Indicia Knowledge Brief A Daily Assessment on Indian Defence and Internal/Homeland Security March 26, 2015. Primary aims of Indicia Daily Brief are two-fold. First, it distills infinite information into a capsule form, thus saving precious time of its clients. Second, it tries to link micro-events to larger strategic canvas through its analyses, thus providing support knowledge for better understanding and decision-making. Indicia Analysis of the Day The Indian Navy has rightly flagged concern over the deployment of a Chinese nuclear submarine for anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden that transited through waters close to India. The navy’s assessment is that probably a Shang-class Type T094 nuclear-powered boat, was capable of "profiling the coastline." The first two upgraded IAF Mirage 2000 combat jets were handed over to the Indian authorities at a ceremony at the Dassault Aviation Flight Test Centre at Istres in the south of France. In an important move, India, the top global arms importer, is in talks to export drones and spy equipment to the U.S. This has been held as a role reversal. I. National Defence and Security: Navy rings China nuclear sub alarm: The Indian Navy has flagged concern over the deployment of a Chinese nuclear submarine for anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden that transited through waters close to India. The navy has told the government that the submarine, probably a Shang-class Type T094 nuclear-powered boat, was capable of "profiling the coastline", a source in the Indian Navy has told The Telegraph. The SSN (sub-surface nuclear) attack submarine was deployed from December 13, 2014, to February 14, 2015. The deployment of the submarine that joined a Chinese task force of two frigates and a fleet supply ship just for counter-piracy does not make operational sense, the navy has pointed out. An SSBN (subsurface ballistic nuclear) submarine - that also forms part of the Chinese PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) fleet - transiting the same route as the SSN would have brought India within range of a missile, the navy reported to the government. An SSBN, unlike an SSN, is both nuclear-powered and equipped to launch nuclear-tipped missiles. The Chinese task force was also joined by a research vessel capable of bathymetric studies - mapping the depth of the ocean floors. The Indian Navy has told the government the Chinese may have been conducting hydrological studies in India's western seaboard. But the navy said it did not spot the Chinese boats in Indian territorial waters. The ships formed part of the Chinese PLAN flotilla called the 18th convoy fleet from its South Sea Fleet. The Indian Navy had been studying the Chinese counter-piracy deployment since 2008. Even the US Navy - the largest expeditionary force of its kind in the world was impressed by the PLAN's deployment. The Indian Navy has now responded by prolonging the deployment of its own frigates in counter-piracy patrols. While the practice was to recall each ship after a month's deployment, the navy has now prolonged the deployment of its warships to three months. Nuclearpowered submarines are capable of staying submerged for much longer periods than conventional diesel-electric submarines that have to surface every two or three days to recharge batteries. The longer a submarine remains underwater, the more undetectable it is. The deployment of the Chinese SSN submarine followed objections from India after a Chinese conventional submarine had docked in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, in September last year. India views Sri Lanka as a strategic partner and it's support to a Chinese military asset was frowned-upon by New Delhi. PLAN's 18th convoy fleet returned to its homeport in Guangdog over the weekend after a seven-month deployment and another flotilla - the 19th convoy fleet - has set sail to continue with the anti-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa. Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150325/jsp/frontpage/story_10739.jsp#.VRN12_mUe5U * First two upgraded IAF Mirage 2000 jets delivered to India: The first two upgraded IAF Mirage 2000 combat jets were on March 25 handed over to the Indian authorities at a ceremony at the Dassault Aviation Flight Test Centre at Istres in the south of France. The aircraft were received by Indian Ambassador Arun K. Singh at a ceremony also attended by Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier and Thales Executive Vice President (Defence Mission Systems) Pierre Eric Pommellet. The contract for the upgrade of Mirage 2000 fleet was signed in July 2011. “The maiden flight of the first upgraded Mirage 2000 was completed successfully by Dassault Aviation on October 5, 2013, following a two year development phase dedicated to the equipment kit provided by Thales including the radar, the electronic warfare suite and the mission computer,” a joint statement from the two companies said. “Today’s ceremony is the result of the excellent understanding between the Indian and French partners and of our commitment to India,” Trappier said while speaking on the occasion. Noting that India was Dassault Aviation’s first export client, he said “the historical relationship we nurtured with the Indian Air Force has spanned 60 years, growing from strength to strength”. Dassault is also the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter that the IAF has chosen after a comprehensive selection process for a medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). Pointing out that over 40 of the IAF's Mirage 2000s would be upgraded in India, Pommellet said this would make the government's Make in India initiative “something concrete and real”. “Thales has been operating in India since 1953 and employs 300 people across the country. We are trusted partners of the Indian armed forces and have developed a strong local supply chain which helped us to make the upgrade of the Mirage 2000 a real success story,” Pommellet added. Source: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=306738 * 7 Indian Navy aircraft disasters in the last decade: Nurturing pilots and maintaining aircrafts play a crucial role in the strength of a country's defence systems. Hence, it's a huge setback when an aircraft crashes and is also an irrecoverable loss for the families of the brave pilots. The Indian Air Force has suffered several crashes over the years, with the MiG jets being the culprits in most of these cases. The Indian Navy too has see some such crashes in the past. Here is a list of the incidents that have cost the Indian Navy over the years. 