Indian Army: News and Discussion

[nandu]

Gen V K Singh, first commando to be Army Chief

NEW DELHI: Gen V K Singh, the senior most infantry officer, was on Wednesday handed over charge of the Indian Army, the world's second largest, by outgoing chief Gen Deepak Kapoor and he will formally assume his new office tomorrow.

He will be the first trained commando to take over as the Army chief.

Gen Singh, who has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations and till lately was the GOC-in-C of Kolkata-based Eastern Command, was handed over charge by Gen Kapoor at a ceremony in the South Block here.

Kapoor retired from the Army after over four decades of service and would formally cease to be the Army chief at midnight tonight.

Singh, who picked up the four-star rank of General today, will be the 26th chief and will stay at the helm of the 1.13 million personnel-strong Army for over two years.

The defence ministry had on January 23 issued the order appointing Singh for the top post after the Cabinet Committee on Appointments cleared his name a day earlier.

Singh was in the news recently when he recommended action against four General-ranked officers indicted by a probe in the Sukna land scam in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.

A third generation officer from the Rajput regiment, Singh had participated in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War as a young captain. He is a graduate of the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College as well as the US Army War College at Carlisle. He also did a Rangers Course, a prestigious commando training, at Fort Benning in the US.

The new chief belongs to the Rajput Regiment just as Field Marshal K M Cariappa, the first Indian to become the Army chief in 1949.

Singh was commissioned in the Rajput Regiment in June 1970 and commanded the same unit when it was positioned along the Line of Control with Pakistan.

Experienced in counter-insurgency, Line of Control and high altitude operations, Singh was awarded the Yudh Sena Medal for his distinguished service during 'Operation Pawan' against the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

Singh, who has seen action in the 1971 war, also served in the Military Operations Directorate at the Army Headquarters and was Brigadier General Staff of a Corps during 'Operation Parakram' when troops were mobilised on the border in the wake of the 2001 terror attack on Parliament.

He also commanded the Jalandhar-based 11 Corps and Ambala-based Strike Corps and was an instructor in the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) headquarters in Bhutan.

Singh was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for distinguished service while commanding a counter-insurgency force.

The General has an illustrious record in the Army for standing first in the Young Officers Course of Infantry and again being awarded the Commando Dagger for standing first in the Commando Course.

Singh will be the 24th Indian to be the Army chief, as the first two Indian Army chiefs were British officers General Sir Robert Lockhart and General Sir Roy Bucher.

The Indian Army has so far had 14 Infantry, six Armoured and five Artillery officers, including Gen Kapoor, as its chiefs.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...as-Indian-Army-chief-/articleshow/5746561.cms

 

[RPK]

Bomb disposal vessels for all NSG bubs


New Delhi: NSG will station new and stronger bomb disposal vessels at all the four newly created NSG hubs for ensuring full-fledged response by the elite force in case of a terror attack.

Official sources said the 'Total Containment Vessel' (TCV), used for the first time during the Delhi serial blasts would be stationed at Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

The green coloured TCV made its mark during the 2008 serial blasts when a bomb in Central Park here was detonated within the safe confines of the vessel.

TCV is a highly sophisticated bomb disposal equipment used by over 24 military organisations around the world.

The NSG, which has only one TCV, at present is in the process of acquiring 14 other vessels.

The force is also in the process of acquiring 22 bomb suits and a host of other equipments to maximise its operational capabilities.

The force is shopping for Shot Gun Spas or Spas Gun, which will be used to force open doors.

It is also looking for 'Laser Listening Devices', a favourite of intelligence agencies across the world as it can be used to eavesdrop conversations even more than 400 metres away.

The procurements are being made based on the experience during the 'Operation Black Tornado' against terrorists in Mumbai during the terror attack in November 2008.

 

[RPK]

Punjab Regiment battalion celebrates its tricentenary

The 16th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment of Indian Army, celebrated its 300th Raising Day at Tibri Cantonment near Gurdaspur in Punjab on Tuesday.

A large number of retired and serving officers and other ranks of the battalion, travelled from all over the country to participate in the memorable event. The retired officers were glad to meet their former friends at the gala reunion of the regiment.

"When Pakistan wanted to capture Kashmir (in 1947), our battalion (16th Btn) did an exemplary job. In that battle, our battalion won the highest number of gallantry awards as compared to the other regiments. They won eight Mahavir Chakras and 25 Vir Chakras, both gallantry awards," said Major General (retired) S P S Sidhu of the Punjab Regiment.

