Source: http://www.ibnlive.com
Showing posts with label indian army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian army. Show all posts
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Soldier, Heal thyself : Ajai Shukla
Col Ajai Shukla is a retired officer of the Indian Army, and is one of the best known Defence Correspondents in India. His stint with NDTV resulted in numerous highly acclaimed reports. He currently writes for Business Standard.Figuring out the state of an army’s morale is easy. All it takes is a couple of drinks with two groups of people: the officers and the enlisted men. If the chatter is mainly about sports and professional competitions; ongoing training; and about how much tougher and smarter they are than their rival units, morale is high. On the other hand, if talk centres on pay and allowances; promotions and postings; and on the world outside the army, you can bet money that morale is low. Applying this yardstick to the Indian Army I believe the morale of officers is low, while that of the jawans is high.
In this gloomy assessment I have illustrious company. The new Chief of Army Staff, General VK Singh, on assuming office on the 1st of April, has wisely identified the army’s “internal health” as his key focus. Pointing out that an internally vibrant army would easily swat aside external threats, the army chief has promised to revitalize traditions, core values and the army’s ethos.
Earlier chiefs, some as well-intentioned as General VK Singh, have embarked on similar paths. General K Sundarji, on taking over as chief in 1986, wrote to army officers individually, urging them to follow their professional convictions and promising to tolerate dissent. But that led nowhere as actions failed to follow words. Today, as the new chief implicitly accepts, the army has become a personality cult where officers either conform to the inclinations of the boss or get weeded out. Originality and eccentricity, those priceless attributes of a successful military leader, have been rendered extinct by a dull, humourless routine that is set --- Congress Party fashion --- by what the boss thinks his boss wants.
Keeping the officers in line is a terrible God called the Annual Confidential Report before which even the brightest and most capable officer must kneel or be scythed down. While annual reports are an evaluation tool in many professions, the army has accorded the ACR absolute control of an officer’s career. Considering that this primacy is born of the army’s laudable quest for an impartial, empirical evaluation system, it is ironic that the ACR has turned into a monster of subjectivity. If the boss is unhappy with an officer --- for any reason whatsoever --- a single lukewarm ACR can sink a brilliant career.
Dismantling this tyranny, and unlocking the potential of his officer corps, is the task ahead for General VK Singh. This is easier said than done. Blocking any radical change is the tribal ethos of the Indian Army. An officer belongs first to his regiment or battalion; only after that is he an Indian Army officer. An army chief’s first duty is towards the regiment and battalion that nurtured him; reforming the army conflicts with the role of regimental patriarch.
When General JJ Singh, an infantry officer from the Maratha Light Infantry, took over as chief, the honour guard that welcomed him to South Block was from the Marathas. So was his aide-de-camp and most of his personal staff. During his term Army Headquarters strengthened the infantry-friendly promotion policies of his infantry predecessors. The tenure of his artillery successor, General Deepak Kapoor, saw the Corps of Artillery quickly muscling out the infantry as the flavour of the month. Promotion policy tilted in favour of the artillery. Upwardly mobile artillery officers were quickly posted into friendly environments, under “friendly” superiors, to ease their paths towards higher rank.
These are only the most recent examples of the army’s longstanding patriarchal tradition that General VK Singh can now embrace or dismantle. A key step would be the creation of a clearly enunciated promotion policy, printed as a manual and sanctioned by the government, to ensure that each successive chief cannot tinker with the policy to suit his constituency. Today, 63 years after independence, the military has no promotion manual; policy exists only in a constantly revised torrent of letters from the Military Secretary’s branch.
The other major change that General VK Singh could implement is the reversing of promotion quotas to higher rank: the “Mandalisation” of the army as it is evocatively referred to. From the institution of the Prussian General Staff in the early eighteenth century, professional militaries have employed the criterion of merit alone to select their senior command. For over half a century, so did the Indian Army; but recently, in a burst of patrimonial fervour, quotas were instituted to ensure that each combat arm got its share of the senior ranks. Initiated by artillery and infantry chiefs to safeguard the interests of their officers, the quotas are now favouring less talented officers of other arms.
Few chiefs would voluntarily divest themselves of power but, paradoxically, the institution of the COAS would be greatly strengthened by transparency and the absence of discretion in promotions and postings. It would also free army chiefs from accusations of prejudice; a lever that MoD officials --- and in one well-known case, a defence minister --- have successfully employed to demand favours for their own candidates.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Lest we forget ...
For our tomorrow, they gave their today. Never make the mistake of forgetting them.
Jai Hind!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Jawans sans home and hearth
NEW DELHI: Leave alone supersonic fighter jets or complex ballistic missile defence systems, the defence establishment seems incapable of even providing something as basic as decent family accommodation to its armed forces.
Even as the defence ministry flounders, deadline after deadline of the much-touted Married Accommodation Project (MAP), touted as a major welfare measure for soldiers, airmen and sailors, is being missed with huge cost escalation.
Consequently, while officers have it relatively easy, a majority of jawans are forced to stay away from their families for prolonged periods, which is one of the factors cited for the high levels of stress prevalent in the forces. Incidentally, the 13 lakh-strong armed forces record over 120 suicide and 'fragging' cases every year.
MAP was conceived a decade ago to ameliorate some of the hardship faced by jawans since there was limited housing available for married personnel. Though the aim was to construct just 1,98,881 new dwelling units, in four phases at an estimated cost of Rs 17,357 crore, it was considered a good beginning.
But it has flattered to deceive. In May 2002, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved construction of 61,658 dwelling units under phase-I, which were to be ready by 2005-2006.
Eight years later, even after the number of units to be constructed was reduced to 58,391 in 86 military stations at a cost of Rs 5,329 crore, phase-I is yet to be completed. "Only about 42,000 units are ready till now," said an official.
