Indian Army: News and Discussion

[Anshu Attri]

http://himachalpr.gov.in/pressreleaseEng.asp?id=4822

CM Reiterates his demand for RMP FORMULA

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, reiterated demand to change the existing Recruitable Male Population (RMP) Formula for recruitment to the armed forces. This plea was made by him to General V.K.Singh, Chief of Army Staff, who called on him here today.

Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had produced best of the decorated soldiers in the country which was evident from the fact that the First highest military decoration Param Vir Chakra was awarded to Major Som Nath Sharma, who hailed from Palampur from the State. He said that highest number of martyrs, 52, sacrificed their lives in Operation Vijay during Kargil aggression. Out of four Param Vir Chakras Awarded during this operation two were awarded to the brave sons belonging to Himachal Pradesh. He said that the State had a glorious military service track record. He said that State youth was willing to serve in the armed forces voluntarily but the RMP Formula was coming in their way. He sought the help of highest army authorities to look into it and help the youth from the State to join Indian army.

Prof. Dhumal said that there was a need for conducting of orientation programmes in the higher educational institutions in the State with a view to motivate the educated youth join armed forces. He said that there was no dearth in the State of the youth who want to join the armed forces. He said that the State was ensuring quality vocational educational infrastructure to the youth within the State with private participation and many such centres had already been opened.

Chief Minister also apprised General of the strategic importance of the proposed Bilaspur-Bhanupalli-Mandi-Manali-Keylong-Leh railway line which would not only save the environment but would carry man and material more conveniently. It was also important from defence point of view. He assured the General that the State would not lag behind in facilitating the ex-servicemen in construction of housing colonies under "Jai Jawan Awas Yojna" in different places in the State since it was committed to the welfare of the ex-servicemen, serving soldiers and their families.

General V.K.Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, thanked the Chief Minister for his concern towards the welfare of serving soldiers and ex-servicemen. He said that the Union Defence Ministry would soon be coming up with its proposal to construct colonies for ex-servicemen under "Jai Jawan Awas Yojna" in specific areas of the State. He said that possibilities of raising one additional territorial battalion for re-employing the ex-servicemen could be explored. He thanked the Chief Minister for extending all support to the army authorities in different cases which had made relations between civil and military authorities very cordial.

General A.S.Lamba, General Officer Commanding in Chief of ARTRAC also thanked the Chief Minister for his overwhelming support to the Command relating to various inter-related issues. He said that both the parties were in complete harmony in the State.

Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Col. A.S.Bajaj and other senior army officers were also present on the occasion.

 

[nandu]

Over 600 IMA cadets join the Army in style

Dehra Dun, Jun 12 (PTI) It was a proud moment for 22-year-old Gaurav Hridaya, who was adjudged the best all-rounder cadet at the Passing Out Parade at Indian Military Academy (IMA) today.

Besides a a silver medal for standing second in the order of merit in regular course, Meerut-based Hridaya received the coveted Sword of Honour from Arunanchal Pradesh Governor Gen (retd) J J Singh for being the 'Best All Round Gentleman Cadet' of IMA.

Cadet Sumeet S Lahane was awarded gold medal for standing first in the course while Yogendra Kathayat won bronze medal in the same course.

They were among the 602 cadets who became proud officers of the Indian army today after they crossed the "final step" at the hallowed portals of the historic Chetwode building.

23 other cadets joined paramilitary force Assam Rifles following a ceremonious parade.

 

[RAM]

IMA ready to welcome women

The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is ready to open its doors for women. "We are ready to welcome women at IMA and there is absolutely no problem," said IMA Commandant Lt Gen Rajinder Singh Sujlana, on the sidelines of the passing-out parade today. Lt Gen Sujlana, however, made it clear the proposal to recruit women cadets in IMA had to come from the highest level or the defence ministry.The IMA decision comes on the back of a historic Delhi High Court verdict in March this year, which recommended permanent commission for women in the armed forces. Since its inception in 1932, IMA had been commissioning only male officers to the Indian Army following rigorous training in modern warfare at the prestigious centre.Sources, however, said discussions were already on to give women permanent commission in the army. So far, women are only eligible to get permanent commission in nursing, dental and medical services.

