Indian Build Up

[Bull]

NEW DELHI, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia may buy the Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from India.

India's Defence Secretary, Shekhar Dutt, who visited Malaysia last month, pushed ahead discussions that could make the country the first foreign buyer of the missile, the English daily, the Indian Express, reported.

The visit, says the report, was the "first concerted push to develop the region as a market for New Delhi's new missile export policy".

 

[Bull]

India is close to wrapping up a Rs 1,800-crore deal with Israel for buying Spyder quick reaction air defence missile systems.

The Indian Air Force is purchasing 18 Spyder missile systems, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi told reporters here today. The system's Python-5 and Derby missiles will give the IAF the capability to engage enemy aircraft, helicopters, unmanned air vehicles, drones and precision-guided munitions.

"Price negotiations are over and the deal has been sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for clearance" Tyagi said.

The system can provide air defence for fixed assets like airbases, nuclear installations, VVIP buildings and point and area defence for mobile forces.

Israeli and European consortium MBDT were in the contention.

With a kill range of less than one kilometre to more than 15 km at altitudes from 20 metres to a maximum of 9,000 metres, the Spyder be achieve full-readiness state in less than five seconds of target confirmation.

The system, built by Rafeal armament development authority and MBT missile division with Elta radar and Israeli Aircraft Industries, is capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets. It can operate day and night in all weather conditions

 

[Bull]

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (PTI) The Indian Air Force is exploring purchase of French Mirage fighters to maintain an effective airpower strength as an interim measure in the wake of delays in finalising the contract for buying 126 multi-role Combat Aircraft.

"We are in negotiations with France for supply of some number of Mirage-2000-5," Air Chief SP Tyagi told newsmen here. Negotiations had also been revived with Qatar for purchase of 12 Mirage fighters, he said.

IAF is taking these emergency measures in the wake of reports that its fighting squardon strength has plunged to a low of 39 squardons and reports that Pakistan is on the threshhold of buying more F-16 fighters from United States.

Tyagi disclosed that India was close to wrapping up a deal to purchase quick reaction surface to air missiles from Israel. Under the deal, India proposes to buy 18 Spyder missiles system in a deal worth more than Rs 1,800 crores.

Asserting that Government was "alive and responsive" to requests by the IAF on measures to tide over depleting force levels, he also outlined that Hindustan Aeronautics had increased production of Sukhoi-30MKI fighters. He also said that IAF would go in for purchase of six more IL-78 Mid-Air refuellers.

While saying that the proposed induction of lethal military platforms and system in the country's neighbourhood was a cause of concern, the Air Chief said that these arms purchases by Pakistan had already been factored by the country's strategic planners.

Maintaining that "our vision" is to acquire "strategic reach" and trans oceanic capability, Tyagi said IAF was preparing for induction of British Hawk advanced jet trainers and airborne and early warning system (Awacs) aircraft by next year.

He also said that the force would be getting 20 additional upgraded Jaguars and 20 indigenious Light Combat aircraft by 2009.

"We are also taking measures to upgrade our air superiority MIG-29 and Mirage-2000 fighters," the Air Chief said. Though, he did not not elaborate on interim purchases of Mirages, highly-placed sources said the effort was being made to go in for Government to Government deal.

A high-level French delegation is in town for negotiations on the deal.

Modernisation and upgradation is not not being confined to fighters, Tyagi said outlining that from next year IAF would be inducting 80 new helicopters as well as initiating measures to upgrade it present fleet of Russian Mi-17 helicopters, An-32 medium lift and IL-76 heavy lift transport aircraft.

On AWACS induction, Tyagi, who recently visited Israel to oversee the building of the aircraft by a three way joint collaboration between Israel, Russia and India, said preparatory work on the project was going on for setting up of special labs and installations for data receiving.

 

[Bull]

India and Israel are to setup a joint venture to develop advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems for their air forces' fighter aircraft.

The proposed joint venture, the creation of which would cost around $100 million, is expected to get a go-ahead shortly with a signed deal between India's Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Bangalore and the Elisra Group, Bene Beraq, Israel.

Seventy percent of the venture will be funded by DARE, which is part of the state run Defence Research and Development Organization, with Elisra Group paying the remaining 30 percent.

A senior DARE scientist said the proposed venture will likely get off the ground by the end of 2006 at DARE facilities in Bangalore. Elisra will develop approach warning systems, while DARE will develop cooling systems, electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic susceptibility systems, as well as system integration in the aircraft.

The program is to be fully operational in three years.

Systems for LCA, JSF

The scientist said this venture will see an advanced EW system called 'Mayawi' developed for India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters that Israel plans to buy from the United States.

The EW system will feature advanced RADAR warning, RADAR jamming, and electronic combat and self defense systems. It will also have an Integrated Defensive Electronic Radio Frequency Countermeasures system to help protect the aircraft against RADAR guided missiles.

Its Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures will protect the aircraft against heat seeking missiles, and be paired with Common Missile Warning System.

"We are collaborating with Indian agencies for a number of defence programs, but, as per company policy we do not discuss specific programs", said an Elisra executive. The executive added that DARE was s4lected as a partner after trying several other defence partners around the world.

A senior Defence Ministry (Indian) official said India wants to forge alliances with Israeli companies to develop a variety of high-end defence technologies as a continuation of the growing Indo-Israel defence cooperation.

Elisra, notably, has helped DARE in the past to develop an EW system, called 'Tempest' for the MiG 21 Bison fighter upgrade program. EW systems from Elisra are also being supplied for licensed production in India for 140 Sukhoi Su 30 MKI aircraft at the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) production center in Bangalore

 

[Neo]

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Israel training 30 Indian officials to operate AWACS

NEW DELHI: At least 30 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel are being trained, in Israel, how to operate the Air Early Warning and Control System (AWACS).

A top IAF official said that the first batch of IAF technicians and pilots was in Tel Aviv to receive training on operating and maintaining the AWACS. India is scheduled to receive the first three of its AWACS late next year.

Israel, under a $1.1 billion deal, is mounting three Phalcon airborne radars on a Russian IL-76 platform for delivery to India by December 2007. During the recently concluded Indo-UK air exercises codenamed ‘Indra dhanush-06’, the Royal Air Force had fielded their E-3D sentry AWACS to familiarise them with the Indian skies.

Visiting Air Vice Marshal Christopher Harper said the defence cooperation with India and other countries was aimed at evolving “ways and means” to fight terrorism. He said that Britain was looking for allies all over the world. “The RAF allowed four IAF fighter controllers everyday to familiarise IAF personnel with AWACS operations,” Air Marshal KD Singh said. Air Chief SP Tyagi had recently said that IAF expected all subsystems for the AWACS to be in place before December next year.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\10\14\story_14-10-2006_pg7_29

 

[Neo]

Sunday, October 15, 2006

India shelves Trishul project

NEW DELHI: Following repeated failures, India has put the Trishul missile system project on hold. Sources here said that the government-run Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has been told to stop work on Trishul and the project will be wound up by the end of the year.

The government has asked the DRDO to concentrate now on co-development of the next generation Barak II missile system project that was signed last January as a joint venture with Israel. Barak II is to have a firing range of 60 km. Barak I’s firing range is 9 km. Ironically, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case against former defence minister George Fernandes and some businessmen only a few days ago for taking bribes in the purchase of Barak missile systems.

Fernandes had ordered five Barak systems while the present government has ordered seven more after they were certified as the best by the Indian Navy.

Trishul has been a pet project of President APJ Abdul Kalam, who used to be the chief of the DRDO. The end of Trishul is seen here as a major blow to the DRDO, which had already been under attack in the Defence Ministry for the failing guidance and propulsion mechanisms of the long-gestation project.

Fernandes went for the Barak purchase in 2000 on the Indian Navy’s insistence but he did not kill the Trishul project. After some 50 trials and estimated expenditure of over Rs 3 billion on Trishul over the past 22 years, the Indian Navy told the government to junk it two years ago.

Trishul was developed as a short range missile with three variants as part of the Integrated Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). It was meant for a range of 12 km fitted with a 15 kg warhead. Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system aimed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land.

In 2004, the DRDO was told to remove Trishul from the list of active programmes for the user, meaning it need not be developed to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy. It was, however, allowed to continue the project as an exercise in “technology demonstration”. The navy has since told the government that even demonstrations are unnecessary after India struck a deal with the Barak manufacturers for joint development of future systems.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash has stated that there should be no doubts about the Barak’s capabilities. “Our experience with the Barak missile has been good. We are happy with it,” he said. “Trishul” means trident in Sanskrit, while “Barak” stands for lightning in Hebrew.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\10\15\story_15-10-2006_pg7_6

 

[Bull]

New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to buy 80 medium lift multi-role Mi-17 1V helicopters outright from Russia, making it perhaps the first of the five helicopter deals pending with the three services to be cleared.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal (ACM) S.P. Tyagi told "India Strategic" newsmagazine that he expected the procedural formalities to be over within a few months and the deliveries to commence in 2007 and be over within a year.

"The Russians can be very fast in manufacturing equipment and I expect them to supply the entire lot by 2008," Tyagi is quoted as saying in the October issue of the newsmagazine.

There was competition but the twin-engine Mi-17 1V met all the Air Staff Requirements (ASRs) - the parameters set by the air force - and has been its work horse for about 15 years now, not only in the Himalayas but also on UN missions. It was appropriate accordingly for the IAF to place what Tyagi called "a follow-on order".

The Indian Armed Forces have been considering acquisition of about 350 helicopters, the biggest of them being the order for 197 light multi-role helicopters for the army, the prime contenders for which are Bell Helicopter and Augusta Westland.

Sixty of them would be bought outright and the remaining 137 would be manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a technology transfer agreement.

The army is reported to be finalising its choice and a decision is expected to be announced around the end of this year.

The Indian Navy also has a tender out for 16 Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters as replacement for the old Sea Kings that are being phased out, while it is reported to have finalised its choice for an additional six logistics/troop carrier helicopters that will be on board the Trenton, the amphibious equipment and personnel carrier the navy is acquiring from the US next year.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash told "India Strategic" recently that the navy actually required around 40 or 50 helicopters and that there could be an order for more later as and when the Naval Staff Requirements (NSRs) were defined.

The IAF last week floated another tender for 12 helicopters for the VVIP role that would be equipped with advanced communication, anti-missile and other equipment.

Tyagi did not mention the costs of the Mi-17 1V helicopters but according to market sources, these could be around Rs.30 billion ($662 million) depending on the configurations and the onboard equipment like avionics.

Mi-17 is a derivative of the good old Mi-8 that even VVIPs have safely used from the days of late prime minister Indira Gandhi. Mi-17 1V is an upgrade to the original Mi-17 and there have been some other modifications too in the recent years.

Of course, the requirements for VVIP helicopters have tremendously changed over the last 15 years due with the rise of the terrorist threat.

IAF has both Mi-17 and Mi-17 1V in its inventory. The new Mi-17 IVs will be a replacement for the old Mi-8s that the IAF is gradually phasing out.

Both the Mi-8s and Mi-17s have played an important role in sustaining supplies to the troops in high altitude areas like Siachen and elsewhere in the Himalayas as well as during the natural disasters within India and outside, particularly during the 2004 tsunami in the neighbouring countries.

With a service ceiling of six km, or about 20,000 feet, the Mi-17 1V has functioned well in hot, high and humid conditions. It can transport troops and cargo, undertake fire-fighting, medical evacuation and search and rescue missions, and can also be quickly armed for combat and special operations.

According to published reports, IAF has about 350 helicopters for various missions, but due to its growing strategic role and peacetime requirements within and outside India, it would need many more machines in the coming years.

At present, IAF has also deployed 20 of its helicopters on UN duty.

Tyagi said the air force expected the government to announce tenders also for the 126 multi-role combat aircraft very soon.

Meanwhile, a top Boeing official said that his company was offering to sell the upgraded Chinook twin-rotor Ch 47F heavy lift helicopters to India.

He pointed out however that while no requirement had yet been projected by any of the three Indian services, the US government had cleared the sale of this helicopter to India for potential requirements.

Chinook was born during the Vietnam war days and has played a highly successful role both in combat and peacetime operations.

The new Chinooks are "totally different and much better equipped than their Vietnam day fathers" and will serve even the US Army till the 2030s, he said.

