INDIAN DEFENCE

2008-12-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister apologises for Mumbai terror attack

Addressing the Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered apology for the Mumbai attack.

He called the Mumbai attack a calculated one and said that the government needs to review systems for fighting terror.

"Our country needs a modern and efficient police forces to meet these challenges. Our country has emerged stronger with every attack and will do so again," the PM said.

"There can be double standards in fighting terrorism. Our restraint should not be taken by anyone as our weakness. We need to act and respond with greater speed," he said.

Singh said that much more needs to be done to defeat terrorism. "Need to strengthen police forces at ground level," he said.

"We have to defeat terrorism. Perpetrators of these crimes must pay a price," he said.

Speaking about Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Pakistan needs to do more to curb terror.

"All aircrafts in our airspace will be monitored," he said.

JuD, Hafiz Saeed added to UN terror list

2008-12-11T09:18:00.001-08:00

United Nations: Acceding to India's request, a UN Security Council committee on Wednesday designated Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), the frontal organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a global terrorist organisation and its leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed a terrorist in the wake of their alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks. With this they are subject to freezing of assets, travel ban and arms embargo.

In a letter to the Security Council on Friday, India had urged the 15-member UN body to "proscribe" them as they were involved in the Mumbai mayhem which killed more than 170 people including several foreigners.

Pak ready to ban JuD if evidence is provided

Moving quickly, given the seriousness of the issue and the information provided by India in support of its demand, the Security Council Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee at its meeting held at the UN headquarters on Wednesday afternoon approved the names as requested by India.

In addition to this, the Sanctions Committee also designated two other LeT leaders as terrorists. They are Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, chief of operations of Laskhar-e-Taiba, and Haji Muhammad Ashraf, chief of finance of the group. These names were added at the request of the US.

Pakistan foreign minister talks of war

All the three are Pakistani nationals and their names have appeared in connection with the Mumbai terrorists attack.

The Sanctions Committee also designated Mahmoud Ahmed Bahaziq, an India-born Saudi national, as a terrorist. He served as LeT leader in Saudi Arabia and raised money for the terrorist outfit.

Mumbai terror attack special

In addition to JeD, the frontal organisations of two other Pakistan-based terrorist outfits have also been included in the Security Council's terror list. These include Al Amin Trust of the banned Al Rashid Trust and Pakistan Relief Foundation of Al-Akhtar Trust International.

2008-12-10T10:50:00.001-08:00

India in ‘wait and watch’ mode to Pakistan arrests

New Delhi: India on Monday reacted cautiously to reports from Pakistan that security agencies there had taken into custody senior Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives wanted in connection with the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Though Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the publicity wing of the Pakistani armed forces — on Monday formally noted that an “intelligence-led operation against banned militant outfits and organisations” is under way and that “arrest and investigations are on,” Indian officials told The Hindu that the nature of the action being taken was still not clear. According to Pakistani newspapers, LeT commanders Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah are among those arrested, though no official in that country has been willing to confirm this on record.

“We don’t know if they have really been arrested, nor do we know what being arrested actually means. For example, are they really being locked up or merely being transferred from one state guest house to another,” an official said.

The officials also cautioned against reading too much into Pakistan’s reply to India’s December 1 demarche in which New Delhi had asked Islamabad to take “strong action” against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

In its reply on Monday, Pakistan essentially reiterated what it has been saying publicly over the past five days, the officials said, including an assurance that it would not allow its territory to be used to stage terrorist strikes against its neighbours and an offer of a joint investigation.

India, the officials said, was less interested in assurances and wanted Pakistan to act decisively against terrorist groups operating on its territory.

The officials dismissed the emphasis being placed on the extradition of Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon and the ‘list of 20 most wanted fugitives’ as media speculation, and reiterated that India had made a number of specific, well-focussed demands which it was not prudent to speak about in public.

Pakistan launches operation against banned organisation

2008-12-10T10:29:00.003-08:00

Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi said to be among those arrested

Operation confined to Muzaffarabad area
Plan to send high-level team to India

Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan military said on Monday it had mounted an “intelligence-led operation” against a banned militant organisation in Pakistan-adminstered Kashmir and made several arrests.

Military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas did not specify that the target of the operation was the Laskhar-e-Taiba, nor would he confirm if Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, suspected by Indian investigators of having masterminded the Mumbai attacks, was among those arrested.

The military spokesman declined to divulge the exact number of those arrested. The operation was “ongoing,” he said, and added that details would be made available soon. “At the moment,” the operation was confined to the Muzaffarabad area, he said.

Independent sources have said security forces raided a “centre” of the Jamat-ud-Dawah, a LeT front organisation, 5 km from the POK capital Muzaffarabad, and that Lakhvi was among those taken into custody.

Dawn newspaper reported he was among those arrested after the operation began on Sunday afternoon. Local media estimates about the arrests have ranged from nine to 20.

The raid came amid massive international pressure, led by the United States, to act “urgently” against terrorists operating from Pakistani territory.

Alongside, in what appeared a renewed bid to defuse the crisis between the two countries, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir proposed, in a meeting on Monday with the Indian envoy, Satyabrata Pal, that a “high-level delegation” from Pakistan should visit New Delhi “as soon as possible.”

In a demarche to the Indian High Commissioner, the Pakistan government indicated this would help to carry forward investigations that it had initiated “on its own” into the alleged involvement of “any individual or entity in Pakistan” in the Mumbai attacks, and reiterated its offer of a joint investigation.

New Delhi is now expected to respond to the proposal but Indian officials said they were awaiting some clarity from the Pakistani side on the composition of the delegation.

The Cabinet Defence Committee said after a meeting on Monday that “that all actions taken [by the government] will be within the ambit of Pakistani law.”

Diplomatic observers believe this to be an indirect rejection of the demand by India for its “most wanted.”

A statement issued after the meeting said it was “imperative to proactively defuse the prevailing tensions.”

Present at the meeting were the Prime Minister, the Defence, Foreign, Interior and Information Ministers, the three service chiefs, and heads of intelligence organisations.

The Defence Committee reiterated that Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used for any kind of terrorist activity anywhere in the region or and the world, and the offer of “full cooperation with India, including intelligence sharing and assistance in investigation as well as setting up of a joint investigative commission.”

Unwarranted: Saeed

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

Hafiz Saeed, founder-leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front group, the Jamat-ud-Dawah, reacted angrily to the Pakistan military raid on his outfit, saying India “wants to crush Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”

In an interview to Geo News, Mr. Saeed said the Muzaffarabad operation against his groups was carried out under “Indian pressure” and was “unwarranted.”

He said the targeting of Kashmiri organisations without any proof was an expression of Pakistan’s “weakness.”

2008-12-10T10:29:00.002-08:00

He has been confined to his house in Bhawalpur

Maulana Masood Azhar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has confined Maulana Masood Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief wanted by India, to his home in Bhawalpur in the south Punjab province, an unconfirmed report in a Pakistani newspaper said on Tuesday.

No confirmation

There was no official confirmation of the restrictions on the JeM founder-leader, and it remained unclear if his confinement, reported by The News daily, was a house arrest in the legal sense of the term.

The only word has come from the country’s Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, who told an Indian television channel that Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Azhar had been “picked up.”

Mastermind in custody

Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, is said to have been among the several LeT cadres taken into custody in Sunday’s raids on a “centre” run by the outfit near the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir capital Muzaffarabad, but again there has been no official word about this.

Two residents of Bhawalpur, who cannot be named, reported no unusual activity or the presence of police or security forces around the Model Town home where Azhar’s family lives.

He has not been seen in public in Bhawalpur, even though his outfit has a high profile in the town despite the ban on it.

Earlier this year, the JeM – it now goes by the name Khudam-ul-Islam and is headed by Azhar’s younger brother Abdul Rauf — held a public meeting to launch a book authored by Azhar. It is not known if he attended the meeting.

Freed in swap

Azhar, who was under arrest in India, was freed by the Indian government in 1999 as part of a negotiated deal with the hijackers of IC 814.

The only time Pakistani authorities arrested him was in December 2001 after a U.S. ban on the group, but he was released in December 2002.

Speaking in his hometown Multan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said handing over any Pakistani to India was “out of the question.” He confirmed the arrests in the raids on Sunday.

“The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India,” the Foreign Minister said.

“We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws.”

Photos of 8 slain terrorists released

2008-12-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

The ultras did not know of one another’s identity until they set sail on hijacked trawler Kuber

Bada Abdul Rehaman Taj Palace

Mumbai: The police on Tuesday released the names of nine terrorists involved in the terror attacks here. They also released photos of eight of them.

Abu Ali Taj Palace

Joint Commissioner (Crime) Rakesh Maria said the four terrorists killed at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower were Hafiz Arshad alias Bada Abdul Rehaman from Multan, Javed alias Abu Ali from Okara district, Shoaib alias Abu Soheb from Narowal in Sialkot and Nazeer alias Abu Umer from Faisalabad. As Umer’s body was badly charred, the police could not get his picture.

Abu Soheb Taj Palace

Some of the photos were taken from the fake identity cards which the assailants carried, Mr. Maria said.

Abdul Rehaman Chota Oberoi Hotel

The Nariman House attackers were Nasir alias Abu Umar from Faisalabad and Babar Imran alias Abu Akasha from Multan.

Fahad Ullah Oberoi Hotel

The terrorists who targeted Trident-Oberoi were Abdul Rehaman alias Abdul Rehaman Chota from Arafwala, Multan Road, and Fahad Ullah alias Abu Fahad from Dipalpur taluka in Okara.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus pair had long been identified as Ismail Khan alias Abu Ismail from Dera Ismail Khan district in the North-West Frontier Province and Mohammad Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab’ (Iman) alias Abu Mujahid, his training name. Ismail was killed in the Girgaum Chowpatty encounter and Ajmal was nabbed and his photo is already in public domain.

Among the attackers, Shoaib, 20, was the youngest and Umar, 28, the oldest. “He was married. His wife is either dead or has been divorced,” Mr. Maria said. Ajmal was 21 and the rest fall in the age group of 23 to 25.

Ismail Khan CST

The terrorists did not know of one another’s identity until they set sail on the hijacked trawler Kuber, said Mr. Maria.

The Kuber journey lasted around three-and-half days and the information on the identities were obtained through Ajmal’s interrogation.

Umar, Umer and Ismail were experienced fighters and not new to combative action, he said.

“Misled”

Nasir alias Abu Umar Nariman House

Ajmal, who reportedly felt that he was “misled” into conducting the terror attack, underwent an indoctrination process of three weeks before he joined the group.

In a six-line letter to his parents, he reportedly regretted not having listened to the elders. He opined that youth should not be led by indoctrination, Mr. Maria said.

Arrest warrants

Babar Imran alias Abu Akasha -Nariman House

The police have obtained warrants for Lashkar operative Fahim Ansari and terror suspect Mohammad Sabahuddin.

Both were arrested in the case of attack on the CRPF Group Centre in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, said Mr. Maria.

They are likely to be produced in court soon for custody.

Direct attack costs of terrorist conspiracies

2008-12-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

.In one of its reports on terrorist financing, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) -- an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of national and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing -- has explored the range of methods used by terrorists to move funds within and between organisations. According to it, the three primary methods used are: through the financial sector, by physical transportation, and, through the commercial trade system. Charities and alternative remittance systems have also been used to disguise movement of terrorist funds, the report says. As the fight against terror has to be fought on many fronts — blocking access to finance is too important a front to be ignored. Here is a look at the direct attack costs of some of terrorist conspiracies:

Pak on track to being named terrorist state

2008-12-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON: The United States is dusting off a long-discarded proposal to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism. But with the Bushadministration now in its final six weeks in office, a decision in this regard is being left to the incoming Obama government, sources said, contingent on corrective actions taken in the meantime by Islamabad to the satisfaction of India, US and other countries affected by Pakistan's toxic export of death. ( Watch )

US intelligence circles are now re-evaluating Pakistan's contribution to the war on terror, and the ISI's dominant role in the country and its ties with jihadi outfits, at the behest of the Bush administration. The White House itself lost faith in the Pakistan Army's bonafides several months ago which led to Washington's decision to withdraw support to military ruler Pervez Musharraf and back a new civilian government, officials and congressional aides who spoke on background explained. The decision to dump Musharraf was taken at vice-president Dick Cheney recommendation, they added, because of evidence that Pakistan was continuing to help Taliban elements attacking Nato forces.

Now the Bush administration is even more convinced that the Pakistani Army and its intelligence arm ISI, who still calls the shots in Islamabad, are continuing their toxic policies. But firm action against them is constrained by both the transition phase in Washington and the US dependence on Pakistan to maintain supply lines to its troops in land-locked Afghanistan. Officials are now re-examining options in this regard, particularly US leverage against Islamabad if Pakistan considers interdiction strategies.

Pakistan came close to being named a state sponsor of terrorism in 1992 when then Secretary of State James Baker charged then prime minister Nawaz Sharif of supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The then US envoy in Islamabad Nicholas Platt conveyed to Sharif that "we (US) are very confident of our information that your intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, and elements of the Army are supporting Kashmiri and Sikh militants who carry out acts of terrorism... This support takes the form of providing weapons, training and assistance in infiltration ... We're talking about direct, covert support from the Government of Pakistan."

In his talking points, Platt continued: "Our information is certain. It does not come from the Indian Government. Please consider the serious consequences to our relationship if this support continues... If the situation persists, the Secretary of State may find himself required by law to place Pakistan in the U.S.G. [United States Government] State sponsors of terrorism list... You must take concrete steps to curtail assistance to militants and not allow their training camps to operate in Pakistan or Azad Kashmir."

The situation was defused by Sharif government removing then D-G of ISI Javed Nasir even as Washington was going through a transition phase (from Bush Sr to Clinton).

But it now appears that the ISI has cranked up its policy from mere infiltration and support to outright commando style attacks.

Despite a soft-line adopted by Bush administration in public to the benefit of doubt to Pakistan's civilian government and spur it into action, Washington has little doubt that the terrorist attack on Mumbai was sponsored and planned with state support, US officials are saying privately. One things is certain; this was not a run-of-the mill LeT operation.

"I think this event looks a lot more like a classical Special Forces or commando-style raid than it does like any terrorist attack we've seen before," David Kilcullen, a counter insurgency military analyst who served as an advisor to Gen. Davis Petraeus tells Fareed Zakaria in the upcoming edition of his program GPS, articulating what US officials are saying in private. "No al-Qaida-linked terrorist group and certainly never Lashkar-e-Taiba has mounted a maritime raid of this type or complexity."

The US intelligence community believes that hijacking a fishing vessel, infiltrating via the sea, via inflatable boat, launching diversionary attacks designed to pull the first responders out of the way of the subsequent follow on groups that struck the Oberoi, the Taj Mahal, the Nariman Center and the equipment the terrorists carried and their attire were all in the vein of a covert special-forces raid rather than a traditional terrorist attack.

Pak agrees to 48-hour timetable for action against LeT: Report

2008-12-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON/ NEW DELHI: Pakistan has agreed to a 48-hour timetable set by India and the United States to formulate a plan to take action againstLashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and to arrest at least three Pakistanis who Indian authorities say are linked to the multiple attacks in Mumbai, a top US daily reported, citing a top Pakistani official. ( Watch )

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities, said India had also asked Pakistan to arrest and hand over LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi and former chief of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Hamid Gul, in connection with the probe into the Mumbai carnage, which killed nearly 200 people, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

This development comes in the wake of reports in the Indian media that some top Pakistan military and intelligence officials had admitted that the perpetrators of Mumbai were Pakistani terrorists owing allegiance to the Lashkar. According to the reports, Pakistan officials admitted this in Islamabad before Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff, who conveyed it to government officials in India.

The agency report from Washington, quoting the newspaper, said that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to consult his nation's top military and intelligence officials on how to follow through on India's demands. "The next 48 hours are critical," the official was quoted as saying by the influential US daily.

A week after the terrorist assault in the Indian financial capital, Indian officials have stepped up their efforts to make a clear case of link between the carnage and Pakistani elements. According to the Post, a high-level source in the Indian government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said India has "clear and incontrovertible proof" that LeT had carried out the attacks and that the group's leaders were trained and supported by Pakistan's ISI.

"We have the names of the handlers. And we know that there is a close relationship between the Lashkar and the ISI," the source said.

Indian and US investigators have identified Yusuf Muzammil, an LeT leader, as the mastermind behind the attacks. US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has already asked Pakistan to turn in Muzammil and other suspects, the report said.

Mullen visited India on Thursday when he is said to have conveyed this to officials in India. He had visited Islamabad before that. In India, he met NSA M K Narayanan, defence minister A K Antony and navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta. "It's possible that in the face of international pressure some of them admitted in a private conversation what we believe is a fact. Even if it is true, we don't think it is enough," said an Indian official.

According to Indian officials, US is convinced about the involvement of Pakistani nationals because it has been able to establish the identity of lone terrorist survivor Ajmal Amir Kasab and his family members living in Pakistan. The US also has access to evidence to prove where some of the perpetrators trained in Pakistan.

Earlier, Mullen had asked Pakistan's top leadership to "investigate aggressively any and all possible ties to groups based in Pakistan", the US embassy had said in a statement. While taking note of the recent success of Pakistani security forces in operations against militants on the Afghan border, Mullen "also encouraged Pakistani leaders to take more and more concerted action against militant extremists elsewhere in the country", the statement said.

India may carry out surgical strikes on Pak, warns McCain

2008-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

ISLAMABAD: India may carry out surgical strikes against individuals and groups linked to the Mumbai terror attacks in a "matter of days" ifPakistan does not act on "irrefutable evidence" against such elements, prominent US senator John McCain has warned.

There is enough evidence of the involvement of former ISI officers and generals in the planning and execution of the Mumbai attacks and of the existence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan, McCain told a small group of senior Pakistani journalists at an informal lunch in Lahore yesterday.

A report in the Daily Times quoted McCain as saying that he believed it could be a "matter of days" before India carried out surgical air strikes if Pakistan did not act on evidence provided to it on elements linked to the attacks.

According to the report, McCain had said that if "Pakistan does not act, and act fast, to arrest the involved people, India will be left with no option but to conduct aerial operations against select targets in Pakistan".

McCain, who visited New Delhi before coming to Islamabad, said this is what he and other visiting Senators were told by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who, as McCain put it, was "reeling from the shock" of the Nov 26 attacks.

Other sources privy to the meeting told PTI that McCain had pointedly referred to "irrefutable evidence" gathered by both the US and India about the involvement of Pakistani elements, including some retired generals and members of the Lashker-e-Taiba, in the attacks.

McCain also said that terrorist training camps were being emptied "as we speak", a senior editor present at the meeting told Dawn News channel.

26/11 terrorists trained by Pak army, navy instructors: Report

2008-12-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

LONDON: The ten terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks were among 500 men trained to "elite" commando standards by the Pakistani army andnavy instructors and were directly supported by the ISI, a media report here said on Sunday.

The Indian intelligence have the names of the 26/11 terrorists' ISI trainers and handlers and have intercepted internet phone calls between them, The Sunday Times said.

Quoting sources close to the Indian intelligence, it claimed that another attack before next year's general election would make war inevitable between the two countries.

The Indian intelligence claimed the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks were among a large group of volunteer "fidayeen" or suicide attackers trained in commando tactics by the Pakistan army and navy instructors over 18 months from December 2006.

"The training of these 500 men was in three phases. The first was basic physical fitness and firearms training. The second was marine navigation and swimming. The third involved training to sabotage underwater installations such as oil rigs, ships and submarines," one official was quoted as saying.

"They were trained to a level of US Seals or Pakistani marine commandos. They were elite. Ten of these men were the ones who attacked Mumbai."

If true, this training would have been in addition to later preparation said to have been given by Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is suspected to be behind the attacks. The militant group was created with ISI support in the 1990s to operate in Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir.

Terrorist SIM card trail leads to Kolkata

2008-12-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough that shows that the Pakistan-based terrorists exploited the weaknesses in the issuance of SIM cards,Kolkata police have arrested two people, one from Kolkata and the other from Delhi, for their alleged role in the Mumbai terror attack. ( Watch )

The duo, Kolkata-resident Tousif Rehman (26) and J&K police constable, Mukhtar Ahmed Sheikh (34), arrested from Delhi, had allegedly bought 22 SIM cards that terrorists involved in the Mumbai carnage used. They had brought the SIMs from different shops in Kolkata after faking documents of a dead man. However, the two, arrested on Friday, have been booked for fraud and criminal conspiracy.

