Indian Army warns Rs 40,000 crore Arunachal border road could be a liability if tensions break out with China

A 1,500km proposed highway along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh has hit a roadblock, with the Army raising fears that its proximity to China could make it a liability in case of a confrontation. 

The objection has irked the state government, and the matter could end up in a tussle between the home and defence ministries. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy, pushing for development in the neglected Northeastern states, could be severely affected now the Army is opposing the mega road project, which costs between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 crore and would connect Tawang with Vijoynagar, bordering Myanmar.

While initial construction between Tawang and Dirang is done, the work ahead is yet to begin, sources said. Sources said local leaders from the state will be writing a protest letter to the prime minister. “The matter has been brought to my knowledge and I will call a meeting of officials from home and defence ministry along with state officials to sort out the issues,” said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, who also represents Arunachal Pradesh. The Army is sticking to the old tactic of not developing border areas to ensure minimal damage and to cut off easy access for the enemy in case of an infiltration. However, this creates hurdles in the home ministry’s plan to develop remote areas and resettle the local population. Sources said that since there is no infrastructure, locals have been pushed as far as 50 km from the border, posing a threat from Chinese forces who could claim it to be their territory in the event of a face-off. The road has also been planned considering the large-scale migration of people from border areas and the need to push them back by creating all basic amenities. “They should be happy that the road is close to the border. It can be a boon for the troops for swift mobilisation,” said an official. Pasang Dorjee, an MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, said the Army is creating hurdles for the road project that will affect development in the area.

idrw.org . Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website , Kindly don't post our articles on other copycat websites http://idrw.org/indian-army-warns-rs-40000-crore-arunachal-border-road-liability-tensions-break-china/ .

While initial construction between Tawang and Dirang is done, the work ahead is yet to begin, sources said. Sources said local leaders from the state will be writing a protest letter to the prime minister. “The matter has been brought to my knowledge and I will call a meeting of officials from home and defence ministry along with state officials to sort out the issues,” said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, who also represents Arunachal Pradesh. The Army is sticking to the old tactic of not developing border areas to ensure minimal damage and to cut off easy access for the enemy in case of an infiltration. However, this creates hurdles in the home ministry’s plan to develop remote areas and resettle the local population. Sources “Instead of saying that the road should be closer to the border, like China did, the Army is saying it should not be along the border.” While the lack of infrastructure and roads on the Indian side has been an old grievance for the locals, the situation across the border is completely different. “Chinese forces have top-class roads till their border outposts. The villages and towns are well inhabited and have excellent infrastructure. If not match them, we need to at least achieve 10 per cent of what they have,” said a government official. Earlier Beijing had also registered a protest against the road project as it could complicate the border dispute between India and China. India has been concerned with the development of areas across the border, and with China’s own expanding road network. said that since there is no infrastructure, locals have been pushed as far as 50 km from the border, posing a threat from Chinese forces who could claim it to be their territory in the event of a face-off. The road has also been planned considering the large-scale migration of people from border areas and the need to push them back by creating all basic amenities. “They should be happy that the road is close to the border. It can be a boon for the troops for swift mobilisation,” said an official. Pasang Dorjee, an MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, said the Army is creating hurdles for the road project that will affect development in the area.

dailymail

While initial construction between Tawang and Dirang is done, the work ahead is yet to begin, sources said. Sources said local leaders from the state will be writing a protest letter to the prime minister. “The matter has been brought to my knowledge and I will call a meeting of officials from home and defence ministry along with state officials to sort out the issues,” said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, who also represents Arunachal Pradesh. The Army is sticking to the old tactic of not developing border areas to ensure minimal damage and to cut off easy access for the enemy in case of an infiltration. However, this creates hurdles in the home ministry’s plan to develop remote areas and resettle the local population. Sources said that since there is no infrastructure, locals have been pushed as far as 50 km from the border, posing a threat from Chinese forces who could claim it to be their territory in the event of a face-off. The road has also been planned considering the large-scale migration of people from border areas and the need to push them back by creating all basic amenities. “They should be happy that the road is close to the border. It can be a boon for the troops for swift mobilisation,” said an official. Pasang Dorjee, an MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, said the Army is creating hurdles for the road project that will affect development in the area.

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US Predator drones coming to India?