 

[Bull]

The Navy is slated to purchase seven more Barak missile systems, to be put on Indian battleships, over the next couple of years notwithstanding the ongoing controversy on kickback in the Barak deal. So far, seven Barak missile systems have been acquired that have been put on the aircraft carrier INS Virat as well as the on six battleships.

But the force plans to install the Israeli missile — meant to be used as an anti-missile system — on seven additional platforms, including three indigenous class stealth frigates — INS Shivalik, INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri, sources said. These 14 ships can then counter the threats from the Pakistan navy, which has sea-skimming harpoon and Exocet missiles.

 

[Contrarian]

damn, and i thought that India did not take its defense needs seriously enough LOL!

oh btw i read somewhere in the previous pages that there was a querry about the Hawk AJT
It indeed doubles up as a fighter aircraft ready for combat, this was apparently the thing that tilted the govt's decision to buy Hawk.

cheers
Malay

 

[Neo]

Indian build up is impressive, I can't deny that.
But so is Chinese and its growing presence in the Indian Ocean is really a tough challenge for IN.
Still a long way to go but you're well on track.

 

[Bull]

Chandigarh, October 23
Indian Artillery’s ability to locate enemy guns is set to receive a boost. After having inducted a few foreign weapon locating radars (WLR), the Army will be testing indigenously produced WLRs.

According to Minister of State for Defence, Mr Rao Inderjit Singh, the Defence Ministry has placed a letter of intent on Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for procurement of 28 WLR systems.

The WLR, a joint development by BEL and Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Bangalore-based Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) is stated to be in an advanced stage of “internal evaluation” in the field.

The system is likely to be offered by BEL to the Indian Army for its trials and evaluation by December. BEL has been nominated as the nodal production agency for this radar.

With the “shoot and scoot” doctrine revolving around self-propelled guns and the artillery playing a decisive role in neutralising defences before offensive manoeuvres are launched, WLRs have become indispensable to counter hostile artillery.

The non-availability of WLRs was felt sorely during the 1999 Kargil conflict, where artillery had a major role to play. It was only after the conflict that the move to acquire WLRs gained momentum.

The Army had gone in for the US AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radars. A deal was signed for 12 such systems, and according to reports, some of the systems have already been delivered. Meanwhile, DRDO had commenced its own project for firefinder radars.

The DRDO/BEL system is based on the Rajendra phased radar system, already in service with the Indian armed forces. According to available information it was during the tests for the Akash missile at Chandipur, that engineers noticed that the Rajendra radar was able to detect and track artillery shells being test fired at a nearby range. This led to the development of the indigenous WLR.

The system is mounted upon a TATRA vehicle and capable of operating in all terrains under any weather condition. It can track small and heavy artillery as well as mortar shells fired at high and low angles. Its detection range is said to be about 15 km.

Detection, location and tracking of targets is handled by advanced algorithms and state-of-the-art hardware and software. The ability of locate enemy weapons from the first round fired by them and transmit the data for a retaliatory strike even before the target or enemy weapons are redeployed, is the key feature of this radar.

 

[Bull]

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to emerge as a more potent force in the next five to 10 years with the modernisation of its fighter planes at a cost of about Rs. 20,000 crore.

Officers say the squadron strength will keep falling because retirements, mostly of MiG variants, will outstrip inductions. However, the remaining fighter craft will be faster, have better detection and combat systems and more endurance.

The upgradation plan, parts of which are already under implementation, is scheduled for five more years and will involve the modernisation of 300 aircraft. Several aircraft in the inventory will either be retired or made to serve the remaining years of service life.

Negotiations On

The modernisation plan is in addition to the induction of Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters, at the rate of 14 new aircraft annually for the next eight to nine years.

The IAF is also negotiating for 12 used Mirage fighters from Qatar. France, the manufacturer of Mirage jets, is expected to quarterback the deal. A French team was here to explore the possibility of selling upgraded Mirage fighters too.

The IAF also plans to add six mid-air re-fueller tankers to the six existing Mirage craft. These planes will nearly double the flight endurance of fighter planes.

Decommission Plans

Three MiG variants — 66, 77 and 96 — that had to be retired a decade ago, are now getting decommissioned, as 125 MiG-21 BiS are being upgraded. This is to ensure that at least half the number of MiG fleet remains operational for another decade.

