defence and security of india - dec 2014
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India's only magazine on national security, strategic affairs and policy mattersTRANSCRIPT
DEFENCE and SECURITYof INDIA
DECEMBER 2014
DSI
MARITIME SECURITY
SURVEILLANCE & SECURITYSignificant steps has been taken to improve and secureIndia’s maritime borders I PVS SATISH
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMY: EXPANSION & BEYONDSpecial Forces expansion seem overly ambitious as they are not matched by resources
www.defencesecurityindia.com VOLUME 6 ISSUE 6 ` 250
IAF STRATEGICTRANSFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE AND CAPABILITY ROADMAP REFLECTS NOT JUST WHAT IS NEEDED, BUT ALSO WHAT IS GETTING DEGRADED, THUS GIVING
SUGGESTIONS WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACQUIRED I SUMIT MUKERJI
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DECEMBER 2014 DSI
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LETTER FROM THE editor
While the moneyinvolved in thisacquisitionprocess is huge; it is even moreimportant that theequipments thecountry’s armedforces get are ofcutting-edgequality that put the forces’invincibility first.
anohar Parrikar, the new defence minister of the country, isknown amongst the Goan hoi polloi as ‘Singham’. He isconsidered strongwilled, focused and a good administrator. He also is reputed to be a man of his word. He gave the CatholicChurch representatives a promise during the last legislativeelection. That pledge was to clean Goa off all extraneous mining
licencees, about 129 were cancelled by a stroke of a pen fulfilling his commitment to theChurch. The Church, in turn, delivered votes for the BJP. He is also a moderate RSS man, whoknows, coming from a state with significantly large Christian population that his writ as aformer pracharak can run for only so much. Meanwhile, as Goa’s chief minister, his decision tocancel the mining licences, had put 200,000 people out of jobs.
Parrikar took the bull by its horns: he said that if he could not find alternativeemployment, he would give up his CMship. And, he found most of them accommodated inalternatives. This is the man, who Prime Minister considers to be his reportedly closestprotégé, who in the five years has to decide on at least a hundred billion dollars worth ofdefence contracts. While the money involved in this acquisition process is huge; it is evenmore important that the equipments the country’s armed forces get are of cutting-edgequality that put the forces’ invincibility first. While that might sound like a bit of hyperbole,it still cannot be gainsaid that the modernisation of the Indian armed forces in conventionalterms will actually deter war both between nation-states and non-conventional in nature.Parrikar’s ascension to the defence ministry was really begun with the chairing of theDefence Acquisition Committee (DAC). As an IIT graduate, the numbers could not havemystified him in the DAC meeting, but the labyrinthine defence ministry operations couldhave. He postponed taking a decision on the Rs 23,000 crore Avro replacement contract ashe needed time to go through the proposal. Parrikar has a lot on his plate; but he could turnout to be a guy in the mould of his mentor.
M
Pinaki Bhattacharya
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MARITIME SECURITY 24
SURVEILLANCE AND STRATEGYSignificant steps has been taken toimprove maritime domain awarenessand secure India’s maritime bordersafter the “26/11” Mumbai terroristattacks conducted by Pakistaniinfiltrators who easily reached Indiansoil, launched the mayhem.
SPECIAL FORCES 48
ARMY: EXPANSIONAND BEYONDEven with the promise of a joint command, the Special Forces expansion seem overly ambitious as they are notmatched by resources and faces the problem of replacement of imported equipments.
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT 08
TRANSPORT ANDSPECIAL OPERATIONSAIRCRAFTThe 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and the 26/11Mumbai attacks have brought terror to our homes and placeof work. India continues to be one of the most threatenedregions of the world and facing serious boundary disputeswith the two nuclear armed neighbours, special operationsremain the key to India’s defence. POLICY 42
DPP, OFFSETS AND FDI IN DEFENCEThe FDI hike in defence is gearedtowards creating indigenous defence industrial base. The offsetpolicy will make substantial progress in minimizing the importthrough progressive increase indomestic production.
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY 16IAF: STRATEGICTRANSFORMATIONTechnology Perspective and CapabilityRoadmap reflects not just what isneeded, but also what is gettingdegraded, thus giving suggestions whatneeds to be acquired. Ongoingtransformation in IAF with a strategicreach is the story of the day.
DEFENCE TIES 36
WASHINGTONCALLINGModi’s visit to the US provides anopportunity to strengthen bilateral ties,which stagnated during the UPA IIgovernment. The strengthenedbilateral relationship would offercooperation on various shared interestslike economic, defence, and security.
4G WARFARE 30
EQUIPPING THE ARMYFourth Generation Warfare is adecentralised form of warfare, wherenation-states lose their monopoly over violence and the adversaries aredriven to non-conventional warfare and blurs the dividing line betweencivvies and the combatants.
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4
MARITIME SECURITY 24
SURVEILLANCE AND STRATEGYSignificant steps has been taken toimprove maritime domain awarenessand secure India’s maritime bordersafter the “26/11” Mumbai terroristattacks conducted by Pakistaniinfiltrators who easily reached Indiansoil, launched the mayhem.
SPECIAL FORCES 48
ARMY: EXPANSIONAND BEYONDEven with the promise of a joint command, the Special Forces expansion seem overly ambitious as they are notmatched by resources and faces the problem of replacement of imported equipments.
DECEMBER 2014DSI
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT08
TRANSPORT ANDSPECIAL OPERATIONSAIRCRAFTThe 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and the 26/11Mumbai attacks have brought terror to our homes and placeof work. India continues to be one of the most threatenedregions of the world and facing serious boundary disputeswith the two nuclear armed neighbours, special operationsremain the key to India’s defence. POLICY 42
DPP, OFFSETS AND FDI IN DEFENCEThe FDI hike in defence is gearedtowards creating indigenous defence industrial base. The offsetpolicy will make substantial progress in minimizing the importthrough progressive increase indomestic production.
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY 16IAF: STRATEGICTRANSFORMATIONTechnology Perspective and CapabilityRoadmap reflects not just what isneeded, but also what is gettingdegraded, thus giving suggestions whatneeds to be acquired. Ongoingtransformation in IAF with a strategicreach is the story of the day.
DEFENCE TIES 36
WASHINGTONCALLINGModi’s visit to the US provides anopportunity to strengthen bilateral ties,which stagnated during the UPA IIgovernment. The strengthenedbilateral relationship would offercooperation on various shared interestslike economic, defence, and security.
4G WARFARE 30
EQUIPPING THE ARMYFourth Generation Warfare is adecentralised form of warfare, wherenation-states lose their monopoly over violence and the adversaries aredriven to non-conventional warfare and blurs the dividing line betweencivvies and the combatants.
5
Contents_7.qxp_contents-feb-R.qxd 22/12/14 1:59 pm Page 2
DEFENCE and SECURITYof INDIA
DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6
EDITORPinaki BhattacharyaCREATIVE DIRECTORBipin KumarASST. ART DIRECTORAjay Kumar JR. FEATURES WRITERJaya SinghSENIOR MANAGER INTERNATIONAL MARKETINGVishal Mehta (E-Mail: [email protected])MANAGER MARKETINGJakhongir Djalmetov (E-Mail: [email protected])AD SALESPrateek Singh (E-Mail: [email protected])Pakhee Malhotra (E-Mail: [email protected])SALES & MARKETING COORDINATORAtul Bali (E-Mail: [email protected])PRODUCTION & PRE-PRESSSunil Dubey, Ritesh Roy, Jeetendra Madaan MTC PUBLISHING LIMITED323, Udyog Vihar, Ph-IV, Gurgaon 122016Ph: +91 0124-4759500 Fax: +91 0124-4759550
CHAIRMANJ. S. UberoiPRESIDENTXavier Collaco FINANCIAL CONTROLLERPuneet Nanda
GLOBAL SALES REPRESENTATIVESBeneluxCornelius W. BontjeTel: (41) 79 635 2621Email: [email protected]/SpainStephane de Remusat, REM InternationalTel: (33) 5 3427 0130Email: [email protected]/Austria/Switzerland/Italy/UKSam Baird, Whitehill MediaTel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646E-Mail: [email protected] Butova, NOVO-Media Latd,Tel/Fax : (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653Email :[email protected]/South AfricaEmanuela Castagnetti-GillbergTel: +46 31 799 9028E-Mail:[email protected] KoreaYoung Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc.Tel: (82-2) 481 3411/13E-Mail: [email protected] Europe/Greece/TurkeyZena CoupéTel: (44) 1923 852537Email: [email protected] (East/South East)/CanadaMargie Brown, BLESSALL Media LLC.Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581Email :[email protected] (West/South West)/BrazilDiane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc.Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557Email: [email protected] and Security of India is published and printed byXavier Collaco on behalf of MTC Publishing Limited. Published at 323, Udyog Vihar, Ph- IV, Gurgaon 122016 andprinted at Nutech Photolithographers B-240, Okhla IndustrialArea, Phase-I,New Delhi-110020, India. Entire contentsCopyright © 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction andtranslation in any language in whole or in part withoutpermission is prohibited. Requests for permission should be directed to MTCPublishing Limited. Opinions carried in the magazine arethose of the writers’ and do not necessarily reflect those of theeditors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost toverify information published they do not accept responsibilityfor its absolute accuracy.The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return ofunsolicited material or for material lost or damaged in transit.All correspondence should be addressed to MTC Publishing Limited.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONDefence and Security of India is obtained by subscription. For subscription enquiries, please contact:[email protected]
www.mediatransasia.in/defence.htmlhttp://www.defencesecurityindia.com
CONTRIBUTORS DECEMBER 2014 DSI
Amit Cowshish served asAdditional Controller
General of Defence Accountfor thirty- five years. He
served on deputation to theMinistry of Defence as
Under Secretary. Between2005 and 2012, he served
for almost seven years ondeputation with the FinanceDivision, first as Additional
Financial Advisor andJoint Secretary and later as
Financial Advisor (Acquisition) & Additional
Secretary and MemberDefence Procurement
Board. He is a PostGraduate in Political
Science from Jawahar LalNehru University and also
holds an M.Phil degree.
AMITCOWSHISH
CAPTAIN (IN) PVS SATISH
A retired naval officer withwide operational experi-ence ,served on aircraft
carriers, fleet ships, flotillaships and auxiliaries. The
officer has participated inoperations in all three
commands of the IndianNavy and Andaman and
Nicobar Command and hasalso been a part of
International peace keeping operations in Sri
Lanka and Somalia. With service in IHQ
MoD(Navy) and the MoD at New Delhi in variousroles, the officer has adeep understanding ofthe functioning of the
NHQ and MoD.
AIR MARSHAL (RETD)ANIL CHOPRA
Air Marshal Anil Chopra isan ex NDA Air Force offi-
cer who was a fighter pilotin the IAF. He is a Qualified
Flying Instructor and TestPilot who was among the
initial lot to train on Mirage2000 in France. He com-
manded a MirageSquadron, two operational
air bases and the IAF’sFlight Test Centre ASTE.
He was the Team Leader ofMiG 21 Upgrade programin Russia for over 4 years.He is currently a memberof Armed Forces Tribunal.
He is also a member ofExecutive council
of Jawahar Lal University, New Delhi
Mukerji was commissionedin 1972. A Qualified Flying
Instructor (Cat ‘A’), a FighterCombat Leader, he first
commanded a MiG-29Squadron, the second a MiG-
25 Squadron and the third,the Tactics and Air Combat
Development Establishmentof which he was the
Commodore Commandantfor 5 yrs. He was awarded the
Shaurya Chakra forGallantry (peace time) in
1981 and the VSM in 1997. Hewas appointed the Air
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern AirCommand in 2009.
AIR MARSHAL (RETD)SUMIT MUKERJI
Lt Gen (Retd.) Anil Chait,PVSM, AVSM, VSM retired
from service on 01 July 2014.His last appointment was
that of the Chief ofIntegrated Defence Staff
(Tri-Service Organisation).In his forty one years ofmilitary service, he has
served as the Commander-in-Chief of a Field Army, HQCentral Command from 01
Mar 2012 to 30 Jun 2013. Also,He was the Commandant of
Army War College, Mhow.
LT GEN (RETD) ANIL CHAIT
Contributors_7.qxp_contributors-aug.qxd 22/12/14 2:03 pm Page 1
DEFENCE and SECURITYof INDIA
DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6
EDITORPinaki BhattacharyaCREATIVE DIRECTORBipin KumarASST. ART DIRECTORAjay Kumar JR. FEATURES WRITERJaya SinghSENIOR MANAGER INTERNATIONAL MARKETINGVishal Mehta (E-Mail: [email protected])MANAGER MARKETINGJakhongir Djalmetov (E-Mail: [email protected])AD SALESPrateek Singh (E-Mail: [email protected])Pakhee Malhotra (E-Mail: [email protected])SALES & MARKETING COORDINATORAtul Bali (E-Mail: [email protected])PRODUCTION & PRE-PRESSSunil Dubey, Ritesh Roy, Jeetendra Madaan MTC PUBLISHING LIMITED323, Udyog Vihar, Ph-IV, Gurgaon 122016Ph: +91 0124-4759500 Fax: +91 0124-4759550
CHAIRMANJ. S. UberoiPRESIDENTXavier Collaco FINANCIAL CONTROLLERPuneet Nanda
GLOBAL SALES REPRESENTATIVESBeneluxCornelius W. BontjeTel: (41) 79 635 2621Email: [email protected]/SpainStephane de Remusat, REM InternationalTel: (33) 5 3427 0130Email: [email protected]/Austria/Switzerland/Italy/UKSam Baird, Whitehill MediaTel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646E-Mail: [email protected] Butova, NOVO-Media Latd,Tel/Fax : (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653Email :[email protected]/South AfricaEmanuela Castagnetti-GillbergTel: +46 31 799 9028E-Mail:[email protected] KoreaYoung Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc.Tel: (82-2) 481 3411/13E-Mail: [email protected] Europe/Greece/TurkeyZena CoupéTel: (44) 1923 852537Email: [email protected] (East/South East)/CanadaMargie Brown, BLESSALL Media LLC.Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581Email :[email protected] (West/South West)/BrazilDiane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc.Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557Email: [email protected] and Security of India is published and printed byXavier Collaco on behalf of MTC Publishing Limited. Published at 323, Udyog Vihar, Ph- IV, Gurgaon 122016 andprinted at Nutech Photolithographers B-240, Okhla IndustrialArea, Phase-I,New Delhi-110020, India. Entire contentsCopyright © 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction andtranslation in any language in whole or in part withoutpermission is prohibited. Requests for permission should be directed to MTCPublishing Limited. Opinions carried in the magazine arethose of the writers’ and do not necessarily reflect those of theeditors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost toverify information published they do not accept responsibilityfor its absolute accuracy.The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return ofunsolicited material or for material lost or damaged in transit.All correspondence should be addressed to MTC Publishing Limited.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONDefence and Security of India is obtained by subscription. For subscription enquiries, please contact:[email protected]
www.mediatransasia.in/defence.htmlhttp://www.defencesecurityindia.com
CONTRIBUTORS DECEMBER 2014 DSI
Amit Cowshish served asAdditional Controller
General of Defence Accountfor thirty- five years. He
served on deputation to theMinistry of Defence as
Under Secretary. Between2005 and 2012, he served
for almost seven years ondeputation with the FinanceDivision, first as Additional
Financial Advisor andJoint Secretary and later as
Financial Advisor (Acquisition) & Additional
Secretary and MemberDefence Procurement
Board. He is a PostGraduate in Political
Science from Jawahar LalNehru University and also
holds an M.Phil degree.
AMITCOWSHISH
CAPTAIN (IN) PVS SATISH
A retired naval officer withwide operational experi-ence ,served on aircraft
carriers, fleet ships, flotillaships and auxiliaries. The
officer has participated inoperations in all three
commands of the IndianNavy and Andaman and
Nicobar Command and hasalso been a part of
International peace keeping operations in Sri
Lanka and Somalia. With service in IHQ
MoD(Navy) and the MoD at New Delhi in variousroles, the officer has adeep understanding ofthe functioning of the
NHQ and MoD.
AIR MARSHAL (RETD)ANIL CHOPRA
Air Marshal Anil Chopra isan ex NDA Air Force offi-
cer who was a fighter pilotin the IAF. He is a Qualified
Flying Instructor and TestPilot who was among the
initial lot to train on Mirage2000 in France. He com-
manded a MirageSquadron, two operational
air bases and the IAF’sFlight Test Centre ASTE.
He was the Team Leader ofMiG 21 Upgrade programin Russia for over 4 years.He is currently a memberof Armed Forces Tribunal.
He is also a member ofExecutive council
of Jawahar Lal University, New Delhi
Mukerji was commissionedin 1972. A Qualified Flying
Instructor (Cat ‘A’), a FighterCombat Leader, he first
commanded a MiG-29Squadron, the second a MiG-
25 Squadron and the third,the Tactics and Air Combat
Development Establishmentof which he was the
Commodore Commandantfor 5 yrs. He was awarded the
Shaurya Chakra forGallantry (peace time) in
1981 and the VSM in 1997. Hewas appointed the Air
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern AirCommand in 2009.
AIR MARSHAL (RETD)SUMIT MUKERJI
Lt Gen (Retd.) Anil Chait,PVSM, AVSM, VSM retired
from service on 01 July 2014.His last appointment was
that of the Chief ofIntegrated Defence Staff
(Tri-Service Organisation).In his forty one years ofmilitary service, he has
served as the Commander-in-Chief of a Field Army, HQCentral Command from 01
Mar 2012 to 30 Jun 2013. Also,He was the Commandant of
Army War College, Mhow.
