Russian-Indian international naval drills Indra-2014 ended in Russian far eastern city of Vladivostok. “Russian and Indian naval sailors fulfilled all tasks completely,” head of the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet Captain First Rank Roman Martov told Itar-Tass on Sunday.
At the final meeting aboard the guards missile-carrying cruiser Varyag Assistant Commander of the Pacific Fleet Rear Admiral Andrey Ryabukhin noted that interoperability and trust between two fleets reached a very high level.
For his part, Commander of the Indian Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Atul Kumar Jain said at this meeting that naval sailors had acquired a very good experience and were on the way back home with the positive mood. He also praised Russian crews for their high morale and professionalism. Meanwhile, the naval leadership noted well-co-ordinated work of both countries in foil weather. Despite the fact that heavy rain has hit Russia’s Primorsky territory during the active stage of naval exercises all tasks of the naval exercises were fulfilled completely.
The farewell ceremony of Indian warships was held after the results of naval drills had been summed up.
The active stage of the naval drills was held from July 17 to 19. For this period of time warships of the two countries held artillery gunfire drills, deck aviation drill, air defence drill, detected and destroyed a submarine of a conventional enemy, passed a mocked mine field and have searched through a suspicious vessel. Meanwhile, naval sailors of the two countries gave aid to the ‘damaged’ ship and lifted ‘injured’ people from the water who were made of dummy figures.
Guided missile destroyer Ranvijay, frigate Shivalik and supply vessel Shakti were participating in naval exercises from India. Missile cruiser Varyag, big anti-submarine ship Admiral Vinogradov and big amphibious assault ship Peresvet represented Russia at joint naval drills. Maritime aviation was also used in military exercises.
Eight warships and vessels, deck helicopters and warplanes of maritime aviation participated in naval drills.
Naval exercises Indra are held alternately in Russia and India since 2003. In the autumn of the previous year India hosted these naval drills. Then military forces of the two countries have spotted and destroyed ‘illegal armed units’ in semi-deserted location.
(Source: Itar-Tass July 22, 2014)
INDIA, CHINA UNDER PRESSURE TO DEVELOP NAVAL ARSENALS
NEW DELHI: The battle for energy resources in South China Sea and Indian Ocean is persuading India and China to develop their naval arsenals that have a prominent nuclear dimension.
Focused on preserving its “strategic autonomy,” India is validating its nuclear deterrent, riding on some of the recent technological advancements of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the premier body, which is steering the effort to establish an atomic deterrent.
The gap in India’s capacity to launch a retaliatory second strike, following a nuclear attack, is set to be bridged with the integration of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) on the hull of the domestically developed Arihant nuclear submarine, which is set to undergo sea trials.
“During the trial phase, the Arihant will test-fire the fully developed BO-5 missile as part of the sea trials,” said Avinash Chander, the head of DRDO, refereeing to the SLBM, which can strike from a moveable platform at a maximum distance of 2,000 km.
China’s response
As India builds its deterrent, China has fully developed its fourth-generation nuclear powered submarines, capable of targeting sea-going or land-based objects with torpedoes and missiles, the People’s Daily reported.
The Chinese seem to be responding with calibrated assertion, following the Pivot to Asia of the United States, which entails beefing up America’s military profile in the Asia-Pacific, including the energy rich, South China Sea.
Analysts say that the competition for energy and other resources in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, which should not spill over into open conflict, has emerged as a major factor in the establishment of stable deterrents.
In May, China deployed 80 ships, including seven warships, to protect its oil rig in the South China Sea, in an area that was hotly contested by Vietnam. On its part, naval sources said the Indian Navy aspires to broaden its footprint along the Indian Ocean, in an area that includes the resource rich East African coastline, and stretches as far as Antarctica.
(Source: Hindu July 22, 2014)
597 MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE IN LAST 5 YEARS, GOVERNMENT SAYS
NEW DELHI: The suicide toll in the highly-disciplined armed forces continues to cross the 100-mark year after year despite all the so-called measures being undertaken by the defence establishment to reduce stress among soldiers.
As many as 597 military personnel committed suicide in 5 years between 2009 and 2013.
Disclosing these figures in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, defence minister Arun Jaitely said, “The government has taken various measures to create an appropriate environment for defence personnel, so that they can perform their duty without any mental stress.”
These measures, said Jaitley, include improvement in living and working conditions through provision of better infrastructure and facilities, additional family accommodation, liberalized leave policy, a grievance redressal mechanism, psychological counseling and conduct of yoga and meditation as part of a battalion or unit’s routine.
