US exit: India steps up Afghan army training

arnabmit

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US exit: India steps up Afghan army training | idrw.org

India is stepping up training of Afghan National Army (ANA) in a major way, even as it also considers supply of military equipment to the fledgling force, in the backdrop of the US-led coalition preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014.

Defence ministry sources say "a major Indian effort has been launched for capability enhancement of the ANA" to ensure it can handle the internal security of Afghanistan after the progressive exit of the 100,000 foreign soldiers from there by end-2014.

India is worried about the stability of the strategically-located Afghanistan after the withdrawal because it is likely to witness a concomitant surge in the activity of the Taliban and its deadly arms like the Haqqani network, which have long worked in league with the Pakistani Army against Indian interests.

Defence minister A K Antony, in fact, recently warned the Indian military brass to be on guard to tackle "any spillover effect" in Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere due to Pakistan's continuing support to the Taliban and its inroads into Afghanistan.

Though India has worked largely on re-construction and developmental projects in the war-ravaged country over the last decade, it is now also boosting the "capacity-building" of ANA. If 574 ANA personnel were trained in different Indian Army establishments in 2012-13, for instance, the number will be "well over 1,000"³ in 2013-14.

The training includes counter-terrorism operations, military field-craft, signals, intelligence, counter-IED, information technology, battle-field nursing assistance and, of course, the English language. Afghan personnel are also being "attached" to the Infantry School at Mhow, Artillery School at Devlali and Mechanised Infantry Regimental Centre at Ahmednagar for specialized courses.

India has also posted some Army officers in the central Asian nation teach basic military and English skills as well as military doctors to help at hospitals in Kandahar and elsewhere. The training of Afghan pilots and technicians in operating Russian-origin Mi-35 helicopter gunships is also on the anvil.

A joint Indian military-civilian team had also gone to Kabul earlier this month after Afghan President Hamid Karzai submitted "a wish list" of military equipment to India during a visit here in May. The 17-page list includes armoured vehicles, 105mm artillery guns, utility helicopters, trucks, communication equipment and the like.

Sources said the visit of an ANA "Strategic Group", with 10 high-ranking officers, was also planned to India from September 1 to 13. The delegation will hold talks with the top military brass here, part from visiting military establishments in Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore.
 

drkrn

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few days back some members cried that india missed a chance not giving afghan with weapons,now see what we are doing to them.america too can provide weapons but most important is consistent support which we only will provide
 

nirranj

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This is a right step in the right direction. We should be even desperate in saving Afghanistan from the potential Taliban over run.

With the training and re-equipping of the ANA, we should also bring Iran and Russia into the Afghan picture as well. Connecting Afghan to the Chabbahar port will reduce its dependence on the Pakistani route of access to the Oceans. We have to work over night to develop a trans national highway and railway connecting Afghanistan and central asian nations to the Chabbahar port and this will facilitate as a win win program as It will help the central asian nations to have a stake in the Afghanistans peace, giving them access to the open ocean, as well as giving us the access to tap the energy resources of central asia. We also should promote Rupee in the bilateral trade and improve our Industrial output...

We may need to deploy our forces in assisting Afghan army in maintaining peace (given our investments, we cannot just lose billions of dollars of investments in Afghanistan if the Talibans come to power again...)

But one thing I am not sure of. Are we going to promote our military equipment in these training missions??? Like exporting Dhruv's, Insas Rifles... But the Afghan Army will benefit very much from our expertise in operating in the high mountains and It will benefit us in countering the Extremists in the Himalayan region...

Let us not miss a opportunity in stabilizing Afghanistan and thereby gaining a valuable ally and friend in the central asia...
 

TrueSpirit

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But one thing I am not sure of. Are we going to promote our military equipment in these training missions??? Like exporting Dhruv's, Insas Rifles... But the Afghan Army will benefit very much from our expertise in operating in the high mountains and It will benefit us in countering the Extremists in the Himalayan region...

Let us not miss a opportunity in stabilizing Afghanistan and thereby gaining a valuable ally and friend in the central asia...
Exactly. I have been clamoring for this to happen all over world wide web....
 

nirranj

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Exactly. I have been clamoring for this to happen all over world wide web....
Hope our govt thinks in the right direction. I dont see afghan's foreign policy drifting towards Pakistan (As the Talibans will not be in the helm in near future). The better thing for India in Afghanistan is, Afghanistan's stability is necessary for Stability in the western China, central asia and Russia, as a unstable Afghanistan will become a safe haven for fundamental extremism... Also the untapped natural resources of Afghanistan provides one of the greatest opportunity for India, as in my point of view, afghanistan is the Artic for India...

Also necessary for the stability of Afghanistan is a friend and universally accepted Iran. We should take up the responsibility of mediating a compromise between the west and Iran... We have to start converting our economic development into power and win-win diplomacy.
 
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