LT GEN (RETD) ANIL CHAIT
Contributors_7.qxp_contributors-aug.qxd 22/12/14 2:03 pm Page 1
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT DECEMBER 2014 DSI
98
Within just over a century of thefirst fixed wing flight, militaryaviation has come a long way.
Strategic cargo and transport aircraft havegiven global reach at short notice. Theworld has shrunk in place and time.Changing nature of war has also madeplace for Special operations aircraft. The9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre andthe 16/11 Mumbai attacks have broughtterror to our homes and place of work.Transport and special operations aircraftcould typically be fixed or rotary wing. Thescope being very large, it is intended toanalyse mainly the fixed wing aircraft. Thetonnage capacity and non-stop flying rangeof bigger aircraft brought in new dynamics.Also capability to penetrate undetected andland at short unprepared airstrips hasallowed a variety of special missions.A cargo aircraft (also known as freightaircraft, freighter, or airlifter) is a fixed-wing aircraft for the carriage of goods. Suchaircraft generally feature one or more largedoors for loading cargo. Their featuresinclude a wide/tall fuselage cross-section, ahigh-wing to allow the cargo area to sit nearthe ground, a large number of wheels toallow it to land at unprepared locations,and a high-mounted tail to allow cargo tobe driven directly into and off the aircraft.
Transport and Cargo MissionsTypical military transport missionrequirements are to deliver troops,weapons and other military hardware formilitary operations in various areas aroundthe globe, often flying outside of civil flightroutes. The delivery could be throughphysical landing at an airstrip withminimal facilities and aids, or a paradropbehind enemy lines. During World War IIthey were even used to tow military gliders.More recently they have been launch padsto the Space shuttle, UAVs and cruise
missiles. They also have been the platformsfor airborne warning and control withmounted radome, and for aerial refuelling.Normally flight length shorter than threehours is considered ‘short-haul’, 3-6 hoursas ‘medium haul’ and longer than 6 hours as‘long-haul’. Air-ambulance is another rolewith both peace-time and operationalroles. The type and size of payloads greatlyinfluenced the design of aircraft fuselage,cargo doors and other on-board systems.The piggy-back mounting of the ‘Shuttle’and radome require strengthening of mid-fuselage and a revisit of aerodynamics.Airlifts became significant during WorldWar II. 1942 to 1945, USAF airlifted half amillion tons of materials from India toChina, in the often referred as the over ‘theHump’ operation. The ‘Berlin airlift’ in1948 to 1949 was to prevent ‘Allied’ part ofBerlin from being blocked by Soviet Union.The airlift to Punch and Srinagar in J&K in1948, the evacuation of Indians fromKuwait in 1991 and the airlift to safety ofKashmiris after recent floods are examplesof air transport operations.
Transport and Cargo AircraftAviation domain has seen the greatestcompetition between the West andRussians, and now China has become a bigplayer too. Boeing and Lockheed have beenthe two big players from USA. Antonov andIlyushin were the Soviet/Russian gaintdesign houses, and Airbus from France.AVIC of China and Embraer of Brazil areup and coming entities. The 600 ton max-take-off-weight Antonov An-225 Mriya isthe world’s largest transport aircraft thatcan carry 225 ton payload up to 15,400 kmdistance. The record was earlier held byAntonov An-124 ‘Ruslan’ with 160 tonpayload capacity. Especially Russians havemastered the art of heavy-engineering andsuch huge aircraft require, strengthenedflooring, large cargo doors and big wheeltrolley. Also the cockpits are moved highup to prevent the pilots getting crushed incase of accident. The fuselage interior has tomatch the size of standard shippingcontainers. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is thenearest US competitor in size to theRussian biggies. It can carry 122 tonpayload till 4445 kilometres. TheMcDonnell Douglas KC 10 Extender cancarry 77 tons to 18,507 km. Other bignames are the Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIand 747-8F freighter. The recent entrants
KEY POINTSl Transport aircrafts have been used aslaunch pads to the Space shuttle, UAVs and cruise missiles, platforms forairborne warning and air-refuelling. l After 9/11, anti-plane hijacking andanti-kidnapping are also special missions.l The Indian military requiredaugmentation to quickly lift larger troopsand to fight terrorism.
ANIL CHOPRA
TRANSPORT AND SPECIALOPERATIONS AIRCRAFTThe 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks have broughtterror to our homes and place of work. India continues to be one of the mostthreatened regions of the world and facing serious boundary disputes with the twonuclear armed neighbours, special operations remain the key to India’s defence.
US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreyaircraft conducting a helicopter
support team external lift as part ofa field exercise © US DoD
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:05 pm Page 1
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT DECEMBER 2014 DSI
98
Within just over a century of thefirst fixed wing flight, militaryaviation has come a long way.
Strategic cargo and transport aircraft havegiven global reach at short notice. Theworld has shrunk in place and time.Changing nature of war has also madeplace for Special operations aircraft. The9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre andthe 16/11 Mumbai attacks have broughtterror to our homes and place of work.Transport and special operations aircraftcould typically be fixed or rotary wing. Thescope being very large, it is intended toanalyse mainly the fixed wing aircraft. Thetonnage capacity and non-stop flying rangeof bigger aircraft brought in new dynamics.Also capability to penetrate undetected andland at short unprepared airstrips hasallowed a variety of special missions.A cargo aircraft (also known as freightaircraft, freighter, or airlifter) is a fixed-wing aircraft for the carriage of goods. Suchaircraft generally feature one or more largedoors for loading cargo. Their featuresinclude a wide/tall fuselage cross-section, ahigh-wing to allow the cargo area to sit nearthe ground, a large number of wheels toallow it to land at unprepared locations,and a high-mounted tail to allow cargo tobe driven directly into and off the aircraft.
Transport and Cargo MissionsTypical military transport missionrequirements are to deliver troops,weapons and other military hardware formilitary operations in various areas aroundthe globe, often flying outside of civil flightroutes. The delivery could be throughphysical landing at an airstrip withminimal facilities and aids, or a paradropbehind enemy lines. During World War IIthey were even used to tow military gliders.More recently they have been launch padsto the Space shuttle, UAVs and cruise
missiles. They also have been the platformsfor airborne warning and control withmounted radome, and for aerial refuelling.Normally flight length shorter than threehours is considered ‘short-haul’, 3-6 hoursas ‘medium haul’ and longer than 6 hours as‘long-haul’. Air-ambulance is another rolewith both peace-time and operationalroles. The type and size of payloads greatlyinfluenced the design of aircraft fuselage,cargo doors and other on-board systems.The piggy-back mounting of the ‘Shuttle’and radome require strengthening of mid-fuselage and a revisit of aerodynamics.Airlifts became significant during WorldWar II. 1942 to 1945, USAF airlifted half amillion tons of materials from India toChina, in the often referred as the over ‘theHump’ operation. The ‘Berlin airlift’ in1948 to 1949 was to prevent ‘Allied’ part ofBerlin from being blocked by Soviet Union.The airlift to Punch and Srinagar in J&K in1948, the evacuation of Indians fromKuwait in 1991 and the airlift to safety ofKashmiris after recent floods are examplesof air transport operations.
Transport and Cargo AircraftAviation domain has seen the greatestcompetition between the West andRussians, and now China has become a bigplayer too. Boeing and Lockheed have beenthe two big players from USA. Antonov andIlyushin were the Soviet/Russian gaintdesign houses, and Airbus from France.AVIC of China and Embraer of Brazil areup and coming entities. The 600 ton max-take-off-weight Antonov An-225 Mriya isthe world’s largest transport aircraft thatcan carry 225 ton payload up to 15,400 kmdistance. The record was earlier held byAntonov An-124 ‘Ruslan’ with 160 tonpayload capacity. Especially Russians havemastered the art of heavy-engineering andsuch huge aircraft require, strengthenedflooring, large cargo doors and big wheeltrolley. Also the cockpits are moved highup to prevent the pilots getting crushed incase of accident. The fuselage interior has tomatch the size of standard shippingcontainers. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is thenearest US competitor in size to theRussian biggies. It can carry 122 tonpayload till 4445 kilometres. TheMcDonnell Douglas KC 10 Extender cancarry 77 tons to 18,507 km. Other bignames are the Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIand 747-8F freighter. The recent entrants
KEY POINTSl Transport aircrafts have been used aslaunch pads to the Space shuttle, UAVs and cruise missiles, platforms forairborne warning and air-refuelling. l After 9/11, anti-plane hijacking andanti-kidnapping are also special missions.l The Indian military requiredaugmentation to quickly lift larger troopsand to fight terrorism.
ANIL CHOPRA
TRANSPORT AND SPECIALOPERATIONS AIRCRAFTThe 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks have broughtterror to our homes and place of work. India continues to be one of the mostthreatened regions of the world and facing serious boundary disputes with the twonuclear armed neighbours, special operations remain the key to India’s defence.
US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreyaircraft conducting a helicopter
support team external lift as part ofa field exercise © US DoD
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:05 pm Page 1
Airbus A 330 MRTT (45 ton) first flew2007, and Airbus A 400 M (37 ton) firstflew in 2009. Airbus had also consideredhaving a Cargo variant of A380, but theyhave still to take the final call on the same.China’s Y-20 flew for the first time inJanuary 2013 and has a payload of 66 tons.The active current tankers are the AirbusA400M and A310/330 MRTT, KC-130Hercules, KC-10 Extender, KC-135Stratotanker, and the Russian IL-78. Whilethe C-130, A440M and IL-76 class can betermed as tactical airlift aircraft, C-5, C-17,and Y-20 are termed as strategic airlifters.
Special Operations MissionsIn the Indo-Pak wars, Pakistan used C-130and India An-12 and An-32 on bombingmissions. During the late 1960s, the U.S.was eager to get information on Chinesenuclear tests at Lop Nor. USAF flew a sixhour low level night mission from Thailandto para drop sensor pallets in Gansuprovince. During the Falklands war of1982, Argentine Air Force C-130s dailyundertook dangerous re-supply nightflights to supply the Argentine garrison inthe islands. C-130s also dropped theworld’s largest bomb BLU-82 “DaisyCutter” during the Gulf war. Since 2004,the Pakistan Air Force has employed C-
130s in the North West using FLIR sensor toenable close tracking the militants.
One of the classic Special operationsmissions, code named OperationThunderbolt, was flown to rescue Israelicitizens from Entebbe airport in Uganda.This counter-terrorist hostage-rescue
mission on 04 July 1976 used four IsraeliAir Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraftcarrying Israeli Defense ForcesCommandos. It was flown low level at mid-night to avoid radar and visual detection.US President Jimmy Carter had orderedon 24 April 1980, Operation EagleClawduring Iran Hostage crisis to rescue52 diplomats held captive it Tehran. Theeight helicopter operation encounteredmany operational and maintainabilityobstacles and was eventually aborted. Thisled to a relook and the development ofOsprey V-22 tilt rotter.
Forward looking infrared systems, nightvision capability, all-weather weaponaiming sights, self-protection systems todefend from airborne radars and air/groundfired weapons are key to special operationsaircraft. All major Air Forces of the worldhave special operations aircraft and Armieshave special operations troops. USA,because of global commitments, has aSpecial Operations Command, since 1990,which handles missions ranging fromprecision application of firepower,infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply andrefuelling of special force’s operationalelements. Its motto ‘Any Time Any Place’says it all. Special Forces personnel arespecially selected and trained to cater to the
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT
10
All major Air Forces of theworld have special
operations aircraft andArmies have special
operations troops. USA,because of global
commitments, has a SpecialOperations Command,
since 1990, which handlesmissions ranging from
precision application offirepower, infiltration etc.
”
Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130Jaircraft takes off after performing an
assault landing during the Iron Fist2013 exercise in Pokhran
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:08 pm Page 3
Always in Control
Signal IntelligenceMaritime Patrol g g
Airborne EarlyWarning
Airborne Ground Surveillance
Special Mission Aircraft -Superior intelligence collection and battle management
Long-endurance, high altitude jet or advanced turbo-prop platforms for mission control, situation awareness and intelligence dissemination Advanced communication systems for net-centric operations
Ad Size 216x276.indd 1 23/12/14 2:25 PM
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT DECEMBER 2014 DSI
12 13
rigours of the job. Aircraft employed by USAare indicative of the more suited types.These include Hercules C-130 variants, CV-22 Osprey, MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9Reaper and many smaller UAVs amongothers. For special one-off missions otheraircraft including helicopters are inducted.Some of the other missions include CombatSearch and Rescue (CSAR), airbase grounddefence, air interdiction, specialreconnaissance, psychological operations,radar assault/bursting etc. After 9/11 attackson the World Trade Centre, anti-planehijacking, and anti-kidnapping are alsospecial missions.
Special Mission AircraftThe C-130 Hercules Special operationsaircraft family has the longest continuousproduction run of any military aircraft inhistory. During more than 50 years ofservice, the family has participated inmilitary, civilian, and humanitarianaid operations. Fifteen nations have ordered300 of the latest C-130Js. In Kosovo, USAFused C-17 for half of the strategic airliftmissions due to its capability to use small
airfields, and rapid turnaround times. TheC-17 has been used to deliver military goodsand humanitarian aid during OperationEnduring Freedom in Afghanistan as wellas Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. On 26March 2003, 15 USAF C-17s participated inthe night-time airdrop of 1,000paratroopers over Bashur, Iraq. C-17s alsoferried M1 Abrams, M2 Bradleys, M113s andartillery. A C-17 is also used to transport theUS President’s security team and limousineduring trips abroad.
The Bell-Boeing MV-22 had its firstoffensive combat mission in Afghanistan inDecember 2009, Operation Cobra’s Anger.Ospreys assisted in inserting 1,000 Marinesand 150 Afghan troops into the Now ZadValley in southern Afghanistan to disruptTaliban communication and supply lines. InIraq’s western Anbar province it has beenused for cargo and troop movements, as wellas riskier “aero-scout” missions. On 2 May2011, following Operation Neptune’s Spear,MV-22 was used to fly the body of Osamabin Laden to aircraft carrier Carl Vinson forhis sea burial.
Russia has a dedicated ‘Ministry for
Emergency Situations’ as an umbrella termfor Special Forces. Russian Tu-214 R is aspecial mission aircraft with ELINT,SIGINT and COMINT loads and has a sidelooking synthetic aperture radar amongother sensors on board. IL 76 is the mainaircraft for Russian airborne troops.Special Forces were used extensivelyduring the Soviet war in Afghanistanincluding storming of the palace and killingof President Hafizullah Amin and his overone hundred guards. The famous Moscowtheatre hostage crisis, and more recentlythe terrorist threat to 2014 Sochi Olympicsand Ukraine intervention have beenhandled by Special Forces.
Indian Air Force FleetIAF has come a long way since the C-47Dakota, Caribou, Otter, C-199 Packetaircraft were the main airlift aircraft. IAFacquired the 20 ton class An-12 in the1960s, and later became the launchcustomer for the medium transport,6.7 tonpayload, aircraft designated An-32.Starting 1984, a total of 125 were bought.Currently in inventory, nearly 100 aircraft
are under up gradation. One squadron ofthese has bombing and special missionroles. On 04 Jun 1987, five An-32s escortedby four Mirage 2000s undertook foodsupply drop mission “Poomalai” overJaffna peninsula.
The multi-purpose four-engine IL-76with rear cargo ramp and over 47 ton loadcapacity for the first time brought strategiclift capability in the sub-continent.Inducted in mid 1980s, IAF today has 17IL-76MD (freighter), seven IL-78MKI (AirRefuellers), and five ‘A-50’ with IsraeliPhalcon radar as AWACs. IL-76s are beingused to logistically sustain the Indian Armyin the Northern Himalayas and for intertheatre air transportation. With thebreakup of Soviet Union in late 1980s An-32plant became part of Ukraine.
IAF purchased six C-130J-30s in early2008 at a cost of up to US$1.2 billion forits special operations forces in a packagedeal with the US government underits Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programwith options to buy six more aircraft.The Lockheed Martin C-130J “Super”Hercules is a four-engine turboprop
military transport aircraft. The C-130J is acomprehensive update of the earliervariant, with new engines, flight deck,digital avionics (including head-updisplays for each pilot), thus reduced crewrequirements. These changes haveimproved performance over itspredecessors, by 40% greater range, 21%higher maximum speed, and 41% shortertake off distance. The first C-130J wasdelivered to the IAF in December 2010 andentered into service in February 2011.Deliveries were concluded in December2011. In October 2011, India announced itsintent to exercise the option for the sixadditional aircraft. The C-130J can
accommodate loads up to 33 tons of thekind of three armoured personnel carriers,five pallets, 74 stretchers, 92 equippedcombat troops or 64 para troops. Theaircraft has an electro-optical missilewarning system, a radar warning receiver,and a countermeasures system that iscapable of dispensing chaff and infra-redflares in addition to the GEN-X activeexpendable decoys. These allow safepenetration behind enemy lines.Optimised engine power, allows superiorshort-airfield performance. IAF set a newworld record for C-130 J by landing it atDaulat Beg Oldie at an altitude of 16,700feet near Karakoram pass. PM Modipreferred a C-130 over the VVIP Boeing jetfor his visit to Ladakh and the Kashmirvalley. C-130s played a big role in theUttarakhand and Kashmir floods.
