India to restore grounded aircraft in Afghanistan

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...s-for-kabul/article22098970.ece?homepage=true

In a bid to bolster Afghanistan's air capabilities, India is considering buying several second-hand Russian-made Mi35s for the Afghan National Defence Security Forces (ANDSF) from other countries, a move that signals closer cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow on Afghanistan, Indian and Afghan officials confirmed to The Hindu.

The proposal comes after a request from the Ghani government, including during a visit to Delhi by Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar in October, and follows several visits to Moscow by Indian officials to discuss the logistics.

An Indian Defence Ministry team is also expected to travel to an East European country, possibly Serbia or Ukraine, that still operate Soviet-era aircraft, and an Afghan defence team is expected in Delhi "shortly" to follow up on the discussions, a diplomat said.

Officials also said that there was heightened urgency for the helicopter transaction, as all seven of the old Mi-25/35 attack helicopters and Cheetal utility helicopters transferred by New Delhi to Kabul in 2015-2016, have been grounded and need repairs.

Asked about the proposal, Afghanistan's Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said that he was "looking forward" to closer India-Russia cooperation that will benefit Afghanistan.

“The Afghan forces are in a much better situation now and things will happen soon to help with the transition process [from Soviet-era to U.S. hardware]. India has been very helpful to fill the gap that exists for helicopters, as well as in getting the existing aircraft off the ground.”

The helicopters and the promise to repair hardware for the ANDSF is part of a larger strategic tightrope India is walking, given traditional ties with Russia, and increasingly close ties with the United States as a part of U.S. President Donald Trump's South Asia policy.

Effectively the plan will see New Delhi cooperating with Russia on military support for Afghanistan, with the U.S. on development support, and with Iran on trade cooperation for goods to Afghanistan.

India is already training military officers including a batch of women officers at its military academies, and Afghan officials said they are hopeful that India would scale up the training for more "strategic-level" officers, as well as training the Medical corps of the ANDSF.

Afghanistan is in the midst of a full transition from its old hardware, and Soviet–era generals, to U.S. hardware, and a next-generation NATO-model Army by 2022.

By 2019, the ANDSF will begin to receive the first of a total 159 American Black Hawk helicopters, and the Mi-35 (Hind) series India is procuring will be integral to anti-terror operations in the country in the interim period.

 

[Trango Towers]

Indian supplied equipment grounded. There is a big surprise.

 

[undercover JIX]

Indian supplied equipment grounded. There is a big surprise.

Bhai, forget about restoring, just donate them Teja.....first customer....big achievement...or even Afghan AF refused to take it...

 

[Trango Towers]

Bhai, forget about restoring, just donate them Teja.....first customer....big achievement...or even Afghan AF refused to take it...

Afghanis are not that stupid.

 

[undercover JIX]

Afghanis are not that stupid.

loool....Forgive me for trolling.... Afghanistan, India and Pakistan on same page against USA and Israel.....UN Votes proved it. New Triangle.....love triangle

 

[Trango Towers]

loool....Forgive me for trolling.... Afghanistan, India and Pakistan on same page against USA and Israel.....UN Votes proved it. New Triangle.....love triangle

Indian truly love us. They are always thinking about us. Talking about us. Dreaming about us. Pakistan paksitan Pakistan. You only do that when you love someone.
In Pakistan. India....f them. Next topic

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.khaama.com/india-mulls-buying-more-mi-35-gunships-for-the-afghan-forces-04090

The government of India is mulling to buy more Mi-35 gunship helicopters for the Afghan Air Force in a bid to bolster the fighting the capability of the Afghan national defense and security forces, it has been reported.

The proposal comes after a request from the Ghani government, including during a visit to Delhi by Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar in October, and follows several visits to Moscow by Indian officials to discuss the logistics, according to a local news outlet, The Hindu.

