http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141124/nation.htm#4
Army gets new system to train shooters
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News
Service
Chandigarh,
November 23
The Army has got a
new indigenously developed system to train shooters in firing small arms. The
new system does away with the manual, time consuming method of determining the
accuracy of shots.
Christened Dhvani,
the target training system, has been developed by the National Aerospace
Laboratories for accurately determining the location of bullet impact and
providing real-time feedback to the shooter. It has undergone field trials at
Army ranges in Bengaluru, Secunderabad and the Infantry School, Mhow.
The manual system
currently used by the Army involves the marksman firing shots at the target and
subsequently walking up to the target (up to 300 metre) and identifying whether
the shots were a hit or a miss. This required not only high turnaround times
but was also inconsistent, unreliable, inaccurate and subjective.
Furthermore, the
marksmanship training systems available from foreign sources are mostly based
on old technology of 1980s, which also have exorbitant cost of ownership as
they are not customised for the Indian environment and necessitate expensive
after-sales service.
Dhvani is tailor
made to meet the requirements of the Army at a cost lower by 40 per cent of the
cost of similar systems available elsewhere in the world, an official statement
has claimed. The whole process from firing a shot to displaying of results at
the shooter end takes less than half a millisecond. At the shooter end, a
multi-functional interactive software on a laptop displays the results. A
comprehensive database containing personnel details, shots fired and
performance statistics ensures comprehensive logging for later analysis is also
possible.
The system is
based on basic principles of gas dynamics and aero-acoustics. The point of
impact of the bullet is determined accurately by using an array of sensors to
record acoustic pressure rise due to the passing shock from bullet.
Real-time feedback
for shooter
Christened Dhvani, the target training
system, has been developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories to accurately
determine the location of bullet impact and provide real-time feedback to the
shooter
It has undergone field trials at Army
ranges in Bengaluru, Secunderabad and the Infantry School, Mhow
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141124/nation.htm#11
Parrikar for zero tolerance to lapses in
coastal security
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News
Service
New Delhi,
November 23
Backed by credible
inputs of China widening its arch of influence in the Indian Ocean, Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar today asked the Indian Navy to ensure that
‘neighbours’ – an obvious reference to China — do not encroach upon our
interests.
He also called for
zero tolerance to error in the coastal security network and admitted that the
surveillance network still has gaps which needed to be plugged.
Parrikar was
referring to the gaps despite the high technology. Primarily, 30,000-odd small
fishing boats, which are less than 20 metres in length or less than 300 tonnes,
do not have automated identification system (AIS) and emit no signal for Navy
ships and shore-based controllers to identify them at sea. Finding and locating
the rogue among such boats is a challenge.
Parrikar's remarks
came at the inauguration of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard’s Information
Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) at Gurgaon.
Though he did not name
China, the Defence Minister made it clear where he was pointing a finger at.
“Some of our neighbours were trying to get their navies in the Indian Ocean and
the Indian Navy must be watchful of their activities… we have to protect our
interests in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)”. The EEZ extends to 200 miles
from the coast.
“We do not want to be
offensive but we must be strong enough to deter our enemies from casting an
evil eye upon us”, he said explaining the Indian stance. People’s Liberation
Army (Navy) of China has been using its fleet of 60-odd submarines to silently
patrol the Indian Ocean.
The IMAC will get real time
feed from locations of Indian interest. A special software will amalgamate
information from 46 coast based radars, sensors, high-resolution cameras, ship
based radars, air borne surveillance planes, satellites and UAVs.
Information will be assessed
and then passed on in real-time to 51 Naval and Coast Guard stations located
all along the 7,516 km-long coast line and the islands of Andaman Nicobar and
Lakshadweep.
The IMAC, a Rs 450 crore
network, is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communications and
Intelligence Network (NC3I Network).
A Mobile Satellite Services
(MSS) is being planned after pilot study by Navy. The Ministry of Shipping is
also conducting a pilot study on fitting the AIS on the fishing vessels of less
than 20 metres.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141124/nation.htm#12
Lankan navy arrests 14 TN fishermen
Rameswaram,
November 23
The Sri Lankan
navy today arrested 14 Tamil Nadu fishermen near Jaffna Peninsula on charges of
poaching in Sri Lankan waters. Fisheries Department assistant directors
Gopinath and Sekar said the fishermen belonged to Rameswaram and Jagadapattinam
in Pudukottai district.