Terrorists used 22 SIMs, purchased from West Bengal, during the attack and police are looking for the people who bought the remaining ones -- three from Kolkata and another 10 from Barasat, police say.

Rehman acted as local contact in the ring, and procured 19 SIMs in October after submitting his uncle Ashraf Naumani's voter identity card. Ashraf had died in 2005. The SIMs belong to various service providers —Vodafone, Airtel and Aircel.

Senior intelligence sources were reluctant to call the arrests a major breakthrough. The initial assessment was that Tausif and Sheikh were engaged, using fake papers, in procuring SIM cards which were later sold at a huge premium to shawl sellers from Kashmir and others. In this connection, the fraudulently obtained SIM cards landed with Lashkar that has a big network in network in J&K, and which had long planned to target Mumbai.

But they were not ruling out anything yet. "We have to examine it thoroughly," said a senior source familiar with the details of the case.

The arrests highlight the continued vulnerabilities in the system which have repeatedly been exploited by the terrorists and their collaborators to obtain cell phone connections. Moreover, given the Kashmir connection, investigators would also like to ascertain whether the other terrorists and their collaborators were also among the 'customers' of Tausif and Sheikh.

Mukhtar apparently was cocky that he would give the cops a slip and booked himself into the heavily-guarded J&K government's guest house in New Delhi's Chanakapuri diplomatic enclave. He was in Delhi along with his colleague SI Latif Ahmed for an official assignment. Earlier, sub-inspectors Partha Mukherjee and Pulak Dutta from Kolkata police had travelled to Srinagar to follow up on Mukhtar's lead.

Tousif wasn't home when the police came to arrest him earlier this week. Cops, however, swooped down on Howrah station and arrested him on Friday evening. Tousif told interrogators that Mukhtar had engaged him to collect the SIMs and also spilled the beans about his whereabouts.

A police officer said Mukhtar came to Kolkata from Srinagar seven years ago in 2001 as a shawl seller and married a local girl the next year. Thereafter he stayed with his in-laws in Kolkata for a few years. Some years later, Mukhtar returned to Srinagar but frequented Kolkata regularly. During his last Kolkata visit in October, Mukhtar asked Tousif to arrange some SIMs for him and offered four to five times the market price. Tousif did the job for him for the cut.

A Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) team is coming to Kolkata and is likely to the take the two in transit remand for further investigations into the fake SIM racket operating in the country that might help them to track various terror modules in operation.

Following various leads, Kolkata police tracked the shop at Park Circus that had issued the SIMs against the ID card of dead man Ashraf Numani. After raiding his home, police discovered that Numani is no more and that his nephew Tousif had actually bought the SIMs.

Tousif's statement to the police points to a large fake SIM racket that has been operating for the last couple of years. What the police have unearthed could be a tip of an iceberg.

"We've booked them for cheating and forgery as they produced fake documents to get the SIMs. We've also slapped conspiracy charges against them for they had an ulterior motive. The arrests will throw light on the Mumbai terror module," Kolkata police's Jawed Shamim said.

2008-06-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

DRDO Seeks Partners to Co-Develop Kaveri Engine for LCA Tejas Fighter Jet

In the process of scouting for a partner to develop higher thrust engine for its ambitious Light Combat Aircraft and
the present version will take to the skies in 2010, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Saturday.

"LCA will be a reality. For higher thrust engine, we must have a new engine. We are looking for a partner to develop this," he told reporters after inaugurating the new campus of Defence Avionics Research and Establishment (DARE), a premium research unit for avionics at DRDO complex. IAF and DRDO are working jointly towards this, he said.
IAF has already placed orders for 20 LCA and orders for another 20 was in the pipeline, Antony said, and denied that IAF was not interested in these aircraft. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Antony stressed the need for developing indigenous technologies to counter the challenges posed by import restrictions and technology transfers. He said the country would have to face problems if scientists did not develop indigenous technologies and the state-of-the-art equipment in the field of aeronautics.

DRDO located in Bangalore, an IT and technology hub, has been entrusted with the task for delivering high precision system to IAF, he said. Antony said scientists should aim to minimize costs and cut down time with minimum dependence on foreign assistance. "Our endeavor is to develop cutting edge technologies and we will give required support," he said.

2008-06-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Indian Army Officers to be Trained for Optimal Utilization of Space Based Resources

set to make forays in use of space applications, the Indian Army will take a leaf out of US forces' experience to train its officers in optimizing the effective use of space-based resources to meet its operationalrequirements.

A week after India announced setting up of an integrated cell to co-ordinate all military operations based on space assets, the Army's Directorate of Perspective Planning (DoPP) will organize a training programme on Monday for officers to make them understand the tricks of the trade, Army sources said today. To be inaugurated by Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Deepak Kapoor, the seminar would also look into the role of space-based applications in recent conflicts around the world.

"In particular, the use of space-based assets by the US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq would be debated. Army officers would learn the practices adopted by the US forces in utilizing space applications to counter enemies in its battles in Iraq and Afghanistan," sources said.

The meet, to be organized in association with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), would witness officers discussing and imbibing "space-based application used by military's of the space-faring nations," sources said.

"It is imperative that Indian Army, being the largest user of space, exploits space-based resources optimally to meet its operational requirements," a note prepared by the DoPP to organize a day-long training for officers, said.

2008-06-18T12:22:00.001-07:00

france Looking to Make Inroads in Indian Defence Market

After having made inroads in to the Indian armed forces’ air and sea segments, France is now making a determined bid to supply equipment to the army.

"France is willing to co-produce high technology weapon platforms with its strategic partners," said French Defence Minister Herve Morim, while inaugurating Eurosatory 2008, the world's largest land weapon systems exposition in Paris on Tuesday. India and France became all weather all-issues strategic partners in 1998. The relationship was reiterated during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to India in January this year and will be given an impetus during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to France later this month.

Leading the French showcasing of its land weapon systems to senior Indian Ministry of Defence officials here is Nexter, known earlier by the more recognised name of Giat. Paris believes that New Delhi would be comfortable in dealing with this company since it is fully owned by the government.

The Nexter has already bagged an order for supplying turrets to the army but the order is again for the air segment. It is now eyeing the much more lucrative tender for self-propelled artillery guns that will replace the ageing Bofors howitzers.

On offer is the Caesar, a truck mounted artillery gun, accompanied by full transfer of technology.

As opposed to towed and tracked artillery guns, truck mounted howitzers are considered the spearhead of the 21st century artillery although for reasons known to itself the Indian Army is tendering for all three versions. The company offers a look into its recent past to argue that the offer to pass on technology will be matched when it comes to practice.

Along with the change in name from Giat to Nexter, the company downscaled its workforce from 18,000 to just 3,500.

“So we now make only core products not available in the open market. That means for the Indian army, we are totally open to full transfer of technology and co-development,” argues Laurent Nicholas, the company’s business chief for Asia and Australia. “We are also totally open to India offering its chassis, whether by the Tatas or anyone else. But we need time to work with the local industry.”

The time schedule required to indigenise the product is a “serious issue” not understood by New Delhi, added Mr. Nicholas, seeking to speak for the defence industry world-wide dealing with India.

Another area that France wants to enter is the armour-plated troop carrying assault vehicles for the mechanised infantry, for long the preserve of the Russians. With Russian origin BMP vehicles ageing, The Nexter wants to push its more modern nuclear warfare proof armoured vehicles that are used to rush the infantry through heavy fire to assault sites.

The exposition saw the company unveiling its ‘Aravis’ 4x4 vehicle for counter-insurgency operations. Developed after the experience of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Aravis can be transported by the C-130 Hercules which will shortly be inducted in the Indian armed forces.

“We can bring it for tests by October 1, should India desire that,” offers Alain Marchand, the company’s business development manager for Asia.

“Tests by India should vindicate our claim that can defeat 10 kg of mines, fire from machine guns, something that is needed for anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir, the North-East and Central India,” he adds.

In case France enters the Indian armed force’s land weapon systems market, it will add another chapter to the unique defence relationship. Till the mid-80s, political ties were lukewarm and indeed at a low ebb in the 50s and 60s when Paris was irritated by India’s support to national liberation movements in Africa and Asia, where France had a substantial colonial footprint. But that did not deter a close defence relationship during which France sold Mystere fighters when none was willing to help, and later the Mirage jets.
Submarines

After the turning point in 1998, France is now building advanced submarines for the Navy, helping India reduce its dependency in this area on Russia. “We are now more than keen to help the Indian Army, more because our ability to supply good quality systems consistently is well known. And that too without any political preconditions,” observes the French Ambassador to India, Jerome Bonnafont.

2008-06-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

India To Transfer Three Islander Aircrafts to Myanmar; Train Myanmarese Officers At Kochi Naval Base

Indian newspaper 'The Hindu' reports that India is all set to transfer three Islander aircrafts to Myanmar. These aircrafts are of British origin.

India is stepping up military supplies to Myanmar including training to its military personnel to handle more sophisticated defence equipment such as aircraft. India has also started training officers of the Tamdaw Lay (Myanmar Air Force) at the naval base in Kochi in handling characteristics.

Both sides are discussing the transfer of more Islander planes after firming up maintenance and servicing issues.

It is planning to replace most of these planes with new Dornier aircraft. "The cooperation with our neighbors is in keeping with the Prime Minister's desire to improve relations with them," said a senior officer in the security establishment.The move to gift the aircraft was viewed by Britain as an attempt to bolster the military government.

2008-06-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Indian Navy Chief Visiting Myanmar; Defense Deals Top Agenda

India's Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehra has embarked on a nine-day tour of Burma and Singapore to give a leg up to bilateral ties and military cooperation with the neighbouring countries. His visit begins on Wednesday.

Heading a high level naval delegation, the Navy Chief delegation will hold talks with top leaders of the ruling Burmese military junta during his stay in Rangoon. "The issue of arms transfer to Myanmar is likely to figure prominently during the Naval Chief's parleys with SDPC members," a former naval officer and currently director of India's leading think tank told 'Mizzima News' on condition of anonymity.

India recently supplied Burma with two Islander Naval surveillance aircraft as well as small naval gun boats and light artillery guns as part of its effort to strengthen military ties with Burma.

The strategic importance of Burma in the Indian Ocean has made India look towards naval cooperation with Burma. A number of Indian naval personnel have been visiting Burma off late. Former Indian Naval Chief Admiral Madhvendera Singh had visited the key Burma naval base of Coco Islands in 2003. His successor former Admiral Arun Prakash had visited Burma in January 2006 where he presented a consignment of communication equipment to his counterpart.

Admiral Mehra is the second Indian Navy Chief to visit Burma in a year's time. He will tour Singapore after his visit to Burma , to attend the International Maritime exhibition. The Indian Navy has sent two warships to take part in the exhibition.

Cooperation between India and Burmese navies seems to be forgoing ahead. Two Indian warships, INS Ranjit and ISN Kuthar did joint naval maneuvers with the Burmese Navy in December 2005. The Indian warships' visit to Burma ports was the third, in the past three years.

In December 2002, an Indian naval fleet, comprising a submarine and two destroyers, berthed at the Rangoon Port. Then in September 2003, two more Indian warships carried out four-day joint naval maneuvers with the Burmese Navy. In exchange, a Burmese corvette docked at Port Blair to take part in "Milan 2006." This was the first time in four decades that a Burmese ship had visited a foreign port.

Godrej Group To Invest Heavily In Indian Defense Sector

2007-06-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

Godrej Group To Invest Heavily In Indian Defense Sector

The USD 1.7 billion Godrej Group plans to give a major push to its military equipment supply business, even as the government moves toward creating a level-playing field to private sector in manufacturing defence hardware.

"We are already in nuclear and space technology and... now plan to vigorously pursue the defence business where we scent immense potential," group chairman Adi Godrej told.

Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd is already a supplier of airframe sections for the Brahmos missile, besides equipment for satellite launch vehicles built by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The group also supplies equipment for the nuclear sector, both civilian and military and equipment for refineries. The group, whose revenues in 2006-07 touched USD 1.7 billion dollars, expects huge earnings from the nuclear business once the Indo-US civil nuclear deal is cleared.

Plans to pursue the defence supply business comes days after the government short-listed 13 private firms for granting the status of Rakshya Udyog Ratna. The list was handed over to Defence Minister A K Antony by Probir Sengupta, the chairman of the government-appointed selection committee, on June 6. Though it was not clear which firms made it to the list, such a status will pave the way for them to easily access foreign technology and collaboration to make sophisticated military hardware. It will also allow them to bid on par with state-run ordnance factories for military systems contracts.

Asked about the group's future plans, Godrej declined to give details, saying "it will not be appropriate for me to unveil the full plan as it is a sensitive matter." The Indian government had opened up the defence sector to private players in 2001 and the move to grant Rur status would pave the way for upto 26 per cent FDI.

The Ministry of Defence proposes to award contracts for defence production to private players worth Rs 20,000- 30,000-crore in the near future as a part of its initiative to source some of its requirements from private sector players. Both the Tatas and L&T have already secured licences for manufacturing several defence-related products from guns to tanks to battleships.

L&T is already planning to set up a ship-building yard which will manufacture battleships besides mulling a collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics for aircraft parts. Apart from L&T and the Tatas, M&M and Ashok Leyland too supply vehicles to the military. A couple of foreign private players such as Lockheed Martin and Rolls Royce are also reportedly eyeing the high-potential Indian defence sector.

Godrej said, "We already supply equipment for satellites and certain other components for launch vehicles and their engines. He, however, ruled out the group entering the infrastructure sector.

Indian Government To Encourage Greater Foreign Participation In Defense Sector

2007-06-14T03:07:00.000-07:00

Indian Government To Encourage Greater Foreign Participation In Defense Sector

Indian television news channel 'Times Now' reports that the Government Government is now proposing a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of 50 per cent in defence PSU's. Since 2002, a FDI cap of 26% was in place for defence sector.

The new proposal suggests that foreign investors can buy a stake of 50 per cent in defence PSU's involved in manufacturing. This could give them a controlling stake in the PSU. FIPB approval, however, is mandatory for the sector. In 2001, the Government had opened the defence sector to private participation, but the FDI in the private sector has been capped at 26 per cent.

What this means is that public sector companies like Hindustan Aeronautics, which manufactures indigenous defence aircraft like the flight trainer Kiran, could be on the block. Also on the block for foreign investment could be defence PSU's like Bharat Dynamics -- manufactures of the Agni and Prithvi missiles, BEML -- manufacturer of the trucks and launch vehicles used for various missile systems and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), manufacturers of electronic warfare equipment and surveillance radars.

Defence analyst Retd Air Comodore Jasjit Singh spoke to TIMES NOW on the issue and said, "Opening the defence sector to FDI will lead to infusion of new technology and investment in the Indian aviation industry." Big name companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing have shown wide interest in investing in India's defence sectors. At a recent air show, Boeing and Lockheed Martin had showcased their products like the F-16 aircraft.

In the atomic sector, the Government has recently declassified the mineral Limonite as an atomic Mineral. Limonite is used in production of titanium alloys used in the aircraft industry and Titanium used for manufacturing of paints. Based on these recommendations, 100 per cent FDI will be allowed in mining of Limonite and production of Titanium. Mining of minerals classified as atomic minerals are governed by the Regulations set in place in 1998 and have not been allowed.

It is interesting to note that India has 30 per cent of the world's Limoniteâ€™s reserves. These proposals put forward by the Commerce Ministry to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and are likely to find several detractors as defence and atomic sectors are considered as sensitive sectors and a symbol of India's national pride.

2007-06-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Chile Shortlists HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

2007-06-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Chile Shortlists HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

Chile has shortlisted Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter but there has been no decision as yet to buy the Indian-made Dhruv helicopters.

Chilean Army's Commander in Chief Gen Oscar Izurieta told India Strategic that Dhruv had indeed been shortlisted along with a couple of other machines but that the acquisition process was not yet over and no decision had yet been taken.

Chile has a requirement of 8 to 10 helicopters of the Dhruv type, he said, adding that trials were still on. Dhruv is built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Bangalore.

The HAL Dhruv is a multi-role advanced helicopter made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is currently being supplied to the Indian Armed forces (Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army); a civilian variant is also available. The type has been exported to Nepal and Israel, and is also currently being considered by Bolivia and Peru other than Chile. Specialised military variants include ASW machines and helicopter gunships

Gen Izurieta also said that Chile, India and Malaysia would form a Scorpene submarine club to help one another with training and spares to make the operations cost-effective. Chile has acquired two medium size Scorpenes from France, while Malaysia is buying three and India, six.

DRDO Ties Up With NASSCOM For Defense Information Technology Services products

2007-06-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

DRDO Ties Up With NASSCOM For Defense Information Technology Services products

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of the Ministry of Defence has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), the premier chamber of commerce for software and services in India to strengthen cooperation and increase collaboration between the Indian IT industry and DRDO.

This MoU is an initiative to further innovation and the development of Intellectual Property in the domestic market in India. The MoU will help establish a successful working relationship between DRDO and the Indian IT industry and will advance issues of mutual interest. This initiative will also strengthen cooperation for enabling a long-term involvement of IT software companies in DRDO’s development projects.

Speaking on the occasion Shri M Natrajan, Director General Defence R&D said DRDO has taken a lot of initiatives for promoting increased partnership of private sector industry in the development of major systems. He said "as the modern military systems are becoming increasingly software intensive, we are keen to workout a long-term strategic arrangement with NASSCOM to enable Indian IT industry to partner DRDO labs in various software development activities mainly related to systems like Radars, Electronic Warfare Systems, Sonars, Flight Control, Avionics, Missile Systems, Command and Control Systems, Communication System etc." Shri Natrajan said the MoU seeks to facilitate defining long term strategic partnership with IT industry and to take further actions for finalizing methodologies for its effective implementation.

Shri Kiran Karnik, President NASSCOM said creating upstream linkages with the Indian R&D institutions is a key part of NASSCOM's focus on developing India’s innovation eco-system. He said DRDO has been responsible for developing a number of leading technologies in multi-focus areas spanning across aero-space, control systems, communication etc. which makes it the obvious choice for such a partnership. Shri Karnik said through this MoU the DRDO-IT industry partnership could liverage the experience and best practices gained through these engagements.

Indian Navy Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Order Under Scrutiny

2007-06-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

Indian Navy Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Order Under Scrutiny

The Indian Navy's first ever order for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), robotic machines that help in surveying the seabed, is under a cloud with two potential vendors alleging that the contract, worth Rs 260 crore, was awarded to a Norwegian company by the defence ministry without calling for tenders.

The contract was awarded to Norway's Kongsberg Maritime in February. Hydroid Europe, a company based in the UK, in a letter dated 13 April, alleged that Central Vigilance Commission guidelines and procurement procedures laid out by the defence ministry have been "disregarded while placing the orders for the equipment fit of the above vessels."

US-based Bluefin Robotics Corp, has also written to the defence ministry that due procedures were not followed. "I sincerely hope that, as per the procurement policy of the Indian ministry of defence, all major manufacturers will be invited to participate in technical and commercial negotiations prior to the award of the contract," said Bluefin’s April 24 letter.

AUVs, also called Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, are powered by batteries or fuel cells and can operate in waters as deep as 6,000m. The defence establishment uses them to ensure that there are no concealed mines or other explosive devices.

According to procurement procedures, the defence ministry can only bypass the tender route to award a contract if the supplies have features that are common with an existing platform. In this case, it was the first time that the navy was contracting to purchase AUVs.

This contract was awarded by the Alcock Ashdown Shipyard on recommendation from the Dehradun-based National Hydrographic Office, the survey arm of the navy. Neither the navy nor the defence ministry responded to multiple email queries sent by Mint over the last fortnight, though both confirmed receiving the questionnaire.

Meanwhile, a right to information application sent to the naval wing of the defence ministry by a Delhi-based individual, Ashok Kumar Shukla, was rejected by the ministry, citing that the information sought was exempt from disclosure.

