1. No category

Indicia Knowledge Brief
A Daily Assessment on Indian Defence and Internal/Homeland Security
May 25, 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 Air Force (IAF) doesn't intend to ground its fleet of Sukhoi SU30MKI combat jets despite a sixth plane crashing in six years, even as
concerns over the frontline fighter continue.
The Army’s quest for new artillery is nearing completion with the
indigenous gun upgraded by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) clearing
trials. The Army has placed an indent for 114 guns in the first phase and
these will be delivered in three years.
The attacks in north Kashmir’s Sopore town have come more than three
weeks after suspected militants had issued orders to all
telecommunication companies to close down their operations in Sopore
for providing intelligence inputs to the security agencies.
I. National Defence and Security:
Are IAF concerns about Sukhois well-founded?
The Indian Air Force (IAF) doesn't intend to ground its fleet of Sukhoi SU-30MKI
combat jets despite a sixth plane crashing in six years, says Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar even as concerns over the frontline fighter continue. The SU30 fleet has in the past been grounded thrice after accidents but this would not
happen again despite crash of a fighter in Assam. "We are not grounding the
fleet... We can't ground the fleet after every accident," Parrkiar told IANS. The
defence minister has, however, called a high-level meeting next week to evaluate
the condition of the Sukhoi fleet. "We will have a meeting next week and discuss
the issue," he said. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, is expected to
attend the meeting along with his key officers. The first Russian-made Sukhoi
was accepted by the IAF in 2002, and the first indigenously assembled Su-30MKI
entered service in 2004. The first Su-30MKI crashed in the Pokhran region of
Rajasthan in April 2009, following which the entire fleet was grounded for
around three weeks. The then defence minister, A.K. Antony, said it was due to
failure of the fly-by-wire system. On November 30, 2009, another plane crashed
in Rajasthan and the fleet was grounded once again. The crash was attributed to
accidental ingestion of a foreign object in the engine intake. Another crash took
place near Pune in December 2011, and again in Pokhran in February 2013. In
October 2014, a crash near Pune led to longest grounding of the fleet for almost a
month. A court of inquiry into the crash, however, remained inconclusive. Asked
about this, Parrikar said: "Not every inquiry reaches a conclusion. It remained
inconclusive."....
Source:
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/news/india/Are-IAF-concerns-about-Sukhois-wellfounded/articleshow/47408639.cms
*
Army to get 114 Dhanush guns in three years:
The Army’s quest for new artillery is nearing completion with the indigenous
gun upgraded by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) clearing trials. The Army
has placed an indent for 114 guns in the first phase and these will be delivered in
three years, informed sources said. “After the Pokhran fiasco with one barrelburst, Dhanush barrels were tested in Sikkim under cold conditions and in other
temperatures — and came out with flying colours. The Army is fully satisfied,”
officials told The Hindu. A Dhanush prototype suffered a barrel burst during
firing trials at Pokhran in August 2013 which delayed the process.
80% indigenous
The initial deal for 114 guns is expected to cost around Rs.1,600 crore. Pleased
with the performance of the gun, the Army has given strong indications of an
additional order for 481 guns, sources added. The Dhanush is an upgraded
version of the Swedish 155-mm Bofors howitzers bought by India in the mid1980s based on the original design. It is a 155-mm, 45-calibre gun with a
maximum effective range of 38 km in salvo mode compared to the 39-calibre, 27km range of the original guns. It is 80 per cent indigenous, with the APU
(auxiliary power unit), electronic dial sights and a few other small items being
imported. The Army is desperately short of new long-range artillery, having
failed to induct any new gun after the Bofors scandal. Recently, the Defence
Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
approved a revised proposal from BAE Systems for 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers for
mountainous areas under a government-to-government deal with the United
States. Additionally last November, the DAC cleared the process for purchase of
814 mounted gun systems through the ‘Buy and Make’ category to be built by an
Indian private partner in collaboration with a foreign manufacturer.