They said three
boats of the fishermen had been seized. The fishermen had been taken to Karai
Nagar in Jaffna, they said. The arrest comes days after five Indian fishermen
on death row were released by the Sri Lankan Government. They were arrested in
Lankan waters in November 2011 on charges of drug trafficking.
A group of
fishermen were chased away by Lankan navy personnel while fishing in the Palk
Strait, officials said. The navy chased away more than 20 fishermen fishing
midsea near the maritime borders, officials and a fishermen association
functionary said.
Rameswaram
Fishermen Organisation chief S Emiret claimed the fishermen were not aware
whether the area was Indian or Sri Lankan. — PTI
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141124/nation.htm#13
Focus back on India-Pak ties as Modi readies
for SAARC meet
KV Prasad
Tribune News
Service
New Delhi,
November 23
Exactly six months
after welcoming leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Nepal to take part in the
eight-nation grouping that seeks to become a vehicle to transform relations
among its members in social, economic, scientific, technological and cultural
fields.
The 18th SAARC
meeting is underway in Kathmandu and Prime Minister Modi will be reaching there
on Tuesday for the November 26-27 summit meeting, six months to date when he
received the SAARC leaders here for the swearing-in of his government on May
26.
Yet, there is no
clarity on a possible PM Modi and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif meeting on the
sidelines, signalling a thaw in the India-Pakistan relations that turned frosty
after New Delhi cancelled the foreign secretary-level talks in August objecting
to the Islamabad envoy here meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders. Since then
border firing escalated even as many prominent citizens on either side have
been advocating that the dialogue process be restarted.
While announcing
that the Prime Minister is interested in having a meaningful dialogue with as
many South Asian leaders as possible in Kathmandu, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin
elaborated, “This would mean taking into account all aspects of relations. It
(fixing bilateral meetings) is a work in progress.”
However, in
response to a specific question whether Pakistan had sought any meeting, the
spokesperson said no such offer had been received. To another question on how
New Delhi views Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif urging US President Barak Obama
to take up the Kashmir issue with India, the spokesperson reiterated that the
bilateral dialogue would have to take place in the framework agreed under the
Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.
“There is a simple two-way
street to promote peaceful cooperation through meaningful bilateral dialogue.
Any deviation is not going to lead to a common destination”.
In response to a question on
PM’s visit to Nepal, he said during his last visit to Kathmandu, Prime Minister
had expressed a desire to visit Janakpur, Lumbini and Muktinath to highlight
strong civilisational links between the two countries. “There has been
widespread interest in Prime Minister’s schedule in the upcoming visit to Nepal
for the SAARC summit. Due to Prime Minister’s unavoidable domestic commitments
and pre-scheduled travels within the country, he will travel only to Kathmandu
to attend SAARC summit.
Will he meet Sharif?
There is no clarity on a possible PM Modi
and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif meeting on the sidelines
The India-Pakistan ties turned frosty after
New Delhi called off foreign secretary-level talks in August
MEA spokesperson said the PM was interested
in having meaningful dialogue with as many South Asian leaders as possible in
Kathmandu
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141124/edit.htm#5
AFSPA and internal
security
Army needs a legal
cover to carry out counter-insurgency operations
Gen V P Malik
(retd)
Last month three
significant incidents took place in the election-charged state of Jammu and
Kashmir, which could make policy-makers in New Delhi reflect once again on the
deployment of the army on internal security duty.
On the November 3
night an army patrol deployed on a checkpoint in Budgam district fired on a
Maruti 800 car in which five boys were travelling. This resulted in the
unfortunate death of two boys and injuries to three others. The injured boys
were evacuated to the army base hospital in Srinagar by the very patrol that
had fired on the car. According to some eyewitnesses, the car when stopped
skidded off the road. The army patrol version is that the car did not stop at
the checkpoint and tried to escape. The police registered a case of 'criminal
intent to kill'. The army, as it usually does in such incidents, ordered a
court of inquiry. Somewhat unusually, however, the Defence Minister and the
Northern Army Commander took responsibility for the incident, apologised and
promised to take action against the patrol. 53 Rashtriya Rifles, whose patrol
was deployed at the checkpoint, was moved out. It was replaced with another
battalion.