In a $5.8 Billion deal IAF purchased 10Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from USA. TheC-17 commonly performs strategicairlift missions, transporting troops andcargo throughout the world; additional rolesinclude tactical airlift, medical evacuationand airdrop duties. The C-17 is known foreasier handling (compared to IL-76) andability to operate from short and roughairstrips. The Indian military requiredaugmentation to quickly lift larger troopsacross western and eastern theatre, and tofight terrorism and low-intensity warfare, itneeded to triple its lift capacity. C-17 lifts 77.5ton vis-à-vis the IL-76′s 47 ton. Deliveriesbegan in June 2013 and will be over by early2015. IAF is likely to buy six more and would
The ‘Make India’ priorityof the new governament
has already resulted inHS-748 replacement being
offered for Indiamanufacture. With gradual
increase in FDI, foreignaircraft majors are likely to
move to establishmanufacturing in India
”
A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)
Be-200 Multirole Amphibion Aircraft
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:05 pm Page 5
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT DECEMBER 2014 DSI
12 13
rigours of the job. Aircraft employed by USAare indicative of the more suited types.These include Hercules C-130 variants, CV-22 Osprey, MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9Reaper and many smaller UAVs amongothers. For special one-off missions otheraircraft including helicopters are inducted.Some of the other missions include CombatSearch and Rescue (CSAR), airbase grounddefence, air interdiction, specialreconnaissance, psychological operations,radar assault/bursting etc. After 9/11 attackson the World Trade Centre, anti-planehijacking, and anti-kidnapping are alsospecial missions.
Special Mission AircraftThe C-130 Hercules Special operationsaircraft family has the longest continuousproduction run of any military aircraft inhistory. During more than 50 years ofservice, the family has participated inmilitary, civilian, and humanitarianaid operations. Fifteen nations have ordered300 of the latest C-130Js. In Kosovo, USAFused C-17 for half of the strategic airliftmissions due to its capability to use small
airfields, and rapid turnaround times. TheC-17 has been used to deliver military goodsand humanitarian aid during OperationEnduring Freedom in Afghanistan as wellas Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. On 26March 2003, 15 USAF C-17s participated inthe night-time airdrop of 1,000paratroopers over Bashur, Iraq. C-17s alsoferried M1 Abrams, M2 Bradleys, M113s andartillery. A C-17 is also used to transport theUS President’s security team and limousineduring trips abroad.
The Bell-Boeing MV-22 had its firstoffensive combat mission in Afghanistan inDecember 2009, Operation Cobra’s Anger.Ospreys assisted in inserting 1,000 Marinesand 150 Afghan troops into the Now ZadValley in southern Afghanistan to disruptTaliban communication and supply lines. InIraq’s western Anbar province it has beenused for cargo and troop movements, as wellas riskier “aero-scout” missions. On 2 May2011, following Operation Neptune’s Spear,MV-22 was used to fly the body of Osamabin Laden to aircraft carrier Carl Vinson forhis sea burial.
Russia has a dedicated ‘Ministry for
Emergency Situations’ as an umbrella termfor Special Forces. Russian Tu-214 R is aspecial mission aircraft with ELINT,SIGINT and COMINT loads and has a sidelooking synthetic aperture radar amongother sensors on board. IL 76 is the mainaircraft for Russian airborne troops.Special Forces were used extensivelyduring the Soviet war in Afghanistanincluding storming of the palace and killingof President Hafizullah Amin and his overone hundred guards. The famous Moscowtheatre hostage crisis, and more recentlythe terrorist threat to 2014 Sochi Olympicsand Ukraine intervention have beenhandled by Special Forces.
Indian Air Force FleetIAF has come a long way since the C-47Dakota, Caribou, Otter, C-199 Packetaircraft were the main airlift aircraft. IAFacquired the 20 ton class An-12 in the1960s, and later became the launchcustomer for the medium transport,6.7 tonpayload, aircraft designated An-32.Starting 1984, a total of 125 were bought.Currently in inventory, nearly 100 aircraft
are under up gradation. One squadron ofthese has bombing and special missionroles. On 04 Jun 1987, five An-32s escortedby four Mirage 2000s undertook foodsupply drop mission “Poomalai” overJaffna peninsula.
The multi-purpose four-engine IL-76with rear cargo ramp and over 47 ton loadcapacity for the first time brought strategiclift capability in the sub-continent.Inducted in mid 1980s, IAF today has 17IL-76MD (freighter), seven IL-78MKI (AirRefuellers), and five ‘A-50’ with IsraeliPhalcon radar as AWACs. IL-76s are beingused to logistically sustain the Indian Armyin the Northern Himalayas and for intertheatre air transportation. With thebreakup of Soviet Union in late 1980s An-32plant became part of Ukraine.
IAF purchased six C-130J-30s in early2008 at a cost of up to US$1.2 billion forits special operations forces in a packagedeal with the US government underits Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programwith options to buy six more aircraft.The Lockheed Martin C-130J “Super”Hercules is a four-engine turboprop
military transport aircraft. The C-130J is acomprehensive update of the earliervariant, with new engines, flight deck,digital avionics (including head-updisplays for each pilot), thus reduced crewrequirements. These changes haveimproved performance over itspredecessors, by 40% greater range, 21%higher maximum speed, and 41% shortertake off distance. The first C-130J wasdelivered to the IAF in December 2010 andentered into service in February 2011.Deliveries were concluded in December2011. In October 2011, India announced itsintent to exercise the option for the sixadditional aircraft. The C-130J can
accommodate loads up to 33 tons of thekind of three armoured personnel carriers,five pallets, 74 stretchers, 92 equippedcombat troops or 64 para troops. Theaircraft has an electro-optical missilewarning system, a radar warning receiver,and a countermeasures system that iscapable of dispensing chaff and infra-redflares in addition to the GEN-X activeexpendable decoys. These allow safepenetration behind enemy lines.Optimised engine power, allows superiorshort-airfield performance. IAF set a newworld record for C-130 J by landing it atDaulat Beg Oldie at an altitude of 16,700feet near Karakoram pass. PM Modipreferred a C-130 over the VVIP Boeing jetfor his visit to Ladakh and the Kashmirvalley. C-130s played a big role in theUttarakhand and Kashmir floods.
In a $5.8 Billion deal IAF purchased 10Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from USA. TheC-17 commonly performs strategicairlift missions, transporting troops andcargo throughout the world; additional rolesinclude tactical airlift, medical evacuationand airdrop duties. The C-17 is known foreasier handling (compared to IL-76) andability to operate from short and roughairstrips. The Indian military requiredaugmentation to quickly lift larger troopsacross western and eastern theatre, and tofight terrorism and low-intensity warfare, itneeded to triple its lift capacity. C-17 lifts 77.5ton vis-à-vis the IL-76′s 47 ton. Deliveriesbegan in June 2013 and will be over by early2015. IAF is likely to buy six more and would
The ‘Make India’ priorityof the new governament
has already resulted inHS-748 replacement being
offered for Indiamanufacture. With gradual
increase in FDI, foreignaircraft majors are likely to
move to establishmanufacturing in India
”
A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)
Be-200 Multirole Amphibion Aircraft
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:05 pm Page 5
SPECIAL AIRCRAFT
14
be the second largest operator. Aircraft hasability to deploy Special Forces and aidduring national emergencies. No. 81Squadron, the Skylords, is regularly flyingthe aircraft to high altitude airfields likeLeh and Thoise. These were also used totest transport an infantry battalion to PortBlair. The foreign deployments includedTajikistan and Rwanda to support Indianpeacekeepers. One C-17 was used fortransporting relief materials duringCyclone Phailin. With capability totransport modern battle tanks; IAF coulduse these to fly Indian Army’s Armour toLadakh and North Sikkim at short notice.
IAF routinely trains its ownCommandos, the Garuds, and the IndianArmy Special Forces during exercises and atthe para school, Agra. IAF’s own specialtasks include, assault/capture of front tierenemy radars, CSAR, capture andsustenance of front tier airfields, wartimedisaster management, mass casualtyevacuation, VIP evacuation, nuclearcontingencies etc. among many others.
The FutureChina is racing ahead with indigenous Y-20‘large’ transport aircraft that first flew inJanuary 2013. The aircraft appears to havehas borrowed features of two famous
workhorses, the US C-17 and the RussianIL 76. Y-20 is estimated to weigh around200 tons (pay load 66 tons vis-à-vis 47tons for IL 76 and 78 tons for C-17).Theaircraft is currently using D-30 enginesborrowed from the Russian IL 76soperated by them. In parallel China alsobegan developing a turbofan enginespecifically for large transports.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is anAmerican multi-mission, military, tilt rotoraircraft with both vertical take-off andlanding (VTOL), and short take-off andlanding (STOL) capability. It hasadvantages of a helicopter and long-range,high-speed cruise performance of aturboprop aircraft. V-22 will replace theBoeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights in USMarine Corps. It joined USAF in 2009 andhas already seen deployments in Iraq,Afghanistan, Sudan and Libya. It is also acontender to be the tactical refuellers forUS Navy. With max speed of 565 kmph,and capability to carry up to 32 troops or9.0 ton cargo, makes it a good specialoperations aircraft. Israel, Japan and UAEare serious customers. This is an aircraftthat may interest India one day.
The twin-engine Multirole transportaircraft (MTA) is being developed byRussian United Aircraft Corporation and
India’s HAL. This 20-ton load carryingaircraft (100 passengers) is to replace thesmaller An-32. The first flight is likely to be2017 and expected to enter service by end ofthis decade. India is soon likely to procure15 Japanese amphibious aircraft ‘US-2’. Itwill be the first ever Japanese sale ofmilitary equipment after WW II which mayact as a subtle warning to China. TheShinMaywa Industries developedamphibious flying boat has a short take-off(280 m) and landing (330 m) performanceover water, and could land at high seastates. It can also operate on land fromrunways as small as 1.3 km long.
India continues to be one of the mostthreatened regions of the world. Seriousboundary disputes with the two nucleararmed neighbours; and Pakistan being theepicentre of world terror, specialoperations would remain the key to India’sdefence. India is rightly building its SpecialForces and air transportation capability.The ‘Make India’ priority of the newgovernament has already resulted in HS-748 replacement being offered for Indiamanufacture. With gradual increase inFDI, foreign aircraft majors are likely tomove to establish manufacturing in India.In the not so far future India should haveits Special Forces Command.
The A400M airlifter is designed forthe transportation of all types of
heavy military or civil loads such asvehicles, containers or pallets, as
well as troops © Airbus Military
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
Transport.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:09 pm Page 7
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DSI
DSI Digital AD.qxd:contents-aug.qxd 4/7/14 4:17 PM Page 1
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
1716
The massive IL-76 heavy lifttransporter followed by the IL-78Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA) and
a while later six Jaguars of the IAF took offon a mission that would remain etched inthe pages of its history, immortalisedforever. The “package” had set out tonavigate over 10,000 miles, leapfroggingthrough 9 stopovers to reach Eielson AFB,Alaska in a landmark effort. The Indian AirForce had announced its arrival on theinternational scene, showcasing itscapability, its professionalism and itstransformation, from a traditionallytactical Air Force to a strategic force,capable of extending its reach across theseven seas. Additionally, it was the firsttime international players were exposedto IAF fighters operating shoulder to
shoulder in their midst. From executing anunplanned engine change on a Jaguar en-route through Canada, in pouring rain andfreezing temperatures (this author was alsowith the technicians, soaked to the skin), tomaintaining virtually a 100% serviceabilityrecord of the aging Jaguar fleet while atAlaska, displaying exemplary tactical skillsand enviable professional and social skills,the pilots and technicians of the IAF earnedthe respect and appreciation of the otherAir Forces participating in Ex – Cope
Thunder and the USAF hosts.But the cherry on the cake was
probably the Indo- US Air Force toAir Force exercise called “Cope
India” which was conducted inGwalior later the same year.
Without having to tom-tom
SUMITMUKERJI
KEY POINTSl IAF’s ongoing transformation into afullspectrum force with a strategic reach isthe story of the day. l Some experts claim that swingrole/multi role aircrafts can staunch theIAF's dwindling platforms problem.l Though 30% or 50% ‘offset’ proposalseem small, it now appears a handful forthe smaller indigenous capital to absorb it.
about it, let the reports in the publicdomain speak for themselves. The exer-cise made the USAF pause and reflect andrealise that having never faced an adver-sary, albeit in an exercise, not moulded inthe American scheme of things, can actu-ally be a setback and possibly intimidat-ing. To repeat an earlier statement, “TheIndian Air Force had arrived”.
The Basis of ShiftHaving been bloodied in the both theWorld Wars, the pilots of the erstwhileRIAF and the subsequent IAF were keen
to see their Air Force grow. The impact ofair power in the world wars was immensewith the third dimension creating terroramong the ground troops from the fear ofvertical envelopment and among citizens,of destruction from the air. It was thegame changer in warfare and has nevertaken a back seat thereafter. Post WW IIthe jet age was upon the world and IAFsfirst major Air Force acquisition was thede Havilland Vampire, acquired from theBritish (who else ?) in 1945. The firsttransport aircraft to supplement the WWII Dakota was the C-119 Packet.
The general life cycle informationabove shows that aircraft generally followa life cycle of approximately 30 years,around which stage upgrades become nec-essary to extend the life by about 15-20%.
Thus a prudent planner will ensurethat first, he has at least one addi-
tional source to do his acquisitionsand secondly, his acquisitions are sospaced that the system (IAF) does not feela resource crunch at any time. Missile sys-tems and radars follow a slightly differentcycle because of the dynamics and relativewear and tear compared to airborne plat-forms. But a life cycle is not the only occa-sion that one will decide to acquire new
MiG-29 aircraft is performing a low fly-by ofthe INS Vikramaditya during trials
IAF: STRATEGIC T RANSFORMATIONTechnology Perspective and Capability Roadmap reflects not just what is needed, butalso what is getting degraded, thus giving suggestions what needs to be acquired.
Successive life cycles of inductionsVampir 1945–1975Packet C-119 1954–1985Ouragan (Toofani) 1954–1970Mystere IV 1957–1973Gnat 1958–1991IL-14 1961–1981AN-12 1961–1986MiG-21 (all variants) 1964–2020 (expected)Jaguar 1978–Till DateAN-32 1984–Till DateIL-76 1985–Till DateMirage-2000 1985–Till DateMiG-29 1987–Till Date
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 12:59 am Page 1
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
1716
The massive IL-76 heavy lifttransporter followed by the IL-78Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA) and
a while later six Jaguars of the IAF took offon a mission that would remain etched inthe pages of its history, immortalisedforever. The “package” had set out tonavigate over 10,000 miles, leapfroggingthrough 9 stopovers to reach Eielson AFB,Alaska in a landmark effort. The Indian AirForce had announced its arrival on theinternational scene, showcasing itscapability, its professionalism and itstransformation, from a traditionallytactical Air Force to a strategic force,capable of extending its reach across theseven seas. Additionally, it was the firsttime international players were exposedto IAF fighters operating shoulder to
shoulder in their midst. From executing anunplanned engine change on a Jaguar en-route through Canada, in pouring rain andfreezing temperatures (this author was alsowith the technicians, soaked to the skin), tomaintaining virtually a 100% serviceabilityrecord of the aging Jaguar fleet while atAlaska, displaying exemplary tactical skillsand enviable professional and social skills,the pilots and technicians of the IAF earnedthe respect and appreciation of the otherAir Forces participating in Ex – Cope
Thunder and the USAF hosts.But the cherry on the cake was
probably the Indo- US Air Force toAir Force exercise called “Cope
India” which was conducted inGwalior later the same year.
Without having to tom-tom
SUMITMUKERJI
KEY POINTSl IAF’s ongoing transformation into afullspectrum force with a strategic reach isthe story of the day. l Some experts claim that swingrole/multi role aircrafts can staunch theIAF's dwindling platforms problem.l Though 30% or 50% ‘offset’ proposalseem small, it now appears a handful forthe smaller indigenous capital to absorb it.
about it, let the reports in the publicdomain speak for themselves. The exer-cise made the USAF pause and reflect andrealise that having never faced an adver-sary, albeit in an exercise, not moulded inthe American scheme of things, can actu-ally be a setback and possibly intimidat-ing. To repeat an earlier statement, “TheIndian Air Force had arrived”.
The Basis of ShiftHaving been bloodied in the both theWorld Wars, the pilots of the erstwhileRIAF and the subsequent IAF were keen
to see their Air Force grow. The impact ofair power in the world wars was immensewith the third dimension creating terroramong the ground troops from the fear ofvertical envelopment and among citizens,of destruction from the air. It was thegame changer in warfare and has nevertaken a back seat thereafter. Post WW IIthe jet age was upon the world and IAFsfirst major Air Force acquisition was thede Havilland Vampire, acquired from theBritish (who else ?) in 1945. The firsttransport aircraft to supplement the WWII Dakota was the C-119 Packet.
The general life cycle informationabove shows that aircraft generally followa life cycle of approximately 30 years,around which stage upgrades become nec-essary to extend the life by about 15-20%.
Thus a prudent planner will ensurethat first, he has at least one addi-
tional source to do his acquisitionsand secondly, his acquisitions are sospaced that the system (IAF) does not feela resource crunch at any time. Missile sys-tems and radars follow a slightly differentcycle because of the dynamics and relativewear and tear compared to airborne plat-forms. But a life cycle is not the only occa-sion that one will decide to acquire new
MiG-29 aircraft is performing a low fly-by ofthe INS Vikramaditya during trials
IAF: STRATEGIC T RANSFORMATIONTechnology Perspective and Capability Roadmap reflects not just what is needed, butalso what is getting degraded, thus giving suggestions what needs to be acquired.
Successive life cycles of inductionsVampir 1945–1975Packet C-119 1954–1985Ouragan (Toofani) 1954–1970Mystere IV 1957–1973Gnat 1958–1991IL-14 1961–1981AN-12 1961–1986MiG-21 (all variants) 1964–2020 (expected)Jaguar 1978–Till DateAN-32 1984–Till DateIL-76 1985–Till DateMirage-2000 1985–Till DateMiG-29 1987–Till Date
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 12:59 am Page 1
systems. Geopolitics of the region is a fac-tor that may necessitate a change; or aquantum jump in technology which mayrender existing systems redundant or inef-fective. Whatever the reason, because airpower is the preferred medium to projectpower and rapidly respond to contingen-cies, the Air Force needs to remain contem-porary and in a high state of preparedness.