India, Israel army brass hold talks

2007-06-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

India, Israel army brass hold talks

NEW DELHI: Ahead of its hush-hush visit to Jammu & Kashmir, a top-level Israeli Army delegation held wide-ranging discussions with the Indian military brass on Wednesday to discuss ways to boost the already robust bilateral defence ties.

The delegation, led by Israeli deputy chief of general staff Major-General Moshe Kaplinsky, shared its views with Army chief General J J Singh, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal F H Major and defence secretary Shekhar Dutt.

"The Israelis, in turn, got a briefing on India’s security perspectives in the region and beyond. Since both countries have a long history of dealing with terrorism, cooperation is now taking place in sharing of intelligence and counter-terrorism strategies," said a source.

As reported earlier by TOI, the Israeli delegation will be travelling to J&K on Thursday, with visits planned to the 16 Corps headquarters in Nagrota, which is tasked with guarding the Line of Control south of the Pir Panjal range, as well as Jammu and other places.

"The delegation will review the performance of the Israeli equipment being used along the LoC, like unattended ground sensors, HHTIs, among others. The Israelis will also share their experience of tackling infiltration in Gaza Strip," said the source. Later, the delegation is slated to visit the Western Naval Command at Mumbai.

Air India bids for Serbian carrier

2007-06-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Air India bids for Serbian carrier

Air India is considering making an offer for Serbia's national carrier, Jugoslavenski Aerotransport (JAT), in what would be the first major bid by an Indian carrier for an overseas rival.
But if Air India decides to push ahead, it faces the prospect of a bidding war with Russia's Aeroflot, believed to be the only other serious suitor for the Serbian carrier.
Mirjana Dragovic, a spokeswoman for JAT, told the Financial Times: "Air India and JAT are talking about an eventual merger or other kind of partnership."

Defence ministers from Germany, India call on PM Lee

2007-06-04T04:38:00.001-07:00

Defence ministers from Germany, India call on PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Bilateral meetings between ministers is a common feature on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue these past few days. The German Defence Minister Dr Franz Josef Jung called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana on Sunday. They discussed ways to further cooperate, both bilaterally and between Asia and Europe, and exchanged views on world security developments, including efforts in Afghanistan. Indian Defence Minister A K Antony also called on Mr Lee. They exchanged views on cooperation in defence and ways to enhance cooperation in maritime security. Mr Antony also expressed appreciation for Singapore's role in India's Look East policy and Mr Lee encouraged India to continue using Singapore as a springboard to broaden its engagement with East Asia.

INDIA HELPS SRILANKA

2007-06-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

INDIA HELPS SRILANKA

SINGAPORE: The "rise of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) air power in Sri Lanka is of concern to India also." Emphasising this, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in Singapore on Sunday that India "will give Sri Lanka reasonable support for that."
Commenting on his talks with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama here on Saturday, Mr. Antony said he had conveyed India's willingness to extend "whatever possible help." He said the message to Sri Lanka was that "we are with you" on the issues of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the island-state.
At the same time, India expressed its preference for a "political solution" in Sri Lanka.
Patrolling
On Colombo's proposal for coordinated patrolling by the navies of the two countries along the maritime boundary in the Palk Straits, he said it was put across to Sri Lanka that India "will examine that."
Outlining Colombo's version of this conversation, Mr. Bogollagama noted, "Mr. Antony said they are examining it favourably."
So, it was inferred that an "agreement" had now been reached.
That could be seen as something "towards" or "leading to coordinated patrolling."
Mr. Antony has already affirmed that he had given "no commitment" to accept the proposal of coordinated patrolling.
At the conference, Mr. Bogollagama spoke about the threat to regional maritime security from the Sea Tigers.

US-India ties to focus on defence, terror-cooperation

2007-05-25T05:27:00.001-07:00

US-India ties to focus on defence, terror-cooperation

Washington, May 25 (PTI): The United States has said expanding cooperation with India in the field of defence and counter-terrorism will be the next two big thrust areas in bilateral relations in the future.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, also said that the positive history of the 21st century will be written in large part by Indians and Americans together for the growth of democracy, free-market economies, and peace in Asia and around the world.
"When the history of our time in office is written," Burns said "I am confident the great strategic leap forward in cementing the US-India strategic partnership will count among the most important accomplishments of Presidents (George W) Bush and (Bill) Clinton with Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh and his predecessors".
Speaking at The Heritage Foundation on the United States-India Relations on Wednesday, the senior State Department official stressed not only the kind of distances that have been traversed in the last several months--over and beyond the civilian nuclear initiative-- but also in looking at what is in store down the road for the bilateral relationship.
Defence relations
The Bush administration has identified expanding defence relations and counter-terrorism cooperation as the "next two big" security initiatives, the senior official said adding the growing military cooperation is becoming one of the most visible aspects of our bilateral ties.
"The 2005 Defense Framework is symbolic of a new era in closer military cooperation and sets forth a joint vision. The Agreement reflects the increasing frequency, size, and complexity of military exercises between the Indian military and the United States.
"The presence of 42 US defence firms in India during the Aero India show in Bangalore in February is evidence of our companies' willingness to invest in long-term relationships with Indian counterparts. The possibility of increased defence trade makes this a bright spot for future development," Burns said.
American firms, he said, do not want to be merely suppliers to the Indian military, but are interested in becoming long-term partners during the modernisation and development of India's defence industry.
Combating terrorism
On the issue of terrorism, he said "we are working together to combat the global scourge of terrorism....India and the US have many lessons learned to share with each other to confront this mutual threat.
"We have agreed to closer cooperation on terrorist financing, law enforcement, aviation security, and information sharing, as well as combating weapons of mass destruction terrorism and bio-terrorism," Burns said.
Noting that India and the US are a victim of terrorism, he said "we extend our condolences to the people of Hyderabad, who suffered in last Friday's attack on the beautiful Mecca Masjid, which I visited last December. The US intends to strengthen its commitment to India to be a good partner in combating terrorist threats".
The senior administration official also said that the the US and India have an extraordinarily promising shared future.
"The multidimensional nature of our relationship, its range, and its depth all ensure that our ties will be enduring. With our shared future unbound, I am confident that we will be able to achieve the ambitious goals we have set out for our partnership," the top administration official said.
Future ties
Burns said bilateral ties for the future will be moving in three principal areas of education, regional cooperation and security."We believe that education, especially higher education and research, is a key element in our bilateral and multilateral relationships.
"India's emergence as a global power brings with it commensurate responsibility as a leader not only on regional issues but also on global ones such as promoting democracy and protecting the environment," he said.
The senior administration official noted that the American and Indian people are witnessing an explosion of ties in culture, the arts, technology, and business.
For the last three years, India has sent more students to the US than any other country, even China. There are over 76,000 Indian students in the US this year."This will pay dividends for decades to come, as the ties these students create here in America will create lasting bonds between our countries," Burns said.
The top administration official also acknowledged the role of the Indian American Community."The Indian-American community is one of the most highly educated and highest earning in the US, and fosters important business, academic, and cross-cultural ties. And, as we witnessed in 2006 with Congress' passage of the Hyde Act, the Indian-American community is making its voice felt here," Burns pointed out.
India and the US are together exploring a host of technological initiatives ranging from agriculture to civil nuclear power, he told the audience of diplomats, foreign policy practitioners and intellectuals.
"We are building closer ties in space exploration, satellite navigation, and in the space science arena...We are providing US instruments for India's lunar mission Chandrayaan-1," he said.

Canberra retires after 50 yrs of service

2007-05-24T04:14:00.001-07:00

Canberra retires after 50 yrs of service

When it avoided gunfire over Aksai Chin in 1962 to collect the first evidence of Chinese intrusions, few would have thought that the hardy Canberra aircraft would carry on to serve till the end of the century and even return with a Stinger missile embedded in its fuselage during operations in Kargil.

After 50 years of service and participation in all post-Independence conflicts, the British Electric Canberra aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) retired from service on Friday. India was the last country to have the aircraft in an operational role.
Summing up the mood in an emotional phasing out ceremony at the Agra Air Force Station, Air Chief Marshal F H Major observed that the aircraft had been “the eyes of the nation” and “of those who flew it, many are now legends”.
“The aircraft has the distinction of participating in all conflicts right from the (1961) Congo UN operations and the Goa conflict to Operation Safed Sagar in Kargil. It is a sad moment, but the aircraft have to go,” the Air Chief said.
The aircraft, inducted in 1957 as India’s first tactical jet bombers, carried on to serve a variety of roles including electronic warfare, maritime strike, strategic reconnaissance and target towing. The highest decorated living officer of the Indian Air Force, Wing Commander (retd) J M Nath, awarded the Maha Vir Chakra twice during the 1962 and 1965 wars, was among the ‘legends’ present at the phasing out ceremony. “It was an absolute delight to fly. In 1962, I flew the aircraft 50 meters off the ground in Aksai Chin to get an estimation of the Chinese army positions. If only we had been allowed to use air power during the war, each and every soldier and military target could have been taken out by the aircraft,” he said.
After being taken off frontline duties like bombing and deep reconnaissance missions, some of the aircraft formed part of India’s first top-secret electronic warfare unit. “It was a very hush-hush project to create an electronic warfare (EW) squadron. We used to go deep into Pakistan and would jam enemy radars and collect information about their systems,” former Air Chief S Krishnaswamy, who commanded India’s EW squadron consisting of modified Canberra and MiG 21 aircraft, said. The twin-engined high-altitude bomber played a crucial role during the Kargil conflict and brought the first aerial photographs of enemy entrenchments.

3rd aircraft carrier to be inducted by 2017

2007-05-24T04:11:00.001-07:00

3rd aircraft carrier to be inducted by 2017

India would induct a third aircraft carrier by 2017 in addition to the Admiral Gorshkov and the indegenous Air Defence Ship (ADS). The minister said that the order for a third carrier — to be built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd — will be placed after construction of the ADS progresses "beyond a certain range".

"Induction of the third aircraft carrier is envisaged by 2017. At present, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Kochi, is the only yard in the country that possesses the capability to undertake construction of such a ship," Antony said in a statement before the Rajya Sabha today. The Defence Minister was elaborating on the "action taken" on the recommendations of a parliamentary panel on defence.
While naval officers have for long stated that three aircraft carrier groups are essential to protect India's maritime interests, Antony has for the first time given a timeline for the induction of the additional carrier.
The Navy will get a refitted Admiral Gorshkov with its compliment of 16 MiG 29 K aircraft by 2010. The indigenous ADS will arrive only by 2014. India's sole carrier, INS Viraat, is scheduled for decommissioning in 2012.
Senior Navy officers said the order for the second carrier is likely to be placed around 2010, after the ADS has been launched from the Cochin Shipyard. "Once the ADS gets launched from the shipyard for further fittings, the order for the second carrier can be placed," an officer said.
With the induction of a second indigenous ship by 2017, the Indian Navy will for the first time operate three aircraft carriers. This would ensure the Navy has two operational carriers at any given point with the third one in for refits.

Russia hiking price of Sukhoi

2007-05-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

Russia hiking price of Sukhoi

The decades-old defence ties between India and its strategic partner Russia have hit a new low. Moscow now wants to renegotiate the Su-30 MKI deal, virtually doubling the figure in the yearly cost escalation clause. Only 60 of the aircraft, which are India’s mainstay multi-role fighters for the future, have been delivered till now. While Russia is willing to deliver 40 more at the current cost escalation of 2.55 per cent per annum, it wants to hike that to a minimum of 5 per cent for the remaining 138.
Russia also has plans to modify the cost package of the Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, which was to provide the Indian Navy a floating airfield by next year.
Official sources confirmed to The Sunday Express that during their visit to Moscow this week, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, Secretary (Defence-Finance) V K Mishra and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Chairman Ashok Baweja were informed by their Russian counterparts that prices of Su-30 MKI fighters have hardened due to the falling dollar and double digit inflation in Russia.
Dutt met Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Head of Russian Military and Technical Cooperation Mikhail Dmitriyev and defence contractor Rosboronexport’s chief Sergei Chemesov and returned to India on Thursday.
The visiting Indian delegation was informed that Russia would like to foreclose the Su-30 MKI deal after the delivery of the first 100 aircraft to New Delhi due to the rising cost of the contract (see graphic). The Russians want India to renegotiate the remaining contract of 138 fighters at an yearly cost escalation of minimum 5 per cent instead of the agreed 2.55 per cent.
However, as a special gesture to the Indians, the Russians were willing to reduce the yearly cost escalation to 4.5 per cent from 5 per cent. The other option offered to the Indians was to switch the contract to the much more stable Euro at the prevailing 2.55 per cent yearly escalation.
Simply put, the Russians want India to cough up Rs 220-300 crore, or nearly half-a-billion dollars, more if they want the Su-30 MKIs delivered in time and with the same specification. Right now the total contract is worth over $8.5 billion. India is in a fix as given the importance of the Su-30 MKI, its force levels will decline vis-a-vis its neighbours if it does not agree to the new terms.
While the Russian logic for the price increase is hardening of the rouble vis-a-vis the dollar, and that the Russian inflation is now pegged at a steep 10-10.5 per cent, New Delhi thinks that Moscow is acting tough as India is looking towards the West and the US in particular for the purchase of hardware. The last straw was apparently the decision to award a contract for 197 Army helicopters, worth $600 million, to French Eurocopter last month.
Sources confirmed that Dutt and his team reminded the Russians that they had agreed to supply 40 more Su-30 MKIs in March 2007 with the cost escalation fixed at 2.55 per cent. The Indian team also said that they would have a hard time explaining to the Central Vigilance Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Parliament the need to re-open the decade-old deal after the last contract had been signed at the prevailing rate.
The Defence Secretary said that New Delhi had no problem switching over to Euro but then the cost escalation clause should be brought down to less than 2 per cent due to the higher exchange rate for the currency.
With India refusing to commit on the changes, the negotiations have hit a stalemate, with the next round in Delhi soon. Officials say there is likely to be hard bargaining.
In another blow to India, besides the proposed hike in the Su-30 MKI contract, the Russians want to present a modified proposal for the Gorshkov aircraft carrier that is being built at Sevmash shipyard in Serverodvinsk city in north Russia. Even though India has already paid $113 million beyond the contract, Russia apparently wants more so that the carrier can be delivered by August 2008. The delay is on account of shortage of funds at the Sevmash shipyard and a gross underestimation of the cost of cabling of the ship.
HIGH COST, LOW TIES
SUKHOI-30 MKI DEAL
The P V Narasimha Rao government signed the first Su-30 fighter contract with Russia in 1995. To date India and Russia have broadly signed a total of four Su-30 MKI contracts.
Ist contract: 8 Su-30 K plus 40 Su-30 MKI
II contract : 10 Su-30 K
III contract : 140 Su-30 MKI licenced production
IV contract : 40 Su-30 MKI (signed March 2007)
Aircraft Price $33.5-36.5million
Cost Escalation 2.55% per annum
Total number of aircraft delivered to date : 60
New Russian proposal : Only first 100 aircraft to be delivered at 2.55 per cent annual cost escalation. The contract for the remaining 138 to be renegotiated at 5 per cent cost escalation due to falling dollar. This translates into an escalation of nearly $3-4 million per aircraft and total increase of nearly Rs 220-300 crore.
Gorshkov Aircraft Carrier
Deal signed in 2004 during the NDA regime and the total cost of the floating airfield with MiG-29K fighters was $2 billion. Named Vikramaditya, the carrier was to be the showpiece of 2008 Independence Day
New Russian proposal
Russia wants India to pay more for getting the carrier, expected towards the end of this month, on time. With serious underestimation of cabling required and alleged diversion of resources from Sevmash shipyard, the delivery stands delayed to 2010 unless India coughs up more dollars. It has already paid an additional $113 million for Gorshkov.

Army chief to visit China, Navy chief headed for Myanmar

2007-05-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

Army chief to visit China, Navy chief headed for Myanmar

Close on the heels of his trip to Japan to bolster military ties with that country, Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh will soon leave for China with a similar agenda. Singh, heading a high-profile Indian delegation, will embark on a week long “goodwill” visit to the neighbouring country towards the end of the month.
“The dates have not yet been finalised but an in-principle approval has been given for the visit. A top delegation, consisting of both defence and civil officials, will accompany the Army chief,” a Ministry of Defence official confirmed. The general will be meeting the top military brass and will also hold discussions with the Chinese Defence Minister.
Coming barely a month after his three-day tour of Japan, where cooperation on issues like counter-terrorism operations, personnel training, defence research and disaster management were discussed, the visit symbolises India’s fine balancing act in the region with increasing military-military engagements.
The general’s visit is also expected to clear the air on recent unsubstantiated reports of military intrusion by China along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh. Lok Sabha MP Khiren Rijiju had claimed last week that China has moved its troops 20 km inside Arunachal Pradesh. However, the government stoutly denied the claims and stressed that there was no border violation.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta left on a nine day visit to Myanmar yesterday in continuation with India’s policy of increasing military engagement with the neighbour to counter a growing Chinese influence. Mehta will hold talks with top leaders of the Myanmar government on “bilateral military cooperation”.
Earlier in April, Myanmar Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Soe Thane visited Delhi and Indian naval establishments on a goodwill tour. Thane, who met Defence Minister A K Antony and Mehta, is understood to have presented a case for procuring naval hardware from India.

US-India ties to focus on defence, counter-terror cooperation.

2007-05-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

US-India ties to focus on defence, counter-terror cooperation.
The United States has said expanding cooperation with India in the field of defence and counter-terrorism will be the next two big thrust areas in bilateral relations in the future.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns also said that the positive history of the 21st century will be written in large part by Indians and Americans together for the growth of democracy, free-market economies, and peace in Asia and around the world.
"When the history of our time in office is written," Burns said "I am confident the great strategic leap forward in cementing the US-India strategic partnership will count among the most important accomplishments of Presidents (George W) Bush and (Bill) Clinton with Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh and his predecessors".
Speaking at The Heritage Foundation on the United States-India Relations on Wednesday, the senior State Department official stressed not only the kind of distances that have been traversed in the last several months over and beyond the civilian nuclear initiative but also in looking at what is in store down the road for the bilateral relationship.
The Bush administration has identified expanding defence relations and counter-terrorism cooperation as the "next two big" security initiatives, the senior official said adding the growing military cooperation is becoming one of the most visible aspects of our bilateral ties.
"The 2005 Defense Framework is symbolic of a new era in closer military cooperation and sets forth a joint vision. The Agreement reflects the increasing frequency, size, and complexity of military exercises between the Indian military and the United States.
"The presence of 42 US defence firms in India during the Aero India show in Bangalore in February is evidence of our companies' willingness to invest in long-term relationships with Indian counterparts. The possibility of increased defence trade makes this a bright spot for future development," Burns said.
American firms, he said, do not want to be merely suppliers to the Indian military, but are interested in becoming long-term partners during the modernisation and development of India's defence industry.
On the issue of terrorism, he said "we are working together to combat the global scourge of terrorism....India and the US have many lessons learned to share with each other to confront this mutual threat.
"We have agreed to closer cooperation on terrorist financing, law enforcement, aviation security, and information sharing, as well as combating weapons of mass destruction terrorism and bio-terrorism," Burns said.
Noting that India and the US are a victim of terrorism, he said "we extend our condolences to the people of Hyderabad, who suffered in last Friday's attack on the beautiful Mecca Masjid, which I visited last December. The US intends to strengthen its commitment to India to be a good partner in combating terrorist threats".
The senior administration official also said that the the US and India have an extraordinarily promising shared future.
"The multidimensional nature of our relationship, its range, and its depth all ensure that our ties will be enduring. With our shared future unbound, I am confident that we will be able to achieve the ambitious goals we have set out for our partnership," the top administration official said.
Burns said bilateral ties for the future will be moving in three principal areas of education, regional cooperation and security."We believe that education, especially higher education and research, is a key element in our bilateral and multilateral relationships.
"India's emergence as a global power brings with it commensurate responsibility as a leader not only on regional issues but also on global ones such as promoting democracy and protecting the environment," he said.
The senior administration official noted that the American and Indian people are witnessing an explosion of ties in culture, the arts, technology, and business.
For the last three years, India has sent more students to the US than any other country, even China. There are over 76,000 Indian students in the US this year.
"This will pay dividends for decades to come, as the ties these students create here in America will create lasting bonds between our countries," Burns said.
The top administration official also acknowledged the role of the Indian American Community."The Indian-American community is one of the most highly educated and highest earning in the US, and fosters important business, academic, and cross-cultural ties. And, as we witnessed in 2006 with Congress' passage of the Hyde Act, the Indian-American community is making its voice felt here," Burns pointed out.
India and the US are together exploring a host of technological initiatives ranging from agriculture to civil nuclear power, he told the audience of diplomats, foreign policy practitioners and intellectuals.
"We are building closer ties in space exploration, satellite navigation, and in the space science arena...We are providing US instruments for India's lunar mission Chandrayaan-1," he said.

DRDO Develops State Of The Art Counter Nuclear Warfare Equipment

2007-05-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

DRDO Develops State Of The Art Counter Nuclear Warfare Equipment

In a significant development, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indigenously developed state-of-the-art equipments to face any eventualities arising out of modern warfare like that of nuclear or chemical weapons.The Chief Controller of Life Sciences Research and Human Resources, DRDO, Dr Selvamurthy said that the defence services have already begun the use of masks and modern equipments."DRDO has nine life science labs across the country and they have indigenously developed nuclear, biological and chemical defence masks, and other 35 products to face any threat arising out of chemical and nuclear wars. They have also developed bio warfare agents, field diagnostic kits to fight biological eventualities like that of typhoid, dengue, malaria, anthrax or any other viruses," he said.The scientific arm of Indian Defence Services has also developed a de-contamination vehicle to sanitize air, ground and water."These labs have also developed chemical warfare detection system, portable chromatograph, to protect both civil and defence society. A de-contamination vehicle has also been developed to decontaminate air, ground and water," he said.

Defence Ministers Speech At The Kendriya Sainik Board Meeting

2007-05-21T04:36:00.001-07:00

Defence Ministers Speech At The Kendriya Sainik Board Meeting

Following is the full text of the speech delivered by Defence Minister Shri A K Antony at the 27th Meeting of the Kendriya Sainik Board held in New Delhi today:I welcome you all to the inauguration of XXVII Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) meeting. It is indeed a privilege that the Hon’ble Prime Minister is here with us on this occasion. His presence and words of advice will surely motivate and encourage us in our endeavour.Our Armed Forces have been serving the nation with dedication and commitment, braving extreme weather conditions. They have to live away from their families, which makes their task even more difficult and challenging. During my visit to forward areas, I have had a first-hand experience of the difficult conditions. Thus, special attention by the Central and State Governments and support and care by the local administrations towards their families is really crucial. We want our troops to maintain a high morale and perform their duties without any worries.Nearly 60, 000 Armed Forces personnel either retire, or are released each year. They are between 35-45 years of age and are a rich repository of knowledge in different fields. We cannot and must not let this potential go unutilized. Moreover, keeping in mind their service to the nation, it is our moral responsibility to give them ample opportunities for reemployment and resettlement. Keeping this in view, the Government has declared 2007 as “The Year of the Placement of Ex-servicemen.”Our Government has taken several measures for the welfare of ex-servicemen. The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for wards of Ex-servicemen for their technical and professional education has been launched from the academic session this year.Many State Governments have taken steps to promote the welfare of Ex-servicemen by employing them in police force, to man forests, as well as toll plazas. I strongly urge all State Governments to optimally utilise the services of Ex-servicemen for mutual benefit. I also request all State Governments and Union Territories to raise at least one battalion each for afforestation. This investment will pay rich dividends in the future.Of late, the gap in the understanding between the defence services and the corporate sector has been reduced considerably. Retired Armed Forces Personnel are landing up responsible and lucrative jobs in the private sector and PBORs are getting equally dignified placements.I am happy to note that at the Seminar On “Defence-Industry Partnership in Human Resource Management” held earlier this year, a commitment was made by ASSOCHAM for absorbing approximately 10, 000 Ex-Servicemen in various capacities. I am sure that ASSOCHAM, in consultation with the Directorate General, Resettlement would make concerted efforts to honour the commitment.The private sector must also do its utmost to help the society and the nation in promoting the welfare and resettlement of the Ex-servicemen. Directorate General, Resettlement is exploring the possibility of providing Ex-Servicemen suitable jobs in Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Metro. Such an arrangement will provide mutual benefits to both – the Ex-Servicemen and these organisations. With the Commonwealth Games scheduled in the year 2010, I am sure there will not be any dearth of employment opportunities for Ex-Servicemen, in particular.Kendriya Sainik Board has to play the most vital role in the resettlement of Ex-Servicemen. Though the Board has a widespread reach, we have unfortunately not been able to make full use of it in a planned and coordinated manner. This must be the primary objective of today’s meeting. The States need to fill up about 25% of the sanctioned posts lying vacant in Rajya Sainik Boards and Zilla Sainik Boards to strengthen this organisation. We look forward to your valuable views and suggestions towards achieving these objectives.I take this opportunity to request you all to help the families of Armed Forces personnel posted in operational areas, or who are far away from their homes. I would like to set up a mechanism to monitor the redressal of grievances by attaching serving defence personnel in Sainik Boards linking them through Internet. I request the Service Headquarters to nominate the personnel in consultation with Kendriya Sainik Board. Such small steps would go a long way in raising the morale of our troops.I am happy to announce that financial assistance to Ex-Servicemen, widows and their wards under Raksha Mantri’s Discretionary Fund has been doubled. This assistance will also be available for marriage of daughters of Ex-Servicemen, assistance to infirm Ex-Servicemen, medical treatment of non ECHS members and penury grant to all categories of Ex-Servicemen. In addition, new areas of financial assistance such as house repair grant, funeral allowance, assistance to orphan daughters, children education grant for girl child upto graduation level and emergency grant have also been introduced for the first time. This also includes a grant for marriage of widows. I am sure that these measures would benefit ex-servicemen and their dependents.The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) for Ex-Servicemen has been launched in all the States. It will be our endeavour to set up as many as polyclinics as possible in District Centres. I suggest that these polyclinics be set up alongside the Rajya and Zila Sainik Board Offices, so that all facilities are available within the same complex. I request all State Governments to provide necessary assistance in land acquisition and construction of polyclinics so that the scheme becomes fully operational.I once again thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister for gracing this occasion. I also thank everyone present here for giving their valuable time to participate in this meeting. I am sure our deliberations today will help the Ex-Servicemen in getting their due.

Rockwell Collins Going To Upgrade Pakistan Air Force C-130s

2007-05-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

Rockwell Collins Going To Upgrade Pakistan Air Force C-130s

The Pakistan Air Force will get five C-130 plane cockpit upgrade kits from the United States to improve operational capabilities of the aging fleet of its main transport aircraft.The United States Air Force has awarded the $6 million contract to Rockwell Collins for supplying avionics kits to the PAF, Dawn reported on Monday.A spokesman for the PAF said the air force would be getting the upgrade kits for its current fleet. It is one of the components of the $75 million agreement with the US government that also included the sale of six C-130 aircraft to Pakistan.The upgrade contract will be completed in a year and it is expected that the PAF will start getting the deliveries by the later part of 2008."The upgrade project would help us benefit from the technological advancements on C-130s," he said.Although, the details of what would be covered under the package have not been disclosed, it has been learnt that the avionics and display systems company is likely to provide communication, navigational and surveillance system, including Flight 26X8 inch multi-function displays, AN /ARC-210 radios, SAT-2000, multimode receivers and automatic direction finder.After the upgrades the C-130s are expected to have improved situational awareness, reduced crew workload and enhanced flight safety features.

India, Russia To Jointly Manufacture Aviation Sector Components

2007-05-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

India, Russia To Jointly Manufacture Aviation Sector Components

In what has been dubbed as a "breakthrough deal," India and Russia have agreed to set up a joint venture to produce titanium dioxide, a key component for the strategic metal used in aerospace industry."Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak and his Indian counterparts signed a breakthrough deal in Washington to invest the rupee portion of India's debt to the Soviet Union into a titanium dioxide production," Kommersant daily reported.Under the agreement, rupee debt equivalent of USD 126 million would be invested to build a plant in India with the annual capacity of 40,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide within the next three years in which Russia is to hold 55 per cent equity.Back in March 2006, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov suggested using the debt money for investment projects, an idea that President Vladimir Putin supported during his visit to India this January.During Putin's India visit, Russian Vnesheconombank, Technochim-Holding and Indian Saraf Agencies had inked the titanium JV deal to be financed through debt rupees. Storchak told Kommersant that the project will finally transform the system of the return of the Indian debt that India estimates at USD one billion while Russia deems it to be three times as much.The parties, however, agree on the USD one billion rupee portion of the debt that Russia is going to spend on investment projects in India. Storchak said that, however, general exchange of letters covering the investment of whole of rupee debt could not take place due to India's radically liberalised stance."Indian Finance Ministry has refused to play the role of a 'traffic light' and has allowed the blanket permission for the JVs as long as they are within the legal grounds, it is a major step towards liberalisation, but we were not ready for it," Storchak told the daily.The Russian Deputy Finance Minister said the Indian deal could be used as an example in reviewing relations with other debtors of Russia, including Pakistan where debt talks broke down last week during Prime Minister Fradkov's visit.

Defense Deals With Russia In Trouble; Russia Refuses To Sign Integrity Pact

2007-05-21T04:31:00.001-07:00

Defense Deals With Russia In Trouble; Russia Refuses To Sign Integrity Pact

India's weapons purchases have hit a major roadblock with its biggest defence supplier, Russia, refusing to sign the mandatory integrity pact for defence contracts.Under the present defence procurement procedures, every defence contract worth more than Rs 100 crore must be accompanied by an integrity pact, an undertaking that no arms agents are involved and no commissions have been paid.Authoritative sources in the Ministry of Defence told DNA that intense negotiations are underway between the Ministry of Defence and Russian representatives to ensure that the latter’s stand do not “delay” India’s defence modernisation and massive procurement programmes.The Russians have told the MOD that some clauses of the integrity pact “collide with” the domestic laws of the country. However, sources are refusing to confirm if the Russian reservations has got to do with the pact demanding an explicit commitment against payment of commissions and appointment of agents.Under the integrity pact, if it is found that either side had agents or paid commissions then criminal cases can be initiated by India and the other side has to cooperate. Arms dealers are banned under the defence procurement policy 2006.“We are trying to find a via media,” a source told DNA when questioned about the stand off.Russia is India’s biggest defence supplier and most dependable partner. Some $10 billion worth of defence contracts are now in the pipeline. However, any ‘fresh contracts’ will have to wait till India and Russia resolve the standoff over the integrity pact.“We can not give up the integrity pact because it is integral part of the DPP (Defence Procurement Policy) 2006. So, we will have to find an amicable settlement without compromising on our procurement policy,” a source said.Partly because of the complications arising out of the complications thrown up by Russian stand, India is now only pursuing existing contracts and “repeat orders”.The proposed purchase of 40 more Sukhoi 30 fighters and more than 300 T-90 tanks may go through because they are “repeat orders”, and may only require a negotiation about the present prices based on the original contracts signed earlier, sources said. But a final word can be said only after “negotiations are carried out,” they added. India has allocated Rs 41,922 crore in this fiscal for defence purchases.A slew of major purchases are in the pipeline, including 126 multi-role combat aircraft for IAF, substantial number of helicopters for all three forces, over Rs 30,000 crore worth of battleships, massive radar and other surveillance equipment purchases, etc where Russian equipment are leading contenders.

India, Russia to sign MTA deal by October

2007-05-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

India, Russia to sign MTA deal by October

India and Russia are expected to sign by October a comprehensive agreement for the creation of a state-of-the-art multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) to meet the requirements of their armed forces.The MTA would be designed, developed and manufactured jointly, and an inter-governmental agreement is to be signed in September-October, Director General of Ilyushin Aircraft Corporation, Viktor Livanov was quoted as saying by the Vremya Novostyie daily.Ilyushin is one of the partners in the joint MTA project with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.During their meeting on the sidelines of G-8 last month in St Petersburg, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Vladimir Putin are believed to have discussed the project, which would aid in phasing out the ageing Soviet-built Antonov An-24 and An-32 aircraft from the air forces of both nations.Livanov said due to some restrictions in the Russian legislation, the MTA deal would have to be cleared by the Russian parliament by amending some domestic laws.The detailed project would be ready by 2006 and it would take another year to make the blueprint of the twin engine plane based on Ilyushin's IL-214 transport aircraft. It is expected to make its maiden flight in 2008.Both New Delhi and Moscow attach great importance to the MTA project. Russia had walked out of a similar project with Ukraine.

Rosoboronexport to Begin Delivery of Smerch MLRS; New Orders Signed

2007-05-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Rosoboronexport to Begin Delivery of Smerch MLRS; New Orders Signed

Russia will shortly begin supply of 38 Smerch-M 300mm BM9A52-2 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to India under a $450 million deal signed two years ago, according to Russian media reports.Reports in the Russian media also suggest that Rosoboronexport, Russia's monopoly arms export agency, also signed a new option contract last week with the Indian defense ministry for delivery of an additional $300 million worth of these systems.If correctly reported, the total cost of Smerch MLRS deliveries to India will now be worth $750 million, which will make it one of Russia's largest export orders for infantry weapons.The original $450 million contract, included the cost of combat vehicles, auxiliary equipment, fire control systems, personnel training, and a commission for Rosoboronexport.Reports say that these deliveries were delayed as the first lot of these weapons was to have been dispatched to India in the spring of last year. The shipment was held up as the Indian Army had doubts whether the vehicle's engine could maintain a maximum speed of 80 km/hr (50 mph). The doubts were eventually laid to rest, and shipments under the original contract will now be completed by 2008.The new $300 million agreement envisages the supply of two more batteries (24 units) by 2010. In contract size, Smerch deliveries to India are now equivalent to the sale of 310 T-90S tanks to India in 2001.The Smerch rocket system has a range of 70 km, extendable to 90 km in particular circumstances, with a barrage time of 38 seconds. The Smerch has smart interchangeable warheads including thermo-baric (vacuum) warheads, which can destroy enemy entrenched in deep bunkers. It will provide the Indian Army capability to neutralise a variety of targets like massed concentration of armour and troop deployments well beyond the range of any of its present artillery systems.Reports quotes officials of the Tula Splav Design Bureau, which specialise in multiple launch rocket systems, as saying that the firepower and accuracy of Smerch MLRS can be compared with those of short-range tactical nuclear missiles.Deliveries of Smerch batteries on the original contract with India are to be completed by 2008 and the new deliveries on the options contract by 2010.

INS Vikramaditya: Aircraft Carrier Acquisition from Russia Delayed, Cost Overruns Expected

2007-05-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

INS Vikramaditya: Aircraft Carrier Acquisition from Russia Delayed, Cost Overruns Expected

Russia will not be able to deliver the refitted aircraft carrier Gorshokov next year as scheduled. The delivery has now been pushed to 2010 and it's going to cost $113 million extra.This cost is over and above the $ 1 billion that India is paying for its refit and upgrade. The delay is apparently because Russian builders underestimated the length of cabling required -- it's not 700 km but 2,400 km, they have told the Indian Navy.Naval Headquarters is sending a senior officer to Moscow to assess the situation. The Navy's only other carrier the Viraat was due to be retired from service in 2012.Russia and India came to an agreement over the sale of the ship, the then-Admiral Gorshkov, which they had been haggling over for many years, in 2004, following which the ship is being extensively refitted. It is projected to replace INS Viraat. US$800 million is budgeted for refit and upgrade by the Indian government.Upgrade plans involve stripping all the weaponry from the ship's foredeck, converting her from a hybrid carrier/cruiser to a pure carrier, allowing her to operate the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Sea Harrier aircraft. The deal also includes the purchase of 30 MIG 29K Fulcrum D (Product 9.41) aircraft, six Kamov Ka-31 Helix attack helicopters and reconnaissance anti-submarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems, and artillery units, costing an additional US$700 million.The ship will be operated in a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Assisted Recovery) configuration, with a 14 degree ski-jump on the bow and three arrestor wires on the stern. All reconfiguration work is being completed at Severomorsk

Russia seeking review of defence deals with India

2007-05-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Russia seeking review of defence deals with India

Moscow, May 21 (PTI): Russia has sought a review of defence contracts with India due to a continued drop in the value of the dollar and an unprecedented strong rouble, a move that could increase the price of big ticket deals for Su-30 jets and aircraft-carrier 'Gorshkov' by millions of dollars.
This tricky issue was discussed extensively by Defence Secretary, Shekhar Datt, during his three-day visit here earlier last week, diplomatic sources said.
Russia's State arms export monopoly 'Rosoboronexport' has proposed to review the prices of deals in various stages of implementation due to the depreciation in the value of the US dollar and a sharp appreciation of the rouble, sources said.
Moscow indicated it would foreclose the Su-30MKI deal after the delivery of the first 100 aircraft to Delhi due to cost escalation and the manufacturer's inability to deliver them at the current price.
Under the 8.5 billion-dollar Sukhoi deal, said to be the largest single contract involving deep transfer of technology, Russia's Irkutsk Corporation has supplied 60 Su-30MKI multi- role combat jets and is willing to deliver 40 more aircraft at the current cost escalation rate of 2.55 per cent per annum.
But Irkutsk wants to double the cost escalation rate to five per cent a year for supplying kits for another 138 Su-30s to be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
If India accepts the Russian demand, the cost of the Sukhoi deal will go up by half a billion dollars.

India, Russia contract to export BrahMos missiles

2007-05-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

India, Russia contract to export BrahMos missiles

The first contract for the export of the Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles to a "friendly" country is in the pipeline, and could be inked by the end of this year."The first contract for the delivery of BrahMos cruise missiles to a friendly country is expected to be signed by the end of the year," Sivathanu Pillai, CEO of New Delhi-based BrahMos Aerospace, said.BrahMos Aerospace - a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russian NPO Mashinostroyenia - has been authorised by their respective governments to export the deadly missiles to mutually agreed "friendly" countries, and the list of potential importers would be extended."There is a huge market for cruise missiles. BrahMos is unique among cruise missiles due to its 2.8 Mach supersonic speed (all other cruise missiles are sub-sonic at present) and a much longer strike range. It's the ultimate force-multiplier," Pillai said.The export version will basically be the anti-ship variant of the 290-km range BrahMos, which has already been inducted by the Indian Navy.

China and India hold joint Army exercises

2007-05-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

China and India hold joint Army exercises

NEW DELHI: The world's largest and third-largest armies are likely to hold their first-ever joint military exercise in the near future, with Army chief Gen J J Singh now headed for China to take bilateral defence ties to a new high. "I am going to propose the holding of such manoeuvres," said Gen Singh on Saturday, talking about the proposed Sino-Indian counter-terrorism exercise on the eve of his week-long visit to Beijing. Though India still remains wary of China's rapid modernisation of its 2.5-million-strong People's Liberation Army, double the size of the Indian forces, it has invited Chinese observers to its own military exercises in the last couple of years. With military CBMs being implemented along the still-unresolved 4,057-km Line of Actual Control to maintain "peace and tranquillity" over the last few years, India now wants to take the fledgling bilateral military ties to the next level by holding a joint exercise. "In principle, the Chinese have agreed to holding of such an exercise... during the visit, we hope to work out the details and whether the exercise would be held on Chinese or Indian soil. Both armies are interested in expanding military-to-military ties," said Gen Singh. This comes a day after defence minister A K Antony dismissed reports of any military confrontation with China, holding that border talks with Beijing had gained tremendous momentum over the last three years. Be that as it may, it's also a fact that India and US had recently come together to discuss China's growing military power, including its anti-satellite weapon test held on January 11.

2007-05-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

Defence research can’t be run like railways. Antony has crossed a critical line
While it is no one’s case that the economics and technical savvy of India’s defence production processes are perfect — this newspaper’s investigative series on DRDO was a sharp reminder of the many horrendous imperfections — it is also true politicians haven’t generally used the sarkari armaments set-up as a gravy train. Which is to say there was always something to distinguish DRDO from the railways. A.K. Antony, ably aided by Kerala’s Marxists, is about to erase that distinction. The consequences go beyond poor economics, although that is serious enough. Low politics may firmly and permanently enter macro and possibly micro defence decisions. And, once in, low politics seldom leaves.
As we reported on Tuesday, Antony has agreed that an ailing Kerala state PSU, KELTEC, should be transferred to an ICU funded by a DRDO joint venture (a Russian state enterprise is the other partner). Delighted Kerala Marxists have said this will be the first of many, that they are keen to attract Central government investment to revive state PSUs. This approach, at a time most states are battling to attract private investment and not a few have sold or shut down dysfunctional PSUs, shows again why we must worry over Kerala’s near economic future. But it is Antony that worries us most.
When KELTEC was set up in 1994, DRDO and ISRO were supposed to be its customers. Clearly, the customers haven’t been thrilled with the products. Which is why KELTEC has been in trouble. So what kind of ministerial responsibility is Antony exercising when he listens to Kerala’s industry minister and forces DRDO to accept the same supplier? Equipment making for high-grade weaponry is not a matter to be settled by two politicians talking about 300 local jobs. It is unlikely any defence minister before Antony had allowed defence research to be so openly politicised. Indeed, even if KELTEC were fantastically efficient, Antony’s decision would still be wrong. It is not the minister’s job to select DRDO’s suppliers. A critical line has been crossed and Antony’s boss in the government should notice that fact. The minister’s decision should be countermanded. If it is minister-mandated supplies for DRDO today, what’s on tomorrow? A minister-inspired IAF strategy that Kerala needs a huge fighter base to take on pirates

Army chief to visit China, Navy chief headed for Myanmar

2007-05-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

Army chief to visit China, Navy chief headed for Myanmar

NEW DELHI, MAY 10: Close on the heels of his trip to Japan to bolster military ties with that country, Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh will soon leave for China with a similar agenda. Singh, heading a high-profile Indian delegation, will embark on a week long “goodwill” visit to the neighbouring country towards the end of the month.

“The dates have not yet been finalised but an in-principle approval has been given for the visit. A top delegation, consisting of both defence and civil officials, will accompany the Army chief,” a Ministry of Defence official confirmed. The general will be meeting the top military brass and will also hold discussions with the Chinese Defence Minister.
Coming barely a month after his three-day tour of Japan, where cooperation on issues like counter-terrorism operations, personnel training, defence research and disaster management were discussed, the visit symbolises India’s fine balancing act in the region with increasing military-military engagements.
The general’s visit is also expected to clear the air on recent unsubstantiated reports of military intrusion by China along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh. Lok Sabha MP Khiren Rijiju had claimed last week that China has moved its troops 20 km inside Arunachal Pradesh. However, the government stoutly denied the claims and stressed that there was no border violation.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta left on a nine day visit to Myanmar yesterday in continuation with India’s policy of increasing military engagement with the neighbour to counter a growing Chinese influence. Mehta will hold talks with top leaders of the Myanmar government on “bilateral military cooperation”.
Earlier in April, Myanmar Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Soe Thane visited Delhi and Indian naval establishments on a goodwill tour. Thane, who met Defence Minister A K Antony and Mehta, is understood to have presented a case for procuring naval hardware from India.

Soufa Avionics

2007-05-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

TAC C31

2007-05-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

New Israeli equipment

2007-05-14T02:03:00.000-07:00

Night fighting equipment

2007-05-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

Sathrunaash

2007-05-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

Eurocopter

2007-05-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

Dadullah

2007-05-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

ARJUN MBT

2007-05-14T01:48:00.002-07:00

BN2 Aircraft

2007-05-14T01:48:00.001-07:00

Brahmos

2007-05-14T01:46:00.000-07:00

boforsgun2bc8

2007-05-14T01:39:00.000-07:00

Indian Navy to Transfer BN2 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to Myanmar

2007-05-14T01:36:00.002-07:00

Indian Navy to Transfer BN2 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to Myanmar

The Indian Navy (IN) is in the process of transferring two BN-2 'Defender' Islander maritime surveillance aircraft to Myanmar, an add-on to the pair it had supplied the military junta in August 2006, as defence co-operation between them proliferates, UK's Jane's Defence Weekly reports.Quoting official sources, Jane's on Saturday said like the earlier two, the additional UK-built Islanders would be stripped of all armaments and deployed "exclusively on relief and humanitarian missions".The IN has around 13 remaining Islanders it acquired around 1976 and senior military planners do not rule out the possibility of providing Myanmar more in the "near future", the respected defence magazine said.The IN Chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who is on an official visit to Myanmar till May 13, is expected to finalise details of the Islander's hand-over during his four-day visit and clinch those relating to establishing a naval aviation training facility for the military regime.These two matters, amongst others relating to the transfer of Indian material to Myanmar, were discussed during the visits of its naval chief, Vice Admiral Soe Thane and Quartermaster General Lt Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo to New Delhi in April.The navy's official spokesman declined to comment on the Islanders transfer but said Admiral Mehta's visit was aimed at "constructive engagement and establishing co-operative mechanisms between the two navies".The IN is anxious to keep the two Islander's transfer to Myanmar under wraps as Britain had opposed the ones supplied earlier to the military junta. The British claimed that it contravened the original sale contract that prohibits their transfer to a third party without prior clearance.India has recently stepped up strategic, diplomatic and economic ties with Myanmar agreeing to supply it varied military hardware like T 55 tanks, artillery guns, radar, assault rifles, light machine guns and ordnance.In exchange Delhi is seeking to jointly conduct military operations against anti-India separatist groups waging insurgency for decades from inside Myanmar in the contiguous north-eastern states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur across the 1600 km long common border.By augmenting defence ties with Myanmar, India also hopes to dilute China's deepening military relations with that country."India has long ignored China and to some extent Pakistan's growing influence with Burma's military government at its peril and it is now looking to supersede it " a senior military official told IANS.Pakistan and close military ally China, he added, were amongst the handful of countries which had disregarded international opinion and forged close military ties with Myanmar's military regime that seized power in 1988, cleverly complementing their strategy of encircling India.China is helping Burma modernise its naval bases at Hainggyi, the Coco's islands, Akyab and Mergui by building radar, refit and refuel facilities that could support Chinese submarine operations in the region.The Chinese are also believed to be establishing a Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) facility on the Coco's islands, 30 nautical mines from the Andaman islands, reportedly to monitor Indian missile tests off the Orissa coast, an activity that has proliferated after the 1998 nuclear tests.Pakistan, on the other hand, has been circumspect in fostering defence ties and quietly supplying Myanmar several shiploads of ordnance and other military hardware like 106 mm M 40 recoil-less rifles and various small arms over the past decade. It also regularly trains Burmese soldiers to operate a slew of Chinese equipment like tanks, fighter aircraft, howitzers and tanks.Burmese military officers are believed to be regularly trained at Pakistan's Military Staff college at Quetta in Baluchistan province while others are reportedly learning how to operate 155 mm howitzers and tanks like the T 69, T 63 and T 53's which Rangoon recently acquired from China. Burmese air force and naval officers too are believed to be undergoing attending Pakistani defence academies.Meanwhile, Myanmar's intentions of vindicating the bargain and cracking down on Indian rebel bases was confirmed around end-April by Brigadier General Tin Maung Ohn who led an 18-member army delegation to north eastern India for talks with army and paramilitary commanders in Nagaland and Assam."This is the first breakthrough, with Myanmar deciding to take proactive action against those Indian militants operating from their country," Lt Gen Paramjit Singh, head of the paramilitary Assam Rifles engaged in anti-insurgency operations in the northeast, said.Despite pressure from the US, Britain and the European Union to shun Myanmar's military regime India has, since 2000 pursued a policy of 'constructive engagement' with its neighbour.Besides increasing military co-operation it is also building and upgrading roads in Myanmar, modernising its ports, setting up a hydroelectric station, a satellite communication centre and an elaborate information technology project."Indian defence planners believe that Myanmar's military rulers entrench themselves more firmly every time the US and other Western powers put pressure on them in the UN and other world bodies. Engagement is a better way of dealing with them to secure Indian interests in Myanmar" former Brigadier Arun Sahgal of the United Service Institute said.

Army Modernization Drive: Nocturnal Combat Capability To Be Enhanced

2007-05-14T01:36:00.001-07:00

Army Modernization Drive: Nocturnal Combat Capability To Be Enhanced

To augment its night fighting capabilities, Army is planning to buy more night vision equipment for the forces and also embarking on induction of ultra fast quick reaction missiles to provide cover for troops from low flying threats.As part of its modernisation and upgrading weaponry, Army has decided to buy more night fighting equipment for infantry as well as armour and firmed up new deals to upgrade its Air Defence artillery as part of the ongoing modernisation drive, army officials said.The purchase of more night fighting equipment, to give the forces capability to be operational after dark were discussed an agreed upon at the Army Commanders conference presently on in the capital.At present army has equipped all its strike formations and detachments deployed on the International border with Pakistan and China and along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir with night visions."Under new agreement signed with Russia, Army is also going in for provision of night vision in its front line T-90 and T-72 tanks," senior officials said.The new Air Artillery upgrading plans okayed by the commanders meeting here for their bi-annual meeting include upgrading the ZU-24 air defence guns included its tank chassis mounted version Schilkas, officials said.Army along with IAF and Navy is on the verge of finalising a deal to induct a 12 kms vertically launched, low level quick reaction missiles to provide cover for troops from low flying threats.The missile would be made by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in collaboration with the European missile giant MBDA and would be called Rohini. Army also deploys shoulder firing Russian IGLA Missile, for which Russian have developed an upgraded version.The commanders reviewing the modernisation drive in the force also took up plans to augment the Army Aviation. Army is planning to induct 197 light helicopters to replace its ageing fleet of Chetak and Cheetahs.Two firms Eurocopter and US aviation giant Textron's bell helicopters have been shortlisted and the awarding of the 700 Million US dollar deal has been sent up to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).Under the deal, army would purchase 67 helicopters off the shelf and make the rest 137 under technology transfer at HAL.The commanders also discussed and finalised plans to augment military-to-military interaction with friendly nations and in the coming months clearance was given for participating in more bilateral and even multilateral ground forces exercises.

Arjun Tanks Tested in Ashwamedh War Games; Performance Evaluated: Army Chief

2007-05-14T01:35:00.001-07:00

Arjun Tanks Tested in Ashwamedh War Games; Performance Evaluated: Army Chief

Almost 24 years after its first prototype rolled out, the country's indigenous main battle tank (MBT) Arjun today underwent baptism by fire as it took part for the first time in the biggest Indian army exercises in last two years.14 Arjun tanks crossed swords with the 100s of Russian-supplied T-90 and T-72 tanks in the final phase of month-long exercises 'Ashwamedha' and the Army Chief Gen JJ Singh, who witnessed the war games close to Pakistan border, said "performance of the tanks would be analysed".Notwithstanding the indigenous tanks taking part for the first time in the exercises in which live ammunition was used, Singh said Arjun would still have to go through comparative trials with Russian tanks later this year."The comparative trials would clear the induction of the first batch of Arjuns," senior officers told PTI. DRDO's Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi has rolled out and handed over 15 tanks to the Army for evaluation.DRDO officials said that only after certification by the Army, a go ahead would be given for full commercial production of 124 Arjun tanks."Arjun tanks were fielded in the exercise to test their capability and to see how best to deploy them" Army Chief told reporters.

Raytheon Delivers Twelve Firefinder Radars to Indian Army

2007-05-14T01:32:00.000-07:00

Raytheon Delivers Twelve Firefinder Radars to Indian Army

The Indian Army has taken delivery of all twelve AN-TPQ/37 Firefinder Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) it had contracted to buy from leading US arms manufacturer Raytheon.According to a report in the coming issue of India Strategic defence magazine, ten of these Firefinder radars had been delivered to the army by last year, and the remaining two have been received recently.The AN-TPQ/37 Firefinder radars are used to locate and destroy hostile artillery fire. The highly advanced radar can track "first-round" hostile fire within seconds, from a range of three to 50 km, and launch precise counter attacks. The radar also holds strategic significance in that it can be configured to detect missiles by adding a 60-degree sector mode antenna to extend its range.The radar's computerised signal processors detect, verify and track up to 10 artillery, mortar or rocket projectiles, estimates their firing position as well as the impact point and helps direct friendly fire in neutralising enemy positions subsequently. Manned by a crew of 12, the radar is capable of separating any clutter generated by birds, helicopters and aircraft.The army had projected a requirement for these radars as far back as the early 1980s,and sorely felt their lack during the 1999 Kargil engagement, when it suffered more than 80 per cent of its casualties because of Pakistani artillery fire. During the engagement, Pakistan also enjoyed the advantage of operating WLRs, though of an earlier version - the AN TPQ/36, which it had acquired from the US in the early 1980s.India signed a deal with the US for the advanced version of the WLRs in 2002, as relations between the two countries saw a gradual improvement. Initially, an order for eight of these systems was placed, which was eventually increased by another four.Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector unit, subsequently stepped in to provide an indigenously developed system, which deploys phased array technology.Meanwhile, another public sector company, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), is supplying carrier vehicles for the Firefinder radars and support systems.According to Admiral Walter F Doran (Retd), recently appointed president of Raytheon Asia, the company does not make platforms like aircraft or ships but "lends substance" to them. For instance, INS Jalashva, (ex-USS Trenton), purchased by the Indian Navy has its main onboard equipment supplied by Raytheon."We do not manufacture platforms, but we lend substance to them... We are the technology virtually behind every mission," Doran says in an interview with India Strategic.Raytheon has also developed the most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar technology, which it expects to be a key determinant when orders are placed for the Indian Air Force's (IAF) 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). Raytheon has offered to install it on either of the two competing US jets, the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet or the Lockheed Martin F-16.According to Raytheon officials, its AESA radar has no moving parts and it can be used for 10,000 to 15,000 hours, that is, 10 to 30 times more than more vintage radars. AESA units also function as communication tools for between a number of aircraft, satellites, ships or ground control.The Firefinder deal includes generators, trailers, communications equipment, logistic services, quality assurance, spare parts, publications and other programme support elements.

DRDO Working On Large UAVs; Army Orders 12 Nishant UAVs

2007-05-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

DRDO Working On Large UAVs; Army Orders 12 Nishant UAVs

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programme for Military applications.DRDO has developed UAV, Nishant. After the user trial, Army has placed an order for 12 UAVs alongwith ground support systems, which is currently under Limited Series Production. DRDO is also taking up a programme for development of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV to meet the requirements of the three Services.European and Israeli companies have suo motu approached DRDO for undertaking joint development programme on UAVs. Preliminary presentations have been made by European and Israeli companies to bring out and demonstrate their capabilities on UAVs.Presently, DRDO is planning to undertake development of MALE UAV along with Indian partner only. However, if required, limited consultancy or joint development on certain key technologies regarding UAVs, may be undertaken with foreign companies. This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri in Asaduddin Owaisi Lok Sabha today.

Proposals Invited For Upgrade of Indian Army's 155mm Calibre Bofors Gun

2007-05-14T01:28:00.000-07:00

Proposals Invited For Upgrade of Indian Army's 155mm Calibre Bofors Gun

The government has for the first time invited an Indian company and at least two more foreign firms to upgrade the army's entire complement of over 360 Bofors artillery guns for $400 million.The request for proposals dispatched to a company of the Mumbai-based Tata group, El Bit of Israel and British BAE Systems, which now owns Bofors, requires them to present the upgraded gun for field trials by the year end.India acquired the FH77B 155mm, 39 calibre guns from the now defunct Swedish firm of AB Bofors in 1987. They will be upgraded to 45 calibre ones. The upgraded howitzers will have an enhanced range. This will be achieved by replacing the barrel and breechblock and strengthening the under carriage.The Tata group is hopeful of working with India's state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) which, according to the original $1.4 billion deal with Bofors - later SWS Defense AB - was to build the guns under licence at its Kanpur unit.But OFB, to which all the howitzer blueprints and technical details were transferred, never exercised the option as the howitzer import was mired in a corruption scandal."We want to collaborate with OFB to make the upgrade a success by an Indian company," said a senior official from the Strategic Electronics Division of the Tata group.The Tatas are one of around 15 Indian companies granted a licence two years ago by the defence ministry to build military equipment as part of efforts to enhance indigenous military capability through privatisation.The Tatas and Mumbai-based Larsen and Toubro are the first private manufacturers to be jointly awarded a major defence contract - the Rs 50 billion deal to develop the launcher, fire control system and guidance electronics for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher. They will build 20 launchers apiece."For the howitzer upgrade, we plan to capitalise on the ballistic experience acquired in developing the Pinaka," Rahul Chowdhry, head of Tata's Strategic Electronics Division, said.Under its interminably delayed "Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan", the Indian Army proposes to configure its artillery profile around the upgraded 155mm guns and 180 pieces of the 130mm M-46 field gun upgraded by Israel's Soltam to 155mm.In addition, the artillery will acquire up to 1,400 155mm-52 calibre towed, wheeled and tracked self-propelled howitzers. A fresh round of howitzer trials is expected later in the summer after the army revises its qualitative requirements and invites overseas vendors.Three rounds of trials in as many years to buy 180 towed howitzers - which involved South Africa's Denel, Soltam and SWS - were inconclusive. The trials ended in late 2004.

Indian Army Tests Indigenous Battlefield Surveillance System

2007-05-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

Indian Army Tests Indigenous Battlefield Surveillance System

The Indian Army is said to have tested a Battlefield Surveillance System developed ingeniously by DRDOs CAIR unit. The system a part of Indian Army's Tactical Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (TAC C3I).The system uses the BFSR Radar- which is a state-of-the-art lightweight, man-portable battery-powered electronic short range battlefield surveillance - BFSR-SR radar developed by the DRDO to provide all- weather surveillance against intrusion. The radar is capable of searching a specified sector and performing track while scanning for multiple targets. The radar detects, tracks, and aids in classifying the moving targets. There are also industry rumors that the Israeli firm Elbit's co-operation was secured in certain aspects of this project.C3I systemsDRDO, in cooperation with BEL and private industry has developed several critical C3I (command, control, communications and intelligence systems) for the services. The DRDO developed the Artillery Command and Control system for the Army. Known under the project name of "Shakti", the Indian Army aims to spend $ 300 Million to network all its artillery guns together using the ACCS, with the entire project completed by 2015.Developed by DRDO's Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), the system comprises computers and intelligent terminals connected as a wide area network. Its main subsystems are the artillery computer center, battery computer, remote access terminal and a gun display unit. The ACCS is expected to improve the Army's artillery operations by a factor of 10 and by efficiently networking the artillery units, allowing for more rapid & accurate firepower. The ACCS will also improve the ability of commanders to concentrate that firepower where it is most needed. In January 2005 BEL received an order for a first batch of 50 Shakti systems, with over a 1000 to be purchased over time.The DRDO and BEL have also developed a Battle Management system for the Indian Army for its tanks and tactical units. Other programs in development for the Army include Corps level information and decision making software and tools, intended to link all units together for effective C3I (Communications, Command, Control, Intelligence). The DRDO is one of the key members in these projects, which are being driven by the Army's Signals Corp. The Indian Army is also moving towards extensive use of battlefield computers, such as the locally designed SATHI (companion]]) and these will be integrated into locally designed C3I networks.DRDO has also delivered projects such as the Combat Net Radio (currently in manufacture at BEL) and others for enhancing the Army's communication hardware.

Defense Offsets: Ministry of Defence Not To Reconsider Offsets Policy

2007-05-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Defense Offsets: Ministry of Defence Not To Reconsider Offsets Policy

A section of the media has reported about the midterm review of the Defence Offset Policy at a seminar to be held on 14th of this month.In this connection it is clarified that the offset policy has been designed by Ministry of Defence carefully after studying all aspects between direct and indirect offset. In order to encourage Indian Defence Industry, a well considered decision was taken not to allow indirect offset. There is no rethinking on this subject as reported in a section of the media.India's defence offsets policy is to bring in $10 billion during the 11th five-year plan period (2007-11). India is looking for direct offsets in all capital acquisitions of the defence ministry to strengthen the capabilities of its indigenous industry.The government had announced the new policy for capital acquisitions in which the minimum requirement is of 30 percent offsets in all acquisitions where the purchase cost exceeds Rs.3 billion. Nearly 80 percent of all offsets are in the area of aerospace.

Defence Ministry Must Clear All Procurement by September 2007: Committee

2007-05-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Defence Ministry Must Clear All Procurement by September 2007: Committee

With delays in clearance of mega defence deals like purchase of 200 light helicopters and 400 giant 155 mm upgraded towed artillery guns for army, recommendations have been made that Defence Ministry should complete all procurement formalities before September each year."Failure to complete major armament deals is leading to cut in acquisition budget when the estimates are revised", observed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.Pulling up the three services as well as the Defence Ministry, the Committee in its latest report tabled in Parliament said it strongly recommended that all procurement formalities should be completed by September so that all deals are put on fast track."This will facilitate the Ministry of Defence to allocate more funds for new schemes instead of earmarking larger capital acquisition funds for committed liabilites", the report said.Army has completed induction formalities like undertaking live test evaluation and qualitative requirements for 197 helicopters for which the American Textron and Eurocopter are bidding. However, the deal estimated to run into 700 million dollars is still to be cleared by CCS.Similarly, the deal to procure 400 upgraded towed 155MM guns of .52 calibre at an estimated cost of almost 3 billion dollars is still gathering dust even after an unprecedented four evaluations trials.The committee has also recommended that the Ministry of Defence set up a special committee, including representatives from it's own Ministry, Ministery of Defence Production, the Ministry of Defence finance and Comptroller and Auditer General of all above Additional Secretary rank to clear acquisition proposals timely.In its new report placed in Lok Sabha, the Committee has also suggested that all weapons purchase deals should be concluded before the month of December of each financial year.Expressing concern that most of the capital aquisition funds were going towards imports, the Committee has said that Defence Ministry should also spend resources to build and encourage indegenious production specially in critical armaments, which it said could face arbitary cut offs at any time.It said in all purchases, specially of weapons of high- technology end, the Government should enforce the transfer of technology clause.It said that as part of fast track weapons acquisitions, the Government should enhance to financial delegation to the three services to Rs 50 crore and similar delegated authority also be given to Defence Secretary.The committee has also expressed concern over the declining trend in the share of Army in defence budget, saying that from share of 57 per cent in 2002-03, army allocation has plunged to an all time low of 47 per cent in the current year.

Elbit's Soufa Avionics, Weapons Package Front Runner for Air Force MRCA Contract

2007-05-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

Elbit's Soufa Avionics, Weapons Package Front Runner for Air Force MRCA Contract

The Israeli Soufa Avionics Package and Weapons Systems package are confirmed to be top contenders for the Indian Air Force's 126 MultiRole Combat Aircraft.These systems are being considered regardless of whichever fighter jet wins the M-MRCA contract. In addition an Indian Air Force team has visited Israel to test and witness trials of the same. India Defence (www.india-defence.com) has got this confirmed from Indian Government and Defense Industry sources.Soufa AvionicsThe package consists of an advanced avionics suite including general avionics computer, colour display processors and interfaces all produced by Elbit Systems. The communications systems include a Rafael UHF/VHF radio and an HF radio, Elta satellite communications and an IAI integrated tactical video data link.The navigation system includes a combined ring laser gyro inertial navigation system and global positioning system (RLGINS/GPS) and a digital terrain system. Rafael developed the algorithms for the digital terrain system.While the Israeli product is deemed highly off in New Delhi, proper procedures and competitive trials will, however, be undertaken as per official procedure.

Indian Army To Induct Brahmos Missiles Ahead Of Schedule

2007-05-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

Indian Army To Induct Brahmos Missiles Ahead Of Schedule

With all the four test firings going without blemish, Army is planning to induct the BrahMos supersonic land attack cruise missile months ahead of schedule.The first missile sub-group to be equipped with BrahMos has already become operational and in the first order, Army will get 12 launchers comprising four mobile autonomous launchers, according to DRDO sources here.Army is planning to induct the BrahMos, which will be heralded by President A P J Abdul Kalam, during the middle of the year. The proposed early induction of the supersonic cruise missile will come even as American satellite images showed that Pakistan was in the process of deploying its next generation Shaheen II missiles which have the range to hit any part of India.Brahmos chief executive A Sivathanu Pillai termed it as a missile with no equivalent in the world and said all its four tests -- two in Pokhran and two at the interim test range at Chandipur -- validated all the technical parameters. The missile has a range of 290 kms."It is ready for induction and upgrades can be carried out even after its becomes operational with the Army," he said. Army had signed an agreement in March 2006 which stipulated that the land version of the missile would be delivered to it by the middle of next year.In the last two tests, Army personnel fired the missile independent of scientists from their own complex, sources said. The land attack version of the BrahMos uses thermal sensors which gives the missile a capability to be ready for firing within two minutes, unlike, the existing short-range surface-to-surface Prithvi missile that require a 20-minute preparation time.When the first sub-group becomes operational, it will give the Army the punch to fire 12 missiles at 12 different targets simultaneously within 30 seconds.During tests, DRDO sources said the land attack cruise missile (LACM) had demonstrated zero circular error probability, marking it a weapon of almost pinpoint precision.According to DRDO officials, efforts are on to imbibe the scramjet technology into the missile to increase its speed to almost Mach eight, which is eight times the speed of sound.With the induction of the BrahMos missile, Army will now be equipped with four types of missiles ranging from LACM, short range Prithvi, 700 km range Agni to medium range 2,000 km Agni II missile, leading to the possibility of the Army going in for a separate missile division

Arjun MBT Makes a Fighting Come Back Into the Indian Army

2007-05-14T01:15:00.002-07:00

Arjun MBT Makes a Fighting Come Back Into the Indian Army

The first batch of 14 Arjun MBTs (Main Battle Tanks), the Defence Research and Development Organisation's flagship weapons system, has been delivered to the Army and they are to be put on reliability analysis in Rajasthan deserts this June.Talking to reporters, who visited the Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) of the DRDO here on Saturday, S. Sundaresh, Director, said that in 2000 the Army had placed orders for 124 Arjun tanks, enough to equip two regiments.Successful TestsIndia Defence has earlier reported about successful trials of the Arjun Tank being carried out by the Indian Army in the first week of May.-- Arjun MBT Unofficial Trials: Indian Army Satisfied With Performance in Rajasthan-- Indian Army Satisfied With Arjun MBTs PerformanceSerial Production FacilitiesThe CVRDE established a Rs. 50-crore facility here to complete delivery of the entire consignment to the Army by July 2009. "We, however, are keen to get orders for another batch of at least 124 MBTs to put the facility to its optimum use," said R. Jayakumar, Additional Director, CVRDE.Earlier, Mr. Sundaresh said Arjun underwent exhaustive field trials before the Army placed the orders. Thermal imaging for nigh-time warfare, high acceleration, mobility and hydro gas suspension were some of the significant features of the totally indigenous Arjun, comparable to all tanks of its class in the world.Factory's progressHighlighting the performance of the factory, Mr. Sundaresh said noteworthy progress had been made in armored patrol car, armored recovery vehicle, self-propelled medium artillery gun and bridge layer tanks. Scientists were working on missile firing capability, advance air defence gun, automatic target tracking and stealth technology such as unmanned drones, which detect and clear mines.Mr. Jayakumar said Arjun was the most tested battle tank in the world, as it had clocked 70,000 km, in addition to about 10,000 trial firings. Major General H.M. Singh, Additional Director in charge of trial and evaluation, said last year's user field trial report had certified that the accuracy and consistency of the weapon system was proved beyond doubt.R. Shankar, Director of Combat Vehicles, DRDO headquarters at New Delhi, said a total of 27 tanks -- 15 pre-production and 12 prototype -- were produced with a budget outlay of a "paltry" Rs. 300 crore. Arjun was the cheapest tank in its class, he said, adding the CVRDE was ready to supply the system to friendly nations if the Government takes a policy decision.

Indian Defence Imports To Touch US$ 30 Billion by 2012

2007-05-14T01:15:00.001-07:00

Indian Defence Imports To Touch US$ 30 Billion by 2012

India's import of military hardware and software is all set to reach $30 billion within the next five years as its armed forces lap up major defence deals, said a leading industry body.India's defence imports would also be propelled as it signs up big deals to acquire multi-role fighter jets, a variety of copters and long-range maritime spy aircraft, according to study - Avenues for Private Sector Participation in Defence - done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).'Indian military budget was about $20 billion in the last fiscal (2006-07) and is expected to grow seven percent annually over the next five years,' Assocham President Venugopal N. Dhoot, said in a statement.'The country's military spending amounts to roughly two percent of GDP (gross domestic product), which is without accounting for expenditure on defence pensions, paramilitary forces and defence ministry itself as part of budgeted defence expenditure,' Dhoot added.The industry body has also recommended for private sector participation in all defence related deals and imports.'Defence ministry's targets of achieving 70 percent self reliance in defence production 10 years ago has fallen short of the target by 40 percent, as only 30 percent defence production has become self reliant till now,' Assocham said.'The year 2001 witnessed the first step in this regard as the entry of foreign private players was permitted with 26 percent FDI being allowed in the sector,' it added.The study has also recommended outsourcing for many defence activities to the domestic private sector, pointing out that the defence ministry in recent years had made some attempts towards outsourcing and private procurement to bring in greater efficiency and optimal utilisation of available budgets.

Mullah Dadullah Killed By NATO-Afghan forces

2007-05-14T01:13:00.000-07:00

Mullah Dadullah Killed By NATO-Afghan forces

The death of Dadullah represents the biggest setback to the Taliban command since the insurgency began, after its Islamic militia government was toppled by U.S. backed forces in 2001. "He was killed last night and right now I have his body before me," Assadullah Khalid, governor of neighbouring Kandahar province, told Reuters.An Interior Ministry statement said Dadullah was killed in fighting with security forces in Helmand's Girishk district on Saturday night. Officials from NATO and the U.S.-led coalition could not confirm it. The one-legged Dadullah has been reported to have been captured or killed several times in the past, but this time the authorities appeared sure he was dead.A Reuters reporter who had seen Dadullah in the past recognised the body brought to Kandahar. The bearded face was pale and splattered with blood, and he appeared to have suffered a head wound. Placed on a stretcher, the corpse was partially covered with a purple cloth. The left leg was missing.A senior Pakistani security official, who requested anonymity, gave a different version, saying Dadullah was killed on Friday night in an airstrike. But an Afghan intelligence official said that was incorrect, and Dadullah died from wounds rather than being blown to pieces by a bomb or missile strike. "His body is intact," the Afghan official said.SAVAGE REPUTATIONDadullah was a member of Taliban's 10 member leadership council and close to the movement's fugitive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. "It's the biggest setback to the Taliban since they started resistance in 2001," said Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Peshawar based journalist and expert on tribal affairs in the Pashtun lands straddling the Pakistan-Afghan border where the Taliban operate."They can take revenge for the killing. They can become more brutal. There may be more reprisal attacks. But it is clear that for now, at least, that there is no one who can replace him," Yusufzai said."He was an inspirational and daring commander. I don't see any person of his standing in the Taliban hierarchy." Apart from leading most Taliban attacks in the south, Dadullah's savagery earned him the sobriquet of Afghanistan's Al Zarqawi, after the al Qaeda leader in Iraq who was killed last year.Dadullah was believed to be behind a campaign of suicide bombings and a series of kidnappings of foreigners and Afghans and beheadings of hostages or collaborators. "His claim to fame was suicide bombings," a senior Pakistani security official said, adding that Dadullah had been a frequent visitor to Waziristan, a Pakistan tribal region regarded as a hotbed of support for the Taliban.In December, U.S.-led forces killed another top Taliban official, Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Osmani, in an air attack in the south of the country after a tip-off by Pakistan. "They have now knocked out two senior military commanders. This is a very serious blow to the Taliban," the Pakistani officer said.

Exercise Shatrunash: Military War Games Focus On Counter Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Warfare

2007-05-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Exercise Shatrunash: Military War Games Focus On Counter Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Warfare

The Indian Army is conducting a massive four-day military exercise code named 'Shatru Naash' (Destruction of Enemy) in Punjab to check its battle preparedness in a Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) warfare backdrop."When it comes to nuclear threshold, on NBC environment we are training the soldier. We all are sensitive and well aware about it...Whatever training is necessary for the subcontinent, we are doing it," said Brigadier Deepak Vashishta, of 11th Corps.The exercise that began on Friday in Nakodar, Ludhiana and Jagraon areas, involves 15,000 troops from Vajra corps and an array of military hardware, including T-72 tanks, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and electronic surveillance devices.The troops of the Pine division and the Flaming Arrow armoured brigade are taking part in the exercise that follows Exercise Ashwamedha that was conducted recently in the deserts of Rajasthan.In exercise 'Shatru Naash' the Indian Air Force (IAF) are taking part in a big way as choppers are provided aerial cover during the mock battles.The participation of IAF is part of the new war doctrine that calls for a harmonious synergy between the three armed forces of the country-Army, Navy and Air Force.

Israel Night Vision Equipment Worth $25 Million to be Acquired by Indian Army

2007-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Israel Night Vision Equipment Worth $25 Million to be Acquired by Indian Army

An Israeli firm has bagged a USD 25 million deal to provide night vision devices to the Indian Army, an order which has made India the single largest importer of defence equipment from the West Asian country.The Israeli firm, Starnight Technologies, will provide night vision equipment over a two-year period ending August 2009, to equip two infantry mountain divisions, according to highly placed sources here.This is the second major order for night vision devices bagged by the Israeli firm, which through an agreement signed in November, had agreed to supply such equipment worth USD 38 million dollars."This is a follow up order," an Israeli official said. Army Chief Gen. J J Singh had recently said that as part of infantry modernization, Army planned to equip all its battalions with night vision equipment.Though almost all the front line units and those engaged in counter-insurgency have been equipped with night vision devices, according to Army estimates such equipment worth over USD 500 million was still needed to arm the remaining units. The Israel Defence Ministry had recently announced that India now was its largest single importer of defence equipment with orders running as high as USD 1.5 billion last year.It said this constituted about 50 per cent of Israeli defence exports and about 30 per cent of India armament imports. Despite its defence industry facing financial crunch, Russia continues to be the main weapons supplier to India, constituting 35 per cent of Indian weapon imports. Moscow's arms exports to India range from fighters to warships and spares.Israeli firms have already supplied India with front line weapons systems like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the Army, Navy and Air force, night vision devices for army, Tavor range of hand weapons for special forces, close battlefield radars like Loros.Tel Aviv has also bagged an Indian order for supply of three Airborne Early Warning and Air Control System aircraft to the IAF. A follow up order is expected after the first of these aircraft are delivered later this year

Defence imports to cross 30-bn dlr by 2012: Assocham

2007-05-14T00:57:00.000-07:00

Defence imports to cross 30-bn dlr by 2012: Assocham

NEW DELHI: Estimating Country's import of military hardware and software to cross $30 billion by 2012, industry chamber Assocham has asked the government to re-look its policy on defence procurement to allow greater participation of private players. The import of defence products has already reached $10.5 billion in the last three years, making India the largest importer of arms in the developing world, Assocham's paper on 'Avenues for private sector participation in Defence' said. "The country's military expenditure, excluding the pensions of defence and paramilitary forces, is around two per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," Assocham President Venugopal N Dhoot said. With limited production capacity the pubic sector units are not able to meet the ever increasing requirements of the defence sector. In this backdrop, Assocham has suggested that the government should re-look at the defence procurement policy. The Chamber also seeks greater participation of private sector in matters related to the procurement of defence equipments for the armed forces. The country's defence imports bill, which is projected to be $30 billion by 2012 could be made cost-effective with private participation, the chamber said.

India to acquire 4 more Aerostats to track air spies

2007-05-14T00:53:00.000-07:00

India to acquire 4 more Aerostats to track air spies

NEW DELHI: India is going to acquire four more Aerostat radars from Israel to bolster its ability to detect and track hostile low-flying aircraft, helicopters, spy drones and missiles. The Aerostat radars will help in plugging holes in the country’s far-from-impregnable airspace, especially with central and peninsular India being quite devoid of medium-level and low-level radar coverage, as reported by TOI earlier. The "gaps" in the radar network, in fact, can even be exploited by terrorist outfits like LTTE, which recently demonstrated its capability to mount air strikes by using low-flying propeller aircraft in Sri Lanka. While the decision to buy more Aerostat radars may be good, the not-so-good news is that India’s $1.1 billion project to acquire three "Phalcon" AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) from Israel has run into some rough weather. As per the March 2004 contract, the first AWACS was to be delivered to India in November 2007 after integration of the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar and communication system with the Russian IL-76 heavy transport aircraft. The second and the third ones were to follow nine months and 15 months after that. "But there is a delay due to technical reasons... IAF might get the first AWACS in February 2008 now if everything goes as per schedule," a defence ministry source said. Both AWACS and Aerostat radars (phased-array radars mounted on blimp-like balloons tethered to ground) act as "eyes in the skies" since they can detect air intrusions much earlier than ground-based radars. The four more Aerostat radars is a follow-on order to the successful deployment of the two EL/M-2083 Aerostat radars, inducted from Israel in 2004-2005, along the border in Kutch region and Punjab. In all, IAF has projected a requirement of 13 Aerostat radars, with each one capable of providing three-dimensional low-altitude coverage equal to 30-40 ground-based radars. Incidentally, Pakistan too is acquiring six Aerostat L-88 radar systems from the US in an estimated $155-million deal. IAF, on its part, also plans to acquire a wide array of LLTRs (low-level transportable radars), LLLWRs (low-level light weight radars), CARs (central acquisition radars) and SARs (synthetic aperture radars) over the next five years to improve its air defence capabilities. Most of these requirements are being sourced from Israel, which has emerged as India’s second-largest defence supplier with annual sales worth almost $1 billion. Interestingly, the EL/M-2083 Aerostat radars are simpler versions of the EL/M-2080 Green Pine radars, which are an integral part of the Israeli Arrow-2 BMD (ballistic missile defence) systems. India has used the two Green Pine radars, imported from Israel in 2001-2002, to develop its own long-range tracking radar which was used in last year’s test of an indigenous "exo-atmospheric" BMD system.

Defence Minister Stresses On High Vigilance Along Line-of-Control

2007-05-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Defence Minister Stresses On High Vigilance Along Line-of-Control

Armed forces guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir should not lower their guard though infiltration from across the border has come down "to a large extent", Defence Minister A K Antony today said."India wants peaceful relations with its neighbours... But we should not lower our guard and have to remain vigilant to face any challenge," Antony said while interacting with troops in the 14 Corps headquarters here.Admitting that cross-border terrorism and infiltration have come down to a large extent and peace has currently taken root in the border state, Antony asked the soldiers not to get carried away by the prevailing situation."We have to maintain tight vigil to strengthen the peaceful atmosphere. If the situation reverses, we should be able to face the challenge accordingly," he said.Antony, accompanied by army chief Gen J J Singh, arrived here on a two-day tour and is scheduled to visit forward locations on the Siachen glacier tomorrow. Assuring the soldiers about the Centre's plan to improve their living standards, the minister said the Pay Commission has been set up to improve their lot.He said training for security personnel would change as modernisation of equipment has been set in motion to meet the requirements of soldiers. Antony directed the district administration to help the defence personnel needing government assistance in tackling their problems.Earlier, Antony was given a rousing reception on his arrival in the border town. He was received at the helipad by state Power Minister Nawag Rigzin Jora, veteran Congress leader and member of upper house P Namgiyal and Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council chief R Dorjay.GOC 14 Corps Lt Gen B C Bradwaj and top defence and police officials were also present at the technical airport. Ladakhi people attired in traditional dresses turned up in good numbers along both sides of the road to accord a warm welcome to Antony.Some of them waved Congress flags and cheered as the minister left in a convoy from the airport to Leh town. Antony is scheduled to visit soldiers performing their duties in the cold desert of Siachen glacier tomorrow.

Kochi Shipyard to deliver bulk carrier vessel

2007-05-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Kochi Shipyard to deliver bulk carrier vessel

Cochin: Heralding a new era in ship building and marketing in India, Cochin Shipyard Ltd will deliver the first in the series of six bulk carrier vessels, Bossclip Trader, to Clipper Groups Bahamas on Monday.The protocol documents will be exchanged between Cochin Shipyard and Clippers at 4 p.m. on Monday in the presence of Kerala High Court Chief Justice V.K.Bali."The deal with Clippers is the first series order for large ships and this is the first major order from abroad," said sources at the CSL.Bossclip Trader, with a carrying capacity of 30,000 Dead Weight Tonnes (DWT) is a single crew diesel engine driven bulk carrier for unrestricted worldwide service. This 178.7-metre ship with a breadth of 28 metres and 14 metres depth is a milestone achievement in the annals of Cochin Shipyard.It stands tall in every aspect of ship building as it meets the requirements of Type B ships defined by the International Convention of Load Lines and is built as per the highest standards of American Bureau of Shipping.

INS Vikramaditya Development Three, Four Months Behind Schedule: Indian Navy

2007-05-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

INS Vikramaditya Development Three, Four Months Behind Schedule: Indian Navy

The Indian Navy today denied reports from the Russian, Indian media that the delivery of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov would be delayed till 2010 and said the refurbishing of the ship was moving as per schedule."The work is going on as per schedule and I do not know where this particular report came from. The work is only three to four months behind schedule and we can expect the aircraft carrier to be delivered by late 2008 or early 2009," Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta told reporters here.He was commenting on reports in a section of media recently which said that the delivery of Admiral Gorshkov or the rechristened 'Vikramaditya' aircraft carrier would be delayed to 2010.The aircraft carrier is currently being refurbished at a cost of USD one billion, which includes 16 MiG 29K aircraft, is being built at the Sevmash shipyard in Serverodvinsk City of Russia.Mehta said that the Russians have committed for a timely delivery of the ambitious aircraft carrier to the Indian Defence Minister."Our officials, who are stationed at the spot have said that the work is going on as per schedule and we can have a month long delay once the work is completed as that part of Russia is frozen for a long time," he said.Mehta was in the city to preside over the investiture ceremony of naval officers and men held at INS Kunjali today.

Indian Navy Modernisation: Indigenous Electronic Warfare System Being Installed

2007-05-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Indian Navy Modernisation: Indigenous Electronic Warfare System Being Installed

Defence sector sources indicate that indigenous Electronic Warfare Systems are being installed by the Indian Navy through its current modernization drive.Sangraha Electronic Warfare (EW) System - which has been jointly developed by the Indian Navy and DRDO's Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) - is being implemented in Indian naval assets across the country.The system comprises of a family of EW suites for different Naval platforms capable of intercepting, detecting and classifying pulsed, CW, PRF agile, frequency agile and chirp radars. The systems employ modular approach facilitating deployment on a variety of platforms viz. helicopters, vehicles, small ships etc. Certain specific platforms apart from ESM also have ECM capabilities. State-of-the-art technologies like Multiple Beam Phased array jammers are employed in the system for simultaneous handling of multiple threats.In addition, at least 15 KITE Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system have been inducted in service on Kamov and Chetak Helicopters. Furthermore 47 KITE systems are in order and in various levels of production and integration.EAGLE ESM systems have been installed on Dornier aircraft and 8 more systems have been ordered. First 5 HOMI systems built by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have been installed on TU-142 aircraft and additional orders are being processed.Two PORPOISE ESM systems have been installed in EKM Submarines and additional 11 systems have been ordered. ELLORA system built by BEL has been installed on INS Beas. Three more ships of INS Beas class and three ships of P-17 class will be equipped with ELLORA.

Supreme Court: Indian Army Innocent In Ghulam "Fake Encounter" Case

2007-05-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Supreme Court: Indian Army Innocent In Ghulam "Fake Encounter" Case

The Supreme Court today gave a clean chit to the Indian Army facing allegations of killing one Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Regoo, an advocate who was suspected to be a Pakistan trained militant and an ex-divisional commander of Albarq terrorist group.A bench comprising Justices B P Singh and Harjit Singh Bedi dismissed the petition of Masooda Parveen, widow of the deceased, who was allegedly killed on February 3, 1998 during an interrogation at Lathapora Army camp in Kashmir.According to the petitioner, the deceased who was also doing business in the valley, had suffered losses and some of the creditors took help from local militants for recovery of their dues.As a result of this pressure, Regoo shifted from his villageChandhara to Sopore and remained in hiding for two years beforereturning in 1994 when there was a decline in militant activities.However, some militants who were working along with Army gothim arrested on October 6, 1994, alleging that he was a Pakistantrained millitant. He remained in custody for three months.Again on February 1, 1998 he was taken into custody by the unitof the Army (17 Jat) and allegedly died due to torture at the Armycamp. Explosives were placed on his body and then detonated tocamouflage the murder.

Indian Army To Conduct User Test Trial of Prithvi Missile This Week

2007-05-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Indian Army To Conduct User Test Trial of Prithvi Missile This Week

Close on the heels of the successful test-firing of the Agni-III and Brahmos missiles, yet another "user's test" of the army version of the Prithvi missile is likely to take place from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur near here next week.As Prithvi had gone into production, one of the products from the assembly line picked up at random might be test fired but whether it would have a payload or not was not known, sources said. Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and army personnel had already arrived at the ITR for the purpose.The army has also set up two separate missile groups, regiments 333 and 355, for handling the missile. The over four tonne missile will have a range of about 150 km and carry a payload of 500 kg, the sources said. It is mostly fired from mobile launchers. The Prithvi missile (from Sanskrit pṛthvī "Earth") is the tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. The Prithvi was India's first ingeniously developed ballistic missile. Development of the Prithvi began in 1983, and it was first test-fired on February 25, 1988. It has a range of up to 150 to 300 km. The land variant is called Prithvi while the naval operational variant of Prithvi I and Prithvi II class missiles are codenamed Dhanush (meaning Bow). Both variants are used for surface targets.The Prithvi is said to have its propulsion technology derived from the Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missile. Variants make use of either liquid or both liquid and solid fuels. Developed as a battlefield missile, it could carry a nuclear warhead in its role as a tactical nuclear weapon.Variants of PrithviThe Prithvi missile project encompassed developing three variants for use by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The initial project framework of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program outlines the variants in the following manner.* Prithvi I - Army Version (150km range with a payload of 1,000kg)* Prithvi II - Air Force Version (250km range with a payload of 500kg)* Prithvi III - Naval Version (350km range with a payload of 500kg)Over the years these specifications underwent a number of changes. While the codename Prithvi stands for any missile inducted by India into its armed forces in this category, the later developmental versions are codenamed as Prithvi II and Prithvi III. The induction of Prithvi I class of missiles happened in 1994 and the armed forces are in the process of inducting the extended range, Prithvi II class of missiles as of 2006.Prithvi IPrithvi I class was a single stage liquid-fuelled surface-to-surface missile having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 1000 kg, with a range of 150 km. It has an accuracy of 10 - 50 metres and can be launched from Transporter erector launchers. This class of Prithvi missile was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994.Prithvi IIPrithvi II class is also a single stage liquid-fuelled missile having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 1000kg, but with an extended range of 250 kilometres (155 statute miles). It was developed with the Indian Air Force being the primary user. It was first test-fired on January 27, 1996 and the development stages were completed in 2004. The Prithvi II class of missiles are in the process of induction by the Indian Airforce.Prithvi IIIPrithvi III class (codenamed Sagarika meaning Oceanic) is a two-stage surface-to-surface missile in the developmental stages. The first stage is solid fuelled with a 16 metric ton force (157 kN) thrust motor. The second stage is liquid fuelled. The missile can carry a 1000 kg warhead to a distance of 350 km and a 500 kg warhead to a distance of 600 kilometres and a 250 kilogram warhead up to a distance of 750 kilometres. The design is developed while keeping the navy in mind.Sagarika will be a nuclear-capable, cruise missile, capable of being mounted in ships or submarines. Considering the upward capability developments, Prithvi class of missiles could be reclassified from short-range ballistic missile to a medium range ballistic missile. The current codename of the operational variant Dhanush could pave way for the new codename Sagarika as Sagarika becomes operational. Dhanush was successfully tested on March 30, 2007. Sagarika will be inducted into the Advanced Technology Vessel being developed for Indian Navy.There were a number of shortcoming in the initial version of Prithvi missiles namely, High circular error probability (CEP) of around 500 meters and volatility of the liquid-fuelled propulsion system requiring fuelling only just before launching. These shortcomings are being overcome in the latest developmental versions by incorporating of global positioning system (GPS) into the missiles to reduce the CEP to as low as 75 meters and use of solid fuel in the propulsion system.

India, Sweden To Co-operate in Defense, Energy Sectors

2007-05-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

India, Sweden To Co-operate in Defense, Energy Sectors

India and Sweden have decided to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas ranging from defence to energy. The decision was made today during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and visiting Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.According to sources, leading a five-member delegation, including a Swedish Colonel, Bildt is here to bolster Stockholm’s chances in the defence deals—the Swedish SWS Bofors 155 mm .52 calibre guns for the Army and the JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft by Saab Avionics for the IAF.As part of its modernisation and upgradation programme in the 11th Plan, the Army had tendered for 400 towed guns. Mobility tests conducted in different theatres and weather conditions clearly made Bofors emerge as a single vendor in the towed category tests using standard ammunition. The Army is said to have asked for validation tests using non-standard ammunition as both Bofors and Soltam floundered in the tests conducted using non-standard ammunition.The 400 guns will equip 20 odd artillery regiments of the Army, which are currently using the vintage 130mm and 155mm with .39 calibre guns. As for the IAF’s contract for the 126 multi-role combat aircraft, Saab’s Gripen competes with Russia’s Rosoboronexport, the European consortium EADS, American firms Boeing and Lockheed-Martin and France’s Dassault. The request for proposal for the contract is in its final stages of being fine-tuned and is expected to be out by the end of this month. Mukherjee briefed the Swedish Minister on India’s desire to increase and diversify its sources of energy so that India can continue to grow at 9-10 per cent in the future. “The Indo-US negotiations on the civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement came up for discussion,” said the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.Sweden is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. “Sweden said that they are watching the negotiations between India and the US and would be taking their decisions after that. They understand India’s concerns and needs for energy,” the spokesperson added.

Bangladesh to crackdown on Indian militants

2007-04-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh to crackdown on Indian militants
Agartala, April 26 : Bangladesh has assured New Delhi that it would not allow Indian separatists to use its territory to carry out anti-India activities, said an Indian official."The BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) assured us that no Indian separatist would be allowed to operate from their soil," said P.K. Mishra, inspector general of the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Assam-Meghalaya frontier.Mishra was speaking to journalists late Wednesday at Belonia, 120 km south of the Tripura state capital Agartala, after returning from a four-day biannual border coordination meeting at Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh with his BDR counterparts. "We have asked them to take strong action against Indian separatists and destroy 176 camps and hideouts located inside Bangladesh," the BSF commander said. "BDR has launched a crackdown against Indian militants in Bangladesh. They (BDR) had never before been so cooperative and transparent," Mishra said. He headed a 15-member BSF delegation to the meeting with BDR deputy director general S.M. Golam Rabbani leading the Bangladeshi side."A list of 72 wanted Indian insurgent leaders and 79 sympathisers residing in Bangladesh were also handed over to the BDR delegation for taking immediate appropriate action," the BSF official said. Frontier guards of the two countries agreed in the meeting to step up border patrolling and ensure more confidence building measures (CBMs) and share information about insurgents and criminals. Mishra, however, said border fencing works could not be completed in 235 patches along the border with Tripura, Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya following objection by the BDR."Due to terrain problems and markets and government establishments falling within the 150 yards from the border, fencing had to be constructed close to the border lines. We have convinced the BDR that the fencing is not a defence protection, it is only to curb movement of militants and criminals and check infiltration." Regarding illegal cultivation of Indian land by Bangladeshi nationals at Harinagar and Kinokhal of Silchar in Assam, BDR was requested to instruct Bangladesh farmers not to forcibly enter Indian territory."The leader of the BDR delegation made a mention of killing of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals by BSF and Indian nationals," the official said. BDR also requested the BSF delegation to allow Bangladeshi officers get specialised training in India

Agni III adds teeth to India’s N-deterrence

2007-04-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

Agni III adds teeth to India’s N-deterrence

The nuclear-capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Agni III, with a range of over 3,000 km, was successfully test-fired on Thursday from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at the Wheeler Islands in Orissa. At 10.52 am, the surface-to-surface missile blasted off from a fixed platform with the help of an auto-launcher and soared vertically into the sky in keeping with its pre-determined path.
A defence ministry spokesman said the 15-minute flight path had validated all mission objectives. The flight was tracked from ground stations at Dhamra, ITR in Balasore, Port Blair and two Indian naval ships. The 16-metre long missile, which weighs 48 tonnes, is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.
Overcoming its "self-imposed restraint," India had test-fired Agni III for the first time on July 9, 2006, but the missile developed a snag and fell into sea. Its second stage had failed to ignite and separate due to "design and material fault."
The successful test has put India’s credible minimum deterrence on a firm footing, as no missile in the Indian arsenal had the range to strike targets in east Chinese city such as Beijing and Shanghai. It also marks the next stage in the natural progression towards the development of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which will propel India into the big league of nuclear weapon states.
Agni’s earlier variants, the 700-km Pakistan specific Agni I and the 2,000-km range Agni II, are operational and have been inducted into the armed forces. However, Agni II does not offer credible deterrence against China as it can hit targets only in western China. Strategic analysts said India should increase the frequency of testing to establish the reliability of weapon systems.
The ground range instrumentation at the ITR and the radar gave a perfect evaluation of the missile flight-testing against pre-determined parameters.

Antony likely to visit Singapore in May

2007-04-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

Antony likely to visit Singapore in May

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony is likely to visit Singapore next month, the first time he will be travelling abroad after assuming office six months ago.During the visit, Antony is likely to hold discussions on concluding a memorandum of understanding - on ramping up military cooperation between the two countries.'The exact dates are yet to be finalised. An advance team is currently in Singapore for this purpose,' an official told IANS.'The visit is likely in the third week of May,' the official added.A Singapore defence officer also confirmed that Antony would be visiting the city-state.The biennial International Maritime Defence Exhibition - is to be held in Singapore May 15-19 but it was not immediately known whether Antony would attend.Two Indian Navy ships, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the guided missile corvette INS Kultar will participate in IMDEX to showcase India's shipbuilding capabilities. The two ships are part of a five-vessel Indian Navy flotilla that conducted a joint drill with the Singapore Navy last month.Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and his counterparts from 22 nations will attend IMDEX-2007.India and Singapore have been conducting joint naval exercises for the past 12 years. In 2005, they held their first joint army and air force exercises with the Indian Army.The month-long drill conducted in India involved some 500 Singapore soldiers and half-a-dozen F-16 fighters of its air force.Singapore hopes this cooperation can be institutionalised through an MoU - and India has indicated its willingness for this.'New areas of defence cooperation, including joint training facilities are emerging and supplementing existing cooperation between India and Singapore in the naval, maritime and counter-terrorism spheres,' Pranab Mukherjee, the then Indian defence minister, had said while addressing the annual security conference of Singapore's International Institute for Strategic Studies - last year.

BrahMos `sub' test likely from Vizag next month

2007-04-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

BrahMos `sub' test likely from Vizag next month

BALASORE: After the successful test-firing of the `Army' version of surface-to-surface missile BrahMos, Defence scientists are planning to conduct the first-ever test of its submarine version shortly.According to a top Defence scientist, the success of the test will be a watershed in Indian Defence programme. “The submarine version of BrahMos is ready to be tested, but we are actually waiting for the platform,” A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace Limited, said.Pillai was here to witness the successful test of the Army version of the supersonic cruise missile.Reliable source told this paper that the missile would be tested as early as next month from Visakhapatnam. Scientists are on a high after tasting success in the test-firing of `Asta' and Dhanush missiles in March and April. While the test of Astra missile in two rounds had successfully met all mission parameters, the successful trial of Dhanush from a naval ship was a great experience for the scientists.India's most powerful intermediate range Agni-III missile also was successfully tested earlier this month.The sources said BrahMos Aerospace has already started talks with Indian Navy to get a kilo-class submarine on loan to launch the missile from under the sea. “The submarine variants alternatively could be tested in Russian waters from a Russian submarine,” sources revealed.For the air-launch version, the missile would be integrated with Sukhoi MKI multi-role fighter aircraft. BrahMos is currently being configured for aerial deployment with the Su-30 MKI as its carrier.The air-launch version has a smaller booster and additional tail-fins for stability during launch.Sources further said the missile had already been inducted into the Navy. After the Navy, which has procured the missile for its warships, the Army will be the second major customer to add the missile to its arsenal.“The BrahMos, with a range of 290 km and Mach 3 speed, will be inducted into the Army this year,” Pillai said. “We are going to deliver the missile to the Army this year as orders have been placed with us,” the CEO said.Many countries have also evinced interest in the missile, which has no equivalent in the world in terms of precision, speed and power, he added.

India, China To Hold Border Dispute Resolution Talks

2007-04-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

India, China To Hold Border Dispute Resolution Talks
India and China Friday held talks on a wide range of bilateral issues and will resume formal negotiations on resolving the border row in the serene environs of Coonoor in Tamil Nadu Saturday.Chinese Special Representative Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo -- Beijing's chief pointsman for the border talks with New Delhi -- met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday and discussed with them a wide swathe of bilateral and global issues.Discussions focused on deepening strategic ties and intensifying trade and investment with a view to achieving the bilateral trade target of $40 billion by 2010, official sources said. The two sides also discussed Manmohan Singh's visit to Beijing that likely in September. Dai met National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, India's Special Representative for border talks, who hosted lunch for him.Dai and Narayanan will head to the tranquil and picturesque Coonoor and the nearby Ooty botanical gardens Saturday for the 10th round of talks on resolving the boundary dispute that has shadowed ties between India and China for over four decades.Border talks between the Asian powers appear to be at an advanced stage and are now often held away from the din of the Indian capital. A brainchild of Narayanan, the two countries had earlier held border talks in the famed Kerala resort of Kumarakom and then again in the backdrop of the erotic temple sculptures of Khajuraho.Dai also met former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra who shepherded border talks when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in power. The two countries have recently stressed on 'greater vigour and innovativeness' in resolving the boundary question which they declared the chief strategic objective of their burgeoning relations.The focus of the talks will be on clinching a framework agreement as a prelude to a final package deal to resolve this contentious issue. The two special representatives last met here in January and decided to continue their talks based on guiding principles and political parameters for resolving the boundary dispute finalised during the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in 2005.

INS Rana, INS Ranjit Call On Qingdao Port in China

2007-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

INS Rana, INS Ranjit Call On Qingdao Port in China

IN Ships Rana and Ranjit under the command of Capt LV Sarat Babu and Captain DM Sudan respectively, visited Qingdao from 12 to 15 Apr 07 during the course of the ships Overseas Deployment (RAJDOOT 01/07) to the North Pacific Region.The ships visit to Qingdao, China coincided with the concurrent visit of INS Mysore, Jyoti and Kuthar under the operational command of Rear Admiral Ravinder Kumar Dhowan, AVSM, YSM to Yokosuka, Japan.On arrival at Qingdao harbour the ships were welcomed by Her Excellency Mrs Nirupama Rao, Ambassadress of India to China, Vice Admiral R P Suthan, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and Rear Admiral Su Shiliang, Commander North Sea Fleet (NSF) of PLA Navy. A first day postal cover commemorating the first visit of Indian Naval ships to Qingdao was also released on this occasion.During the welcome address Rear Admiral Su Shiliang, Commander North Sea Fleet and H.E. Mrs Nirupama Rao, Ambassadress of India highlighted the strategic significance of Indo-China relations. These views were echoed during the formal interaction between Vice Admiral RP Suthan, Rear Admiral Shu Shiliang and the Commanding Officers of the Indian Naval ships.The Navys' role in the expanding military / diplomatic ties as well as 'Building Bridges of Freindship' between India and China was clearly evident during the ships stay in Qingdao. A reception was hosted for the PLA Navy officers and Defence Attaches of Australia, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, Japan, France and the US on board Rana on 13 Apr.Concurrently the ships were opened for visitors. Prominent amongst those who visited the ship included the small, fledgling yet proud and reassured members of the Indian business community in Qingdao. Additionally, the response of the local populace was overwhelming. The enthusiasm and genuine happiness of these people helped breach the strong language barrier.Further consolidating on the 'Bridges of Friendship' construct, a band concert by the Indian Naval Band was conducted at 'May 4th Square'. The Naval band enthralled the audience, of more than over 2000, in a programme that lasted over two hours. Adulation was readily apparent in enthusiastic crowd participation and requests for encores.The ships departed Qingdao at 0830 hrs on 16 Apr 07 and were led out of harbour by PLAN ship Qingdao. During the passage the ships undertook basic communication and maneuvering exercises. The PASSEX concluded with a steampast by the IN ships wherein IN - PLAN personnel manned respective ship sides.

