Indian Army: News and Discussion

[Sridhar]

one more good news

2 Sep, 2010, 05.35AM IST, S Sujatha,ET Bureau
Army jawans to get 2 eggs, poultries a fat biz

COIMBATORE: Jai Jawan Jai Kisan! Poultry farmers across India are seeing a golden goose, after the defence ministry said the country's 30 lakh-strong armed forces can look forward to an extra egg in their daily ration. Delighted poultry companies have already begun drawing up big expansion plans in a race to corner this Rs 250-crore opportunity as the Forces get set to consume nearly 5% of the total eggs sold daily in the country.

"The troops will now get two eggs a day irrespective of their placements, be it on field or peace locations. The ministry has allocated an additional Rs 250 crore in the annual budget for the change in diet plan," said Sitanshu Kar, spokesman in the ministry of defence.

Till now, jawans deployed above 9000 ft and those in the forward areas were getting one egg a day, while those below officer rank in peace time posting were not given eggs.

With heavy army deployment at the Pakistan border, Jammu and Kashmir and North East areas, poultry farmers in Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal are planning to swiftly increase egg production to meet this huge rise in demand. India produces around 14 crore eggs daily and consumes all but 30 lakh that are used to make egg powder.

"Farmers in our areas will get better prices," said Atul Mahajan, a big poultry farmer in Haryana's Barwala district whose farm produces 32,000 eggs daily.

Fruits quota too hiked

Currently, the region produces 1.5 crore eggs a day and supplies mainly to Delhi and neighbouring markets.

Poultry companies have also started working on how to pack eggs in liquid form, to make transportation easier in tougher terrain.

"It is definitely a big boost to the fluctuating fortunes of the layer egg industry. While the industry as a whole is expected to grow by around 7-8% every year, the egg industry's growth has been oscillating between 3% and 8% for the past few years. Now with sustained demand, we can grow organically and achieve the World Health Organisation's target of 180 eggs per capita annual consumption by 2011," said N Senthil Kumar, who heads the layer birds department at Coimbatore-based `3,200-crore Suguna Group, which produces a fifth of the chicken India eats and sells eggs under the 'Suguna' brand.

The per capita egg consumption in India is 43 eggs a year, which is much lower than the world average of 124 eggs.

India's layer bird population, or chickens bred to lay eggs, has only risen by 30% in the past decade. It has been stagnant in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and north India. "There has been growth only in Tamil Nadu, but it is almost saturated. This year, we expect a 15% increase in the north's layer bird population and this demand from the Army will be a big support," he added.

Nutrition-wise, adding more eggs to the army's diet will be a cost-effective way to increase protein consumption. "Compared to other protein sources, egg is very cheap and has good protein content," said R Krishnamurthi, CEO of Coimbatore-based Shanthi Fortune that has presence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal.

A Panipat-based animal science professor, ML Kansal, said an egg has higher biological value and is richer in proteins and essential amino acids, compared to a 100-ml glass of milk. His company Kansal Agro, that produces almost 2 lakh eggs daily, recently introduced herbal, odourless eggs.

On Wednesday, the farm gate price of an egg was quoted at Rs 2.35 at Namakkal, according to industry body National Egg Coordination Committee. The retail price hovers between Rs 3 and Rs 5 per egg.

"Most retailers procure eggs at around Rs 2 per egg at the farm gate. With more demand, the procurement price will improve," Mr Krishnamurthi added.

The defence ministry has also increased the quota of fresh fruits in the daily diet, creating extra demand for 2,700 tonne of fruits each week. Till now, jawans were entitled to only 230 gm fruits three times a week. With the new announcement, they will get 230 gm fruits daily. The army's biggest food commodity purchases are rice, wheat flour and lentils.

Army jawans to get 2 eggs, poultries a fat biz - The Economic Times

 

[shuvo@y2k10]

i think as part of ongoing modernization the army will issue a global rfi to international firm to supply 5 crore boiled eggs which can
be consumed in the temperature range of -40 -50 degree celsius to equip its strike corps for enhanced operational performance.

