80 percent while China has 100 percent, Kapoor only replied: 'You are right.'

'Projects are already in the pipeline to ensure that we have the night vision capability that our adversaries have. It may take three-four years,' Kapoor added.

The lack of night vision capability of the Indian Army has affected its fighting capability during the night. The deficiency has been persistent since the Kargil conflict.

On a query about the obsolete artillery of the Indian Army, the army chief said that successive bans have delayed acquisition of new guns for long.

'Artillery is a cause for concern. We need to have better guns. Trials for towed guns are underway. Because of bans the process got delayed. We are now acquiring (ultra light) guns through FMS (Foreign Military Sales) route (from the US),' Kapoor added.

The artillery modernisation plan of the Indian Army, which has not bought a single gun for the last 23 years, was derailed when the defence ministry banned seven armament firms including a Singapore artillery major on corruption charges.

While the government gave a go ahead to the trials of towed artillery guns, it has opted for a direct sales route in case of ultra light howitzers, in which the Singapore Kinetics was the single vendor. Ultra light guns are required by the Indian Army to position in the mountainous terrain bordering China.

'I would be happy to get the guns whichever way I can. I do not mind if it comes through Foreign Military Sales. The Defence Acquisition Committee cleared it and we are ready to go for it,' he added.

Source : Indo Asian News Service

 

[neo29]

Its a good thing that our Armed forces chiefs do speak out our weakness in the media. thats when our politicians act, otherwise normally they dont.
Our armed forces have guts to admit weakness because they want the best equipment in service. unlike some countries army that does not accept weakness in certain things and just does the blah blah of propaganda.

 

[Quickgun Murugan]

'Night blindness' worries Indian Army

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): As the Indian Army geared up for the 62nd Army Day Friday, its chief General Deepak Kapoor expressed concern about the force's 'night blindness' in the area of armoured corps and mechanised infantry.

'My major concern is that night blindness of the army is removed so we are able to fight in the night as in the day,' Kapoor said.

Earlier when his attention was brought to the fact that the Indian Army's tanks have a night vision capability of 20 percent, Pakistan's have 80 percent while China has 100 percent, Kapoor only replied: 'You are right.'

'Projects are already in the pipeline to ensure that we have the night vision capability that our adversaries have. It may take three-four years,' Kapoor added.

The lack of night vision capability of the Indian Army has affected its fighting capability during the night. The deficiency has been persistent since the Kargil conflict.

On a query about the obsolete artillery of the Indian Army, the army chief said that successive bans have delayed acquisition of new guns for long.

'Artillery is a cause for concern. We need to have better guns. Trials for towed guns are underway. Because of bans the process got delayed. We are now acquiring (ultra light) guns through FMS (Foreign Military Sales) route (from the US),' Kapoor added.

The artillery modernisation plan of the Indian Army, which has not bought a single gun for the last 23 years, was derailed when the defence ministry banned seven armament firms including a Singapore artillery major on corruption charges.

While the government gave a go ahead to the trials of towed artillery guns, it has opted for a direct sales route in case of ultra light howitzers, in which the Singapore Kinetics was the single vendor. Ultra light guns are required by the Indian Army to position in the mountainous terrain bordering China.

'I would be happy to get the guns whichever way I can. I do not mind if it comes through Foreign Military Sales. The Defence Acquisition Committee cleared it and we are ready to go for it,' he added.

Source : Indo Asian News Service

20% is too high. Remember, we are so night blind that when YSR's heli crashed, the rescue team could not operate during night time. Only a matter of time till got accepted. Think our military forces think in case of war, we will fight mahabharat style where no will attack in the night by blowing the conch.

Just could not digest the fact that, with a meagre defence budget, Pakistan can have 80% night vision and with all the money IA has 20%?

 

[Agantrope]

20% is too high. Remember, we are so night blind that when YSR's heli crashed, the rescue team could not operate during night time. Only a matter of time till got accepted. Think our military forces think in case of war, we will fight mahabharat style where no will attack in the night by blowing the conch.

Just could not digest the fact that, with a meagre defence budget, Pakistan can have 80% night vision and with all the money IA has 20%?

India will be prey of its own bureaucracy and red tapism.

In pakistan there is no bureaucracy i hope, If army wants they just go and buy all those things which not happening in india no way sooner

 

[nitesh]

I think this should soothe us

No Indian land lost to China: Army Chief

 

[nitesh]

Ongoing Revision of Indian Army Doctrine

At a closed door seminar in the last week of the last decade, the Indian Army reviewed its doctrine. Presumably, it is gearing up for facing the challenges of the current decade and beyond. This is apparent from the sound bytes of the Chief on the occasion in which he referred to preparing for a ‘two front’ scenario. Armies as institutions cater for the ‘worst case’. A ‘two front’ scenario being the ‘worst case’ for India, the Army is evidently in the midst of thinking through how it would cope. Its earlier largely Pakistan specific ‘Cold Start’ strategy has been perfected over the past half decade. Over the same period, the Army in conjunction with the Air Force had moved towards a more offensive stance even against China with the IAF moving additional air assets towards that front and the Army raising two mountain divisions as part of a mountain strike corps. The new posture was termed ‘active deterrence’ as against the ‘dissuasive deterrence’ that was practiced earlier. The two distinct postures are perhaps being amalgamated to cater for the ‘worst case’ scenario.

This is part of periodic updation of the doctrine of 2004 being conducted by the Army Training Command. As mentioned in the preface to the 2004 Indian Army Doctrine by the then Army Commander, ‘Part I will be reviewed every five years and updated, as necessary.’ This ‘main part’ was earlier accessible on the Army’s website; but is now available on the website of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. The second part is classified and is only for restricted circulation. As a whole, the doctrine is to be re-issued every ten years. It is likely that the open document is currently under review, though news reports let on that the ‘Cold Start’ strategy is also under review. Interestingly, the Cold Start strategy does not find mention in Part I and can be presumed to have been dwelt with in the restricted Part II. In effect, both parts are likely being dealt with in the ongoing review, though only the revised Part I would be placed in the public domain eventually.

The Army’s commendable initiative is expectedly as per schedule. The ‘two front’ aspect is prompted, as the Times of India defence correspondent has it, by a ‘reconfiguration of threat perceptions and security challenges’. The backdrop to this is possibly the friction in India-China relations played out in the media late last year, particularly troublesome from the military point of view being border intrusions and the asymmetry brought about by Chinese military modernisation and infrastructure improvements in the Tibetan plateau. The Army Chief has been sanguine in his comment on the Pakistan front, stating as per Pandit’s report: "A major leap in our approach to conduct of operations (since then) has been the successful firming-up of the cold start strategy (to be able to go to war promptly)."

The point of significance is that even as the Army in keeping with its social responsibility of provision of security prepares for the worst case, it would be a political-diplomatic-strategic exercise to ensure that such a scenario does not arise. Logically, a ‘two front’ strategy comprises first knocking Pakistan down by a blow from a Cold Start and then transferring the centre of gravity to the relatively slower paced, but more portentous conflict in the eastern Himalayas. As called for in the Draft Nuclear Doctrine of 1999, India’s conventional forces are to be of the order as to negate any call on India’s nuclear capability. Therefore any doctrinal and organisational moves of the military to cater for conventional capability to take on the worst case are mandated. However, despite growing defence budgets, the capability requirement of prevailing on both fronts may be an onerous strain. Therefore, it is a political call as to what level the Army needs to tread down this route.

