SP's Land Forces Dec 2010-Jan 2011

SP’s LAND FORCES6/2010

PAGE 4Indian Army Through the AgesThe transformation of Indian military for thefuture, through technological improvementscoupled with innovative operational art willgive India a distinct advantage over its potential adversaries.

Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor

PAGE 6Avoid Delays, Act Fast

The sluggishness of the Defence Ministry in equipment procurement could have disastrous results in the future.


PAGE 10100 Magnificent YearsThe Corps of Signals recently celebrated itscentenary year.

Lt General P. Mohapatra

PAGE 12‘Future wars will be intense, swift, non-linear, network-centric with technologyintensive weapon systems’

Interview with Lt General Ajai Chandele, Director General, EME, Indian Army

PLUS

A Key Enabler in Net-centric Warfare 8Bid for Best Tech 14Time for Offensive & 16Defensive Measures

Tecknow 18News in Brief 19

‘Indian Army is prepared to playits part in the development andsecurity of our country’

Addressing a gathering comprising course members including officers fromfriendly foreign countries and civil services at the National Defence College, New Delhi, Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh spoke on the subject—‘Indian Army: Challenges and Vision’

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SP’s A N S P G U I D E P U B L I C A T I O N

R O U N D U P

December 2010-January 2011

IN THIS ISSUE T h e O N L Y j o u r n a l i n A s i a d e d i c a t e d t o L a n d F o r c e s

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INDIAN ARMY SPECIAL

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Iam pleased to learn that SP Guide Publications is bring-ing out separate special editions on the Indian Air Force,Indian Army and Indian Navy.Our Armed Forces have rendered invaluable contribu-

tions to the nation—both in times of war and peace. Wewant our Armed Forces to retain the competitive edge andrank among the best in the world.

We remain committed to the modernisation of theForces. However, modernisation must proceed hand-in-handwith indigenisation. The all-around welfare of the Jawans,

ex-servicemen and their family members continues to be ourprimary concern.

I am confident that the special editions will be liked andread widely.

Please accept my best wishes for your future endeavours.

A.K. ANTONY

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE INDIA

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Defence of a nation and develop-ment are complementary. IfIndia aspires to be an economicpower, its military power mustreflect that desire through its

ability to protect its interests. In this context,the transformation of the Indian military forthe future, through doctrinal, organisa-tional, equipment and technological im-provements will give India a distinctadvantage over its potential adversaries. Thisis vital for preserving India’s sovereignty andfurthering its national interests.

I intend covering my talk under threebroad heads—India’s strategic perspectives;threats and challenges; and the way ahead.

India’s Strategic PerspectivesLet me first highlight certain perspectivesthat provide a backdrop to the threats andchallenges that confront us.

India’s strategic perspectives have beenshaped by geography, history, our own nativeculture, vision and geopolitical realities. Ge-ographically, a few facts are particularly rel-evant. First, India is both a continental andmaritime nation with a territory of overthree million sq km, a land frontier of15,000 km, a coastline of 7,500 km, and apopulation of 1.2 billion, the second largestin the world.

Second, its location at the base of conti-nental Asia and the top of the Indian Oceangives it a vantage point in relation to bothWest, Central, continental and South-EastAsia, and the littoral states of the IndianOcean from East Africa to Indonesia.

Third, India’s peninsular projection inthe ocean which bears its name, gives it astake in the security and stability of thesewaters. Nehru once said, “I look at India….on three sides, the sea, and on the fourth,high mountains….History has shown thatwhatever power controls the Indian Ocean,has in the first instance, India’s sea bornetrade at her mercy, and in the second, India’svery independence itself.”

Fourth, India shares borders with a largenumber of neighbours, most of whom donot share borders amongst themselves. Theborder problems in the North, West and inthe North-east are a colonial legacy whichwe have to deal with.

Fifth, the security situation in our neigh-bourhood, on our western flank, is of con-cern. Even though terrorism poses a seriousinternal threat, our neighbour has been se-lective in combating it; fighting some groups,while sheltering and supporting others itconsiders as strategic assets. Till the terroristinfrastructure remains intact and infiltrationattempts by terrorists into Jammu & Kashmircontinue, our relations will remain strained.

Sixth, rapid rise of our neighbour in theNorth and North-east as an economic andmilitary power together with its new as-

sertiveness give rise to apprehensions abouther intentions. At the moment, peace pre-vails along the border and confidence build-ing measures are in place. However, rapidinfrastructure development in the adjoin-ing regions and modernisation of theirarmed forces has significantly enhancedtheir military capabilities, which we need totake note of.

Seventh, India is an energy deficientcountry located close to some of the mostimportant sources of oil and natural gas inthe Gulf and Central Asia and adjacent toone of the most vital sea-lanes throughwhich about 1,00,000 ships transit everyyear.

Spill-over effects from other neighbour-ing countries: Conventional military threatsfrom other neighbours are virtually non-ex-istent. However, non-conventional threatsfrom the neighbourhood could manifest inthe form of spill-over effects along land bor-der or coastal areas. Some of the concernsrelate to the consequences of the prevailingpolitical instability and porosity of our bor-ders with Nepal. Cross border movement ofIndian insurgent groups and the actions ofBhupalese refugees in the areas adjoiningBhutan also remain areas of concern.

Efforts by Sri Lanka to rehabilitate thewar affected people and integrate them intothe mainstream have the possibility of bring-ing lasting peace with positive outcomes forboth the countries.

Threats and Challenges India faces a variety of military challengesto national security. These include thethreats from traditional adversaries and avariety of additional challenges that need tobe factored in India’s planning process forthe future. The additional challenges whichimpact specifically upon the structure andpreparedness of the Indian Army are: l Defence of our island territories sepa-

rated by large distances from the main-land.

l Security of our offshore and on shore assets and resources rich areas.

l Security of a large and unprotectedcoastline and the national assets and in-frastructure along the coastline.

l Internal dissent and claims to autonomyby sub-national entities, who may besupported from outside.

l Demographic shifts in the North-easternregion and other non-military threatswhich may impact upon the military.

l The belief of a single powerful neigh-bour, which views its economic and se-curity interests as more vital than that ofthe world (Damming of India’s watersources).

l The proliferation of weapons of mass de-struction and advanced delivery plat-forms such as cruise and ballistic missiles

and UCAVs.l Overspill of ethnic conflicts in the South

Asian Region into India.l Internal destabilisation of neighbouring

states compelling India to resort to“peace enforcement” initiative either in-dividually or collectively as a part ofUnited Nation or other multilateral ini-tiatives.

l Global terrorism perpetrated by non-state actors, which may be aided or sup-ported by other states.

l Military aid, in internal security, againstterrorist activity; narcotics and LWE.

l Robust economic growth will bestow po-litical power and a global/regionalpower status in the future which willmandate autonomy in decision-makingand safeguarding of sovereignty in anew global order and a new global andregional security environment whosecontours are currently hazy and willneed to be analysed as we move forwardin the 21st century, to ascertain theirimpact on our security.

l Defence and protection of Indian Dias-pora abroad and India’s energy-relatedassets located abroad.

Non-Conventional Challenges Ensuring the security of ‘Global Commons’;namely, outer space, cyber space, the oceans,global transport and communication net-works has assumed significance. Threats tothese transcend national boundaries and acollective effort to ensure the free flow of in-formation and economic opportunitiesacross these ‘commons’ is vital.

Nature of Future WarsIncreasing economic interdependence as aconsequence of globalisation; internationalopinion, technology and the availability ofnuclear weapons have resulted in a majorshift in the management of international se-curity. The nature of warfare is changing.Future wars, therefore, are likely to be:l Highly uncertain.l Technology will play a pre-dominant role

in designing the conduct of war.l The costs involved and the complexities

of war waging may force nations to joinallies/coalitions thus requiring expertisein combined warfare methods.

l The high costs of waging wars and of in-dividual weapon systems will demandtotal synergy between various compo-nents of national power and between thevarious elements of the armed forcesthemselves.

l Weaker states will use “asymmetric war-fare” to fight more powerful opponentswhile the more powerful states will usepositive asymmetry through C4ISR ca-pabilities to deliver significant lethal andnon-lethal effects with precision, speed

and crushing power. l Globalisation and interconnectedness

will make wars transparent thus chal-lenging the political utility of usingarmed forces.

l Military power is likely to be used selec-tively, in an integrated and synergeticmanner and with increasing discrimina-tion in choosing means as well as ends.

l There will invariably be an internationalpressure on warring parties due to thefear of escalation, especially if the nu-clear armed states are involved, andhence wars are likely to be short but ofhigh intensity.

l Two or three generations of warfare willcoexist i.e. high technology as well as lowtechnology components.

l The strategy of global leadership and engagement by the United States, basedon the assumption that such a role isnatural, will continue for the foreseeablefuture, though China is building its mili-tary capabilities at a faster pace than anticipated earlier and together with itsimpressive economic clout will prove tobe a formidable challenge in the future.Its assertiveness is already being felt inthe region.

l A balance between the measures of active security building and restraint willhave to be maintained with a betterawareness of their respective strengthsand weaknesses.

l Care will have to be taken to work withinthe limits of international law includingits precepts on the minimum use of forceand proportionality of response (this isnot applicable to hyper/superpowers).

The Way Ahead India’s strategic vision is in harmony withour traditional character as a peaceful, re-sponsible nation that has abjured aggressionand played a constructive, mainstream rolein international relations. We have no extraterritorial ambitions and no desire to trans-plant our ideology on others. It is our con-sidered position that we wish to retain ourstrategic autonomy and thus need to main-tain an independent deterrent capability.

Army PerspectiveThe Indian Army is required to fulfil its rolesof protecting India’s integrity and sover-eignty—across the entire spectrum of con-flict. The present profile of the Indian Armycan essentially be described as:l A large standing Army, which is struc-

tured, equipped and trained to undertakeoperations; ranging from sub-conven-tional to all out conventional war againsta nuclear backdrop at the higher end.

l The Indian Army has been involved in

Reports have been appearing in the media regu-

larly and articles have also been appearing in mil-

itary and security related journals regarding the

great drive that has been launched to modernise

the armed forces. Reports indicate that the mod-

ernisation of the Indian Army includes new heli-

copters, high technology weapons and new

artillery systems, night fighting aids, unmanned

vehicles and other advanced systems and muni-

tions. In all a multibillion-dollar induction plan has

been drawn by the Indian Army in their long-term

integrated perspective plan (LTIPP). The high

technology platforms and systems and other as-

sets will enhance the Army’s operational capabili-

ties when integrated with the command,

information and decision support system (CIDSS)

which is being progressed simultaneously and in-

cludes separate projects such as artillery combat

command control system (ACCCS), battlefield

surveillance system, air defence control and re-

porting system (ADC&R), battlefield management

system (BMS), and future infantry soldier as a sys-

tem (F-INSAS ). Integrated together with requisite

communications, these systems will provide near

real time ‘sensor to shooter’ links to make the

Army a network-centric force.

Planning seems flawless but when it comes to

execution, to take stock of what has been procured

out of the big ticket items such as the artillery guns,

light observation and reconnaissance helicopters,

night fighting aids for armour and infantry, or even

efforts towards network-centricity, our pace is so

excruciatingly slow that the results achieved are al-

most negligible. The Ministry of Defence would

have us believe that the delays occurring currently

are due to several reasons such as insufficient and

limited vendor base, non-conformity of the offers

to the request for proposal (RFP) conditions,

lengthy field trials, complexities in contract negoti-

ations, limited indigenous capability and long lead

time for indigenisation, etc. However, these rea-

sons notwithstanding, the fact remains that we as

a nation do not seem to have the political will to

equip the armed forces suitably. The media is busy

unearthing scams, the political parties are busy

protecting their power base and their turf, the bu-

reaucracy couldn’t care less and the armed forces

do not have the financial powers or the freedom to

progress beyond a limit. This is happening at a

time when the threats and challenges to the nation

are increasing and when we should be preparing

the armed forces for a possible two front conflict

contingency in the future. After the debacle of 1962

war, our citizens and planners should appreciate

that plans on paper, political rhetoric and diplo-

matic parleys cannot win wars.

With this issue, SP’s Land Forces completes

seven years. The issue also carries a variety of

articles focused on the threats and challenges

and modernisation of the Indian Army to prepare

for future conflicts.

EDITO

RIAL


Continued on page 15

n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

The early military history of India isa history of India’s princely statesconstantly at war with each otherand this motivated their thinkingwith the resultant lack of unity

against foreign invaders. Thus the Indiansaga of battles against all invaders includ-ing the British is full of tactical level battlesof personal bravery of kings and princeswhich lacked strategic level thinking andplanning. From the lessons of these wars, italso becomes clear that the military leadersof India’s princely kingdoms did not under-stand the importance of battlefield mobilityand the need to evolve new concepts and to have new weapons synchronised into anew art of warfare to confront more skillfulopponents.

The British era of the Indian Army lastedfor nearly 200 years. Major StringerLawrence was the first army officer ap-pointed Commander-in-Chief of all the EastIndia Company’s forces in 1752. He canthus be deemed as the Father of the IndianArmy. The forces then comprised Europeansrecruited from England or locals and Indianauxiliaries. These Indians were armed withtheir own weapons, wore their own dressand were commanded by their own officers.

The events of 1857 are too well known tobe recounted in detail in this brief focus on theIndian Army. A Royal Commission appointedin July 1858 suggested that the Army in Indiabe composed mainly of Indian troops with theproportion of Indians to British being 2:1. By1863, the actual numbers were three,15,500 Indian and 38,000 British troops.The three armies were amalgamated step bystep, which was completed by 1895.