To mark the occasion a number of events, including an exhibition, were organised.

The 16th Battalion represents the legacy of honour, courage and devotion to duty, which are the hallmarks of the Indian Army.

"All the serving and former officers of the battalion have come to participate in the tricentenary celebrations. An exhibition has been staged to showcase the arms and ammunition used by the battalion during 300 years and its glorious legacy. The display of guns, machine, arms and ammunition has been inspirational," noted Rachna Kehra, a visitor.

The 16th Battalion of Punjab Regiment was raised as a part of the Royal State of Patiala Forces on March 31, 1710 by Baba Ala Singh, regarded as the founder of Patiala state. (ANI)

 

[nandu]

'Indian Army will stand up to any challenge'

Concurring with the concerns expressed by Defence Ministry over Chinese military modernisation plans, new Army Chief Gen V K Singh Thursday said the forces would stand up and measure up to any challenge that the nation faced.

"The concern expressed is correct....Through you, I would like to pass it on to our countrymen that our army -- and it is their army -- will stand up to and measure up to any challenge that the nation will face," he told reporters here before assuming office.

He said the government had provided an increase in the allocation for the Army in this year's budget and "our effort would be to utilise it to be well prepared."

Asked how the Indian Army measured up vis-a-vis the Chinese Rapid Action Force, Singh said: "I can assure you that for any challenges that are against us, we are very well prepared."

He noted that preparation was an ongoing process and that the Army would ensure its training methodologies became more practical keeping all challenges in mind.

The Defence Ministry has, in its annual report for 2009-10, said it was "conscious and alert" about China's military modernisation and infrastructure development in Tibet and adjoining areas. The report said the ministry has taken "necessary steps" to restructure its force levels along the border.

Earlier, Singh took the salute from 2 Rajput Regiment, the battalion he had commanded as a Colonel.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Indian-Army-will-stand-up-to-any-challenge/3524/1/14.html

 

[nandu]

Security forces will face a 'hot summer': Antony

Security forces will face a "hot summer" with sustained attempts being made from across the border to sneak in more terrorists, Defence Minister A K Antony said Thursday.

"Those inimical to India's interest are sending more and more terrorists across the border and it is going to be a hot summer as far as security is concerned," Antony told reporters after the launch of third destroyer built by Mazgaon Docks for the Indian Navy.

The army is ready to face attempts to sneak in more terrorists from across the border this summer, the minister said.

Antony said the Army, Navy and Airforce needs to modernise "and the government is very clear that we need to modernise our armed forces very fast," he said.

After 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, everybody realised that coastal security is becoming very important, he said.

Earlier, speaking at the launch ceremony, Antony said, "we want to build naval ships indigenously and we must involve private shipyards. We cannot go back to the old days of depending on foreign shipyards to fulfill our needs."

Naval aircraft carrier Gorshkov, acquired from Russia would be commissioned in the Indian Navy in 2010, he said.

Also, the indigenous aircraft carrier being built at Kochi would be commissioned in 2014, Antony said.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Security-forces-will-face-a-hot-summer-Antony/3526/1/12.html

 

[nirmal]

Naval aircraft carrier Gorshkov, acquired from Russia would be commissioned in the Indian Navy in 2010, he said.

Are we going to receive Goroshkov this year itself or in 2012?
Is it a typo error?

 

[Anshu Attri]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Stop-treating-army-men-like-beggars-SC-to-govt/articleshow/5751612.cms

Stop treating army men like 'beggars', SC to govt


NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has slammed the union government for treating army personnel like "beggars" in respect of emoluments and pension and asked the authorities to adopt a more "humane approach" towards those bravely defending the country's borders.

"If a person goes to any part of Delhi and sits for begging, he will earn Rs 1000 every day and you are offering a pittance of Rs 1000 per month for a man who fought for the country in the high altitudes and whose arm was amputated?

"Is this the way you treat those brave army officers? It is unfortunate that you are treating them like beggars," a bench of Justices Markandeya Katju and A K Patnaik said in verbal comments while passing the order.

The apex court passed the order dismissing the Centre's appeal challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court direction to pay higher pension to C S Siddu, a Short Commissioned Officer whose right arm had to be amputated due to an accident while on duty at the high altitudes on November November 21, 1970.