"The less said about phase-II the better. Under it, 66,727 units have to be constructed in a compressed timeframe by March 2012. It will simply not be possible," he said.
MoD, on its part, says phase-II will not be branched off to PSUs, like it was in phase-I. Defence minister A K Antony has 'directed' senior officials to ensure 'strict adherence' to the March 2012 deadline.
While 75% of the work in phase-II will be executed directly by the directorate general of MAP, the other 25% will be handled by MES (military engineering service), to avoid slippages and cost escalation.
But given the track record of both MAP and MES till now, the timely execution of phase-II, at a cost of Rs 9,938 crore, is likely to remain a pipedream.
Moreover, no definite timeframes for phase-III and IV, under which over 70,000 units are to be constructed, have been chalked out in detail. MoD officials, however, said the government had 'agreed in principle' to combine the last two phases to complete the entire MAP 'at the earliest'.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jawans-sans-home-and-hearth/articleshow/5736893.cms
Even as the defence ministry flounders, deadline after deadline of the much-touted Married Accommodation Project (MAP), touted as a major welfare measure for soldiers, airmen and sailors, is being missed with huge cost escalation.
Consequently, while officers have it relatively easy, a majority of jawans are forced to stay away from their families for prolonged periods, which is one of the factors cited for the high levels of stress prevalent in the forces. Incidentally, the 13 lakh-strong armed forces record over 120 suicide and 'fragging' cases every year.
MAP was conceived a decade ago to ameliorate some of the hardship faced by jawans since there was limited housing available for married personnel. Though the aim was to construct just 1,98,881 new dwelling units, in four phases at an estimated cost of Rs 17,357 crore, it was considered a good beginning.
But it has flattered to deceive. In May 2002, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved construction of 61,658 dwelling units under phase-I, which were to be ready by 2005-2006.
Eight years later, even after the number of units to be constructed was reduced to 58,391 in 86 military stations at a cost of Rs 5,329 crore, phase-I is yet to be completed. "Only about 42,000 units are ready till now," said an official.
"The less said about phase-II the better. Under it, 66,727 units have to be constructed in a compressed timeframe by March 2012. It will simply not be possible," he said.
MoD, on its part, says phase-II will not be branched off to PSUs, like it was in phase-I. Defence minister A K Antony has 'directed' senior officials to ensure 'strict adherence' to the March 2012 deadline.
While 75% of the work in phase-II will be executed directly by the directorate general of MAP, the other 25% will be handled by MES (military engineering service), to avoid slippages and cost escalation.
But given the track record of both MAP and MES till now, the timely execution of phase-II, at a cost of Rs 9,938 crore, is likely to remain a pipedream.
Moreover, no definite timeframes for phase-III and IV, under which over 70,000 units are to be constructed, have been chalked out in detail. MoD officials, however, said the government had 'agreed in principle' to combine the last two phases to complete the entire MAP 'at the earliest'.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jawans-sans-home-and-hearth/articleshow/5736893.cms
Indian Army Gearing Up for a Hot Summer in Kashmir
Image Source: WordPress.com
"This summer is going to be hot on the militancy front in Kashmir. Already 300 militants are active in Kashmir while 400 others are waiting to sneak into Kashmir from Pakistani controlled Kashmir (PcK) to create trouble in the region," Brigadier General Staff 15th Corps Gurmeet Singh told the media in Srinagar.
He said, "Around 400 infiltrators are ready to infiltrate into this side of Kashmir from 20 different launching pads in Pak. Besides some 280-300 militants are currently active in Kashmir".
He, however, said Indian army is prepared to deal with any situation. "We have reactivated the Counter infiltration posts along the Line of Control (LoC). These posts are being left unattended by the Indian army during the harsh winter months. We have also increased our deployment along the LoC and are repairing the damaged border fencing to thwart any attempt by militants to sneak into Kashmir," he said adding, "8, AK 47/56 rifles, one pistol, 3 UBGL grenades, 5 hand grenades, 1 GPS, 3 Thuraya set, 5 ICOM, 5 mobile phone, 3 map sheets, 2 matrix sheet, 1 binocular (high resolution), Indian currency 98, 000 out of which Rs 50,000 is fake were recovered from the slain militants".
Singh said the militants have changed their strategy and are now working in close coordination. "The Lashkar, Hizbul Mujahideen and other militants are working in tandem. The militants who were recently killed in the Keran sector belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen," he said.
Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100328105333kash.nb/topstory.html
Agni-1 test-fired off Orissa coast
Image Copyright: DRDO, Govt of India
India on Sunday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable, short range ballistic missile (SRBM) Agni-1 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from Balasore off Orissa coast.
"It was a fantastic mission carried out by the Indian Army. The test-fire of the Agni-I missile met all parameters," director of ITR S P Dash told PTI.
Blasted off from a rail mobile launcher, the surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, roared into the sky trailing behind a column of orange and white thick smoke at about 1305 hours.
"After piercing the sky, the missile re-entered the earth's atmosphere and its dummy warhead impacted in the waters of the Bay of Bengal in the down range," a defence official said from the launch site, adding that the guidance and re-entry system worked well.
User of the missile, the strategic force command of the Indian Army, executed the entire launch operation with the necessary logistic support being provided by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at the integrated test range (ITR).
Weighing 12 tonne, the 15 metre tall Agni-1, which can carry payloads weighing up to one tonne, has already been inducted into the Indian Army.
Source: http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/28/agni-test-fired-off-orissa-coast.htm
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Brigadier on wheelchair to be Major General
NEW DELHI: In a stirring achievement, a paraplegic Army officer confined to a wheelchair, Brigadier S K Razdan, is all set to become a two-star officer or a major-general.
While this is not the first time that physically challenged officers have reached high ranks, with at least two having even become senior three-star officers or Lt-Generals, the feat is possible only through steely determination and sheer grit.