But the steps do not seem to be working very well on the ground.
In the Army, by far the largest of the three services, for instance, 116 soldiers committed suicide in 2010, 105 in 2011 and 95 in 2012. Last year, while 86 soldiers committed suicide, the figure for airmen and sailors stood at 15 and 6.
As reported by TOI earlier, stress-related cases in the shape of suicides and “fragging” (to kill or wound a fellow-soldier or superior) incidents have shown no signs of abating, and often also lead to disquiet and “clashes” between officers and jawans.
Soldiers posted in far-flung areas often undergo tremendous mental stress for not being able to take care of the problems being faced by their families back home, which could range from property disputes and harassment by anti-social elements to financial and marital problems.
While prolonged deployment in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and northeast also takes a toll on the physical endurance and mental health of soldiers, it’s compounded by poor salaries, lack of basic amenities, ineffectual leadership and sometimes humiliation at the hands of their officers.
Though former defence minister AK Antony had repeatedly asked state chief ministers and Union Territory lieutenant governors to make their civil district administrations more responsive to grievances of soldiers and their families, the situation remains almost the same.
“One of the biggest worries for jawans is the hardships their families face … civil administrators do not pay much attention to their problems,” said an officer.
(Source: Times of India July 22, 2014)
ARMY JAWAN KILLED ALONG LoC
JAMMU: An Army jawan was killed in an exchange of fire with a group of infiltrating militants along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district on Tuesday
A group of militants infiltrated into Indian territory near Chakla forward post of Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor tehsil, police officials said.
Troops of Naga regiment challenged and fired on them, they said, adding heavy exchange took place.
In the firing exchange, an Army jawan died, they said.
Defence spokesman M Mehta said an infiltration attempt took place in Pallanwala sector this morning.
“Fire fight ensued and one jawan died. Search is in progress”, the spokesman said.
(Source: Times of India July 22, 2014)
INDIA HALTS WARSHIP IMPORTS
On July 12tht the Indian Navy received the first (INS Kamorta) of three Indian made corvettes. These are the first locally built modern surface warships for India. The Kamortas are 3,100 ton ships that are 109 meters (355 feet) long and have a top speed of 59 kilometers an hour. They are optimized for anti-submarine warfare and are armed with a 76.2mm gun, two 30mm multi-barrel anti-missile autocannon, two multi (12) barrel 212mm anti-submarine rocket launchers, 16 Barak anti-missile/aircraft missiles and six torpedo tubes. It has a hull mounted sonar and carries a helicopter that can be armed with four anti-submarine torpedoes. The ship has stealthy features (small radar signature and more difficult for submarine sonar to detect as well.) The INS Kmorta is to enter service in August.
In 2012-13 Russia delivered the last of three Talwar class frigates. These are the last surface ships India is buying abroad. India ordered these three ships (for $1.6 billion) in 2006. The 4,000 ton P-17 project Talwar’s are 124.5 meters (386 feet) long, carry 24 anti-aircraft and eight anti-ship missiles, four torpedo tubes, as well as a 100mm gun, short range anti-missile autocannon, a helicopter, and anti-submarine weapons (rockets and missiles). The ship has a very complete set of electronics gear, except for a troublesome Indian sonar. There is a crew of 180. All of the Talwars are equipped with eight Indian BrahMos anti-ship missile each. The Talwar is a modified version of the Russian Krivak IV design.
The P-17A “stealth” frigates are the same size as the original three Talwars India ordered in the 1990s. The Stealthy Talwars have their superstructure changed so as to reduce the radar signature (making the ship less likely to show up on enemy radars). Improved weapons and electronics are installed as well, making it a more formidable warship than the original Talwars. India is not ordering any more warships from Russia, as it has developed the capability to build what it needs locally. This now includes aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines as well as aircraft carriers, frigates and corvettes.
(Source: World News Report July 22, 2014)
GOVERNMENT SAYS DASSAULT’S TOT OFFER COMPLIANT TO THE TENDER REQUIREMENTS
NEW DELHI: The proposal submitted by French firm Dassault Aviation in the multi-billion dollar combat aircarft deal for Transfer of Technology has been found to be fully compliant to the requirements specified in the tender, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
“The Request for Proposal for procurement of MMRCA is included in a full section on ToT requirements. The offer of Dassault Aviation for ToT is compliant to the requirements specified in the RFP,” Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said in a written reply to a query.