Numbers GameThe vast areas of the Indian sub-conti-nent and associated large EEZ are anightmare to protect. From the world’shighest mountain ranges to scorchingdeserts, tropical rain forests and thou-sands of miles of coastline overlookingoceans and seas, defence of such territoryoffers challenges that no other country inthe world faces. Add to this hostile neigh-bours and a history of aggression bythem, national security takes on enor-mous importance. The Indian Air Force istasked to defend the Indian air space andprovide rapid response to natural disas-ters in times of peace. In times of war theIAF is expected to achieve air dominationand / or control of the air, provide aircover to ground troops, provide airdefence protection to VAs and VPs, dom-inate the SLOCs in the Indian Ocean andconduct strikes deep inside enemy terri-tory in a bid to cripple his centres of grav-ity. The nation is also facing threat to itssecurity from anti-national elements.While the IAF has not been deeply com-
mitted to countering these elements, it isbut a matter of time.
The spectrum is vast and the require-ments complex. It is but natural that onlyadequate numbers of platforms and equip-ment can perform such an onerous task.Some pundits may propose that multi-role/swing-role aeroplanes can overcome
the shortage of numbers because of theirsheer versatility. While this may hold truein countries with small areas, it is virtuallyimpossible for a country like ours. The IAFhad projected a case for an inventory of 44combat squadrons to offset challenges of atwo-front confrontation, as a worst casescenario. The government sanction of 39.5squadrons was primarily due to resourceand financial limitations at that time.Keeping life cycles in mind, Air Force plan-ners would have certainly factored thenecessity to sustain force levels to maintainthe deterrence value, but the steady declineto 34 squadrons with a possible furtherdrop to almost 30 squadrons by end 2015 isa cause for concern.
At this point it would be appropriateto mention that no country in the worldtoday (including the USA) has the finan-cial strength to replace whole fleets ofaeroplanes at will. Every Air Force resortsto mid-life upgrades to stretch the lifecycle. The procurement process and theability of the seller to meet deadlinesfrom an already occupied production linefollows an extended time period whichhas to be factored into the planning. Thecurrent profile of the Indian Air Force isthat it comprises roughly 15% state-of-the-art platforms and systems, 35% are ina ‘mature’ state of life and 50% are in astate of obsolescence. Not a very comfort-able picture by any yardstick.
Planning ProcessThe 15 year Long Term Perspective Plan(LTPP) of the three services and the subse-quently developed Long Term IntegratedPerspective Plan (LTIPP) put up to the gov-ernment by HQ IDS have been oft repeatedin various articles discussing modernisa-tion and procurement. However, what is ofrelevance is the Technology Perspective &Capability Roadmap (TPCR), the de-classi-fied version of the LTIPP which offers theindustry and Original EquipmentManufacturers (OEMs) a look into thedirection the respective services are head-ing. A perspective plan / roadmap is animportant document which involves a lot offoresight, deep technical know-how and itsfuturistic progression / application, soundknowledge of economies of scale and sharpbusiness acumen in the geopolitical back-drop. The 5 year Action Plan (a sub-set ofthe LTIPP), which coincides with thenational 5 year plans and therefore budget
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
allocations, provides for mid-course cor-rections and control to stay within budget-ary trendlines and finally the AnnualAction Plan caters for arisings under con-tingent situations.
The shopping list in the latest TPCR(2012-2027) is exhaustive but to provide abroad brush picture of the path the IAFhas decided to follow, some elements ofthe TPCR are highlighted below :-(a) Advanced Weapon Systems. We arelooking at targets across the spectrum,from strategic to tactical to counter-insur-gency. Weapons should not only have thedesired accuracy and lethality, minimumcollateral damage must be associated withsuch targeting – Precision munitions withjam resistant capabilities.(b) Information Dominance. The capitu-lating effect brought about by informationdominance was aptly demonstrated in thefirst Gulf War by the US agencies.Extensive use of ECM and ECCM systemsand ability to sift and integrate huge vol-umes of intelligence from various sourcesis the order of the day.(c) Sensors. State-of-the-art AESA radars,advanced EO / IR sensors, laser based sys-tems, sensor fusion systems are the pro-gressive technologies in this area.
(d) Data Link/Transfer Systems. Essentialto reduce the sensor to shooter cycle.(e) Persistent Target Detection Systems.In this highly dynamic environment, withadvanced technologies for deception and concealment, there is a need to detecta target in all-weather conditions, identifyit and execute a high probability of killfrom stand-off ranges, with minimal col-lateral damage. (f) Unmanned Aerial Systems.(g) Simulation Systems.The elements given above are but a sample of the technologies that need to be procured and absorbed. These are over and above the platforms that areneeded to protect the length and breadthof this country.
TransformationThe need to overcome the technology gapthat was creeping in, with the associateddegradation of potential of the IAF’s air-borne fleets was identified in the previousLTTP. Understanding the time frames ofthe acquisition cycle, the IAF had com-menced fortifying itself against the slow butsure depletion of its assets. Upgradationcases were taken up and commenced on theJaguar, MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and AN-32
fleets. But this was just to cater to the tran-sition period. It was time to transform thetransport fleet, the helicopter fleet and aug-ment the fighter fleet with contemporaryplatforms. While the erstwhile NDA I gov-ernment had not articulated the “from theGulf of Hormuz to the Straits of Malacca”statement made famous by the subsequentUPA Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh,India’s regional aspirations were showingsigns of expansion in the wake of economicresurgence. It was but natural that if region-al aspirations spanned the Indian Oceanand northwards to the Siberian plains, plat-forms with strategic capabilities and / or theability to straddle strategic ranges were theneed of the hour.
There are two issues that, to my mind,have come to play a major role in the trans-formation of the Indian Air Force. Firstly isthe deliberate strategic lean to the West formost of the new acquisitions, with the USA,France and Israel as major benefactors.Secondly, we decided to break the age-oldshackles of the “L-1vendor” by introducingthe factor of “Life Cycle Costing” providinga window of opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art systems, which though moreexpensive, offer far better value additionover its technical life cycle. Great emphasis
Mi-17V-5 weaponisedhelicopters © IAF
The Indian Air Force istasked to defend the Indianair space and provide rapid
response to naturaldisasters in times of peace.
In times of war the IAF isexpected to achieve air
domination and control ofthe air, provide air cover toground troops, provide air
defence protection to VAsand VPs, dominate the
SLOCs in the Indian Oceanand conduct strikes deep
inside enemy territory.
” 19
The Su-30MKI multi-role combataircraft forms the backbone of the Indian
Air Force’s fleet © Indian Air Force
18
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:13 pm Page 3
systems. Geopolitics of the region is a fac-tor that may necessitate a change; or aquantum jump in technology which mayrender existing systems redundant or inef-fective. Whatever the reason, because airpower is the preferred medium to projectpower and rapidly respond to contingen-cies, the Air Force needs to remain contem-porary and in a high state of preparedness.
Numbers GameThe vast areas of the Indian sub-conti-nent and associated large EEZ are anightmare to protect. From the world’shighest mountain ranges to scorchingdeserts, tropical rain forests and thou-sands of miles of coastline overlookingoceans and seas, defence of such territoryoffers challenges that no other country inthe world faces. Add to this hostile neigh-bours and a history of aggression bythem, national security takes on enor-mous importance. The Indian Air Force istasked to defend the Indian air space andprovide rapid response to natural disas-ters in times of peace. In times of war theIAF is expected to achieve air dominationand / or control of the air, provide aircover to ground troops, provide airdefence protection to VAs and VPs, dom-inate the SLOCs in the Indian Ocean andconduct strikes deep inside enemy terri-tory in a bid to cripple his centres of grav-ity. The nation is also facing threat to itssecurity from anti-national elements.While the IAF has not been deeply com-
mitted to countering these elements, it isbut a matter of time.
The spectrum is vast and the require-ments complex. It is but natural that onlyadequate numbers of platforms and equip-ment can perform such an onerous task.Some pundits may propose that multi-role/swing-role aeroplanes can overcome
the shortage of numbers because of theirsheer versatility. While this may hold truein countries with small areas, it is virtuallyimpossible for a country like ours. The IAFhad projected a case for an inventory of 44combat squadrons to offset challenges of atwo-front confrontation, as a worst casescenario. The government sanction of 39.5squadrons was primarily due to resourceand financial limitations at that time.Keeping life cycles in mind, Air Force plan-ners would have certainly factored thenecessity to sustain force levels to maintainthe deterrence value, but the steady declineto 34 squadrons with a possible furtherdrop to almost 30 squadrons by end 2015 isa cause for concern.
At this point it would be appropriateto mention that no country in the worldtoday (including the USA) has the finan-cial strength to replace whole fleets ofaeroplanes at will. Every Air Force resortsto mid-life upgrades to stretch the lifecycle. The procurement process and theability of the seller to meet deadlinesfrom an already occupied production linefollows an extended time period whichhas to be factored into the planning. Thecurrent profile of the Indian Air Force isthat it comprises roughly 15% state-of-the-art platforms and systems, 35% are ina ‘mature’ state of life and 50% are in astate of obsolescence. Not a very comfort-able picture by any yardstick.
Planning ProcessThe 15 year Long Term Perspective Plan(LTPP) of the three services and the subse-quently developed Long Term IntegratedPerspective Plan (LTIPP) put up to the gov-ernment by HQ IDS have been oft repeatedin various articles discussing modernisa-tion and procurement. However, what is ofrelevance is the Technology Perspective &Capability Roadmap (TPCR), the de-classi-fied version of the LTIPP which offers theindustry and Original EquipmentManufacturers (OEMs) a look into thedirection the respective services are head-ing. A perspective plan / roadmap is animportant document which involves a lot offoresight, deep technical know-how and itsfuturistic progression / application, soundknowledge of economies of scale and sharpbusiness acumen in the geopolitical back-drop. The 5 year Action Plan (a sub-set ofthe LTIPP), which coincides with thenational 5 year plans and therefore budget
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
allocations, provides for mid-course cor-rections and control to stay within budget-ary trendlines and finally the AnnualAction Plan caters for arisings under con-tingent situations.
The shopping list in the latest TPCR(2012-2027) is exhaustive but to provide abroad brush picture of the path the IAFhas decided to follow, some elements ofthe TPCR are highlighted below :-(a) Advanced Weapon Systems. We arelooking at targets across the spectrum,from strategic to tactical to counter-insur-gency. Weapons should not only have thedesired accuracy and lethality, minimumcollateral damage must be associated withsuch targeting – Precision munitions withjam resistant capabilities.(b) Information Dominance. The capitu-lating effect brought about by informationdominance was aptly demonstrated in thefirst Gulf War by the US agencies.Extensive use of ECM and ECCM systemsand ability to sift and integrate huge vol-umes of intelligence from various sourcesis the order of the day.(c) Sensors. State-of-the-art AESA radars,advanced EO / IR sensors, laser based sys-tems, sensor fusion systems are the pro-gressive technologies in this area.
(d) Data Link/Transfer Systems. Essentialto reduce the sensor to shooter cycle.(e) Persistent Target Detection Systems.In this highly dynamic environment, withadvanced technologies for deception and concealment, there is a need to detecta target in all-weather conditions, identifyit and execute a high probability of killfrom stand-off ranges, with minimal col-lateral damage. (f) Unmanned Aerial Systems.(g) Simulation Systems.The elements given above are but a sample of the technologies that need to be procured and absorbed. These are over and above the platforms that areneeded to protect the length and breadthof this country.
TransformationThe need to overcome the technology gapthat was creeping in, with the associateddegradation of potential of the IAF’s air-borne fleets was identified in the previousLTTP. Understanding the time frames ofthe acquisition cycle, the IAF had com-menced fortifying itself against the slow butsure depletion of its assets. Upgradationcases were taken up and commenced on theJaguar, MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and AN-32
fleets. But this was just to cater to the tran-sition period. It was time to transform thetransport fleet, the helicopter fleet and aug-ment the fighter fleet with contemporaryplatforms. While the erstwhile NDA I gov-ernment had not articulated the “from theGulf of Hormuz to the Straits of Malacca”statement made famous by the subsequentUPA Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh,India’s regional aspirations were showingsigns of expansion in the wake of economicresurgence. It was but natural that if region-al aspirations spanned the Indian Oceanand northwards to the Siberian plains, plat-forms with strategic capabilities and / or theability to straddle strategic ranges were theneed of the hour.
There are two issues that, to my mind,have come to play a major role in the trans-formation of the Indian Air Force. Firstly isthe deliberate strategic lean to the West formost of the new acquisitions, with the USA,France and Israel as major benefactors.Secondly, we decided to break the age-oldshackles of the “L-1vendor” by introducingthe factor of “Life Cycle Costing” providinga window of opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art systems, which though moreexpensive, offer far better value additionover its technical life cycle. Great emphasis
Mi-17V-5 weaponisedhelicopters © IAF
The Indian Air Force istasked to defend the Indianair space and provide rapid
response to naturaldisasters in times of peace.
In times of war the IAF isexpected to achieve air
domination and control ofthe air, provide air cover toground troops, provide air
defence protection to VAsand VPs, dominate the
SLOCs in the Indian Oceanand conduct strikes deep
inside enemy territory.
” 19
The Su-30MKI multi-role combataircraft forms the backbone of the Indian
Air Force’s fleet © Indian Air Force
18
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:13 pm Page 3
has also been paid to systems which havearchitecture for growth.
The lifting of sanctions against Indiain 2001opened up military businessopportunities with the USA and dis-lodged, in a manner of speaking, theRussian monkey off our back. Around thesame time the Defence ProcurementProcedure (DPP) in its present avatar(avatar), found its roots. Caution was theorder of the day and thus the Americanoffer of procurement through “ForeignMilitary Sales” (FMS) guaranteed USgovernment backing to ensure a satisfac-tory acquisition. We grabbed the oppor-tunity and the result was the procure-ment of C-130J Hercules for SpecialOperations and the Harpoon anti-shipmissiles to equip the maritime Jaguars.Following close behind were the $ 4.1Billion deal for ten C-17 Globemasterheavy lift transporters (with likely follow-on orders) and the $2.1 Billion deal foreight P-8I MR aircraft for the Navy. TheIndo-US strategic relationship was firmlyon the rails. The CH-47 Chinook winningthe contract for the heavy lift helicoptersand the AH-64 Apache for the Attack
Helicopter role is indicative of the intenseUS influence in the IAFs purchases.
Billed as the arms deal of the century,the $10 Billion (now steadily increasing)126 aircraft MMRCA acquisition sawworld-wide interest in the fly-off for theselection. The Eurofighter Typhoon andthe Dassault Rafale were shortlisted andfinally, after considering all factors such asunit cost, purchase cost, life cycle costs,(and) offsets as also the transfer of tech-nology offered, India announced thatDassault would be offered the contract forthe MMRCA. While presently the processis on hold for bureaucratic reasons, it ishoped that it will be moved on a fast trackin the near future.Airbus Industries has secured the contract for the Multi-RoleTanker Transport (MRTT) and the Israelisare hoping to follow up on their domina-tion of the UAV fleet of the Indian armedforces, presently comprising the Searcherand the Heron. There is a huge thrusttowards unmanned systems and the IAF islooking to procure Medium Altitude LongEndurance (MALE) and High AltitudeLong Endurance (HALE) unmanned sys-tems. A strong pitch has been made to
acquire Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles(UCAVs) carrying precision weaponswhich will bolster special operations.
The Indo-Russian strategic partner-ship is time-tested and has an inherentresilience. With on-going acquisitionslike the $1.3 Billion deal for 71xMi-17V5Medium Lift Helicopters and the addi-tional 42x SU-30MKI swing-role fighters,the Russian pipeline remains open. It hasbeen further fortified, in fact, by theRussian offer for joint development andproduction of the Fifth GenerationFighter Aircraft (FGFA), which the GoIhas endorsed.
The IAF has always suffered from whatcan be termed as “logistical nightmare”because of the varieties of platforms andsystems in the inventory. This is not likelyto change when we are sourcing equip-ment from the USA, Russia, France, Israel,etc. The computer age, thankfully, shouldoffset the burden. So are we on the rightpath? Do our efforts at transformation fol-low the direction provided by the LTPPand do we see the IAF of the next decade aformidable, contemporary, strategic force,comparable to the best in the world?
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
20 21
Transformation in Indigenisation“India is the world’s largest importer ofdefence equipment”. Sounds like Indiaare the world champions in cricket! Butwhat a shame for a (the)country such asours. Like our inability to win medals inthe Olympics, we display our inability tomanufacture defence equipment and ourdefence industry has no worthwhile cred-ibility. Indigenisation and self-reliance isthe core to survivability in a changinggeopolitical environment with shiftingalliances and partnerships. Why are we inthis pitiable state, dependent on othercountries and always in fear of someonepulling the plug? It was probably becauseof our misplaced sense of security thatnational interests may be compromisedwhich prompted the government to makeDRDO and PSUs the sole sources of mili-tary business. Bogged down with bureau-cratic procedures and delays, the per-formance of these two organisations isbest left to the proof of their output. Notallowing private industry to enter thedefence sector has stunted our growth inself-reliance and indigenisation.
