BEIJING: In a sign of expanding military-to-military engagement between India and China, permanent representatives of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy have, for the first time, taken office in Beijing.
Group Captain Ashish Srivastava of the Indian Air Force and Captain Sushant Dam of the Indian Navy will begin their terms as the Air and Naval attachés in the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Friday.
Earlier, India only had a Defence attaché from the Indian Army, along with a Deputy Defence attaché, posted in Beijing.
The question of expanding India’s military representation had been discussed by both sides over several years, with China finally agreeing to the move this past year. Traditionally, India has only had attachés from all three services in the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia.
That China will join those countries underscores the increasing importance — and widening engagement— between the two militaries. Especially on the naval side, the need for representation had become apparent as both sides have stepped up exchanges even as their navies are more frequently encountering each other on the high seas.
The absence of a permanent naval attaché in Beijing posed logistical obstacles, with the defence attachés having to liaise with the People’s Liberation Army Navy over plans for exercises and visits — a situation that even the Chinese side acknowledged was unusual.
(Source: Hindu July 26, 2014)
INDIA TO GET TWO MORE MISSILE TEST FACILITIES
New Delhi: India will set up two more missile test range facilities, one each in Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parliament was informed on Friday.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha that there was no proposal to set up a Missile Launcher Project in the newly formed state of Telangana.
But the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had identified Rutland Island in Andaman and Nagayalanka in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh for setting up missile test range facilities.
(Source: IANS July 26, 2014)
DRDO TO OPEN CENTRES IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTES
New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) plans to set up advanced technology centres in prominent academic institutes including IITs, parliament was told on Friday.
There will be one centre in IIT-Bombay for research in advanced propulsion technologies and next generation aero engine technologies, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha.
Another centre at Jadavpur University in Kolkata will work on “Unmanned Autonomous Soldier-Assist Technologies”, he said.
DRDO was organising technical workshops with research faculty and scientists and negotiating with institutes for establishing these Advanced Technology Centres, he said.
“Research focus areas, existing capabilities and need for additional research facilities are assessed for establishing these centres,” Jaitley added.
The DRDO established the Research and Innovation Centre at IIT-Chennai in 2012.
(Source: IANS July 26, 2014)
ARMY FULLY GEARED UP TO TAKE ON CHALLENGES: GENERAL BIKRAM SINGH
DRASS (J&K): The government is totally committed towards ensuring that the needs of the Army are met and the force is “fully geared” up to take on the challenges, outgoing Army chief General Bikram Singh said on Friday.
“As Chief of Army Staff, I want to assure you that your army is stationed at the border and has the ability to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country,” he said.
The Army Chief is here to take part in the 15th anniversary of Kargil War Vijay Diwas.
“As you know that I am hanging my boots on July 31 and I thought what better way of saying goodbye to the profession than coming here and laying a wreath,” he said.
Asked if things have changed in terms of deficiencies in the army since Kargil War, he said, “Yes, things have changed. Let me tell you all the armies have deficiencies. It is not only that the Indian army has deficiencies.
“But things are being made up. The present government is totally committed towards ensuring that our needs are met. Our deficiencies are met. So let me assure you that your army is fully geared to take on the challenges. I personally guarantee you that,” he said.
Replying to a question, Gen Singh said the life of a soldier has improved since the Kargil incursions took place in 1999.
“It has improved by leaps and bounds in a very distinct manner,” he said.
“The aspirations of the force with regards to the security needs are being addressed by the government. Let me assure you that the present government is definitely committed towards ensuring that the aspirations of our soldiers are met,” he said.
On ceasefire violations by Pakistan, the Army Chief said, “As you very well know that this kind of firing has been on and this thing has been happening almost every month and every year, but let me assure you that your soldiers are taking necessary action whenever required.”
Asked about the absence of senior army officers, who were part of Kargil war, from the function today, Gen Singh said he cannot comment on it as they might have had prior commitments.
“Look I cannot comment on that. It is possible that they are abroad, they are busy. They might have prior commitments. But let me assure you that each one of those officers has a commitment towards this cause,” he said.
Gen Singh later interacted with war widows present at the function and distributed gifts among them.