A grand passing out parade at the academy in Dehradun witnessed the induction of 602 cadets in the armed forces. In addition, 30 officers were also trained in the IMA's technical course. The Indian Army faces a shortage of over 11,000 officers. This was the first time that the batch comprised over 600 cadets — in previous occasions the numbers usually hovered around the 500-550 mark.The IMA has also been addressing the growing security concerns in India, with a spurt in naxalite and terrorist activities from across the border. The cadets are getting trained in guerrilla warfare to take on the insurgent groups in jungles and rocky terrain.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ima-ready-to-welcome-women/397996/

 

[RAM]

Army studying 'lake' on Pak-China road1

New Delhi, June 12: The Indian Army is studying the military implications of the formation of an artificial lake that has blocked the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the only land route linking Pakistan and China through the strategic Khunjerab pass. Confirming this, defence sources said the Army is studying the effects of the disruption caused by the artificial lake on Sino-Pakistan military trade and clandestine movement of armaments on the Karakoram Highway. Indian defence sources said the movement of military equipment via the land route between China and Pakistan has been affected. The 20-km-long artificial lake was created in January this year after a landslide hit the picturesque Hunza valley in the Northern Areas of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK.

The Army estimates it could take one-and-a-half years for normalcy to be restored to the functioning of the highway, which is also referred to by the Pakistanis as the "Friendship Highway" to emphasise its close ties with China.Sources said the artificial lake and its consequences had unnerved the Pakistani military and civilian leadership with both the Pakistan Army Chief, Gen. Ashraf Kayani, and the PM, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, visiting the site to assess the fallout. The Karakoram Highway connects Gilgit in PoK with China's troubled Xinjiang province. The Indian military is keenly watching the situation since a large number of variants of Chinese and North Korean missiles are believed to have made their way to Pakistan from China in the past via the Karakoram Highway. Both China and Pakistan have always denied this.The landslide has also come as a setback to envisaged rail links through the Karakoram Highway which could further bolster movement of military equipment between Pakistan and China. The establishment of a motorable land route between the two countries became possible following the 1963 Sino-Pakistan agreement under which Pakistan illegally ceded over 5,000 sq. km of land in North Kashmir to China
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/army-studying-%E2%80%98lake%E2%80%99-pak-china-road1-700

 

[RAM]

Security forces train Kashmiri villagers to combat infiltration bids

2010-06-13 19:30:00 In a bid to train villagers for self defence against militants, the Army, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police are jointly imparting combat training.
The training is being imparted to members of village defence committees (VDCs) in villages near the India-Pakistan border in the R S Pura sector.
Over 52 Special Police Officers (SPO) and 32 village defense committee members from Arnia and Bishnah villages are being trained in defense techniques and handling of arms at the Sattuwali Firing Range in R S Pura town.
The weeklong joint training programme began on June 12,
The training aims at strengthening coordination between civil agencies and armed forces to flush out militants from the region.
Officials said involvement of locals with army operations is crucial in curbing infiltration bids.
"We have involved our local formations with our military and paramilitary forces, Border Security Force (BSF) and army to strengthen the local border management. It will enhance local coordination with the BSF, army, and police," said H. S. Gill, Deputy Superintendent of Police.
"The VDC members will know where the formations are stationed and are being made familiar with their, so that whenever there is a suspicious movement, a VDC member can alert the nearest Army, BSF or police station for fast action," he added.
Over the past few years, local volunteers have willingly come forward to help expose militant hideouts.
"This exercise by the army and BSF has benefited us a lot. We did not have any training earlier but now we are being trained properly. We can bravely face the enemy anytime now," said Swarn Singh, a VDC member from Arnia.
VDC members have been working with the Indian army to provide crucial information and intelligence about militant activities along the international border areas.(ANI)

http://sify.com/news/security-force...iltration-bids-news-national-kgnt4cegddb.html

 

[RAM]

India sets up integrated border posts

NEW DELHI: India is building six integrated checkposts (ICPs) along the border with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal for facilitating trade and economy and for trans-border passengers, an official said here Tuesday.These ICPs would be sanitised zones with dedicated passenger and cargo terminals comprising adequate customs and immigration facilities, weigh bridge, security and scanning equipment, health and quarantine facilities and banks.

In addition, passenger amenities like waiting areas, restaurants, rest rooms, duty-free shops, close circuit television (CCTV), parking warehousing and various public utilities are also be integrated in these ICPs.