A response to the Army’s initiative in terms of political direction from the Cabinet Committee on Security, with input from the National Security Council Secretariat, is called for. This would help assimilate the Army initiative in a ‘whole of government’ approach to the problem to the levels warranted. The "proportionate focus towards the western and north-eastern fronts" referred to by General Kapoor at the seminar was restricted to force levels and capabilities distribution by the Army to both fronts. Instead, it needs to be widened through such direction to include diplomacy, the relative weight between the three services and between conventional capability and strategic deterrence.

Rajat Pandit, attributing his information to ‘sources’, indicates that ‘The (Cold Start) plan now is to launch self-contained and highly-mobile `battle groups', with Russian-origin T-90S tanks and upgraded T-72 M1 tanks at their core, adequately backed by air cover and artillery fire assaults, for rapid thrusts into enemy territory within 96 hours.’ He states that this is in keeping with the lesson of Operation Parakram and is to undercut any delay that would enable Pakistan to shore up its defences and outside powers to intervene diplomatically. The launch from a standing start is operationally useful in that it would be against limited opposition and would facilitate more options for the subsequent deep-battle. Strategically, it has the advantage of heightening conventional deterrence directed at influencing Pakistani proxy war.

However, it is politically problematic in that it restricts the time window of examining non-military options. In the event of a grave provocation for instance in the form of another 26/11, pressures to proceed on militarily sensible timetables arise. The resulting situation would be reminiscent of the The Guns of August. While preparedness to furnish the political head with options in the circumstance is the Army’s prerogative, care needs to be taken against being stampeded. Second, though the Cold Start strategy is reportedly cognizant of the nuclear overhang, a second opinion is necessary. This is not to second guess the Army, but since the judgment is at the interface between the conventional and nuclear planes, it is one best taken jointly between military and civilian principals.

Part I under revision is sketchy on limitation in conflict. Having a section on limitation has the advantage of placing the Army on one page and informing the nation how the Army intends engaging with the nuclear overhang. Communication being useful for deterrence, knowledge of this with the enemy also helps in staying any itchy nuclear fingers. The current doctrine has rightly accepted that ‘victory’ can be ‘defined in other terms such as reconciliation, stabilisation (acceptance of the status quo) or acceptance of an agreed peace plan.’ The nuclear backdrop implies that military action supplement diplomacy, and not the other way round, though both are instruments towards the same political ends.

The Army therefore needs to build in suitable ‘exit points’ in the unfolding of its operation, such as prior to launch of pivot corps offensive resources, prior to launch of strike corps, prior to break out of enemy operational depth and prior to developing a threat to terminal objectives. These would act as cues to maximising diplomatic pressures on the enemy leadership to concede legitimate and reasonable aims. In this conceptualisation, the military threat of incremental coercion brings Schelling’s concept of deterrence i.e. ‘the threat that leaves something to chance’, into the equation. The onus for things getting out of hand, resting with the enemy, serves to deter. That there would be no pauses at these junctures entails getting national political resources in concert. This necessitates explicit inclusion in doctrine after due consultations.

This brings one to the issue of doctrinal formulation and promulgation in India. The absence of a Chief of Defence Staff leads to each service formulating and promulgating respective doctrine on its own. While admittedly this would be after due formal and informal networking with other services, yet organisational theory informs that this cannot be without the contaminating element of inter-service rivalry. The Joint Doctrine released earlier can serve to inform fresh doctrinal reflection, but not much more. The Ministry of Defence, which in the view of critics is by default exercising de-facto CDS functions, cannot be expected to adjudicate. Any faultlines that arise will then await the harsh test of conflict before being dispensed with. This is self-evidently untenable and requires attention at the political level.

Understandably, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said that the Army’s deliberations “betray a hostile intent as well as a hegemonic and jingoistic mindset which is quite out of step with the realities of our time." It appears that even the routine exercise, announced well prior, of doctrinal review has deterrence value. It remains to be seen how the final document addresses what Bernard Brodie described as the principle challenge for militaries of the nuclear age – that of deterrence rather than war fighting.

 

[nitesh]

This is a reat area of concern:

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