(Source: Economic Times July 26, 2014)
INDIA TO ASK U.N. MILITARY OBSERVER GROUP TO WIND UP
India will deliver its toughest message on the U.N. mission on the LoC yet, telling visiting chief of the U.N. Peacekeeping forces, U.N. Undersecretary General Herve Ladsous, that the United Nations Military Observer Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has “outlived its utility.”
The visit of Mr. Ladsous is part of a three-nation tour to some of the biggest contributors to the U.N.’s peacekeeping forces, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. He arrives in Delhi on Friday and will have meetings with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, Defence and Home Affairs, given that both the army and the police contribute soldiers to the UNPKF. Informed sources said India would forcefully reiterate its stand that the UNMOGIP wind up its operations.
While there is no explanation why the government has decided to act against the UNMOGIP’s office allotments at this time, India does have more leverage with the UNPKF than ever before, given that it is the second highest contributor to the peacekeeping forces after Bangladesh.
Over the past 60 years, more than 1,70,000 Indian soldiers have been a part of 43 of 68 U.N. peacekeeping missions. The U.N. mission has been strapped by reduced offers of both funding and troops from several countries. Pakistan, the third largest contributor, has reduced its contribution by about 30% this year. Diplomatic sources said Mr. Ladsous would seek to explain that it was for the Security Council to withdraw the UNMOGIPs operations, even as he hopes to ask India for more troops for the U.N.’s 16 peacekeeping missions this year.
Mr. Ladsous’s visit comes two months after the government issued a notice telling the UNMOGIP in Delhi to vacate its government-allotted bungalow, along with four locations in Jammu and Kashmir by September 1. India has contended that the U.N. mission’s mandate, set up in 1948 had lapsed in 1971 after the ceasefire line changed, and the Shimla agreement.
However, Pakistan continues to welcome the UNMOGIP mission based there. Speaking in Islamabad on Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhury said “Pakistan will continue to facilitate the UNMOGIP, which is a source for providing credible information to the U.N. Security Council through its regular periodic reports. We have noted with concern that there were some administrative issues for the UMMOGIP in New Delhi but we believe it needs to be facilitated in the performance of its very important role.”
(Source: Hindu July 26, 2014)
INDIA ASKS CHINA TO CEASE ACTIVITIES IN POK
NEW DELHI: Government keeps an eye on Chinese presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has asked China to “cease such activities” there, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley informed Lok Sabha today.
“Government pays close attention to Chinese activities in PoK and it has conveyed its concerns to China and asked them to cease such activities,” he said in reply to a written query in Lok Sabha.
He said issues are discussed by the government in regular meetings with Chinese counterparts and “entire gamut of bilateral, regional and global issues are discussed.”
The presence of Chinese Army troops has been witnessed in recent times and there numbers were estimated to be around 5,000 by the Army couple of years ago. They were mainly involved in construction activities there.
Meanwhile, answering another query on alleged attacks by Sri Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen, Jaitley said continuous efforts by the government have led to the release of 536 of the 541 arrested by that country till July 18.
He said as per a 2008 agreement, the two governments have agreed that there would be no firing on Indian vessels and Indian fishermen would not go to the “sensitive areas” designated by the Sri Lankan government.
To a query on missile test range, the Defence Minister said the DRDO has proposed to set up such ranges in Rutland Islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Nagayalanka in Krishna district of Seemandhra state.
Giving out the reasons for delays in execution of road projects by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Jaitley said delay in forest and environmental clearance, hard rock stretches and difficulty in availability of construction material are the main reasons behind it.
(Source: Economic Times July 26, 2014)
JAPAN TO SHOWCASE SEAPLANE TO NAVY
NEW DELHI: The Japanese Navy will showcase before the Indian Navy a seaplane and its operations during the ongoing trilateral Malabar maritime exercise, also involving the US Navy, off Nagasaki’s Port Sasebo in western Pacific Ocean.
The seaplane, which the Navy wants to procure and deploy in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for maritime patrol, is built by Japanese firm ShinMaywa. US-2, as the amphibious plane is called, can take off from and land on water and is a suitable platform for operations between island territories. The Japanese Navy would operate the US-2 sea-plane during the Malabar exercise, a Navy officer said here in New Delhi.
The Indian Navy is keen on getting around 20 of these sea-planes.During the exercise, the Navy personnel from India, the US and Japan would interact between Thursday to Saturday at Port Sasebo and later their warships would venture to the deep sea for at-sea training.