The IAF is also involved with public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in upgrading 135 MiG-27s by the end of 2009. Hundred and forty Jaguars, of Anglo-British origin, are getting equipped with potent missiles and high-tech navigation systems. In addition, 40 Mirage-2000s will also be upgraded. By next year, India will receive a potent force multiplier in the form of AWACS, becoming the only country in the region to possess these radar-mounted planes that can detect and identify all activity in the air for a radius of over 300 km.

 

[Bull]

The Government has extended fiscal sops given to prestigious indigenous air-to-air missile project, Astra, by six more years.

The extension of the sops, in the form of excise and customs duty concessions, till August 31, 2012 will cost the exchequer Rs 200 crore.

The concessions to the project, aimed at developing beyond visual range air-to-air missile, were to expire this year, the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in two notifications issued recently.

The excise duty sops were given to the project originally in 1995 and customs duty concession the following year.

The Astra missile (from the Sanskrit Astrā, meaning "Weapon") is an air-to-air (AA), beyond visual range (BVR) missile under development by India under its Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. This is the first indigenous air-to-air missile developed by India. The range of this missile is 80 km in head-on chase and 15 km in tail chase. This missile was successfully tested without control and guidance systems on May 9 to May 12, 2003.

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing this advanced beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) for its Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Sea Harrier, Su-30, and the Light Combat Aircraft [LCA]. Astra looks like an elongated Matra 530. It uses an indigenously developed solid fuel propellant, though DRDO is believed to be looking at rocket/ramjet propulsion similar to that used in its AKASH SAM project. The missile's onboard radio-frequency seeker has been designed in India. It will have an active homing range of 15 km. The missile has a pre-fragmented warhead & is fitted with a proximity fuze. A radar fuze already exists for the Astra, but the DRDO is currently working on a new laser fuze.

 

[Neo]

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

New policy to promote domestic defence products in India

NEW DELHI: Outgoing Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday unfolded a new procurement policy to encourage domestic industries in defence production and finance them to give a level playing field in the competition with foreign manufacturers.

The Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) and Defence Procurement Manual (DPM), issued last month, lay down a “revolutionary” procedure for the domestic industry’s involvement in defence production, to cut down dependence of the armed forces on foreign supplies.

At a seminar hosted by FICCI, Mukherjee announced delimiting the role of the government’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to focus only on “strategic, complex and security sensitive systems”. Indian entrepreneurs and firms will be allowed to develop and produce low-technology mature systems, while domestic joint sector companies will be allowed to produce high-technology complex systems. The domestic industry will get 80 percent of development costs from the Defence Ministry for producing prototypes for the armed forces. Funds will be released on recommendations by integrated project management teams.

Mukherjee said that low technology systems would have a minimum of 50 percent indigenous content. The high-technology complex systems category was significant because it would provide vast opportunities for public-private participation, he said.

About over-dependence on foreign suppliers for weapons, defence equipment and systems, he said the new policy sought to “open doors” for the Indian industry to participate in defence research, development and production. He said that a domestic firm that came forward to meet the challenge of producing modern defence equipment would not be penalised if it suffered time or cost overruns.

To benefit the domestic industry, the policy also introduces a concept requiring foreign vendors to give a 30 percent direct offset on contracts of more than Rs 3 billion. iftikhar gilani

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\10\25\story_25-10-2006_pg7_20

 

[Neo]

Bull,

An interesting article I ran into today:

Watch Tower: IAF'S strategic reach

It must always be kept in mind that it is undeclared war in J & K that could spark the wider conflagration and that is why "Gagan Shakti" acquires its relevance- Vinod Vedi
The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted an exercise code named "Gagan Shakti" in the Western and South Western Air Commands. In territorial terms, the operational area of these two commands covers the entire plains of Punjab as also the desert of Rajasthan and extends deep into the Arabian Sea. It must have provided a realistic replication of threat assessment and power projection in defence and attack across our western land frontiers and into the maritime domain.

South Western Army Command has been created recently. It has the potential to live up to the doctrine for "effect-based operations". In essence that would mean the optimal utilisation of not just air and land based military assets but also that available in the maritime ambiance-a combination designed to ensure swift, effective action over a wide theatre.