Germany Pushes For Greater Defence Trade with India

2007-04-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

Germany Pushes For Greater Defence Trade with India

Germany on Friday assured India that it will be an open and reliable partner in all areas of defence cooperation and offered technology transfer and joint production of hi-tech weapon systems.The assurance was given by Germany's Federal State Secretary for Defence Peter Eickenboom during the first Indo-German High Defence Committee meeting in New Delhi.The assurance by Germany assumes significance as timely supply of weapon systems and spares have in the past clouded India's defence cooperation with some countries.While India has big arms trade with countries like France and the United Kingdom, defence cooperation with Germany has been lacking in recent years.Among the technologies, German technology is superior in submarine and heavy artillery guns.Eickenboom assured India transfer of technology in armament procurement and joint development of armament platforms wherever possible, an official release said.The two sides agreed to increase defence cooperation in a number of areas including exchange of expertise in peace-keeping operations and exchange of experience in disaster management.Eickenboom also said that Germany shared India's security perspectives and recognised the growing importance of New Delhi in regional stability and peace, the release said."Germany has also assured India that it will be an open and reliable partner in all areas of defence cooperation", it said.This was the first meeting at the level of Defence Secretary after the signing of bilateral defence agreement between the two sides in September last year during the visit of the then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Germany.The Indian side at the talks was led by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt.

Air Force Performs Breathtaking Manoeuvres At Air Display In Chennai

2007-04-23T03:56:00.000-07:00

Air Force Performs Breathtaking Manoeuvres At Air Display In Chennai

In a scintillating display of manoeuvres, the steel birds possessed by the Indian Air Force treated the family members of airmen and other employees of IAF to a visual feast, at the IAF base near Chennai.As a precursor to the public show here at the marina beach on Sunday, the pilots and other performers warmed themselves up, before a select audience and displayed the skills of flying, marked by precision and controlled by coordination.Aerobatics by the HPT-32 alias Deepak, the mighty jaguar which went air-borne from Bangalore, the dare-devil Sarang helicopter team and a rifle drill by the air warriors were part of the itinerary.The much-awaited Sarang team of choppers, an elite possession of display machines of the IAF, enthralled the audience with their stunts, flying at a height of 20 metres above the ground.However, it was the Suryakiran aerobatic team which turned out to be a big hit with the crowd. Nine Kiran MKII craft delighted the crowd with their manoeuvres, painting the skies with the tricolour or creating the rising sun image using smoke trails.The show culminated with the para-jumpers of the Akash Ganga team descending from an mi-8 chopper, at 7,000 feet, to a smooth touch down.Organised as part of the IAF's platinum jubilee celebrations, the event was an invitation for the youth to join the IAF, a top official told reporters after the event.Air Commodore MS Ahluwalia, Air-Officer-Commanding, IAF, Tambaram, described the show spectacular.

BrahMos Cruise Missile Test Fired From Mobile Launcher

2007-04-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

BrahMos Cruise Missile Test Fired From Mobile Launcher

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, was successfully tested from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here today.Fired from a mobile launcher at the ITR, 15 km from here, at 11.21 am, the sleek missile met all mission parameters, defence sources said. This was the 14th launch of the missile, which has a range of 290 km. It has also been tested from a naval destroyer in the past.Taking off vertically from launch pad three of the ITR, BrahMos followed its predetermined course, leaving a trail of thick white smoke, the sources said. After the sophisticated missile blasted off from the launcher, its trajectory was tracked by ground instruments and radars for detailed analysis, they said.BrahMos was developed under an Indo-Russian Joint Venture programme following an agreement signed by the two countries on February 12, 1998. The name BrahMos is derived from the names of the two great rivers of India and Russia -- the Brahmaputra and Moskva -- and the missile is jointly produced by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia under the project codenamed PJ-10.Top missile scientist Sivathanu Pillai, the CEO of BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd, and about 30 Russian scientists were present during today's launch of the missile in fine weather. BrahMos was fired for the first time on June 12, 2001 while the last trial was conducted on February 4 from the ITR. The two-stage BrahMos is powered with a solid propellant booster and a liquid propellant ramjet system.The eight-metre sleek missile weighing three tonnes has been configured so that it can be launched from the ground, ships, submarines and aircraft.

Armed Forces Seek 300 to 400 percent pay hike for soldiers

2007-04-23T03:50:00.000-07:00

Armed Forces Seek 300 to 400 percent pay hike for soldiers

According to television news channel 'Times Now', the Indian Army is lobbying for a 400% pay hike to the Sri Krishna Sixth Pay Commission. The armed forces - Army, Navy and Air force - have put together a presentation for him, asking for a huge raise. The presentation will be given to justice Sri Krishna who heads the 6th Pay Commission. Here is a brief list of the recommendations:▪ A 300-400 per cent rise in basic pay - 400 per cent more than the current basic, and two and a half times more than basic plus Daily Allowance (DA). ▪ Something called Military Service Pay to compensate the X factor – especially the dangerous nature of the job, staying away from family, and frequent shifts. Across the board, armed forces personnel have demanded a 40 to 50 per cent hike of basic salary. ▪ The forces also want an Incentive Pay, aimed at specialists like engineers and pilots who often quit the Army for better opportunities in the private sector. So, after 15 years, if armed forces officers want to stay on, they will get a year's basic salary extra. What these conditions aim to do is benefit 2 million officers and men of the armed forces and if implemented, could come as a godsend for millions of retired officers and men as pensions would also rise considerably. It will however be up to the Sri Krishna commission to look at the issue and decide on a special package. The Indian Army alone has over 1,300,000 active soldiers. A pay hike however is warranted considering the rising inflation over the past few years. Attractive salaries will also invite some of the countries brightest talent to serve in the Armed Forces.

Armed Forces Top Brass Structure Reforms: Draft Recommendation Submitted

2007-04-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

Armed Forces Top Brass Structure Reforms: Draft Recommendation Submitted

Television news channel 'Times Now' reports that the Indian Armed Forces is about to become "top heavy" with a general consensus to appoint 150 more generals, admirals and marshals to the three services.Appointing 150 top officers would translate into a 40 per cent increase over the current force strength at senior levels. Under the plan, the army will get 95 more lieutenant and major generals, the navy 23 admirals and the air force 38 marshals.Though this is a proposal that was first tabled to then defence minister George Fernandes in May 2001, it has been delayed because the Army has serious differences with the Navy and Air Force regarding the exact numbers.The Army felt the Navy and Air Force were getting far too many admirals and marshals considering their smaller size. The issue was also discussed by the three chiefs from 2005 but without much success back then.However the issue seems to have been resolved and the three services have now jointly submitted their proposals with their different views to the government. A cabinet note was forwarded to the defence (finance) authorities earlier this year, but the government is yet to make up its mind.

US says no to changing its laws for N-deal with India

2007-04-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

US says no to changing its laws for N-deal with India

WASHINGTON: Expressing frustration over the slow pace of negotiations on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, the Bush administration, however, has made it clear that some of the things insisted upon by India require changing American laws which cannot be accommodated. "Fair to say that there's probably some frustration on the part of the administration as well as the Congress on the pace of these negotiations," State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters here. His comments assume significance as they came days ahead of a scheduled visit of Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon on April 30 and May one to Washington followed by a visit of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns to India in May to speed up the negotiations. Replying to a query on Burns' visit, he said "Nobody's questioning the Indian government's goodwill and good faith in this regard. And it's a useful opportunity to bump up the level of discussions to take stock of where we are right now, so you have essentially a political-level discussion, as opposed to just the experts-level discussion. And they're going to explore ways that we can energise the discussions so that we can get this done." "We still have faith that we're going to be able to get this agreement done, and we believe that the Indian government is committed to that. But we're at a stage in these particular negotiations where we think we need to raise the level of dialogue to a political level in order to move it forward," McCormack added, making the point that he will not go to the extent of saying that all hope is lost.

US frustrated on India nuclear deal

2007-04-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

US frustrated on India nuclear deal

WASHINGTON: The United States said on Friday it was frustrated at the pace of negotiations with India on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and will try to break the impasse in talks next week. US and Indian negotiators are trying to complete an agreement affirming landmark political commitments announced by the two governments in 2005 and 2006 that would let India buy US nuclear fuel and reactors for the first time in 30 years. But New Delhi has balked at provisions Washington considers essential, including a US legal requirement that it halt nuclear cooperation if India tests another nuclear weapon, US officials have said. "There is frustration," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will discuss the matter in Washington on Monday and Tuesday, he said. "They're going to explore ways that we can energize the discussions so that we can get this done," McCormack added, saying the State Department believed the agreement will ultimately be carried through. While he declined to go into detail about the differences, McCormack said India had asked the United States to change some of its laws, something he ruled out. The deal aims to overturn a three-decade ban on nuclear trade between the countries and help India meet its soaring energy needs even though New Delhi has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has tested nuclear weapons. The pact was approved by the US Congress in December but the countries have since struggled to negotiate a bilateral agreement that lays down the terms of nuclear trade. Apart from the restrictions resulting from another nuclear test, US officials have said India has rejected several other constraints, including US control over the use India makes of uranium or reactor fuel supplied by the United States.

After Bofors, India is set to lose urea scam money

2007-04-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

After Bofors, India is set to lose urea scam money

NEW DELHI: After losing Bofors kickback money in the UK, the CBI now looks set to lose the Rs 133 crore spirited away by the urea scam accused. Thanks to an ingenious ploy by the accused, who listed a dead man as a defence witness causing inordinate delay in completing the trial, a Swiss court has ordered unfreezing of the account holding the money since 1996. The urea scam, perhaps the most sensational of many which tainted the legacy of former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, involved the payment of Rs 133 crore to a Turkish firm, Karsan Ltd, even when it did not deliver a single bag of the fertiliser it was contracted to supply. The accused, who exploited the greed of public officials to pull off the daring swindle, have now taken recourse to a shrewd strategem to access the money. V M Setrovich, cited as one of the defence witnesses for the foreign accused — Turkish nationals Cihan Karanci and Tunkay Alankus and Brazilian Agnaldo Pinto — passed away in 1998. The fact of his death was, however, kept under wraps, with the accused even organising a fax to be sent from Russia to the trial court in India on his behalf. In the letter purportedly from Setrovich , the witness expressed his willingness to come from Russia and take the stand. While the deception was eventually found out, the ploy delayed the trial — and it was invoked by the accused to seek unfreezing of the account

India, New Zealand to initiate free trade pact

2007-04-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

India, New Zealand to initiate free trade pact

India and New Zealand have initiated steps to ink a free trade agreement (FTA) but it could be a while before this becomes a reality.
"We have agreed to a study on eventually concluding a FTA. This study will go into issues like how each side can benefit from such an agreement," New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff told the agency.
He was speaking after a meeting with Indian Trade and Commerce Minister Kamal Nath.
"We should be able to launch this study by the end of the year. It will lay down the terms of reference for further negotiations. Based on this, we will proceed ahead," added Goff, who also holds the portfolios of defence and disarmament and is also the associate minister for finance.
Geoff was here over the weekend on a two-day visit during which he also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister AK Antony, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.
The minister hoped for greater inflows of tourists and students into his country of four million. New Zealand is home to 105,000 Indians.
India currently has a trade imbalance with New Zealand, with exports of $250 million and imports of $355 million.
"Given our enormous commonalities of democracies and a common language, there is enormous potential for further growth. Our combined trade is only half-a-million dollars compared to $7 billion with China, with which we have very little in common," Goff pointed out.
Food and beverages, commodities like coal and timber and agricultural technologies, as also tourism, were the key areas in which the two countries could improve their interaction, the minister said.
Speaking about the need to reduce trade barriers, Goff pointed out that a bottle of wine that cost $10 in New Zealand attracted customs duties of between 100 and 560 percent in India.
This apart, New Delhi's law relating to the import of agricultural and dairy products and also meats "are far above international standards and need to be lowered", the minister contended.
"Take apples. They attract 50 percent customs duty when we have two growing seasons and we are not in competition with your local produce. I think Indians are well entitled to our very delicious apples!
"In my interaction with (Kamal) Nath, I stressed the need to bring these down to realise the full potential of our economic ties and he promised to examine the issue. It was in this context that we agreed to a study on the feasibility of an FTA," the minister stated.
Speaking about New Zealand's tourism potential, Goff said some 20,000 Indians visited his country but many more could do so.
"Air New Zealand (the country's flag carrier) has shown interest in initially starting a weekly flight out of Mumbai. We hope Air India will also show similar interest," he stated.
On the academic front, some 3,000 Indians are currently enrolled in New Zealand universities where they receive scholarships amounting to 3/4ths of the annual tuition fees - the same as what natives get.
"We are home to three of the top 100 universities in the world. We are a safe, friendly and environmentally conscious country. We hope to see more students and tourists in New Zealand," the minister said.

India test fires supersonic cruise missile

2007-04-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

India test fires supersonic cruise missile
BHUBANESWAR, April 22: India on Sunday successfully tested a surface-to-surface version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile developed jointly with Russia, official sources said.“Sunday's test was just routine. A user trial,” a defence official said. The missile was last successfully tested on February 4.The missile was fired from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, 200 kilometres (125 miles) northeast of Bhubaneswar, official sources said.First tested in June 2001, the missile named after India's Brahmaputra River and Russia's Moskva River has a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles) and can carry a 300-kilogram (660 pound) conventional warhead.The eight-metre (26-foot) missile weighs about three metric tonnes and can be launched from land, ships, submarines or aircraft, travelling at a speed of up to Mach 2.8.Sunday's test came just 10 days after India successfully tested the Agni-III, an intermediate-range missile that for the first time gives New Delhi a device capable of hitting targets inside China, including capital Beijing.The Indian army is set to start deploying the missile this year, the CEO of its manufacturer BrahMos Aerospace A. Sivathanu Pillai said last month.A version of the BrahMos is already used by the Indian navy.Defence sources said India and Russia are now working towards developing a hypersonic missile, a more advanced version of the BrahMos. —AFP

Developing ICBMs ‘unsuited for India’s interests’ in the world

2007-04-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

Developing ICBMs ‘unsuited for India’s interests’ in the world
* Defence organisation plans to build an ICBM with a range of 15,000 kilometres to match Chinese ICBMsNEW DELHI: Buoyed by the successful test of a missile that can hit China, India says it can extend its nuclear range beyond Asia, but experts say it is unlikely to take such a step for fear of upsetting the West.The launch on Thursday of the intermediate-range Agni-III missile capped New Delhi’s drive to produce a device capable of striking targets 3,500 kilometres inside China, which has an unresolved border dispute with India. The government’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) now says it now has the technology to build Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) that would extend nuclear-armed India’s reach beyond Asia.“We have achieved the capability to make missiles with a range of 5,500 kilometres but the decision to develop an ICBM has to be taken by the political leadership,” DRDO chief M Natarajan told reporters in New Delhi on Friday. Natarajan, India’s chief military scientist, said a day after the Agni-III’s test flight that the DRDO, which launched India’s guided missile development project in 1983, had already begun to design an ICBM.“DRDO scientists are working on miniaturising systems of Agni-III so that a third stage can be squeezed into the 16-metre-long missile to enable it to go up to 5,500 kilometres with the same 1.5-tonne payload,” he said.Agni-III project chief Avinash Chander told AFP that a second test of the intermediate-range missile would take place either in August or October. DRDO sources said the agency, which is also jointly developing a supersonic cruise missile with Russia, would seek New Delhi’s clearance before it actually began building an ICBM prototype after the second Agni-III test.India started working secretly on nuclear weapons after China conducted its first atomic test in 1964 - two years after Beijing fought a brief but bloody border war with its neighbour. New Delhi detonated its first atom bomb in 1974 and, 24 years later, declared itself a full-fledged nuclear weapons state following a series of tests including that of a 46-megatonne-yield thermo-nuclear device.Former DRDO chief K Santhanam said while India was capable of building an ICBM, production of one “would unnecessarily affect ties” between India and the United States, which in 2005 agreed on a historic civilian nuclear energy deal.“Even in its wildest dreams, India does not plan to be a global superpower but in the regional perspective a 3,500-plus-kilometre range IRBM is enough to deter adventurism from across our two borders,” Santhanam said, referring to Pakistan and China.Since the subcontinent’s 1947 independence, India has fought three wars with Pakistan, which declared itself a nuclear weapons state after carrying out copycat tests in 1998.“Given our robust economic growth, resurgent markets and our nuclear-tipped stockpile of (1,000-kilometre-range) Agni-Is and (2,000-kilometre) Agni-IIs, we should be satisfied as a leading regional power,” Santhanam said.Kapil Kak, director of the independent Centre for Strategic Studies think-tank, agreed.“Given the international security situation and emerging power configurations, a programme to develop ICBMs is definitely unsuited for India’s interests,” he said.“It would raise hackles in the US,” said Kak, a former air marshal.Sources say the DRDO’s most treasured dream - denied in public - remains the development of an ICBM with a range of 15,000 kilometres, already christened Surya or sun, to match Chinese DF-3 ICBMs that can hit US cities. afp

India to further boost missile shooting power

2007-04-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

India to further boost missile shooting power

NEW DELHI: After testing the Agni-III missile last week, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is now gearing up for the second test of its fledgling ballistic missile defence (BMD) system. DRDO officials said the BMD system test to be held in May-June will be that of an "endo-atmospheric interceptor missile" this time, on the lines of the US Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system. "We intend to shoot down an incoming ballistic missile with the endo-atmospheric missile at about 30-km altitude," said an official. The first test of the proposed two-tier BMD system took place on November 27 last year when an "exo-atmospheric" hypersonic interceptor missile was used to destroy an incoming Prithvi missile at an altitude of 50-km. The "endo-atmospheric" test is needed since a BMD system to be effective must be capable of targeting hostile missiles both inside (endo) or outside (exo) the Earth's atmosphere. "The exo-atmospheric interceptor missile was designed by taking Prithvi's propulsion system and adding a second stage to it to ensure it could go up to a height of 90-km," said an official. "The endo-atmospheric missile, in turn, has been developed to engage targets at about 30-km. After its test, we will test both exo and endo together. The BMD system will have to be tested for a variety of flight envelopes," he added. That India needs a multi-layered missile defence system with an overlapping network of early-warning sensors, command posts and anti-missile land and sea-based missile batteries to tackle both ballistic and cruise missiles is a no-brainer. Pakistan, for instance, is surging ahead with its 'Ghauri' and 'Shaheen' ballistic missiles as well as the 'Babur' land-attack cruise missile. It will, however, take at least five years for DRDO's BMD system, or even a medium range surface-to-air missile system (MRSAM), to become operationally ready. India has been discussing missile defence with both US and Israel for the past few years. With the US keen to sell the PAC-3 system to India, the first meeting of Indo-US defence Joint Working Group on April 10 saw the two sides talk missile defence yet again. Interestingly, the crucial long-range tracking radar used in the "exo-atmospheric" BMD system test was based on two Israeli Green Pine early-warning and fire control radars imported by India in 2001-02. An integral part of the Israeli Arrow-2 BMD system, Green Pine radars can detect incoming missiles up to 500-km away and guide interceptor missiles to them accurately. A ballistic missile can be targeted at all the three points in its trajectory boost or launch phase, mid-course in space or terminal phase during atmospheric descent. While the PAC-3 system intercepts hostile missiles in the lower atmosphere, the Arrow-2 system destroys them in stratosphere. DRDO, on its part, is designing the BMD system to intercept an incoming missile at both the "second mid-course and terminal phases", with a "very high" kill probability. "The aim is to first engage in exo and then whatever remains, in endo," the official said.