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Indicia Knowledge Brief
A Daily Assessment on Indian Defence and Internal/Homeland Security
October 21, 2014.
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
Despite reassurances from the DRDO chief about the peaceful nature of
India’s missile program, the successfully completed test of Nirbhay, a new
long-range subsonic cruise missile, has led to speculations about its
capability of hitting Chinese territory.
Both India and Vietnam are expected to conclude another defence pact
when Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is in India on October
27-28 amid China's growing aggression in the region. The deal is likely to
see opposition from China.
The stand-off in Ukraine has impacted the IAF’s fleet. Five Indian Air
Force planes have been grounded in Ukraine where they had been sent
for a refit and upgrade. The five Antonov 32 aircraft — the last batch of 40
from the IAF’s fleet of about a 100 — were to be delivered by Ukraine in
August.
I. National Defence and Security:
New Indian missile can strike deep into Chinese territory:
India has successfully completed the test of a new long-range subsonic cruise
missile capable of hitting Chinese territory. On Oct. 17, the surface version of the
Nirbhay — meaning "dauntless" or "fearless" — missile was tested at the
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in the Balasore district of Odisha, meeting all
parameters and completing all 15 way-points. The missile reportedly traveled
more than an hour and accurately hit its target. "The missile maintained an
accuracy better than 10 meters throughout its path and covered more than 1,000
kilometers," said Avinash Chander, head of India's Defence Research and
Development Organisation, the Nirbhay's developer. The Nirbhay was test fired
for the first time in March 2013 but the missile veered away from its trajectory,
forcing the command center to detach the engine and destroy the missile midflight. Referred to as India's answer to America's Battleaxe subsonic cruise
missile, the Nirbhay is an all-weather low-cost long-range cruise missile with
stealth and high accuracy. It weighs about a tonne and has a length of six meters.
The missile has its own wings and tail and has a range of more than 1,000 km,
meaning it has the ability to strike deep into Chinese territory. Notably, the
Nirbhay can fly at very low altitudes to avoid the detection of enemy radars and
can be launched from the land, sea and air. It can also carry 24 types of warheads
— including nuclear — depending on mission requirements and uses an inertial
navigation system for guidance. Once the Nirbhay is inducted into the Indian
Navy, Army and Air Force, currently expected around 2016, New Delhi will begin
to stop importing new missiles. "Our target is to make India missile-import free
by the year 2022. This means that we need not import any missile in terms of
air-to-ground, surface-to-air or the air-to-air missiles," Chander said.
Source: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141020000094&cid=1101
*
India and Vietnam to sign a defence pact amid China’s growing
aggression in region:
With a little over a month after President Pranab Mukherjee's Vietnam visit
when a defence MoU was signed the two countries are expected to conclude
another defence pact when Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is in
India on October 27-28 amid China's growing aggression in the region. This
proposed pact, coming after last month's MoU that entails 100 mn USD Line of
Credit to Hanoi to purchase patrol boats to boost coastal security, is aimed at
providing military hardware to Vietnam's armed forces, official sources told ET.
Both counties predominantly use Russian defence equipment and this enables
smooth bilateral cooperation including maintenance and supply of spare parts to
Vietnamese armed forces by Delhi, sources informed. The two countries, since
becoming strategic partners in 2007, have growing defence and security ties
necessitated by China's growing ambitions in the region including South China
Sea and South Asia, pointed out experts who did not wish to be quoted given the
sensitivity of the matter....
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/india-and-vietnam-to-sign-adefence-pact-amid-chinas-growing-aggression-in-region/articleshow/44888131.cms#
*
Sri Lankan defence secretary meets Arun Jaitley:
Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on October 20 called on
defence minister Arun Jaitley during which a number of issues came under
discussion. Gotabaya, who is the secretary of Lankan ministry of defence and
urban development met Jaitley in the afternoon at his North Block Office.
Defence secretary R K Mathur was also present. Jaitley later handed over a
memento to the visiting dignitary. Though officials remained tight lipped about
what transpired during the meeting, the visit takes place less than 10 days after
Mathur visited the island nation. Mathur had met his Sri Lankan counterpart
Gotabaya, who is also President Rajapaksa's younger brother, and discussed
ways to strengthen bilateral military ties and reviewed new avenues for
cooperation. Meanwhile, Mohamed Nazim, Maldivian minister of defence and
national security will be visiting India tomorrow and will hold talks with top
leaders and officials.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sri-Lankan-defence-secretary-meets-ArunJaitley/articleshow/44889021.cms
*
With eye on China, India to step-up military ties with Sri Lanka
and Maldives:
India will further step-up defence cooperation with Sri Lanka and Maldives,
including assistance in "capacity-building" of their armed forces through both
training and supply of equipment, in tune with the overall policy to steadily
boost military ties with countries in Indian Ocean to counter China's strategic
inroads in the region. Defence minister Arun Jaitley on October 20 held a
meeting with visiting Sri Lankan defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakshe, the
brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to discuss ways to expand the bilateral
military relationship. On October 21, Jaitley will hold similar discussions with
Maldivian defence and national security minister Mohamed Nazim, who is on a
three-day trip to India. Incidentally, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha is also
scheduled to leave for Japan on October 21, where he will also call on PM Shinzo
Abe and defence minister Akinori Eto, soon after PM Narendra Modi visited the
country in his first bilateral visit outside the sub-continent. Both India and Japan
are wary of China's increasingly assertive behaviour in the Asia-Pacific region. As
for Sri Lanka, India is going to supply two naval offshore patrol vessels and other
military equipment to the island nation. India has earlier provided 24 L-70 guns,
24 battle-field surveillance radars, 11 USFM radars, four Indra-II radars and 10
mine-protected vehicles, among other things, to the Sri Lankan forces. Moreover,
around 800 to 900 Sri Lankan military personnel are trained in Indian military
establishments every year. Similarly, India is supplying Dhruv advanced light
helicopters (ALH) and other hardware to Maldives, apart from regularly sending
its warships and Dornier reconnaissance aircraft to the archipelago to undertake
maritime patrols and surveillance operations.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/With-eye-on-China-India-to-step-up-military-ties-withSri-Lanka-and-Maldives/articleshow/44891651.cms
*
AgustaWestland chopper deal: Court rejects Gautam Khaitan's
bail plea:
A court on October 20 dismissed the bail plea of businessman Gautam Khaitan,
arrested in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper
deal. Special judge V.K. Gupta denied bail to Khaitan who is in judicial custody.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), while opposing the bail plea, informed the
court that he did not join the trial in Italy and the arrest warrants were still
pending against him in an Italian court. The ED statement came after Khaitan
had moved a fresh bail plea, citing an Italian court acquitting two foreigners of
graft charges. Khaitan told the court that in a similar case, the Italian court
passed a verdict exonerating two foreign nationals accused of bribery and
corruption in India and in this view, the ED's allegation that he had received
kickbacks now stands "eroded". The investigating agency countered it and said
that an Aug 5 order of the Italian court shows that Khaitan was involved in
money laundering as the court there has mentioned about the illegal acts. The
Italian court Oct 9 acquitted former Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi and exAgustaWestland head Bruno Spagnolini of corruption charges in the chopper
deal with India....
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/agustawestland-chopper-dealcourt-rejects-gautam-khaitans-bail-plea/articleshow/44890192.cms
*
I am a fairly decisive defence minister: Arun Jaitley :
"I am a fairly decisive defence minister," Arun Jaitley said on October 20 against
the backdrop of criticism by the opposition parties who have described him as a
"part time" Minister. Jaitley, who is also the Finance Minister, said he was
conscious of the fact that people call him a part time defence minister. "But I am
a fairly decisive defence minister," he said in an interview to ET Now channel.
Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed had recently questioned why Prime
Minister Narendra Modi was not able to find a Defence Minister from his 283
Members of Parliament. "We all know that Arun Jaitley is a part-time Defence
Minister. Could not a person, who used to talk about the country's security and
respect so much before becoming the Prime Minister, find any capable Defence
Minister?" he had questioned. Another Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma
had said "It is a matter of concern that India does not have a full time defence
minist ..
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/i-am-a-fairly-decisive-defenceminister-arun-jaitley/articleshow/44890198.cms
*
China's counter-terror drills with India are really about its fears
of Pakistan:
Interesting developments are taking place in the India-China-Pakistan triangle,
which are worth watching out for in the coming weeks and months. Weeks after
the protracted stand-off in Chumar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region,
China will be holding counter-terror exercises with India in Pune next month, the
second time when the two Himalayan neighbours would be doing so since the
last such exercises were held in Chengdu, China. However, the original venue for
holding these exercises was Bhatinda in Punjab but in view of the fact that since
this month India and Pakistan have been exchanging bullets and mortars on the
International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) and since Bhatinda is just
about 125 kms away from the IB, China urged India to change the venue of the
“Hand-in-Hand” exercise. The Chinese request for change in venue was
understandable for New Delhi as India is well aware of the special relationship
between China and Pakistan which the two countries eulogise as “higher than
mountains, deeper than oceans and sweeter than honey”. Therefore, in a spirit of
camaraderie and in a bid to be accommodative, India has acceded to Beijing’s
request for changing the venue of the joint counter-terror drill and agreed to
hold these exercises away from India-Pakistan borders in Pune, instead of
Bhatinda...