1. May 6, 2005 - A Chetak helicopter crashed near Chennai killing all three crew members. According to police reports, the helicopter's rotor blades had developed a snag. 2. August 19, 2005 - A Kamov-28, Navy's Submarine hunter helicopter crashed near Belgaum in Karnataka. Four out of six personnel onboard were killed in the crash. Naval officer Sandeep Singh was found after four days and another crew member Beant Singh went missing. 3. November 11, 2006 - Five naval officers miraculously survived after crash landing in a paddy field. 4. March 25, 2009 - Naval Chopper crash landed into the Arabian Sea near the Goa shores. Three people on the aircraft survived the crash. It was again a Kamov-28 chopper used in anti-submarine warfare. 5. June 2, 2010 - On a routine training, a Chetak Helicopter crashed near Anakapalli. Three crew members miraculously escaped but a sailor on board, Krishna Kumar, was not so fortunate when the chopper touched a high tension wire as it was crashing into the river. 6. March 5, 2013 - Another Chetak crashed in the sea off INS Dega, Vishakhapatnam. The crash killed commander Krishna Kumar. 7. March 24, 2015 - A Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft crashed at around 11 pm in the night. Pilot Cdr Nikhil Joshi has been rescued while the other two on-board are still missing. Source: 2071803 http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-7-indian-navy-aircraft-disasters-in-the-last-decade- * Indian Navy commissions 3 Immediate Support Vessels at Eastern Naval Command: The Indian Navy on March 24 commissioned the second batch of three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs) at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) base. Two of the vessels were built by Rodman Spain and the other one by Abu Dhabi Ship Builders (ADSB). The project is a joint collaboration between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd, Ship Builders, and the Indian Navy. A base for the 84th ISV squadron will be set up in the city. Speaking on the occasion, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC, Satish Soni said these vessels were delivered at Mumbai naval dockyard.Later, they sailed almost 1,200 nautical miles from Mumbai to Visakhapatnam. He said the ISVs proved their sturdiness by successfully crossing the Gulf of Mannar facing strong winds and high seas. Besides being armed with heavy machine guns (HMGs), state-of-the-art radar and navigation system, the ves sels are fitted with two caterpillar engines of 1,600 MHP each to provide water jet propulsion, which helps the vessels gain a high speed of 40 knots and an endurance of 500 nautical miles. These ships are capable of carrying out day and night surveillance and can be used for rapid insertions or extraction of MARCOS for military intervention. He said the induction and deployment of these ships will augment the ongoing efforts to bolster coastal security and provide protection to offshore assets from asymmetric threats. These ships will enhance Indian Navy's capability in furthering its mandate of maritime safety and security over the offshore development areas on the Eastern Sea Board. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Navy-commissions-3-Immediate-SupportVessels-at-Eastern-Naval-Command/articleshow/46683600.cms * Stealth submarines upgraded for India could hit targets at sea and on land: Russian-built Varshavyanka (or Kilo class stealth) submarines, upgraded for India, could hit not only vessels, but also targets on land with cruise missiles, experts said. The modernization would also involve the submarines’ avionics. After an upgrade, the Russian-made Indian ‘Varshavyanka’ submarines of Project 877 EKM will be able to strike not only vessels, but also ground targets with cruise missiles, Igor Vilnit, CEO of the CDB ME “Rubin” that designed the submarines, said. He also said the possibilities of the strike missile complex ClubS, installed on these submarines, would be expanded, reports TASS. Russia offers to help repair India’s Kilo class submarines “After the modernization, ships of 877EKM project will be able to use two types of missiles - 3M-54E against naval targets and 3M-14E against ground targets,” - Vilnit said. In addition, the modernization process would involve part of the submarines' avionics. “In some cases, the Indian side installs their own equipment. The architecture of the ship allows for it, as it has a substantial modernization potential,” the head of “Rubin” said. The Russian ‘Varshavyanka’ stealth submarines, which are being built under project 636.3 for the Black Sea Fleet, is a further development of the project 877EKM. These submarines have been significantly upgraded and equipped with the latest weapon systems, electronics and acoustics for the Russian Navy. In August last year, Andrey Baranov, “Rubin” deputy director of foreign trade and military-technical cooperation, reported that Russia has decided to offer assistance to India as reparation for all non-nuclear submarines. This is the second repair and extension of service life of nine diesel-electric submarines of Project 877 EKM, Baranov explained. .... Source: http://in.rbth.com/economics/2015/03/24/stealth_submarines_upgraded_for_india_could_hit_targets_at_s ea_and__42171.html * India Said to Plan Army Drone Exports to U.S. in Role Reversal: India, the top global arms importer, is in talks to export drones and spy equipment to the U.S. and its allies as the world’s largest democracies boost security ties, two Indian defense officials with knowledge of the matter said. AeroVinronment Inc.’s Raven drone and Lockheed Martin Corp.’s ‘Roll On-Roll Off’ kits, which turn jumbo transport jets into surveillance aircraft, are set to be made in India and sold overseas, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were confidential. The drones and surveillance hardware are two of four defense technologies the U.S. agreed to jointly produce in India, a deal reached during President Barack Obama’s trip to New Delhi in January. India’s market for both items is limited, so exports would make production viable, the officials said. The U.S. is boosting joint production with India to profit from its $150 billion modernization plan and help it counter China’s growing military capabilities. The deals also help Prime Minister Narendra Modi create manufacturing jobs and reduce India’s reliance on arms imports. The arrangement is “a win-win for both India and the U.S.,” said Surya Gangadharan, a security analyst in New Delhi who has written about India’s defense industry for more than 20 years. “As long as we can leverage this relationship to counter China in whichever way possible, it is going to be useful.” The Raven is a lightweight, hand-launched drone used by about 20 countries for intelligence gathering. While India has just six C-130J transport aircraft, more than 300 of the planes are in use in about a dozen countries. Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/india-said-to-plan-army-drone-exportsto-u-s-in-role-reversal * Indian Army chief to attend inaugural UN meet on peacekeeping: Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will attend an inaugural UN conference on peacekeeping operations later this week that will bring together the defence chiefs of UN member states. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will open the first ‘Chiefs of Defence Conference’ organised by the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support on March 27. India, the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations, will be represented by Gen Suhag. While Pakistan’s Army Chief General Raheel Sharif was originally scheduled to participate in the conference, sources told PTI that he would not be attending the meet and will be represented by one of his corps commanders. India has contributed more than 180,000 peacekeepers in 44 UN peacekeeping missions so far and has lost 158 of its soldiers in these missions, the highest by any country, serving in the line of duty.... Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/indian-army-chief-to-attend-inaugural-unmeet-on-peacekeeping/ * Navy Chief Dhowan Rushes to Goa to Monitor Search Operations: Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan rushed for Goa naval base on March 25 morning to supervise the search and rescue operation being underway to locate two missing Naval officers after their Dornier surveillance aircraft crashed on late March 24 night. Navy chief RK Dhowan is also expected to meet family members of the missing naval officers. According to Navy officials, Dornier, which was on routine training sortie lost its contact at around 10:08 pm and its last known position was was 25 nautical miles south South- West Goa. In accident, one naval pilot was rescued and full scale seach and rescue operation was launched to locate two more officers (one pilot and an observer). So far, navy has launched nine of its warships including INS Satpura, INS Betwa, INS Subhadra, INS Koruva, INS Kondul, INS Makkar and INS Matanga and a Indian Coast Guard ship Amal. Dornier aircraft, produced by the Defence PSU HAL, has been known for its incident free track record. Indian navy and coast guard have increased its surveillance on the western coast after an incident of a Pakistan terror boat made an attempt to sneak into Porabnader coastline. But after being intercepted, four occupants of the terror boat blew themselves. In November, Navy lost its four personnel including an Officer after torpedo recovery vessel sank off the coast of Visakhapatnam. Naval headquarters has ordered a Board of Inquiry to establish reasons behind the Dornier crash which led to missing of two naval officers Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Navy-Chief-Dhowan-Rushes-to-Goa-to-MonitorSearch-Operations/2015/03/25/article2729594.ece II Homeland Security * Maoist Papers Reveal Bid to Expand Turf in TN, Kerala: Maoist underground literature seized by security forces reveals ultras expansion plans in Sahyadri mountain range at the tri-junction of Kerala-Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The seized document claimed that Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee (WGSZC) also carried out politico-military campaign from November 2014 to January 2015 to open a new war front in the southern states and to carry out propaganda for future recruitment. Intelligence agencies had earlier warned about ultras shifting to tri-junction areas to strengthen the naxalites base in Malappuram, Wynad and Kannur, the three districts of Kerala. But, the 5-page details in underground literature ‘People’s March’ on tri-junction claimed that WGSZC’s “Urban Action Team” have also launched propaganda in the urban centres to tap sympathizers and underground Maoists supporters. A Home Ministry official said Maoists may have floated some front organisations in the region to carry out ‘urban propaganda’ and whenever such reports were received, appropriate action was taken by the authorities. The Maoists document for the first time admitted that its ‘southern expansion plan’ that was earlier launched a decade ago to penetrate in three states had miserably failed due to major offensive and counter operations by vigilant forces of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It also admitted that several senior naxalites were killed in the operations that also inflicted severe damage to its movement in the trijunction region. However, it says, the ultras have learned the mistakes while reviewing the experiences and now they have pooled all its capacities in the three southern states. It maintained that combing by Kerala-Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Police in tri-junction forests created hurdles but they were successful in inter-linking of squad areas in the region despite offensive. The document admitted that Maoists plan to strengthen its base across the Sahyadri range was hit by the two-pronged strategy of development and security operations. It admitted that reform measures have been speeded up. Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Maoist-Papers-Reveal-Bid-to-Expand-Turf-in-TNKerala/2015/03/26/article2730573.ece Indicia solicits comments and advice from readers on any aspect of the report. 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