 

[RPK]

Indian Army chief to pay five-day visit to Sri Lanka | The Asian Age

Seeking to give a fillip to bilateral military ties, army chief General V.K. Singh is set to undertake a five-day visit to Sri Lanka from Sunday to discuss defence cooperation.

During his visit, Singh is scheduled to meet Defence Secretary, Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mr Jagath Jayasuriya, and other senior defence officials.

The Indian army chief, who was awarded the 'Yudh Sena Medal' for his distinguished service during 'Operation Pawan' against the LTTE in Sri Lanka, would also visit the war-ravaged Vavuniya in the island nation's north.

His visit to Sri Lanka comes close on the heels of a four-day trip here by Foreign Secretary, Ms Nirupama Rao.

According to sources, as many as five high-level Indian delegations from various fields are slated to visit Sri Lanka this month.
Foreign minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka in October end to inaugurate consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna. He will also be attending the India-Lanka joint commission meeting.

Also on the anvil are visits by Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal, P.V. Naik and Defence secretary, Mr Pradeep Kumar, media reports said.

Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma had visited Sri Lanka in June.

Besides an annual defence dialogue, India and Sri Lanka would be looking to step up maritime-security cooperation and would consider increasing the level and frequency of defence exchanges, the reports said.

 

[wild goose]

Army to boost electronic warfare capability

With electronic warfare becoming central to all military operations, the Army is planning to procure helicopter-mounted electronic warfare systems to augment its capabilities, which, at present, are restricted to land-based systems.

Sources said some firms have already briefed senior officers concerned at Army Headquarters about the operational aspects of such systems The Army has now sought technical details of available systems for evaluation. The Army, like its sister services, is already into electronic warfare, with the Corps of Signals being the nodal agency in the force for using the electromagnetic spectrum for military gains. Currently, the systems with the Army are vehicle mounted.

Electronic warfare involves use of the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio waves and infrared, to interfere with, intercept, degrade or dominate an adversary's communication, data-transfer or surveillance network for attaining battlefield superiority, while protecting one's own networks.

Heli-borne electronic warfare systems, sources said, would allow greater operating flexibility as they can cover greater distances in shorter time without the impediment of traversing difficult terrain like deserts and mountains. They would also be less vulnerable to anti-radiation missiles that static ground based systems.

Sources added that heliborne systems could also play an important role in counter-terrorist operations by pinpointing remote terrorist radio transmitting points or jamming their communication. They would also cut down the response time vis-à-vis vehicles. Electronic warfare suites are already retro-fitted in combat aircraft as well as helicopters and transports. Depending on the type of aircraft, some systems are for offensive operations while those for transports are primarily for self-defence.

The Army's quest for electronic warfare systems assumes significance as its aviation corps is being expanded. Besides additional indigenous Dhruv ALHs, process is underway to acquire over 80 medium utility helicopters for the force

Army to boost electronic warfare capability

 

[Anshu Attri]

CCS Today, To Decide AFSPA

Chindits: CCS Today, To Decide AFSPA

 

[Anshu Attri]

Snapshots from Combined Commanders' Conference, New Dehli


http://http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2010/09/snapshots-from-combined-commanders.html

 

[Anshu Attri]

Air Chief backs Army on AFSPA, says soldiers deserve protection
:emot158:


Air chief backs Army on AFSPA, says soldiers deserve legal protection


New Delhi: In a clear indication on where the Indian Air Force stands on the issue of withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from parts of J&K, Chief of Air Staff PV Naik on Tuesday said that 'a soldier doing his duty deserves all possible legal protection'.

"I believe that a soldier while involved in performing his duty deserves all the legal protection that he can get," Naik said.

Expressing confidence in the government's resolve to sort the issue, he added, "I am sure the government will look into it.'

Clearly, the Air Chief seems to be backing his counter part from the Army, VK Singh, who had earlier expressed reservations about the withdrawal of AFSPA.



Pointing out that soldiers operating in "hostile environment" need legal protection to perform their tasks efficiently, Singh said, "Any dilution or withdrawal of AFSPA will lead to constraining our operations."