Source:
http://www.firstpost.com/world/chinas-counter-terror-drills-with-india-are-really-about-itsfears-of-pakistan-1763141.html
*
Russia offers India 3 additional Talwar class Stealth Frigates:
Russia offered India three additional Project 11356 or Talwar class frigates, after
New Delhi made a formal request, Vladimir Spiridopulo, the general director
working on this project at the Northern Design Bureau, said. Negotiations have
been taking place since this spring, TASS said. India to spend $3 billion for 3
more Talwar-class frigates Russia supplied India with two sets of three Project
11356 frigates, with the last one being the INS Trikand. “Negotiations on the
third set of three frigates have been taking place with the Indian side since this
spring. India sent us a request and we presented a proposal in response,”
Spiridopulo said. “I cannot talk about all the details of the third set of three
frigates,” he added. Spiridopulo also would not specify which shipyard might be
given the order – the first three ships were built in the Baltic Shipyards of St.
Petersburg, and the second set in Kaliningrad’s Yantar Shipyards. The general
director of the bureau reported that negotiations are underway for the
modernization of the first three Indian Project 11356 frigates, handed over in the
early 2000s. “But the contract for the modernization has not been signed yet,”
said Spiridopulo. Speaking about the other areas of military-technical
cooperation with India, Spiridopulo said that the Northern Design Bureau is
helping to install a combat information and control system, of its own design, on
Indian Project 17 destroyers (Kolkata-class). According to him, this system is
now being installed on the third ship of this project. India would be looking for
the next frigates to be equipped with BrahMos missiles. The Indian Navy’s
existing Project 11356 frigates are not BrahMos-equipped because they were
designed before the BrahMos naval variant could be developed. These ships, a
modification of Krivak III class Russian frigates, are designed to carry and
operate one heavy duty early warning helicopter which can provide over-thehorizon targeting. The frigates can also have the indigenously built Dhruv light
combat helicopter. The frigate’s efficacy in anti-submarine warfare can be
gauged by the fact that its RPK-8 rocket system has a firing range from 600 to
4300 metres and the depth of engagement of up to 1000 metres. Its combat data
system independently generates combat missions based on situation analysis,
determines optimal number of missile firings, displays information on the state
of ship-borne weaponry and transmits data to protection systems.
Source: http://www.defencenews.in/defence-news-internal.aspx?id=PptGnObNuYI=
*
The Rafale deal and why it makes China nervous:
There were six in contention; four were dropped, and one became the Chosen
One: The Rafale. In French, 'Rafale' poetically means a 'sudden gust of wind.' It
was one of the six fighter aircraft in competition for the Medium Multi-Role
Combat Aircraft, MMRCA, when the Indian Air Force wanted to acquire 126
polyvalent fighter planes. In April 2011, the IAF shortlisted two birds -- the
Rafale produced by Dassault Aviation and the Eurofighter (known in Europe as
'Typhoon') from EADS, the European consortium. It was a big deal worth $12
billion. You can imagine the stakes, especially for Dassault which a few months
earlier, was unsuccessful in exporting its flagship plane to Brazil and the
Emirates. Finally on January 31, 2012, the IAF announced that the Rafale was the
chosen one. The 'deal of the century' was that 18 Rafales would be supplied in
fly-away condition by Dassault to the IAF by 2015 (or three years after the
signature of the contract) and the remaining 108 pieces would be manufactured
in India under a transfer of technology agreement. The concurrent company did
not let go easily and a lot of lobbying started. The British prime minister wanted
Delhi to explain the reasons of favouring the French. 'The Typhoon is a superb
aircraft, far better than the Rafale,' David Cameron said, adding: 'Of course, I will
do everything I can --- as I have already -- to encourage the Indians to look at the
Typhoon, because I think it is such a good aircraft.' Interestingly, the Chinese
were also unhappy with the selection of the Rafale by the IAF, but for other
reasons. An article published in The People's Daily (French edition only) argued
that India and France were supposed to be non-violent countries, how could they
ink such a deal? The Chinese Communist Party newspaper affirmed: 'During the
twentieth century in France there was a great writer called Romain Roland
(1866-1944), the Nobel Laureate for Literature, who was strongly opposed to
war. In India, there has been an illustrious politician named Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) who was a pacifist leader, known worldwide
for his fights against violence.' 'At present, their homelands are engaged in a
sinister and repulsive arms race, which shakes and profoundly changes the
international scene. If by chance these two great and illustrious men were still
alive, what would they feel about this selfish and pernicious transaction and
what opinion would they give in this matter?' Is it not amusing that the Chinese
Communist Party's mouthpiece quotes Gandhi in connection with the Rafale
deal? The People's Daily article also says the sale of the Rafale 'encourages,
excites and spurs India's appetite and ambition to become a great military power
while intensifying its aggressive and expansionist tendencies, which poses a
serious threat to peace and stability in Asia.' Well, does India have a choice,
considering the frantic speed of development of the PLA (People's Liberation
Army), PLAAF (Chinese Air Force) and PLAN (Navy)? A few months later, an
Indian MP alleged that there had been 'manipulation in the evaluation process'.