The turnaround or the transformationwas possibly initiated in the DPP 2006with the introduction of the “Offset”clause, in the acquisition of major sys-tems. Offsets are de rigueur as a part ofacquisitions the world over and India is alate starter. Private industry was given a
window of opportunity to participate andgrow, contributing towards India’s self-reliance in defence. The 30% Offset ruleseemed a tentative step by the govern-ment when compared to internationalbusinesses offering 100-110% offsets (insome cases). But as the major deals cameinto fructification it was realised that theinvestment required by local industry to
absorb the Offset was so large that theycould not afford it (other than the bigbusiness houses). While they are workingtheir way around it, there is no doubt thatthe Offset clause has been the precursor of progress in private industry participa-tion in defence.
The associated Transfer of Technology(TOT) along with the offsets has alsobeen a major boost to motivate the pri-vate industry to enter the defence field.Cutting-edge technology, some of it ‘dual-use’ will be hugely beneficial to thegrowth of industry in this country. But(for obvious reasons) foreign vendor(vendors’interest in our private industryhas been minimal because of the 26% capon Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)imposed by the DPP. The present govern-ment has clearly seen the need for self-reliance and indigenisation in defence aswell as the need for active participationby the private industry. As a first step FDIin defence has been elevated to 49%. Thishas not only infused confidence in foreignvendors and governments but has openedthe door for larger investments and lever-age for TOT. Increased FDI in defencewill increase the number of JVs andtherefore offer more job opportunities incontemporary and critical technologies.
Developing self –reliance and trans-forming the private industry to activelyparticipate for the benefit of the fourth
The Indo-Russian strategic partnership
is time-tested and has an inherent resilience.
With on-going acquisitionslike the $1.3 billion deal for 71xMi-17V5 Medium Lift Helicopters and the
additional 42x SU-30MKIswing-role fighters,
the Russian pipelineremains open.
”US Army soldiers exit an Indian Army Aviation Corps
HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter during thebilateral exercise ‘Yudh Abyas 09’ ©US Army
IAF Tejas LCA © HAL
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 2:55 am Page 5
has also been paid to systems which havearchitecture for growth.
The lifting of sanctions against Indiain 2001opened up military businessopportunities with the USA and dis-lodged, in a manner of speaking, theRussian monkey off our back. Around thesame time the Defence ProcurementProcedure (DPP) in its present avatar(avatar), found its roots. Caution was theorder of the day and thus the Americanoffer of procurement through “ForeignMilitary Sales” (FMS) guaranteed USgovernment backing to ensure a satisfac-tory acquisition. We grabbed the oppor-tunity and the result was the procure-ment of C-130J Hercules for SpecialOperations and the Harpoon anti-shipmissiles to equip the maritime Jaguars.Following close behind were the $ 4.1Billion deal for ten C-17 Globemasterheavy lift transporters (with likely follow-on orders) and the $2.1 Billion deal foreight P-8I MR aircraft for the Navy. TheIndo-US strategic relationship was firmlyon the rails. The CH-47 Chinook winningthe contract for the heavy lift helicoptersand the AH-64 Apache for the Attack
Helicopter role is indicative of the intenseUS influence in the IAFs purchases.
Billed as the arms deal of the century,the $10 Billion (now steadily increasing)126 aircraft MMRCA acquisition sawworld-wide interest in the fly-off for theselection. The Eurofighter Typhoon andthe Dassault Rafale were shortlisted andfinally, after considering all factors such asunit cost, purchase cost, life cycle costs,(and) offsets as also the transfer of tech-nology offered, India announced thatDassault would be offered the contract forthe MMRCA. While presently the processis on hold for bureaucratic reasons, it ishoped that it will be moved on a fast trackin the near future.Airbus Industries has secured the contract for the Multi-RoleTanker Transport (MRTT) and the Israelisare hoping to follow up on their domina-tion of the UAV fleet of the Indian armedforces, presently comprising the Searcherand the Heron. There is a huge thrusttowards unmanned systems and the IAF islooking to procure Medium Altitude LongEndurance (MALE) and High AltitudeLong Endurance (HALE) unmanned sys-tems. A strong pitch has been made to
acquire Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles(UCAVs) carrying precision weaponswhich will bolster special operations.
The Indo-Russian strategic partner-ship is time-tested and has an inherentresilience. With on-going acquisitionslike the $1.3 Billion deal for 71xMi-17V5Medium Lift Helicopters and the addi-tional 42x SU-30MKI swing-role fighters,the Russian pipeline remains open. It hasbeen further fortified, in fact, by theRussian offer for joint development andproduction of the Fifth GenerationFighter Aircraft (FGFA), which the GoIhas endorsed.
The IAF has always suffered from whatcan be termed as “logistical nightmare”because of the varieties of platforms andsystems in the inventory. This is not likelyto change when we are sourcing equip-ment from the USA, Russia, France, Israel,etc. The computer age, thankfully, shouldoffset the burden. So are we on the rightpath? Do our efforts at transformation fol-low the direction provided by the LTPPand do we see the IAF of the next decade aformidable, contemporary, strategic force,comparable to the best in the world?
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
20 21
Transformation in Indigenisation“India is the world’s largest importer ofdefence equipment”. Sounds like Indiaare the world champions in cricket! Butwhat a shame for a (the)country such asours. Like our inability to win medals inthe Olympics, we display our inability tomanufacture defence equipment and ourdefence industry has no worthwhile cred-ibility. Indigenisation and self-reliance isthe core to survivability in a changinggeopolitical environment with shiftingalliances and partnerships. Why are we inthis pitiable state, dependent on othercountries and always in fear of someonepulling the plug? It was probably becauseof our misplaced sense of security thatnational interests may be compromisedwhich prompted the government to makeDRDO and PSUs the sole sources of mili-tary business. Bogged down with bureau-cratic procedures and delays, the per-formance of these two organisations isbest left to the proof of their output. Notallowing private industry to enter thedefence sector has stunted our growth inself-reliance and indigenisation.
The turnaround or the transformationwas possibly initiated in the DPP 2006with the introduction of the “Offset”clause, in the acquisition of major sys-tems. Offsets are de rigueur as a part ofacquisitions the world over and India is alate starter. Private industry was given a
window of opportunity to participate andgrow, contributing towards India’s self-reliance in defence. The 30% Offset ruleseemed a tentative step by the govern-ment when compared to internationalbusinesses offering 100-110% offsets (insome cases). But as the major deals cameinto fructification it was realised that theinvestment required by local industry to
absorb the Offset was so large that theycould not afford it (other than the bigbusiness houses). While they are workingtheir way around it, there is no doubt thatthe Offset clause has been the precursor of progress in private industry participa-tion in defence.
The associated Transfer of Technology(TOT) along with the offsets has alsobeen a major boost to motivate the pri-vate industry to enter the defence field.Cutting-edge technology, some of it ‘dual-use’ will be hugely beneficial to thegrowth of industry in this country. But(for obvious reasons) foreign vendor(vendors’interest in our private industryhas been minimal because of the 26% capon Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)imposed by the DPP. The present govern-ment has clearly seen the need for self-reliance and indigenisation in defence aswell as the need for active participationby the private industry. As a first step FDIin defence has been elevated to 49%. Thishas not only infused confidence in foreignvendors and governments but has openedthe door for larger investments and lever-age for TOT. Increased FDI in defencewill increase the number of JVs andtherefore offer more job opportunities incontemporary and critical technologies.
Developing self –reliance and trans-forming the private industry to activelyparticipate for the benefit of the fourth
The Indo-Russian strategic partnership
is time-tested and has an inherent resilience.
With on-going acquisitionslike the $1.3 billion deal for 71xMi-17V5 Medium Lift Helicopters and the
additional 42x SU-30MKIswing-role fighters,
the Russian pipelineremains open.
”US Army soldiers exit an Indian Army Aviation Corps
HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter during thebilateral exercise ‘Yudh Abyas 09’ ©US Army
IAF Tejas LCA © HAL
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 2:55 am Page 5
largest defence force in the world will bea long drawn out process. But ‘well begunis half done’ and we will certainly seeprogress. Private industry needs assur-ance of continuity in business for it to beable to sustain itself. Red tape andbureaucracy should be minimised andsmart business practices and proceduresintroduced by the MoD (within thebounds of clarity and control).
ConclusionThe IAF is in midst of transformation,there is no denying. Legacy systems, hav-ing undergone upgrades and at the twi-light of their effective lives to be set aside &contemporary equipment acquired. TheIAF is doing that & as the erstwhile Chiefof Air Staff had commented, “The IAF ismoving towards full spectrum capability, astrategic force capable of taking on multi-
front, multi-dimensional threats”. Thegovernment, keen to enhance business indefence sector is promoting Offsets, TOT& FDI to seduce foreign vendors to invest& share cutting-edge technology. The pri-vate sector is bound to see growth & Indiais stepping into the dawn of self-reliancethrough indigenisation. Are we going tosee a ‘Revolution in Military Affairs’ in private industry participation?
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY
22
Interview of H.E. Ambassadorof Russian Federation to India Alexander Kadakin:
DSI: Russia has become thesecond largest arms and othermilitary equipment supplier toIndia, from being the largest.What does it entail for thecountry that has been otherwisedescribed by Prime Minister ofIndia Narendra Modi as aspecial, privileged partner?Ambassador A.M.Kadakin: India is anattractive and capacious arms market, andthe endeavors of many sellers to promotetheir defence products here are obvious.India is striving to become a self-sufficientpower in high-tech defence production.Russia, given its huge and vigorousdefence industrial complex and vast time-tested potential, is capable of assistingIndia in reaching this goal like no one else.No other country but Russia is ready toshare razor-edge military technologies insuch volume and scale.
The uniqueness of our relationspersists in its scope and range, be it designand manufacture of the world bestBrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, orstate-of-the-art fifth generation fighter. Letalone the lease of the Russian nuclearsubmarine inducted into the Indian Navyas INS “Chakra”, strategic handover of INSVikramaditya or construction of the worldsafest nuclear power units of KudankulamNuclear Power Plant.
Multifaceted fruitful cooperation withIndia at the exemplary level of special andprivileged strategic partnership goes farbeyond the supply of military equipment.Russia and India share similar approachesto major international issues and arecommitted to the principles of a multipolarworld. We closely cooperate within variousmultilateral fora. On bilateral track, weenjoy ramified collaboration in the spheresof mutual investments, energy,hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals,
agriculture and processedfood products,infrastructure, space,science and technology,information, bio-andnanotechnologies,culture, tourism etc. Weare confident in our abilityto further expand thescope of our jointendeavors.
DSI: New Delhi has beenrather non-committal publicly about theUkraine issue and its consequentWestern economic and tradesanctions. What does this signify forMoscow, the special strategic partner,and the world at large?Ambassador A.M.Kadakin:We highlyappreciate the balanced, mature approachof India to the situation in Ukraine andprofound understanding of its truereasons. The roots of the civil war inEastern Ukraine lie in the harmful policiesof the new Kiev leaders, fighting againsttheir own people; not in the allegedRussian aggression that the West isgroundlessly striving to impress upon theinternational community.
This is particularly flagrant consideringthe fact that violation of international law,Russia is being accused of, has beensystematic from the US and its allies theway it happened in former Yugoslavia,Libya and other parts of the world.Punishing Russia with sanctions forsupporting legitimate aspirations of a largesegment of the Ukrainian society whileendorsing illegal February coup d’état inKiev is a truly hypocritical and deeplyimmoral act from those who positionthemselves as world democracy leaders.
Russia will keep actively promotingpolitical settlement in Ukraine. It must beunambiguously understood that we aredoing this for the sake of peace, stabilityand well-being of the Ukrainian people, notfor catering to someone’s ambitions.
Besides, western sanctions againstRussia, themselves a violation of theinternational law, are counterproductiveand hit back the countries that initiatethem. Without Russia resolving manypressing international issues inAfghanistan, Syria, Iranian nuclearprogram, etc is next to impossible.
DSI: For some time, the Indian armedforces had been complaining aboutvarious time and cost overruns onmajor and strategically importantprojects. What is the thought that isruling in Russia on these accountsconsidering that Russian-Indian tiesare time-tested and long-term?Ambassador A.M.Kadakin: At such avast scope of military and technicalcooperation, unforeseen technicalglitches are inevitable. Let us recall the‘Rafale’ deal or the ‘Scorpene’programme, fraught with great delays andcost overruns too. Russia is doing its bestto avoid problems in implementingmutually beneficial projects contributingto India’s military might and defensecapabilities as well as to minimise timeand money losses. Being involved in jointdevelopment and production of militaryequipment with India at anunprecedented level brings us in the veryepicenter of media attention and we arealways open for constructiveassessments of our activity.
The Russian Federation supports the“Make in India” policy announced by thenew Indian government. We are targetedat the establishment of new joint venturesin public and private sectors in India forpromoting jointly produced goods to theinternational market.Active discussion ison on such remarkable projectsascreation of medium-haul passengerairliners, helicopter manufacturing andspace program to name a few. A vast listof agreements is expected to be finalisedduring the visit of President Putin to Indiain coming December.
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
IAF.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:13 pm Page 7
DSI Marketing Promotion
Russia’s special exporterRosoboronexport is a leading playerin the naval equipment market in
South-East Asia. The largest countries inthe region operate Russian ships and sub-marines. At the same time demand is get-ting higher for systems and weapons com-patible with ships built in countries otherthan Russia. Particularly it is true for a widerange of underwater weapons, includinganti-submarine missiles, rocket-propelleddepth charges, torpedoes and sea mines.
The following ship-based underwaterweapons possess great export potential: the533mm DTA-53 twin torpedoes tubes, RPK-8 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missile sys-tem launching 212mm homing diving shellsand MG-94ME hydro-acoustic jammingshells providing protection from torpedoes,RBU-6000 antisubmarine rocket launcher fir-ing RGB-60 anti-submarine missiles or pro-jectiles carrying 90R diving shells. ThePurga-11661 system is of-fered for export to oper-ate ASW weapons.Those are time-tested and well-known in the marketequipment meeting modern requirements.
Some advanced systems also attract in-creasing attention in the region. Among themis the 91RTE ASW missile fired by the Club-N system and Paket-E/NK small ASW tor-pedo launcher.
The 91RTE missile will kill all types ofsubmarines at any depth they can go (up to800m) and range of 5km to 40km. It flies
with a ballistic trajectory to the estimatedarea of operation of the target and para-chutes to the water. As soon as the homingsystem is trigged it will not take the missilelong to destroy the target. The 91RTE mis-sile is also compatible with the submarine-based Club-S. The fact that Russian sub-marines including the Project 636 andAmur-1650 carry it is a key to their superior-ity over foreign counterparts.
Another advanced system – the Paket-E/NK – provides effective anti-submarine de-fense at a range of up to 10km and torpedoprotection at 100m to 800m. It features a con-trol system, launchers, special sonar, and ar-maments fitted with 324mm small thermaltorpedoes or countermeasure anti-torpe-does. Being one of the cutting-edge systemsin the international market, the Paket-E/NKalone can make torpedo protection of the car-
rier ship 3-3.5 times stronger.Speaking of submarine-
borne underwater weapons,apart from the Club-S that
Rosoboronexport offers, there are also533mm TE-2 all-purpose electric, remotelycontrolled torpedoes and UGST deep-waterhoming torpedoes.
The TE-2 can destroy submarines at arange of up to 25km and depth of 450m. Itsability to operate in heavy ECCM environ-ment, powerful propulsion unit, built-in testsystem, long service life, and cheap operationare distinctive characteristics of the weapon.The UGST can also hit ships and stationarytargets, as well as submarines at a range ofup to 50km and depth up to 500m. Once
launched it either can home on the target orbe guided to it through its remotely controlledsystem. Its modular design makes easier atask to reconfigure the missile according tothe requirements of the Customer. It is appli-cable to the whole range of operations formreprogramming baseline equipment to re-placing engine and storage tanks. There areseveral warheads for the weapon varying incomposition and quantity of explosive.
Another area where Russia also domi-nates is the mine market. HereRosoboronexport offers the MDM-1 (packedwith 1,100kg of explosive) and MDM-2(1,030kg) bottom mines to create a minethreat and destroy surface ships and sub-marines. There is also the MDM-3 (200kg)mine that is destructive to ships with a smalldisplacement and landing craft. All mines are
protected from attempts to retrieve them,even using non-contact assets, and detect bysonars and underwater mine hunters.
Extremely effective is also the MShM(packed with up to 380kg of explosive) rocketpropelled, moored rising shelf mine designedto destroy surface ships and submarines at adepth of 60m to 600m. As soon as the minepicks noise generated by a target it willlaunch a rocket. Its high speed and little timerequired to fire it – up to 25sec – make anyevasive maneuver futile.
Rosoboronexport offers underwaterweapons that are deployed in Russia’s Navyand navies of many other countries, includingstates in South-East Asia.
RPK-8E
Clubs
Paket-E.NK
TE-2
ROE-DSI:Layout 1 23/12/14 3:26 PM Page 1
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
2524
On 26 November 2008, Mumbaiwas rattled by Ajmal Kasab andcompany (add K&Co). K&Co had
travelled over 500 nm (approx. 1000 kms)by sea in a hijacked Indian fishing vessel
and landed at a fishing hamletin densely populated South Bombay. Soonafter, they launched the mayhem. Ourcoastal and maritime security failedmiserably despite implementation of aCoastal Security Scheme (CSS) in 2005,based on recommendations of the KargilReview Committee.
India needs security across a coastline of7516.6 kms and EEZ of over 2.52 million sqkms. Add security of over 200 ports - 12major and 187 minor/other; a fishing fleetof over a two lakh boats and innumerabledhows and the task is Herculean. The needfor attention becomes imperative given thecondition of Pakistan, (to wit, the recentincident of attempted hijacking of PNSZulfiqar and recent threats from al Qaeda.
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa alone have2000km long coastline.