The six ICPs are part of a total 13 ICPs to be set up along the various bordering areas at a cost of Rs.6.35 billion.
'These ICPs would carry out twin purposes – handling export-import consignments and trans-border passengers visiting the neighbouring countries and vice versa,' A.E. Ahmed, secretary (Border Management) in the ministry of home affairs, told reporters Tuesday.
He said: 'In the first phase, six ICPs would be set up at Raxaul and Jogbani (in Bihar) along the border with Nepal, Attari (in Punjab) along the border with Pakistan, and Akhaurah (in Tripura), Dawki (in Meghalaya) and Karimganj (in Assam) – all along the border with Bangladesh.'
'Work for construction of ICPs at Attari, Raxaul, Jogbani and Akhaurah has begun and work for the remaining posts would be taken up soon,' he added.
'The setting up of ICPs along India's international border is a major initiative which the centre has undertaken as part of a scheme envisaged during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12).'A Land Port Authority of India is being established to supervise the construction works and maintenance of these ICPs.
http://www.sananews.net/english/2010/06/01/india-sets-up-integrated-border-posts/

 

[xuebao]

Thanks for the information, I appreciate it.

 

[nandu]

16 Corps Commander Likely As Next DGMI !!

Lt Gen Rameshwar Roy, Corps Commander of the Nagrota-based 16 Corps, is likely to take over as the next Director General Military Intelligence, when the incumbent Lt Gen Loomba retires.

http://chhindits.blogspot.com/

 

[youngindian]

The Indian Army is being deliberately weakened

6/15/2010 11:29:58 AM by ANI

By Jaibans Singh

New Delhi, June 15 (ANI): The Indian nation is going through some testing times. The Kashmir Valley continues to be embroiled in an unabated cycle of violence which is making life an unending misery for the common man and creating a tense security environment.

The blockade in Manipur has been in place for almost two months and people are suffering unimaginable hardship even as the governments. The Naxal issue has gained criticality in the aftermath of a proactive policy adopted by Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The Army is already playing an active role in both Kashmir and the North East and now it may be called upon to contain the Naxal menace also.

In the midst of this turmoil the Army, which is the sole savior and sentinel of the nation's integrity, is facing a grave challenge from a number of forces that are trying to weaken its intrinsic fabric.

Whether this is part of a grand design or the machination of different powers and lobbies who have their own axes to grind, cannot be ascertained, but what is very obvious is that the cumulative effect is quite alarming.The increasing involvement of the Army in quelling social and political dissent in the country provides the first and most critical chink in its armour.

Interestingly, the divisive ideologies of Islamic Jihad and Maoism that the country has to contend with are direct imports from its two neighbours, China and Pakistan.

The two countries are well aware that only the Indian Army stands between them and their long standing policy of dividing India into small segments in order to curtail its growing influence. Now, by involving the Army more and more in internal security, these countries feel that they may have hit bulls eye.

The engagement with the Naxals is not possible without diluting vigil on the border as also the edge that the Army enjoys as a conventional force. Quite obviously, the vacuum thus created will be exploited by these two countries, Pakistan will be able to boost its proxy war and China will gain strength in its negotiations for the border dispute.

The second challenge is emanating from a psychological war that has been launched against the force with the intention of denting the high moral pedestal at which it stands. The people of India see the Indian soldier as the epitome of all that is the best in the country due to his demonstrated qualities of courage, self sacrifice, integrity, strength of character and commitment to the cause of the nation.

If this image is dented, the psychological fallout may propel the country into a self destruct mode.

Against this backdrop, a sustained campaign is being orchestrated to malign the image of the soldier in the eyes of his countrymen.

Terrorists and terrorist linked organisations are keeping the pot boiling in regions like Kashmir and the North East by highlighting baseless human rights violations through the medium of orchestrated public demonstrations and virulent outcry.

In the remaining parts of the country, especially the national capital, the slightest misdemeanour by an Army man is blown out of proportion through well managed propaganda. The result is that the force and the country are getting enveloped in a feeling of low self esteem and the army is getting involved in a web of legality which is keeping it perpetually on the back foot.

There is a need to counter this challenge being thrown up by forces inimical to the nation.

Firstly, in order to allow the Army to concentrate upon its primary task of manning the country's borders against our many adversaries we have to build upon our police and paramilitary forces so that they can perform the role assigned to them.

Some methodology can be worked out, whereby, the Army's expertise is put to good use to give a boost these organisations.

