IKB-DEF-MAY 29, 2015 - Indicia Research & Advisory

Indicia Knowledge Brief
A Daily Assessment on Indian Defence and Internal/Homeland Security
May 29, 2015.
Primary aims of Indicia Daily Brief are two-fold. First, it distills infinite information into a
capsule form, thus saving precious time of its clients. Second, it tries to link micro-events
to larger strategic canvas through its analyses, thus providing support knowledge for
better understanding and decision-making.
Indicia Analysis of the Day
Naval chief Admiral R K Dhowan’s assertion that the activities of the
Navy’s Chinese counterpart in the Indian Ocean Rim was being minutely
monitored with its presence growing in the region, more particularly
apropos the submarines Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has placed in the
Indian Ocean, seems carefully thought.
India expects to bring into service its first domestically made aircraft
carrier by 2018 as it looks to counter China’s expanding military
capabilities in the region. The diesel-powered, 40,000-ton INS Vikrant will
be ready within three years.
Indigenisation, building infrastructure in sync with the Indian Navy's
perspective plans, and strengthening human resources were rightly in
focus as top commanders of force met in the national capital recently.
I. National Defence and Security:
Chinese Activities in IOR Monitored Minutely: Navy:
Naval chief Admiral R K Dhowan on May 28 said that the activities of the Navy’s
Chinese counterpart in the Indian Ocean Rim was being minutely monitored with
its presence growing in the region. The Navy chief reiterated that along with the
submarines, Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) ships have been deployed for antipiracy operations in the Indian Ocean since 2008 and the Indian security
establishment sees the presence of Chinese submarines in waters close to it and
its developmental activities in neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Maldives
and Sri Lanka as a matter of concern. “PLA Navy’s activities are minutely
monitored by the Indian Navy and our belief is that the responsibility of
protecting the Indian Ocean and our coastline lies with the Navy. Our ships and
aircraft are always on alert so that this responsibility is carried out well,” he said
on the concluding day of four day Naval Commanders Conference in the capital.
He was responding to questions on China’s recent white paper on defence, which
talks about enhancing its naval reach for the first time to ‘open seas protection’
far from its shores. However, Dhowan sought to downplay the assertive report
saying every Navy makes its plan as to what it is supposed to do and it is a
‘normal activity’. “There would be aspects related to defensive operations,
surveillance, and all kinds of operations, which spread out during the period of
peace and during hostilities. So it is natural for any Navy to have its plans which
covers the spectrum of entire operations. That (Chinese white paper) is a normal
activity for any Navy,” he said. On May 26, China had unveiled an assertive
military strategy enhancing its naval reach for the first time to ‘open seas
protection’ far from its shores which could pose a challenge to the Indian Navy
especially in the Indian Ocean. The 9,000-word paper has warned of threats to
China’s maritime rights and interests, citing the provocative actions of some
offshore neighbours.....
Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Chinese-Activities-in-IOR-Monitored-MinutelyNavy/2015/05/29/article2838310.ece
*
Mission BrahMos: How India got the world’s most powerful cruise
missile:
The BrahMos project should be the benchmark for all future joint ventures in
defence as it leverages the excellent rapport between India and Russia – at the
scientific, academic, military and political levels. India sucks at making weapons.
The history of arms development in India is littered with the debris of numerous
failed projects. The Light Combat Aircraft project is 30 years late; the jet combat
trainer has been shot down by the air force; the army is not thrilled with the
Arjun tank; we can’t even make a decent rifle for our armed forces.
In this backdrop, how did India buck the trend with the BrahMos – the world’s
most powerful cruise missile?
Well, first up, it is very likely Defence Research & Development Organisation
(DRDO) projects are sabotaged – by politicians and military brass who get
kickbacks from defence imports, as well as foreign weapons manufacturers. At
the same time, India’s missile men are a class apart. Because missiles and rockets
with a range of over 300 km are not – legally – sold in the international arms
bazaar, India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was
given a free hand. The result was a series of short, medium and long range
missiles that today form the core of India’s Strategic Forces Command.
Cruising along
The idea to develop an Indian cruise missile became crystallised after the 1991
Gulf War when the American Tomahawk cruise missiles crippled Iraq’s
command and communication centres, leaving its armed forces exposed to air
attacks. That a few hundred cruise missiles could isolate the 1.2 million strong
Iraqi military in the space of a few hours was a wakeup call for India’s defence
planners. In their minds, the memory of the 1971 War – when the US Seventh
Fleet had sailed up the Bay of Bengal to strike Indian military targets – was still a
raw scar. Back then the Russian Pacific Fleet had arrived posthaste and placed a
defensive wall around India. But in the early 1990s, India’s only ally was no
longer able to repeat that effort. If the US came after India with Tomahawks,
India would probably meet the same fate as Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. BrahMos
Corp CEO A. Sivathanu Pillai writes in his fascinating book ‘The Path Unexplored’
that it was after seeing the Tomahawk’s success that India decided to acquire a
precision attack cruise missile. “This was to be our magical first strike weapon,”
he writes.....