Brig Razdan was a Lt-Col in the special forces when he participated in an intensive counter-terrorism operation in Damal Kunzipur area of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1994 to save several Muslim women taken hostage by militants. While the women were successfully rescued, the brave officer suffered grave injuries to his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.
A grateful nation awarded him the Kirti Chakra, the nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, in 1996 for his act of valour. The wheelchair-bound officer later went on to become a brigadier. And now, Brig Razdan has been approved to become a major-general and will `pick up his rank' once there is a vacancy.
"As per Army rules, any injury or disability suffered in war, counter-terrorism or any other operation, which is called a `battle casualty', does not come in the way of any soldier in his promotion boards as long as he is capable of performing his duties,'' said a senior officer.
However, if a soldier suffers a `physical casualty', that is, gets disabled in training or an accident, then there is no recourse but to put him in a lower medical category. He is allowed to serve if he can perform his duties but there is a bar on him getting promoted or attending some particular courses. Otherwise, he is boarded out.
Take, for instance, Lt-Gen Pankaj Joshi, who passed away last year. Commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles in 1962, he lost both his legs during a mine-clearing mission in Sikkim in 1967. But through sheer grit after becoming a `battle casualty', he went on to command an armoured brigade, an armoured division and a corps before becoming the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Lucknow-based Central Army Command.
That's not all. Lt-Gen Joshi also became India's first-ever chief of the tri-Service integrated defence staff in October 2001, established in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil conflict, and retired after a fruitful tenure.
The 1.13-million strong Indian Army, in fact, has also had a disabled Lt-Gen as it vice-chief. Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, who lost one of his legs during an operation as a young officer, served as the vice-chief in 2000-2001 after first serving as the director-general of military operations, a strike corps commander and then chief of the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Brigadier-on-wheelchair-to-be-major-general/articleshow/5703111.cms
While this is not the first time that physically challenged officers have reached high ranks, with at least two having even become senior three-star officers or Lt-Generals, the feat is possible only through steely determination and sheer grit.
Brig Razdan was a Lt-Col in the special forces when he participated in an intensive counter-terrorism operation in Damal Kunzipur area of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1994 to save several Muslim women taken hostage by militants. While the women were successfully rescued, the brave officer suffered grave injuries to his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.
A grateful nation awarded him the Kirti Chakra, the nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, in 1996 for his act of valour. The wheelchair-bound officer later went on to become a brigadier. And now, Brig Razdan has been approved to become a major-general and will `pick up his rank' once there is a vacancy.
"As per Army rules, any injury or disability suffered in war, counter-terrorism or any other operation, which is called a `battle casualty', does not come in the way of any soldier in his promotion boards as long as he is capable of performing his duties,'' said a senior officer.
However, if a soldier suffers a `physical casualty', that is, gets disabled in training or an accident, then there is no recourse but to put him in a lower medical category. He is allowed to serve if he can perform his duties but there is a bar on him getting promoted or attending some particular courses. Otherwise, he is boarded out.
Take, for instance, Lt-Gen Pankaj Joshi, who passed away last year. Commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles in 1962, he lost both his legs during a mine-clearing mission in Sikkim in 1967. But through sheer grit after becoming a `battle casualty', he went on to command an armoured brigade, an armoured division and a corps before becoming the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Lucknow-based Central Army Command.
That's not all. Lt-Gen Joshi also became India's first-ever chief of the tri-Service integrated defence staff in October 2001, established in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil conflict, and retired after a fruitful tenure.
The 1.13-million strong Indian Army, in fact, has also had a disabled Lt-Gen as it vice-chief. Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, who lost one of his legs during an operation as a young officer, served as the vice-chief in 2000-2001 after first serving as the director-general of military operations, a strike corps commander and then chief of the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Brigadier-on-wheelchair-to-be-major-general/articleshow/5703111.cms
India’s Stalled Arms Buying Leaves Its Army Outgunned by China
By James Rupert
March 12 (Bloomberg) -- India, which has tripled its defense spending in a race against China’s military buildup, is having trouble converting the funding into weapons and equipment its military says are urgently needed.
The government in five years has canceled two tenders for artillery guns, a contract for ammunition propellant and two helicopter tenders, together worth at least $4 billion. No contract exceeding $100 million has been awarded through competitive bidding in at least 23 years, said military analyst V.K. Kapoor. Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said he couldn’t immediately identify the last such deal.
India’s “military capacity and preparedness are being reduced because of the inadequacy of the procurement process,” said Uday Bhaskar, director of the National Maritime Foundation, a New Delhi research institute on strategic issues. The military’s upgrading is “on hold and its obsolescence is increasing.”
The cancellations have disrupted attempted weapons sales by Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter unit in Fort Worth, BAE Systems Plc and South Africa’s Denel Ltd. Bhaskar said they have hurt troop readiness along more than 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) of Himalayan frontiers, where India has fought three full-blown wars with Pakistan and one with China.
India took 20 years to negotiate a 2004 contract for jet trainers, even as 157 pilots died in three decades of jet fighter crashes blamed partly on inadequate training craft.
Obsolete Weapons
The Defense Ministry, which wields the world’s 10th-largest military budget, has surrendered 3 percent to 9 percent of its announced budget in each of the past seven years because it couldn’t spend all the money allocated for arms, according to a January report by the New Delhi office of accounting firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Half of India’s weapons are obsolete, the report said.
China has almost quadrupled its official defense spending since 2000 to $78 billion for fiscal 2011, 7.5 percent more than in the previous year. India will spend $32 billion on defense this year, triple its 2000 outlay and 4 percent more than in fiscal 2010.