The issue of amending the AFSPA has been regularly raised by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, especially after the latest round of violence in the valley that has left more than 70 people dead.

Infact, the Cabinet Committee on Security met yesterday to discuss the same but failed to arrive at a consensus. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has now convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue.

Defence Minister A K Antony said today that a decision on Kashmir will be taken by the Centre after the all-party meeting.

AFSPA is in force in Jammu and Kashmir and some militancy- affected states in the Northeast

 

[RAM]

227 cadets to be inducted into Army



Chennai, Sept 14:
In all 227 cadets, who underwent rigorous training at India's premier Defence Training Insitutiton--Officer's Training Academy (OTA)--would be inducted into the Army on September 19.Chief of Army Staff Gen VK Singh would review the Passing Out Parade (POP) at the OTA on that day by 157 Gentleman Cadets and 70 Lady Cadets before their formal induction in the Army. A bi-annual fixture, the parade marks the commissioning of gentleman and lady cadets into the officer cadre of the Indian Army to join operational regiments across the length and breadth of the country.

A unique feature of the POP was that 15 Gentleman cadets, due to be commissioned into the Afghan National Army, and two Lady cadets from Lesotho, also underwent training at the OTA along with their Indian counterparts, an OTA release said today. The arduous and gruelling preparation was only one salient feature of the military training imparted at the OTA. The training curriculum covered a dozen diverse subjects like physical training, military tactics, weapon training, radio communication and academics. The OTA, spread over 650 acres in the heart of the city and adjacent to the Chennai Airport, is dotted with firing ranges, simulators for modern warfare techniques, stables, PT grounds, playgrounds and several other indoor and outdoor facilities.

Central Chronicle - Madhya Pradesh's News Portal

 

[RPK]

Another Indian soldier?s body found in Skardu – The Express Tribune

GILGIT: An Indian soldier's body was retrieved on Tuesday from a river in Skardu, the second such incident in a month.

According to sources, the body was found in the Sheok River by residents of the Siari sector in Ghanche district. "Clad in the Indian army's uniform, the body was floating in the river when some people spotted it and pulled it out of the water," sources from Skardu told The Express Tribune.

The Sheok River flows through Ladakh, India, and enters Ghanche district of Gilgit-Baltistan after covering a distance of 500 kilometres. The soldier is believed to have died in Indian Kashmir during a rescue operation in the neighbouring flood-hit areas and his body flowed into Pakistan in gushing floodwaters. Last month, another body was fished out of the same river in Khaplu area.

The people turned in the body to the authorities who then handed it over to the Indian authorities in Kargil sector, sources said.

In another incident, two brothers drowned in Shigar River late on Monday. Mohammad Hassan and Sheikh Ali Hassan were at the bank of the river when one of them slipped and fell into the river, sources said.

 

[nitesh]

Improving the Quality of Rations Supplied to Army Personnel | Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

 

[Anshu Attri]

Army Vice Chief On AFSPA


Chindits

 

[Anshu Attri]

A drawing from the detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed war memorial. This drawing states that four eucalyptus trees will be felled "subject to site condition at ground". Source: BDA

 

[Anshu Attri]

Mumbai police get hi-tech speedboats to boost vigil



Mumbai police get hi-tech speedboats to boost vigil-News-Videos-The Times of India

 

[Anshu Attri]

Rohtang Tunnel


Border Roads Organisation

TUNNEL PROPER

This tunnel project was conceived way back in 1983 in view of the need to provide an all weather route to Leh and Lahaul & Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. Rohtang pass, located 51 km away from Manali, is at an altitude of 3978.0 m (13044 ft) and has been posing serious problem in maintaining the road communication for more than four months in a year, It faces heavy snow fall activity, high velocity winds and sub-zero temperature. Accordingly, feasibility study for the construction of Tunnel across Rohtang pass conducted by M/S RITES. Detail Project Report (DPR) has been submitted for obtaining formal approval from cabinet committee on security. Formal approval for the project is yet awaited. Salient features of the proposed Rohtang Tunnel are given as under:-