This eventually delayed the process as an independent investigation had to be
conducted; it finally concluded that the evaluation was conducted according to
the RFP (Request for Proposal) terms and defence procurement procedures. The
intricate negotiations thus lost several months. Once the hurdle created by the
MP was removed, it was reported that in September, while in Bangalore, Air
Chief Marshal N A K Browne stated that the process continued: 'The negotiations
are absolutely on. We hope that at least this financial year, we should be able to
finish the negotiations and finalise the deal... It is a very complex project, as we
are discussing various areas like transfer of technology, the offset clause, what
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will do and the cost as well.'....
Source:
nervous/20130121.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/special/the-rafale-deal-and-why-it-makes-china-
*
Stand-off in Ukraine hits IAF fleet refit:
Five Indian Air Force planes have been grounded in Ukraine where they had
been sent for a refit and upgrade. The five Antonov 32 aircraft — the last batch of
40 from the IAF’s fleet of about a 100 — were to be delivered by Ukraine in
August. The AN32 aircraft is integral to the daily operations of the IAF,
transporting troops, materiel and dropping rations and stores at high altitude
posts as well as being deployed for search and rescue during natural disasters.
But Ukraine’s continuing troubles with Russia are now threatening to hit the
Indian military hard. The IAF has taken the first blow. The upgrade of the aircraft
is stuck because Russia has refused to supply some of the components that are to
be fitted in the aircraft. Under a 2009 agreement between the Indian Air Force
and Kiev-based SpetsTechnoExport, the Ukrainian firm was contracted to give
the workhorse of the IAF’s transport fleet a “total technical life extension” that
would keep the aircraft flying beyond 2025. The upgraded aircraft, designated
the AN32RE, were to be given a modified cockpit, newer avionics and noise and
vibration reducing technologies. Forty of the aircraft were to be modernised in
Ukraine and the remaining in India. According to the original schedule, the
upgrades in Ukraine were to be completed by March this year. Kiev requested
and was permitted to alter the schedule to August. Now, Ukraine has missed that
deadline as well. The AN32s were procured by India in the 1980s. The upgrade
programme, initially estimated to cost $400 million, involves a refit of major
systems as well as strengthening the airframes. In a written reply in Parliament
in 2009, the then defence minister had said: “The project includes calendar life
extension up to 40 years, overhaul and re-equipment of AN32 aircraft. There
were no conditionalities at the time of acquisition of AN32 with the Russian
government.” When the AN32s were first contracted, Ukraine was a Soviet
republic. An estimated 30 per cent of the former Soviet Republic’s military
industrial complex was based in Ukraine. Since the dismantling of the Soviet
Union, India has continued to depend on Ukraine not only for its Antonov aircraft
but also for the supply of engines for the Indian Navy’s Delhi-class warships
(destroyers).
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141020/jsp/nation/story_18944730.jsp#.VEV13fmUeSo
*
Running out of firing ranges, Indian Army eyeing simulators:
This major problem, which may even effect the preparedness of the force, came
up at the recently concluded Army Commanders' Conference and has made top
commanders look for other options. Top Indian Army sources confided that a lot
of difficulties is being faced as many states are not ready to renew the leases for
the firing range land."The lease for many of the firing ranges is to expire in a few
years, and we are facing trouble in renewal," a top army officer told IANS. "Land
prices are spiralling and many states are considering other uses for the land on
which the firing ranges are located. Then there is the question of environmental
clearance and local protests," the officer said. The ranges were initially set up in
extremely isolated areas. However, the growing pressure of urbanisation has
seen human habitation creeping dangerously close to some ranges; hence the
security concerns. The number of firing ranges available to the army has
consistently shrunk over the last two-and-a-half decades from 104 to 51 in 2014,
official sources said. "The shortage of firing ranges has been a problem for a
while. With the number of such ranges going down every year, we are now
thinking of using simulators for training the soldiers," the officer said.