On November 12 a
General Court Martial brought the Machil incident to an end (pending approval
of the Army Commander) by recommending life sentence to army personnel,
including a Commanding Officer (Colonel) and a Captain, after finding them
guilty. These army personnel were involved in the killing of three civilians in
a fake encounter in Machil four years ago.
Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah called this decision as a ‘watershed moment’. A national daily
editoralised it as 'a glimmer of justice' and went on to ask many questions,
including “Is it (army) willing to accept the extent to which it has alienated
the people of Kashmir and work towards redressing the sense of injury?” Implied
in these statements is the accusation that (a) there is a widespread violation
of human rights which till now has been overlooked by the army, and (b) the
army is responsible for alienating the people of Kashmir.
No one can deny
that a few incidents of human rights violation (like Pathribal) continue to
rankle. But such a serious accusation does not take into account the regular
investigations and justice done by the army in human rights violations. Four
years ago, I was given statistics related to human rights violations between
1990 and August 2011 in 15 Corps Zone (J & K Valley) by the Army HQ. These
were (a) Total cases received and investigated — 1,485 (b) Cases proved false —
1,439 (c) Personnel punished in cases proved true — 96. These included four
officers cashiered and awarded rigorous imprisonment, 31 officers and other
personnel dismissed from service and awarded rigorous imprisonment, 17
personnel reduced to ranks and awarded rigorous imprisonment in military
custody, and the remaining (including 32 officers) awarded forfeiture of
service for promotion/severe reprimand/ severe displeasure and so on. The Army
HQ should make such information public from time to time. The fact is that the
army cannot compromise in its discipline or human rights violations.
Within days of the
Court Martial award in the Machil incident, Mr Chidambaram, who has been a
Cabinet minister in many governments, called the Armed Forces Special Powers
Act (AFSPA) ‘an obnoxious Act’. This has reignited misgivings, public anger and
resentment on the already demonised AFSPA at an inopportune moment.
By repealing AFSPA
we would be doing a great disservice to the army in the performance of its
internal security role, and thus to the nation. Demanding army personnel to
carry out counter-insurgency/ militancy /anti-terrorist operations without
adequate legal cover will result in frequent challenge or disobedience of
orders by subordinates and will make army operations in such circumstances
ineffective. According to the army leadership, its application needs to
continue because (a) the Pakistan army-aided proxy war with 30 to 40 active
militant training camps in Occupied Kashmir continues in J&K, and (b) the
army garrison/strategic assets spread all over J & K with logistic arteries
passing through population centres remain vulnerable.
These events when
looked at holistically lead to the macro-level question on the role of the army
in assisting the state governments in internal security duties.
The protracted and
excessive employment of the army leads to laws of diminishing returns. The
reasons are (a) over-dependence on the army reflects lack of trust and faith in
the capability of the state and central armed police and para-military forces
(b) after a while, locals start treating the army as another police force (c)
such deployments and prolonged duties have an adverse impact on the army's
discipline, morale and operational effectiveness, and (d) during a war/war-like
situation the army needs public support. It cannot afford to alienate the local
population.
In earlier days
when there were no insurgencies, no militancy and AFSPA, the army was not
allowed to be deployed for more than 10 days at a time. Any extension in its
deployment had to be approved by the Ministry of Defence.
The army now has
been deployed for internal security duties in J&K and the North-East for
decades. Despite an improvement in the security situation and the holding of
elections several times in these states, neither the civil administration nor
the army is prepared to take the risk of taking it off these duties or even
reducing its deployment. In 1993-94, after the security situation in Punjab
started improving, whenever we moved troops from internal security deployment
to the cantonments, the Chief Minister and the DGP would try and dissuade us
from doing so. Even army officers would protest sometimes. They had to be
convinced that internal security was only a temporary mission. Unless we fade
away when the situation has improved, the civil administration cannot assert
itself and bring about normalcy.
The fact is that
when large numbers of troops remain deployed for decades in such situations,
despite intense training and a stringent code of conduct, some aberrations are
bound to occur. Although most desirable, it is almost impossible to maintain a
zero error human rights track record in such deployments.