With the overall control of the IndianEmpire being vested in the Crown, the impe-rial strategy for the defence of India envis-aged a wide cordon sanitaire to give depth tothis jewel in the crown. Afghanistan, Tibetand Burma were the immediate bufferswhile the global dominance of the BritishNavy allowed them even further outpostslike Hong Kong, Singapore, Aden andCyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Pax Bri-tannica was at its zenith and the core wascentred in India.

The Era of the World WarsThe final shape and professional restructur-ing of the Indian Army was carried out priorto World War I under General Kitchener, theCommander-in-Chief in India from 1902.During this period, due to a clash betweenhim and Viceroy Curzon over the perceivedorganisational duality of control of the mil-itary in India, Curzon resigned. This issuehas had a significantly negative effect on thehigher defence control mechanism thatevolved after independence and which leavesthe Service Chiefs outside the governmentaldecision-making forums. Till date, this as-pect remains an Indian weakness.

During World War I, more than one mil-lion Indian soldiers served overseas. TheArmy expanded from 2, 39,511 in 1914 to1,440, 428 personnel by 1919. While therewere no commissioned Indian officers in theArmy, the Indian Army fought in all majortheatres including France Gallipoli,Mesopotamia, Egypt and Palestine.

When Poland was attacked by Germanyon September 1, 1939, Britain declared waragainst Germany on September 3, 1939.

The Viceroy declared India at War on thesame day. World War II (WW II) had started.Congress governments in power in eightprovinces resigned, as they had not beenconsulted. They declared that they wouldnot cooperate with the government. Thiswas not due to love for Nazi Germany, but amatter of principle. In the beginning of theWW II, the Indian Army had a strength of1, 94,373 personnel which was a little morethan the strength available when WW Istarted. The modernisation planned in 1938was yet to start and the Indian Army was notintended to fight overseas, but only protectIndia’s borders and nearby areas. However,before the war ended; the Indian Army hadexpanded to over 2,000,000 men and en-gaged in operations stretching from HongKong to Italy. In the re-conquest of Burma,it provided the bulk of forces and played im-portant roles in the campaigns in NorthAfrica and Italy. Nearly 6,300 awards werereceived by the Indian Army in WW II.Awards for gallantry alone were approxi-mately 4,800. It included 31 VictoriaCrosses, 4 George Crosses, 252 Distin-

guished Service Orders, 347 Indian ordersof merit, and 1,311 military crosses.

Independence and PartitionWhile the Indian Army did not fight a war ofindependence, it contributed to it. Amongthe factors that led to independence, a majorfactor was the formation of India NationalArmy (INA) by the Indian prisoners of war.Nearly 20,000 officers and men joined theINA. The British were stunned at the defec-tion of officers. They realised that they couldnot rely on the Indian Army to put down amovement for Independence. This was rein-forced by the mutinies in the Royal IndianAir Force in January 1946 and an even morewidespread one in February 1946, in theRoyal India Navy. It was acknowledged thatIndia could not be held by force of arms andthis was a major factor in the British decisionto grant independence.

It was agreed that by August 15, 1947,India and Pakistan should have effectiveforces mainly non-Muslims and Muslimsunder their respective control. A large partof the Army had mixed classes and involveda major reorganisation of practically allunits. The Navy and the Air Force did notpose a serious problem due to their smallsize. An Armed Forces Reconstitution Com-mittee under Field Marshal Auchinleck wasset to divide the units and stores in the ratioof two to one between India and Pakistan,respectively. Muslims from India and non-Muslims from Pakistan could select whichdominion they would serve.

The tragedy of partition is a story whichdeserves separate coverage. The misery of

partition and Punjab migration could havebeen lessened had Mountbatten been a wiserman and not rushed independence and de-layed the announcement of the boundaryaward. Out of about 14 million people in-volved in migration, it is estimated that morethan half a million died in the violence thaterupted on both sides.

The strain on the troops of the old IndianArmy with the emotional stress of commu-nal differences, personal tragedies and dailyexposure to heartrending scenes of murders,rapes and other brutalities, brought theirdiscipline to a breaking point, but it survivedbecause of its leadership. It was the greatesttest of the old Indian Army which it passedwith flying colours under the most adversecircumstances.

Operation GulmargOperation Gulmarg, which was a deliber-ately planned operation by Pakistan, aimedat the annexation of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). According to its leader Colonel AkbarKhan of Pakistan Army, its planning wasdone in August 1947. Indian Army’s opera-tions in J&K and the achievement of the In-dian Army under its own officers despitelogistics constraints, daunting terrain andseverity of climate is a proud tribute to itsleadership, fighting spirit and patriotic fer-vour of all ranks. They undertook a task al-lotted to them as a sacred mission to befulfilled at whatever the cost.

Indian Army Post-Independence The strength of the Indian Army in August1947 was 4,00,000, but the political leader-ship was keen to reduce the strength to savedefence expenditure and hence it was decidedto bring down the strength of the Army to2,00,000 after the J&K Operations whichwould involve the disbandment of manyunits. A new Territorial Army Act was passedin 1948 and the infantry and artillery unitswith a nucleous of regular officers wereraised in 1949. Many other changes oc-curred during the period from 1948 to 1960.The designation of Commander-in-Chiefceased to be in use from 1955 and the threeChiefs (Army, Navy and the Air Force) weremade equal and independently responsiblefor their respective service. Every function ofthe defence services was duplicated in theMinistry of Defence where civilian bureau-crats not only ensured financial and admin-istrative control but also gradually took overthe decision-making powers of the defenceservices. The standing of the militaryreached an all time low when KrishnaMenon was the Defence Minister and deci-sions concerning matters of major militaryimportance were taken without consultationof the concerned service.

Nehru’s Bias Nehru’s bias against the military was well-known in the Services. The clearest exam-ple of this was when Cariappa outlined hisplan for the security of NEFA, after Chinahad occupied Tibet, Nehru flared up andthumping the table said, “It is not the busi-ness of the C-in-C to tell the Prime Ministerwho is going to attack us where. You mindonly Kashmir and Pakistan.” Nehru contin-ued to appease the Chinese and the un-timely death of Sardar Patel took away allopposition to Nehru’s views. The Sino-In-dian War of 1962 and the national humil-iation was the result of this policy and the

SP’s LAND FORCES4

Indian Army Through the AgesThe transformation of the Indian military for the future, through technological improvements coupled with innovative operational art will give India a distinct advantage over its potential adversaries, which is vital forpreserving India’s sovereignty and furthering its national interests

www.spslandforces.net

>>

PHOTOGRAPH: www.army.mil

M I L I TA R Y H I S T O R Y

Indian Army soldiers during a reconnaissance mission training exercise

India faces a far greaterthreat than any othercountry in the world be-cause of a highly volatilestrategic neighbourhood

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M I L I TA R Y H I S T O R Y <<

www.amgeneral.com

bias against the military. The military alsofailed by acquiescing to a policy they knewto be militarily and politically unsound.

The Period 1961 to 1971The period 1961 to 1971 was one of the mosttraumatic periods of the Indian Army. The defeat in 1962 shook the foundation of thenation and the armed forces. The Armybegan to introspect to overcome its weak-nesses. The 1965 War helped the Army to re-deem itself, but revealed embarrassingweaknesses in its equipment and its trainingand even leadership at various levels. Thesetwo wars spurred the political leadership tomodernise and expand the services. As 1970 came to a close,the Indian Army was now ready to face newchallenges emerging on the horizon.

The Indo-Pak War in 1971 resulted increation of a new nation—Bangladesh— anda decisive military victory in which 93,000prisoners of war were taken. While manybooks have been written to describe each bat-tle in detail, it is the spirit of the soldiery dur-ing this campaign that deserves mention. Inthe words of Sydney Schanberg of New YorkTimes, who accompanied Indian troops in twosectors, “I don’t like sitting around praisingarmies. I don’t like armies because armiesmean wars—and I don’t like wars. But this[the Indian] Army was something…Theywere great all the way. There was never ablack mark…I lived with the officers and Iwalked, rode with the jawans—and theywere all great … And they were the most per-fect gentlemen—I have never seen them do awrong thing, not even when they just sawhow bestial the enemy had been.”

From 1971 to 1998 The period after 1971 War saw the steady

modernisation of the Indian Army with newequipment for modern wars. The ExpertsCommittee under the Chairmanship of LtGeneral K.V. Krishna Rao submitted its re-port in 1976. Some of its major recommen-

dations started getting implemented in the1980s. The expansion of mechanised forceswas achieved as a result of this report.

On April 13, 1984, 34 soldiers of the In-dian Army were landed by 17 sorties of heli-copters at a point three kilometres short ofBilafond La, a pass on the Soltaro ridge, Westof Siachen Glacier. The soldiers occupied thepass. This was the opening move in what isreferred to as the Siachen conflict betweenIndia and Pakistan, which continues till date.This period also saw the Army operation onthe Golden Temple on June 5, 1984, at Am-ritsar, to clear the complex of militants whohad based themselves in the temple. The Op-eration was code named ‘Blue Star’. By June7, 1984, the Golden Temple complex hadbeen cleared of militants, but it left in its af-termath a wave of anguish and anger among

the Sikh community and the nation faced theassassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh security guards.

The period from July 1987 to March1990 saw the Indian Army fight Tamil mil-itants in Sri Lanka with one hand tied be-hind their back. The Indian PeacekeepingForce (IPKF) moved to Sri Lanka to carry outpeacekeeping duties as generally assignedduring UN operations and to separate thewarring factions’ i.e. LTTE and Sri Lankanarmed forces, but ended up enforcing peaceand conducting military operations againstLTTE. What the Indian Army achieved isbest described in the words of Rajan Wijera-trie, former Minister of State for Defence inSri Lankan Government. He is reported tohave said, “The IPKF had virtually finishedthem off. They were gasping for breath in thejungles. It was we who provided that oxygento them.” This summed up what IPKF hadachieved before de-induction.

During the 1980s, the Indian Army alsoconducted the operation in Maldives to pre-vent mercenaries from overthrowing the Gov-ernment of Maldives and while it did notinvolve much fighting, it demonstrated to theworld the speed and efficiency with which theIndian armed forces could react. This period(1989 onwards) also saw the start of the ter-rorism and insurgency in Kashmir and de-ployment of additional troops in J&K.

Kargil War (May-July 1999)Kargil Sector is 168 km along the line of con-trol (LoC) stretching from Kaobal Gali in thewest to Chorbat La in the east. The sector wasvast with the line of control which runs alongthe watershed along heights of 4,000 to5,000 metres high. The frontage and the na-

If India aspires to be a regional/global economicpower, its military powermust reflect that desirethrough its ability to protect its interests


PHOTOGRAPH: Wikipedia

Indian Army destroyed over 100Patton and Sherman Tanks (seenin the pic) of Pakistani Army dur-

ing the 1965 Indo-Pak War

M O D E R N I S AT I O N>>

SP’s LAND FORCES 6/20106


n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

Four conclusions generally emergefrom any analysis regarding the na-ture of future wars—future wars willbe highly uncertain, major state-to-state wars among well armed nations

will be rare, low intensity conflict and asym-metric wars will proliferate and technologywill play a predominant role in designing theconduct of future wars. Most nations are in-vesting heavily in new and emerging tech-nologies which they feel will confer distinctadvantages over the adversary.

India faces a variety of military chal-lenges to national security, which includethe threats and challenges from traditionaladversaries and a multiplicity of challengeswhich could be grouped under low intensityconflict operation (LICO). Additionally, thereare a large number of security parametersdue to our geography which are factored into the military planning process in order toderive the structural and organisationalchanges and modernisation focus.

According to Lt General (Retd) NobleThamburaj, former Vice Chief of ArmyStaff, the modernisation focus of the IndianArmy in the Eleventh Defence Plan is on“precision fire power, air defence, aviation,future infantry soldier as a system (F-INSAS), infrastructure development, net-work-centricity and achieving battlefieldtransparency through improved surveil-lance, night vision and target acquisition…Considering the receding span of technolog-ical cycle, right balance has to be main-tained between the state-of-the-art, currentand obsolescent technologies.” In light ofthese aspirations, let us examine broadly theprogress made so far.

Main Battle TanksOn Army Day 2009, the then Chief of ArmyStaff General Deepak Kapoor admitted that alarge number of India’s battle tanks are nightblind. This reference was obviously pertainingto the T-72M1 (Ajaya) fleet of the Army,which constitutes the majority amounting toapproximately 1,800 tanks. Going by theopen sources information available, theArmy’s armour profile, in the next five yearsor so, could comprise approximately 1,700 T-90S, 1,800 upgraded T-72M1 and 250 to500 Arjuns.

The indigenously designed Arjun mainbattle tank (MBT) had been in the pipelinefor over two decades. Though the tank hasmany good features, it had consistently failedto meet the Army’s GSQR for an MBT and or-ders had been placed for only 124 tanks tobe manufactured. After the recent compar-ative trials of the Arjun with the T-72M1and the T-90S, additional orders have beenplaced for another 124 Arjun Mk II, whichis an improvement on the Arjun MBT.

In the year 2000, India signed a dealwith Russia to acquire 310 T-90S tanks andassemble 1,000 in India. In 2008, the MoDdecided to acquire another 347, T-90Stanks. The first Indian assembled T-90S(Bhishma) rolled off the production line onJanuary 8, 2004. Ultimately we may have upto approximately 1,700 T-90S tanks.