On the psychological front the media, which is unwittingly becoming a stooge in the hands of anti-national forces, needs to understand the difference between reportage of normal events and security issues, the latter being too important to be subject to TRP driven sensationalism.

The nation must realise that not all that is heard is coming from sources that have its good in mind.

The Army is the last bastion of the nation, and a weakened, demoralized force will spell doom for it.

Isolating the Army from deliberate attempts to reduce its capabilities and from negative propagandist influences is a national responsibility. (ANI)

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal...is-being-deliberately-weakened_100380446.html

 

[Patriot]

Slow Going As India Revamps Army

Jun 10, 2010
By Neelam Mathews
New Delhi

Program delays and an urgent need for upgrades and new equipment are among the challenges confronting Lt. Gen. V.K. Singh, India's new army chief of staff, as he begins wrestling with modernization of the 1.1-million-strong force.

The service has issued numerous requests for information (RFI) and proposals as it moves to increase its operational capabilities. The list of needs is long. Key items include: artillery, missiles, rocket launchers, helicopters and ground strike aircraft, radar, night-vision equipment, future force gear and apparel, and network-centric and battle-management systems.

Progress is being made, however slowly. The first step toward waging network-centric warfare at the tactical level will be through Project Sakthi, which establishes an artillery combat command-and-control system to integrate weapon operations. The signal corps, the lead agency and center for information and cyber-security in the military and at the national level, directs the project. The corps is working to make the army a network-enabled force by 2012 and a network-centric one by 2017. "This will involve consolidation of all networks to provide the army with an optimal, secure and robust infrastructure to meet operational and peacetime requirements, one that withstands technical and physical degradation," an army spokesman says.

The army's plans in this area also involve the "Network for Spectrum" project, which is being implemented by the government's telecommunications department in exchange for spectrum being released from the defense quota. The army is installing a fiber-optic cable network to meet its bandwidth needs. When complete, the service will vacate existing spectrum in use by the military, freeing it for civilian applications. Plans to upgrade the cyber-security of networks are also under consideration.

Meanwhile, ITT Corp. expects its night-vision devices to attract interest from the army aviation corps, which issued an RFI for night-vision goggles for helicopter pilots among others. Should the project be approved, ITT will partner with government-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) in producing the devices. ITT will provide select components and BEL will be responsible for power optics, says David Melcher, president of ITT Defense and Information Solutions.

ITT is confident in the performance of the critical image-intensifier tube in the night-vision goggles, which it says is rugged, combat-proven and a good match for fixed- and rotary-wing aviators as well as ground forces. The *company says its enhanced night-vision goggles are the first to provide fusion (via optical overlay) of image-intensified and infrared imagery.

BEL has asked ITT for 33,000 of the tubes. ITT for its part has applied for a Technical Assistance Agreement from the U.S Defense Department in order to produce the technology abroad. "We're bound by what we can transfer by [U.S. government] International Traffic in Arms Regulations," says Melcher. "Night-vision technology is protected, which is why we are looking at other ways [of using it overseas]."

As the world's largest provider of military VHF radios and advanced tactical communication systems, ITT is also promoting Spearnet, which offers simultaneous voice, data and situational awareness in a low-cost multirole radio. Having been successfully used in Iraq and Afghanistan, Melcher says the product will be valuable to Indian soldiers.

A fast-track program for procurement of $300 million worth of weapons and equipment for special forces is under way. Under the program, 10,000 troops will receive new gear in the next 15 months. The army envisions implementing a multibillion-dollar modernization program called Futuristic Infantry Soldier (F-Insas), to broaden the capabilities of infantry by making them multimission warfighters.

Under the program, the army will buy antitank guided missile launchers with thermal-imaging sights, armored vehicles, rifles, battle-surveillance radars, ground sensors, secured communication systems, precision-guided ammunition, laser rangefinders that provide ballistic data, light clothing and bullet-resistant jackets.

While critics are skeptical that the 2011 date for F-Insas prototype trials will be met, the army's plans call for equipping the entire infantry—500,000 troops—with the gear by 2020.

General Dynamics U.K., for one, is interested in bidding on the battle-management system, a technology the company specializes in. General Dynamics delivered Bowman, the British Army's battle-management system, as well as similar programs to the Netherlands and Romania. "We have upgraded more than 13,000 vehicles—the largest number of any company—including T72 tanks and BMP infantry fighting vehicles, both of which the Indian army uses," says spokesman Mark Douglas.