 India has sought from the US high-tech multi-mission Predator drones for protecting its maritime assets, especially in the Indian Ocean. Sources said a letter of request (LoR) for purchase of an initial tranche of 22 maritime patrol Predator Guardian UAVs from US-based General Atomics was sent by New Delhi last week.
The Predator Guardian platform provides high-altitude wide-area long-endurance maritime ISR capability. This is part of New Delhi’s efforts to fast-track its goal to secure the country’s maritime assets in particular in the Indian Ocean and detect any untoward intrusion — like the one during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack — on a real-time basis.
 The LoR comes less than a fortnight after India was inducted into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and was recognised as a “major defence partner” by the US after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama.
The latest request is in addition to the one for Predator Avengers for the Indian Air Force made last year. It is seen that India could be looking at over 250 UAVs over the next few years worth over $5 billion.
The Predator ‘Guardian’ platform would help in protection and vigilance of the maritime assets in the Indian Ocean and both the east and west coast. Flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet, these drones have the capacity to fly non-stop for more than 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football on a real-time basis, sources said.
Obama and Modi affirmed their support for US-India cooperation in promoting maritime security. As indicated in the joint statement, both leaders reiterated the importance they attach to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight and exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means.
Modi had met top CEO’s in Washington DC, including defence industry stalwarts such as Merillyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed Martin, as well as Dr Vivek Lall, chief executive, US and International Strategic Development, at General Atomics.
Lall, considered an aerospace whiz by both US and Indian governments, had in an interview told FE last year: “Predator-series RPA may be integrated with multiple ISR sensors, including state-of-the-art EO/IR cameras and GA-ASI’s Lynx Multi-mode Radar which features a state-of-the-art Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode that offers all-weather, day/night performance for a wide-area search capability. Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles.
 “The radar’s Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations,” he had added.

 financialexpress

NSG membership: Modi seeks Russian route to reach China

 

The outreach is important as China continues to maintain that "NSG members remain divided" on the issue of membership.

Back from his visits to Washington, Geneva and Mexico City to lobby for India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now setting his sights east: asking Russia for help with the countries still holding out, even as he prepares to meet with President Vladmir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) summit later this month.

The outreach is particularly important as China continues to maintain that “NSG members remain divided” on the issue of membership, claiming that “many countries within the group share China’s stance.”

Officials expect a final decision may not come till the eve of the NSG meeting in South Korea on June 24, when the Prime Minister is expected to meet Mr. Xi at the Tashkent SCO meet that is also discussing India and Pakistan’s membership on June 23-24. He is also scheduled to meet Kazakh President Nazarbayev on the issue.

Significantly, Mr Modi called up Mr. Putin on Saturday, wishing him on Russia’s national day and confirming the meeting at the SCO.

In a statement, the Kremlin said: “The discussion focused on practical issues of the two countries’ cooperation, including preparations for the top-level contacts to be held shortly.” 

While refusing to confirm whether “the practical issues” included India’s NSG membership, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Russia was always “very supportive” of India’s NSG aspirations. But analysts say Mr Modi may be hopeful of more: that Russia will use its influence with countries like Kazakhstan and Turkey, who are not yet convinced to back India, and most importantly, as a bridge with China, which has taken a tough position.

Bridge to China

“Increasingly, Russia is moving in as a mediator between India and China,” says former Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar, pointing to the Russia-India-China meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended in Moscow in April, where the three countries hammered out an acceptable formulation on the contentious South China Sea. Since then, India omitted the explicit reference to the South China Sea in the joint statement with the U.S. last week as well. “It all coming to a climax at the SCO summit,” Mr. Bhadrakumar said 

thehindu

Modi’s visit will secure South Africa backing on NSG

With reports indicating that South Africa is one among the handful of nations still opposing NSG entry for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to that country may change things, the way his Switzerland and Mexico visit succeeded in doing.
As reported earlier, apart from South Africa, Mr  Modi is also set to visit Kenya and Mozambique next month with some reports suggesting that Tanzania is also on the itinerary. Reuters had reported last week that apart from China, a few other countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria were also opposing Indian entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Africa, expected in July, will come after the crucial NSG meet in the South Korean Capital Seoul that is expected within the next fortnight.
But with China steadfast in opposing India’s entry, chances of an immediate entry into the grouping appear bleak.
But with Government sources indicating that India’s efforts to join the NSG are an ongoing process, New Delhi is expected to continue with  its efforts at gradually eliminating opposition from the few countries that are opposing its entry.
Total consensus in the NSG is needed for any country to join as a member.  Prime Minister Modi is expected to personally persuade South Africa to back India’s candidature in case New Delhi’s efforts to secure entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group at the Seoul meet fail.

 deccanchronicle

L&T likely to build patrol vessels for Vietnam

 

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) could soon build Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for Vietnam.