The T-72M1 (Ajeya) tanks are still await-ing modernisation. The upgradation of sometanks has now commenced at the rate of 200tanks per year. The upgradation package cur-rently includes a thermal imaging stand-alone night sight (TISAS). An integrated fire

control system has been planned but thereseems to be little progress in this direction.New TADIRAN radios have been fitted in allT-72 tanks giving them an effective commu-nication system. Automatic land navigationsystem (ALNS) and global positioning system(GPS) are being fitted for navigation alongwith and a laser warning system. Explosivereactive armour (ERA) package is being fittedon all Ajeya tanks which will enhance protection against armour piercing fin stabi-

lized discarding sabot-tracer (APFSDS) andhigh explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. The feasibility of a new power pack is being explored.

Light TanksThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued RFPfor 200 light tanks and 100 wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs), in-cluding some for the mountain sector in November 2009. Plans to buy light strike

vehicles for counter-insurgency operationsare also being considered.

Future TanksThe DRDO has commenced conceptual stagedevelopment of future main battle tank(FMBT) and future infantry combat vehicle(FICV). This development is expected to becompleted by about 2025. T-90S Russiantanks have provided new teeth to India’sstrike formations in the plains and correctedthe imbalance that had resulted from Pak-istan’s acquisition of T-80 UD from Ukraineand the Al Khalid tanks jointly developedwith China.

Artillery ModernisationArtillery modernisation has been plagued byinordinate delays due to many reasons, butthe most relevant factor is the convolutedprocurement process which has been putinto place ostensibly to prevent corruptionand to ensure transparency. The result isthat in doing so we have tied ourselves inknots. Our procedures are not allowing themodernisation process to move forward. Itseems that every segment of the Army andcivil machinery asked for its views can stallthe process by a seemingly innocuous re-mark, sometimes just to emphasise their im-portance in the decision-making process.Moreover, given the mindsets within the civiland military hierarchies and the bureau-cratic file pushing that goes on within theMoD, the situation has been made unman-ageable. The ultimate sufferer is the Armywhose modernisation is stalled at a timewhen multifarious challenges facing it havestarted manifesting themselves. There is areal danger that we may have to face a con-ventional conflict on two fronts, in two differ-ent theatres of war (eastern and western),simultaneously.

155mm 52-Calibre, Towed Gun SystemsThe last major acquisition of towed gun-howitzers was that of about 400 pieces of39-calibre 155mm FH-77B howitzers witha range of 30 km from Bofors of Sweden inthe mid-1980s. This gun, despite politicalcontroversy, proved its mettle in the Kargilconflict. After more than two decades of neg-lect, during which many other artilleryweapons like the 100mm and 122mm fieldguns of Russian origin and the indigenouslydeveloped 75/24 Indian mountain gunjoined the long list of obsolete equipment inservice with the Army, tenders were floatedand trials were commenced for a 52-calibre155mm gun to replace all field and mediumguns. Four sets of trials have been done tilldate and no gun has been inducted.

On July 22, 2010, yet another request forinformation (RFI) for 155mm/52-CalibreTowed Gun System for the artillery was is-sued and replies were asked for by August16, 2010. This is consequent to the cancel-lation of the existing trials of the two155mm Howitzers belonging to SingaporeTechnologies Kinetics (STK) (FH- 2000) andBAE Systems (FH-77 B05 L52), respectively.The MoD spokesman claimed that trials hadbeen abandoned due to the “non-appear-ance” of STK’s FH-2000 gun. This will resultin considerable amount of delay in the in-duction of any new artillery gun because thedecision-making process of choosing a newartillery gun itself may take another twoyears and the cascading effect will furtherdelay the artillery modernisation plan to the

Avoid Delays, Act FastThe sluggishness of the Defence Ministry in equipment procurement could have disastrous results in the future. We need a far greater focus and a firm political will to modernise our military and build the desired military capability for the future.

39-calibre 155mm FH-77Bhowitzers from Bofors

A Tatra mobile launcherwith BrahMos supersonic

cruise missile

PHOTOGRAPHS: Abhishek / SP Guide Pubns


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year 2020 as it would take about eight to 10years to manufacture the chosen weapon in-digenously. Artillery is looking for an out-right purchase of 400, 155mm Howitzersand another 1,180 howitzers through localmanufacture. We are also looking for 120tracked and 180 wheeled, self-propelled (SP)155mm guns for the armoured and mecha-nised formations.

Ultra Light HowitzersThe American Defence Security CooperationAgency (DSCA) has now notified the USCongress of the Obama administration’s in-tention to sell 145, M-777, 155mm How-itzers to India, asserting that the sale willboost ‘interoperability’ between Indian andAmerican soldiers and marines. The manda-tory notification follows a request from Indiafor the light-weight towed howitzers.

The procurement of airmobile howitzersfills a void in the Army’s requirement ofheavier calibre artillery for the mountainswhere the lack of suitable roads and tracksystem precludes the carriage of guns to theforward areas so as to reach out deeper inthe enemy’s defences. It will enable the Armyto carry out quick intra-theatre movementsthus substantially improving its flexibility.How M777 is a 155mm 39-calibre towedhowitzer that weighs less than 10,000 lbs(4,218 kg). It has laser inertial artillerypointing system and a 30 km range. Thisgovernment-to-government deal is worth$647 million (`2,910 crore).

Rocket ArtilleryThere has been notable progress on therocket artillery front. A contract for the ac-quisition of two regiments of the 12 tube,300mm Smerch multi-barrel rocketlauncher (MBRL) system with 90 km rangewas signed with Russia’s Rosoboronexportin early 2006 and the equipment has sincebeen received. This weapon system is a majorboost for the long-range firepower capabili-ties of the Army.

Extended range (ER) rockets are being in-troduced for the 122mm Grad MBRL that hasbeen in service for over three decades. The ERrockets will enhance the weapon systems’range from 22 to about 40 km. A contractworth `5,000 crore has also been signed forthe serial production of the Pinaka MBRLweapon system, another DRDO projectplagued by delay in time and completed withhelp from Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and theTatas. The Pinaka rockets will have an ap-proximate range of 37 km.

Artillery Command and Control SystemsThe “Shakti” project for command and con-trol systems for the Artillery, earlier calledArtillery combat command and control sys-tem (ACCCS), has reached the stage of ma-turity and is now being fielded extensively inthe plains. Gradually, it will be fielded up tothe corps level and the two artillery divisionswill be equipped with it.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise MissileEfforts are also under way to add ballistic aswell as cruise missiles to the artillery arsenal.The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile(Mach 2.8 to 3.0), with a precision strike ca-pability, very high kill energy and range of290 km, is being inducted into the Army. Aceremonial induction function of the Block-I version was held in July 2007. Since then,the Block-II version has successfully com-pleted trials. It is a versatile missile that canbe launched from Tatra mobile launchersand silos on land, aircraft and ships, and per-haps in future also from submarines. About50 BrahMos missiles are expected to be pro-duced every year. Efforts are afoot to furtherincrease its strike range. BrahMos Aerospacehas orders worth `3,500 crore from theArmy and the Navy, which has opted for theanti-ship as well as the land attack cruisemissile (LACM) versions. These terrain hug-ging missiles are virtually immune tocounter measures due to their high speed

and very low radar cross section and are farsuperior to subsonic cruise missiles like Pak-istan’s Babur. Chile, Kuwait, Malaysia andSouth Africa have shown interest in acquir-ing this missile.

Current AD ScenarioAAD is holding systems with varying time-frames, ranging from the oldest 40mm L70gun which is more than four decades old tothe youngest Tangushka which is about 15years old. The majority of the remaining gunsand missiles are about 20-30 years old. Infact, the vintage of these systems is muchmore in their country of origin. Thus in all re-spect they are either obsolete or have reachedobsolescence. Meanwhile, the air threat hasbeen becoming more critical with the fifthgeneration fighters looming in the horizonand unmanned combat aerial vehicles be-coming a reality. Seen in this backdrop, thecurrent AAD picture is rather dismal.

L/70 Gun System: L/70 is the mainstayand has been the work horse of AAD since1964. It was to be completely replaced by2000. However, there is no progress. DRDO’sdevelopment effort also kept its replacementat a limb for about two decades. Not manygun systems are currently available but apossible choice is Skyshield of RheinmetallDefence which has an effective range of 4km and rate of fire of 1,000 rounds perminute. It can be matched with any fire con-trol radar and the most redeeming feature is

the advance hit efficiency and destruction(AHEAD) technology ammunition whichcontains 152 heavy tungsten metal, spinstabilised sub-projectiles and ejected by atime fuse. It is claimed to be very effectiveagainst small targets. The same system can replace ZU-23mm twin barrelguns if found suitable and would reduce theinventory.

Schilka System: It is a highly mobile sys-tem for supporting armour formations and isin service since the early 1970s. Its successorwas Tangushka, but only one regiment hasbeen procured so far. The result is that theAAD is stuck with limited equipment whichdoes not meet the current operational re-quirement. One possibility is to take dispensa-tion for ‘single vendor’, and procure morenumber of Tangushka mounts which havebeen in service for more than a decade.

Quick Reaction SAM (QR SAM) Sys-tem: The current system is OSA-AK whichis a highly mobile system for the defence ofarmour formations. This system is morethan 20 years old and needs to be replaced.DRDO’s effort to develop Trishul system did

not succeed and a RFP was issued sometimeback, but it seems to have been withdrawnand a fresh RFI has been issued recently. Itis very difficult to predict the timeframe ofprocurement. The possible choices could beIsrael’s Spyder, Raytheon’s HAWK XXI,which is a more advanced and compact ver-sion of HAWK PIP-3 upgrade integratedwith a new 3D MPQ-64 sentinel radar. Themissiles are upgraded MIM-23K standardwith an improved blast-fragmentation war-head that creates a larger lethal zone.Raytheon’s other system is SLAMRAAMwhich is the land version of air-to-air mis-sile which has recently been inducted intothe US Defence Forces. Other systems areRussia’s TOR M-1 which has a range of 12km and Aster15 with a range of about 30km which seem to fall in the category of ei-ther less or more range than required.There are reports that DRDO is having ajoint venture with MBDA for Mica missilenamed Maitre (friendship) under a short-range SAM (SR-SAM) system programmefor replacing QR SAM system.

Medium-range SAM (MRSAM) Sys-tem: Kvadrat is the current system which ismore than 35 years old and has the technol-ogy of the early 1960s. An RFP has been is-sued but was withdrawn due to poorresponse. DRDO’s Akash has not succeededin mobile role. So the Indian Air Force hasprocured limited numbers to replace the age-ing Pechoras and the Indian Army is follow-

ing suit to buy some for important strategictasks in static role. Additional procurementappears to be set out through a joint ventureof the DRDO and IAI of Israel. The con-tenders could be Russia’s BUK-M1, Aster30,Patriot Advance Capability-3 (PAC-3). ThePAC-3 system incorporates many changes tothe ground equipment and the missile and isfielded in incremental steps called Configu-ration 1, 2, and 3. The ultimate PAC-3/Con-figuration 3 includes upgrades to the radar(now designated AN/MPQ-65) to increasedetection in high-clutter environments andto improve discrimination of closely spacedobjects (better decoy recognition). Patriot isthe obvious frontrunner as it is war proven;has hit to kill technology; can engage air-craft, helicopters, UAVs, cruise and tacticalballistic missiles. It is currently deployedwith 10 nations including the US.

Shoulder Fired SAM Systems: Thecurrent system is Igla, which is also in serv-ice with the Indian Navy and the Indian AirForce. It was to be replaced with a latest ver-sion called Igla-M which had a better ‘ap-proacher mode’ capability but it did not

fructify. Some current systems areStarstreak of UK, Stinger Block 2 of US andthe Mistral of France.

Infantry ModernisationThe Indian Army is extensively engaged in on-going proxy war operations in Jammu andKashmir and internal security (IS) andcounter-insurgency operations (CI) in theNorth-east. Simultaneously, the threat fromtraditional adversaries demands a high levelof preparedness for conventional conflicts. In2008, during an interview with SPs LandForces, the Director General Infantry, Lt Gen-eral Rajender Singh, said, “We have launchedmajor modernisation plans with particularemphasis on improvement in firepower, mo-bility, surveillance and night fighting capabil-ity. These will be inducted as per theperspective plans. Some of these weaponssuch as multiple grenade launchers (MGLs),automatic grenade launchers (AGLs) havebeen inducted while the remainder are in thepipeline. We are also in the process of individ-ual soldiers combat capabilities through future infantry soldier as a system (F-INSAS)programme.”

On July 9, 2009, Lt General Jasbir Singh,the next Director General, Infantry, candidlyshared his thoughts on a host of important is-sues affecting the Infantry. He said, “Withrapid advancements in the field of science andtechnology, the nature of warfare is alsochanging. Future wars are likely to be short,intense and characterised by greater trans-parency, increased accuracy and lethalitywith much higher tempo of activities. In thesetimes, while the Army needs to maintain con-ventional deterrence, it should also be pre-pared to face the more probable threat ofasymmetric war. The technological advance-ments that would impact future operations ofinfantry can be categorised as under:(a) Improvement in fire power—both in

quantum and accuracy.(b) Sensors to provide day/night all-weather

capability.(c) Information sharing through network-

ing and information management by automation.He said that his endeavour was to further

enhance the capability of the Infantry soldierand equip him with adequate lethality, pro-tection and situational awareness to meet thechallenges of both conventional and the nextgeneration of warfare. He clarified that theywere in the process of adopting the abovetechnologies towards meeting the operationalobjectives set out for the infantry.