India is holding contract negotiations with the French firm, which was selected as the lowest bidder by the Government in 2012, for supplying 126 Rafale multirole combat aircraft to the IAF.
In reply to a query on VVIP choppers, the Minister said the Directorate of Enforcement has registered a case under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012 and under Foreign Exchange Management Act in the matter.
The contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the IAF by Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland was scrapped by the Defence Ministry on January 1 on “grounds of breach of provisions of the Pre-Contract Integrity Pact and breach of terms of contract by the AWIL”, Jaitley said.
Answering another query, the Defence Minister said the Government was planning to “amend the Works of Defence Act, 1903″.
The act gives details about the use of land inside and outside the cantonments and defence installations.
The Minister said the draft bill has been sent to the various stakeholders under the Defence Ministry.
(Source: Economic Times July 22, 2014)
CHINA DISTRIBUTES MILLIONS OF CONTROVERSIAL MAPS TO TROOPS: REPORT
Beijing, China: China is distributing millions of controversial updated maps to its military in the first upgrade in 30 years, reportedly reinforcing its claims over Arunachal Pradesh.
All major army units will receive new, more accurate maps in the near future, PLA Daily reported.
The Lanzhou Military Command, one of seven PLA ground force commands, has updated more than 15 million maps for its troops, it said.
Though the official media in Beijing has not published the maps being circulated in its military, it reportedly incorporated China’s claims over the disputed borders with India as well as South and East China Seas, which were hotly contested by several of China’s neighbours.
Last month, the new map issued by China stirred up strong reactions in India as it incorporated its claims over Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet.
India dismissed the new map issued by Chinese authorities saying cartographic depiction did not change the reality that Arunachal Pradesh was part of India.
“The fact that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India has been conveyed to Chinese authority at several occasions including at the very highest level,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said on June 28.
The Chinese maps being issued to the military have been prepared using a geocentric coordinate system, which defines locations according to their latitude, longitude and height.
This approach is widely used by other countries’ forces, Wang Xiaoming, director of the Lanzhou Military Command’s survey information centre said.
Production of the new maps began last year.
The project took into account the diverse needs of different branches of the armed forces, Mr Wang said.
They also feature data obtained by experts in geomorphology – the scientific study of landforms.
Training sessions are being organised for the troops that received the maps.
Wang Huasheng, head of an air defence brigade at the Lanzhou command, said the maps would enable his soldiers to spend less time planning operations and would help to improve strike accuracy.
China’s military maps are produced by the geographic survey services group under the PLA’s General Staff Headquarters, and are categorised as classified information.
Jia Fenli, a mapping expert at the PLA Information Engineering University in Zhengzhou, Henan province, said paper maps will not be eliminated despite the increasing use of electronic ones.
“During the Gulf War, the United States’ armed forces used nearly 35 million paper maps, while in the Kosovo war, British troops used more than six million paper maps,” he told state-run China Daily.
“Compared with electronic maps, paper ones are easy to carry and use. Maps produced from composite materials can act as waterproof clothing or blankets. They are very light, so soldiers will be more willing to carry them instead of some heavy electronic device,” Jia said.
In addition, using paper maps can avoid the risks that sometime arise from relying on electronic ones.
Jia said a malfunction in a satellite navigation device resulted in the deaths of three British soldiers in Afghanistan.
A mix-up over coordinates meant the troops came under friendly fire from US aircraft.
(Source: NDTV July 22, 2014)
CHINA’S INCURSIONS SHOW STRATEGIC BLINDNESS
WASHINGTON – The China-India border dispute has cast a shadow on bilateral relations for decades. Memories of the war it provoked in 1962 continue to influence Indian strategic thinking vis-a-vis China.
In India’s northeast, the bilateral dispute is dominated by Chinese claims over 90,000 square kilometers of territory which includes the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh or “Southern Tibet” as the Chinese call it.
This area is viewed by China through the prism of Tibet, mostly due to the presence of the Monpas and the Membas, connected as they are to the Tibetan heritage as well as the Tawang monastery, revered as the second most sacred Tibetan Buddhist monastery after Lhasa.
There is speculation that the 15th Dalai Lama may come from Tawang, continuing the expatriate Tibetan resistance to China’s presence in Tibet.
While this area has witnessed increased militarization by both China and India in recent years with troop, fighter-jet and missile deployment, it was another dispute on India’s northwestern border, in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir, that last month led to a military standoff with Beijing.