Source:
http://in.rbth.com/blogs/2015/05/29/mission_brahmos_how_india_got_the_worlds_most_powerful_cruise
_missile_43393.html
*
India Says First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier to Operate by 2018:
India expects to bring into service its first domestically made aircraft carrier by
2018 as it looks to counter China’s expanding military capabilities in the region.
The diesel-powered, 40,000-ton INS Vikrant will be ready within three years,
Indian Navy Chief R.K. Dhowan told reporters in New Delhi. It’s under
construction at a shipyard in the southern port city of Kochi. Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has approved $45 billion of weapons purchases since
taking power last May. He’s seeking to keep pace with China to prevent it from
gaining a foothold in the Indian Ocean. The aircraft carrier project is three years
behind schedule after difficulties in procuring materials, including high-grade
steel from Russia. When finished, it will be capable of supporting MiG-29K
fighter jets, helicopters and long-range surface-to-air missile systems, according
to a 2013 government statement when the carrier was named. India’s navy
currently has two aircraft carriers: the 56-year-old INS Viraat built by the British
and a refurbished Russian vessel.
Source:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-28/india-says-first-indigenous-aircraftcarrier-to-operate-by-2018
*
A first for IAF: Anti-ship Harpoon missile fired from fighter jet:
The Indian Air Force launched an anti-ship Harpoon missile from a fighter plane
for the first time at a pre-designated target in the Arabian Sea last week. The
missile, built by US defence giant Boeing, was launched on May 22 from a Jaguar
maritime strike fighter that flew 200 nautical miles off the west coast to carry
out the mission, a source said. The fighter belonged to the IAF’s maritime strike
squadron based at the Lohegaon airbase outside Pune. The Jaguar was refuelled
midair during the mission, the source added. An official confirmed it was the
“first live firing” of the Harpoon from a warplane in India after integration by
state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. “It was successful,” he added.....
Source:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/a-first-for-iaf-fired-from-fighter-jet-anti-shipmissile-hits-bullseye/article1-1352477.aspx
*
With a range of 124 km, the Harpoon is capable of land-strike
missions too:
The navy tested the Harpoon last year when a Boeing P-8I long range maritime
reconnaissance aircraft launched the subsonic missile to take out a ‘target’ in the
Bay of Bengal. India has bought a package of 24 Harpoon Block II missiles for its
navy and another 22 for the IAF. India is also looking at arming its Shishumar
class submarines with the all-weather Harpoon missiles, operated by more than
30 countries. The Pentagon notified the US Congress last year about its decision
to sell 24 Harpoon missiles worth $200 million to the Indian Navy for the
submarines through the foreign military sales route. There are different variants
of the missile for aircraft, ships and submarines.....
Source:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/a-first-for-iaf-fired-from-fighter-jet-anti-shipmissile-hits-bullseye/article1-1352477.aspx
*
flight:
Shortage of skilled engineers threatens to ground Make in India
While launching the Drona School of Engineering Practice, spearheaded by
aerospace veteran G Raj Narayan of Radel Group in Bengaluru recently, experts
shared some crucial facts. Some of the facts have been mentioned: About 1.5
million engineers graduated from more than 3500 engineering colleges across
India in 2014. Only 4 to 7 per cent of engineers are actually fit for jobs in the core
engineering sectors. Graduates seem to lack higher-order thinking skills,
analyzing, evaluating and creating. Huge demand from core engineering
industries for practical engineers with hands on experience. Sunrise industries of
Aerospace, Defence and Electronics need thousands of skilled engineers for
design as well as manufacturing. Very few training schools for engineers in core
engineering disciplines, especially electronics and aerospace engineering design.
None possesses robust processes, documentation and project management....