The bid document was handed over by Vietnamese border guards to L&T in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during an industry interaction in Hanoi on Monday. Mr. Parrikar is on a two-day visit to Vietnam from June 5 after attending the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore.

He held a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich where both sides agreed on greater industry-to-industry interaction.

Mr. Parrikar later attended a business roundtable meeting comprising defence industry delegates from the two countries.

Enhanced co-operation

“The meeting focussed on enhancing defence industry networking, information sharing and exploration of possibilities for partnerships and collaborations between the two countries,” according to a Defence Ministry statement. The purchase will be funded through a $100 million Line of Credit (LoC) India had extended to Vietnam for military purchases.

Vietnam has embarked on a major modernisation of its armed forces and both countries operate a wide range of Russian equipment.

A Memorandum of Understanding for the LoC was signed during President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Hanoi in September 2014.

During his visit, Mr. Parrikar also called on the President of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

thehindu

The growing military alliance between the U.S. and India will give China pause

 

A burgeoning military-to-military relationship between the United States and India is emerging as China continues to build islands in the South China Sea and conduct aggressive patrolling using outsized sovereignty claims, and it is one that is likely to complicate Beijing’s plans for regional dominance.
As reported by the War is Boring blog , while there is no formal alliance yet, one could be on the way. Also, what began as wariness by New Delhi has led, gradually, to new cooperation spurred on by mutual interests.
 n recent days U.S. and Indian officials met for a “maritime security dialogue” in India’s capital. “The dialogue covered issues of mutual interest, including exchange of perspectives on maritime security development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region as well as prospects for further strengthening cooperation between India and the United States in this regard,” stated an Indian Ministry of External Affairs press release .
Both nations are close to formalizing a historic military cooperation agreement that is broadly termed the “Logistics Support Agreement,” or LSA. It would allow the two militaries to use each other’s land, air and naval bases for resupply, repairs and other operations.
The National Interest reported further:
American and Indian officials agreed to hold the summit during an April visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Despite regular meetings and joint military training, the United States and India are not allies in any formal sense. India was officially unaligned in the Cold War but kept close relations with the Soviet Union  —  and the United States backed arch-rival Pakistan.
Now, however, a slow but historic realignment is underway as U.S. foreign policy and military experts see China as the clear emerging threat in the region, as well as – though to a lesser extent, perhaps – Russia. As wariness of China is converging U.S. and Indian interests, at the same time Washington is growing less trustful of Pakistan, which deteriorated over the 15-year-long U.S. engagement in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan, meanwhile, is the world’s biggest buyer of Chinese weapons.
In April The Atlantic published a profile of President Obama’s foreign policy doctrine, stating that he “privately questions why Pakistan, which he believes is a disastrously dysfunctional country, should be considered and ally of the U.S. at all.”
Then, of course, there is the LSA which, if agreed to, would further enhance cooperation between the U.S. and Indian militaries, and to an unprecedented extent.
In February U.S. Navy Adm. Harry Harris, head of Pacific Command, told Congress that the U.S. and India were negotiating the LSA, another agreement called the CISMOA that would allow secure communications when both militaries operate together, and a third pact that pertains to the exchange of topographical, nautical and aeronautical data.
“We have not gotten to the point of signing them with India, but I think we’re close,” Harris told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.

 newstarget

Pakistan in talks with Russia for buying MI-35 attack helicopters

 

The Pak Minister for Defence Production said that the deal with Russia could be made within two months.