Source:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-to-get-114-dhanush-guns-in-threeyears/article7241711.ece
*
Not grounding Su-30s combat jets post-crash: Parrikar:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) doesn`t intend to ground its fleet of Sukhoi SU-30MKI
combat jets despite a sixth plane crashing in six years, says Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar even as concerns over the frontline fighter continue. The SU30 fleet has in the past been grounded thrice after accidents but this would not
happen again despite crash of a fighter in Assam. "We are not grounding the
fleet... We can`t ground the fleet after every accident," Parrkiar told IANS. The
defence minister has, however, called a high-level meeting next week to evaluate
the condition of the Sukhoi fleet. "We will have a meeting next week and discuss
the issue," he said. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, is expected to
attend the meeting along with his key officers. The first Russian-made Sukhoi
was accepted by the IAF in 2002, and the first indigenously assembled Su-30MKI
entered service in 2004. The first Su-30MKI crashed in the Pokhran region of
Rajasthan in April 2009, following which the entire fleet was grounded for
around three weeks. The then defence minister, A.K. Antony, said it was due to
failure of the fly-by-wire system. On November 30, 2009, another plane crashed
in Rajasthan and the fleet was grounded once again. The crash was attributed to
accidental ingestion of a foreign object in the engine intake. Another crash took
place near Pune in December 2011, and again in Pokhran in February 2013. In
October 2014, a crash near Pune led to longest grounding of the fleet for almost a
month. A court of inquiry into the crash, however, remained inconclusive. Asked
about this, Parrikar said: "Not every inquiry reaches a conclusion. It remained
inconclusive." According to defence ministry figures, around Rs.2,264 crore
($355 million) was spent on the upkeep of Sukhoi jets between 2011 and 2014.
India has 10 squadrons of 200 Su-30MKIs at present, and at least 70 more are to
be inducted in the next few years. The Su-30s make up almost a third of India`s
fighter jets. Interestingly, a recent report of a parliamentary panel on defence
expressed concern over the lack of shelters for the jets....
Source:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/not-grounding-su-30s-combat-jets-post-crashparrikar_1600688.html
*
Rafale deal: Congress questions BJP why HAL was effaced from
the agreement:
Congress kept up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale
deal with France and questioned why the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd was kept out of the agreement for the purchase of the fighter jets. Targeting
the NDA dispensation as it completes its first year in office, Congress leader and
former Union Minister Anand Sharma said that as per the earlier arrangement,
HAL was to manufacture 108 jets through transfer of technology from the French
company. "Then why was HAL kept out of the government-to-government
agreement despite the fact that the state-owned company has assembly lines in
view of its old collaboration with France on the Mirage deal?" Sharma asked at
an AICC briefing. Further looking to corner the ruling BJP, the senior Congress
spokesman said he wanted to know which private sector firm had been brought
in and whether it was in the national interest to keep HAL out of the deal. "These
questions will be raised and the government will have to respond," he said. This
was the second day running on which Congress raised questions over the fighter
jet deal. During his visit to France last month, Modi had signed an agreement for
buying 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition at a cost of over USD 6 billion....
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/rafale-deal-congress-questions-bjp-why-halwas-effaced-from-the-agreement/articleshow/47405168.cms
*
Indian sonars to power foreign navies:
Till early eighties, Indian Navy was dependent on British firms to make sonars
for its underwater operations. For the uninitiated, sonar is an underwater
equivalent of radar, which exploits acoustic energy for detection, localisation,
tracking and classification of underwater targets. The design of sonar requires
expertise in sensor technology, signal conditioning and processing, electronic
packaging, materials technology, ocean acoustics and mechanical engineering.
The modern anti-submarine warfare demands sensor deployment from surface,
sub-surface and air. Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi
is one of the major R&D laboratories of Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO). Commencing with Advanced Panoramic Sonar Hull
Mounted (APSOH) in 1983, NPOL has delivered several sonar systems, such as
Panchendriya, Humsa, Mihir etc, which have been fitted on to submarines,
surface ships and airborne platforms of Indian Navy. With the Navy showing a
keen interest in deploying advanced sonars for underwater surveillance, NPOL is
revving up its act for further improvement and development of new
configurations of underwater systems in tune with global standards....