Jolted awake by the 26/11 attack, theCoastal Security Scheme (of 2005) wasreviewed to assess vulnerabilities and gaps,converted to CSS Phase I and CSS Phase II.It was implemented to improve MaritimeDomain Awareness (MDA) and improveco-ordination between the 20-oddassociated agencies.
The National Committee forStrengthening Maritime and CoastalSecurity (NCSMCS) with the CabinetSecretary as the head was created to ensuresynergistic centre-state action and deliver
PVS SATISH
KEY POINTSl Coastal surveillance becomesimperative given the recent incident ofattempted hijacking of PNS Zulfiqar. l VTMS enhances the coastal securityarchitecture by providing comprehensivepictures around port.l Lack of coordination in the keyoperational agencies involved are themajor shortcomings in maritime security.
COASTAL SURVEILLANCE AND MARITIME STRATEGYSignificant steps has been taken to improve maritime domain awarenessand secure India’s maritime borders after the “26/11” Mumbai terroristattacks conducted by Pakistani infiltrators who easily reached Indian soil,using a hijacked fishing vessel to launch the mayhem.
coastal and maritime security. Numerousschemes were launched to increasephysical surveillance, electronicsurveillance and create communicationand networking infrastructure to enableefficient collaboration and seamlessexchange of information between themultiple agencies involved.
To assess the status of coastal surveillanceand maritime security I intendto evaluate thestatus of the four pillars key to ensuringsecurity viz. (a) Creating MDA (b) Creating anetwork for real time Information exchange(c) Strengthening prosecuting agents (d)Administrative Architecture.
Domain Awareness:The vastness of our maritime domaindictates maximising use of electronicsurveillance, hence a multi-layeredarrangement comprising a chain of CoastalRadars, National network of AutomaticIdentification System (NAIS), Vessel andTraffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS) inports, Fishing Vessel Monitoring Systemsand Long range Identification and TrackingSystems (LRIT). Coastal Security Network (CSN) – Inorder to provide real time surveillance coverup to 25 nautical miles (nm) from our
coastline, 46 Remote Radar sites (36 inmainland, 06 in Lakshadweep & MinicoyIslands and 04 in Andaman & NicobarIslands) were established at variouslighthouses located along the coast line withspecific emphasis on areas of high sensitivityand traffic density. The project is beingsteered by Coast Guard in collaboration withDirector General of Lighthouses andLightships (DGLL) and is beingtechnologically implemented by BEL at acost of about Rs 602 crores. The sensor suite
at each remote site comprises a 25 nm rangeTerma Scanter 2100 Frequency Diversityradar with a dual antenna for betterperformance in monsoon weather, and anObzerv Technologies active-range gatedelectro-optic (EO) sensor with a range of upto 10 nautical miles in ‘fair weather’ alongwith night vision surveillance, VHFcommunication sets and meteorologicalequipment. It is capable of positiveidentification of vessels carrying class ‘A’and ‘B’ Automatic Identification System(AIS) transponders. Phase-II includes 38additional Remote Static Radar sites and
08 Mobile Surveillance Systems. Phase Iwas completed in early 2014 and Phase IIhas already begun. The picture from theseradars is already networked withconcerned Operational Centres andthereon with the Headquarters. Oncompletion of Phase II, a virtually gaplessradar cover will be available for the entirecoastline of the country with the additionalcapability of EO sensors for identification ofcontacts. This is a significant step towardsenabling constant surveillance.
Vessel Traffic Management Systems(VTMS) - Like ATC systems in airfields,VTMS is an integrated system for safety ofships navigating in and around ports.(Consisting of integral). It consists of radars, CCTV surveillance camera, displaysystems and software, communications,meteorological inputs and AIS receivers.The VTMS provides a comprehensivepicture around the port and anchorage areaand when networked with the coastalsurveillance network significantly enhancesthe coastal security architecture. The VTMSare fitted in all 12 major ports and are to befitted in all of the 56 minor ports. ElcomeIntegrated Systems Ltd is one of theleaders in setting up VTMS in India withprojects having been completed in the Gulf ofKutch, Murmagao, Kochi and Karwar(Naval base). The Mumbai VTMS wasundertaken by ATLAS Elektronic aninternational leader in VTMS systems. National Automatic IdentificationSystem (NAIS) – IMO’s InternationalConvention for the Safety of Life atSea requires Automatic Identification
India is planning to buyShinMaywa amphibious aircraft
‘US-2’ from Japan to strengthenits coastal security
Coastal Surveillance.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 3:01 am Page 1
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
2524
On 26 November 2008, Mumbaiwas rattled by Ajmal Kasab andcompany (add K&Co). K&Co had
travelled over 500 nm (approx. 1000 kms)by sea in a hijacked Indian fishing vessel
and landed at a fishing hamletin densely populated South Bombay. Soonafter, they launched the mayhem. Ourcoastal and maritime security failedmiserably despite implementation of aCoastal Security Scheme (CSS) in 2005,based on recommendations of the KargilReview Committee.
India needs security across a coastline of7516.6 kms and EEZ of over 2.52 million sqkms. Add security of over 200 ports - 12major and 187 minor/other; a fishing fleetof over a two lakh boats and innumerabledhows and the task is Herculean. The needfor attention becomes imperative given thecondition of Pakistan, (to wit, the recentincident of attempted hijacking of PNSZulfiqar and recent threats from al Qaeda.
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa alone have2000km long coastline.
Jolted awake by the 26/11 attack, theCoastal Security Scheme (of 2005) wasreviewed to assess vulnerabilities and gaps,converted to CSS Phase I and CSS Phase II.It was implemented to improve MaritimeDomain Awareness (MDA) and improveco-ordination between the 20-oddassociated agencies.
The National Committee forStrengthening Maritime and CoastalSecurity (NCSMCS) with the CabinetSecretary as the head was created to ensuresynergistic centre-state action and deliver
PVS SATISH
KEY POINTSl Coastal surveillance becomesimperative given the recent incident ofattempted hijacking of PNS Zulfiqar. l VTMS enhances the coastal securityarchitecture by providing comprehensivepictures around port.l Lack of coordination in the keyoperational agencies involved are themajor shortcomings in maritime security.
COASTAL SURVEILLANCE AND MARITIME STRATEGYSignificant steps has been taken to improve maritime domain awarenessand secure India’s maritime borders after the “26/11” Mumbai terroristattacks conducted by Pakistani infiltrators who easily reached Indian soil,using a hijacked fishing vessel to launch the mayhem.
coastal and maritime security. Numerousschemes were launched to increasephysical surveillance, electronicsurveillance and create communicationand networking infrastructure to enableefficient collaboration and seamlessexchange of information between themultiple agencies involved.
To assess the status of coastal surveillanceand maritime security I intendto evaluate thestatus of the four pillars key to ensuringsecurity viz. (a) Creating MDA (b) Creating anetwork for real time Information exchange(c) Strengthening prosecuting agents (d)Administrative Architecture.
Domain Awareness:The vastness of our maritime domaindictates maximising use of electronicsurveillance, hence a multi-layeredarrangement comprising a chain of CoastalRadars, National network of AutomaticIdentification System (NAIS), Vessel andTraffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS) inports, Fishing Vessel Monitoring Systemsand Long range Identification and TrackingSystems (LRIT). Coastal Security Network (CSN) – Inorder to provide real time surveillance coverup to 25 nautical miles (nm) from our
coastline, 46 Remote Radar sites (36 inmainland, 06 in Lakshadweep & MinicoyIslands and 04 in Andaman & NicobarIslands) were established at variouslighthouses located along the coast line withspecific emphasis on areas of high sensitivityand traffic density. The project is beingsteered by Coast Guard in collaboration withDirector General of Lighthouses andLightships (DGLL) and is beingtechnologically implemented by BEL at acost of about Rs 602 crores. The sensor suite
at each remote site comprises a 25 nm rangeTerma Scanter 2100 Frequency Diversityradar with a dual antenna for betterperformance in monsoon weather, and anObzerv Technologies active-range gatedelectro-optic (EO) sensor with a range of upto 10 nautical miles in ‘fair weather’ alongwith night vision surveillance, VHFcommunication sets and meteorologicalequipment. It is capable of positiveidentification of vessels carrying class ‘A’and ‘B’ Automatic Identification System(AIS) transponders. Phase-II includes 38additional Remote Static Radar sites and
08 Mobile Surveillance Systems. Phase Iwas completed in early 2014 and Phase IIhas already begun. The picture from theseradars is already networked withconcerned Operational Centres andthereon with the Headquarters. Oncompletion of Phase II, a virtually gaplessradar cover will be available for the entirecoastline of the country with the additionalcapability of EO sensors for identification ofcontacts. This is a significant step towardsenabling constant surveillance.
Vessel Traffic Management Systems(VTMS) - Like ATC systems in airfields,VTMS is an integrated system for safety ofships navigating in and around ports.(Consisting of integral). It consists of radars, CCTV surveillance camera, displaysystems and software, communications,meteorological inputs and AIS receivers.The VTMS provides a comprehensivepicture around the port and anchorage areaand when networked with the coastalsurveillance network significantly enhancesthe coastal security architecture. The VTMSare fitted in all 12 major ports and are to befitted in all of the 56 minor ports. ElcomeIntegrated Systems Ltd is one of theleaders in setting up VTMS in India withprojects having been completed in the Gulf ofKutch, Murmagao, Kochi and Karwar(Naval base). The Mumbai VTMS wasundertaken by ATLAS Elektronic aninternational leader in VTMS systems. National Automatic IdentificationSystem (NAIS) – IMO’s InternationalConvention for the Safety of Life atSea requires Automatic Identification
India is planning to buyShinMaywa amphibious aircraft
‘US-2’ from Japan to strengthenits coastal security
Coastal Surveillance.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 3:01 am Page 1
Systems (AIS) to be fitted aboard shipsof 300 GRT or more, and all passenger shipsregardless of size. A ‘Class A’ AIS transceiverregularly sends comprehensive dataincluding the vessel’s identification,navigation status, radio call sign and name,cargo, destination and ETA.
Co-relation of AIS data with primaryradar picture exponentially increases theefficiency of maritime traffic managers andreduces the work load on maritime securityagencies as the key problem of identificationis resolved.
The NAIS, comprising 74 VHFTransponders for the mainland wasimplemented by SAAB with Indian partner,Elcome Marine . Inaugurated on 4August, 2012 and running on SAAB’strademark ‘Coast Watch’ trafficmanagement system it facilitates real timedecision making. DGLL being the leadagency NAIS is networked to DGLL ControlCentre in the East at Vishakhapatnam andthe Control Centre in the West at Mumbai.
Both these Control Centres are linked toa National Data Centre, Mumbai,fromwhere data is disseminated to varioususers. In Phase II, 10 sensors will beinstalled in the Andaman and Nicobar andLakshadweep islands. Typically vesselsabove 20 meters length can even be
tracked at distances of up to 1,500 nm –using the satellite-based Vessel MonitoringSystem developed by ISRO.
With CSN, VTMS and NAIS integratedthe benefits of common operating picture(COP) using correlated radar and AIS targetdata are already being realised. AIS haslimitations - it is optional for smaller vesselsi.e. less than 300 T (GRT), it is subject to co-operation of the ship since the ship borneequipment needs to be switched ‘ON’. Fishing Vessel Surveillance and Traffic Management:With a fleet of over two lakh fishing vesselsand trawlers, it is imperative that steps betaken to enable constant monitoring of themovements of the fishing boats/trawlers.This is only possible with electronic means.Yet, any mandated additional equipment forsmall boats will need to be very economical orsubsidised by the state. Some steps taken toensure the safety of fishermen and toprevent the undetected entry of any fishingtrawler in coastal waters are:-
lAll fishing vessels more than 20 metres inlength to be installed with AIS type Btransponders, subsidised by the states. l For fishing vessels below 20 metres inlength, two pilot projects are being conductedby the ICG. One is based on Radio FrequencyIdentification Device (RFID), another basedon a MSS receiver. The technology/productchosen will be implemented by the states forvessels below 20 m length.l Simultaneously, a mammoth effort toregister all fishing vessels has been on. Withpowers delegated to state authorities w.e.fAugust 2014, all fishing boats, irrespectiveof their size or length, can be registered withthe respective states/union territories. Thisdata is also being updated online.l The Registrar General of India (RGI) hascaptured biometric details of 67, 50,719persons of 18 years of age and above, anddistributed 65, 72,523 NPR ID cards as on31 March, 2014. The Department of AnimalHusbandry, Dairying and Fisheries hasproduced and delivered 11, 25,273
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
26
fishermen ID cards up to the same date. TheRGI Cards are for the entire coastalpopulation whereas the cards issued by theDepartment of Animal Husbandry, Dairying& Fisheries are for the fishermen only.l Pending the fruition of electronicsurveillance cover to fishing vessels are stillbeing worked out, a few administrative stepshave been attempted to overcome theidentification problem at sea. State-wisecolour codes have been assigned tofishermen for easy identification of a boat,e.g., for Gujarat, the hull of the fishingboat/trawler is painted black and the cabin ispainted orange; and for Andhra Pradesh, it isblue and yellow. The implementation ofcolour coding of boats is very slow as itinvolves additional costs for fishermen.
For the moment, this is the weakest linkin the coastal surveillance mechanisms, butit remains work in progress and an area ofgrave concern. Sadly, IFF (Identificationof Fisherman or Fidayeen) is still a challenge.
Facilitating the exchange of all databetween concerned agencies is the NC 3Isystem i.e.the National Command ControlCommunication and Intelligence network.It is the amalgam of all these together thatmakes for National Maritime DomainAwareness. Networking: To build comprehensive Maritime DomainAwareness images of the CSN, AIS datafrom the NAIS, data from VTMS at themajor ports, data on Fishing Vessel traffic,LRIT information are all brought togetheron one ‘robust hierarchical network’.Clusters of networked remote static sensorssites are connected to a Remote OperatingStation (ROS) located at each CGHQ. TheseROS are connected to a Remote OperatingCentre (ROC) located at Coast GuardRHQs, which, in turn are connected to acentral control centre at CGHQ. The sensordata generated from this network is fusedwith data from the other sources andcorrelated to create a common operating
picture (COP) which is exchanged on theNational Command CommunicationControl and Intelligence Network (NC3I)of the Indian Navy. The NC3I networkmarries inputs from the multiple agenciesresponsible for coastal security with datafrom the four Joint Operations Centers(JOCs) at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, PortBlair, and Kochi, as well as naval and CGHQand provides it back to all the concernedagencies. After extensive work coordinatingwith multiple agencies the NC3I network isnow ready and is likely to be inauguratedshortly with its hub in NCR.
The four Joint Operations Centres(JOCs) at Mumbai, Kochi, Vizag and PortBlair and the Maritime Operations Centres(MOCs) of the IN and the RegionalOperations Centres (ROCs) of the ICG allform nodes of this vital nervous system ofthe MDA architecture. Provisions are alsothere to exchange data/communicate withother organisations involved in themaritime security grid.
27
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurates NationalCommand Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I)
Network Operations Centre on 23 November 2014
To build comprehensiveMaritime Domain
Awareness images of theCSN, AIS data from the
NAIS, data from VTMS atthe major ports, data on
Fishing Vessel traffic, LRITinformation are all brought
together on one ‘robusthierarchical network’.Clusters of networked
remote static sensors sitesare connected to a ROSlocated at each CGHQ.
”
Coastal Surveillance.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:16 pm Page 3
Systems (AIS) to be fitted aboard shipsof 300 GRT or more, and all passenger shipsregardless of size. A ‘Class A’ AIS transceiverregularly sends comprehensive dataincluding the vessel’s identification,navigation status, radio call sign and name,cargo, destination and ETA.
Co-relation of AIS data with primaryradar picture exponentially increases theefficiency of maritime traffic managers andreduces the work load on maritime securityagencies as the key problem of identificationis resolved.
The NAIS, comprising 74 VHFTransponders for the mainland wasimplemented by SAAB with Indian partner,Elcome Marine . Inaugurated on 4August, 2012 and running on SAAB’strademark ‘Coast Watch’ trafficmanagement system it facilitates real timedecision making. DGLL being the leadagency NAIS is networked to DGLL ControlCentre in the East at Vishakhapatnam andthe Control Centre in the West at Mumbai.
Both these Control Centres are linked toa National Data Centre, Mumbai,fromwhere data is disseminated to varioususers. In Phase II, 10 sensors will beinstalled in the Andaman and Nicobar andLakshadweep islands. Typically vesselsabove 20 meters length can even be
tracked at distances of up to 1,500 nm –using the satellite-based Vessel MonitoringSystem developed by ISRO.