Pakistan is in negotiations with Russia for buying its MI-35 attack helicopters and a deal could be clinched within two months, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain has said.
"I hope we will be able to materialise this project (to buy MI-35 helicopters) in two months," he said while talking to reporters in Islamabad on Monday. Pakistan and Russia had signed a deal regarding the sale of four MI-35 attack helicopters in August last year, which was the first major defence deal between the two Cold War-era adversaries.
Soviet Russia had banned the sale of military hardware to US-allied Pakistan after the Cold War period and the Afghan war in 1980s, but relations started improving after the two countries signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement to strengthen military-to-military relations in November 2014.
Hussain also said that the JF-17 aircraft, jointly produced with the Chinese help, were capable enough to meet all defence requirements of the country. Pakistan had a fleet of state of the art JF-17 Thunder aircraft which carried all specifications of any advanced fighter jet, Hussain was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Pakistan was at top among the 10 countries having JF-17 fleet, he said, adding that the country's defence was impregnable and had the capability to meet all challenges. The minister's statement about the importance of JF-17 aircraft came even as the US Congress recently refused to partially fund eight F-16 jets which US has agreed to sell to Pakistan.
JF-17 Thunder is a third-generation fighter co-produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation.

dnaindia

India Likely To Get NATO Ally Status

The American lawmakers recently approved amendments to a Defence Bill that would allow India to get the status of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies.
The US Defence Department said in a statement that the proposed changes in National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), 2017 would make it easier for America to sell defence equipment to India. According to the statement, the US is also interested in technology transfer, as Washington considers the South Asian country as its most important strategic ally in the region.
Although the US lawmakers have increased restrictions on military assistance for Pakistan and blocked USD 450 million in aid, they are ready to strengthen defence co-operation with neighbouring India. Speaking at a press conference in Washington over the weekend, Congressman George Holding said that the House of Representatives would soon codify its ‘Asia pivot’ strategy in order to boost the Indian defence sector. They believe that the move would ultimately help New Delhi (and Washington) countering Beijing’s expansionism in the region.
Earlier, Congressmen Holding and Ami Bera (of House India Caucus chairs), together with Chair and ranking member of House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce and Elliot Engel, proposed the amendment, saying that the US should boost defence and security co-operation with India in order to promote greater bilateral defence trade. They also expressed hope that the proposed amendment in the Bill would encourage additional military co-operation between the two “friendly” nations.
Holding informed the press that the Congress recently asked its executive branch to designate an official for focussing on Indo-US defence co-operation, as it would be crucial to facilitate the transfer of technology. The Pentagon, too, has been asked to set up a special office for monitoring the bilateral Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) – the centrepiece of the military tie-up between India and the US.
“Given the dynamic nature of the Indo-Pacific region and its importance to our own national security and future economic growth, now is the time to build on recent successes and propel the US-India strategic partnership forward,” stressed the senior Congressman.
The amendment states: “The secretary of defence and secretary of state shall jointly, on an annual basis, conduct an assessment of the extent to which India possesses strategic operational capabilities to support military operations of mutual interest between the US and India.” It also calls for “approving and facilitating the transfer of advanced technology, consistent with US conventional arms transfer policy, to support combined military planning with the Indian military for missions, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy and maritime domain awareness missions”.

 inserbia

Contract for 98 Black Shark torpedoes scrapped, Indian nuclear submarine programme further delayed

Three of the four SSBNs were to have been equipped to fire Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes, whose purchase the Ministry of Defence (MoD) cancelled last week.