The army must not remain
deployed for decades and decades, as is happening currently. A reduction in the
army deployment would be possible if we can revamp our para-military, central
and state police forces: modernise them and improve their leadership, training
and man management. But whenever the army is deployed, even for short periods,
it will require a legal cover like AFSPA. The AFSPA contents, except for some
minor tweaking, should not be discarded.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141123/nation-current-affairs/article/defence-minister-manohar-parrikar-cleares-proposal
It’s boom time for
Army, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar okays big gun deal of Rs 15,750 crore
New Delhi: New
defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday cleared a huge proposal for
modernisation of the Army’s artillery arsenal with the proposed acquisition of
814 artillery guns (155 mm) worth Rs 15,750 crore.
This was done at a
meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Saturday morning and was Mr
Parrikar’s first meeting as head of the DAC. The Army has not acquired modern
artillery guns for more than 25 years since the Bofors guns in the late 1980s
and the decision reflects the resolve of the Modi government to fulfil its
promise of quick and transparent decisions on defence acquisitions.
Mr Parrikar also
decided that there could be even more than one DAC meeting every month, sources
said. The possible clearance for this proposal was reported first by Deccan
Chronicle on Saturday.
However, two
specific proposals before the DAC the proposed manufacturing of 56 transport
aircraft by Tata-Airbus to replace the IAF’s ageing Avro fleet and the proposed
acquisition of another 106 Swiss Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the IAF
were deferred since the government apparently “wants more information regarding
the proposals.”
Sources indicated
that these two proposals could come up at the next DAC meeting in December.
Meanwhile, the DAC also cleared the acquisition of integrated air command and
control systems for the IAF worth Rs 7,160 crore for integrating air and ground
sensors.
So far as the
acquisition of the 155 mm artillery guns is concerned, sources said these would
be mounted gun systems on heavy vehicles such as the Tatra trucks and were
meant for deployment on the plains.
A request for proposal
(RFP) had been mooted earlier but was scrapped. Sources said a fresh RFP will
be issued under the “buy and make (Indian)” category which essentially means
that an Indian company can enter into a joint venture with a foreign firm and
bid for the contract.
Of the 814
artillery guns, 100 would be acquired “off the shelf” from the original
manufacturer while the remaining 714 will be manufactured in India under
technology transfer.
http://www.businessinsider.in/Africas-Armies-Are-Going-On-A-Spending-Spree/articleshow/45251990.cms
Africa's Armies
Are Going On A Spending Spree
THE north-eastern
Nigerian town of Chibok is spared little. Earlier this year fighters from the
extremist group, Boko Haram, abducted more than 200 local schoolgirls. In the
past week insurgents and government troops have traded possession of urban
districts and surrounding farmland, leaving much of it burnt.
The Nigerian army,
one of the biggest in Africa, should have little difficulty scattering the
amateur jihadists. But its arsenal is decrepit and its troops poorly trained.
Hence the government's decision to spend $1 billion on new aircraft and
training, among other things. Critics question how much will go towards
appropriate kit (never mind how much gets stolen by corrupt generals) and
whether it is sensible to lavish resources on a force implicated in atrocities
and human-rights abuses.
These questions
resonate across Africa. Last year military spending there grew by 8.3%,
according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI),
faster than in other parts of the world (see chart). Two out of three African
countries have substantially increased military spending over the past decade;
the continent as a whole raised military expenditure by 65%, after it had stagnated
for the previous 15 years.
Angola's defence
budget increased by more than one-third in 2013, to $6 billion, overtaking
South Africa as the biggest spender in sub-Saharan Africa. Other countries with
rocketing defence budgets include Burkina Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe. The continent's biggest spender by far is Algeria, at $10
billion.
"Some
countries are buying really amazing stuff," says David Shinn, a former
American diplomat, now a professor at George Washington University. Ethiopia
last year took delivery of the first of about 200 Ukrainian T-72 tanks.
Neighbouring South Sudan has bought about half as many. Coastal states such as
Cameroon, Mozambique, Senegal and Tanzania are sprucing up their navies. Angola
has even looked at buying a used aircraft-carrier from Spain or Italy.
Chad and Uganda
are buying MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets. Cameroon and Ghana are importing
transport planes to boost their ability to move troops around and deploy them
abroad, which they have been ill-equipped to do. For peacekeeping duties they
generally ask friendly Western governments for help in airlifting troops, or
charter civilian planes.
Despite such
handicaps, many are participating in a growing number of African Union and UN
peacekeeping missions. Once rarely seen in blue helmets, sub-Saharan soldiers
are increasingly replacing troops from Europe and Asia. Ethiopians and Rwandans
have acquired a reputation as reliable peacekeepers, all the while benefiting
from training as well as from reimbursements for purchases of weapons. A new
"business model" for African defence ministries is taking shape.