Future Infantry Soldier as a SystemProjectThe Army’s F-INSAS project focuses on en-hancing the lethality and survivability ofsoldiers. It seeks to transform soldiers intofully networked, mobile warriors with a highdegree of situational awareness and the abil-ity to operate in all-weather conditions in alltypes of terrain. The programme envisagesequipping infantrymen with light-weight in-tegrated helmets with a ‘head up’ displaywith a built-in communication system andnight vision goggles, hand-held computerdisplay, global positioning system (GPS) andlethal fire power, including laser-guidedweapon systems at appropriate levels.

BFSRs and sensorsBattlefield surveillance radars (BFSRs) withpractical ranges of up to seven to eight kmwhere clear line of sight is available havebeen inducted along with hand-held ther-mal imaging devices (HHTIs) with ranges upto 2,000 metres for observation at night andstand-alone infrared, seismic and acousticsensors with varying capabilities. These haveenabled the infantrymen to dominate theline of control (LoC) to bring down infiltra-tion by terrorists from Pakistan OccupiedKashmir (PoK).

The newly acquired weapons, which

Tangushka mounts havebeen in service for morethan a decade

PHOTOGRAPH: SP Guide Pubns


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n R. CHANDRAKANTH

The Minister of State for Defence,M.M. Pallam Raju informed thatthe tactical communication system(TCS) is under way and that this of-fers an excellent opportunity for the

Indian industry to seek its share of defenceproduction. “The government is exploringoptions to increase private sector participa-tion in the defence sector through joint ven-tures, consortia, etc,” he said.

Inaugurating the two-day Defcom India2010 in Delhi, the Minister said that such ef-forts were directed towards creating indige-nous capabilities and achieving self-reliancein the defence sector. Defcom India 2010 hasattracted quite a number of players from theprivate industry, showcasing their commu-nication capabilities. Defcom India 2010 isjointly organised by the Corps of Signals andthe Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Stating that armed forces will remain ademanding customer, both qualitatively andquantitatively, the Minister said that the in-dustry will have to invest substantially in re-search and development. “The governmentwill facilitate greater private participation indefence production and the defence procure-ment procedure (DPP) is evolving,” he said.

Talking about the importance of com-munication in the present-day battlefield,Raju said mission critical programmes can-not be left to chance and that networking ofmodern weapon systems would be the key.“While the soldier will require smaller andlighter equipment, efforts should be made tointegrate the existing legacy systems. Ascyber security was an area of concern, thestakeholders had to guard against leakage ofinformation and also of disabling of net-works by subversive elements,” he said.

The Chief of the Army Staff, General V.K.Singh said that with more technology infu-sion, the Indian Army would become a better

force. The transformation was from a threat-based structure to capability-based force.With asymmetric warfare the norm now, theshift was from platform-centric to network-centric warfare and here the networks haveto be robust, resilient and secure.“Transfor-mation of the force takes time and sometimesthere is resistance,” he said and added that itis achieved with the least possible disruptionto the mindsets that prevail.

The Signal Officer-in-Chief, Lt General P. Mohapatra outlined the importance of thetheme “Converged Infostructure for a Trans-formed Force”. “In a non-linear battlefield,precision by information becomes crucialfrom the command centre to the shooter.The Army had embarked upon creating a ro-bust and scalable network and that conver-gence remained a challenge. Technology is acatalyst as well as inhibitor. Security will bea key factor,” he said.

The Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, LtGeneral V.S. Tonk said that there had to beseamless connectivity between the Armyheadquarters and the tactical battle area(TBA). The programme was to empower thecommanders to act decisively and in quicktime. He also spoke on the importance of in-teroperability between the forces and intra-operability within each service.

Ajai Chowdhary, Founder & Chairmanof HCL Infosystems, said that the defencecommunication industry was a multibillion-dollar sector and it required participationfrom different sources, primarily the privatesector. Many defence communication pro-grammes such as network for spectrum, de-fence communication network and ASCONPhase-4 are being implemented, coping withthe increased demand for reliable communi-cation. The Indian hardware and softwaresectors had earned a reputation and for thedefence sector it could be a viable hub.

During a panel discussion, Major Gen-eral A.K. Srivastava, Assistant Director Gen-eral Tac C, said that improved situationalawareness, robust and resilient networks,net-centricity, supremacy of informationand empowerment of the soldier were essen-tial in the changing scenario of today’s bat-tlefield. In the communication realm, themain challenge was interfacing diverse andheterogeneous networks.

The Indian Army had initiated a numberof projects with the aim of developing net-work infrastructure and tactical communica-tions applications. Some of the projects suchas Sanjay, Shakti, etc were in various stagesof development. The Army sought from theindustry new technologies which integrated

with hybrid legacy systems; robust commu-nication; convergence; integration and inter-operability; secure and scalable networks; andlifetime support for equipment.

Giving a perspective of the Indian AirForce, Air Commodore Hemant Sharma,Principal Director, Signals (Air) mentionedhow there had been significant growth inbandwidth with induction of unmanned aer-ial vehicles (UAVs), radars, airborne warningand control systems (AWACs), etc. In sixmonths, the IAF would roll out the mobilenetwork (WCDMA) wherein all IAF personnelwould be connected through mobile phones.

The IAF recently introduced Air ForceNetwork (AFNET), indicating the shift fromcoverage of western-eastern sectors to apan-India approach. The plan is to integrateradars of civil, Army and Navy through theAFNET. The road ahead, he said, was virtu-alisation and capacity expansion in terms ofbandwidth may be up to 10 gigabytes.

Captain S.K. Chhetri, Director, Naval Sys-tems, said the Navy was posed with challengeson sea, in air and land and called for integra-tion of platforms for effective intelligence, sur-veillance, reconnaissance. The Indian oceanwas vast and with the curvature of the earth,it was difficult to track all vessels traversingthe sea and there were about 1,000 shipspassing every day through the Malaccastraits. There were about 55,000 fishing ves-sels only in Gujarat and Maharashtra. TheNavy, he said, had embarked upon a pro-gramme of identification of vessels throughautomatic identification system (AIS).

Lt General J.P. Singh, Deputy Chief ofArmy Staff (Planning and Systems), summedup stating that the transformation of the In-dian Army to an agile network-centric andknowledge-based force is imminent. Informa-tion dominance, achieved through informa-tion infrastructure, would help majorly incompressing decision-making time, crucial ina command-sensor-shooter hierarchy.

A Key Enabler inNet-centric WarfareInaugurating the two-day Defcom India 2010 in Delhi, Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju said that the tactical communication system is under way and that this offers an excellent opportunity for the Indian industry to seek its share of defence production

The private sector has distinct strengths in Informa-tion and Communication Technology. Since thearmed forces are at the threshold of an exciting new

era of net-centricity in which they hope to network allsensors, shooters and commanders on converged infos-tructures, they expect substantial participation by theprivate sector. While accepting the necessity, we must ap-preciate that providing connectivity for strategic and tac-tical networks is a challenge as dispersed forces operateover a large geographical areas with diversities in terrain,weather, local conditions and operational uncertainties.There is also a need to factor in existing and legacy sys-tems which cannot be wished away. The Indian industrywill have to create infrastructure, research and develop-ment facilities and quality control procedures to becomesuccessful system integrators for defence systems.

The government has recently allowed private sectorparticipation in the defence industry up to 100 per centand with foreign direct investment permissible up to 26 percent both subject to licensing, for manufacture of all typesof defence equipment within the country. This is expectedto add to the investment already made in the public sector.

—Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju

Transformation in the technological domain requires the ability to acquire battlefield trans-parency; process information; make decisions; and

distribute information over wide areas, at high datarates, on the move, and across all echelons. These capa-bilities are the enablers of network-centric warfare.NCW is all about moving from the industrial age modelwhere information is collected at the edges and movedto the centres for decision-making to an informationage model where the edge is empowered to make deci-sions based on command intent and self synchronisa-tion derived from high quality shared awareness.

Falling in the centenary year of the Corps of Sig-nals, Defcom India 2010 has a special significance forthe Corps. I am glad to declare that we have got a veryenthusiastic response from the industry, academia andservice officers. Technical papers received from youngtechnically proficient service officers carry many origi-nal and novel ideas and will help us to define the user’scommunication perspective in a very effective manner.I compliment their effort.

—Signal Officer-in-Chief Lt General P. Mohapatra

This year the Corps of Signals is celebrating itscentenary. The Corps has a rich heritage of tech-nological excellence, innovation and communi-

cation achievements. Their contribution duringoperations, internal security and disaster relief effortsboth in India and overseas in the last one hundredyears has been noteworthy. During the last 100years, the Corps has done well to migrate from flags,pigeons and Morse code to networking and informa-tion warfare. They are now on the verge of usheringin a new era in strategic communications with theNFS project, in tactical communications with TCSand also spearhead the strategic defence networkwith DCN. They have skillfully showcased their com-munication capabilities, physical fitness and adven-turous spirit well by organising various activities atall-India levels during the year. I wish the Corps greatsuccess in all their future endeavours. Finally, I wishthe Corps of Signals and CII great success in the con-duct of Defcom India 2010.

—Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh


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On this historic occasion of ourcentenary year, it gives me im-mense joy to wish all combat-ants, civilian staff, veterans andtheir families the best of health,

happiness and prosperity. As we relive history,my heart also reaches out to all informationwarriors, who made the supreme sacrificeand whose courage and indomitable spiritcontinues to propel us to greater heights.

Ours has been an epic journey, an inspir-ing saga of enterprise and endeavour, ofcourage, commitment and accomplishment.From modest beginnings, the Corps hasgrown over the last 100 years into a versatileand vibrant force, matching the best in theworld and making its mark in operations,both in pre- as well as post-independenceera; its achievements intimately intertwinedwith those of the glorious Indian Army.

The fledgling Signallers, first bloodedduring World War I, repeatedly proved theirmettle, in various overseas operations. Bat-tle hardened through the World War II, theSignallers were tested for the first time,post-independence, in the 1947-48 Jammuand Kashmir (J&K) operations, where com-munications were set up in record time, inan area devoid of infrastructure. This veryimpassioned spirit and innovative zeal hasseen the Corps surmount all odds adroitlycombining technology with indefatigablehuman will, to meet the demands of com-munications in all operations including theconflict with China, wars with Pakistan, OPPawan, OP Vijay, OP Parakram and count-less other operations, disaster relief aid tocivil authorities and so on. Some invaluablemajor pioneering efforts have been theArmy radio engineered network (AREN)area grid systems, the Army static commu-nication network (ASCON) which providesbackbone connectivity to vital areas pan-India, the Army wide area network(AWAN), an enterprise wide messaging net-work and the mobile cellular communica-tions which is of immense value especiallyfor counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism(CI/CT) operations.

Our challenges have been inclusive,ranging from creating a potent electronicwarfare and signal intelligence capability,

which constitutes a national asset to build-ing up a vibrant cyber security establish-ment, creation of data centres for the IndianArmy and steering mammoth inter-servicecommunication projects.

The annals of history will also record thecommendable performance of our Corps inadventure activities and sports. We have twoArjuna awardees on our rolls. Several of ourplayers have found a place of honour inOlympics. The “Daredevils” have several no-table world records to their credit. Ourmountaineers have been part of the note-worthy expeditions; the Corps has been a pi-

oneer in micro-light flying while our repre-sentation in the scientific mission to Antar-tica has won wide acclaim. Woven into thissplendid tapestry are our Centres of Excel-lence, the Military College of Telecommuni-cation Engineering and Signal TrainingCentres, our concern for our brethren whichfinds reflection in the War Widows Boys Hos-tel and several benevolent endeavours. Oursis a Corps bristling with dynamism, proud inits being, but never content, forever aspiringto further the objectives of the Indian Army.

We owe our achievements, great andsmall, to the dedicated Signalmen—an epit-

ome of diligence and commitment, who havestriven consistently and tirelessly for perfec-tion. Our illustrious forbearers have nurturedthe Corps assiduously and with a vision—“setting course by the stars, not by the lightsof every passing ship”, giving us our sense ofpurpose. On this day, reverence of those whohelped shape the destiny of this Corps is bothour responsibility and our honour. On thishistoric occasion, we rededicate ourselves tothe cause of our great Army and this incred-ible nation and solemnly pledge to carry for-ward the legacy bequeathed to us. TeevraChaukas! Jai Hind!

CO M M E M O R AT I O N>>


100 Magnificent YearsThe Corps of Signals recently celebrated its centenary year. Lt General P. Mohapatra, the Signal Officer-in-Chiefat the Army Headquarters and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Signals, speaks out nostalgicallyabout the sacrifices made by the information warriors.

1. Defence Minister A.K. Antony presenting the first copy of the commemora-tive brochure to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on the occasion of inau-guration of Corps of Signals Centenary Year, in New Delhi on February 15,2010. The Minister of State of Defence M.M. Pallam Raju and the Chief ofAir Staff Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik are also seen.

2. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil lighting of the lamp on the occasion of inauguration of Corps of Signals Centenary Year, in New Delhion February 15, 2010. Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the then Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor are also seen.

3. Lt. Gen. P. Mohapatra paying homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti on the occasion ofthe Corps of Signals Centenary Year, in New Delhi on February 14, 2010.

4. Lt. Gen. P. Mohapatra handing over flags to the Centenary MountaineeringExpedition team leader Colonel Vivek Dogra, in New Delhi on September 7,2010.