"The army personnel are bravely defending the country even at the cost of their lives and we feel they should be treated in a better and more humane manner by government authorities, particularly, in respect of their emoluments, pension and other benefits," the bench said in an order.

There was an element of drama in the court when Additional Solicitor General Parag Tripathi pleaded with the court not to use "strong words" in the order like "beggars," "niggardly" "miserly", following which the bench dropped them from the written order.

"We regret to say that the army officers and army men in our country are being treated in a shabby manner by the government. In this case, the respondent,(Sidhu) who was posted at a high altitude field area and met with an accident during discharge of his duties was granted a meagre pension. This is a pittance (about Rs 1000) per month plus D.A.

"If this is the manner in which the army personnel are treated, it can only be said that it is extremely unfortunate," the bench however, noted in its written order.

 

[Armand2REP]

1000 rupees a month??? I paid more than that for lunch.

 

[youngindian]

U.S. continues to grow relationship with Indian Army

CHANDIGARH, India -- Senior leaders and planners from the Indian Army, U.S. Army, Pacific, Marine Forces Pacific, Special Operations Command, and the Department of the Army, met at the Indian Army's Western Command headquarters in Chandigarh, India, to discuss the future of bilateral ground and amphibious engagements between the two countries during the 14th Executive Steering Group, March 22-23.

Due to the country's economic growth and infrastructure improvements, India is an emerging regional and global superpower and the relationship between the world's two largest democracies continues to grow yearly with the onset of more complex exercises, exchanges and growing realizations of shared interests within the Southwest Asia region.

"This forum provides senior leaders the opportunity to come together to chart out a program of exchanges for the U.S. and Indian Armies," said Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commanding general, USARPAC.

The India ESG was established in 1995, and encompasses all Theater Security Cooperation Program events as well as bilateral studies and working group meetings between functional experts.

It contributes directly to Pacific Command's Theater Campaign Plan objectives to optimize support to defeat violent extremism and reduce weapons of mass destruction threat levels, optimize positive partnerships and sustain and increase warfighting readiness and capabilities by allowing senior leaders to come together and establish mutual objectives to enhance relationships.

"It makes strategic sense to work together to achieve common goals," said Col. Kurt Meppen, chief, Department of the Army International Affairs Division. "Senior leaders from both nations have learned to trust each other and share viewpoints."

During the conference, delegates not only shared viewpoints they also shared information on immediate improvised-explosive device threats within the area.

"It was good to glean information from the Indian Army officers about their immense experience with IED threats," said Col. Ed Toy, director, IED Fusion Center.

Toy gave a briefing to selected delegates about IED counter measures and the Indian Army shared their knowledge in return.

Throughout the working group, attendees devoted time and thought to strengthening partnerships through training and scholarly exchanges. By the end of the conference, both Armies agreed to host and participate in six subject matter expert exchanges; to include mechanized infantry, IED counter measures, artillery, aviation and information operations over the next year. They also agreed to three major exercises within India and the U.S.

The most visible and far-reaching exchange for USARPAC is Exercise Yudh Abhyas. The annual bilateral exercise has grown from a platoon-level command post exercise to boasting the largest deployment of Stryker vehicles outside of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in 2009.

Mixon said the month-long field training exercise is a testament to how far relations have come with India and hopes the exercise will eventually grow into a division-level CPX within the next five years.

"We have reached a historic threshold with our relationship between the two countries," Mixon said. "The operations we do together are reaching a complexity of the highest level."

Lt. Gen AS Sekkhon, Indian Army Director General of Military Operations agreed.

"Yudh Abyhas was a huge achievement and certainly gives us all satisfaction," he said.

Sekkhon added he, too, hopes the exercise will continue to grow along with the relationship between the two forces.

"We will continue to move forward through continued cooperation," said Indian Army Col. LP Singh, an officer assigned to the 9th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized). "This meeting, along with our exchanges will ensure that cooperation."




http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/03/31/36641-us-continues-to-grow-relationship-with-indian-army/

 

[RPK]

Carl Zeiss signs licensing agreement – first optics already delivered

23:00 GMT, March 31, 2010 Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, the defense wing of the Carl Zeiss Group, has signed a licensing agreement with Indian company Optic Electronic (India) Private Limited in New Delhi for the production of red dot sights. The company had already ordered 15,000 red dot sights from the traditional German company for Indian armed forces.

“We impressed the Indian military with the quality of our products and expect to produce up to 400,000 red dot sights through the licensed production in India,” says Ralf Klädtke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Optronics.

Currently, experts from Carl Zeiss are training Indian specialists in Wetzlar to monitor production in the future. Red dot sights from Carl Zeiss are standard optics on the G36 rifles used by the German Army. The cooperation with Carl Zeiss was initiated by the Indian armed forces.

defence.professionals | defpro.com

 

[Agantrope]

Carl Zeiss signs licensing agreement – first optics already delivered

23:00 GMT, March 31, 2010 Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, the defense wing of the Carl Zeiss Group, has signed a licensing agreement with Indian company Optic Electronic (India) Private Limited in New Delhi for the production of red dot sights. The company had already ordered 15,000 red dot sights from the traditional German company for Indian armed forces.

“We impressed the Indian military with the quality of our products and expect to produce up to 400,000 red dot sights through the licensed production in India,” says Ralf Klädtke, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss Optronics.

Currently, experts from Carl Zeiss are training Indian specialists in Wetzlar to monitor production in the future. Red dot sights from Carl Zeiss are standard optics on the G36 rifles used by the German Army. The cooperation with Carl Zeiss was initiated by the Indian armed forces.

defence.professionals | defpro.com

Will this be used in the INSAS or with the AR that are to be procured? btw CZ is one of the best red dot optical scope available anywhere.

 

[nandu]

Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh is new Eastern Command chief

Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh Thursday took over as the chief of Indian Army's Eastern Command.

Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry regiment in 1972 and has held several important command and staff posts, an army statement said.

He replaces Gen. V.K. Singh who took charge as the Indian Army chief Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh commanded an infantry battalion in the northeast and along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, besides serving in three UN Peace Keeping Missions, the statement said.

Earlier, he was posted as director of general (staff duties) at the integrated headquarters of the ministry of defence.

http://sify.com/news/lt-gen-bikram-singh-is-new-eastern-command-chief-news-national-kebvuggggfi.html

 

[Agantrope]

No Army help for anti-Naxal operations: Chief General V K Singh

NEW DELHI: The armed forces, already heavily deployed in battling militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, remain steadfast in their opposition to being dragged into anti-naxal operations as well.

New Army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh says the armed forces, which are already `assisting' central paramilitary and state police forces with training and logistics, do not want to be directly involved in the battle against Naxalism.

"The Naxalite problem is a law and order problem, which is a state subject. It stems from certain issues on the ground, be it of governance, be it of administration, be it of socio-economic factors,'' said Gen Singh, who assumed command of the 1.13-million strong Army on Wednesday.

"Since it is not a secessionist movement, I think our polity is astute and wise enough to know the implications of using the Army against their own people,'' he added.

Naxalism, of course, has rapidly outstripped the insurgencies in J&K and North-East to emerge as a bigger threat to internal security in terms of violence levels.

Many more security personnel, for instance, are now being killed in Naxalism-hit states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh than in insurgency-hit J&K and North-East combined.

Government figures show that while 64 security force personnel were killed by militants in J&K in 2009, the figure in the North-East stood at 42. Ultra Left-wing extremists, in turn, killed as many as 317 security personnel last year.

The armed forces, however, say their primary task is to train for war or to counter external threats. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, who took over as the new chairman of the chiefs of staff committee on Tuesday, says the armed forces want `by and large' to be kept away from internal security duties. "It's a job which the police and paramilitary have to do,'' he said.

"If the scale (of the Maoist rebellion) becomes so big that the police and paramilitary are unable to handle it, then only will the government decide if the armed forces are to be involved,'' he added.

IAF does deploy helicopters, transport aircraft and spy drones to help paramilitary forces during anti-naxal operations but their use has been largely restricted to logistical, casualty evacuation and surveillance duties.

The IAF chief has already made it clear that use of "offensive airpower'' in internal security duties is not a viable option since it could lead to heavy "collateral damage'' in terms of innocent civilians being killed on the ground.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ief-General-V-K-Singh/articleshow/5755223.cms

 

[ajtr]

India ups the ante on China

Rahul Datta | New Delhi

Centre okays raising of 2 mountain divisions

In a major decision aimed at countering the growing threats from China, the Government has sanctioned raising of two mountain divisions (20,000 troops) to be deployed on the India-China border. Taking the urgency of the situation into account, the Government has lifted a 37-year-old freeze on making fresh recruitment for the China-centric mountain division.

The Army was raising new units in the last 25 years from within its existing sanctioned troop strength. One division has about 10,000 men.

At present, the Army has two divisions and the sanction for two more divisions will help the Army plug all operational gaps and help it defend its eastern and western borders and wage two-front war if need be.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) recently gave the go-ahead to the Army to raise two more mountain divisions, sources said here on Friday. The Government has also decided to speed up the process to procure specialised weaponry needed for mountain warfare.

China was rapidly modernising its armed forces and strengthening the infrastructure all along the 4,500-km Line of Actual Control(LAC). Acknowledging the fact that China’s preparedness was better, India took a series of steps like improving road network in States like Arunachal Pradesh and raising specialised mountain divisions, sources said.

They, however, claimed that these mountain divisions would be trained to fight a two-front war simultaneously with China and Pakistan as the Army was now capable of rapidly transferring troops from one theatre to another at a very short notice.

Elaborating upon the decision to remove the cap on fresh recruitments, sources said the Army raised the first two divisions from within its existing resources. It stretched the Army’s resources and realising its adverse impact on preparedness, the Government allowed additional recruitments.

With the hike in sanctioned manpower strength, the Army would now have more elbow room to rapidly raise the two divisions and train them in the shortest possible time. Moreover, the Government asked the Army to hasten the process of procuring Howitzer guns aptly suited for mountain warfare.

The Army planned to go in for more than 200 Howitzer guns which can be carried on horse back or in helicopters to the remotest posts in the rugged mountain terrain in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East.

The guns were likely to procured through the foreign military sale (FMS) route from the US, sources said.

Incidentally, the new Army chief General VK Singh said on Thursday infrastructure development in border States facing China was “slightly behind” and the Government was giving due attention to this fact.

Stating that China was not only focusing on modernising its armed forces in Tibet and the stress was now on making Chinese soldiers operate in a digitised battlefield. Giving reasons for slow pace of infrastructure development on the Indian side, he said the terrain was “friendly” on the Chinese side as it was a plateau. However, the terrain was mountainous on our side thereby making it all the more difficult for fast road building, he said.

 

[youngindian]

Army eyeing heavy machine guns to add fire power to infantry

Sunday, April 4, 2010

New Delhi: To provide more fire power to its infantry soldiers and mechanised forces, the Army is eyeing a new 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) that can hit targets accurately within a 2,000-metre range.The Army has issued a request for information for a 40-kg HMG that it wants to mount on Light Strike Vehicles and Infantry Fighting Vehicles, apart from use by its foot soldiers.

The .50 calibre HMG should be capable of firing ammunition such as high explosive (incendiary), armour piercing high explosive, armour piercing discarding sabot and useful for target practice.

"The weapon should have the capability to be used from the Light Strike Vehicle and Infantry Fighting Vehicle and in ground role while being mounted on vehicle and tripod respectively," the RFI, issued recently, said.

"The weapon should be easy to carry by a three-men crew in dismantled condition and be assembled with ease while being used in ground role," it said.

The rate of fire of the weapon should be "not less than" 450 rounds per minute, it has stipulated. The HMG should have three different modes of operation -- single shot, semi-automatic and automatic fire.

The weapon should have a fire control system that could be operated both manually and electrically. The system should come with a spare barrel, which can be changed quickly in field conditions, it said.

The Army has stipulated that the weapon should have a life of about 50,000 rounds and the smoke generated while firing should not obscure the observation of the firer.

It also wants a blast suppressor on the HMG to reduce the recoil and blast effect.

The Army expects the weapon to be robust enough to withstand rough usage and simple to maintain in operational conditions normally encountered in India like high-altitude areas, jungles and deserts.

The HMG would have sighting systems including optical magnification, open sight and thermal imaging sight. It should be easy to strip and assemble in the field by the user without any special tools, the RFI said.

The Army has earlier used American, Russian and Israeli-made HMGs, but most of the 350 infantry units had discarded them except for use in taking out softer targets such as bunkers and vehicles.

Currently, the infantrymen use assault rifles, sub-machine guns, light machine guns and sniper rifles.


http://www.dnaindia.com/india/repor...ne-guns-to-add-fire-power-to-infantry_1367217

 

[Anshu Attri]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100405/jsp/nation/story_12303357.jsp

India, US plan record 9 army drills
New Delhi, April 4: The Indian and US armies will have nine joint drills this year, a record of sorts even at a time both countries have been increasing the complexity and frequency of military exchanges.

Some of the drills planned for this year will be war games built around battle scenarios and the others briefing sessions on battlefield tactics.

A separate programme of exchanges for the air forces and the navies of the two countries is being discussed. With no other single country does the Indian military have as many exchanges as it does with the US.

“We have reached a historic threshold with our relationship between the two countries,” the commanding general of the US Army Pacific, Lt General Benjamin R. Mixon, said. “The operations we do together are reaching a complexity of the highest level.”

The top brass of the Indian Army and the US Army Pacific, Marine Forces Pacific and the Special Operations Command decided on the programme of the exercises for 2010-2011 at meetings of the executive steering group (ESG) of the two sides in the Indian Army’s western command headquarters in Chandimandir, near Chandigarh, last month.

Mixon led the US delegation. The Indian team was led by the director-general of military operations (DGMO), Lt General A.S. Sekhon.

Some of the drills will involve amphibious operations, meaning the US Marines, the Indian Navy and a brigade of the Indian Army will take part in landing operations from the sea.

The India-US ESG was set up in 1995 but meetings were suspended after the Indian nuclear tests in 1998. The relations were revived in 2002.

The ESG is one of the committees under the overarching India-US defence policy group (DPG).

“This forum provides senior leaders the opportunity to come together to chart out a programme of exchanges for the US and Indian armies,” a US Army Pacific statement quoting the commanding Mixon said.

In the Chandigarh conference, representatives of the two sides exchanged notes from their operations on the ground.

“It was good to glean information from the Indian Army officers about their immense experience with IED (improvised explosive devices) threats,” a statement quoting Colonel Ed Toy, director, IED Fusion Center, said.

Most US casualties in Iraq have been caused by IEDs. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army has been dealing with IEDs used by militants for more than 20 years now.

In the nine drills that have been planned, the types of forces to be involved will cover the mechanised infantry, IED detection and disposal squads, artillery, aviation and psychological operations.

Last year, the two armies held their largest joint exercise ever in Yudh Abhyas for which the US carried out the largest deployment of Stryker vehicles outside Iraq and Afghanistan.

The multi-role ground operations vehicles were shipped and flown to Babina, the Indian Army’s armoured corps range.

 

[plugwater]

Army war game in Rajasthan along Pak border this month

The Army will hold a month-long war game in the Rajasthan desert along the border with Pakistan to validate its battle concepts including to plug gaps in the night vision capability of its mechanised forces.

Codenamed 'Yodha Shakti,' the annual exercise will also validate its post-Op Parakram 'Cold Start' war doctrine that envisages swiftness in inflicting maximum damage to enemy forces.

"Yodha Shakti will be held for a month from mid-April to mid-May in the Pokhran ranges and it will validate battle concepts of a Strike Corps with use of its mechanised troops and close air support from Indian Air Force's fighter aircraft and attack helicopters," Army officers said in New Delhi [ Images ] on Monday.

Strike Corps are the most potent force of the Army and in Yodha Shakti, the Army will involve its Mathura-based 1 Corps to practise battle manoeuvres.

The exercise would test out the troops' ability to carry on the battle under darkness, particularly its tanks and Infantry Combat Vehicles, as 80 per cent of the mechanized vehicles suffer from night blindness, a fact admitted by former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor in his annual press conference January this year.

The Army exercise under the Jaipur-based South Western Command comes at a time when Pakistan is already conducting a large air force war game of its own, under which the use of ground troops is envisaged during the last phase.

"About 5,000 troops, which is about one-third of a division, would be participating in the exercise that would be held in a digitised environment to test the Army's capability to carry out a network-centric operation," the officers said.

Army's T-72 and T-90 tanks apart from infantry combat vehicles would be part of the exercise in which a Pivot Corps from the South Western Command would also participate.

The troops would simulate enemy forces and a battle scenario would be tried out to see how the formations perform in both holding territory and in carrying out surgical strikes deep inside enemy territory, apart from capturing and destroying strategic assets of the enemy.

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/apr/05/yodha-shakti-along-pak-border-this-month.htm

 

[nandu]

India, Pak armies prepare for wargames along border

New Delhi: In a move that has the potential to stoke fresh tension between the two nations, India and Pakistan armies have begun preparations to conduct wargames, practically within shouting range of each other.

According to a report published in a leading English daily on Tuesday, the military wargames, to be held later this month, will involve thousands of troops, aiming to test offensive strategies in the event of an armed conflict with the other side and will have active participation of their respective air forces.