The Japanese Navy would also deploy two destroyers along with a P3C Orion maritime reconnaissance plane during the exercise.
(Source: New Indian Express July 26, 2014)
GOVERNMENT SAYS NO TO COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING
New Delhi: The government does not favour compulsory military training to youths because it could militarise an entire nation, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.
“Military training to all the youth of the country may also lead to militarisation of an entire nation,” the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
“With our socio-political and economic conditions, it is highly undesirable, lest some of the unemployed youth trained in military skills join the ranks of the undesirable elements,” he added.
The minister also said that India was a democratic republic and the constitution did not provide for compulsory military training.
“In our democratic set-up, people are free to choose their professions. Compulsion in respect of military training, it is felt, would go against the democratic ethos,” he said.
Jaitley added that the Indian armed forces had a large number of volunteers to draw upon and there was no problem in getting adequate numbers of volunteer recruits.
“All the youth of the country, therefore, do not compulsorily need to be given military training.
“Training all the youth would require establishment of a very large number of training centres, with the necessary wherewithal, all over the country and would involve huge expenditure in their maintenance and upkeep.
“The likely benefits of imparting military training to all the youth will not be commensurate with the expenditure involved in such an effort.
“This would translate into an unmanageable figure and will also be a big drain on limited resources of a developing country,” he said.
(Source: Zee News July 26, 2014)
MALABAR NAVAL EXERCISE WITH INDIA NOT AIMED AT CONTAINING CHINA: US
Washington: The annual India-US bilateral Malabar naval exercise which kicked off on Thursday in the Asia Pacific region is not aimed at containing China, the Pentagon has said. “It has absolutely no relations anything to do with China.
If anything it is strengthening the US naval presence in the Pacific Ocean region…and maritime partnership with our allies,” a Pentagon official told reporters. “It is totally a routine exercise with no relations to China,” the official said. The wargames this year has Japan as an special invitee. China had in the past raised objections over Japan’s participation in the drills held mainly between US and India.
The last exercise involving Japan was held in 2009. The official said the participating countries are working with specific training exercises such as communication, search and rescue, helicopter cross deck evolutions and anti-submarine welfare. Over 7,000 American defence personnel are participating in the exercise and also includes nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, Ticonderoga-class destroyer USS Shiloh, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer John S McCain and nuclear submarine USS Columbus.
It also includes P-3 Orion aircraft and MH-60R helicopters. India has sent its three warships—INS Ranvijay and Shivalik along with fleet support tanker ship INS Shakti. Responding to a question on Japanese participation, the official said it strengthens the partnership with them.
“It also promotes India’s growing navy as they expand beyond their own areas of influence, in the Pacific Ocean and not just their own home area of the Indian Ocean,” she said. India and US have held 17 editions of the Malabar-series wargames since 1992 and had involved Japan, Australia and Singapore in 2007 in the Pacific Ocean after which the Chinese government raised objections.
India had stopped involving others but last year after the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Japan and the reciprocal visit by the Japanese Prime Minister, India agreed to have Japan in these drills. The three Indian warships taking part in the wargames earlier held exercises with the Russian Navy in Vladivostok last week.
(Source: Mint July 26, 2014)
IAF CHOPPER CRASHES IN UTTAR PRADESH
Sitapur (UP): An Indian Air Force helicopter today crashed here with all seven persons on board feared killed.
The ALH Dhruv chopper had taken off from Bareilly.
Sub Divisional Magistrate, Sidhauli, A K Srivastava said that the chopper was engulfed in fire as it crashed in Manipurwa in Ataria area.
“A helicopter of airforce has crashed here. It is engulfed in fire and it is feared that all on board might have died,” Srivastava told PTI.
Attempts were underway to douse the fire.
Senior officials of district administration and police have reached the spot.
District Magistrate, Sitapur, JP Singh said that the helicopter took off from Bareilly and was going towards Allahabad.
“According to our information, there were seven persons on board the chopper including pilot and co-pilot. As per the reports received from officials, no one is appeared to have survived,” he said.
Sitapur is nearly 160 km from Bareilly and over 90 km from Lucknow.
(Source: Financial Express July 26, 2014)
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