India has bought no artillery for more than 23 years, a period during which the government has sought to buy more than 1,500 155 mm guns for use mainly along the Pakistani and Chinese borders. Such guns were used to defeat Pakistan in a 1999 conflict at Kargil in Kashmir; India would have had too few had that fight grown into a full-scale war, said Kapoor, who is also a retired army lieutenant general.
Howitzer Delays
India’s military is adequately prepared on its borders and will benefit from an accelerating modernization program, Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju said at a conference with defense companies in New Delhi on Feb. 16. “In the past five years we have created a faster, more transparent procurement process,” he said.
That process is being tested as India’s air force conducts flight trials in the world’s biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years. Chicago-based Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and four European builders are vying under a 2007 tender to sell India 126 warplanes worth $11 billion.
India is expected to sign a separate deal for 29 naval MiG- 29 fighters during this week’s visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
John Giese, a spokesman for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, called the fighter tender “one of the most challenging competitions in the history of fighter aviation.” Given the complexity, “the competition has been very efficient, transparent and professionally managed,” Boeing spokeswoman Mary Ann Brett said in an e-mail.
European Competitors
Lockheed and Boeing are competing with Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA, Stockholm-based Saab AB, European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co., which has headquarters in Paris and Munich, and Moscow-based OAO United Aircraft Corp.
While the military says rules last amended in November let it sign a contract within 20 to 34 months, it is too early to judge their effectiveness, said Gurpal Singh, a deputy director general for the industry federation in New Delhi.
The air force asked the government in 1983 to order advanced jet trainers because pilots taught mainly in subsonic jets were losing control of supersonic MiG-21 fighters that were more than three times faster. Political and bureaucratic battles under 11 prime ministers added to the delays before BAE Hawk jets were purchased.
India’s main political blocs -- led by the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- have fought over arms buying since 1987. Indian newspapers reported then that Swedish artillery builder Bofors, now a unit of London-based BAE, bribed officials to buy its guns. The scandal scuttled most of the deal and helped drive the Congress government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to defeat in 1989 elections.
Reviewing Deals
India was still seeking artillery in 2004 when Congress was elected, and halted bidding as it reviewed defense deals under the previous BJP administration. When police investigated Pretoria-based Denel for paying illegal commissions in winning a 2002 army order for rifles, the government blacklisted the state-owned company.
Four more foreign companies were barred from defense contracts last year, after the Central Bureau of Investigation said they were being investigated on suspicion of bribery. That forced Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. out of the race, leaving London-based BAE as a single vendor and prompting officials to halt the tender.
--With assistance from Gopal Ratnam in Washington. Editors: Anne Swardson, Mark Williams
-0- Mar/11/2010 19:30 GMT
To contact the reporter on this story: James Rupert in New Delhi at jrupert3@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bill Austin at billaustin@bloomberg.net,
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-11/india-s-stalled-arms-buying-leaves-its-army-outgunned-by-china.html
March 12 (Bloomberg) -- India, which has tripled its defense spending in a race against China’s military buildup, is having trouble converting the funding into weapons and equipment its military says are urgently needed.
The government in five years has canceled two tenders for artillery guns, a contract for ammunition propellant and two helicopter tenders, together worth at least $4 billion. No contract exceeding $100 million has been awarded through competitive bidding in at least 23 years, said military analyst V.K. Kapoor. Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said he couldn’t immediately identify the last such deal.
India’s “military capacity and preparedness are being reduced because of the inadequacy of the procurement process,” said Uday Bhaskar, director of the National Maritime Foundation, a New Delhi research institute on strategic issues. The military’s upgrading is “on hold and its obsolescence is increasing.”
The cancellations have disrupted attempted weapons sales by Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter unit in Fort Worth, BAE Systems Plc and South Africa’s Denel Ltd. Bhaskar said they have hurt troop readiness along more than 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) of Himalayan frontiers, where India has fought three full-blown wars with Pakistan and one with China.
India took 20 years to negotiate a 2004 contract for jet trainers, even as 157 pilots died in three decades of jet fighter crashes blamed partly on inadequate training craft.
Obsolete Weapons
The Defense Ministry, which wields the world’s 10th-largest military budget, has surrendered 3 percent to 9 percent of its announced budget in each of the past seven years because it couldn’t spend all the money allocated for arms, according to a January report by the New Delhi office of accounting firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Half of India’s weapons are obsolete, the report said.
China has almost quadrupled its official defense spending since 2000 to $78 billion for fiscal 2011, 7.5 percent more than in the previous year. India will spend $32 billion on defense this year, triple its 2000 outlay and 4 percent more than in fiscal 2010.
India has bought no artillery for more than 23 years, a period during which the government has sought to buy more than 1,500 155 mm guns for use mainly along the Pakistani and Chinese borders. Such guns were used to defeat Pakistan in a 1999 conflict at Kargil in Kashmir; India would have had too few had that fight grown into a full-scale war, said Kapoor, who is also a retired army lieutenant general.
Howitzer Delays
India’s military is adequately prepared on its borders and will benefit from an accelerating modernization program, Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju said at a conference with defense companies in New Delhi on Feb. 16. “In the past five years we have created a faster, more transparent procurement process,” he said.
That process is being tested as India’s air force conducts flight trials in the world’s biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years. Chicago-based Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and four European builders are vying under a 2007 tender to sell India 126 warplanes worth $11 billion.
India is expected to sign a separate deal for 29 naval MiG- 29 fighters during this week’s visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
John Giese, a spokesman for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, called the fighter tender “one of the most challenging competitions in the history of fighter aviation.” Given the complexity, “the competition has been very efficient, transparent and professionally managed,” Boeing spokeswoman Mary Ann Brett said in an e-mail.
European Competitors
Lockheed and Boeing are competing with Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA, Stockholm-based Saab AB, European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co., which has headquarters in Paris and Munich, and Moscow-based OAO United Aircraft Corp.