Length of Tunnel
:
9 km
Shape of Tunnel
:
Horse Shoe shape. Finished width 10.00 m at road level. (8.00 m pavement and 1.00 m footpath on both the sides)
General altitude of the tunnel
:
It lies between 3000-3100 m altitude
Design speed
:
80 km/h

Geology of Tunneling media
:
Uniformally dipping alternate sequence of Quartzites, Quartzitc Schists, Quartz-Diolite-Schist with thin bands.
Temperature variation in the area
:
25-300 C during May-June

-200 C to -20 C during Dec-Jan
Overburden
:
Maximum-1900 m

Average more than 600 m
Construction technique proposed
:
Drill & Blast with NATM
Support System proposed
:
Fibre reinforced concrete (100 to 300 mm thick) combined with rock bolt (26.50mm dia 5000 mm to 9000 mm long) has been proposed as principal support system. In poor rock condition yieldable steel ribs (ISMB 150/ISMB 300) have been proposed in addition.
Tunnel ventilation
:
Semi transverse system of ventilation system has been proposed. Following parameters have been taken in design:-


(a)
Upper tolerance limit for concentration
-
150ppm


(b)
Visibility factor
-
0.009/m



(i)
Cars
-
3000 Nos



(ii)
Trucks
-
1500 Nos


(d)
Peak hour traffic
-
337.50 PCUs


(e)
Design vehicular speed in Tunnel





(i)
Maximum Speed
-
80 km/ph



(ii)
Minimum Speed
-
30 km/ph
Project Cost

Approximately Rs. 1700 Crore

(ii) APPROACH/ACCESS ROAD

Approach road to the two ends are required to be constructed to connect the Tunnel proper with the Manali-Leh road and also to mobilize the resources for construction of Tunnel, Initially, only access roads with minimum necessary specifications for mobilization of resources will be constructed. Later the same will be developed to National Highway Double Lane specifications and will then be called as approach road. Formation, surfacing and permanent works are under progress and the upto date progress of approach road is given as under:-

Formation Cutting - 59 %

Surfacing Works - 16 %

Permanent Works

 

[Anshu Attri]

Photos : Third International Seminar On Battlefield Management System

 

[nitesh]

RIP:

The Hindu : News : Two Army officers die in Himalayan avalanche

 

[Anshu Attri]

'Army Being Made Scapegoat, AFSPA Needed As Security Blanket'


Chindits: 'Army Being Made Scapegoat, AFSPA Needed As Security Blanket'

 

[Yatharth Singh]

Raksha Rajya Mantri assures level playing field for Indian defence industry

New Delhi: "It will be my endeavor to create a level playing field to both the public and private sectors leading to an enhanced domestic capability and ensure that greater opportunities are given to Indian entrepreneurs "said Mr. M M Pallam Raju, Hon'ble Raksha Rajya Mantri, Government of India, in his address at the 3rd International seminar on Battlefield Management System (BMS), "The Power to the Edge".

'The offset policy in DPP is sure to provide a fair playing ground to both the public and private sectors leading to an enhanced domestic capability" said Mr. Pallam Raju.

Speaking at the two day seminar organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) along with Directorate General Information Systems he added that BMS will be the precursor of similar systems for our Para Military forces. To thwart threats other than war, Indian Army is aiming for full spectrum dominance. BMS will also address the counter-terrorism, counter-infiltration requirements and will act as a force multiplier. Mr. Raju was confident that the Indian industry will be able to develop such a system for the armed forces. Mr. Raju also inaugurated a capability exhibition which was oraganised parallel to the seminar

Gen V K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, Chief of Army Staff said that all future operations are going to be joint operations and that the net centric concept is not just restricted to a single arm or service. To get the desired level of synergy, the flow of correlated and intelligent information between the three services is essential. To translate any joint doctrine into action, interoperatibility between the Army, Navy and Air Force is crucial. The Indian players will be able to develop acceptable solutions in the required time frame. He further added that a dynamic voice and data communication capability would be the heart of BMS.

Lt Gen V S Tonk, AVSM, DCOAS (IS&T), Integrated HQs of Mod (Army) said that in the course of developing the BMS many challenges will have to be overcome including integrating diverse systems. BMS will have to exchange information with Tac C31 systems and FINSAS of infantry.

