Tactical Battlefield Communication System for Indian Armed Forces

( by India Defense ) The Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju has said that the Indian Armed Forces will soon have in place a Tactical Battlefield Communication system. Inaugurating a two day seminar on "Converged Info-structure for a Transformed Force" here today, Shri Pallam Raju said that the Tactical Communication System (TCS), a project of the Corps of Signals, is well on the way after some initial delays.

Calling upon the private industry to partner with the Armed Forces, Shri Pallam Raju said that the TCS "is being progressed under the 'Make' category and provides the Indian Industry an excellent opportunity to seek its share of defence production". Underling that the defence equipment manufacturers and development agencies cannot leave the mission critical performance to chance, he asked the industry to set up state-of-the-art testing facility for quality assurance.

In view of the distinct strength of the Indian I&CT industry, Shri Pallam Raju said that the Armed Forces expect "substantial participation by the private sector". "In order to synergise and enhance the national competence in producing globally competitive defence equipment without time and cost overruns, the government is exploring all viable initiatives such as formation of consortia, joint ventures and public-private partnerships", he said.

In his address, the Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh said that the battle space is slowly but surely shifting from Platform Centric to Network Centric Warfare. "A strong, robust and secure information grid is therefore a prerequisite for this. The information grid must always act as a force multiplier and an enabler for the soldier as well as the Commander in the battlefield", he said.

The Army Chief said that the drive towards network-centricity began a few years ago and has already been operationalised. "Once equipped, I see our Armed Forces increasingly harnessing the power of data and voice networks to blend decision makers, sensors and shooters into an efficient and lethal mix of flexible, coordinated and a fast moving combat force that uses information as a weapon to strike with pinpoint precision, and bring unprecedented firepower to bear with a much smaller strength in numbers", he said.

The Signal Officer-in-Chief Lt Gen P Mohapatra cautioned that the newer technologies also increased vulnerabilities of the forces. "Security must therefore remain a key central issue to the transformation process", he said.

The proceedings of the two-day seminar are being web-cast live on the Army Intranet and video conference with the Command Headquarters. The seminar also showcases the rich history of the Corps of Signals, which is celebrating its Centenary this year.