The scrapping of a Rs 1,800 crore contract for 98 Black Shark torpedoes last week has directly impacted a critical strategic project, the construction of four 'Arihant' class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).
Three of the four SSBNs were to have been equipped to fire Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes, whose purchase the Ministry of Defence (MoD) cancelled last week. The cancellation would mean modifications to the SSBN's torpedo tubes and delay induction of the second vessel by two to three years. Torpedo maker Whitehead Alenia Systemi Subacquei (WASS) is a subsidiary of Italian arms manufacturer Finmeccanica. The MoD believes Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland paid bribes for the 2010 purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters for Rs 3,760 crore.
 "Alternatives (to Black Shark) are being considered, but at this stage it will not be possible to divulge further details," an MoD spokesperson told Mail Today. The spokesperson declined to comment on the nuclear submarine project.
DEADLY NOSE
Torpedoes are self-propelled weapons with explosives packed in their nose. They are a submarine's primary weapon and when fired through torpedo tubes, home in to destroy their targets - ships or other submarines.
Arihant class SSBNs, a key to the nuclear triad of land, sea and air launched weapons, carry four to eight K-4 nuclear tipped ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500-km, far away from land and safe from any adversary's pre-emptive strike on Indian nuclear assets. SSBNs rely on the unlimited power of their nuclear reactors for endurance and on torpedoes as defensive weapons. The Arihant, which completed deep water and weapon trials this year, is armed with the Type 53-65 Russian torpedoes and fire control system and thus unaffected by the cancelation.
It is the second SSBN, the Aridaman, now in an advanced state of construction at the Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam, that has been equipped to fire the Black Shark. The Aridaman is due to be inducted by 2018.
The submarine's manufacturer Larsen and Toubro conducted nearly 20 simulated 'swim out' trials of the Black Shark from indigenously designed and torpedo tubes. The trials were conducted at a special L&T facility in Pune between 2013 and 2014.
While the 98 Black Shark torpedoes cancelled by the MoD were meant for the six Scorpene class submarines being built at Mazagon Docks Ltd, the nuclear submarines were to get a second batch of 49 torpedoes to be imported under the defence procurement procedure's option clause. The Italian torpedoes had been integrated with French assistance into the indigenous 'Saransh' submarine combat system on the Aridaman and two sister ships -- the S4 and the S4*.
FUTURE PROJECTS RISK A SIMILAR FATE
Without torpedoes, the strategic platforms will be incapable of defending themselves from enemy submarines or warships. These vessels, naval officials fear, could meet the fate of the first of the Scorpene class conventional submarines being built at the Mazagon Docks Ltd. The first Scorpene, the Kalvari, is currently on sea trials in the Arabian Sea without torpedoes. Naval officials say it will be commissioned by the year-end without torpedoes.
Five more Scorpene type submarines, due to join the Navy in intervals by 2022, risk a similar fate given the delays in the torpedo project.
"Scrapping the contract is an illconsidered move done purely for political reasons," Rear Admiral Raja Menon (retired) told Mail Today. "It (the Black Shark) is the best torpedo in present circumstances. An alternative will mean time and cost and inconvenience," he said.
The time and cost delays could flow from the fact that submarines are only configured to fire a particular make of torpedo. The weapon has to be hooked up to the submarine's fire control system (FCS) which converts electronic inputs from the vessel's sensors into geometric coordinates for it to pursue a target. The Navy's existing Russian torpedoes cannot be fired from the Kalvari or the Aridaman class submarines without hardware and software modifications in those vessels.
The MoD put the case for acquiring the Black Shark on hold after bribery allegations in the VVIP deal surfaced in 2013. Price negotiations with the Italian firm had concluded in 2013 after it emerged as the lowest bidder, edging out a German torpedo maker Atlas Elektronik.
In 2014, the Navy pushed the case to buy the torpedo citing an urgent operational necessity which was accepted by the government, but the procurement did not go through as a cautious MoD waffled over the file.
In January this year, Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar (retired), Director General of the classified ATV Project which builds the submarines, wrote a letter to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval warning of delays in the Aridaman if the torpedoes did not come on time. He requested for the option clause for 49 Black Sharks to be exercised to firewall the ATV project from the bribery controversy. The strategic project is directly supervised by the Prime Minister's Office and the NSA.
The latter is believed to have communicated the project team's concerns to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The government changed tack with the April 7 verdict of an Italian court convicting senior Finmeccanica officials of bribery and the resultant political battle in Parliament last month that saw the BJP attacking the Congress over the scandal. All contracts carried out by Finmeccanica and its subsidiaries now face the defence ministry axe. The Navy, which has five critical projects with the firm, is likely to be the worst hit (SEE BOX). But clearly it is the delays to the nuclear submarine fleet that promise to hit hardest.
GRIEVOUS BLOWBACKS
The MoD's options to replace the Black Shark have narrowed down to two - government to government purchases of Germany's 'SeaHake' or France's 'F-21' future heavyweight torpedo. The most optimistic assessments within the Navy say it will take between two and three years for new torpedoes to be acquired and several hundred crores of rupees to modify the submarines to fire them. Grievous blowbacks from a kickback scandal.

 indiatoday