Mr. Satish K Kaura, Co-Chairman CII National Defence Council and Chairman Samtel Group said Indian industry has come of age and is making forays into newer sectors, defence being one of them. However private sectors capabilities and potential have not been exploited fully. CII is committed to strengthen industry's partnership with Indian Army.

Mr. Rahul Chaudhary, Chairman, CII Defence Sub-committee on R & D, Technology & Indigenization and CEO Tata Power SED said that relevant, accurate, timely network centric tools are going to be very important for all the three forces.

DGIS Newsletter was released on this occasion by the Hon'ble minister. This international conference was attended by participants from more than 10 countries.

Raksha Rajya Mantri assures level playing field for Indian defence industry, Orissa Business News

 

[Patriot]

Army copters conduct search ops to trace trekker team

DEHRADUN: The UPA government on Monday pressed into service two Army helicopters to trace an eight-member trekker team belonging to West Bengal that have been missing in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The trekker team have been missing since September 17 from the Gangotri-Kalindi route in Uttarkashi district, which is 16,000 feet high.

Debashis Biswas, the spokesman of West Bengal Mountaineers and Trekkers Association, said that central government has deployed two army Cheetah helicopters to conduct a search operation.

Meanwhile, no breakthrough has been made so far, said officials.

 

[Patriot]

ASIAN DEFENCE: Babus bog down Army modernization

NEW DELHI: Modernisation of the 1.13-million strong Army, grappling with critical capability gaps in areas like artillery, air defence, aviation, night-fighting and the like, is yet to gather steam despite the deteriorating security scenario in India's neighbourhood.

There are close to 100 Army procurement projects currently meandering their way through different stages amid bureaucratic bottle-necks, cumbersome procedures and general apathy, say defence ministry sources.

In fact, given the "prevailing worrisome state of affairs'', it's estimated the Army will take over 15 years to achieve its optimum level of operational readiness to defend borders as well as battle militancy in the hinterland.

This when Pakistan is gleefully receiving massive arms packages from the US in the name of the global war against terrorism and China is expanding its trans-border military capabilities at a staggering rate.

Incidentally, the ongoing revision of Army's war doctrine factors in the possibility of India even being forced to tackle "a two-front war'' in a worst-case scenario. But to achieve the military capabilities required for such an eventuality will take a lot of doing.

The much-smaller Navy and IAF, of course, are much better placed on their modernisation paths. While the two are more technology-intensive, the Army has many more ongoing procurement projects at any given time.

The need is increasingly being felt to revamp MoD's land systems acquisitions wing to fast-track inductions, as also ensure "much greater synergy'' within the Army HQ between its different "line directorates'' and the weapons and equipment directorate.

"Apart from better processes, MoD's Army acquisitions wing needs a strong dose of additional manpower and reorganisation. At present, it's capable of handling only around 24 projects a year,'' said a source.

A series of arms scandals in Army has also often derailed its modernisation plans. Take, for instance, the long-delayed over Rs 20,000-crore artillery modernisation programme. India has not been able to import a single 155mm/52-calibre gun since the infamous Bofors scandal of the mid-1980s.

When things were just about getting back on track, they were hit once again by the Denel and ST Kinetics scandals. Consequently, Army still awaits its planned progressive induction of 1,580 towed guns, 814 mounted gun systems, 180 self-propelled wheeled guns, 100 tracked self-propelled guns and 145 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers.

Similarly, it continues to make do with obsolete air defence missile and gun systems. Moreover, the force desperately needs third-generation thermal-imaging, image-intensification and infra-red devices to bolster the night-fighting capabilities of both its infantry and mechanised forces.

The conclusion of the long-delayed selection process for acquisition of 197 "light utility'' helicopters, with Russian Kamov and Eurocopters now left in contention, is also awaited to replace the ageing Cheetahs and Chetaks for high-altitude and other operations.

While 133 of these choppers will be for Army, the other 64 will go IAF. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has also promised to manufacture another 187 light helicopters for the armed forces to meet their overall requirements.