<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Repair of bunkers, fence along LoC top priority </b>
Rahul Datta | New Delhi
Army sets itself pre-winter deadline
Repairing the bunkers and the anti-infiltration fence along the Line of Control on India's borders, extensively damaged following the earthquake last year, has become the top priority of the armed forces.
<b>There has been a spurt of foiled infiltration bids in Jammu and Kashmir in the past few days, and as winter nears, terrorists appear to be making last ditch efforts before heavy snowfalls make border-crossing nearly impossible. Hence the sense of urgency among the forces</b>.
The issue figured prominently during the Army commanders' conference last week and operational commanders were directed to finish the repair work before the onset of winter. <b>The bunkers mostly house soldiers who man the LoC. Along with several jawans who died in the devastating earthquake in October 2005, these bunkers were flattened beyond salvation.</b>
Last year, the Army working on a war footing had managed to erect makeshift bunkers in inaccessible areas before winter<b> but the pre-fabricated materials used could not withstand the harsh weather.</b>
<b>Now local commanders have been asked to build permanent structures capable of withstanding artillery fire and the extreme cold using special construction material, sources</b> said here on Monday.
In the last 10 months, the Army had also actively aided the quake-affected and this had slowed them down in reconstructing the bunkers.
<b>A large portion of the 750-km-long, anti-infiltration fence was also damaged and the commanders meet reviewed the progress made on this front given the enormity of effort required to ferry construction materials through porters and mules to extremely inaccessible areas.</b> As soon as the cruel winter months were over, the Army engineers got down to the job and managed to re-erect the fence along with specialised devices to detect infiltration like thermal imagers and other electronic gadgets, sources said.
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<b>Defence forces lose over 2,000 officers</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Figures made available by the army and the navy reveal that 2,712 officers sought discharge over the past five years. Of these 2,061 were allowed to leave. The air force refused to provide figures, saying the information "may be indicative of morale (and)⦠will prejudicially affect the security of the State".
The figures are the first such publicly shared estimates by the armed forces. According to official records, many officers are dissatisfied with their professional growth and leave for better options.
"There are a large number of people seeking better opportunities outside the army, which is a sad thing, because obviously they are leaving the profession that was their first choice," General (retd) VP Malik, former army chief, told the Hindustan Times. "On one side are the material aspects like pay, allowances, etc. On the other are the prolonged periods of service without much respite in field areas, like insurgency-affected places, when they may have to be separated from their families."
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The flurry of resignations from the armed forces is also tied to India's economic boom. Officers are in great demand as managers and they are moving from cantonments to the corporate sector.
The benefits can be tempting. An army major earns up to Rs 3 lakh a year apart from free housing and subsidised food, but it is paltry compared to the salaries and perks on offer in the private sector.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Army jawan shoots CO </b>
Khursheed Wani | Srinagar
Commanding Officer of a Rashtriya Rifles unit was killed by his subordinate at Dara in Harwan pocket in the outskirts of Srinagar on Tuesday. The jawan was taken into custody and handed over to police. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Sources said that <b>SC Bahra of 28 RR was upset with his officer Lt Col Saket </b>Saxena over refusal of granting him leave. "The soldier fired several shots at the officer at 1.30 pm on Tuesday," sources said. He was immediately rushed to the Army base hospital but doctors declared him brought dead.
Sources said after opening fire at the officer, the soldier tried to kill himself but was overpowered by the other soldiers present on the scene.
This is the<b> fifth such incident in the past 10 days in Jammu and Kashmir resulting in death of nine soldiers.</b>
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Recently a DRDO developed anti missile system was test fired successfully. The high supersonic missile successfully intercepted a Pritvi-II missile at an height of 50 km over the Bay of Bengal. This was big sucess for the DRDO, whose other two missiles Akash and another one are still facing teething problems.
Once the anti missile system is accpted by the armed forces and is inducted for service, India will have its own system like the Patriot System of the USA.
<!--QuoteBegin-Ravish+Nov 29 2006, 05:36 AM-->QUOTE(Ravish @ Nov 29 2006, 05:36 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Recently a DRDO developed anti missile system was test fired successfully. The high supersonic missile successfully intercepted a Pritvi-II missile at an height of 50 km over the Bay of Bengal. This was big sucess for the DRDO, whose other two missiles Akash and another one are still facing teething problems.
Once the anti missile system is accpted by the armed forces and is inducted for service, India will have its own system like the Patriot System of the USA.