Source:
navies/75649/
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/economy/indian-sonars-to-power-foreign-
*
Does Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s comment on
terrorists prove shortage of talent in government?
We’ll buy nuclear bombs from corrupt elements in the Pakistani army, says the
Islamic State. Pure bluster — so judge sensible people. But a niggling doubt
remains, about the institutional integrity of Pakistani arrangements for the
safekeeping of its nuclear arsenal. When India’s defence minister talks about
using terrorists to counter terrorists, it is possible to explain it away as an
incoherent elaboration of the Indian defence establishment’s thinking on the
subject or as the bluster of a politician who fails to come to grips with the
responsibility of his job. The most damaging inference is the one that Pakistan
would be most happy with, that India employs terror as an instrumentality of
state policy. The least damaging would still be most unflattering for the defence
minister’s sense of judgement. In either case, the damage is done. Past attempts
to use surrendered militants — so-called Ikhawans — in Kashmir against active
ones had disastrous results, these armed hooligans terrorising and alienating the
civilian population. The experience was no different with Surrendered Ulfa
elements in Assam either. The use of covert government agents with the licence
to kill is something else altogether. Coming as it does on the eve of the new
government’s first anniversary, the defence minister’s statement also advertises
a shortage of talent within the government. There are some solid people at work,
of course.....
Source:
http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/does-defence-minister-manoharparrikars-comment-on-terrorists-prove-shortage-of-talent-in-government/
*
Indian army in Kashmir remembers victory over Pakistan in
1948 war:
Indian army observed 'Teetwal Day' in northern Jammu and Kashmir to mark
the victory over Pakistan in the first war waged in 1948. On the occasion, army
personnel remembered the fallen heroes of the battle which took place at
Teetwal, a block in Kupwara district. Various cultural and sports events were
organised which saw the participation of civilians, army and paramilitary Border
Security Force (BSF) personnel. Meanwhile, Brigadier C. S. Dewgun, Commander,
Teetwal sector said the celebrations, which will go on till June 03, bring locals
closer to the army.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/video-gallery/general/indian-army-in-kashmir-remembersvictory-over-pakistan-in-1948-war-21152.htm
*
'No Obstacle to HAL Chopper Unit'
Parliament member S P Muddahanume Gowda has clarified that HAL’s proposed
chopper unit at Bidarehalla Kaval in Gubbi taluk will not be shifted. Speaking to
reporters, he said he had a talk with HAL chairman T Suvarna Raju on the
proposed project. Quoting Raju, Gowda said the project will be implemented at
Bidarehalla Kaval. Although Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar wanted an HAL
unit in Goa, it will not affect Karnataka’s chances of having a manufacturing unit,
he added. The state government and the chief secretary have written to the
Union government to extend support to HAL for implementing the project and
the the infrastructure development department has taken initiatives to ensure
the same for HAL, he said. HAL will soon start the civil works and the foundation
stone will be laid shortly, he said. Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar and Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah will be invited for the occasion.
Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/No-Obstacle-to-HAL-ChopperUnit/2015/05/25/article2831923.ece
*
Parrikar's 'Ultras against Ultras' Idea Unethical, Impractical: PDP:
The PDP has dismissed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s idea of using
militants against militants in Jammu & Kashmir, saying that the revival of “the
dark era of Ikhwanis” (pro-government militia) was impossible as it was not only
unconstitutional but also unethical. “Whosoever dishing out such absurd views is
grossly ignorant about both the ground realities in Kashmir and law,” said PDP
leader and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar. Before embarking on a two-day
visit to the state, Parrikar had said in New Delhi that “terrorists could be
neutralised using terrorists”. “We have to neutralise terrorists through terrorists
only. Why can’t we do it? We should do it. Why my soldier has to do it all the
time?” he said. Citing the April 2008 SC verdict that declared Salwa Judum, the
anti-Maoist militia raised by the Chhattisgarh Government, unconstitutional, the
PDP leader further said: “The Supreme Court in it judgment has made it clear
that arms can’t be given to a civilian to kill, and anybody doing so will be an
abettor of the offence under Section 302 of the IPC. So if somebody has made any
statement on the issue, he must be completely ignorant about law.” When
militancy was at its peak in the state, the government had sponsored a militia
known as Ikhwanis to fight the militants.
Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Parrikars-Ultras-against-Ultras-Idea-UnethicalImpractical-PDP/2015/05/25/article2831569.ece
*
Navy Meet to Review Operational, Administrative Issues to
Begin May 25:
The top brass of Indian Navy will meet tomorrow to review critical operational
and administrative issues of the force. The first edition of the biannual Naval
Commanders' Conference of the year comes in the wake of a high tempo
campaign season for Navy starting with the Theatre Readiness Operational Level
Exercise in January-February, 'Op Rahat' in Yemen during March-April and the
joint operation with Coast Guard to nab drug-runners off the Indian coast last
month. The conference will also cover a wide spectrum of issues relating to
operations, infrastructure and manpower, including operational readiness of the
Commands and issues relating to coastal security. Strengthening cyber security
in the Indian Navy would be another key area of discussion, an official statement
said. Another aspect to come up in the two-day event is the consolidation and
strengthening of the rapidly expanding aviation arm of the Navy. Deliberations
would be held on infrastructure and manning requirements for new induction
aircraft, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and enhancement of surveillance.
Another critical area would be the strengthening of Maritime Operations Centres
for collation and analysis of vast swaths of information from a multitude of
sources to enable alacrity and effectiveness of operations in all four
dimensions....
Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Navy-Meet-to-Review-Operational-AdministrativeIssues-to-Begin-May-25/2015/05/24/article2830970.ece
*
10 Indian Military Weapons That Will Make Our Enemies
Tremble With Fear:
Indian military, the fourth largest military in the world, is also the keeper of the
some of the most advanced and hi-tech weapons on the planet. It’s commendable
that with a defence budget of a mere $46 billion per annum, India has developed
weapon technologies that are at par and even superior to that of the US and
Russia. India is not only the largest importer of weapons on the planet but it’ll
also become the fourth highest military spender by 2020.
Here are 10 weapons possessed by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force that are
among the best in the world.
10) PINAKA (mbrlS)
The Pinaka MBRLS (multiple barrel rocket launch system) is produced in India
by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian
Army. Combat proven in the cold and high altitude regions during the Kargil
conflict in 1999, Pinaka can fire up to 12 missiles/rockets in 44 seconds with a
reload time as short as 4 minutes. A single launch system fitted on an 8×8 Tatra
truck is loaded with 12 rockets which have a maximum range between 40 km-65
km. Pinaka makes use of the very advanced inertial navigation system (INS)
which uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to calculate the
position, orientation, and direction of a moving object. Pinaka is capable of
working in different modes namely autonomous mode, stand-alone mode,
remote mode and manual mode. DRDO is also working on fitting GPS guidance
systems on the rockets, and developing missiles with a baffling range of as much
as 120kms. What’s surprising is the fact that Pinaka is approximately 10 times
cheaper than its American peer, the M270.
9) T-90S BhiSHMA....
Source: http://idrw.org/10-indian-military-weapons-that-will-make-our-enemies-tremble-with-fear/
*
‘BSF not to be deployed on Myanmar front’:
Fencing of the Myanmar border and BSF being posted there to guard it is now
officially on the backburner thanks to the new government's 'look east' policy.