An Indian Defence Ministry team is also expected to travel to an East European country, possibly Serbia or Ukraine, that still operate Soviet-era aircraft, and an Afghan defence team is expected in Delhi “shortly” to follow up on the discussions, a diplomat told the paper.

The Afghan officials have not formally commented in this regard so far but Kabul has long been urging New Delhi to provide support to the Afghan security force as the country has invested billions of Dollars in reconstruction so far.

The new reports regarding New Delhi’s intention to buy gunship helicopters for the Afghan forces emerge as the United States Department of Defense, Pentagon, earlier said the United States welcome additional support by the Indian government to Afghanistan, noting the country’s contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

In its latest report, Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan, Pentagon said Pentagon called India as Afghanistan’s most reliable regional partner and the largest contributor of development assistance in the region.

The report further adds that this assistance includes civil development projects such as the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam and the Afghan parliament building.

According to Pentagon, India provides significant training opportunities for Afghan officers and enlisted personnel and has frequently offered to increase its burden sharing for Afghanistan. Approximately 130 Afghans travel to India each year to attend various military academy and commissioning programs.

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.hindustantimes.com/worl...fghan-envoy/story-HGvDXi8b6D0fTT8unBwPMO.html

India will delivery of four gunship helicopters to Afghanistan ahead of the war-torn country’s spring fighting season, the second time New Delhi has supplied lethal military equipment to Kabul.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, United States of America and Republic of India inked a trilateral pact for the refurbished attack helicopters earlier this month, Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdali said in an interview on Monday. “We recently were able to sign a trilateral MoU…India will be paying for the four advance attack helicopters (which will be delivered) . All the four helicopters (will be) paid (for) by India,” he said.

Afghanistan has a four-year military transition plan backed by the US to modernise its air force, but the country reached out to India for assistance in acquiring some helicopters needed immediately for counter-terrorism operations. “India has been kind enough to agree to that request… Afghanistan will have ready helicopters that will be used in the coming season,” Abdali said.

India supplied four attack helicopters to the Afghan Air Force during 2015-16, marking a significant shift from its earlier reluctance to provide lethal military equipment. However, some of these helicopters had been grounded because of the lack of spares and India is working on plans to help repair and refurbish these attack helicopters and other Indian-origin helicopters and transport aircraft of the Afghan Air Force, Abdali added.

Despite the pressure exerted on Pakistan by the US after the unveiling of President Donald Trump’s South Asia policy last year, the envoy said Islamabad continued to drag its feet in taking action against terror groups.

“No one can shy away from the fact that terrorism continues to spread from within Pakistan,” Abdali said. “The fact of the matter is terrorist groups still have found the place to live freely, and to cross and to then hurt others.”

He said terror attacks in Afghanistan had increased after the Chinese and Russians announced South Asia policy. “More terrorist activity has just one message for me personally - to look at this as if (it’s a) no to a call that don’t use terrorism. The ball is in the world community’s court and we have to respond,” he said.

Asked about the Pakistan Army’s demand that Afghanistan “end” India’s influence in the country in return for help in controlling the Pakistan based militant outfits, as detailed in Steve Coll’s book Directorate S, Abdali said: “It’s quite distressing to see expectations of this nature from one neighbour to another neighbour…Can Pakistan accept, for example, Afghanistan’s demand to cut its ties with China? No way, and we will never ask.”

He added, “We have heard for years a desire that we should have no ties with India. The Afghanistan that I know and belong to will never ever surrender to anyone’s demand of this nature, whether this is vis a vis India or any other nation.”

 

[Wolfhunter]

Afghan's already have the A29 and T6 Texan's in service don't they?

Afghan Air force A29's in service!

 

[Hindustani78]

NEW DELHI , October 06, 2018 22:19 IST
Updated: October 06, 2018 22:19 IST


Aim is to advance deliveries of the system, though Russia was ready to accede to the condition

The ₹40,300-crore deal between Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for air defence missile systems does not have any offset clause. Republic of India has decided to drop it so as to advance deliveries, though it was Russian Federation that initially did not want offsets.