While the military says rules last amended in November let it sign a contract within 20 to 34 months, it is too early to judge their effectiveness, said Gurpal Singh, a deputy director general for the industry federation in New Delhi.
The air force asked the government in 1983 to order advanced jet trainers because pilots taught mainly in subsonic jets were losing control of supersonic MiG-21 fighters that were more than three times faster. Political and bureaucratic battles under 11 prime ministers added to the delays before BAE Hawk jets were purchased.
India’s main political blocs -- led by the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- have fought over arms buying since 1987. Indian newspapers reported then that Swedish artillery builder Bofors, now a unit of London-based BAE, bribed officials to buy its guns. The scandal scuttled most of the deal and helped drive the Congress government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to defeat in 1989 elections.
Reviewing Deals
India was still seeking artillery in 2004 when Congress was elected, and halted bidding as it reviewed defense deals under the previous BJP administration. When police investigated Pretoria-based Denel for paying illegal commissions in winning a 2002 army order for rifles, the government blacklisted the state-owned company.
Four more foreign companies were barred from defense contracts last year, after the Central Bureau of Investigation said they were being investigated on suspicion of bribery. That forced Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. out of the race, leaving London-based BAE as a single vendor and prompting officials to halt the tender.
--With assistance from Gopal Ratnam in Washington. Editors: Anne Swardson, Mark Williams
-0- Mar/11/2010 19:30 GMT
To contact the reporter on this story: James Rupert in New Delhi at jrupert3@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bill Austin at billaustin@bloomberg.net,
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-11/india-s-stalled-arms-buying-leaves-its-army-outgunned-by-china.html
Kargil war hero now fights a court battle
New Delhi: Almost 10 years after the Kargil war, the Armed Forces Tribunal has started hearing the first of Kargil war-related cases.
Brigadier Devinder Singh, considered to be the man behind the Batalik victory, has alleged that his seniors denied him and his formation their due contribution in this critical battle by fudging battle reports.
The hero of Batalik many believe led the Indian Army to one of its toughest and finest victories in the Kargil battle.
Now Brigadier Devinder Singh, then commander of the 70 Infantry Brigade, is fighting another battle at the Armed Forces Tribunal.
He has alleged that top commanders fabricated war records to deny him and his formation credit for the winning Point 5203.
At the centre of these allegations are serious irregularities.
The official citation given to Brigadier Singh for gallantry, a copy of which is with CNN-IBN hails his leadership. Yet all this battle valour meant nothing.
Brigadier Singh was passed over for promotion and received a Vishisht Seva Medal, normally given for peacetime duties.
The second big loophole is the citation that clearly says he personally led the critical battle and continued to fight unmindful of his personal safety.
But the battle performance report made by his senior, the then GoC of 15 corps, Lt Gen Kishan Pal said that Brigadier Singh had little to do with the success in Batalik.
The third lapse is an after-action report prepared by Lt Gen Pal's headquarters that claims that it was a certain Brigadier Duggal who had control of four battalions which led the assault.
Officers of these units have directly disputed the claim.
So where does the truth lie?
Brigadier Singh alleges that his senior and the GoC of 15 Corps Lt Gen Kishan Pal is trying to cover up his own error in judgement that only 45 terrorists were hiding in the Batalik sub sector instead of the 600 Brigadier Singh claimed he was confronting.
Brigadier Singh's assessment was later proved correct.
So who won Batlaik, were top generals protecting themselves from their gross underestimation? It's a battle that could well change the course of military history.
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/111769/kargil-war-hero-now-fights-a-court-battle.html
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Update: Top military brass against permanent commission to women officers
NEW DELHI: Women may have had a long history in military, right from the days of Joan of Arc or even Jhansi ki Rani, but the Indian military brass remains dead against granting permanent commission (PC) to women officers across the board due to what they call `operational, practical and cultural problems'.
Women are being inducted into armed forces as officers since the early-1990s, and many of them have served with distinction, but they can only don their uniforms for a maximum of 14 years even now as short-service commission (SSC) officers. At the most, they can become Lt-Colonels and their equivalents in IAF and Navy in these 14 years.
Many women officers, serving and retired, do not agree with the `double standards' practised in armed forces. "On one hand, the forces keep cribbing about the shortage of officers. On the other, they are perfectly willing to let go of this (women) well-trained and available human resource,'' said a Major.
The government in 2008 did issue orders for PC for women officers but, in what many saw as mere lip-service to gender equality, it was restricted to just the legal and education wings of the three Services, as also IAF's accounts branch and Navy's `naval constructor' department.
The reason was plain and simple. These wings do not involve command of men or battalions. "Women officers have neither been trained for command nor given the responsibility so far,'' a senior officer told TOI on Friday.
"We are going in for having a large SSC base and a lean PC cadre. Granting PC to existing women SSC officers will hit the entire restructuring process. Grant of PC to women must be based on military needs and organisational requirements, not social considerations or pressure exerted by some groups. It has to be a gradual process,'' he added.
But how gradual will the process be? The 2009 batch of SSC women cadets currently undergoing training in the Officers' Training Academy at Chennai or IAF Academy at Dundigal, for instance, will be given the option to choose PC in the legal or education branches just a year or two before they complete 10 years in service. As per existing policy, no serving women officer can get PC.
Some women officers contend they often face a condescending attitude from their colleagues and seniors in the predominantly-male environment of the 13-lakh strong armed forces, where they constitute barely 2.5% to 6% of the officer cadre. Women, of course, are not inducted as PBORs (personnel below officer rank).
"In many fields, like engineering, signals or even flying, women have done better than their male counterparts. So, what is the problem if they are given PC? It's tough to get a second career at 35-40,'' says a woman officer.
Yes, there are operational problems, with the overwhelming chunk of the Army deployed along the borders or in counter-insurgency operations, but women officers can certainly be considered for PC in wings like engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, logistics, air traffic control and the like, which will not take them directly to the battlefront.
The military brass, however, holds it's essential to obtain feedback on the performance of women based on the now revised pre-commission training (from the earlier 24 weeks to the present 49 weeks), detailment on courses such as junior command course and assess their performance as sub-unit commanders especially in field areas for holding higher ranks and grant of PC.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-military-brass-against-permanent-commission-to-women-officers/articleshow/5677653.cms
Women are being inducted into armed forces as officers since the early-1990s, and many of them have served with distinction, but they can only don their uniforms for a maximum of 14 years even now as short-service commission (SSC) officers. At the most, they can become Lt-Colonels and their equivalents in IAF and Navy in these 14 years.
Many women officers, serving and retired, do not agree with the `double standards' practised in armed forces. "On one hand, the forces keep cribbing about the shortage of officers. On the other, they are perfectly willing to let go of this (women) well-trained and available human resource,'' said a Major.
The government in 2008 did issue orders for PC for women officers but, in what many saw as mere lip-service to gender equality, it was restricted to just the legal and education wings of the three Services, as also IAF's accounts branch and Navy's `naval constructor' department.
The reason was plain and simple. These wings do not involve command of men or battalions. "Women officers have neither been trained for command nor given the responsibility so far,'' a senior officer told TOI on Friday.
"We are going in for having a large SSC base and a lean PC cadre. Granting PC to existing women SSC officers will hit the entire restructuring process. Grant of PC to women must be based on military needs and organisational requirements, not social considerations or pressure exerted by some groups. It has to be a gradual process,'' he added.
But how gradual will the process be? The 2009 batch of SSC women cadets currently undergoing training in the Officers' Training Academy at Chennai or IAF Academy at Dundigal, for instance, will be given the option to choose PC in the legal or education branches just a year or two before they complete 10 years in service. As per existing policy, no serving women officer can get PC.
Some women officers contend they often face a condescending attitude from their colleagues and seniors in the predominantly-male environment of the 13-lakh strong armed forces, where they constitute barely 2.5% to 6% of the officer cadre. Women, of course, are not inducted as PBORs (personnel below officer rank).
"In many fields, like engineering, signals or even flying, women have done better than their male counterparts. So, what is the problem if they are given PC? It's tough to get a second career at 35-40,'' says a woman officer.
Yes, there are operational problems, with the overwhelming chunk of the Army deployed along the borders or in counter-insurgency operations, but women officers can certainly be considered for PC in wings like engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, logistics, air traffic control and the like, which will not take them directly to the battlefront.
The military brass, however, holds it's essential to obtain feedback on the performance of women based on the now revised pre-commission training (from the earlier 24 weeks to the present 49 weeks), detailment on courses such as junior command course and assess their performance as sub-unit commanders especially in field areas for holding higher ranks and grant of PC.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-military-brass-against-permanent-commission-to-women-officers/articleshow/5677653.cms
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
NEWS FLASH - Army captain, jawan killed in Kashmir gunbattle
SRINAGAR - Two men of the counter-insurgency force Rashtriya Rifles were killed and four injured in a gunfight with separatist guerrillas in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town Tuesday morning, police said.
A captain and a trooper were killed and three troopers and a civilian injured.
A senior police officer told IANS that personnel of Rashtriya Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police surrounded two houses in Chinkipora locality of Sopore town, 54 km from here, early morning following information about presence of militants inside.
"The holed-up militants were asked to surrender upon which they resorted to heavy automatic gunfire at the surrounding security men.
"One captain and a jawan were killed in the militant fire and four other persons including three jawans and a civilian were wounded," the police officer said.
The injured troopers have been evacuated to the army's base hospital in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir while the injured civilian has been admitted for specialised treatment in the bone and joint hospital here.
"The gunfight is still on and additional reinforcements have been rushed to the spot to ensure that the holed-up guerrillas do not escape," the police officer said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-captain-jawan-killed-in-Kashmir-gunbattle/articleshow/5606864.cms
A captain and a trooper were killed and three troopers and a civilian injured.
A senior police officer told IANS that personnel of Rashtriya Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police surrounded two houses in Chinkipora locality of Sopore town, 54 km from here, early morning following information about presence of militants inside.
"The holed-up militants were asked to surrender upon which they resorted to heavy automatic gunfire at the surrounding security men.
"One captain and a jawan were killed in the militant fire and four other persons including three jawans and a civilian were wounded," the police officer said.
The injured troopers have been evacuated to the army's base hospital in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir while the injured civilian has been admitted for specialised treatment in the bone and joint hospital here.
"The gunfight is still on and additional reinforcements have been rushed to the spot to ensure that the holed-up guerrillas do not escape," the police officer said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-captain-jawan-killed-in-Kashmir-gunbattle/articleshow/5606864.cms
NEWS FLASH - Army jawan killed in J&K gunbattle
SRINAGAR: An army jawan was killed in a gunfight between militants and security forces in Sopore town of north Kashmir on Tuesday morning.
The jawan was killed when militants opened indiscriminate fire on the joint search party of army and police at Chankipura, 55 km from here, at around 5 AM, a defence spokesman said.
The exchange of fire between the two sides was going on when reports last came in.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-jawan-killed-in-JK-gunbattle/articleshow/5605714.cms
The jawan was killed when militants opened indiscriminate fire on the joint search party of army and police at Chankipura, 55 km from here, at around 5 AM, a defence spokesman said.
The exchange of fire between the two sides was going on when reports last came in.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-jawan-killed-in-JK-gunbattle/articleshow/5605714.cms
Monday, February 22, 2010
What has the Army really given you?
I was all of 48 yrs when I was superseded in my present rank. At a social-do, I was asked by this pretty girl, "Just 48, and the end of the road for you! What has Army really given you? You´ve never been paid well in the Army. And see what they have done to you now!"
I appraised her from top to bottom. I must confess she was a pretty sight. What I told her was this.
Army, my dear, is a way of life. It is not about making a living. As far as supercession is concerned, lady, that is way of army life. You can´t complain just because your personal interest, as you perceive it, has not been looked after. Army has wonderful, time-tested evolved systems. You don´t fight personal battles for the heck of it. And it is about selfishness, dear - Service Before Self is our motto.
Remember it is a Service (seva). There are no expectations of rewards in Seva, for Seva is considered its own reward. `What has Army given me?´, you asked. It has given me a glimpse and understanding of dimensions you, in the civil sector, can only wonder and feel over-awed about. Have you any idea of camaraderie?
When you see a soldier brave the shower of artillery shrapnels to rush to rescue his bleeding colleague just wounded in the shelling you KNOW the meaning of the word `camaraderie´ . When you are lying in a hospital on a DI List, and there are 20 blood donors of your blood-group spending the cold night in the verandah of the hospital, just so that any emergency call for blood to save your life may be attended to, that is camaraderie. Camaraderie implies selfless help and support to someone who is not necessarily a friend. You have to cross Banihal, my dear, to understand all this.
Do you know the holy significance of the word `command´? It is a sacred word. And who can know the meaning of it other than a person in uniform? Even the CEO of a Fortune 500 company can´t comprehend the significance of this sacred word. When you are in `command´ you are God. Can you comprehend what being God can be like? It is not about the authority, it is about responsibility. The authority comes into play after you have rendered your part of the deal of unflinching loyalty displayed towards your subordinates. Now when you signal him - not ask him or tell him or order him - to dash-down-crawl- observe- fire, and in the process subject himself to imminent death, he does so without a second thought. This is when you REALIZE what is so sacred about command. Even before you can move your hand to the door of the car/ gypsy, the driver jumps from his seat and beats you to the door, your door, is what command gets you. Such are the rewards of command.
Do you know the meaning of 'being a gentleman'? In the last thirty years in uniform one has witnessed a proliferation of designations in the civil environment. There have been Executive Officers, and there have been Managers - General Mangers, Assistant Managers, and a whole spectrum of them. There are CEOs and Vice Presidents. In the Army we have only 'Officers'. Some are General Officers and some just Company Officers. Even at the induction level we have Young Officers. What it means to be an 'Officer' is something you can´t comprehend. Hollywood tried to bring about a differentiation, calling the phenomenon, 'An Officer and a Gentleman', little knowing that being a gentleman is inherent when you are an OFFICER. Being a gentleman is his primary nature, not second-nature. His behaviour is bhadra - i.e. kalyan-kaarak swabhav, guna, aur karma. Army imbibes this peculiar quality in us when we are as young as 17 to 20 years only. I´ll explain with an example. An officer once held the door open for a particular lady. She, trying to be smartly polite said, "You don't have to hold the door open for me just because I'm a lady." He replied, "Ma'am, I'm not holding it for you because you are a lady, but because I'm a gentleman." We may appear to be ruthless egoists, but we are Enlightened Egoists.
In the corporate world have you ever come across the word 'honour'? In uniform we serve only for honour, not the 'package'. Naam, Namak, Nishan - are alien words in the corporate world. You know what it means to serve for honour? When a subordinate, who already has a bad ankle, is told of a mission which entails 12 hours of walk in the most rugged terrain; and when he expresses reservation on account of his current physical condition, is told that if we can´t do it, it will be a smudge on the regiment; AND THERE IS NO ONE TO REPLACE HIM. He says he'll do his bit. He climbs 10 ropes ahead of everyone else only to find that there is no one behind him and the mission is thus called off. He reports from the top, only 5840m (nearly 20000 ft!), that he with two others of his team are on top and no one is in sight, either behind him or ahead (enemy). He comes back to the base two days later - and what an ankle he has! A swollen ankle with 10-inch girth!!! That is working for the honour.
Army has commanders at every level - langar commander, section commander/ detachment commander, platoon commander/troop commander, and up the chain to Brigade Commanders, and General Officers Commanding in Chief. The General Officers in command of field forces are the best in their league. What is implied by the term 'commander'? Maybe something you in the corporate world will never get to know. To be a commander implies responsibility, complete responsibility. As a commander you are responsible for every dimension of your command - right from his morning cup of tea, his toilet facilities, his professional training, his mental makeup, his family's well being and his spiritual requirements. In the Army we first train young boys, and now even young girls like you, to be an Officer and then to be a Commander, in that order. Can you get an idea, even an iota of it, Lady? Can you get a feel of why we feel distinctly proud, and display it, when we say, 'We in the Army ....'.
Post Script
"I am already 25 year old. I suppose I can´t get enrolled to be an officer. What can I do now?", she asked me at a later get-together. "The best option for you now is to become an Army Wife!", I suggested. Two years later this girl married a young Major. Now I only hope and pray that the Army Officers of the future do not belittle this young Army Wife's perception of our Army as I experienced during 'my times'.
An article by Col (Retd) Abhay Gupta.
I appraised her from top to bottom. I must confess she was a pretty sight. What I told her was this.
Army, my dear, is a way of life. It is not about making a living. As far as supercession is concerned, lady, that is way of army life. You can´t complain just because your personal interest, as you perceive it, has not been looked after. Army has wonderful, time-tested evolved systems. You don´t fight personal battles for the heck of it. And it is about selfishness, dear - Service Before Self is our motto.
Remember it is a Service (seva). There are no expectations of rewards in Seva, for Seva is considered its own reward. `What has Army given me?´, you asked. It has given me a glimpse and understanding of dimensions you, in the civil sector, can only wonder and feel over-awed about. Have you any idea of camaraderie?