5. The Dare Devils of Indian Army performing at 33 Corps HQ Sukhna duringthe Corps of Signals Centenary Year celebration on May 26 & 27, 2010

PHOTOGRAPHS: PIB

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As the DCOAS (P&S), my re-sponsibility is principally re-lated to coordinating themodernisatgfggion, equippingand capability development of

the Indian Army, both for immediate and fu-ture requirements, through respective direc-torates. This also includes updating ofshort-term and long-term perspective plansin keeping with the changing security per-spective, equipment availability, fiscal pa-rameters and formulation of General StaffPolicy Statements.

SP’s: Despite the changes in the DefenceProcurement Policy (DPP) 2008, the pro-curement procedure of new weapon andother defence systems takes inordinatelylong which, apart from resulting in in-creased costs, may also result in procuringsystems which are technologically outdated.What are the measures being taken to over-come this drawbac ime frame for each andevery activity involved in procurement, rightfrom the stage of acceptance of necessity tillthe contract is signed.

The entire duration of the process nowranges from 20 to 34 months. In order toachieve these timelines, preventing in-creased costs/cost overruns and achievingtechnology updatedWhat are the measuresbeing taken to overcome this drawbac imeframe for each and every activity involved inprocurement, right from the stage of accept-ance of necessity till the contract is signed.The entire duration of the process nowranges from 20 to 34 months been put intoplace for formulation of explicit and techni-cally achievable.SP’s: Despite the changes inthe Defence Procurement Policy (DPP)2008, the procurement procedure of newweapon and other defence systems takes in-ordinately. What are the measures beingtaken to overcome this drawbac ime framefor each and every activity involved in pro-curement, right from the stage of acceptanceof necessity till the contract is signed.

SP’s: Despite the changes in the DefenceProcurement Policy (DPP) 2008, the pro-curement procedure of new weapon andother defence systems takes inordinatelylong which, apart from resulting in in-creased costs,takes inordinately long which,apart from resulting in increased costs, mayalso result in procuring systems which aretechnologically outdated. What are themeasures being taken to overcome thisdrawbac right from the stage of acceptanceof necessity till the contract is signed. n


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SP’s Land Forces (SP’s): The Indian Army ismodernising and the state-of-the-art equip-ment is in various stages of procurement. Asan organisation providing engineering sup-port what are the major challenges faced byElectronics and Mechanical Engineering(EME) Corps? Lt General Ajai Chandele (DG): The IndianArmy today is in a major modernisationdrive to upgrade its weaponry and techno-logical capabilities. Major procurements areunder way which include the T-90 and MBTArjun for the armoured corps, upgrades innight fighting capabilities for the mecha-nised infantry, mediumisation of the ar-tillery, induction of air defence missile andgun systems and the future infantry soldieras a system (FINSAS) for the infantry. State-of-the-art electronic warfare and communi-cation systems are being planned, whilesimultaneous enabling for network-centricwarfare (NCW) is in progress with battlefieldsurveillance systems and tactical commandcontrol communication and intelligence sys-tem (TAC C3I) in various stages of induction.Advanced state-of-the-art helicopters, UAVs,ballistic and cruise missile systems have beeninducted into the Army.

Ideally the Indian Army aims to maintaina three generations weapon system mix ofstate-of-the-art technology, current technol-ogy and mature technology (in the ratio of30:40:30). However, due to financial compul-sions, exhaustive procurement proceduresand other related issues, the ratio today is5:25:70. This I feel is the biggest challengefacing the EME—the task of maintaining alarge percentage of vintage equipment.

SP’s: What are the major hurdles in maintain-ing vintage equipment?DG:Maintaining an equipment profile wheremore than 60 per cent equipment are livingan extended life and in some cases havinggone through three to four overhauls is a bigchallenge. The challenge is further com-pounded by drying up of foreign sources ofsupply of spares as they have graduated tomore advanced technologies. While themodernisation under way will result inmuch improved capabilities for the IndianArmy in the future, the equipment manage-ment challenges of maintaining obsoleteequipment alongside modern technologiesshould engage the attention of the Army.

With more and more sophistication intechnology and induction of these advancedsystems at each level of the armed forces or-ganisations, there is a requirement to increasethe technical threshold of the individual sol-dier and also increase the technical competen-cies of the engineering support organisationand echelons within the armed forces. Also,proliferation of these modern systems posesenormous challenges to the commanders interms of operational techniques as well as theway armies are administered and maintained.The current engineering support organisationof the Army, although suitable for the battlestill date, needs to be restructured andstrengthened to meet these new challenges ofthe future.

SP’s: The ‘womb to tomb system’ of equip-ment management is followed the world over.How well is this implemented in our Army?DG:This system of equipment managementis the established best practice in armiesacross the world with strict coordination be-tween all agencies involved with equipmentmanagement.

The system in our Army, on the otherhand, has two of the involved agencies i.e.the Defence Research and Development Or-ganisation (DRDO) and the Directorate Gen-eral of Quality Assurance (DGQA) outsidethe control of the Integrated Defence Staffwhich makes them less responsive to servicerequirements. What is needed is a systemsapproach that smoothly integrates the func-tioning of these agencies to ensure that am-bitious weapon upgrades or new weaponsystems procurements do not get riddledwith low availability concerns in the future,due to inadequate safeguards in the con-tracts with the original equipment manufac-turers (OEMs) for lack of provision of sparesand other engineering support essentials.

SP’s: There has been a focused drive in theArmy to increase the ‘teeth to tail’ ratio. Howdoes this impact the EME?DG: The concept of the ‘teeth to tail ratio’has been confused in the Army leading tolarge manpower cuts in the engineering sup-port organisation, especially at a time whencomplex state-of-the-art weapon systems arebeing inducted while mature ageing systemsstill need to be maintained in the interim.The teeth to tail ratio has been interpreted tomean different things ranging from ‘ratio ofbayonet strength to non-bayonet strength ina combat unit’ to ‘ratio of combat troops tosupport troops in a force’. As per the US Marine Corps, the teeth is

everything that delivers combat power andthe tail includes all the support to maintainits strength such as support staff, from thePentagon-based command structure rightdown to the janitorial staff in the Depart-ment of Defence.In Indian Army, it has been used to deter-

mine the relationship between the numbersof soldiers in combat arms to those in thesupport services. Let me examine this tooth

to tail ratio in greater detail as defined by theIndian Army. Every armoured squadron orcombat team has two vehicle repair teams(AVTs), one from the LRW and the otherfrom the workshop that operate with it for insitu repairs. These operate ahead of the es-sential vehicles column, the B Echelon andthe rear parties of the regiment, but yet getcounted towards the tail and not the teeth. There are some schools of thought who

maintain that war is just a fight between sol-diers in combat arms. But this is not the case.It is true that the Army is a fighting machine,but there are three basic needs which needsto be fulfilled if it is to achieve its full potentialin battle—leadership, equipment and train-ing. Wars involve the employment of a greatdeal of modern and sophisticated equipmentand the EME plays a major role in assistingthe Army’s posture of operational prepared-ness and combat effectiveness to win any war.If combat arms are the teeth of the Army,then EME has a vital function of keepingthem sharp and it is certainly not the tail.

SP’s: What do you feel is the manner in whichthe engineering support provided by the EME,perceived by the environment?DG:The question is a difficult one to answeras my perspective will always be biased to-wards the EME, but let me make a fair andfrank attempt at this answer. There are con-cerns in certain quarters of the Army thatthe echelon repair system is rigid and thereis limited provision of repair and recoverycover on real time basis during actual com-bat phase. I think there is a need for seamlessintegration of the repair and recovery eche-lons with the fighting echelons.

There is also a feeling that procurementof non-standardised equipment is leading tovast and unmanageable inventory with poorengineering support and spare part support.Standardisation is the need of the hour. In ad-dition, certain low population high-techequipment could be outsourced for mainte-nance and repair as it may not be cost-effec-tive to train the personnel on the equipment.

Most users want a single window respon-sibility for engineering support as well asspares support and that these need to be in-tegrated at Division level and below. There

needs to be more responsiveness in availabil-ity of spares. OEMs should integrate into thesystem to ensure that spares are available atrate contracts at their outlets spread all overthe country.

SP’s: Can you highlight the model of engi-neering support in other armies of the world?DG:The engineering support being providedby the Corps of EME will need a constant re-view with change of technology and in thefuture battlefield. The conceptualisation ofthis change will be ably benefited byanalysing the models of existing armies ofdeveloped nations of the world.

It is seen that the philosophy of ‘replaceforward and repair rearward’ and echelonsystem of engineering support, as is thebackbone of our repair system, is also preva-lent in most of the armies. Moreover, mostarmies have dedicated repair support agen-cies for army outfits maintaining high tech-nology weapons and equipment.

The primary focus of maintenance re-sources in the combat zone is directed to-wards weapon systems. The maintenancework is performed as far forward as possible.Testing equipment, recovery equipment andhigher mechanic skills have been placed atthe lowest possible levels, so that the equipment can be returned to fully missioncapable status.

SP’s: What restructuring can we do to improveour engineering support?DG: The Army is inducting complex andstate-of-the-art equipment. This essentiallyneeds the maintainer to be integrated withthe equipment thus necessitating dedicatedand intimate engineering support at unitlevel. We need to diagnose and make replace-ments in the forward echelons, and repairthe echelons in depth due to high cost of fa-cilities for repair of this type of equipment.

Another challenge is that while theequipment has become complex, no addi-tional manpower is available. The answerlies in outsourcing low technology/civil end-use equipment and enhancing technicalthreshold of the user. We also need to look atthe intake level of our EME mechanics. Weneed to lay greater emphasis on brain andhave intake of soldier (Technical) on an all-India merit or better still have a common en-trance exam model like the IAF and IndianNavy to get better technically competent in-take at least for the technical arms and serv-ices. We also need to enrol diploma holders(ITI graduates) directly.

To make our engineering support moreresponsive, we need to ensure no movementof equipment behind Corps zone. Responsiveand integrated spares and supply chain man-agement is essential. A dedicated communi-cation set up for EME and better mobility forits repair teams is of utmost importance.(Views expressed and suggestion made in the articles are made by the author in his personal capacity and do not have any official endorsement)

‘Future wars will be intense, swift, non-linear, network-centric with technology intensive weapon systems’The professional and institutional ethos of the Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Corps and themultifaceted support service provided by EME helps Indian Army maintain its operational readiness. In an interview with SP’s Land Forces, Lt General Ajai Chandele, Director General, EME, Indian Army spoke about theengineering support challenges in the service.



To read the complete interview log on to:www.spslandforces.net/interviews

MASTER IN STRATEGY

Design and product ion of e lectron ic defence systems by ELETTRONICA S.p.A.

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n LT GENERAL (RETD) P.C. KATOCH

Though India is a democracy, the decisions taken are often not byconsensus. Net-centricity in theIndian Army too has progressedbased on individual understand-

ings, perceptions and decisions. These toohave been hampered by the lack of a net-centric warfare (NCW) philosophy and levels of understanding of technology bycrucial appointments in the decision-mak-ing chain. When the Directorate General ofInformation Systems (DGIS) was estab-lished couple of years back, the need for abattlefield management system (BMS) forthe fighting units was not felt necessary.Net-centricity was planned at Brigade andabove levels. Despite knowing that the keyto success will lie in attaining higher levelsof net-centricity, harnessing of informationtechnology for effective command and con-trol across the battalion/regiment levelforces for an accelerated decision-actioncycle and an ability to conduct operationssimultaneously within an all arms groupwas not planned. This understandingdawned at a later stage. To that end, the In-dian Army is already late in even commenc-ing the process to acquire a BMS.

Operational NecessityOperational necessity of the BMS constitutesthe vitals for having a faster decision processby commanders at all echelons, better deci-sions based on reliable operational informa-tion provided in real time and the ability toquickly close the sensor to shooter loop.Overall scope of the system is to integrate,test and field a BMS duly integrated withother components of the tactical command,control, communications and informationsystem (Tac C3I). For such a system to becustomised to meet Indian Army’s specificrequirements, it will need to be first inte-grated and tested in a controlled environ-ment in a test bed laboratory followed byvalidation trials in field conditions. It is onlyafter successful validation of the system infield that the process for equipping willbegin. The concept of the BMS is to have anideal system which should be able to inte-grate the means of surveillance and engage-ment through an automated decisionsupport and command and control system.Exploitation of technology would aim atrapid acquisition, processing and transfer ofinformation, enhanced situational aware-ness, and capacity to react to informationand sharpen ability to synchronise and di-rect fire, thereby establishing and maintain-ing overwhelming operational tempo. This isvery relevant at the cutting edge as well,where decisive contact battles will be fought.

Present StatusNot only are the bureaucratic processes andthe labyrinth of Defence Procurement Pro-cedure (DPP) of the Ministry of Defence(MoD) time consuming, the Services bureau-cracy matches the pace as well. As part ofthe pursuit for a BMS, a feasibility study forthe BMS with members from the private in-dustry, was ordered by Headquarters Inte-grated Defence Staff (IDS) and completed inearly 2009. Simultaneously, the DGIS drewa Draft Provisional Staff Qualitative Require-ments (PSQR) for the BMS. A PSQR hasmore flexibility than the General Staff Qual-itative Requirements (GSQR), the formerbeing better suited for a project like the BMS

that requires time and induction of technol-ogy. By the time the Draft PSQR was ap-proved at the Indian Army level, more thanone year had elapsed— proving the oftquoted point that the Services bureaucracyis worse than the bureaucracy at the Min-istry level. This led to a second feasibilitystudy to be ordered by HQ IDS under astrange rule that the feasibility study accom-panying the PSQR should have been heldwithin one year. The first feasibility studywas to establish whether the BMS could beacquired indigenously, and it did. Why thenthe requirement of a second study? It re-minds me of a lady who after a family plan-ning operation applied for the muchpublicised cash incentive but was told shecannot get it as she had only one childwhereas the incentive was for women whounderwent such operation after two/threechildren. Well rules are rules and the Serv-ices adhere to them strictly.

AcquisitionWhat acquisition route should we be lookingat? Should it be ‘Buy’, ‘Make’ or ‘Buy andMake’ and whom should Project BMS be of-floaded to? These are questions on the mindsof people who are affiliated/want to be affil-iated to the project, especially since thestakes are pretty lucrative. The shortest routeto any system obviously is ‘Buy’, but consid-ering the Indian requirements, buying a

BMS off the shelf really is not the answer.The longest route is the ‘Make’ procedure,which not only implies starting from thescratch, but is also the longest haul againstbureaucratic procedures. The ‘Buy andMake’ route has been used in the past, verysuccessfully in the artillery command, con-trol and communications system (ACCCS),which has already been fielded in the IndianArmy. While globally, the BMS caters forjoint service net-centricity from the tri-ser-vice apex all the way down, in the case of In-dian Army it implies only Battalion/Regiment and below, down to the individualsoldier/weapon platform.

Considering that almost 90 per cent oftechnology required for the BMS is alreadyavailable in the market and not only the In-dian Army but those paramilitary forces(PMF) and police units fighting terrorism/insurgency also require it, there is a need toaccelerate its acquisition and consider a‘Buy and Make’ route over the ‘Make’ onlyroute. However, considering the currentdispensation, the ‘Make’ route is more likelyto be adopted, which may actually beworded ‘Make India’. Should this happen, itwill actually amount to indirect ‘Buy andMake’, as indicated by past experience. Cou-ple this with the question to whom shouldProject BMS be off loaded? Logically, a level

playing field should be ensured with allplayers including the Defence Research andDevelopment Organisation (DRDO) andpublic sector undertakings (PSUs). But willthis happen? A report in SIPRI asks, “Is theIndian Government willing to put a stop toits protectionist policies that continue tofavour the Government’s own companies?”Further, critics’ question the offset proce-dure by saying it is a relatively inflexible ap-proach; a system under which suitableprivate sector partners for foreign firmshave to be vetted in the first instance bystate-owned industries; and arguably therelative inexperience of Indian firms in positioning themselves to benefit from offset obligations.

The relevant issue is not whether whatSIPRI says is untrue, partially true or truebut that the Indian Army needs the besttechnology. This is something the IndianArmy will have to fight for.

Best Technology BidSituational awareness existing in the In-dian Army is at present on ad hoc basiswhereas the requirement is of an integratednetwork system. Fielding of the BMS will bean important facet of capability building inthe Army. Delay in fielding of the BMS willgive an avoidable advantage to our adver-saries. We need to get our act together inorder to prepare adequately for the 21stcentury challenges. Project BMS needs tobe accelerated. The acquisition routeshould be ‘Buy and Make’ with adequatescope for customisation. The procurementsmust ensure a level playing field, providingequal competition to all players includingthe DRDO and PSUs. Additionally, we mustgraduate from the ‘best price bid’ to the‘best technology bid.’

(Concluded)

Bid for Best TechThe procurements must ensure a level playing field, providing equal competition to all players including the DRDO and PSUs

S I X T H O F A S E R I E S O F S I X A R T I C L E S O N B A T T L E F I E L D M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M

Fielding of the battlefieldmanagement system will be an important facet of capability building in the Army

The acquisition routeshould be ‘Buy andMake’ with adequatescope for customisation

ILLUSTRATION: Anoop Kamath


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ture of terrain ensured large gaps between de-fended areas. The deployment included oneinfantry battalion at Dras; two infantry bat-talions, and a BSF battalion covering Kargiland Chorbat La held by Ladakh Scouts. As in-dications of Pakistani intrusion came on May3, 1999, it became clear that armed intrudershad occupied heights in the gaps between alldefended areas in the sector. It became appar-ent that India was facing an attempt by Pak-istan to change the LoC using its regulartroops. The complacency of the local armyformations in not conducting even routinesurveillance in the winter months is clear. Theinitial reactions were unsatisfactory leadingto poorly planned patrols and attacks. Whilethese did fix the enemy, success came theirway only when the whole act was put to-gether. Air and artillery (155mm Howitzers)was employed with devastating effect to allowthe Indian soldier, the infantry man to live upto his reputation of fortitude under adversityand courage and determination in the attack.

Operation ParakaramOperation Parakram, which means “val-our” was a momentous event which couldhave unleashed a major war on the subcon-tinent. It involved a massive build-up IndianArmy ordered in the wake of the December

13, 2001 terrorist attack on the ParliamentHouse. This 10-month-long mobilisationfrom January to October 2002, along theborder with Pakistan generated high levelsof tensions in the relations between the twoSouth Asian neighbours and raised theprospects of a major war. The operation wasa major effort in coercive diplomacy by NewDelhi, in the wake of the terrorist attacks onthe Indian Parliament on December 13,

2001, and while the government claimsthat their strategic objectives were met bymere posturing which avoided a war, mili-tary analysts are of the view that gains werenot commensurate to the mammoth exer-cise in coercive diplomacy by India. How-ever, it led to some positive changes inIndia’s military doctrine and it hastenedmilitary modernisation together with or-ganisational changes.

The Way AheadIndian Army as it moves through the firstquarter of the 21st century is likely to facethree types of challenges and threats. Theseinclude traditional threats, contemporarythreats in the form of terrorism, and insur-gencies and contingency threats. In essence,India faces a far greater threat than any othercountry in the world because of a highlyvolatile strategic neighbourhood. Moreover,with India’s vibrant economic growth, itwould naturally have to assume additional re-sponsibility as a stabilising force in the region.It is encouraging to note that India’s securityconcerns have for the first time convergedwith international security concerns whichmakes global community understand theneed for India to develop and modernise itsmilitary capabilities. Defence of a nation anddevelopment are complementary. If India as-pires to be a regional/global economic power,its military power must reflect that desirethrough its ability to protect its interests. Inthis context, the transformation of the Indianmilitary for the future, through technologicalimprovements coupled with innovative oper-ational art will give India a distinct advantageover its potential adversaries, which is vital forpreserving India’s sovereignty and furtheringits national interests.

sub-conventional operations for the past50 years, of which, the last two decadeshave been intense. This has provided theArmy with rich combat experience. TheIndian Army possesses the requisite capability to be able to effectively dealwith internal conflict situations in coor-dination with civil agencies mandatedfor this purpose.

l Equipping a large-standing Army withsuch varied challenges is a difficult anddynamic process. Our equipment profilethus caters for meeting these challenges.

l The Indian Army remains one of the bestorganised, structured, equipped and dis-ciplined organisation to react both to nat-ural and man-made disasters. Our recordin this field has been well appreciated,both within and outside the country, ourconcept being “First Responders—LastResort”. It has the requisite capabilitiesand wide experience to fulfill interna-tional peacekeeping obligations, underaegis of the United Nations.

l The Indian Army soldier is infused with aset of traditional regimental values. Theethos of naam, namak and nishan i.e.‘name, honour and dignity’ is ingrainedin all soldiers with an unwavering will tosucceed. With its diverse multi-religious,multi-lingual and multi-cultural compo-sition, the Indian Army remains a shiningexample of ‘unity in diversity’. Vision for the Army: The vision of the

Indian Army is to ‘be a well motivated, oper-ationally prepared, well-equipped force capa-ble of meeting the security challenges facedby the nation. It also caters to the transfor-mation process to function in a networkedjoint services environment to leverage tech-nology and the human resource capital inconsonance with the rich values and tradi-tions of the Indian Army’.

Force Structure Imperatives: Consid-ering the diverse demands on the IndianArmy, we need to possess the following capabilities:(a) Deterrence: A strong conventional deter-

rence backed by an appropriate strategiccapability, to deter any potential adver-sary from undertaking inimical activitiesor initiating hostilities against India.

(b) Conventional War Fighting Capability: Tocater to the possibility of failure of ourdeterrence strategy, the Army needs topossess the capability to prosecute deci-sive conventional operations against anuclear backdrop.

(c) Sub-conventional Capability: The Armyshould possess the requisite capability to

be able to effectively deal with internalconflict situations, and function in sub-conventional environment.

(d)Contingent Capability: The Army needs topossess credible capabilities to deploy theland component of a joint task force, forout of area operations/contingenciesshould the need arise.

(e) Peacekeeping Capability: The Army has topossess capabilities to fulfill internationalpeacekeeping obligations, under theaegis of the UN, preferably in areas ofour strategic interest.

(f) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Re-lief: The region being prone to naturaldisasters, there is a requirement to createan humanitarian assistance and disasterrelief capability to provide relief to the af-fected people.

Areas of Focus Modernisation and Technology Infu-sion: Our defence capability planning isbased on upgradation of our operational ca-pability, through modernisation, force re-structuring and technology absorption.Rapid advances in technology have alteredthe way wars are fought. In particular, ad-vances in surveillance, night vision, long-range precision weapons and computersupported networks provide asymmetricaladvantages to a technology enabled force.Modernisation of our Army and infusion oftechnology is thus our prime focus. We haveidentified information warfare, surveillance,night fighting, long-range firepower, rotarywing capability, network-centricity and de-velopment of a future infantry soldier as asystem (F-INSAS) as our priority areas.

Defence Procurement: Modernisationof armed forces wholly depends upon thecapital acquisition plan. While there has beena significant increase in the budgetary sup-port over the years; several major modernisa-tion programmes have failed to materialisefor one reason or the other. We are taking ahost of in-house measures to optimise inter-nal processes to streamline the acquisitionprocedures. There is always a dilemma be-tween indigenous production and imports.While we wish to induct the latest technology,it is in our long-term national interest toachieve self-reliance in the field of critical de-fence equipment. To that extent, we are opti-mising the capabilities of our DefenceResearch and Development Organisation(DRDO) and the private industry with tech-nical support from foreign companies. Con-currently, diversification of defence sourcingmust form another important ingredient in

our forward looking defence planning. Human Resource Development:

While we may get all the technology and re-sources, the integration of technology withthe systems, upgrading aptitude and thresh-old level of the soldiers and leaders and en-meshing them to operate with other Servicesis another task that needs focused attention.Here we face the same challenges as every-body else. Better job opportunities in the civilstreet means that we do not always get thebest. Continuous commitment of the Army ininternal security tasks, vast variety of opera-tional roles and shrinking training areas arethe other challenges we have to overcome todevelop our human resource capital.

Leadership Challenges: The changingface of 21st century conflicts will call foradaptive leaders who are dynamic enough toforesee the diverse range of challenges, someof which are yet elusive and undefined.These adaptive leaders will need to be re-sponsive, decisive and highly motivated.While this will warrant junior commandersto be able to undertake independent actionsand operations within the higher comman-der’s overall intent; the development ofstrategic culture and operational artamongst our senior leadership is imperative.To train senior leadership to orchestrate andmanage change is a key focus area. In lowintensity conflicts, success will have to beachieved with restricted and surgical use ofcombat power, calling for the developmentof even higher leadership skills. In today’stransparent age, the Army cannot escapemedia scrutiny and thus the challenges of‘media glare’ will have to be tackled. Seniorofficers therefore have a particularly oner-ous responsibility to lead by example and setthe standards by maintaining a high level ofpersonal and professional integrity.

Transformation of the Indian Army:Recognising the need to change, the Armyhas concluded a comprehensive study aimedat enhancing operational effectiveness. Weare also examining ways to enhance effi-ciency of our headquarters, ensure cost ef-fective and responsive logistic support,improve financial management and upgradetraining standards. I am confident that theimplementation of the recommendations ofthe study will result in a modern Army thatis prepared for the emerging security envi-ronment and the complex and uncertainchallenges of the 21st century.

Jointmanship: Today, it is an acceptedfact that no single component of militarypower—be it land, maritime or air—can winwars alone. Success in modern war will hinge

on the formulation of a joint military strategybased on political and military aims. Synergyis an operational imperative. We have to en-hance the levels of jointness to optimise ourwar-fighting potential. A primary area offocus would be to develop as a force capableof operating in a joint network-centric envi-ronment. The Army is fully committed tojointmanship and the ‘purple’ approach.

Inter-Agency Coordination: Armedforces are a potent tool of comprehensive na-tional power. Towards this end, the NationalSecurity Council (NSC) and its associated or-gans need to develop a focused strategic vi-sion to take a long-term view of nationalsecurity. Establishment of institutionalisedmechanisms and processes for greater inter-agency coordination in handling security is-sues between various government agenciesis an imperative. Such an approach has be-come absolutely essential to enable coordi-nated reactions to emerging threats andrealities that prevail in our immediate neigh-bourhood. I must admit that our current ap-proach is somewhat compartmentalised andneeds comprehensive focus.

Defence Cooperation: Military diplo-macy is an effective instrument and a well-orchestrated and calibrated employment ofthe soft power of the armed forces needs tobe exploited to further the nation’s foreignpolicy. The positive spin-offs of such endeav-ours are numerous; apart from contributingto image projection, they are of great utilityin improving the capability to operate to-gether and foster mutual understanding.This is also the basis for addressing sharedconcerns over threats like terrorism, extrem-ism and militancy. Defence cooperation withfriendly foreign countries thus remains anarea of priority focus.