Photo Credit: US DOD

Photo credit: U.S. DOD





http://www.aviationnewsreleases.com/2010/06/slow-going-as-india-revamps-army.html

 

[nandu]

Southern Army Commander Likely As Next Vice Chief !!

Lt Gen P Khanna, 20 Lancers, GOC-in-C of the Pune-based Southern Command is likely to take over as the Indian Army's Vice Chief on December 1, 2010, when the incumbent, Lt Gen P. C. Bharadwaj retires.

http://chhindits.blogspot.com/

 

[nandu]

Founder Of Siachen's Kumar Post, "Bull" Kumar, To Be Conferred MacGregor Medal By COSC !!


Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar, who laid the first military post on the Siachen Glacier in 1978, the Kumar Post in Northern Glacier, will be conferred the MacGregor medal on June 25, 2010 in Delhi's USI by Air Chief Marshal P V Naik. Naval and Army Chiefs too would be in attendance.

http://chhindits.blogspot.com/

 

[Patriot]

Army defends Armed Forces Special Powers Act
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/army-defends-special-powers-act-31642.php?u=1729&cp

The Indian Army is refusing to play ball with human rights activists amidst rising clamour to dilute or altogether scarp the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a senior General, in-charge of counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, has described the legislation as a holy book for the forces.

"I would like to say that the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Power Act are very pious to me and I think to entire Indian Army...We have religious books, there are certain guidelines which are given there, but all the members of the religion do not follow it, they break it also, does it imply that you remove the religious book or you remove this chap. My take on it is to find someone guilty, take him to task, but don't touch this pious document or provision of the Armed Forces Special Power Act giving the similarity to religious book, said Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. BS Jaswal.

Gen Jaswal's strong defence of the Act is in keeping with the Army's stand that it cannot operate without it in Jammu and Kashmir or in the Northeast.

In the past couple of months Army has argued that without the Act it will not be able to launch proactive operations. The Army will also not be able to use force except in self-defence and not have powers to destroy ammunition dumps and IEDs.

Human rights activists have however contended time and again that the Act gives excessive powers to the soldiers. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said in recent past that there is a need to revoke the Act since it is prone to abuse.

But the Army says majority of human rights abuse cases are found to be false and those found true have been severely dealt with.


1473 of 1511 cases since 1990 found false
104 Armymen punished in 35 cases so far


In its detailed reasoning to the government, the Army has said the AFSPA does not put the soldier above the law, but places him under a different set of laws because he operates in different circumstances.

"Sorry for saying this, lot of clichés get used in describing the Army, the circumstances under which Army functions is not known to people, that's why I said we want to feel the heat be there...to say that he is jury at that stage and he is the hangman, that jawan, I think we are stretching things a bit too far," said Lt. Gen BS Jaswal.

That the Supreme Court has upheld the AFSPA after incorporating certain safeguards against its misuse is something that the Army repeatedly points out and is therefore outraged at any suggestion to repeal the Act, seen as a must for operating in what it calls exceptional circumstances.


Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/army-defends-special-powers-act-31642.php?u=1729&cp




http://theasiandefence.blogspot.com/2010/06/indian-army-defends-armed-forces.html

 

[Anshu Attri]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100616/himachal.htm#2

Virbhadra, Pallam visit Rohtang tunnel site

Manali, June 15
Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and Union Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam today visited site of the 8.8-km-long Rohtang Tunnel at Dhundi near Solang valley prior to the visit of Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Talking to mediapersons at Circuit House, Pallam said it was a national project which had a great importance from the defence point of view.

Out of 17 projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Rohtang Tunnel project was the biggest, he added.

He said latest technology and equipment would be used for making the tunnel which would be completed by 2015.

The foundation stone of the tunnel will be laid by Sonia Gandhi on June 28. Defence Minister AK Antony will also accompany the Congress chairperson on the occasion.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Himachal Chief Minister PK Dhumal other BJP and Congress leaders are also expected to be present on the occasion.

Solang ski slopes has been selected as the venue for the function where Sonia will address a gathering of local people of Kullu and Lahaul valley.

Meanwhile, Virbhadara Singh thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for giving a go-ahead to the work on the long-awaited Rohtang Tunnel.

 

[RAM]

Army training 50,000 men to tackle Naxals



NEW DELHI: The government may have decided not to draft it for the anti-naxal offensive, but the Indian Army has started preparing for the possibility of being called upon to tackle what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls India's gravest internal security threat.