India alleges that China is illegally occupying 38, 000 square kms of Indian territory in this area. The Chinese view is that this territory had never been demarcated.
One way China has been asserting its ownership rights is by aggressively patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and through questioning the validity of the LAC itself.
This keeps the issue alive and dynamic while challenging the Indian presence in an extremely strategic geography. The Aksai Chin, as this disputed area is called, connects the Autonomous Province of Xinjiang to Tibet via a strategic road.
Another important connection here is the Karakoram highway that connects Pakistan to China. This opens up the strategic possibility of connecting land-locked Xinjiang and Tibet to the Gwadar port in Pakistan thereby opening up trade links via the Arabian Sea.
China continues to intrude into Indian territory in Ladakh on the basis that there are “differing perceptions” of the LAC as determined by absence of a common understanding between China and India over the exact location of this border.
This particular assertion of vague and differing perceptions is surprising given that both China and India signed two critical agreements on “Maintaining of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas” in 1993 and ” Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the Line of Actual Control in India-China Border Areas” in 1996.
If the LAC is the basis of these important agreements, there has to be firm understanding between both sides on where that border line is when they signed onto these agreements. Therefore, to now argue that there are “differing perceptions” is rather spurious.
It is also surprising that India buys onto the Chinese argument of vague and differing perceptions of the LAC as that enables China to cross the LAC into Indian territory at will and provoke India militarily at the border. This situation offers China an easy way out from several such border intrusions without any serious strategic implications.
The most recent standoff between China and India in Ladakh was also interpreted by both Chinese and Indian officials as propelled by differing perceptions of the LAC.
It began on the night of April 15, when around 50 Chinese troops (a platoon level) crossed the LAC near Daulat Beg Oldi sector into the Depsang plains in Eastern Ladakh and set up a tent there at nearly 17, 000 ft. Noticed a day later by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the tent clearly encroached into Indian territory.
In response, the ITBP set up camp 300 meters from the Chinese camp. This led to a face-off, if not a military confrontation.
Unlike earlier times when Chinese troops crossing the LAC illegally returned almost immediately to the Chinese side of the LAC, the PLA troops stayed put for 20 days.
What is even more significant is that the Chinese troops travelled almost 19 kilometers from the LAC into the Indian side of the border and set up their tents, covered by helicopter fire and PLA trucks.
This meant that this was not a spontaneous decision to cross the LAC but a well-planned tactical move. It is rather incredulous that with today’s sophisticated GPS technology, satellite imagery and maps that the Chinese could mistakenly travel 19 kilometers into Indian territory as travelling within Chinese territory.
The Chinese move was a deliberate show of strength, with Beijing signaling to India that it means business when it argues that the border along the LAC is not a resolved issue, and that the Indian side of the LAC is viewed by China as Chinese territory.
This move puts pressure on the border negotiations as well as weakens the Indian position on the negotiating table as its latest response mechanism in Ladakh could be interpreted as enabling China to take military risks at the LAC without significant repercussions.
It took China and India nearly 20 days of diplomatic negotiations and flag meetings at the border for the Chinese troops to agree to go back and perhaps recognize the status quo pre April 15.
In the beginning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry refused to even recognize that there is a border issue between China and India, instead stating that the Chinese tents are pitched on Chinese territory.
It was perhaps due to continued diplomatic pressure from India that the Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement on May 6 when its spokesperson, Hua Chunying said in a statement published by Xinhua that “China and India have reached an agreement on resolving the incident in the western section of the border. The frontier forces of the two countries have terminated the standoff at the Tiannan River Valley area”.
This diplomatic pressure however took time, and happened only after China made sure that its resolve at the LAC was firmly established by showcasing Indian weakness. For instance, after the two flag meetings on April 18 and April 23 respectively, the PLA actually increased their presence in the area by sending in additional supplies and erecting more tents, in a way, putting even more pressure on India.
This kind of Chinese pressure is not new or unprecedented. Similar to the present situation where the PLA moved into perceived Indian territory and set up posts (a rare move in recent years) just weeks before the new Chinese premier, Li Keqiang’s visit to India on May 20; in 2006, just days before Chinese premier Hu Jintao’s state visit to India, Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Yuxi stated on Indian national television that China lays claim to the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh. That, like the current diplomatic standoff, cast a shadow over Hu’s visit.