Simulations can be used not just for firing practice but also for conducting war
games to test and refine theories without going on the ground.Such simulators
are also used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy for initial flight
training. "It was discussed in the Army Commanders Conference, and it was
realised that simulators can be a great help, though they cannot entirely replace
field training," the officer added. Of the 51 firing ranges the Indian Army now
has, only 12 are acquired, which means they are directly in its control. The other
39 firing ranges are notified, which means the land is controlled by the
respective state governments. The officer added that nearly 15 of the ranges are
due for re-notification in a year or two. Several others are due for re-notification
in the next few years. The official said the army was keeping its fingers crossed in
Jammu and Kashmir, where the army has 12 firing ranges. At least 10 of these
need a re-notification in a year or so. They include Toshe Maidan near Srinagar,
Kaleth Nagar and Nandini in Jammu, Khumbathang in Kargil, and one in Nyoma
in Ladakh where there is an environment clearance issue. The Indian Army has
nearly 1.3 million soldiers, with over 900,000 combatants as reserve.
Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/436775/running-firing-ranges-indian-army.html
*
'DRDO wants young blood in research':
Often under criticism for being dominated by aging scientists, Defence Research
and Development Organization (DRDO) plans to infuse more young blood into its
research, DRDO director general Avinash Chander said. "DRDO is currently
recruiting around 60 scientists annually. We are looking to induct about 300 a
year. I have sought government support for this," said Chander, who is also the
scientific adviser to the defence minister. He was speaking to media persons on
the sidelines of the third annual convocation of IIT Bhubaneswar (IIT-BBS)
where he was chief guest. The research organization will focus on development
of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and sophisticated communication
equipment to deal with "invisible" enemies, he told the reporters. Earlier,
addressing the IIT-BBS convocation, Chander said, "Research is a neglected
domain in our higher education structure. Successful research programme offers
vast possibilities and can make a difference in the lives of people. The world has
seen many countries devoid of natural endowments but still progressing solely
on the strength of indigenous technological advancements and research."
Chander said the universities and institutes have to be breeding grounds for
creative pursuits and source of cutting edge technological developments. "The
quality of our research has to be comparable with the best in the world. Our
researchers have to cooperate with one another to find solutions to critical
problems. New products have to be designed that are useful to the common
man," he said. Premier technical institutions such as IITs and NITs have a
responsibility to spearhead research in various branches of science and
technology, he said. The DRDO chief lamented the fact that the standards of
education in many our institutions are below benchmark. Chander said
governance structures have to be supportive of innovative ideas and also
facilitate faster decision-making. Chander said India stands tall as a reckonable
power for its technological prowess and the country is looking at the new
generation to lead with new ideas.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/DRDO-wants-young-blood-inresearch/articleshow/44890881.cms
*
WWII vintage bomb found in Andaman islands:
An unexploded bomb of World War-II era was found by tribals living in an island
of Andaman after which it was disposed off safely by defence commandos,
officials said on October 20. Last week, locals had spotted the bomb in Tamaloo
village of Car Nicobar island and the matter was reported to the defence triservice Andaman Nicobar Command. "Although it was a very old bomb but the
fuses were still intact and it posed a risk to the local population. So a team of our
Marine Commandos (MARCOS) were sent to dispose it off in a safe place,"
Command's PRO R P Deshpande told PTI from Port Blair. MARCOS is a special
operations unit of the Indian Navy which are trained to conduct highly
specialised operations. They took the bomb to a beach, far away from the
civilian population, where it was detonated using plastic explosives in a pit, the
official said. In 1942 during WWII, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were
captured by the Japanese Forces but in 1945 these islands were again recaptured by British forces.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/WWII-vintage-bomb-found-in-Andamanislands/articleshow/44885772.cms
II
Homeland Security
*
Terrorists hideout busted in Jammu & Kashmir:
Security forces on October 20 busted a terrorist hideout in Jammu & Kashmir's
Ramban district and seized some arms and ammunition. "Army's Delta Force
based in Dharmund in Ramban district and personnel of the Jammu & Kashmir
Police busted a militant hideout and recovered a cache of arms and war-like
stores," a defence ministry spokesman said. Acting on a tip off about the
presence of a militant hideout in the dense forests of Abbalkot, a joint operation
was launched by Rashtriya Rifles and the special operations group of police, the
official said. The arms and ammunition recovered include one AK 47 rifle with
three magazines, one 303 rifle, one 12 bore rifle, two China-made hand grenades,
one binocular, one radio set and 20 batteries of 1.5 volts used for exploding
remote controlled explosive devices.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Terrorists-hideout-busted-in-JammuKashmir/articleshow/44888554.cms
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