Army Headquarters has drawn up a plan to keep about 50,000 soldiers - approximately 5 divisions - in readiness to help the civilian authorities deal with the growing Naxal threat. A training programme, especially designed to meet the challenge that the Left wing extremists pose, has been drawn up, with the Lucknow-based Central Command being given the task of readying the soldiers for what could potentially be the single-biggest internal mobilisation outside the insurgency-ravaged J&K and the northeast.

The rigorous training schedule aims to re-orient troops, conditioned to fight hostile nations as well as insurgents of J&K and northeast, for a battle which is to be fought in the heartland and against an enemy adept at blending into the population.

The Army believes that its approach will be radically different from the way paralimitary troops engaged in the anti-Naxal fight have been taken through the paces. Army officials say that paramilitary forces are engaged in random jungle bashing which is fraught with the risk of collateral damages. As against this, they plan, if and when called in, to create a security grid which would isolate the civilian population from the insurgents.

The anti-Naxal training module focuses on acquiring intimate knowledge of the topography and the tactics used by Maoists. All this would require the sodiers to unlearn many of the lessons imparted to them for conventional warfare, and use tactics different from those in vogue in J&K and northeast.

The Army, which has already identified four senior officers for appointment as security advisors to the worst Naxal-affected states, plans to keep the specially-trained divisions in "ready-to-deploy" condition.

For that, it is pulling out troop components from artillery,armoured and other arms to put them through the new training module. Besides, the infantry units returning from counter-insurgency deployments in Kashmir and northeast will be put through the new training schedule once they have had enough rest and recuperation, sources said.

As a prelude to the eventual deployment, the Army has already stepped up its intelligence gathering capabilities in the Naxal belt. It traditionally never had any intelligence networks in the tribal areas of central India. To fill the gap, Central Command soldiers who understand tribal languages, have been deploying for intelligence gathering and analysis.

Authoritative sources said the four brigadiers, with extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in northeast and Kashmir, have been identified for deputation to the Union home ministry. These officers will be appointed as security advisors to the unified commands, comprising paramilitary and state polices, that are being set up in Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

These officers would be based in New Delhi as the defence ministry is reluctant at present to post them in the states, given the confusion over chain of command and other concerns, sources said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-men-to-tackle-Naxals/articleshow/6056573.cms

 

[Patriot]

Arms spending: India grows as west shrinks
BY: Ajai Shukla / Business-standard.com

India's military modernisation presents opportunities for defence majors.

With global arms majors focused on the commercial opportunities presented by India's military modernisation programme, consulting firm Deloitte India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have produced a detailed report on the country's defence market and the possibilities it presents. Entitled, "Prospects for Global Defence Export Industry in Indian Defence Market", the report was released today at the Eurosatory 2010 defence exhibition in Paris.

The report follows a KPMG-CII report in January on "Opportunities in the Indian Defence Sector", a PricewaterhouseCoopers report in April on "Aerospace and Defence Insights" and a CII report last month on foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector.

The Deloitte-CII report points out that as defence expenditure drops in the traditionally big-spending western economies, including the USA, Indian defence spending will grow steadily over the next 20-25 years, as New Delhi implements a major defence modernisation.

KEY IAF PROJECTS
* 180 Sukhoi-30MKI (pictured) fighters, worth $9.9 billion.
* 126 medium fighters (to replace the MiG-21) for $9.09 billion.
* 120 indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), for which an additional $1.71 billion has been allotted.
* Advanced and intermediate jet trainer aircraft.
* The Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter, with an estimated development cost of $9.9 billion.
* Upgrades to more than 60 MiG, Jaguar and Mirage aircraft.

Linking defence spending to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prediction that India's economy will grow in real terms by 7.5 per cent from 2010 to 2014, the Deloitte-CII report says that India's current defence expenditure of $32.03 billion will rise to an estimated $42 billion by 2015. The capital expenditure on new weapons platforms will rise from the current $13.04 billion to $19.2 billion in 2015.

Inflation, warns the report, somewhat tempers these figures: the real growth in defence expenditure is expected to be marginal over the next two years and about 5.3 per cent from 2012 to 2015.

Nevertheless, the figures remain impressive. During the current Five Year Plan (2007-12), India will spend $100 billion on weaponry, which will rise to $120 billion during the next Five Year Plan (2012-17).