ConclusionTo conclude, I would emphasise that insta-bilities on our periphery will have spill overaffects on our security. The Indian Army hasbeen the guarantor of peace and stability forthe nation. Induction and absorption oftechnology, development of adaptable lead-ership and ability to function effectively in ajoint services, multi-agency and multina-tional environment is absolutely essential.We need to constantly evolve and transform,assimilating the best knowledge and experi-ences we gain through our interactions withthe civil sector and other foreign militaries.

I can say with confidence that the IndianArmy is fully prepared and motivated to playits part in the growth, development and se-curity of our great country. Jai Hind.

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Continued from page 5PHOTOGRAPH: Wikipedia

Indian soldiers firing the Boforsgun during Kargil war in 1999

CO V E R S T O R Y / M I L I TA R Y H I S T O R Y

TECHNOLOGY>>

SP’s LAND FORCES16


n LT GENERAL (RETD) P.C. KATOCH

Information age multiplication is a ne-cessity of modern times. However, suchmultiplication leads to a host of vulner-abilities. Penetration, theft, interfer-ence, injecting viruses, jamming of

networks, C4I2SR, UAV data, radio, mi-crowave, cellular and satellite communica-tions, interfering and jamming ofsatellite/missile launches and programmesare all possible today. What are our cyber de-fences in such environment and what are wedoing to upgrade them? Past experienceshows that habitually we counter suchthreats with the “ostrich approach” and tendto douse curiosity under shrouds of secrecy.Applauding the “Emperor’s Clothes” maygive short-term pleasure to some, but despitethe veil of secrecy, the writing on the wall isclear—the Emperor is pretty much naked.Even the intercepts of former President ofPakistan General Pervez Musharraf ’s con-versation from Beijing with his men in Is-lamabad during the Kargil intrusions wereobtained through outsourcing and techni-cally not done by our own agencies.

The ThreatTalk of cyber security and the focus at oncegoes to hacking, viruses, embedded malwareand the like. In 1995, Japan’s Ministry of De-fence and Headquarters of the three self-de-fence forces cut off regular power supply andswitched to generators. The reason was ad-vances in technological advances that en-abled plugging into the electricity supply toextract data from computers five kilometresaway. Look at the distance from our Northand South Blocks to the Embassies in thediplomatic enclave astride Shanti Path in NewDelhi. Should WikiLeaks then surprise us? Re-cent news of cyber attacks on the Common-wealth Games networks and Stuxnet attackson INSAT 1B, pointing to the source insideChina, are perhaps just a tip of the iceberg.

The damage caused globally by “Ghost-net” and “Stuxnet”, unleashed by China iswell researched and documented—Ghostnetpenetrating more than 1,200 systems in 103countries including India and “Stuxnet” in-fecting some 60,000 computers in Indonesiaand 6,000 computers in India. Global reachof the expanding Bot Armies of China arealso well known. The Chinese Government inaddition to employing its own hackers man-ages massive teams of experts from academiaand industry, organising them as Cyber Mili-tias with support and direction of the People’sLiberation Army (PLA). In Pakistan, the Pak-istan Hackers Club (PHC) and the G Force arenotorious for hacking and operating underthe ISI. Little surprise if they have beentrained by the Chinese. Several cyber warfare(CW) units have been formed in China, hiringbest IT graduates and culling manpower fromsome 25,000 software companies. PLA’s net-work warfare (NW) Battalions, electronicwarfare (EW) Battalions, intelligence and psy-chological warfare Battalions have all beennetworked into the cyber warfare conun-drum. Web Defacement Groups, spearheadedby PLA, were formed over a decade back andnational level cyber defence and offensive ex-ercises rehearsing pre-emptive cyber strikeshave been held over the years. Focused re-search is being undertaken to take control of

national networks of countries like Taiwan,India, Japan and South Korea.

Cyber attacks on critical infrastructurecan simply paralyse a country, bringing it toa standstill. Havoc can be wreaked on thebanking system, stock exchanges, transporta-tion—railways, airways and the like. Its cou-pling with asymmetric warfare can artificiallyinflate/crash stock markets, plunging a coun-try into grave economic crisis. In war, a net-worked army can be rendered withoutinformation and with non-functional/dys-functional weapon systems. The enormity ofthe threat is simply gigantic.

Indian SceneThe annual percentage increase of ‘bot’ in-fected computers in India has alreadyreached alarming proportions. No surprisesas almost all computer parts of our so-called“indigenous computers” are manufacturedin China and Indian companies are simplyassembling them and certifying that they arefree of malware, while virtually they arewithout means to undertake such checks.This is a happy situation for our adversariesas embedding malware at the manufactur-ing stage itself is an easy process. To top it,the modern bot in comparison to the earlierversion is difficult to detect and does notraise suspicion as it does not slow down thespeed of the computer.

Indian websites of the Ministry of Exter-nal Affairs, Bhaba Atomic Research Centre,National Informatics Centre, Ministry of De-fence, National Safety Council, Federationof Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dalai Lama’s office and Indian embassies abroad have been hacked/defacedby Chinese web defacement groups. Datafrom Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hindustan Aeronautics Lim-ited, naval dockyards, nuclear installations,military bases, defence HQs, Institute for De-fence Studies and Analyses and other thinktanks have been stolen by Chinese hackers.Considering the finesse and pattern, cyberattacks in India have Chinese governmentpatronage though China would like us to be-lieve these are courtesy criminal gangsbased in Sichuan and Guangdong. RecentWikiLeaks exposé that the US has been in-dulging in cyber espionage should not comeas a surprise.

Talk of cyber warfare in civil sector inIndia and the response you get is that anymeasures that need to be instituted shouldbe defence driven. This is a defeatist ap-proach. Actually, we have a Catch-22 situa-tion in place. First, because defence is onlyone of the cyber war targets and there is noreason the civil sector raises the issue asforcefully to protect critical infrastructure.Second, because our MoD is sans an institu-

tionalised strategic thinking mechanism andthe bureaucracy has not moved much de-spite noises on the issue being made by theServices in recent years. Third, because ournine odd major intelligence agencies operat-ing on varied wavelengths and control havenot come up with an overall cyber threat as-sessment, highlighting the extreme urgencyfor chalking out a National Cyber SecurityPolicy. Fourth, there is no hue and cry toshake up the powers to be mainly because oflack of public awareness. Fifth, the mediaprioritises sensationalism and scams abovenational security and is apparently engagedin more profitable activities (rememberRadia Tapes) rather than devoting time for‘mundane’ issues like cyber security.

Currently, the National Talent ResearchOrganisation (NTRO) is the focal point forcyber defence. However, this organisation isinadequately organised, staffed and equippedto deal with such gigantic responsibility in ad-dition to its other tasks, especially when thecountry is importing almost 90 per cent ofcomputers, telecommunication equipmentand critical software without requisite testingfacilities in place to undertake cyber checks.Though the NTRO is pushing for indigenisa-tion, it has little effect due to lack of govern-ment focus on the issue. Besides the muchpublicised establishment of Computer Emer-gency Response Team (CERT) at the nationalServices levels, they have a restricted role anddo not constitute ‘information assurance’which is the need of the hour.

RequirementAbsolute cyber security undoubtedly is amyth. However, complacency can put usback by many years if we are subjected tosustained cyber warfare—that our adver-saries are vigorously preparing for. We needto holistically assess the cyber threat, appre-ciate what our comfort levels are and findmeans to upgrade them.

The following issues merit urgent atten-tion at the national level:l A holistic strategic appraisal is required to

define the cyber threats we are likely toface in future. The initial appraisal couldcover a period up to 2020, which shouldthen be reviewed annually/biannually.This exercise needs to be undertaken atthe national level by a suitable committeecomprising nominated representativesfrom the military, intelligence agencies,agencies/organisations charged with crit-ical infrastructure, research and develop-ment organisations, IITs, private industryand academia. Such appraisal should beundertaken in a time bound schedule.

l Based on the above appraisal a NationalCyber Security Policy (NCSP) should bespeedily formulated.

l The NCSP should lead to the Cyber Secu-rity Roadmap 2020. This should include

the organisations that are required atvarious levels to deal with future cyberthreats and the measures that need to beadopted, research and development andfiscal back up that will be required in-cluding prioritisation.

l As part of the national cyber security setup, establishment of a National CyberCommand and a Tri-Service Cyber Com-mand should be considered.

l Concurrently, a holistic appraisal shouldbe undertaken to establish our short-,medium- and long-term requirements ofhardware, software and security solu-tions. Based on this, the governmentshould enunciate a policy for their indi-genisation. This will require issue of a spe-cific government directive nominating agroup of industries responsible for thesame coupled with the DRDO, IITs, etc.

l For developing security solutions, thepolicy should take into account COTS so-lutions (including their possible customi-sation) and development by specificallychosen and nominated indigenous pri-vate industry having administered anoath of secrecy akin to a government organisation. There should be reason formistrust as these Indian nationals underoath would be no different from person-nel of CAIR.

l Action needs to be initiated for establish-ing adequate facilities for undertakingcyber checks of all hardware and soft-ware, commencing critical networks.

l Facilities need to be established forspeedy certification of security solutions,to accelerate net-centricity at all levels simultaneously.

l Defensive measures can hardly cope withthe requirements of cyber warfare. Wemust adopt a parallel defensive and of-fensive approach. Offensive cyber capa-bilities must be developed as a deterrent.We also need to develop the national willto establish credibility of such deterrentwhich may require its selective demon-stration against a rogue adversary.

l A National Cyber Security AwarenessProgramme needs to be launched to educate the masses on the issue. Cybersecurity requires a national effort inwhich all citizens need to be involved.

l Finally, the government needs to be astransparent as possible on the issue, asnational security permits.

Cyber Deterrent As any developing nation, India’s cyber de-fences are in the nascent state. Our adver-saries’ cyber warfare capabilities pose a potentthreat to India. Much needs to be done, whichwill require a national effort. We need to en-sure a fundamental shift from individual en-tity for overview, control and assessment ofcyber security measures. A holistic assess-ment of cyber threats is urgently required fol-lowed by defining a National Cyber SecurityPolicy leading to a Cyber Security Roadmap,which needs to be implemented in a timebound schedule. A simultaneous defensiveand offensive approach is required, latter as a“cyber deterrent”, ensuring its credibility.Much ground needs to be covered and weneed to act fast. (The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the writer.)

Time for Offensive &Defensive MeasuresA holistic assessment of cyber threats is urgently required followed by defining a National Cyber Security Policyleading to a Cyber Security Roadmap, which needs to be implemented in a time bound schedule

India’s cyber defencesare in the nascent state.Our adversaries’ cyberwarfare capabilities posea potent threat to India.

We need to ensure a fundamental shift fromindividual entity foroverview, control and assessment of cyber security measures

6/2010



complement these surveillance and obser-vation devices, include 84 mm rocketlaunchers, including some disposable ones,anti- material rifles (AMRs), under-barrelgrenade launchers (UBGLs), new genera-tion carbines, bullet proof vehicles, and ac-curate sniper rifles. However, the numbersacquired and the ammunition stocks arestill inadequate and need to be made upmore rapidly. The INSAS 5.56mm assaultrifles have now been in service for over 10years and also needs replacement. New5.56mm assault rifles of bull-pup designwith an integrated laser range finder andgrenade launcher are under development.Efforts are also being made to provide in-fantry platoons and sections with integratedGPS-based navigation system, secure light-weight walkie-talkie radio sets and betterprotective gear with a helmet that incorpo-rates a built-in head-up display.

Mechanised InfantryThe mechanised infantry is now equippedwith BMP-1 and BMP-2 ICV Sarath. The variants include 81mm carrier mortartracked vehicle (CMTV), a command post, anambulance, armoured dozer and engineerand reconnaissance vehicles. Reconnaissanceand support battalions (mechanised) needbetter surveillance radars, fire-and-forgetATGMs and effective night fighting capability.

UAVs for Infantry BattalionsThe Army’s infantry battalions also needmini or micro UAVs like Elbit’s Skylark orRafael’s Skylite, among others, to improvetheir surveillance capability in conventionalconflict and asymmetric conflict situations.These UAVs could have a range of about 10to 15 km, be light-weight (less than 10 kg),hand-launched, carry a single payload, forexample a daylight video camera or infra-redcamera for night operations, and should beinexpensive enough to be dispensable. Amini ground control station should be au-thorised at battalion headquarter (HQ) forplanning and control. Ideally, these shouldbe indigenously designed and developed andlocally manufactured.

Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs)PGMs are increasingly gaining currency asweapons of choice in conflict on land, to ac-

curately destroy critical targets quickly aswell as to minimise collateral damage. Dur-ing the Gulf War I in 1991, PGMs formedless than 10 per cent of the total high explo-sive dropped over Iraq and were rather in-accurate. The “collateral” destruction of anair raid shelter harbouring women andchildren has been too well documented tobear recounting. The coalition forces didnot destroy a single Iraqi Scud missilelauncher. In Kosovo, PGMs accounted forabout 30 per cent of the ordnance droppedand the accuracies had improved consider-ably by 1999. In the post-9/11 retribution

inflicted on the Taliban militia and its Al-Qaeda supporters in Afghanistan, the shareof PGMs rose to nearly 60 per cent. DuringGulf War II in Iraq, the ratio of PGMs wentup to nearly 70 per cent. The Indian Ar-tillery does not have PGMs in quantitieslarge enough to matter. Only limited quan-tities of the Russian Krasnopol PGM havebeen imported for the Bofors 155mm how-itzer. Among others, the Bofors Bonus PGMis a suitable candidate, subject to successfultrials in the deserts and the mountains.