Many African
armies are becoming more professional, too. Their troops are more often paid on
time, get decent food and go on regular leave, all of which boosts morale and
discipline. "Even small countries like Benin and Djibouti now field
respectable forces," says Alex Vines of Chatham House, a think-tank in
London.
A big issue is
whether troops have enough training to handle sophisticated new gear. Chad
makes good use of its Sukhoi SU-25 jets--with the help of mercenaries. On the
other hand, Congo-Brazzaville only manages to get its Mirage fighter jets into
the air for national-day celebrations. South Africa bought 26 Gripen combat
aircraft from Sweden but has mothballed half of them because of budget cuts.
Uganda spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Sukhoi SU-30 combat aircraft
but little on the precision weapons to go with them.
The reasons for
African governments to boost arms spending vary. High commodity prices over the
past decade (they are now falling) have filled the coffers of many. Some
leaders have been tempted to buy expensive arms to gain prestige. Other are
suspected of inflating deals to siphon off money for themselves.
Tanks for
everything
But some spending
is prompted by genuine security threats. The Sahel and parts of east Africa
face a range of extreme jihadists. Coastal states have seen piracy soar, most
recently in the west. Offshore discoveries of oil and gas have increased the
need for maritime security. More traditional threats, internal as well as
external, persist in countries such as South Sudan, where the government is
fighting rebels while also facing a hostile northern neighbour.
Industrial
ambition also plays a part. A number of countries hope to foster defence
manufacturing at home. A huge South African purchase of arms from, among
others, Germany and Britain, agreed to more than a decade ago, included
promises of "offsets" whereby local firms would help assemble jets
and ships. Angola plans to build its own warships. Nigeria and Sudan make
ammunition. Four European arms manufacturers set up African subsidiaries this
year: Antonov is going into Sudan; Eurocopter is in Kenya's capital, Nairobi;
Fincantieri, an Italian shipbuilder, is in the country's main port, Mombasa;
and Saab is setting up a plant for its military aircraft in Botswana.
These military
improvements carry risks. Ambitious officers may misinterpret new might for
political right--and may be tempted to seize power, as many have done before.
Sophisticated arms may also fall into the wrong hands; witness the array of
Libyan weapons that have fuelled conflicts across Africa, from Mali to the
Central African Republic, since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi.
These structural
changes to African armies may gradually alter the type of war that could be
fought on the continent. Since the anti-colonial guerrilla wars of the past
century, most African conflicts have been internal. Few countries previously
had the ability, let alone the inclination, to fight their neighbours. In the
late 1990s, several countries, including Angola and Zimbabwe, sent forces to
take part in Congo's civil war--to little avail. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought
each other in 1998-2000. Tanzania sent its army into Uganda, along with guerrillas
returning from exile, to overthrow Idi Amin in 1978. In general, however, few
disputes between African countries have been liable to spark wars. But the
build-up of beefier armies is bound to carry a risk.
http://www.asianage.com/india/army-gun-arsenal-be-revived-big-way-224
Army gun arsenal
to be revived in big way
The Modi
government is planning to modernise the Indian Army’s artillery gun arsenal in
a big way. Sources said the government could be considering acquisition of over
800 of the 155mm 52-calibre artillery guns at an estimated cost of Rs 15,750
crore.
The proposed
acquisition could come up before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) now
headed by new defence minister Manohar Parrikar at Saturday’s crucial meeting.
Most of the guns
are expected to be manufactured in India as part of the Modi government’s
strong push for indigenisation. The Indian Army has not acquired any new
artillery gun for over 25 years.
The DAC could also
consider a joint bid by Tata Sons and European manufacture Airbus to
manufacture 56 transport aircraft to replace the Avro fleet of the Indian Air
Force (IAF) at a possible cost of nearly Rs 12,000 crore.
The DAC could also
consider acquisition of an additional 106 Swiss Pilatus basic trainer aircraft
for the IAF at an estimated cost of about Rs 8,200 crore.
The government
could insist that most of these aircraft be manufactured in India after
transfer of technology from the Swiss firm. The IAF is thrilled so far at the
performance of the Pilatus aircraft which had been acquired earlier.
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