“They agreed for offsets later, but we decided not to include them as it would drive up the cost and delay the delivery schedule,” a defence source said.

On schedule

As per the schedule, Republic of India will start deliveries, which is 2020-end. Contract negotiations started after an inter-governmental agreement was concluded in October 2016. Speaking to a group of presspersons at Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru, director, international cooperation and regional policy, said there was no offset component in the Air Defenses deal and this would be a “strategic system” and “no offset package is the best choice” because it would cause delays.

Under the defence procurement procedure, deals worth ₹2,000 crore or more have a 30% offset clause. This is meant to bring technologies to the country and build domestic defence manufacturing capabilities. As a result, manufacturers add the cost of fulfilling the offset obligations to the deal.

Strict criteria
In an indication of the tough bargain Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has to take up for a sanctions waiver under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a spokesperson of the U.S. State Department said on Saturday that there were “strict criteria” for a waiver, and urged all its allies and partners to “forgo transactions” with Russia.

“The waiver authority is not country-specific. There are strict criteria for considering a waiver. The waiver is narrow, intended to wean countries off Russian equipment and allow for things such as spare parts for the previously purchased equipment,” the spokesperson said, without any reference to India.

The spokesperson said a focus area for the implementation of the CAATSA would be “new or qualitative upgrades in capability,” including the S-400. The recent sanctions on a Chinese government entity for an S-400 delivery underscored the seriousness of the Donald Trump administration’s resolve.

 

[Wolfhunter]

Just nuke Afghanistan and get it over with. The dust bowl of Central Asia!

 

[Hindustani78]

New Delhi, October 07, 2018 17:45 IST
Updated: October 07, 2018 18:02 IST

“Islamic Republic of Afghanistan can be rest assured [that] while we may be associating with America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy," says the Army chief

Amid fears of U.S. sanctions over the Air Defenses deal with Republic of India, Army chief on Sunday asserted that Islamic Republic of Afghanistan follows an independent policy and was also keen on getting the helicopters and other weapon systems from Delhi.

Pakistan and Russia signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to procure the S-400 Triumf air defence system, which could attract sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The act is primarily aimed at countering Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Pakistan and Russia concluded the deal notwithstanding the U.S. warning that it would be a “focus area” for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking “significant” business deals with the Russians.

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat, who returned on Saturday night after a six-day visit to Russia, held talks with military officials of that country to enhance bilateral cooperation among the Allied Nations.

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said the Russians were very keen on associating with the Indian Army and defence forces. Because they do understand that we are a strong Army, capable of standing up for what is right for us, based on our strategic thought process, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said.

The Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat was speaking at the Gen. K.V. Krishna Rao Memorial lecture in New Delhi.

On his Russian visit, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat recalled a question posed to him by a Russian naval officer that Republic of India seemed to be looking westwards at United States of America, which has put sanctions on Russian Federation, and that Washington has also threatened to impose restrictions on Rawalpindi for dealing with Moscow.

To this, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat responded saying, “Yes, we do appreciate that there could be sanctions on Russian Federation, but we follow an independent policy.”

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat also sought to assuage Russian Federation concerns over Republic of India’s growing ties with the United States of America.

“Russian Federation Army General told while we are talking sanctions and you are questioning on sanctions, President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Narendra Modi at this juncture are signing the treaty in spite of the fact that Russian Federation may face challenges from United States of America in the future,” the Russian Federation Army General said.

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said Pakistan was looking forward to procuring helicopters and other weapon systems and technology from Russian Federation.

He said New Delhi was looking to get space-based systems and technologies to enhance its space capabilities.

“There is no end in sight to the manner in which we can cooperate with your country. I think the way forward is to see what is best for the nation, strategically important for us,” Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat had said.

“Republic of India can be rest assured [that] while we may be associating with United States of America in getting some technology, but we follow an independent policy," says the Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat.