Demand to shift, release Kashmiri prisoners grows amid Covid-19 spread

Families of prisoners and detainees from Kashmir lodged in jails outside the region are worried and demanding they are brought back or released as the coronavirus disease or Covid-19 spreads across the country.

Kashmiri leaders, human rights activists and people are also making pleas to bring back prisoners and detainees many of whom have been lodged in various jails of the country under preventive detentions after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked on August 5 last year.

Social media users have also been expressing concern over the health of Kashmiri prisoners and how jails are prone to the pandemic.Union minister G Kishan Reddy informed Parliament in December last year that 261 prisoners belonging to Jammu and Kashmir are currently lodged in different jails of Uttar Pradesh (234) and Haryana (27). Besides, he also said, 3248 prisoners are in jails in Jammu and Kashmir.

Khuram Parvez, human rights activist and coordinator of a coalition of civil society, said that the spread of Covid-19 was a threat to the lives of prisoners and the government should release them as most of them are under preventive detentions.

“We want their immediate release. Most of them are under preventive detentions and the best safety for them right now is the confines of their homes,” Parvez said.

“At this stage, no one can disturb law and order. People in big number everywhere is a threat owing to Corona and if it goes out of control no one will be safe,” he added.

Families say many of the detainees are either of vulnerable age and some have underlying health conditions.

Relatives of 73-year-old Mian Qayoom, Kashmir High Court Bar Association president who has been detained under public safety act since August and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, said he was vulnerable.

“He is diabetic, lives on a single kidney and also has hypertension. He is a risky patient and the coronavirus has increased our fears. Our whole extended family is disturbed,” said Mian Muzaffar, nephew of the detainee.

“On the one hand, there are advisories not to travel and on the other hand, we have to reach him as he is ailing. We all feel helpless. We just appeal the government to release him till this subsides,” he said.

While National Conference president and Srinagar member of parliament Farooq Abdullah was the first to demand last week the shifting of prisoners before their ultimate release, separatist organisation Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also demanded their release on ‘humanitarian grounds’ on Friday.

“Their well-being is under threat in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Crowded jails are most vulnerable in the spread of the virus among inmates, which is a matter of grave concern,” the Hurriyat said in a statement.

Immediately after his release, Farooq Abdullah had sought the unity of all political leaders of J&K in demanding the shifting and ultimate release of detainees.

“The already onerous financial burden (on the families of detainees) is made worse by the health risk they now face because of Covid-19. At a time when people are being advised not to travel these families are being forced to put their lives at risk,” he said.

“This is a humanitarian demand and I hope others will join me in placing this demand in front of the government of India,” he said.

VK Singh, director general of prisons in Jammu and Kashmir, refused to comment on the demands of shifting of prisoners but said they were regularly getting health updates of the detainees from outside prisons.

“I can’t comment on the shifting as that is the mandate of the home department. However, we get their health bulletin daily and the detainees are fine. However, there are those with previous case histories,” he said.

Singh said they have come up with a standard operating procedure for the prisons of the Union territory to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“All preventive steps are being taken. We have stopped mulakat to visiters, thermal screening devices have been installed in some jails while they are being procured where not installed,” he said.

“All measures of handwashing like sanitisers have also been installed. For all new admissions and those sick, two weeks of quarantine is necessary.”

hindustantimes

India to go ahead with $2.3 billion Turkish shipyard deal for FSVs

India is going ahead with a $2.3 billion (about Rs 15,000 crore) deal to manufacture fleet support vessels (FSVs) in collaboration with a Turkish shipyard following a review after questions were raised on Turkey’s links with Pakistan and the recent diplomatic tiff with the Recep Tayyip Erdogan government.

The formal contract was signed days after India issued a strong statement rejecting all references made to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint declaration by Turkey and Pakistan during President Erdogan’s visit to Islamabad last month. Turkey’s TAIS had emerged as the lowest bidder for a contract to manufacture five of the 45,000-tonne FSVs at the Vizag-based Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) last year, but the contract signing was put on hold in October following the repeated raising of Kashmir issue by Erdogan at international forums.

The contract was signed by HSL last month after clearances were given by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said people aware of the matter. They said the Ministry of External Affairs was also consulted before the decision was taken.HSL had been keen to resolve the matter at the earliest and had written several letters to the defence ministry over the past few months. “MoD has directed HSL to put the project on temporary hold in view of recent diplomatic developments with Turkey. HSL inputs regarding the legal and financial implications of cancelling the bid of M/s Anadolu shipyard have been submitted to the MoD,” the ministry told the parliamentary standing committee on defence.

The defence ministry’s vigilance department was asked to review the order and gave a go-ahead, said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified. Similarly, inputs were received from MEA on diplomatic implications, after which it was decided to proceed with the Turkish collaborator. The contract was signed last month after the defence ministry removed its temporary hold order.

The Indian FSV project was initially given a go-ahead in 2016 after the Navy projected a requirement for ships that could carry fuel and other supplies for warships at sea.

As reported by ET, Turkish shipyards are a major supplier of warships to the Pakistani Navy and concerns had been raised on how access to the strategic HSL by its engineers and workers could result in serious security issues. HSL is located close to the Ship Building Centre, where India’s nuclear armed submarines are built, as well as the Eastern Naval headquarters.

Besides four new corvettes, Turkey has designed a fleet support vessel for Pakistan, supports its submarine fleet and has signed a deal to sell 30 T-129 attack helicopters that have been developed in collaboration with Italian company Finmeccanica (since renamed as Leonardo). In September last year, Erdogan had used the ceremony to launch new corvettes for the Pakistani Navy. Last month, he raised the Kashmir issue again and attempted to draw similarities to the Palestine conflict.

Since then, the Turkish President has visited Pakistan, where he repeatedly raised the Kashmir issue and said that Turkey was on Pakistan’s side over the conflict and that it would support it on the issue of being censored by the Financial Task Force as well. Following Erdogan’s visit in February, India issued a strong statement and on March 3 made a strong demarche with the Turkish envoy as well.

 economictimes

Exiled Kashmiri leader asks Pakistan to stop shifting Covid-19 patients to PoK

Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, exiled chairman of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), has strongly condemned Pakistan’s move to shift coronavirus affected people from Punjab to Mirpur district and other parts of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He told ANI: “Pakistan must stop deliberately spreading coronavirus in PoK to get international aid. The Pakistani establishment is deliberately spreading the coronavirus to get international aid and is also trying to use the territory of Kashmir to house their sick, which is a diabolical move.”

He added: “It’s heartening to note that the people of Mirpur are aware and resisting. Pakistani security personnel forced locals to evacuate their properties (plazas) and Mohi-Ud-Din teaching hospital to convert them into quarantine centres. Pakistani secret agencies are approaching and forcing locals to stop opposing and cooperate, otherwise be ready to face the consequences”.

Kashmiri said that such actions are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. “Pakistan is a huge country. It has a lot of free areas, too many free plazas and hospitals, which can be converted into quarantine centres. Then why she is shifting corona affected people to our areas? It is an open secret that Pakistan has always used our areas for its nefarious designs and gains. It launched operation Gulmarg, Operation Tupac and Operation Gibraltar to spread the virus of extremism, terrorism, and religious hatred, which resulted forced division and we lost one whole generation,” said the PoK leader.

Kashmiri said that Pakistan now wants to spread the coronavirus in our areas to get international aid.Over the last 73 years, apart from a total lack of development and basic political rights, the people of PoK have suffered from the lack of health facilities, sanitation and hygienic conditions in hospitals. All this is providing fertile ground for diseases and infections, he said.

Sardar Shaukat Kashmiri further said that Pakistan has neglected our area’s development; military controls health system in the name of Combined Military Hospitals (CMH). Local people and local medical staff have no say.”We are the most deprived and marginalised people. There is not a single credible laboratory in PoK to get a blood and urine test done. Our people on their own are forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to go to Rawalpindi and Islamabad to get medical help and treatment,” said Shaukat.

He said that in such poor health conditions and lack of basic health facilities in PoK we cannot accept such inhuman actions of Pakistan.
“We urge upon the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and the international community to intervene and ask Pakistan to stop sending corona affected people to disputed areas of PoK which can take the life of millions of people in the region,” he said.

timesofindia

Defence Ministry signs deal worth Rs 850 crore with Israeli firm to procure 16,000 LMGs

A deal that will significantly benefit the soldier on the Line of Control (LoC) and in difficult terror-prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir has been signed by the Ministry of Defence. The defence ministry and IWI, an Israeli firm, today signed a contract for the supply of about 16,000 light machine guns for the army.

The deal, worth Rs 850 crore, is another effort to ensure that the jawan, the man right on the line of control and frequently under fire, gets the best possible weaponry. Importantly, the light machine guns (LMG) will be delivered in a year and the weapons should reach the jawan shortly afterwards.

This will replace the 5.56 INSAS light machine gun that is now two decades old. With the coming of the LMG, the jawan in the infantry battalions will have the weapons it badly needed.The Army has already received the American Sig Sauer assault rifles and the Caracal close quarter battle (CQB) carbines made in the UAE, but there were delays in getting the LMG. The defence ministry had cleared the purchase of all three weapons under the fast-track procedure in early 2019. The army had to get all three weapons as soon as possible, given the operational situation.

The decision took place after the Pulwama terror attack, in which about 40 para-military soldiers were killed. This was followed by the strike on a terror-training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, by the Indian Air Force on February 26 and an attempted counter-strike by the Pakistan Air Force that failed. It was a tense period.

The defence ministry decided that soldiers needed improved weapons, whether it is a rifle, a carbine or an LMG and needed it quickly. In fact, the deal would have been signed but for procedural delays.

Three firms were in the race for the LMG: firms from Bulgaria and South Korea and IWI of Israel. Finally, Israel prevailed. The IWI weapon is considered more effective than the INSAS. In addition, the army will also get modern AK-203 assault rifles in the future. The Russians will be manufacturing about 6 lakh assault rifles in India. These will not only be for the army but later, for the para-military forces.

 timesnownews

HAL cuts its profit on Tejas Mark 1A deal by 50%, fighter jets to take to sky by 2022

The defence ministry Wednesday cleared the much–awaited deal for the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A Tejas from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for a surprisingly low amount of Rs 37,000 crore as against the original value of the deal, which was pegged at around Rs 50,000 crore.

These 83 jets will come with more enhanced capabilities than the earlier 40 Tejas ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF). These enhanced capabilities include not just better weapon systems but also mid-air refueling and Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

This is the largest defence order placed by the Narendra Modi government under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.“While orders of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, DAC (Defence Acquisition Council) paved the way for procurement of 83 of the more advanced Mark 1A version of the aircraft from HAL by finalising the contractual and other issues,” according to a statement by the defence ministry.

“The proposal will now be placed for consideration of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). This procurement will be a major boost to ‘Make in India’ as the aircraft is indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with participation of several local vendors apart from HAL,” the statement added.

The first LCA Mark 1A aircraft will be delivered to the IAF 36 months from the date of the contract.

ThePrint takes a look at how the Tejas Mark 1A will enhance the IAF’s capabilities.


16 aircraft to be delivered every year

Defence sources told ThePrint if a contract is signed in the next three months, then the first flight of the Tejas Mark 1A will take place by the end of 2022 and the first squadron would be completed by 2024.

According to the plan, 16 aircraft are to be delivered every year.

“The relevant infrastructure has been put in place to ramp up the production to 16 aircraft per year. Once the contract is signed, work on procurement of supplies will start and the production will be geared up,” HAL sources said.
 Significant works on the jets have been outsourced by HAL to companies like Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Dynamatic Technologies and Alpha Design.

The wings will be manufactured by L&T, while front fuselage has been outsourced to Dynamatic Technologies and the middle section to VEM. The rear section of the fighter has been outsourced to Alpha Design.

Contract likely to be inked next fiscal year
Defence sources said the actual contract for the Mark 1A Tejas is likely to be signed only in next fiscal year, starting 1 April.

This, sources said, was because the process of CCS clearance will take time and the fund allocation would be done through the new budget, which comes into effect from 1 April.

While initially the IAF wanted major capability enhancement in the Tejas and was looking at a significantly different aircraft LCA Mark 2, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the DRDO and HAL proposed the LCA Mark 1A in 2015.

So while the ADA focuses on the Tejas Mark 2, which falls in the category of a medium weight fighter, the IAF will induct the Mark 1A Tejas to deal with a depleting squadron strength.

The current squadron strength stands at 30 as against the sanctioned strength of 42.


Better equipped

The 83 Tejas Mark 1A will be significantly better than the 40 Tejas Mark 1 that the IAF has ordered. They are already in the process of being manufactured and inducted into the IAF.

The significant difference between Mark 1 and Mark 1A Tejas is that the latter will be equipped with the Israeli Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar instead of the manually-scanned Elta EL/M 2032 radar, also Israeli.

While work is in progress on an indigenous AESA radar, Uttam, which is currently undergoing trials, the initial lot of the Tejas Mark 1A will come equipped with the Israeli technology.

The new Tejas will also have a Self-Protection Jammer (SPJ) on a pod under the wing.

Two other upgrades include improving the “maintainability” of the fighter and equipping it with external refuelling capability to allow it to cover a longer distance.

The Mark 1A will also be able to fire a variety of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles and close combat air-to-air missiles. Sources also said the jets will be equipped with Vympel R-73 CCMs and a Derby BVR missile.

Efforts are also on to integrate the Brahmos NG with the jets.
 Why the fall in price

The big fall in price from an estimated Rs 50,000 crore to just about Rs 37,000 crore is a direct result of a juggling exercise by the IAF, which cut down on its demand list, including spares, logistics support and other issues.

Also, the HAL was directed to cut down its earlier projected profit of 12 per cent to a little over 6 per cent.

These efforts led to a decrease in the price at a time the military is facing a huge budget challenge amid cash crunch.

 theprint

India Begins Manufacturing 400 T-90S Tanks for Army: Report

India has commenced manufacturing 400 T-90S battle tanks for its army after it signed a contract with Russia to extend the build license until 2028, last year.

“India made a decision to purchase T-90S tanks, which they are already producing under a license agreement. We extended the previous license deal until 2028 last year, so India could build 400 more tanks,” Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said during an interview with Rossiya-24 TV on Monday.

The Indian defense ministry’s acquisition body approved the purchase in November 2016.


Last April, India’s plan to procure a fresh batch of 464 T-90 tanks for $1.93 billion (INR 13,800 crore) was doing rounds in the media. "Russia will prolong the license for production of T-90 tanks in India. This is in connection with the Indian government’s decision to purchase more tanks for its armed forces," TASS reported, quoted the federal service as saying.

Following this, a Jane’s report said that the contract will be signed “in the next few months.”

According to the Military Balance 2019 handbook published by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), over 1,025 T-90S tanks are operational in the Indian Army at present.

Shugayev also said that India is keen on buying MiG-29 fighters, 60 of which it already has in its inventory. "There is a high probability that we will have an additional order for MiG-29 fighter jets," he said.

 defenseworld

Indian Army seeks 8x8 armoured vehicles

Just two weeks are left for Indian vendors to submit responses to an Indian Army requirement for nearly 200 8×8 armoured vehicles.

The ‘Buy Indian’ RfI for wheeled armoured fighting vehicles reconnaissance and support (abbreviated to WH AFV [R&Sp]) closes on 1 April. It enunciated the need for 198 vehicles for army reconnaissance and support battalions located in the plains of Punjab and Rajasthan, regions along the Pakistani border.

The RfI was released on 22 November 2019. It mentioned the amphibious 8×8 solution ‘should be provided with high mobility, adequate armour protection and [an] armament configuration suitable to destroy enemy tanks and undertake local protection’.
 The Indian Army‘s newest Request for Information (RFI) is inviting vendors to submit proposals for 198 8×8 wheeled APCs by February 17 next year, 21stcenturyasianarmsrace.com reports. The vehicles are meant for a reconnaissance and support role in Punjab and Rajasthan. The 20-page RFI lists technical parameters that leave Russia and the US out of the game, as the BTR-82A and the Stryker both fail to match the army’s needs.

The 8X8 APC described by the new RFI enumerated the following technical parameters:

Able to carry a 2-ton payload
Transportable by planes like the Ilyushin Il-76 Candid or Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Amphibious with a fording speed of 10km/h
Minimum power-to-weight ratio of 25 hp/ton
Top speed of 80 km/h. Cruising speed of 30 km/h
Mechanical self-recovery winch fitted at the front of the vehicle
Armament includes a 30mm cannon, 7.62mm machine gun and two antitank guided missiles in a single turret
Additional 8 missiles carried inside, along with a portable ATGM launcher
Ballistic protection of STANAG III on the front arc, STANAG II (withstands assault rifles) on the sides, and mine blast protection is STANAG IIb
CBRNe protection, active and passive protection systems, and night fighting capability
Power assisted ramp at the back for rear access
Crew of four

shephardmedia

More firepower for Indian Navy! To receive another P-8I this summer

The aircraft which are coming through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route is part of the follow on order the Indian Navy had placed and the delivery of the four aircraft will be finished by January 2022.

To be spread over 22 months, the Indian Navy gets ready to receive the first of the four P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft in May. These aircraft are the world’s best for surveillance with state-of-the-art equipment and capabilities. These aircraft are presently providing the Indian Navy reach and flexibility in undertaking extensive surveillance.

The aircraft which are coming through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route is part of the follow on order the Indian Navy had placed and the delivery of the four aircraft will be finished by January 2022.

A senior naval officer told Financial Express Online “The aircraft which is arriving this summer will be heading towards Goa and the others will be spread across all bases including Port Blair and/or Vizag by 2022.”

As has been reported earlier by the Financial Express Online, through a $ 2.2 billion deal which was signed in 2009, the Indian Navy has already received and inducted eight of these aircraft. According to the agreement between the two sides, there was a provision for a follow-on order. This was exercised in 2016 when the Indian Navy ordered four P-8I worth around $ one billion.

In line with the foundational agreement Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) India has concluded with the US in 2018, there are plans to install encrypted communication systems on the earlier ones.


What does the US-based Boeing Company say?

According to the company the Indian Navy is presently operating a fleet of eight P-8Is with four more on order. Under the contract signed, the first of the four aircraft of the follow on order will be delivered in mid-2020.

Since their induction in 2015, the eight aircraft has surpassed close to 25,000 flight hours and demonstrated an excellent record in supporting the missions they have been deployed for.


Where are the eight P-8i aircraft located?

These are located at based at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu and are part of the 312A Naval Air Squadron.

India is looking for more

Last winter the Defence Acquisition Council had given its approval for the buying of six additional P-8I aircraft. The deal was expected to be concluded during the recent visit of the US President Donald Trump, however, is now expected to be closed at a later date. These six whenever they come will be fitted with the encrypted systems.

These aircraft have been customised for the Indian Navy and comes with unique features and also have onboard made in India sub-systems and these have been tailored to meet India’s maritime patrol requirements.

According to the US-based Boeing Company, the aircraft is the military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 – and it is a combination of superior performance. There is an advanced mission system to help in ensuring maximum interoperability in the future battlespace.

First international customer

When it signed the contract in 2009, the Indian Navy became the first international customer for this long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

 financialexpress

Sanctions Are Preventing India From Buying A Suite Of New Russian Weapons

While the IAF is mulling purchases of additional advanced Western jet fighter like the Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, the Lockheed F-21 or Boeing Super Hornet, it’s meanwhile turning to its long-running relationship with Moscow to patch up the growing gap in its air defenses—even if that means it risks running afoul of U.S. CAATSA sanctions imposed on countries that import Russian weapons.

While a companion article looks at major new arms purchases by the Indian Army and Navy from Russia, this piece will survey three different buys the Indian Air Force is making entering the 2020s to stem the bleeding away of its combat strength.

S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile Systems ::

India is proceeding with the purchase of five regiments of S-400 surface-to-air missiles in a $5.43 billion, paid in Euros in order to bypass CAATSA sanctions. In 2019, New Delhi made a down payment worth $800 million, and initial deliveries will arrive in October 2020, with the order completed between in 2023 and 2025.

This come even after the U.S. kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program in the summer of 2019 for procuring S-400s from Russia—and has voiced its objections to the new deal. But real U.S. sanctions on India as building a closer defense relationship with New Delhi remains a priority in Washington.

India was more interested in the S-400 than the U.S. Patriot or THAADS systems because it can threaten aircraft up to 250 miles away due to its powerful radar radars and missiles designed to engage different targets. By contrast, the U.S. systems are effective across a smaller radius.

Thus, the S-400 will free up IAF fighters from performing routine air defense patrols—especially following a Pakistani incursion into Indian airspace that ended with the loss of an Indian fighter.

U.S. officials have refused to back down from threats to level CAATSA sanctions on India for the deal. But when the same official tells The Diplomat that there is “no blanket application” of CAATSA sanctions, one can sense the threat may have no teeth due to Washington’s eagerness to court Indian support in strategic competition with China.

Time will tell if that changes—particularly if Modi’s controversial policies threaten to cause India to lose support in U.S. Congress.


Su-30MKI Flankers

Arguably the chief striking power of the Indian Air Forces comes from its force of over 250 twin-engine Su-30MKI Flanker jets, tailored to support Indian weapons and avionics. (India’s new Rafale jets are more advanced, but much fewer in number.)

India’s Flankers are fast, extremely maneuverable due to their thrust-vector engines, and can carry formidable sensors and weapons, including the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile which can threaten both maritime and land targets from standoff distances.

However, Indian Su-30s have also suffered a fair number of technical problems and accidents in Indian service. Thus a new order to license-build twelve more Su-30MKIs is not about expanding the fleet, but replacing losses from accidents to maintain a total force of 272 aircraft.


MiG-29UPG Fulcrum

India also operates three squadrons of lighter-weight MiG-29UPG Fulcrum tactical fighters, upgraded with additional fuel stores, new radars, and modernized avionics and air-to-ground capabilities. The MiG-29 is highly agile but hasn’t been as successful abroad as the Flanker.

Nonetheless, India is following a lead on a Fulcrum bargain: twenty-one Soviet-era MiG-29 airframes that reportedly were never flown. India has reportedly verified the condition of the MiG-29, a wise move given a prior failed attempt to sell dilapidated MiG-29s to Algeria.

In a reportedly $847 million deal in order to fulfill an “urgent” operational requirement, MiG will upgrade the jets to the MiG-29 UPG standard and deliver them to India for $847 million over the next 18 months.

Though the MiG-29UPG is longer exactly a cutting-edge aircraft, the offer around $40 million per aircraft is about half the price of a new 4.5-generation jet, and thus represents a relatively cheap way for the IAF to quickly field an additional fighter squadron.

After all, twenty-six squadrons does not compare that well with to Pakistan’s twenty squadrons given the disparity between the two country’s populations—let alone China’s 1,700 combat aircraft.

 nationalinterest

HAPP coming up with new project

The Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project (HAPP), a defence establishment here, is poised to start a new FSAPDS (Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) ammunition hardware project code-named ‘mango.’

The infrastructure for the new project is being created on the premises of HAPP that has so far manufactured ammunition hardware 120mm FSAPDS for Arjun tank among other products. Currently, the 125mm FSAPDS meant for firing with Depth of Penetration of 515 to 550 mm through T-72A and T-90S Bhishma tank barrels is undergoing trials. The product was developed through in-house Research and Development activities, Yadvendra Somra, General Manager, HAPP, told media persons on the sidelines of the photo exhibition conducted on Wednesday as part of Ordnance Factories' Day celebration.

As for the FSAPDS ‘mango’ project, the new ammunition hardware with additional lethal features will be manufactured from the next financial year, Mr. Somra said.

A new indent has been placed by the Indian Navy for manufacture of 800 units of RGB (Rocket Guided Bomb) 60 anti-submarine rockets per year. The RGB 60 with extended range was also developed in-house in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory at Pune. The production will commence in four months, Mr. Somra said.

The exhibition, organised as a low-key affair in view of the COVID 19 scare, was designed to encourage students to pursue career in armed forces, Additional General Manager S.A.N. Murthy said. The exhibition served as an opportunity for people in the surroundings to know about the products manufactured in the establishment, Mr. Murthy said.

 thehindu

Defence ministry clears Rs 38,000 cr deal for 83 advanced Tejas jets

The defence ministry on Wednesday gave a green light to the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A advanced Tejas jets from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the proposal would be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval soon, a ministry spokesperson said.

The deal, expected to be worth Rs 38,000 crore, is critical for HAL to prevent a complete halt of production at its facilities. HT reported on January 11 that HAL’s order books are empty beyond 2021-22 and new orders from the armed forces --- especially for the 83 jets --- are critical for continuity in production.

“While orders of 40 Tejas aircraft had been placed with HAL in initial configurations, the Defence Acquisition Council paved the way for procurement of 83 of the more advanced Mk-1A version of the aircraft from HAL by finalising the contractual and other issues,” the spokesperson said after a DAC meeting.

He said the purchase would provide a significant boost to the Make in India initiative.

The deal for the 83 Mk-1A jets will take the total number of Tejas variants ordered to 123.

The 40 LCAs already ordered by the IAF are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations. The LCA Mk-1A will come with additional improvements over the FOC aircraft, making it the most advanced Tejas variant so far.

The Mk-1A variant is expected to come with digital radar warning receivers, external self-protection jammer pods, active electronically scanned array radar, advanced beyond-visual-range missiles and significantly improved maintainability.

HAL is expected to deliver the first Mk-1A jet to the IAF three years after the deal is signed.

The deal was earlier expected to be worth around Rs 50,000 crore but it turned out to be cheaper as the air force reduced its requirements for spares and support facilities for the fighter jets.

The Mk-1A jets will form the bulk of the IAF’s combat squadrons as it attempts to make up the shortfall in its fighter fleet, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

“The Mk-1A jets will also serve as a stepping stone for the Tejas Mk-2 fighters on which the IAF has placed high hopes,” Bahadur added.

The IAF is struggling with a shortage of warplanes. Compared to an optimum strength of 42-plus units required to fight a two-front war, the count of the IAF’s fighter squadrons has shrunk to 31.

In a report tabled in Parliament in December 2019, the Parliamentary standing committee on defence said “all-out steps” should be taken to ensure that the “order book position” of defence public sector units such as HAL improved in the coming years and the ministry should extend full cooperation to achieve that.

The DAC, headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, also approved the acquisition of indigenous military hardware worth Rs 1,300 crore including aerial fuses and twin-dome simulators for the IAF’s Hawk trainer aircraft.

The council also approved an amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2016 to enable review by a ‘costing committee’ of bids submitted by joint ventures of defence public sector undertakings/Ordnance Factory Board /Defence Research and Development Organisation from whom purchases are made on a nomination basis. “This will bring about more transparency in costs and compress the timelines for negotiation of the contract,” the spokesperson added.

 hindustantimes

OFB exports its newly developed 52-calibre barrels to Bofors

The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which is celebrating its 219th foundation day on Wednesday, has exported its newly developed 52-calibre barrel for 155 mm artillery guns to Bofors Test Center, its chairman Hari Mohan said.

He said that OFB has exported two 52-calibre barrels to Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors AB, from which it had imported 155 mm howitzer guns in the mid-80s.

"We have made a prototype which is truck-chassis mounted," Mohan told newspersons here.

In the last 14-15 years, the OFB has done "immense progress" in the field of high-calibre barrels, be it for tanks, medium and heavy artillery guns, and the barrel of Dhanush artillary gun has been indigenously developed, he said.

"Now we are embarking upon a barrel further increasing it to 52-calibre. The range of 155 mm Dhanush gun is 38 km. The Bofors gun barrel is 39-calibre, while that of Dhanush is 45-calibre," he said.

Mohan said the OFB has already designed and manufactured 52-calibre barrel, an important component of a full-fledged gun, and mounted one on a truck.

"We have exported these to Bofors and 52-calibre barrels have been taken by its test centre, which is using these for validation of 155 mm ammunitions being developed by global OEMs," he said.

More than 150 rounds of shells have been fired from these 52-calibre barrels, he said.

"The barrel is behaving better than expected and the Bofors Test Center is extremely happy," he said.

Apart from the barrel, Bofors is also taking the breech mechanism and muzzle brakes and all the three are being used, he said on Tuesday.

"We indigenously developed the technology for 155mm/52-calibre barrels and exported these to Bofors Test Center," OFB chairman said.

He said the OFB, which had initially handed over six Dhanush artillery guns to the Indian Army, will, in a few weeks, supply another six such guns.

 economictimes

Make in India: OFB, DRDO to develop fully indigenous Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle in 3-5 years

Make in India boost for Indian Army: A fully indigenous Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) is being developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Defence Research Development Oranisation (DRDO) for the use of the Indian Army. Tentatively named Mark I, the vehicle will help modernise Indian Army’s infantry frontier which currently relies on BMP II, an infantry personnel carrier with a 30 mm gun. The joint collaboration between the Ordnance Factory Board and the DRDO will yield results in a period of three to five years, PTI reported.

Advanced features which were at the drawing board stage will now be included in the FICV, OFB chairman Hari Mohan was quoted as saying. He also said that DRDO and OFB, which were earlier working separately on the project, decided to join forces to develop the project. Mohan further said that the specifications and features of the project will keep advancing as it is an evolving project. When the project attains a satisfactory stage in tune with the feedback of Indian Army officials, the factory will begin production of the infantry vehicle, he said.

Terming the name of the infantry vehicle tentative, Mohan said that Mark I will be ready in 3-5 years whereas its sequel Mark II can take up to a decade in its development. In accordance with the Make in India initiative of the Modi government, most of the parts to be used in the production will be developed in India barring some minor sub-systems, Mohan informed.
 With enhanced firepower, the vehicle will boast of an auto-grenade launcher with a range of 1,500 metres, an OFB official was quoted as saying in the report. It will also include an anti-tank guided missile capability which can fire missiles within a range of 4000 metres with automatic command, the official added. A gun control system linked with a thermal imager fire control is another big ticket feature that makes the FICV highly advanced, the official said.

Upbeat with an increase in defence exports in recent years, OFB has set a target of exports worth Rs 500 crore a year in the next two to three years. OFB exported products worth Rs 240 crore last year in comparison to Rs 15-20 crore mark it registered in the preceding years, the OFB chairman said.

 financialexpress

First Tejas FOC fighter takes to the skies with loads of upgraded features

A new variant of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas completed its first flight successfully here on Monday. Piloted by Air Commodore K A Muthanna (Retd), Chief of Test Flying (CTF), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the Tejas SP-21 (series production) fighter took off from HAL Airport here at 12:54 pm and landed back at 01:34 pm after 40 minutes of successful maiden flight.

This is the first Final Operational Clearance (FOC) variant of Tejas fighter produced by LCA Division, the youngest wing of HAL. In the next two years, HAL will have to roll out 16 FOC Tejas fighters (including SP-21) and eight trainers for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

One of the key features of the new Tejas variant is the air-to-air refuelling probe giving it an edge during enduring missions. The new variants will be able to fly non-stop for over eight hours with air-to-air refuelling support, thereby giving a fillip to IAF operations.


During Tuesday’s flight, the airframe profile was tested in which the engine and aircraft performance was proven. As a mandatory practice, the pilot is said to have also flown an inverted sortie that lasted for 10 seconds.

During today’s flight the pilot pulled 8G and touched supersonic speeds which proved the airframe and engine capabilities.

HAL sources say that Tejas SP-22 is likely to fly at the end of this month and two more fighters (SP-23, SP-24) will join the party by end of May. Tejas SP-22 is expected to undergo EGR (engine ground run) this week.

IAF Plans ::

IAF sources say that the second squadron of Tejas (No 18, Flying Bullets) will be formed at Air Force Station Sulur by likely next month, with the induction of first four fighters.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria who held the Tejas review on March 2 has told all stakeholders to work in synergy towards the effective operationalisation of the Tejas fleet.

The IAF Chief also reviewed the IOC, FOC, Tejas MkIA and Tejas MkII variants and asked DRDO and HAL to hasten up the development schedules.

In a recent interview to Onmanorama, the IAF Chief said that with the induction of the second squadron, IAF will enhance the operational utilisation of the Tejas.

“The Tejas has very good capabilities and as we gain experience we will continue to expand its operational utility in IAF plans,” Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria had said.

Past Learning ::

HAL officials say that they have benefited immensely from the experience of producing 16 fighters in the IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) configuration.

“The lessons from the recent deliveries of Tejas fighters to IAF have come handy for us in the current scheme of things. SP-21 could have flown much earlier provided the clearance for software configurations came early from the authorities,” says an official.

The LSTT (low-speed taxi trial) for SP-21 was held on March 10 followed by HSTT (high-speed taxi trial) on March 13.

FOC Features ::

SP-21 boasts of key features like air-to-air refuelling probe, Gsh-23 mm gun, pressure refuelling with three drop tank configuration, improved wing navigation lamp, tandem pylon and auto-low speed recovery, to name a few. Here’s a quick glance at the new features:


• Air-to-air refuelling probe: This novel feature of mid-air refuelling introduced to FOC variants will enhance the range without additional touch downs or pit-stops to refuel. This is the first desi fighter to have this feature.


• Fuel system enhancement: Over and above 2350 kg fuel carrying capability of IOC variant with its external drop tanks of 1200 and 800 litres capacity, Tejas FOC has an additional 725 litres centre line drop tank with pressure refuelling.


• Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles: The reliable Derby missile has expanded the firing envelope making it more lethal. This feature was tested and cleared for the entire FOC envelope via exhaustive study of missile separation characteristics.


• GSH 23 mm twin barrelled gun: This Russian gun underwent extensive butt firing at Nasik before getting on board SP-21. The integral gun would give an edge to the pilot in case of a close-combat scenario.

Motivated Team ::

Despite the delays in rolling out Tejas SP-21, LCA Tejas Division ensured that the young team flocked together and stayed focussed in the last six months.

“Everyone is motivated here and they own the Tejas programme. The leadership ensures that even the suggestions of the junior-most staff is factored in. We have been trained right from the first day at this Division that the voice of customer is paramount,” says an employee.

According to her, the flat structure being maintained at the Division has enabled smoother decision-making practices.

Jubilant Scenes ::

HAL Airport witnessed jubilant scenes soon after the pilot touched down after the maiden sortie. Engineers, pilots, technicians, security staff and senior officials cheered as the pilot taxied in.

The pilot was given the customary shower on the tarmac soon after he came out of the cockpit.

The team members lifted the pilot holding a Tricolour with the roars of ‘high josh’ reverberating all over.

 manoramaonline

India Begins Manufacturing 400 T-90S Tanks for Army: Report

India has commenced manufacturing 400 T-90S battle tanks for its army after it signed a contract with Russia to extend the build license until 2028, last year.

“India made a decision to purchase T-90S tanks, which they are already producing under a license agreement. We extended the previous license deal until 2028 last year, so India could build 400 more tanks,” Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said during an interview with Rossiya-24 TV on Monday.

The Indian defense ministry’s acquisition body approved the purchase in November 2016.
Last April, India’s plan to procure a fresh batch of 464 T-90 tanks for $1.93 billion (INR 13,800 crore) was doing rounds in the media. "Russia will prolong the license for production of T-90 tanks in India. This is in connection with the Indian government’s decision to purchase more tanks for its armed forces," TASS reported, quoted the federal service as saying.

Following this, a Jane’s report said that the contract will be signed “in the next few months.”

According to the Military Balance 2019 handbook published by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), over 1,025 T-90S tanks are operational in the Indian Army at present.

Shugayev also said that India is keen on buying MiG-29 fighters, 60 of which it already has in its inventory. "There is a high probability that we will have an additional order for MiG-29 fighter jets," he said.

 defenseworld

Navantia Pitching S80 Plus Submarine for India’s P-75I during UDS 2020

The Cartagena shipyard Engineering Director, Germán Romero Valiente, made a presentation of the characteristics and capacities of the Spanish S80 Plus submarine, which is a unique product in the international market for its size and capacity, thanks to its AIP system.

This edition of UDS has had a record participation with attendees and lecturers from 36 countries, and in this occassion Navantia has been able to report on progress of the S80 Plus submarine program, both from the constructive point of view, as of a robust design that makes it suitable for export.

Currently, the first submarine in the series has passed the hull closure milestone and is scheduled to be floated at the end of this year 2020, tested during 2021, and delivered to the Spanish Navy in 2022.

The AIP (Air Independant Propulsion) system has been developed specifically for the project by the Spanish company Abengoa (bioethanol reformer) and the American Collins Aerospace (fuel cells). The AIP system is much more versatile and efficient than others on the market. Among other advantages, it uses an agricultural bio-ethanol, available internationally, fuel cell membranes require half the maintenance of the market standard, and its efficiency allows it to operate for periods of up to 3 weeks underwater.

The S-80 Plus submarine is a last generation highly technological product, whose versatility allows the export. Currently Navantia is offering a design derived from this submarine to the Indian Navy, for the P75(I) program, for design and construction of 6 units.
As well, Navantia was also invited to a panel of experts where future trends in rescue and underwater rescue were discussed.


About India’s P-75I

The Indian government shortlisted in January 2020 two Indian shipyards and five foreign defense companies for the P-75I project which calls for the local construction of six conventional submarines.

The two local shipyards that were shortlisted are the privately owned L&T group and state-owned MDL. The five foreign defense companies are:

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering DSME (South Korea)
Navantia (Spain)
Naval Group (France)
Rubin Design Bureau (Russia)
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems TKMS (Germany)


About S80 Plus ::

The S80 class (or Isaac Peral class) are AIP (air independent propulsion) submarines currently under construction for the Spanish Navy. Four boats have been ordered, all are under construction by Navantia at its yard in Cartagena. Construction of the submarines had been suspended in early 2013, when it was found that the first submarine in the series, the Isaac Peral, was 75 to 100 tons too heavy relative to its length.

General Dynamics Electric Boat was brought in by Navantia through a Foreign Military Sale in 2013 to tackle the weight distribution issues. Each submarine has been stretched with a 10 meters ring to better distribute the weight of the submarine, giving them the new “S80 Plus” or “S80 Flight II” designation. The intended delivery date of the first submarine is December 2022.

The AIP System is based on a fuel cell, which uses hydrogen produced through bioethanol and oxygen processing to generate electricity, allowing the submarine to sail for weeks without surfacing. The first submarine that will have this operating system will be the S83, “Cosme García”. The AIP system will be installed in July 2021. The submarines S81 and S82, currently under construction, will be upgraded with the AIP module in their first scheduled major overhaul period.

 navalnews

Army set to place order for 118 Arjun Mark 1-As, the most potent tank in its inventory

After numerous delays and extensive trials, the Indian Army is set to finally place an order for 118 indigenously manufactured Arjun Mark 1-A ‘Hunter Killers’, which will have all-weather capability and better fire power and stability than the Arjun main battle tank (MBT).

Army sources told ThePrint that the Mark 1-A, which weighs 68 tonnes and features a 120mm main gun, has cleared all tests, and that cost negotiations with its developer, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), are complete. The sources added that the Army has pushed the file to place the order, which will be done “soon”.

The move comes as a big boost for the Chennai-based Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), a DRDO lab.
 The major improvements
“The tank comes with 14 major improvements that the Army has sought, which will make it the most potent and self-protective tank in the Army’s inventory,” V. Balamurugan, director of the CVRDE, told ThePrint.

Balamurugan said the first tank will be rolled out from the factory within 30 months of the order of intent (the technical term used for the order) being placed.

He explained that four upgrades were made to the firepower of the tank, besides other developments, including new transmission systems.

The Mark 1-A includes an improved gunner’s main sight, integrated with automatic target tracking. This would enable the tank crew to track moving targets automatically, and engage them even when Arjun is on the move.

The Arjun Mk-1A’s gun is controlled by a computerised integrated fire control system, giving the tank has a high first round kill capability. The gun’s day-and-night stabilised sights, coupled with automatic target tracker, guarantee accurate engagement even in dynamic conditions, a senior DRDO official told ThePrint.

Other than the conventional fin stabilised armour piercing discarding sabot and high explosive squash head ammunition, the Mark 1-A comes with thermo baric and penetration-cum-blast ammunition.
 The Arjun saga
The Arjun MBT project was initiated in the mid-1970s, but the first two regiments of the tank were inducted into the Army starting 2004. Even then, they have never been used to their optimal capability because of a variety of reasons — including excess weight, issues with certain parts, and availability of spare parts.

The Arjun MBT had performed better than Russian T-90s during a desert trial conducted by the Army in 2010. However, reliability and availability weighed on the Army’s mind. The force argued that weight of the MBT, 62.5 tonnes, was a handicap as it meant that Arjun was too heavy for roads, bridges and canals along the Pakistan border.

The Army, in 2010, proposed an improved version of the tank, which would be called the Mark II, and was to have over 80 improvements, including 15 major ones.

However, this also meant that weight would increase further.

Cannon-launched guided missiles
In 2012, the DRDO offered the Arjun for trials with all the major enhancHowever, the Army wanted a missile that could hit targets as close as close as 1.2 km, Balamurugan said.

He added that the Israelis took about a year to decide on producing it, but by then, the DRDO had decided to go in for an indigenous CLGM.

Talks between the DRDO and the Army continued until March 2018, and it was finally agreed that the next batch of Arjuns, to be called Mark 1-A, would be supplied without the missile firing capability.

“The process for building that (CLGM) is already on, and could actually be integrated on the Mark 1-A as they start rolling out,” Balamurugan said.

As far as weight is concerned, he said that though the Mark 1-A weighs more, it has been designed in such a way that pressure exerted at specific points is much lower.ements, except one — a cannon-launched guided missile (CLGM).

The Army had insisted on having that capability, since other tanks like the T-90 also had it.

The DRDO roped in the Israelis and sourced the Lahat CLGM, which could conclusively hit targets between two and five kilometres away. The trials validated the CLGM’s laser designator.

 theprint

Budget allocation 35 percent lower than required: House panel on defence

A parliamentary panel on Friday flagged concerns about the India’s military modernisation taking a hit because of inadequate funds made available for buying new weapons and systems in this year’s budget. The panel pointed out that the capital budget for 2020-21 was 35% less than the requirement projected by the armed forces.

In a report tabled in the Lok Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence pointed out that insufficient budgetary allocation would affect acquisLast month, the government set aside Rs 3.37 lakh crore for military spending in its budget for 2020-21, an increase of barely 6% over last year’s budget estimates of Rs 3.18 lakh crore.

This year’s budget, which exclude defence pensions, includes Rs 1.13 lakh crore under the capital head for modernisation, which is only Rs 10,340 crore more than the allocation in last year’s budget estimates. If the defence spending allocated for 2020-21 is calculated against last year’s revised estimates of Rs 3.31 lakh crore, the increase is not even 2%.

The armed forces are prioritising their purchases to make the best use of available resources, two senior officials said on the condition of anonymity.

The panel highlighted how the gap between the requirement of the armed forces and the money made available has increased over the years.

It said the gap for the army had spiralled from Rs 4,596 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 17,911.22 crore this year (from 14% to 36%).

“In the case of navy, the difference was Rs 1,264.89 crore in 2014-15, which has increased to Rs 18,580 crore in 2020-21 [5% to 41%] and for airforce, the gap which was Rs 12,505.21 crore in 2015-16 has increased to Rs 22,925.38 crore in 2020-21 [27% to 35%],” the report said.

Experts said it was critical to allocate more money to the military under the capital head this year.ition of latest weaponry, aircraft, ships and tanks that are required to match the modernisation of the Chinese and Pakistani militaries.

“The committee feel and desire that to develop and acquire the most modern state-of-the-art fighting platforms, which can match northern and western neighbours [China and Pakistan], the requisite allocation to the capital head is very essential,” the panel said in its report on capital outlay, procurement policy and defence planning.
 “With the security challenges that India faces, the capability accretion of three services should not be stymied due lack of funds. Unfortunately, the allocation in this year’s budget is woefully inadequate and must be given a second look,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

Last month, chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat indicated that he prefers a procurement model that involves buying weapons and systems in a staggered manner so that the requirement of the three services can be met within the available budget. The prioritisation of military purchases to be made by the three services comes under Rawat’s purview.

 hindustantimes

VSHORAD missile system, SPAD-GMS deal to be placed before Defence Acquisition Council

Two much-needed weapon systems, mired in controversy for months after a series of complaints, will be placed before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) very shortly.

Specially appointed monitors have finally 'cleared' the two weapon systems-- the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORAD) and the Self Propelled Air Defence Gun Missile System (SPADGMS)-- and they can be placed before the DAC headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh and including chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs. The green light for both systems came after a recent high-level meeting in South Block. Both are big deals and while the Russians are favourites for the VSHORAD project, the front-runners for the SPADGM system may be the South Koreans. The VSHORAD project is of course for all three services, the SPADGM System could accompany the Army's strike corps during offensive operations. Five regiments are likely to be procured.


Another much-needed project is also being readied for the DAC. This is for the production of 200 Russian Ka-226 helicopters to be manufactured jointly by Hindustan Aeronautics and the Russians. Of the 200, 135 will go to the Army and the remaining 65, to the Indian Air Force. This deal has been in the making for a long while and the helicopters will be replacements for the aging Cheetah and Chetak choppers. The decision to have HAL as a joint venture partner was taken by the Russians.


Several major issues will be placed before the DAC, likely on March 18 and perhaps, the last such meeting in this financial year. These include:

* two simulators for the Hawk advanced jet trainer (AJT) for the air force. These are valued at approximately Rs 300 crore each.

* fuses for bombs for the air force. They have been designed in India and is likely to be manufactured in India. About 15,000 fuses will be initially bought for about Rs 700 crore.

* The DAC will also look at the reduction in numbers of the Kamov-31 helicopter to be purchased for the Indian Navy. Instead of ten as earlier planned, six could be bought.

* Similarly, the Navy was to get four Multi-purpose vessels. Now, it could be two.

 timesnownews

Treating Pakistan as a friend was a critical error: US officials in Afghanistan Papers

US officials in the Bush and Obama administrations believe the treatment of “Pakistan as a friend” in the country’s trillion-dollar 18-year-long Afghanistan war was a “critical error”, The Washington Post has revealed in its “secret history” of the conflict.

On Monday, the American daily published US government papers in an extensive report, ‘The Afghanistan Papers’. The trove of confidential documents comprise 2,000 pages of interviews with senior US officials and others directly involved in the conflict, conducted by a federal agency under the name ‘Lessons Learned’.

According to the documents, US officials admit that Pakistan — which the US supported with billions of dollars besides modern weapons, including air-to-air AMRAAM missiles that were used against Indian fighters earlier this year — had started playing a “double game” in the conflict as early as 2002.

Pakistan had joined the US in the “war against terror”, but it also supported the Taliban and the al-Qaeda leadership in finding safe havens and logistics support on its soil and in Afghanistan.

The documents obtained by the Post reveal that senior US officials failed to tell the truth about the Afghan war throughout the 18-year campaign. The Post said that US officials kept making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hid unmistakable evidence that the war had become unwinnable.

Over the past 18 years, over 775,000 American troops have served in Afghanistan, many repeatedly. Over 2,300 US troops died in the conflict while 20,589 returned home wounded, according to the US Defense Department figures. At present, over 13,000 American troops are serving in Afghanistan.

The George W. Bush administration had entered the country in 2001 to hunt down 9/11 perpetrator, al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, and destroy his terror organisation.

However, the war, continued by Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, eventually became a prolonged conflict, with the US objectives changing over the years to include fighting the ultraconservative religious faction Taliban and installing a democratic Afghan government.

‘Veering off the original track’

According to hundreds of confidential interviews revealed in The Washington Post report, US and allied officials admitted they veered off in directions that had little to do with al Qaeda or 9/11 in what was their first mistake in the prolonged war.

“By expanding the original mission, they said they adopted fatally flawed warfighting strategies based on misguided assumptions about a country they did not understand,” said the Post report.

The result was an “unwinnable conflict with no easy way out”. Further, the issue was compounded because of the US war in Iraq and against the Islamic State, pulling the attention off from Afghanistan.

“We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan — we didn’t know what we were doing,” Douglas Lute told government interviewers in 2015. Lute is a three-star Army general who served as the White House’s Afghan war czar during the Bush and Obama administrations.

“What are we trying to do here? We didn’t have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking,” added Lute.

The Musharraf folly

In the ‘Lessons Learned’ interviews, other US officials said the Bush administration compounded its first mistake by making another “critical error” — “treating Pakistan as a friend”.

This was because of former Pakistan President and Army chief General Pervez Musharraf, who had allowed the Pentagon to use Pakistani airspace and US intelligence agency CIA to track al Qaeda leaders in Pakistani territory.

“As a result, the Bush White House was slow to recognize that Pakistan was simultaneously giving covert support to the Taliban, according to the interviews,” the Post said in its report.

Marin Strmecki, a senior adviser to former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, told government interviewers, “Because of people’s personal confidence in Musharraf and because of things he was continuing to do in helping police up a bunch of the al-Qaeda in Pakistan. There was a failure to perceive the double game that he starts to play by late 2002, early 2003.

“I think that the Afghans, and [President Hamid] Karzai himself, are bringing this up constantly even in the earlier parts of 2002,” Strmecki added. “They are meeting unsympathetic ears because of the belief that Pakistan was helping us so much on al-Qaeda… There is never a full confronting of Pakistan in its role supporting the Taliban.”

The cost factor

Officials in the Obama administration acknowledged in the ‘Lessons Learned’ interviews that they failed to resolve another strategic challenge that had dogged Bush — what to do about Pakistan?

Washington kept giving Pakistan billions of dollars every year to help fight terrorism. Yet, the Pakistani military and intelligence leaders never stopped supporting the Afghan Taliban and giving sanctuary to its leaders, the Post reported.

“The Obama administration just thought if you just hang in there Pakistan will see the light,” a former White House official told government interviewers.

Another unnamed official complained that the Obama administration would not let US troops attack Taliban camps on the Pakistani side of the border.

“And still today we wonder what the problem is,” the official said. “I talked to (CIA chief) General Petraeus and I was saying that if I were a general and a bullet came and hit my men I would follow it. And Petraeus said yeah well go talk to Washington.”

Ryan Crocker, who also served as the US ambassador to Pakistan from 2004 to 2007, told government interviewers that Pakistani leaders did not bother to hide their duplicity, the Post reported.

He recalled a conversation he had with General Ashfaq Kayani, who was the chief of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and one of the principal plotters of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

“And he says, ‘You know, I know you think we’re hedging our bets. You’re right, we are, because one day you’ll be gone again, it’ll be like Afghanistan the first time, you’ll be done with us, but we’re still going to be here because we can’t actually move the country. And the last thing we want with all of our other problems is to have turned the Taliban into a mortal enemy, so, yes, we’re hedging our bets,’” Crocker quoted Kayani as saying.

In his December 2016 interview, Crocker said the only way to force Pakistan to change would be for President Trump to keep US troops in Afghanistan indefinitely and give them the green light to hunt the Taliban on Pakistani territory.

“It would allow him to say, ‘You worry about our reliability, you worry about our withdrawal from Afghanistan, I’m here to tell you that I’m going to keep troops there as long as I feel we need them, there is no calendar.’

“That’s the good news. The bad news for you is we’re going to kill Taliban leaders wherever we find them: Baluchistan (Balochistan), Punjab, downtown Islamabad. We’re going to go find them, so maybe you want to do a strategic recalculation,” the Post reported.

 theprint

Unrest spreading in PoK, people may rise in revolt: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today that unrest is increasing among the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) due to Pakistan’s step-motherly treatment and the possibility of people there rising and demanding that they can’t stay with Pakistan and want to be with India can’t be ruled out.

He said Abdullahs, a reference towards two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP president, should change their mindset and should be willing to contribute to bringing normalcy. Then, God willing, they will be released.

Stating this in an interview to a weekly news magazine, the Defence Minister said they are getting reports that unrest is increasing among the people of PoK, which is occupied territory and has never been a part of that country.


“Pakistan’s attitude towards the people of PoK is step-motherly. They are fed up. We can’t rule out the possibility of people in PoK rising and demanding that they can’t stay with Pakistan and want to be with India,’’ he said, adding this possibility exists as there is increasing dissatisfaction.
The unrest is spreading rapidly (in PoK), he asserted,

The Defence Minister’s statement on PoK assumed significance as recently there have been aggressive statements by the Indian leadership on PoK including Home Minister Amit Shah and Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Maintaining that political process has started in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath, however, said Abdullahs and Mehbooba (Mufti) have to change their mindset and should be willing to contribute to bringing normalcy.

“Then, God, willing, they will be released. I am praying for them; my prayer is that they help restore normalcy,’’ he said.

Rajnath said the fact that a Union Territory has been formed in Jammu and Kashmir is a result of political process and elections have also been held to Block Development Councils and Panchayats. “We want normalcy. Our aim is that Kashmir should be a paradise on earth not just for India, but for the entire world’’.

Referring to the situation along Line of Control (LoC) where Pakistan army has regularly been indulging in ceasefire violations, the Defence Minister said Pakistan is still making attempts to infiltrate terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir but our Army, local police, Central Police Force and Intelligence Bureau are alert and thwarting these attempts.

Today, he added, the situation is better in J&K and it is getting normalized day by day. The number of terrorists in J&K has decreased.

Rajnath charged the separatists with misguiding the youth and instigating them to pelt stones but at the same time they were sending their own children to foreign universities. He added that the people are realizing this and have started asking how anti-national forces are getting funds. Earlier, he asserted, the people didn’t speak out due to fear but now huge section of people is happy that peace is returning.

“Compared to the past, the homegrown terror has decreased. Terror related incidents have gone down. Earlier, there were incidents on a daily basis but they have decreased and the people of Kashmir want peace and tranquility,’’ he said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that India can defeat Pakistan in a war in 7-10 days, the Defence Minister said that question would arise only if Pakistan had ever won a war as all four times—1948, 1965, 1971 and in the Kargil war of 1999—Pakistan lost to India.

“So where is the doubt whether India will win? Today, we have moved much ahead in capabilities. I would say the result is pre-declared. This is not just my claim, the international community agrees with it,’’ he added.

Responding to a question that if there is Pulwama-II, can we expect Balakote-II, Rajnath asked: “Why should a Pulwama-II happen? It will not, Pakistan knows what will happen if it tries another Pulwama. It knows the answer well’’.

At the same time, he said, India has always tried to keep good relations with its neighbours and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in 2014.

“Once, the Prime Minister even went to Pakistan breaking protocol. We have always treated Pakistan as our neighbour but the respect Pakistan should have shown towards India was not there,’’ he said adding Pakistan didn’t respond to our gestures.

“When former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee went to Lahore in a bus, the result was Kargil. Pakistan needs to change its attitude. I am confident this will happen,’’ the Defence Minister said.

He added that morale of Pakistan is getting weak as it is suffering economically. “The people of Pakistan wants good relations with India, but their establishment continues to indulge in nefarious act against India’’.

On war rhetoric by Pakistan, the Defence Minister said it is Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who talked about a nuclear threat.

“It is the weak who keep repeating threats. When Imran Khan says they have nuclear capability, he knows our capability is no less,’’ he added.

 dailyexcelsior

‘Forthcoming deals can transform US-India security partnership’

The increasing defence and security cooperation between India and the United States is a very important aspect of our strategic partnership,” said Prime Minster Modi last week during the US President Trump’s visit. The increasingly close security partnership between the two nations has the potential to unlock unprecedented amounts of advanced US technology for India and access to supply chains of US suppliers for Indian manufacturers.

While the visit of President Trump coincided with only the announcement of $3B in defense sales — completely in military helicopters — it is the deals in the coming years that have the potential to transform the US-India security partnership. With the signing of the COMCASA and the ISA-1 agreement and BECA likely to be signed soon, these foundational agreements pave the way for release of the most advanced technology to India which will enhance joint interoperability as envisioned by the creation of the CDS and allow greater battlefield integration.

It has been widely reported that India is considering additional P-8 aircraft and the NASAMS missile shield built. But the largest deal is also likely to be the most significant — the sale of 30 MQ-9B Guardian armed drones from General Atomics for all three Indian Armed Forces. As a joint sale, this aircraft will revolutionise the situational awareness paradigm, allowing seamless monitoring and armed response to threats across India’s vast land and maritime borders.
 The Guardian aircraft is highly modular and is easily configured with a variety of payloads, even after the aircraft have been delivered. Consistent with President Trump’s commitment to providing India with the United States’ highest technology, it is expected that the aircraft will include the most advanced sensors and weapons from the United States including SIGINT capability and next generation synthetic aperture radars.

The weapons capability of the aircraft is rumoured to include both, short range Hellfire missiles as well as stand-off missiles, which will allow it to strike targets from a longer distance. Future capabilities are rumored to include carrying jamming pods and other systems necessary for the disabling of enemy systems and performing Anti-Submarine Warfare missions.

Given that the Indian Defence budget is strained to meet the rising demands for security in its neighbourhood and anticipated for the years ahead, it is imperative that the Modi government give top priority to finalising the Guardian acquisition this year in order to sign the deal in early 2021.

 dailypioneer