The Indian Army will launch its month-long wargames in mid-April in the Thar Desert. Codenamed as 'Yodha Shakti', the games will involve one of its three principal 'strike' formations, the Mathura-based 1 Corps.

The Indian Army’s exercise under the Jaipur-based South Western Command will be held in the Pokhran ranges and it aims to validate battle concepts of the mechanised troops of the Strike Corps and also involving the close air support to be provided by the Indian Air Force's fighter aircraft and attack helicopters.

The exercise would test out the troops' ability to carry on the battle under darkness, particularly its T-72 and T-90 tanks and infantry combat vehicles, as 80% of the mechanized vehicles suffer from night blindness, a fact admitted by former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor in his annual press conference January this year.

The troops would simulate enemy forces and a battle scenario would be tried out to see how the formations perform in both holding territory and in carrying out surgical strikes deep inside enemy territory, apart from capturing and destroying strategic assets of the enemy.

Around the same time - from April 10 to May 13 - Pakistan will also conduct its 'Azm-e-Nau-III' (new resolve) exercise, described as its biggest wargames in two decades, to train for a conventional war with India. The manoeuvres will be held near the border in the country's Punjab and Sindh provinces - close to Rajasthan's Thar Desert.

Pakistan's massive military drill Azm-e-Nau-III will mobilise 20,000 troops in the beginning, rising to 40,000 to 50,000 towards the end, according to reports.

Pakistan is already conducting a large Air Force war game of its own, under which the use of ground troops is envisaged during the last phase.

http://www.zeenews.com/news616824.html

 

[nandu]

NSC mulls steps to perk up infra on China border

NEW DELHI: The National Security Council on Tuesday deliberated on the steps needed for improving infrastructure along the border with China.

The hour-long meeting of NSC, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was attended by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister A K Antony, national security advisor Shivshankar Menon. Army chief Gen V K Singh, Air Force vice-chief Air Marshal P K Barbora and intelligence bureau director Rajiv Mathur were also present at the meeting.

While efforts to build 73 roads near Sino-Indian border have been taken up with vigour, Indian Air Force had recently upgraded advanced landing grounds, including at Daulat Beg Oldie, to facilitate landing of AN-32 transport aircraft. The Army is also raising two Mountain Divisions in the north-east and plans to acquire ultra-light howitzers that can be dropped via helicopters at higher attitudes.

Soon after taking over last week, Gen Singh had said the eastern sector had been “neglected” for some time and attention was being paid to enable India to “measure up to any challenge.” He had said the eastern parts of the country have always had problems with troop manpower and other resources. “The concern expressed is correct... Through you, I would like to pass it on to our countrymen that our Army — and it is their Army — will stand up to and measure up to any challenge that the nation will face,” he had told reporters.

Earlier, the defence ministry, in a report, had voiced concern over the build-up of military and infrastructural capacity of the Chinese army on the border. In this report, the ministry had also said that China’s defence modernisation needed to be monitored carefully in the foreseeable future for the implications it can have on the security and defence of the country.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...infra-on-China-border/articleshow/5768738.cms

 

[Sridhar]

NSG airbase for quick response becomes operational

BY: DNA INDIA
In order to reduce the response time of NSG commandos in case of a terror strike or a hijack attempt, the government has operationalised an airbase near the IGI airport here.
A crack commando team of the elite force has been stationed and is ready to undertake operations from the complex spread over five acres of land located on the periphery of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on National Highway-8.
The complex was inaugurated by Union home minister P Chidambaram yesterday.
The NSG’s response time during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks — while moving from the national capital to the western metropolis — came under criticism after which the government finalised a number of plans like creation of four hubs for deploying the specially trained men in minimum possible time.
The complex has been named ‘Sudarshan’– the NSG symbol signifying the mythological ‘Chakra’ of Lord Krishna which destroys the enemy and comes back– would house and facilitate quick mobilisation of the counter terrorist task force of NSG commandos enabling them to be airborne in minimum possible
time.
The unit, comprising 50-60 commandos on a 24X7 basis, will only have to open a door and enter the tarmac of the IGI airport in case of a terror attack or a hijack attempt.
The commando squad is armed with weaponry like MP5’s, glock pistols and devices for aircraft intervention.
Basic infrastructural facilities like single living accommodation, office block among others are already in place and construction of training and firing enclosures are also in the offing.
The Airports Authority of India had handed over the land to the National Security Guard (NSG) in April last year.


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