Source:
http://www.oneindia.com/india/shortage-of-skilled-engineers-threatens-to-ground-make-inindia-flight-1760651.html
*
Putting Bofors shadow behind, India Sweden to cooperate in
Defence:
Even as the ghost of Bofors, a major political scandal that rocked Congress party
in 1987, refuses to die down, President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Sweden next
week will put its shadow behind, by exploring robust defence cooperation
between the two countries. For long, the scandal had put a stop on defence
imports from Sweden. But coinciding Kargil war, then NDA-led government had
partially lifted its blacklist on BAE Systems, new owners of Bofors, for want of
spares which was followed by signing of an MoU on defence cooperation by in
2009. Putting a brave face, an embarrassed government on May 28 said the
reported controversial remarks of President Pranab Mukherjee on Bofors issue
to a Swedish daily will have no bearing on his upcoming tour of Sweden, the first
State visit. Besides a 60-member business delegation, which will travel
separately, President’s entourage includes the Minister of State for Chemicals
and Fertilisers Hans Raj Ahir, Congress stalwart, Leader of Opposition in Rajya
Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP MP Ashwani Kumar besides Vice Chancellors
of seven Universities....
Source:
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-putting-bofors-shadow-behind-india-sweden-tocooperate-in-defence-2090211
*
As War Heroes Protest, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
Promises One Rank One Pension Soon:
"My ministry has completed all formalities and OROP will be implemented," Mr
Parrikar said, explaining that the executive process takes some time. He also
requested that the matter not be "politicised." Two war veterans who were to be
felicitated at the function, did not turn up in protest against the delay in
implementing 'one rank one pension', which means that people retiring in the
same rank and with the same length of service will get equal pension,
irrespective of when they retired. "Since 1973 we haven't got any support from
the government. This is downgrading the armed forces. I am hurt," said Wing
Commander SD Karnik who boycotted the event. The Wing Commander is a
1971 war veteran who was awarded the Vir Chakra, one of India's top gallantry
medals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was widely expected to announce 'one
rank one pension' - a BJP election promise - on May 25 when he addressed a rally
in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to mark his government's one year in office.
Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission
recommendations at the time when the personnel retired. For instance, a Major
General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt. Colonel who retired
after 1996....
Source:
http://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/as-war-heroes-protest-defence-minister-manohar-parrikarpromises-one-rank-one-pension-soon-766882
*
Indigenisation, infrastructure in focus as Indian Navy
commanders meet:
Indigenisation, building infrastructure in sync with the Indian Navy's perspective
plans, and strengthening human resources were in focus as top commanders of
force met in the national capital on May 28. The conference, which was chaired
by the Indian Navy chief, Admiral RK Dhowan, discussed myriad issues, including
enhancing the operational readiness of the commands, infrastructure
development, managing human resources, coastal security, cyber security and
foreign cooperation initiatives, amongst others. The conference that started on
May 25, concluded on May 28. Admiral Dhowan also reviewed the coastal
security construct and status of various platforms that are to be inducted in near
future. According to an official statement, Admiral Dhowan stressed that
indigenisation of platforms, weapons, sensors and equipment, through the DRDO
and the public and private sectors, as also through in-house efforts, should
remain an area of focus. The Navy chief also emphasised that the "roadmap for
the navy's expansion and growth would continue to remain anchored on selfreliance and indigenisation". He also urged the naval designers and technical
officers to work in close coordination with DRDO to develop niche technologies
for the future navy. An Indian Navy statement said that during the conference,
Admiral Dhowan released the Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan (201527) and reviewed progress of various infrastructure projects that are in the
pipeline and would contribute towards capacity building.....
Source:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/indigenisation-infrastructure-in-focus-as-indian-navycommanders-meet_1603498.html
*
War veterans intensify agitation for OROP, refuse to be
felicitated by Defence Minister:
Two war veterans — Wing Commander (Retd) S D Karnik and Wing Commander
(Retd) K V Bopardikar — stepped up the agitation for One Rank One Pension
(OROP) on May 28 by refusing to be felicitated by Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar at a function in Pune. The stand taken by the two war heroes was
lauded by the ex-servicemen community from across the country even as a 1,500
odd members of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) voluntarily boycotted
the event. “I have been hoping that this government would clear OROP. On May
25, we were all hopeful that Prime Minister Modi would announce it from
Mathura. But he did not. So, I decided not to attend the felicitation function,”
Karnik, a 1971 war veteran and a Vir Chakra recipient, told The Indian Express
over phone. Karnik, 80, said that the struggle for OROP has been going on for
almost 10 years. “It was mentioned twice in the budget. But it has not yet been
announced,” he added. While Karnik had received the invitation to attend the
felicitation function about 12 days ago, he decided against attending it after PM
Modi’s Mathura speech during which the ex-servicemen community was
expecting a formal announcement on OROP. Addressing the event — Sainik
Samman Samaroh — Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that work
regarding “OROP is on”. “For the first time, Defence Ministry and armed forces
have agreed on the minute details of OROP… this is not a reward for the exservicemen as their contribution is beyond rewards. This is justice,” Parrikar
said....
Source:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/in-fight-for-orop-war-heroes-boycottfelicitation-ceremony/
II
Homeland Security
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