Land-sea connection
The latest border incursions urge us to ask two inter-related questions: what provoked the Chinese troops to enact these border incursions and why now?
The answer is two-fold and connected to China’s behavior with its other neighbors over territorial issues. In the past few months, China has been aggressively pursuing its territorial claims over the maritime islands in the East China Sea with Japan, roughed up the Philippines and Vietnam over the island disputes in the South China Sea, and printed a map in its new e-passports which showed the disputed maritime islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as Chinese territory.
This is reflective of the new leader, Xi Jinping, embracing a rather assertive strategy with regard to territorial disputes with China’s neighbors. It also means that the PLA is a strong component of Jinping’s strategy of cementing his own stature as both the Central Military Commission (CMC) chair and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Consequently, the PLA could be asserting more influence in terms of its strategic calculations and military show of power in China’s disputed territories with its neighbors. China has been assertive for many decades now about its territorial claims in India as well as its robust opposition to any oil exploration by foreign companies in collaboration with Vietnam in the South China Sea, is against the Philippines and Vietnam’s seismic survey vessels in Scarborough Shoal, and Japan’s move of buying the islands in the East China Sea.
The significant difference now is that its strategic moves in Indian territory along with the maritime disputes are increasingly defined by its larger strategic vision of conceptualizing all these territories as “core” to China’s vision of national unification.
The timing of the recent Chinese incursions into Ladakh is based on a bargaining posture by China vis-a-vis India on the border; a strategy crafted to test India’s resolve at the border as well as a reaction to India’s military deployment and infrastructural developments at the border. This is increasingly propelled by China’s view of itself as the rising hegemonic state in Asia. It also reflects the seriousness of China’s claims over disputed territories.
This Chinese aggressiveness is a counterproductive strategy and is detrimental to the Chinese dream of influencing other Asian countries with its soft power. It reflects strategic shortsightedness and vindicates heavily the “China threat” discourse amongst its neighbors thereby creating paranoia about China’s rise and its intentions. This Chinese strategy creates support for the creation of a countervailing alliance against China amongst its neighbors. Left only with dysfunctional and weak states like North Korea and Pakistan as allies, China cannot hope to become the leader of ideas and hopes in Asia.
While countries like India have been cautious not to join the bandwagon against China in the larger discourse of international politics, events like the recent Chinese aggression in Ladakh will push India to choose sides to create an effective safety net against a China that will increasingly be seen as a regional bully with little strategic restraint.
This kind of aggression will also strengthen strategic partnerships like those between India-Vietnam-South Korea-Japan-Philippines and the United States as such cooperative strategic mechanisms would be increasingly viewed as a guarantor against Chinese aggression.
Strategic power is the ability of country “x” to influence country “y” to do or act according to its interests. This means incentivizing country “y” to either cooperate with country “x” by aligning interests and values or by creating a structure that is seen as beneficial to both. This kind of strategic power broadcasting to influence another is not simply based on military strength; it involves moral respect, soft power as well as generosity from the stronger power.
In all these respects, China appears to be falling short. There is an urgent need to rethink on its strategy of provocation which is propelling its neighbors to join alliances based on the strategy of limiting China’s rise; something that most Chinese strategic thinkers accuse the West of orchestrating with little understanding that it is China’s own actions that might be propelling these counter-moves.
(Source: Asia Times July 22, 2014)
INDIA’S MARS ORBITER COMPLETES ABOUT 80% OF JOURNEY
CHENNAI: Inching closer to the red planet, India’s ambitious Mars orbiter spacecraft has covered more than 540 million kilometres, about 80 per cent of its journey for its rendezvous with the planet scheduled for September 24.
The spacecraft has covered a distance of more than 540 million kilometres on its helio centric journey to the red planet, ISRO said today.
“Yes, that is very close to a whopping 80 per cent”. Mars Orbit Mission and its payloads are in good health”, ISRO said on its social networking site.
In the last crucial milestone, ISRO performed the second Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre on the spacecraft on June 11 by firing the spacecraft’s 22 Newton thrusters for 16 seconds. Mid-course corrections are done to keep the spacecraft on course.
Another trajectory correction manoeuvre is planned for August before ISRO performs the Mars Orbit Insertion in September.
The ambitious Mars mission under a Rs 450 crore project was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on November 5 last year with an aim to reach the red planet’s atmosphere by September 24.
The project is expected to provide the scientific community better opportunities in planetary research.
(Source: Economic Times July 22, 2014)
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