With CSN, VTMS and NAIS integratedthe benefits of common operating picture(COP) using correlated radar and AIS targetdata are already being realised. AIS haslimitations - it is optional for smaller vesselsi.e. less than 300 T (GRT), it is subject to co-operation of the ship since the ship borneequipment needs to be switched ‘ON’. Fishing Vessel Surveillance and Traffic Management:With a fleet of over two lakh fishing vesselsand trawlers, it is imperative that steps betaken to enable constant monitoring of themovements of the fishing boats/trawlers.This is only possible with electronic means.Yet, any mandated additional equipment forsmall boats will need to be very economical orsubsidised by the state. Some steps taken toensure the safety of fishermen and toprevent the undetected entry of any fishingtrawler in coastal waters are:-
lAll fishing vessels more than 20 metres inlength to be installed with AIS type Btransponders, subsidised by the states. l For fishing vessels below 20 metres inlength, two pilot projects are being conductedby the ICG. One is based on Radio FrequencyIdentification Device (RFID), another basedon a MSS receiver. The technology/productchosen will be implemented by the states forvessels below 20 m length.l Simultaneously, a mammoth effort toregister all fishing vessels has been on. Withpowers delegated to state authorities w.e.fAugust 2014, all fishing boats, irrespectiveof their size or length, can be registered withthe respective states/union territories. Thisdata is also being updated online.l The Registrar General of India (RGI) hascaptured biometric details of 67, 50,719persons of 18 years of age and above, anddistributed 65, 72,523 NPR ID cards as on31 March, 2014. The Department of AnimalHusbandry, Dairying and Fisheries hasproduced and delivered 11, 25,273
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
26
fishermen ID cards up to the same date. TheRGI Cards are for the entire coastalpopulation whereas the cards issued by theDepartment of Animal Husbandry, Dairying& Fisheries are for the fishermen only.l Pending the fruition of electronicsurveillance cover to fishing vessels are stillbeing worked out, a few administrative stepshave been attempted to overcome theidentification problem at sea. State-wisecolour codes have been assigned tofishermen for easy identification of a boat,e.g., for Gujarat, the hull of the fishingboat/trawler is painted black and the cabin ispainted orange; and for Andhra Pradesh, it isblue and yellow. The implementation ofcolour coding of boats is very slow as itinvolves additional costs for fishermen.
For the moment, this is the weakest linkin the coastal surveillance mechanisms, butit remains work in progress and an area ofgrave concern. Sadly, IFF (Identificationof Fisherman or Fidayeen) is still a challenge.
Facilitating the exchange of all databetween concerned agencies is the NC 3Isystem i.e.the National Command ControlCommunication and Intelligence network.It is the amalgam of all these together thatmakes for National Maritime DomainAwareness. Networking: To build comprehensive Maritime DomainAwareness images of the CSN, AIS datafrom the NAIS, data from VTMS at themajor ports, data on Fishing Vessel traffic,LRIT information are all brought togetheron one ‘robust hierarchical network’.Clusters of networked remote static sensorssites are connected to a Remote OperatingStation (ROS) located at each CGHQ. TheseROS are connected to a Remote OperatingCentre (ROC) located at Coast GuardRHQs, which, in turn are connected to acentral control centre at CGHQ. The sensordata generated from this network is fusedwith data from the other sources andcorrelated to create a common operating
picture (COP) which is exchanged on theNational Command CommunicationControl and Intelligence Network (NC3I)of the Indian Navy. The NC3I networkmarries inputs from the multiple agenciesresponsible for coastal security with datafrom the four Joint Operations Centers(JOCs) at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, PortBlair, and Kochi, as well as naval and CGHQand provides it back to all the concernedagencies. After extensive work coordinatingwith multiple agencies the NC3I network isnow ready and is likely to be inauguratedshortly with its hub in NCR.
The four Joint Operations Centres(JOCs) at Mumbai, Kochi, Vizag and PortBlair and the Maritime Operations Centres(MOCs) of the IN and the RegionalOperations Centres (ROCs) of the ICG allform nodes of this vital nervous system ofthe MDA architecture. Provisions are alsothere to exchange data/communicate withother organisations involved in themaritime security grid.
27
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurates NationalCommand Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I)
Network Operations Centre on 23 November 2014
To build comprehensiveMaritime Domain
Awareness images of theCSN, AIS data from the
NAIS, data from VTMS atthe major ports, data on
Fishing Vessel traffic, LRITinformation are all brought
together on one ‘robusthierarchical network’.Clusters of networked
remote static sensors sitesare connected to a ROSlocated at each CGHQ.
”
Coastal Surveillance.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:16 pm Page 3
Bolstering the Indian Coast Guard:In April, 2014 the ICG had a force level of 46ships, 45 boats/hovercrafts, 28 non-commissioned craft and 64 aircrafts. In thelast three years the ICG has added 18 PatrolVessels - 105 m and 95 m OPVs, 50 m FastPatrol Vessels (FPVs) and 35 m IPVs.In addition, the ICG has added 10 ACVs, 33 interceptor boats/crafts and 16 Dornier aircraft.
The ICG is estimated to reach strength ofabout 200 surface vessels and 100 aircraftby 2018. The Coast Guard Perspective Plan
2007-22 with an outlay of Rs 49,377.33crores, is under review for enhancement andpromulgation as “Coast Guard PerspectivePlan 2012-2027” with a projectedrequirement of about 280 platforms - 154ships and 126 boats.
The estimated value of ships currently onorder from various state-owned as well asprivate shipyards in India is over Rs 7000Cr. These include six 105-meter OPVs fromGoa Shipyard Ltd,twenty 50-metre FPVsfrom Cochin Shipyard Ltd , forty 30-meter class Fast Interceptor Boats from
L&T Shipyard and many smaller patrolboats, workboats and interceptor craft. Thepace of orders is only likely to increase andpresents an attractive opportunity forIndian DPSU/private shipyards.
The fleet of helicopters and aircraft is alsobeing expanded. Plans are afoot forexpansion of the Dornier 228 fleet, additionalMRMR aircraft, 5-tonne class twin enginehelicopters and UAVs. The strength of aircraftfleet is likely to go up to 100 in the near termand eventually to about 150.
In the last three years, the ICG has alsocommissioned one new Regional HQ –RHQ (NW) at Gandhinagar, 02 new DistrictHQs and 12 new CG Stations across thesubcontinent and the island territories.These CG stations will serve as hubs for thehub and spoke concept of operations inconjunction with the marine police stations.
Marine PoliceUnder CSS Phase-I, the Marine Police Forceof the coastal States/UTs were providedwith 73 coastal police stations, 97 checkposts, 58 outposts, 30 barracks, 204interceptor boats, 153 jeeps and 312 motorcycles. The Scheme was implemented from2005-06 with a final outlay of Rs 646 croresupto March, 2011. The coastal policestations function as spokes while the CoastGuard stations function as hubs. TheScheme has been completed.
After 26/11 CSS Phase-II is beingimplemented over a period of 5 years fromApril 2011 with a total financial outlay of Rs1579.91 crore through 9 coastal States and4 UTs. The scheme involves construction of131 Police Stations, procuring 10 largevessels (for A&N), 150 12-tonne interceptorboats and 65 smaller boats, building 60jetties, procuring 131 four wheelers and 242motor cycles and constructing 10 MarinePolice Operational Centres (in A&N). As ofApril 2014, three years after CSS Phase IIwas implemented, 82 of the 131 policestations (62%) have been operational,construction has begun on only one of thesanctioned 60 jetties, only 64 four-wheelersand 74 motorcycles have been procured.
Ab-initio training of marine policepersonnel by the Coast Guard was started inJuly, 2006. 3,385 police personnel havebeen trained by the Indian Coast Guard ason 31.03.2014. It is proposed to establishtwo Marine Police Training Institutes(MPTIs), one each on the East Coast andthe West Coast.
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
28
Indian NavysThe IN managed not to get myopic and gointo an overdrive of acquiring assets forcoastal security per se. However,a 1000strong Sagar Prahari Bal was formed and aflotilla of Fast Interceptor Craft wereordered to provide Force Protection to theIN’s valuable ships and littoral assets. Apartfrom these IN ships, aircraft and personnelare regularly and actively employed tosupport coastal security missions whereverrequired to overcome the resourceconstraints of the Coast Guard.
So we have eyes and ears all along thecoast and a nervous system to connect allthese centres but do we have a suitably co-ordinated brain?Organisational Architecture: Blame for 26/11 notwithstanding it wasclear that there was an appalling lack of co-ordination and collaboration inintelligence/information exchange,operational procedures and understandingof organisational jurisdiction.
The shortcomings lay in two areas, first –lack of coordination in the key operationalagencies involved viz IN, ICG, MarinePolice, Customs and Port authorities, DGShipping, intelligence agencies andfisheries department and the HUMINTthey can collect from coastal fishermenhabitats; and second - lack of clearaccountability at the apex level (Should it beMoD or MHA or some other ministry?).With classic bureaucratic alacrity thegovernmentl Designated the Indian Navy as theauthority responsible for overall maritimesecurity which includes coastal securityand offshore security. The Indian Coast
Guard was additionally designated as theauthority responsible for coastal securityin territorial waters including areas to bepatrolled by Coastal Police. lThe National Committee for StrengtheningMaritime and Coastal Security againstThreats from the Sea (NCSMCS) wasconstituted in August 2009 under thechairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary asstated above.
After a few hiccups in the form of MVWisdom and MV Pavit in 2011, theoperational agencies have settled to aworking mechanism through:-
l Formulation of Standard OperatingProcedures. Promulgated in 2010. l Conduct of Joint Coastal SecurityExercises. Almost a 100 joint exercises withthe fishing community included have beenconducted since 2009. These exercises alsohelp to revise and validate the SOPs. l The Setting up of CoordinationCommittees. Regular meetings at national,state and district levels are conducted toreview all matters concerning coastalsecurity.lOperationalising Joint Operation Centres(JOCs). The four JOCs in Mumbai, Kochi,Vishakhapatnam and Port Blair JOCs havebecome the hub of all activities related toCoastal Security and are manned andoperated by the IN and the ICG. Coastalsecurity operation centres have also beencreated at the regional and state levels.
At the apex level, the NCSMCS is still theonly nodal body appointed to co-ordinatematters related to maritime and coastalsecurity. This body, set-up to monitorprogress of schemes under CSS II and ensureexpeditious strengthening of maritime andcoastal security, cannot have a permanentmandate. The recent announcement by thegovernment to set up a national maritimeauthority (NMA) is an overdue measure.
So far it appears that 26/11 has given theimpetus to propel the ‘Elephant’ to becomeaware of its vast maritime domain and set upsuitable defences to protect itself. Significantforward movement has been made towardsensuring our maritime security.The potential spoilers are:-l Failure to expeditiously overcome theweakest link viz. Fishing Vessel TrafficMonitoring System.l Inadequate attention to setting up aprofessional Marine Police force which is akey component of the architecture. l The growth and maturing oforganisations and the operationalarchitecture falling prey to dissonant andmyopic forces within various agencies.(E.g. The ICG should be designated as thesingle authority responsible for coastalsecurity, amending the charter of the ICGaccordingly and easing the Indian Navy outfrom coastal security responsibilities so asto concentrate on its blue water and war-fighting roles).
Scanter-5000 family used widely forcoastal surveillance © Terma
Indian Navy is responsiblefor overall maritime
security which includescoastal security and
offshore security. TheIndian Coast Guard wasadditionally designated
as the authorityresponsible for coastal
security in territorialwaters including areas
to be patrolled by Coastal Police.
”
Saab’s Vessel Management solutions for a safe, efficient and secure flow of traffic inports, waterways and coastal regions
29
Coastal Surveillance.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:16 pm Page 5
Bolstering the Indian Coast Guard:In April, 2014 the ICG had a force level of 46ships, 45 boats/hovercrafts, 28 non-commissioned craft and 64 aircrafts. In thelast three years the ICG has added 18 PatrolVessels - 105 m and 95 m OPVs, 50 m FastPatrol Vessels (FPVs) and 35 m IPVs.In addition, the ICG has added 10 ACVs, 33 interceptor boats/crafts and 16 Dornier aircraft.
The ICG is estimated to reach strength ofabout 200 surface vessels and 100 aircraftby 2018. The Coast Guard Perspective Plan
2007-22 with an outlay of Rs 49,377.33crores, is under review for enhancement andpromulgation as “Coast Guard PerspectivePlan 2012-2027” with a projectedrequirement of about 280 platforms - 154ships and 126 boats.
The estimated value of ships currently onorder from various state-owned as well asprivate shipyards in India is over Rs 7000Cr. These include six 105-meter OPVs fromGoa Shipyard Ltd,twenty 50-metre FPVsfrom Cochin Shipyard Ltd , forty 30-meter class Fast Interceptor Boats from
L&T Shipyard and many smaller patrolboats, workboats and interceptor craft. Thepace of orders is only likely to increase andpresents an attractive opportunity forIndian DPSU/private shipyards.
The fleet of helicopters and aircraft is alsobeing expanded. Plans are afoot forexpansion of the Dornier 228 fleet, additionalMRMR aircraft, 5-tonne class twin enginehelicopters and UAVs. The strength of aircraftfleet is likely to go up to 100 in the near termand eventually to about 150.
In the last three years, the ICG has alsocommissioned one new Regional HQ –RHQ (NW) at Gandhinagar, 02 new DistrictHQs and 12 new CG Stations across thesubcontinent and the island territories.These CG stations will serve as hubs for thehub and spoke concept of operations inconjunction with the marine police stations.
Marine PoliceUnder CSS Phase-I, the Marine Police Forceof the coastal States/UTs were providedwith 73 coastal police stations, 97 checkposts, 58 outposts, 30 barracks, 204interceptor boats, 153 jeeps and 312 motorcycles. The Scheme was implemented from2005-06 with a final outlay of Rs 646 croresupto March, 2011. The coastal policestations function as spokes while the CoastGuard stations function as hubs. TheScheme has been completed.
After 26/11 CSS Phase-II is beingimplemented over a period of 5 years fromApril 2011 with a total financial outlay of Rs1579.91 crore through 9 coastal States and4 UTs. The scheme involves construction of131 Police Stations, procuring 10 largevessels (for A&N), 150 12-tonne interceptorboats and 65 smaller boats, building 60jetties, procuring 131 four wheelers and 242motor cycles and constructing 10 MarinePolice Operational Centres (in A&N). As ofApril 2014, three years after CSS Phase IIwas implemented, 82 of the 131 policestations (62%) have been operational,construction has begun on only one of thesanctioned 60 jetties, only 64 four-wheelersand 74 motorcycles have been procured.
Ab-initio training of marine policepersonnel by the Coast Guard was started inJuly, 2006. 3,385 police personnel havebeen trained by the Indian Coast Guard ason 31.03.2014. It is proposed to establishtwo Marine Police Training Institutes(MPTIs), one each on the East Coast andthe West Coast.
MARITIME SECURITY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
28
Indian NavysThe IN managed not to get myopic and gointo an overdrive of acquiring assets forcoastal security per se. However,a 1000strong Sagar Prahari Bal was formed and aflotilla of Fast Interceptor Craft wereordered to provide Force Protection to theIN’s valuable ships and littoral assets. Apartfrom these IN ships, aircraft and personnelare regularly and actively employed tosupport coastal security missions whereverrequired to overcome the resourceconstraints of the Coast Guard.
So we have eyes and ears all along thecoast and a nervous system to connect allthese centres but do we have a suitably co-ordinated brain?Organisational Architecture: Blame for 26/11 notwithstanding it wasclear that there was an appalling lack of co-ordination and collaboration inintelligence/information exchange,operational procedures and understandingof organisational jurisdiction.
The shortcomings lay in two areas, first –lack of coordination in the key operationalagencies involved viz IN, ICG, MarinePolice, Customs and Port authorities, DGShipping, intelligence agencies andfisheries department and the HUMINTthey can collect from coastal fishermenhabitats; and second - lack of clearaccountability at the apex level (Should it beMoD or MHA or some other ministry?).With classic bureaucratic alacrity thegovernmentl Designated the Indian Navy as theauthority responsible for overall maritimesecurity which includes coastal securityand offshore security. The Indian Coast
Guard was additionally designated as theauthority responsible for coastal securityin territorial waters including areas to bepatrolled by Coastal Police. lThe National Committee for StrengtheningMaritime and Coastal Security againstThreats from the Sea (NCSMCS) wasconstituted in August 2009 under thechairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary asstated above.
After a few hiccups in the form of MVWisdom and MV Pavit in 2011, theoperational agencies have settled to aworking mechanism through:-
l Formulation of Standard OperatingProcedures. Promulgated in 2010. l Conduct of Joint Coastal SecurityExercises. Almost a 100 joint exercises withthe fishing community included have beenconducted since 2009. These exercises alsohelp to revise and validate the SOPs. l The Setting up of CoordinationCommittees. Regular meetings at national,state and district levels are conducted toreview all matters concerning coastalsecurity.lOperationalising Joint Operation Centres(JOCs). The four JOCs in Mumbai, Kochi,Vishakhapatnam and Port Blair JOCs havebecome the hub of all activities related toCoastal Security and are manned andoperated by the IN and the ICG. Coastalsecurity operation centres have also beencreated at the regional and state levels.
At the apex level, the NCSMCS is still theonly nodal body appointed to co-ordinatematters related to maritime and coastalsecurity. This body, set-up to monitorprogress of schemes under CSS II and ensureexpeditious strengthening of maritime andcoastal security, cannot have a permanentmandate. The recent announcement by thegovernment to set up a national maritimeauthority (NMA) is an overdue measure.
So far it appears that 26/11 has given theimpetus to propel the ‘Elephant’ to becomeaware of its vast maritime domain and set upsuitable defences to protect itself. Significantforward movement has been made towardsensuring our maritime security.The potential spoilers are:-l Failure to expeditiously overcome theweakest link viz. Fishing Vessel TrafficMonitoring System.l Inadequate attention to setting up aprofessional Marine Police force which is akey component of the architecture. l The growth and maturing oforganisations and the operationalarchitecture falling prey to dissonant andmyopic forces within various agencies.(E.g. The ICG should be designated as thesingle authority responsible for coastalsecurity, amending the charter of the ICGaccordingly and easing the Indian Navy outfrom coastal security responsibilities so asto concentrate on its blue water and war-fighting roles).
Scanter-5000 family used widely forcoastal surveillance © Terma
Indian Navy is responsiblefor overall maritime
security which includescoastal security and
offshore security. TheIndian Coast Guard wasadditionally designated
as the authorityresponsible for coastal
security in territorialwaters including areas
to be patrolled by Coastal Police.