When you see a soldier brave the shower of artillery shrapnels to rush to rescue his bleeding colleague just wounded in the shelling you KNOW the meaning of the word `camaraderie´ . When you are lying in a hospital on a DI List, and there are 20 blood donors of your blood-group spending the cold night in the verandah of the hospital, just so that any emergency call for blood to save your life may be attended to, that is camaraderie. Camaraderie implies selfless help and support to someone who is not necessarily a friend. You have to cross Banihal, my dear, to understand all this.
Do you know the holy significance of the word `command´? It is a sacred word. And who can know the meaning of it other than a person in uniform? Even the CEO of a Fortune 500 company can´t comprehend the significance of this sacred word. When you are in `command´ you are God. Can you comprehend what being God can be like? It is not about the authority, it is about responsibility. The authority comes into play after you have rendered your part of the deal of unflinching loyalty displayed towards your subordinates. Now when you signal him - not ask him or tell him or order him - to dash-down-crawl- observe- fire, and in the process subject himself to imminent death, he does so without a second thought. This is when you REALIZE what is so sacred about command. Even before you can move your hand to the door of the car/ gypsy, the driver jumps from his seat and beats you to the door, your door, is what command gets you. Such are the rewards of command.
Do you know the meaning of 'being a gentleman'? In the last thirty years in uniform one has witnessed a proliferation of designations in the civil environment. There have been Executive Officers, and there have been Managers - General Mangers, Assistant Managers, and a whole spectrum of them. There are CEOs and Vice Presidents. In the Army we have only 'Officers'. Some are General Officers and some just Company Officers. Even at the induction level we have Young Officers. What it means to be an 'Officer' is something you can´t comprehend. Hollywood tried to bring about a differentiation, calling the phenomenon, 'An Officer and a Gentleman', little knowing that being a gentleman is inherent when you are an OFFICER. Being a gentleman is his primary nature, not second-nature. His behaviour is bhadra - i.e. kalyan-kaarak swabhav, guna, aur karma. Army imbibes this peculiar quality in us when we are as young as 17 to 20 years only. I´ll explain with an example. An officer once held the door open for a particular lady. She, trying to be smartly polite said, "You don't have to hold the door open for me just because I'm a lady." He replied, "Ma'am, I'm not holding it for you because you are a lady, but because I'm a gentleman." We may appear to be ruthless egoists, but we are Enlightened Egoists.
In the corporate world have you ever come across the word 'honour'? In uniform we serve only for honour, not the 'package'. Naam, Namak, Nishan - are alien words in the corporate world. You know what it means to serve for honour? When a subordinate, who already has a bad ankle, is told of a mission which entails 12 hours of walk in the most rugged terrain; and when he expresses reservation on account of his current physical condition, is told that if we can´t do it, it will be a smudge on the regiment; AND THERE IS NO ONE TO REPLACE HIM. He says he'll do his bit. He climbs 10 ropes ahead of everyone else only to find that there is no one behind him and the mission is thus called off. He reports from the top, only 5840m (nearly 20000 ft!), that he with two others of his team are on top and no one is in sight, either behind him or ahead (enemy). He comes back to the base two days later - and what an ankle he has! A swollen ankle with 10-inch girth!!! That is working for the honour.
Army has commanders at every level - langar commander, section commander/ detachment commander, platoon commander/troop commander, and up the chain to Brigade Commanders, and General Officers Commanding in Chief. The General Officers in command of field forces are the best in their league. What is implied by the term 'commander'? Maybe something you in the corporate world will never get to know. To be a commander implies responsibility, complete responsibility. As a commander you are responsible for every dimension of your command - right from his morning cup of tea, his toilet facilities, his professional training, his mental makeup, his family's well being and his spiritual requirements. In the Army we first train young boys, and now even young girls like you, to be an Officer and then to be a Commander, in that order. Can you get an idea, even an iota of it, Lady? Can you get a feel of why we feel distinctly proud, and display it, when we say, 'We in the Army ....'.
Post Script
"I am already 25 year old. I suppose I can´t get enrolled to be an officer. What can I do now?", she asked me at a later get-together. "The best option for you now is to become an Army Wife!", I suggested. Two years later this girl married a young Major. Now I only hope and pray that the Army Officers of the future do not belittle this young Army Wife's perception of our Army as I experienced during 'my times'.
An article by Col (Retd) Abhay Gupta.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Brave Major dies fighting chain-snatcher
Tiruchy, Feb. 5: An army major was murdered by an unidentified miscreant on Thursday evening when he prevented the culprit from snatching the jewels of his wife at knife-point at Mukkombu, near here.
Ramesh (33), son of Rangasamy, a resident of Tumkur, in Karnataka, and serving as army doctor in Visakhapatnam, was in Tiruchy the past few days to screen aspirants who attended the army recruitment rally at Tirunelveli recently.
Accompanied by his wife Anuradha (27), two-year-old daughter Mridhula and in-laws, he went to Mukkombu on Thursday. When they were about to leave the place around 6.45 pm an unidentified man approached Anuradha and threatened her at knife-point to part with her jewels.
When Anuradha cried for help, Ramesh, standing a few metres away, came rushing to her rescue. Sensing that he might get caught, the culprit started to run. However, Ramesh gave chase and caught hold of his shirt. Unable to escape his clutches, the culprit stabbed him in the throat. Since Ramesh did not loosen his hold even then, the culprit wriggled out leaving his shirt behind.
Ramesh was rushed by his relatives to a private hospital at Pettavaithalai where he was declared as brought dead. The body was then brought to the government hospital. Central zone IG Karan Singha visited the spot and conducted enquiries. Tiruchy rural district SP A. Kaliyamurthy said the duo ran till the main road and boarded a bus. Col Sanjeev Kumar, director (recruiting), Army recruitment office, Tiruchy, said the body of the ‘brave officer’ was given full army honours.
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