NSA Ajit Doval said the decision to post BSF to guard the border had been taken
last year but was now being reviewed in light of the 'look east' policy. The
decision to post BSF on the border had been taken in view of increased drug
smuggling and north-east insurgents taking refuge in Myanmar. The border is
currently guarded by Assam Rifles. Replying to a question on the issue at a BSF
function, Doval said, "The government's look east policy will have some security
implications. A decision was taken last year but it has not been implemented.
The Joint Intelligence Committee is looking at the issue in today's perspective."
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BSF-not-to-be-deployed-on-Myanmarfront/articleshow/47391512.cms
II
*
Homeland Security
Suspected militants open fire in Sopore, 3 injured:
Three people were wounded when suspected militants opened fire on a BSNL
franchise outlet in north Kashmir’s Sopore town on May 25 morning. The attacks
have come more than three weeks after suspected militants had issued orders to
all telecommunication companies to close down their operations in Sopore for
providing intelligence inputs to the security agencies. “The attacks happened at
around 10.30 a.m. on May 25 and all the three injured were working at a private
telecom franchise. They have been rushed to the hospitals,” Superintendent of
Police, Sopore, Abdul Qayoom, told The Hindu. “One of the wounded was the
owner of the business while another was an employee working there, and the
third was a customer.” A senior telecommunication official told The Hindu that
suspected militants had visited offices of the four major telecommunications
companies - BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone and Aircel - on May 1 and ordered the
companies to shut down their services in a week’s time. “They were two people
armed with pistols. They took two laptops from the Airtel showroom, one from
Aircel, and one from Vodafone and gave clear instructions that we must shut our
businesses and our mobile towers down,” an employee at one of the
telecommunication franchises in Sopore told The Hindu. The militants told the
employees at the communication showrooms that they were providing
intelligence inputs to the police and that the militants will not tolerate their
presence in Sopore anymore. “We tried to tell them that we are in sales
department and we have nothing to do with the operations part, but one of them
asked us to shut up and said that we were responsible for the killing of scores of
their men,” the official said....
Source:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/suspected-militants-open-fire-at-bsnl-showroom-insopore-jammu-and-kashmir/article7243933.ece?homepage=true
*
Mufti raises AFSPA with Parrikar:
Sources told Deccan Herald that the meeting between Mufti and Parrikar lasted
for over half-an-hour where the former pitched for revoking the controversial
Act from some areas on a trial basis. Mufti told Parrikar that normalcy has almost
returned in Jammu and Srinagar. People in large numbers exercised their
franchise. People should reap the dividends of peace and this can be ensured by
revoking the Act, sources said. “Mufti also told him about his meeting with Army
commanders in J&K over the issue,” they added. Mufti also urged the Defence
Minister to reduce the number of soldiers in the state so that people feel some
change on the ground. “Parrikar assured Mufti that every measure is being taken
to carry out anti-militancy operation without any collateral damage and there is
no space for human rights violations,” sources said. Earlier on his arrival at
Srinagar airport, the Defence Minister was received by senior officers of the
Army and civil administration. From there, he flew to 15-Corps headquarters.
Parrikar was briefed about the overall security scenario prevailing at the Line of
Control and hinterland by GOC 15-Coprs Lt Gen Subrata Saha. During the
briefing, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suha, GoC-in-Chief northern Command,
Lt Gen D S Hooda were present. “He was briefed about operational preparedness
and given a review of security situation in reference to the upcoming Amarnath
Yatra,” a top Army official, who was the part of briefing, told Deccan Herald
adding that Parrikar was also briefed about counter infiltration grid. Later, the
Defence Minister drove to Raj Bhavan where he discussed various important
matters relating to effective management of internal and external security with
Governor N N Vohra....
Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/479197/mufti-raises-afspa-parrikar.html
Indicia solicits comments and advice from readers on any aspect of the report. It believes
that cross-fertilisation of knowledge invariably leads to better knowledge
Indicia Research & Advisory
Fusion Knowledge in Indian Defence and Strategic Affairs
C – 79, Basement, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi – 110 017
T&F: + 91 11 4579 2922, email: [email protected]