Deloitte-CII point out that 70 per cent of this procurement, in value terms, is from foreign sources; Indian companies supply only 30 per cent, the bulk of that as components and sub-assemblies to state-owned companies. The report is sceptical about the Indian MoD's (Ministry of Defence's) oft-repeated target of 70 per cent indigenous production. If that target is to be achieved by 2015, local industry would need to more than double in size, an unlikely event.

India's domestic defence sector benefits from increasing MoD requirements to "buy local" as well as taxation arrangements that advantage local firms; in the case of defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), tax advantages can be as high as 50 per cent. Deloitte-CII, however, see clear opportunities for foreign firms in providing specialist inputs to Indian defence manufacturers, which they require for developing advanced platforms and systems.

Land systems
The report notes that India's acquisition of land systems suffered a serious slowdown in 2009. Many of the postponed acquisitions relate to the Army's $8-billion artillery modernisation programme (called the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan, or FARP). This aims to induct between 2,700-3,600 guns over the next two decades at a cost of $4.77-6.48 billion.

Procurement has long been initiated for four kinds of guns: air-mobile ultralight howitzers for mountain divisions on the China border, towed and wheeled 155mm guns for plains infantry and mountain divisions, self-propelled tracked and wheeled guns for mechanised strike formations, and mounted gun systems. These projects, however, have moved very slowly.

Besides upgraded artillery, the report also highlights the proposed acquisition and upgrades of tanks, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and 300 helicopters for Army Aviation. India's obsolescent air defence systems also provide major opportunities to foreign vendors.

Navy and Coast Guard
Deloitte-CII note that naval acquisitions are earmarked for a greater degree of indigenisation than the other services. Foreign shipbuilders are pointed to opportunities for modernising Indian shipyards to enable them to produce large, advanced battleships. By 2022, the Indian Navy plans to have a 160-plus ship Navy, including three aircraft carriers, 60 major combatants (including submarines) and about 400 aircraft of different types.

The report highlights the Indian Navy's "Indigenisation Plan (2008)", which forecasts a requirement for marine engineering equipment, including gas turbines, diesel generators, pressure cylinders, hydraulic manipulators and motors.

Furthermore, India's Coast Guard, which is 70 per cent short of its requirements, plans to double its assets in the next few years and triple them over a decade. Its current fleet of 76 ships and 45 aircraft is likely to be ramped up in five years to 217 ships and 74 aircraft. Some 70 of these new ships would be large vessels.

Aerospace
The report notes that India is struggling to indigenise aerospace production. Historically d0ependent upon Russia, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to diversify its vendor base for combat and transport aircraft, providing major opportunities for aerospace firms.

http://idrw.org/?p=2064

 

[Anshu Attri]

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/06/sonia-gandhi-to-inaugurate-rohtang.html

Sonia Gandhi To Inaugurate Rohtang Tunnel Project On June 28

 

[nitesh]

http://frontierindia.net/defense/in...-nbc-contamination-analysis-station-from-drdo
Indian Army gets Mobile NBC Contamination Analysis Station from DRDO

 

[Patriot]

Indian Army Test Drives Tatra Vehicles All over India – Passes through Panambur NH

Latest Tatra vehicles likely to be inducted into Indian Army were found test driven here on the highway at Panambur on Friday June 18. The vehicle was moving down south the state from Bangalore as part of the vehicles' all-terrain test drive all over the country.

Speaking to Daijiworld army official Basavaraj, who was behind the wheels said it is a special vehicle which is being taken on a test drive on the roads all over India. We are testing its ability in terrains like sea, deserts, plains and hills so that they can soon be introduced into the Indian Army.

Tatra T815 is available in three configurations, namely heavy recovery vehicle, medium recovery vehicle and light recovery vehicle. This is an all-terrain vehicle developed by Tatra a.s., a vehicle manufacturer based in Czech Republic. It is used for various purposes such as transporting soldiers, tanks and missiles.

Tatra vehicles are supplied in India by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), an Indian company based in Bangalore. A major public sector company which is in joint collaboration with Tatra Vectra Motors Limited supplies defence material in India. Tatra Vectra Motors is a joint venture between Tatra a.s. and UK based Vectra Group.

"The vehicle will be tested all over India and its features will be made known to the public only on the Republic Day Parade next moving along Rajpat at Red fort, New Delhi on January 26.






http://idrw.org/?p=2031

 

[Yatharth Singh]