TAC C3IAccording to Lt General (Retd) Prakash Katoch, former DG IS, tactical command,

control, communication and information(TacC3I) system is under development.Under this mother system, various othersystems such as command information de-cision support system (CIDSS), artillerycombat command and control system(ACCCS), battlefield surveillance system(BSS), air defence control and reporting sys-tem (ADC&R), and battlefield managementsystem (BMS) are being developed. Effortsare also under way to finalise a network-centric warfare (NCW) philosophy. A tri-service defence communication network(DCN) is in the stage of advanced planning.

However, little progress has been made to-wards addressing inter-service interoper-ability challenges in the communicationsfield. An RFP for the DCN system is expectedto be issued in 2010. Cyber security and of-fensive cyber warfare are other areas thatdo not appear to have received the attentionthat they deserve. With China moving rap-idly towards creating “one million laptopwarriors”, neglecting this field could proveto be very costly in the long term.

Army AviationModernisation of Army aviation is also notmaking much headway. The aviation fleetcontinues to be based on vintage Chetak and

Cheetah helicopters. The long-pending ac-quisition of 197 light helicopters has beenmired in controversy. The only addition hasbeen that of small numbers of Dhruv lightutility helicopters for logistics duties. Upgra-dation of India’s attack helicopter capabili-ties is also pending, though a tender hasbeen issued for 24 attack helicopters for twosquadrons of the IAF. Medium and heavy liftcapability also must be enhanced for effec-tive troop transportation and logistics sup-port in the mountains and in the plains.

Comprehensive planningModernisation and capability building in-volves a comprehensive planning processwhich considers a large number of factors.Broadly speaking, it is based on threat percep-tion, technological changes and available resources. India’s modernisation process isprimarily driven by the government and thearmed forces has been streamlined over theyears with preparation of a long-term integration perspective plan (LTIPP). Thefive-year perspective plans and yearly actionplans flow from the LTIPP. The equipmentprocurement and manufacturing are derivedfrom these plans and the induction is done bystrictly following the defence procurementprocedure (DPP).

The delays occurring currently are dueto several reasons such as insufficient andlimited vendor base, non-conformity of theoffers to the request for proposal (RFP) con-ditions, field trials, complexities in contractnegotiations, limited indigenous capabilityand long lead time for indigenisation, etc.Further, the market for state-of-the-art de-fence equipment and platforms being cir-cumscribed by denial regimes, limitedavailability of required type of material, com-plexities in construction and manufacturinginvolving integration of large number of sys-tems, assemblies and sub-assemblies alsocause delays. The procurement procedure it-self needs to be reviewed in light of the abovereasoning. The lethargy of the Defence Min-istry in equipment procurement could havedisastrous results in the future, bearing inmind that our adversaries are preparing at arapid pace. We need a far greater focus anda firm political will to modernise our militaryand build the desired military capability forthe future.

The US Army is all set to use the XM25,a futuristic rifle capable of firingradio-controlled smart bullets, for the

first time in Afghanistan. The XM25 has arange of 2,300 feet and has been designedto fire 25mm grenades, which can be set toexplode right in mid-air after having trav-elled a particular distance. The XM25 ‘indi-vidual airburst weapon system’ developedby Heckler & Koch, is an effective airburstgrenade launcher rifle derived from theXM29 OICW.

The XM25 rifle has been developedwith the aim to address all the existing ca-pability gaps when it comes to defeating thedefilade targets. The system has extra fea-tures to increase its potential battlefield de-ployment, an attraction for armies acrossthe world. This system offers improved fea-

tures that can increase the soldiers’ effi-ciency when engaged in combat. It has anincreased ability to hit every type of pointtarget at a distance of almost 500 metres.

The XM25 has 25mm munitions in-cluding the highly effective high explosiveair-burst (HEAB), door breaching, armourpiercing and anti-personnel munitions to-gether with two types of munitions thatare not lethal—the agent and blunt dis-persing airburst. The weapon was initiallydesigned to provide the soldiers fighting inIraq and Afghanistan increased ability toset the necessary fuse of every round in

order to have it explode over the chosentarget. After placing the aim point of theXM25 on the target, the soldier will beable to activate the additional laser rangefinder in order for the weapon to evaluateand calculate the necessary range to thatparticular target. The weapon will convertthis to the necessary time of flight re-quested by the fuse setting. The XM25 hasbeen designed to enable the soldier toutilise the existing XM116 integral firecontrol system. This highly effective sys-tem includes night and day channels thusincreasing the battlefield adaptability of

the weapon. The system includes a ballis-tic computer, a laser rangefinder, a com-pass, a fuse setter and an internal display.

XM25 ‘ weapon weighs just 12 poundsand is thus easy to use for soldiers whocan carry it for longer distances withoutgetting tired. The weapon will weigh asmuch as the traditional M16 with thecommon M203 grenade launcher at-tached to it. XM25 is a semi-automaticweapon that can be used to fire the air-bursting round from almost 600-700 me-tres. The accuracy of the weapon wasalready proven by the initial tests and themanufacturers estimate a constant in-crease in the effectiveness of the weapon.

The latest versions of XM25 ‘individ-ual airburst weapon system’ have a widerange of smart military equipment thatcan be used in order to increase its effec-tiveness in battlefield deployment. Thisequipment can include the laser rangefinder, the thermal optic and even thehighly effective infra-red and fire-controlsystem. This system can be used in orderto wirelessly transmit the accurate dis-tance between the target and the rifleright into the round’s fuse just before fir-ing. This rifle control can increase the effi-ciency of the troops because they will beable to evaluate the real time conditionsand targets without being prone to mak-ing mistakes and exposing themselves tounnecessary risks.

PHOTOGRAPH: US Army

PHOTOGRAPH: US Navy

Continued from page 7

T E C K N O W

Fight SmartXM25 ‘individual airburst weaponsystem’ is fitted with a chip that receives a radio signal from thegun sight which uses a laserrange finder to determine theexact distance of the obstruction

Micro UAVs like Elbit’s Skylark, among others, willimprove the surveillancecapability in conventionalconflict and asymmetricconflict situations

JAPAN SHOULD IMPROVE DEFENCECAPABILITY“Japan should improve its defence capabilityin the south-west where it shares a maritimeborder with China,” said Japan’s Vice DefenceMinister Jun Azumi. The country has tradi-tionally allocated its heavy defence capabilityto the north to respond to potential threatsfrom former Soviet Union. However, Japannow seems to be shifting its focus to the SouthWest. Japan is likely to boost its capability onland, sea and in the air in the future. Thecountry is updating its National Defence Pro-gramme guideline for release by the end ofthis year.

BOEING DELIVERS MODERNISATIONCAPABILITIES TO US ARMY

Boeing has begun delivering brigade combatteam modernisation (BCTM) Increment 1hardware to the US Army. The hardware in-cludes network integration kit-equipped mineresistant ambush protected vehicles andHumvees, unattended ground sensors andunmanned ground vehicles. BCTM incre-ment 1 capabilities will provide soldiers withenhanced intelligence, surveillance and re-connaissance capabilities, as well as increasedsurvivability and lethality. The deliveries arepart of the low-rate initial production con-

tract signed in February and will continuethrough the second quarter of 2011. The USArmy will conduct additional verificationtesting prior to the capabilities’ Initial Opera-tional Test and Evaluation in 2011 and willbe deployed to Afghanistan in 2012.

INDIAN ARMY TO GET ADDITIONALAKASH MISSILES

Bharat Electronics (BEL) in India is expectingcontracts worth `100 billion ($2.2 bn) fromthe Indian Army and Indian Air Force to pro-duce several squadrons of the Akash missilesystem in the next few months. BEL militaryradar business unit General Manager P.C. Jainsaid that the Indian Army was eyeing two reg-iments of the surface-to-air area defenceguided missile system. Each squadron of themissile system consists of 48 missiles, surveil-lance radar, tracking radar and a flight con-trol centre. The missile system has a range of25 km and can reach an altitude of 18 kmand is capable of engaging four targets simul-taneously. The Indian Army is in the processof finalising the configuration of the systemto meet its requirements.

GD AWARDED SAUDI ARABIA TANK CONTRACT

GD Land Systems has been awarded a con-tract to convert 15 of Saudi Arabia’s M1A1tanks into the M1A2S model. The contract isan addition to a $58 million (`261 crore)contract originally awarded in 2008 to de-sign, develop, convert, implement and test ahybrid configuration of the M1A1, M1A2and M1A2 system enhancement packagetank variants. The M1A2S vehicles will pos-sess defined capabilities that increase lethalitywhile limiting obsolescence. Work will be car-ried out at the company’s Joint Systems Man-ufacturing Centre in Lima, Ohio, US, with anestimated date for completion by March 31,2012. The US Army TACOM lifecycle man-agement command awarded the $19 million(`86 crore) contract on behalf of the RoyalSaudi Land Forces.

RUSSIA TEST FIRES INTERCONTINENTALBALLISTIC MISSILE Russia has successfully test-fired the RS 12MTopol intercontinental ballistic missile fromKapustin Yar landfill in Russia’s Astrakhanregion, according to the country’s DefenceMinistry. The RS-12M Topol is a single-war-head intercontinental ballistic missile with amaximum range of 10,000 km (6,125 miles)which can carry a nuclear warhead with ayield of 550kt, according to RIA Novosti. Rus-sia’s strategic missile forces (SMF) com-mander Lt General Sergei Karakayev saidSMF will be rearmed with multiple-warheadRS-24 missiles instead of the RS-12M Topol-M missile systems.

INDIAN ARMY TO GET TWO NEW RIFLESThe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in India is developingtwo indigenous Future-INSAS rifles for the Indian Army. Indian small arms system(INSAS) is a family of infantry arms consist-ing of an assault rifle, a light machine gunand a carbine. Army soldiers will use the newweapon, which can be operated effectively inurban or jungle environments, instead of thestandard INSAS rifle. The DRDO is also devel-oping a modern submachine carbine with a5.56mm/30mm calibre, incorporating a pis-tol and a rifle design so that it can be firedwith one hand. Armament Research and Development Establishment director Anil M.Dattar said the new rifle is designed to providenight vision through integrated thermal imaging sensors. The rifle and carbine of thefuture infantry soldier project will be com-pleted in three phases, with the first phase expected to be completed in three years.

THALES, NEXTER AND SAGEM TOSUPPORT SCORPION PROGRAMME The French Defence Procurement Agency(DGA) has awarded a two-year contract to aconsortium of Thales, Nexter and Sagem tohandle the architecture phase of the Scorpionprogramme for the French army. The €21mil-lion (`126 crore) contract will create a dedi-cated company, Mars, which will ensure thecapability and programme coherence of cur-rent and future equipment for combat units.Mars is a vehicle through which the consor-tium will provide the French land forces witha range of skills, expertise in combat equip-ment, and a detailed understanding of cur-rent and future operational needs. Scorpionis a project that unites several programmes tomodernise the French Army’s eight combinedarms brigades.

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN FMBTPreliminary Staff Qualitative Requirement(PSQR) of future main battle tank (FMBT) hasbeen formulated by the Army. Feasibilitystudy on FMBT is being carried out by the De-fence Research and Development Organisa-tion. FMBT is likely to be developed by the year2020. This information was given by DefenceMinister A.K. Antony in a written reply in theIndian Parliament.


News in Brief Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefJayant Baranwal

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ContributorsIndia

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Lt General (Retd) S.R.R. Aiyengar, Air Marshal (Retd) Vinod Patney, Major General(Retd) Ashok Mehta, Major General (Retd)G.K. Nischol, Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, Brigadier (Retd) S. Mishra,

Rohit Sharma

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>> SHOW CALENDAR

Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi has been appointed Chief of Integrated Staff toCOSC, Indian Army. Similarly, Lt GeneralChetinder Singh as Quarter Master Gen-eral, Lt General M.C. Badhani as Engineer-in-Chief, Lt General I.J. Singh as DirectorGeneral Electronics and Mechanical Engi-neers, Lt General D.S. Sidhu as DirectorGeneral Mechanised Forces, Lt General Jitender Singh as Director General ofRashtriya Rifles, Lt General A.S. LambaVice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt GeneralD.S. Thakur as Director General MilitaryIntelligence and Lt General N.B. Singh hasbeen appointed as Director General (IS),Indian Army.

>> APPOINTMENTS

Lt General A.S. Lamba

SHOCK-PROOF. VIBRATION-PROOF.AND EVEN FUTURE-PROOF.

Over 115,000 DRS systems have been fielded for Blue Force Tracking and FBCB2. And thanks to a powerful Dual Core processor and flexible architecture, today’s JV-5 is ready for future applications. From the Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P) and beyond. Which means U.S. joint forces will see returns on this hardware investment for years to come.

Capability For Today. And Tomorrow. That’s Go To.

JointForceSystems.com

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VIBRATION-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.VND E

VIBRATION-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.EN V

VIBRATION-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

VIBRATION-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

VIBRATION-PROOF.

VIBRATION-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

FUTURE-PROOF.

means U.S. joint forces will see returns on this hardware investment for years to come.

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SP's Land Forces Dec 2010-Jan 2011

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