At a recent interaction with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi made a significant enunciation that in a geopolitical crisis India would have to be able to "forget geographical boundaries to protect India's interests outside its boundaries" It is, given the vast dispersion of India's land and maritime boundaries, no small task.

Given the acquisition of new weapons and force-multiplier equipment in recent years and the fact that the IAF has been holding joint exercises with friendly countries in the neighbourhood as well as with extra-regional military powers there remains the need to formalise the lessons thus learned into viable tactical and strategic doctrines. Hence "Gagan Shakti"!

The Indian armed forces are currently confronted by an undeclared war from Pakistan soil. It is a war in which military personnel in civilian clothes have infiltrated and are even today, massed in their thousands close to the Line of Control to try to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir in enough strength to be able to make a declaration of independence on behalf of the Kashmiri people. They have not been able to do so in the past sixteen years (of insurgency in J and K) is because the Indian security forces have been able to deny them the critical mass that could bring success to their nefarious deeds.

Yet, in this operation the Indian Air Force is not been involved in interdiction operations against the terrorists and their sanctuaries and bases inside Azad Kashmir. Its primary charge is logistical support for troops posted along the LoC right up to the Siachen Glacier. It was only when Pakistani troops of the Northern Light Infantry entered enmass into the Dras-Kargil sector to try and redraw the Line of Control that the IAF was asked to pound the positions occupied by the intruders on the mountains overlooking the strategic highway to Leh.

For the IAF, Gagan Shakti provided an opportunity to focus on how best it can assist land operations by the Army and maritime manoeuvres by the and on how best it will be able to replicate the spectacular success it notched by striking against the Karachi harbour in 1971. Pakistan has since acquired new weapons; its naval assets have been shifted further westwards to Ormara where it has set up a naval dockyard to build French submarines. Further west at Pasni on the Makaran coast and at Gwadar, it is creating new naval facilities with the help of the Chinese.

Because of the undeclared war in Jammu and Kashmir, we keep hearing demands for "hot pursuit" operations against the terrorists and their camps in Azad Kashmir. It has not been tried because defence policy is guided by foreign policy besides New Delhi's reluctance to act in such a brazen manner whatever be the provocation.

The discussion on this issue often brings up front a reference to Israel and its operation at Entebbe years ago. If we have to learn anything from Israeli operation it is the attention Israel had paid to the last detail including bringing along a personage as hefty and as dark as Idi Amin, the then Ugandan President. Champions of 'emulate Israel' campaign will do well to remember that Israel was not confronted by a superior conventionally armed opponent. Nor was there the danger of nuclear retaliation at Entebbe.

Kargil has shown us that a limited war, marked with ferocity and speed of conventional forces, if intelligently used, can make way for victory. In other words, there should be complete synergy between the air, the land, and the ocean-based military assets for the achievement of the goals "beyond boundaries" as Air Chief Marshal Tyagi put it.

IAF's new acquisitions are the Sukhois long-range multi-role fighters, airborne refuellers and space-based sensors; it has learned to use them to advantage. Melding air operations with ground attack by the army and maritime operations by the navy would make for high combat mobility and great lethality because it would make for concentration of war effort.

India's assessment of threat is based on the capabilities its potential enemies possess. Thus the range, weapons carrying capacity and the types of smart munitions available with the potential adversary would be the bench marks to assess whether intentions are really underpinned by capabilities.

The employment of India's own military capabilities may become imperative in situations like taking of Indians as hostages in Afghanistan where it is contributing substantially to economic reconstruction. Further afield, off the coast of Sudan where an Indian merchant vessel was hijacked by pirates.

These episodes stoke debates on whether the accent of Indian military preparedness should be on the improvement and expansion of conventional fighting capabilities or should Special Forces be raised to meet specific requirements like the Kandahar hijack episode.

Over a period events beyond the Oxus (Amu Darya) in Central Asia will impinge on Indian national interests as its economic interest expands and grows. Similar is the case with the Indian Ocean rim countries or on the African continent on the one side and Asean on the other.

Yet it must always be kept in mind that it is undeclared war in Jammu and Kashmir that could spark the wider conflagration and that is why "Gagan Shakti" acquires its relevance.

Syndicate Features

http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061103/0311303.htm