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Not everyone has this good feeling. Pioneer thinks it is not a worthwhile test.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Flights of fancy
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Desperate DRDO pulls out a rabbit
Monday's missile test off the coast of Orissa - applauded by a harried group of DRDO scientists facing criticism for presiding over an organisation that remains mired in bureaucratic delays and inefficiency - wasn't exactly a frightfully impressive display of indigenous technology or power insofar as Integrated Missile Development Programme is concerned. <b>Launched in 1983, the IGMDP is yet to deliver significantly on any one of its objectives: Apart from the Prithvi series, and to an extent Agni, none of the other vaunted missile programmes - whether they be Akash surface-to-air (long range), Nag anti-tank, or even Trishul surface-to-air (short range) - have, in a manner of speaking, left the drawing boards.</b> Working on prototypes of reversed-engineered Soviet era SA-2 missiles, it's true that DRDO has successfully developed the Prithvi series; however, the missile system has its own set of problems.<b> Its liquid fuel is highly corrosive and its precision and accuracy, too, leave a lot to be desired. First launched in 1988, the Prithvi series have had a score of test-flights; however, till date not more than 75 have been deployed with the Army that, it might be pointed out, has been a somewhat reluctant buyer. The Agni series, on the other hand, falls in the category of IRBM, and is a work of assemblage: It's the technological offspring of Prithvi and ISRO's SLV-3 rocket. What is surprising about Agni I and II is that these have been declared to be ready for serial production with just three test-flights apiece. Questions may justly be raised whether, in doing so, DRDO has jumped the gun.</b> After all, precision and accuracy in ballistic missile defence (BMD) system can hardly be compromised. Developed nations take anything between 10 to 20 tests of their missile systems to fine-tune their dynamics. Is, therefore, DRDO trying to tell that it has done better than the great powers? It's because of its obsession with secrecy and tardiness - a damaging cocktail - that DRDO has failed to shake off the wide perception that, stung to the quick by series of adverse media reports, it has desperately pulled out a little known programme out of the bag to claim that its IMDGP/BMD is working well.
Clearly, DRDO needs to function more like a military-industrial complex with a corporate culture than replicate countless ailing PSUs. It must, therefore, before anything else, set realistic goals and deadlines and work towards them instead of making outlandish claims and commitments just to please the political leadership of the day. It must be critically aware of its limitations and not fall victim to its own ambitions. It must seek synergies and partnerships and press the political leadership for the same. <b>Finally, it must introspect as to why such a large number of its projects have failed: From the Light Combat Aircraft, to the Main Battle Tank, and from nuclear-powered submarine to a slew of missile programmes - the off-Orissa test-flight of two Prithvis knocking each other down high in the sky notwithstanding</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The article is critical of the overall performance of DRDO which is true to some extent. Such press reports are often promted by the agents of International Arms Dealers operating from Delhi. So it is not certain how far the report can be relied upon. In some of the projects cited above DRDO cannot be blamed as the delay in the project has been due to factors beyond the control of the DRDO.
Ravish, The last test has much more implications than just a Patriot clone. I believe the pradigm has changed in Asia from SSM to NMD- sort of offensive to defensive weapons. The challengers have to press for a qualitative escalation sort of Star wars style. Qty no longer cuts it.
Please comment from a diplomatic prespective on effects on arms control and CMD numbers vis a vis India.
L Srini, any basic research by the pioneer would have shown that a number of their claims are wrong but sensationalism irresponsible journalism in India sells and to the common man is readily accepted without crossreferencing. It would be worth for DRDO to set up a public relations bureau where they could take every named reporter to task and create a huge loss of face for these buggers.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Apart from the Prithvi series, and to an extent Agni, none of the other vaunted missile programmes - whether they be Akash surface-to-air (long range), Nag anti-tank, or even Trishul surface-to-air (short range) - have, in a manner of speaking, left the drawing boards. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Left the drawing boards? Akash and Nag are set to begin user trials early next year! They incorporte state of the are technologies with the scramjet in the Akasha and its whole mobile setup with the rajendra phased arrays. Indeed Akash is set to have a limited ABM capability as well which would work well with our recently tested ABM. Parts of the Akash system like the rajendra radar and its offspring the WLR for the army are already in production.
Nag like wise is a 4th generation top attack missile that is cleared for production with its IR seeker a little over a year ago. Its mmr seeker is in all probability to undergo user trials from next year. Weaponsiation of the dhruv is underway for which Nag is essential.
And if recent statements are anything to go by the trishul is being offered to the air force as a supplement to akash. Only the navy decided to go with Barak for time constraints and logistics.
With regard to the Prithvi's and Agni's maybe he forgets about who would have actually offered us rights to manufacture SRBM's and IRBM's. The industry needed to manufacture these stratgic missile defences had to be built up and the research time and money invested. Corrosive fuel? Does he mean liquid based....all rocket fuel is corrosive and volatile to an extent and DRDO has still managed to make multiple versions of each. With Prithvi 1 + 2 powered by liquid fuel and prithvi 3 powered by solid. The CEP for both prithvi's and agni's fall well within the army's acceptable limits and are constantly being improved upon.
Im not sure why he chooses again to lamblast several DRDO project which are still in testing and yet forgets to mentions the overall success that numerous spin offs have resulted from as such and provided the Indian arms industry to manufacture several components for overall fleet upgrades.
Notably LCA : Project vetrivale for the MKI, Fleet wise upgrades of Mig 27, Mig 29.
EW gear, and the HJT 36. Notably the 1st 8 LSP should join by end next year or earlier.
Ajun Tank : Again FCS and armor. Upgrades to the T 72 fleet. The gun itself is being mated to the T 72's called Tank EX.
Sadly its easier to sit in front of the computer and type a whole bunch of lies for sensationalism and with not even minor repurcussions, they are free to continue and lamblast all they want. The only way is for DRDO to take reporters and news agencies exposing their glaring inefficiencies on a personnel level so they won't be able to type c*ap for fear of losing face.
<!--QuoteBegin-Praneet N+Nov 30 2006, 08:09 AM-->QUOTE(Praneet N @ Nov 30 2006, 08:09 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->L Srini, any basic research by the pioneer would have shown that a number of their claims are wrong but sensationalism irresponsible journalism in India sells and to the common man is readily accepted without crossreferencing. It would be worth for DRDO to set up a public relations bureau where they could take every named reporter to task and create a huge loss of face for these buggers.
Sadly its easier to sit in front of the computer and type a whole bunch of lies for sensationalism and with not even minor repurcussions, they are free to continue and lamblast all they want. The only way is for DRDO to take reporters and news agencies exposing their glaring inefficiencies on a personnel level so they won't be able to type c*ap for fear of losing face.
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Among all the Indian media, I trust the pioneer the most. Had this report appeared in HT or TOI or Hindu, I would have completely ignored it and take it for advertisement by arms dealers as you suspect it is. This article appeared in the editorial section of pioneer. If you think the whole article or sections of the article are wrong (I am not entirely convinced that it is wrong, although I do want it to be slander!), please write to the pioneer editors.
01-06-2007, 11:25 PM (This post was last modified: 01-06-2007, 11:28 PM by ravish.)
It has been reported in the media that India has purchased a naval vessel from the United States. It will enhance the capabilities of our Navy particularly in disaster management and in rapid force deployment in distant places. This will be first Naval vessel of US origin to join our Navy. Although constructed in the 1970s, it is not a man of war in the real sense but non-the less its arrival will be of great symbolic significance.
After the India-USA Nuclear Deal, the arrival of the ship will signify the real change in policy of the United States Government towards India. So far it had always resisted in providing any significant military hardware to India, as it was afraid that Pakistan would not like such a gesture.However, it appears things have really changed.
<!--QuoteBegin-ramana+Dec 12 2006, 11:59 PM-->QUOTE(ramana @ Dec 12 2006, 11:59 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Article in Armed Forces Journal. Talks about US empire plans but has lot of info on British in India
Thank you for the post Jan 05 2007, 11:25 PM on USN TRENTON (An Austin Class Amphibious Transport Dock â LPD Vessel) being Decommissioned from the U S Navy on 17-01-2007 and then sold to the Indian Navy. She will be renamed INS Jalashva (Does it mean Water Horse â Horse of the Waters?)
She was Launched in August 1968 and Commissioned into the U S Navy in March 1971.
As such her Hull is as good as Forty Years Old.
She has had a colourful History including various mishaps etc.
Being nearly Forty Years Old she is powered by Steam Turbines and will be expensive to run. I believe the only other Steam Turbine ships in the Indian Navy are the Aircraft Carrier and the Leander Class - along with the improved versions â Frigates. Steam Turbine Ships are , I believe, comparatively expensive to Run and as such you will find Naval Vessels Opting for Gas Turbines and Diesel Engines.
She is of course Long in the Tooth and the only saving grace is that India could not procure a similar vessel from any other source.
Finally : The USA Gifts Naval Vessels to Pakistan. However, India is paying through the teeth for the soon to be decommissioned Forty Year Old USN Trenton.
P. S. : Grateful if you can let us know as to the Price Paid by the Indian Navy for this Vessel.
I understand from media report that they have taken a token sum of $12 million. However, Navy team is in USA in search of S-3 Sea King helecopters for purchase to be used on this floating platform. About its capabilities, you are the right person to brief the public but I fine in some reports that it has steam turbine engines. Are they more efficient than the diesel turbines.
AA : Many thanks for the Price indication. I believe to Build a New Ship of this type would cost may be in Hundreds of Millions of US Dollars. As per the US Navy Website she was originally built at a cost of around USD 400 Million.
Naresji the TOI of date carries a despatch regarding a proposal to have two carrier battle groups by 2009 or so.The first will consist of INS Viraat ( 28000 tonnes) with two or three guided missile destroyers, two frigates, two subs and a tanker and the other will be led by INS Vikramaditya ( 44,000 tonnes ) ex- Russia as you know. They are to have the MIG-29 ( Naval version) ,Advance Sea Harriers and Sea Kings. So some orders are on way to British Aero space, be on the look out. These developments will give the Indian Navy capability to be deployed at distant places far away from the shores of Inda.
ON BOARD INS VIRAAT (ARABIAN SEA): By early-2009 or so, India hopes to have two fully-operational "carrier battle groups" with their own complements of fighter jets, to project force as well as act as a "stabilising influence" in the entire Indian Ocean and beyond.
<b>One of the carrier battle groups will be centred around the ageing but still powerful 28,000-tonne aircraft carrier INS Viraat, while the other will be led by INS Vikramaditya, the rechristened 44,570-tonne Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier currently undergoing a re-fit in Russia.
Each of the carrier battle group will also include two to three guided-missile destroyers, two multi-purpose frigates, two attack submarines and a tanker, among other warships.</b>
Though modest when compared to the 12 American carrier battle groups deployed around the globe as an important ingredient of the power projection capability of the US, the Navy is clearly excited about finally realising its long-standing ambition to operate two aircraft carriers at the same time.
"From 2008 onwards, after we get Vikramaditya (and its complement of 16 MiG-29Ks as part of the Rs 6,900-crore deal signed with Russia in 2004), we hope to always have two aircraft carriers," said Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta.
The Navy is quite confident that it will be able to operate Viraat â which was commissioned into the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes way back in 1959, and is about to complete 20 years in the Indian Navy â for another seven years.
"By then, we would have got the 37,500-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin shipyard. The project is on track and we should get it by 2011-2012," said Admiral Mehta.
The 252-metre-long carrier will be capable of operating MiG-29Ks, naval version of the indigenous LCA-Tejas, Sea Harriers, advanced light helicopters and anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance Kamov-31 helicopters.
"The ultimate idea, of course, is to have three carriers, two operational at any given point of time, with the third undergoing a re-fit," he added, indicating the Cochin shipyard would take on the construction of another indigenous carrier soon.
<b>Though there has been some debate about the vulnerability of carrier battle groups to relatively new weapon systems like supersonic cruise missiles, aircraft carriers operating on international waters can project offensive power like nothing else.</b>
The Article talks of about 8 Ships (may be even 10) in a Carrier group.
However you will see that from the following photograph a Carrier Group consists of nearly Twenty â if not more â Ships. This is a very basic photograph and I will post a better one soon as I can lay my hands on it.
I â for one â believe that India does not need Aircraft Carriers after having seen the USAF Bombers operate in Aghanistan from their Bases in the USA.
India will use the Aircraft Carrier(s) only against Pakistan (Bangladesh is accessible from Indian Air Force Bases) and have an Aircraft Carrier being able to deliver only Twenty Four of so Fighter Bombers from an Aircraft Carrier Group of Twenty or more Vessels is a waste of Resources.
The Indian Navy cannot take a Carrier Group to China as no way will it be able to pass the Malacca Straits.
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: Within hours of the monstrous tsunami that struck the subcontinentâs eastern flank in December 2004, the Indian Navy commandeered and dispatched nearly a fourth of its fleet for relief and rescue. Thirty-eight ships, big and small, raced to help the tens of thousands in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka whose lives were devastated by the calamity.
But when the ships reached the tsunami-hit areas, they found piers and jetties wrecked. Although the Indian Navy overcame myriad obstacles to bring off a stupendous relief act, one which was universally hailed, ''it was also a moment when we felt an acute need for an amphibious landing ship,'' according to a commander who was involved in the operation.
That gaping hole in the Indian armada was filled to a large extent on Wednesday when the Indian Navy took charge of USS Trenton, a massive amphibious loading dock, in an elegant handing over ceremony at the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. The 17,000 ton vessel will be the second largest ship in the Indian Navy after the aircraft carrier Viraat, and the first American ship to join the Indian fleet.
Officials say the ship, which is still undergoing repairs and refurbishing in Norfolk, will be in the US till May before it leaves for India, where it is expected to join the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakapatnam.
In a charming coincidence, US ports will also be getting a look once again in May at the Indian Navyâs INS Tarangini, one of the worldâs most admired tall (sailing) ships, that won both praises and prizes during a visit here in 2005.
But with its six H-3 Sea King transport helicopters and an assortment of smaller boats, the Trenton flotilla, which will be formally commissioned into the <b>Indian Navy as <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>INS Jalashva (Sanskrit for river horse or hippopotamus)</span></b>, is in a different league altogether. It is expected to expand Indiaâs aspiring blue water navy to enable both troop movements and relief and rescue on both sides of the subcontinent.
As of Wednesday, the vessel was formally decommissioned from the US Navy, and a full complement of more than 300 Indian sailors and 27 officers led by Captain B S Ahluwalia (VSM) took charge. They have already been in Norfolk for several weeks now literally learning the ropes about one of Americaâs most trusted vessels.
<b>Trenton was commissioned in 1971 and has seen action in Lebanon and Somalia among other places, landing US troops and rescuing American citizens. <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>New Delhi purchased the ship for a $ 48.44 million, including choppers and boats, a prize that some officials said was a bargain. The ship is expected to serve in the Indian Navy for at least 15 more years.</span></b>
The Trenton experience could also lead New Delhi to consider other US purchases. The Indian Navy has long considered having at least three aircraft carriers in its armada. With the Russian carrier Gorshkov joining INS Viraat , there is some talk of having another carrier, particularly since Viraat itself, of 1945 vintage, is nearing the end of its life.
The catch : each of the US Navyâs two dozen aircraft carriers â a dozen in service and a dozen in reserve â is a humongous vessel. Most of them are in the 75,000-100,000 ton range, are nuclear-powered, and cost in the billions. They are considered way above both Indiaâs requirement and cost, even if they came at the cut rate price of Trenton.
NEW DELHI: Decks were cleared on Wednesday for India to jointly develop and produce the fifth generation fighter aircraft with Russia, with New Delhi making the "final choice" on the matter and Moscow saying the work on signing contracts on the deal could begin soon.
Observing that Russia had started developing the warplane about three years ago, visiting Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Sergei B Ivanov said "some time back, India showed interest in joining this project. It took them (India) some time to scrutinise the various options.
âNow, India has informed us that a final choice has been made. We can (now) open up contractual work for Indian accession to the project,â Ivanov told reporters at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart A K Antony, after signing four documents.
Although interaction has begun on the joint development and production of fifth generation fighter jet, the actual signing of agreements could take some more time.
The two sides inked an inter-governmental agreement and a general contract for licensed production of the RD-33 aero engines.
A protocol of intent was signed by Antony and Ivanov on the medium-sized multi-role transport aircraft (MTA). The two leaders also signed the minutes of the sixth meeting of the Indo-Russia Inter-governmental Committee on Military Technical Cooperation.
The fifth generation fighter is based on the Sukhoi fighter and is expected to take its maiden flight in 2009.
âWe are looking forward towards joint development and production of the MTA for use in the Indian and the Russian air forces and for sale to third countries,â Antony said, after signing the pact.
Ivanov said discussions were also held on the prospects for the future supply of MiG-35 fighters to India. New Delhi has announced its intent of acquiring 125 multi-role combat aircraft as well.
The Russian Minister said talks were also held on repair and refurbishing of the heavy aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov' being acquired by India.
On his part, the Indian Defence Minister said Indo-Russian cooperation had transcended the buyer-seller relationship to joint research and development and production projects, the BrahMos cruise missile being a "successful chapter in our relations".
Observing that the bilateral relations had undergone "substantial transformation" in the recent past, Ivanov joined Antony in saying that the two countries would begin work on scientific and technological cooperation and work on joint projects from 2010.
"I can assure you that Russia will undertake every effort to develop all aspects of scientific and technological cooperation with India".
Referring to the BrahMos project, the Russian leader said there was a continuity of joint activity on the cruise missile and efforts were being made to develop a new highly effective cruise missile of a new generation.