”
Saab’s Vessel Management solutions for a safe, efficient and secure flow of traffic inports, waterways and coastal regions
29
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the impact, on account of informationrevolution amplifying the effect onaspirations, tactics and weapons of thecontestants, in the contest between wills.
The third generation of war developedwhen international relations were definedin terms of geopolitics through the influenceof military hard power especially in thecontext of scientifically advanced Europeannation states. In contrast, the fourthgeneration of war globally, is still coming of
age in the framework of globalisationcharacterised by balance of power deficitand in a world dominated by a singlesuperpower—and a military hegemon.Exponential increase in the number andtype of players on the international sceneimpacted by the compression of geographyand distance due to revolution in theinformation dominated world has furtherexaggerated the effect. Media intrusivenessand transparency has raised the bar of
international law and humanitarian codestringently on the use of force, especiallyagainst insidious agents who considerthemselves as freedom fighters instead ofterrorists and acts as a catalyst in theirproliferation. Privatisation of war andemergence of non-state actors (NSA)empowered by the globalisation andmotivated by radical ideologies with access tofinance and open source technology,facilitate such an altered strategic context.
“4GW is not new but return to warfarebefore emergence of nation states. It is mostly characterised by conflictswhich not just nations but manygroups will wage – It will be fought formany reasons beyond Clausewitzianexplanation of war as an extension ofpolitics by other means.”
—William S Lind
As the world progresses into thetwenty-first century, the character ofinternational security and its
management appears to be in the midst of a revolutionary shift, with the forces of technology, media, ideology andglobalisation, threatening to transform thetheory and practice of war.
Our nation is also coming to recognizethat we are at an inflection point in ourhistory. Multiple forms of attacks upon theIndian State are incubating and a multitude ofmanifested threats, with one commonpurpose to denigrate the power of the stateand the will of its people, are being usedsimultaneously against India, at multiplelevels, through resolute, sophisticated andadaptable adversaries. These adversariesunderstand that conflict for domination andinfluence occurs across a variety of forms andthrough platforms which could be structuredto fit one’s goals, at any particular time.
Defining the Fourth Generation:Fourth Generation of Warfare, as envisagedby William S Lind and others, primarilyfocuses on the fact that there are fourprincipal ideas from previous generationsof warfare, which would carry over into thisfourth generation. The first ideaincorporates the battlefield, which nowextends beyond traditional conflict zones tothe whole of an enemy’s landmass andsociety. This implies dispersion coupledwith increased importance for actions bysmall groups of combatants across thegeographical matrix will emerge. Thesecond idea pertains to the decreasingdependence on centralised logistics.Dispersion coupled with increased tempo ofoperations will necessitate an ability to live offthe land. The third idea emphasises onmanoeuvre. Smaller, compact groups andforces, which are highly manoeuvrable andagile, will tend to dominate the battlefieldand cause an internal collapse, instead ofdestroying the enemy physically.
Identification of enemy’s centers of gravitywill be highly important.
While Lind and other authors on thesubject outlined the tactical changesbetween the generations of modern war,what actually causes these, is even morerelevant. The true drivers of generationalchange probably lie in the political, social,ideological and economic contexts which areresident in the society, of that time. Each ofthese casts a pivotal influence and widens
ANIL CHAIT
KEY POINTSl Large number of non-state players onthe international scene playing a decisiverole in the fourth generation warfare.l Indian Army’s potential will beaugmented by Para-military forces.l Indian Special Forces tasked to dealwith asymmetric warfare have beenequipped with modern weapon systems,surveillance and target acquisition devices.
The Negev NG7 is the 7.62 mmversion of the IWI machine gun.It can also fire in semi-automatic mode to allowaccurate shooting, somethingthat might be appreciated byspecial forces © IWI
FOURTH GENERATION WARFARE:EQUIPPING THE ARMYFourth Generation Warfare is a decentralised form of warfare, where nation-stateslose their monopoly over violence and the adversaries are driven to non-conventionalwarfare and blurs the dividing line between civvies and the combatants
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:20 pm Page 1
4G WARFARE DECEMBER 2014 DSI
3130
the impact, on account of informationrevolution amplifying the effect onaspirations, tactics and weapons of thecontestants, in the contest between wills.
The third generation of war developedwhen international relations were definedin terms of geopolitics through the influenceof military hard power especially in thecontext of scientifically advanced Europeannation states. In contrast, the fourthgeneration of war globally, is still coming of
age in the framework of globalisationcharacterised by balance of power deficitand in a world dominated by a singlesuperpower—and a military hegemon.Exponential increase in the number andtype of players on the international sceneimpacted by the compression of geographyand distance due to revolution in theinformation dominated world has furtherexaggerated the effect. Media intrusivenessand transparency has raised the bar of
international law and humanitarian codestringently on the use of force, especiallyagainst insidious agents who considerthemselves as freedom fighters instead ofterrorists and acts as a catalyst in theirproliferation. Privatisation of war andemergence of non-state actors (NSA)empowered by the globalisation andmotivated by radical ideologies with access tofinance and open source technology,facilitate such an altered strategic context.
“4GW is not new but return to warfarebefore emergence of nation states. It is mostly characterised by conflictswhich not just nations but manygroups will wage – It will be fought formany reasons beyond Clausewitzianexplanation of war as an extension ofpolitics by other means.”
—William S Lind
As the world progresses into thetwenty-first century, the character ofinternational security and its
management appears to be in the midst of a revolutionary shift, with the forces of technology, media, ideology andglobalisation, threatening to transform thetheory and practice of war.
Our nation is also coming to recognizethat we are at an inflection point in ourhistory. Multiple forms of attacks upon theIndian State are incubating and a multitude ofmanifested threats, with one commonpurpose to denigrate the power of the stateand the will of its people, are being usedsimultaneously against India, at multiplelevels, through resolute, sophisticated andadaptable adversaries. These adversariesunderstand that conflict for domination andinfluence occurs across a variety of forms andthrough platforms which could be structuredto fit one’s goals, at any particular time.
Defining the Fourth Generation:Fourth Generation of Warfare, as envisagedby William S Lind and others, primarilyfocuses on the fact that there are fourprincipal ideas from previous generationsof warfare, which would carry over into thisfourth generation. The first ideaincorporates the battlefield, which nowextends beyond traditional conflict zones tothe whole of an enemy’s landmass andsociety. This implies dispersion coupledwith increased importance for actions bysmall groups of combatants across thegeographical matrix will emerge. Thesecond idea pertains to the decreasingdependence on centralised logistics.Dispersion coupled with increased tempo ofoperations will necessitate an ability to live offthe land. The third idea emphasises onmanoeuvre. Smaller, compact groups andforces, which are highly manoeuvrable andagile, will tend to dominate the battlefieldand cause an internal collapse, instead ofdestroying the enemy physically.
Identification of enemy’s centers of gravitywill be highly important.
While Lind and other authors on thesubject outlined the tactical changesbetween the generations of modern war,what actually causes these, is even morerelevant. The true drivers of generationalchange probably lie in the political, social,ideological and economic contexts which areresident in the society, of that time. Each ofthese casts a pivotal influence and widens
ANIL CHAIT
KEY POINTSl Large number of non-state players onthe international scene playing a decisiverole in the fourth generation warfare.l Indian Army’s potential will beaugmented by Para-military forces.l Indian Special Forces tasked to dealwith asymmetric warfare have beenequipped with modern weapon systems,surveillance and target acquisition devices.
The Negev NG7 is the 7.62 mmversion of the IWI machine gun.It can also fire in semi-automatic mode to allowaccurate shooting, somethingthat might be appreciated byspecial forces © IWI
FOURTH GENERATION WARFARE:EQUIPPING THE ARMYFourth Generation Warfare is a decentralised form of warfare, where nation-stateslose their monopoly over violence and the adversaries are driven to non-conventionalwarfare and blurs the dividing line between civvies and the combatants
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:20 pm Page 1
While nation states still remain theprimary actors, there is the presence of non-state international actors in the form of theUnited Nations, North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation, European Community,Organisation of African Unity, besides a widevariety of non-governmental organisationswhose influence is felt in the internationalarena. In addition, there are transnationalactors in the form of the media, religiousmovements, terrorist groups, drug cartels,and others, who have also acquired theability to influence international relations.Finally, sub-national groups have attemptedto elevate their issues from matters ofinternal politics to a level of internationalconcern by exploiting the networks whichthey create, sustain and generate.
Socially as human actors, we are alsoconstantly developing and expandingnational/ international networks in virtuallyevery field of endeavor. There has been an
exponential increase in the number oftransnational business associations, researchgroups, academic societies, and evenhobbyists, who maintain contact through awide variety of media. These networks with acommon cause and purpose tie peopletogether in distinctly nontraditional ways.Further, these associations provide a rapidlyincreasing flow of nonofficial informationbetween societies resulting in the weakeningof the links which tie the citizen to his nationstate. As national bonds become lessimportant, allegiance to sub national groupsbased on ethnic, religious, or cultural tiesincreases. Nation states therefore are likelyto find themselves torn in two directions -upward toward the international security,trade, and social organizations; anddownward, by sub-national movements thatwant to splinter the state, at ease with thetools of the evolving information age incollaboration with other tools of non-kineticand kinetic medium.
Indian Subcontinent and its FourthGeneration Variant:The South Asian region historically has beena conflict-prone region on account ofcolonialism and the bloody partition of India.Breakup of Pakistan has further increased theturmoil. An unsettled border of India withChina and increasing competition has thepotential to turn competing influences andinterests, into rivalry. Discord amongstethnic, religious and linguistic groups,criminalisation of politics and demographicshift and movement add to the instability inthe region. South Asia has been termed as themost dangerous place in the world. Under theconditions of strategic stability/instabilitycontinues to prevail as the states facing
financial and legitimacy crises begin to losetheir monopoly to wage war.
With China, India faces two types ofthreat. The first is on the immediateunsettled land borders, where China hasstrengthened its infrastructure, and thesecond is on account of being sucked intoregional power play as China starts to assertitself in South and East China seas and seeksto enter India ocean region under the garbof preventing maritime piracy.
Joint war fighting, integrated across thestreams, as envisaged by its strategicluminaries, forms the basis of its ‘militarymodernisation’. ‘Informationalisation, andlocalised conflict mixed and matched withthe calibrated reliance on facets of‘unrestricted warfare’ is planned to providethe framework of Sun Tzu war winningdictum “winning without fighting” or at leastcost. Colonels Qiao Liang and WangXiangsui of the People’s Liberation Army ofChina in their highly publicised book“Unrestricted Warfare” have alsochampioned the art of “asymmetricalwarfare.” The recommended conductinvolves asymmetric or multi-dimensionalattacks on almost every aspect of theopponent’s social, economic and politicalsystem. People’s Liberation Army conceptof war fighting for the “New Period” focusestowards this construct by incorporatingasymmetric warfare means in all phases of itscampaign planning process.
Pakistan is the current epicentre formajor Fourth Generation Warriors (4 GW) –since India has always been a readybattleground for the al Qaida, Taliban,Hizbul Mujahideen(HM), IndianMujahideen and its affiliates such as SIMIand Lashkar-e Taiba (LET), supported bythe Pakistan Army and the ISI to wageattacks. The main thrust has been to createsuch conditions in J&K where itscontinuation with the Indian Union appearsprohibitive to Indian polity. There have beenmultiple terrorist attacks against Indiawhich besides causing widespread loss oflives and property has caused wide spread
4G WARFARE DECEMBER 2014 DSI
32
polarisation between communities. Severaltrain and marketplace attacks, acrossseveral Indian cities including Pune,Hyderabad and Bangalore coinciding withreligious festivals have been undertakenmore for the purpose of impacting humanminds and polarising the communities, thanreally for a few casualties. These and manymore including the macabre drama in theParliament were done to show theincompetence of the State to defend itself.Employment of Fourth Generationasymmetrical tools and irregular means toundermine commitment of India willcontinue to be her preferred strategy andregularity of this irregular war willcontinue to haunt India in time ahead.
The announcement by Ayman AlZawahiri in setting up of Al Qaeda’s newterror wing for the Indian subcontinentto“raise the flag of jihad” and illusion of‘Khorasan” now becomes even moresignificant. It appears that the Pakistanimilitary is “stage-managing” the terroroutfit’s latest advance into India. There is“no doubt” that the announcement of aterror wing of the Al Qaeda in the Indiansubcontinent backed by the ISI will assumesignificance in future for India as theadvantages of their actions will directly bereaped by the Adversary State – Pakistan.
Strategy Tactics and Technology:4GW has moved much beyond the 26/11paradigm. As known now, the means
encompassed by 4GW go much beyond themilitary and include economic support tofinance the movement, of which counterfeitcurrency, drug trade, money launderingfacilitate support of terror activities.Subversion of youth, high pitch religiousbigotry, instigating or raising of contentiousissues, with the aim of disturbing publicpeace and keeping some region or other in
turmoil through sub-conventional means,keep the networks active. Support toterrorists, their training and equipment, atlevels comparable or even more advanced,than what is provided to our security forceskeeps the pot boiling by providing thekinetic punch to their non-kineticendeavours. Use of commercially availabletechnology could be exploited for enhancingthe impact of effect based operations.Following deductions therefore emerge:-(a) 4GW is a return to the way war wasfought before the rise of the state. Lines areblurring as there is no defined battlefield.Many different entities wage war throughdifferent forms and formats, for manydifferent reasons but towards one purpose.(b) Military campaigns supported byinformation operations are beingsupplanted by strategic communicationcampaign, supported by guerrilla andterrorist operations.(c) Many different tools to fight war,employing irregular and asymmetric meansand tactics are likely to be used to deal withthe adversary. These may not be new andmany could be standard guerrilla tactics.Strategy and tactics used will be dictated bythe disparity resulting in exploitation ofweakness and undermining of strength.(e) No state military has succeeded recentlyin defeating a non-state enemy. Jury is stillout whether U.S. will succeed against ISIS?
Trends in Equipping of Forces forCombating 4GWs:The US military’s commandos are amongthe most proficient and best kitted in theworld in dealing with the fourth generationthreats but to become even better, U.S.Special Operations Command recentlyissued a formal request for “Advancementof Technologies in Equipment for use byU.S. Special Operations Forces”. Anexamination of their requirement isinstructive as it suggests their quest ofcapabilities for becoming even faster,lighter, deadlier force, which could then beexamined for consideration by IndianSecurity Forces.
While Special Forces seek 338 Lapuamagnum anti-materiel ammunition thatwould be fired from the Precision Sniper Rifleat ranges from 500m-1500m to penetrateLevel IV body armour (500m Threshold,800m Objective), their interest in purchaseof Collapsible Concealable/ Take DownUrban Sniper Rifle (CUSR) continues. The
The ARX-160 can quickly shiftfrom the 5.56 to the 7.62x39 mmcalibre. This allows to adapt theweapon to specific special forcesmissions © Beretta
Pakistan is the currentepicenter for major Fourth
Generation Warriors (4GW) –since India has
always been a readybattleground for the alQaida, Taliban, Hizbul
Mujahideen(HM), IndianMujahideen and its
affiliates such as SIMI andLashkar-e Taiba (LET),
supported by the Pakistan Army and the ISI
to wage attacks.
”
Adopted by the American specialforces the FNH SCAR-H or Mk17 in
7.62x51 mm calibre was used inAfghanistan and other operational
theatres © FN Herstal
33
“The move toward 4GW isoccurring in parallel withthe move into theinformation age; with thepolitical, economic, andsocial changes affectingsociety as a whole - theessential characteristics ofthis new form of warfarehave been clearly illustratedin recent conflicts”
—Thomas X Hammes
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 5:04 pm Page 3
While nation states still remain theprimary actors, there is the presence of non-state international actors in the form of theUnited Nations, North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation, European Community,Organisation of African Unity, besides a widevariety of non-governmental organisationswhose influence is felt in the internationalarena. In addition, there are transnationalactors in the form of the media, religiousmovements, terrorist groups, drug cartels,and others, who have also acquired theability to influence international relations.Finally, sub-national groups have attemptedto elevate their issues from matters ofinternal politics to a level of internationalconcern by exploiting the networks whichthey create, sustain and generate.
Socially as human actors, we are alsoconstantly developing and expandingnational/ international networks in virtuallyevery field of endeavor. There has been an
exponential increase in the number oftransnational business associations, researchgroups, academic societies, and evenhobbyists, who maintain contact through awide variety of media. These networks with acommon cause and purpose tie peopletogether in distinctly nontraditional ways.Further, these associations provide a rapidlyincreasing flow of nonofficial informationbetween societies resulting in the weakeningof the links which tie the citizen to his nationstate. As national bonds become lessimportant, allegiance to sub national groupsbased on ethnic, religious, or cultural tiesincreases. Nation states therefore are likelyto find themselves torn in two directions -upward toward the international security,trade, and social organizations; anddownward, by sub-national movements thatwant to splinter the state, at ease with thetools of the evolving information age incollaboration with other tools of non-kineticand kinetic medium.
Indian Subcontinent and its FourthGeneration Variant:The South Asian region historically has beena conflict-prone region on account ofcolonialism and the bloody partition of India.Breakup of Pakistan has further increased theturmoil. An unsettled border of India withChina and increasing competition has thepotential to turn competing influences andinterests, into rivalry. Discord amongstethnic, religious and linguistic groups,criminalisation of politics and demographicshift and movement add to the instability inthe region. South Asia has been termed as themost dangerous place in the world. Under theconditions of strategic stability/instabilitycontinues to prevail as the states facing
financial and legitimacy crises begin to losetheir monopoly to wage war.
With China, India faces two types ofthreat. The first is on the immediateunsettled land borders, where China hasstrengthened its infrastructure, and thesecond is on account of being sucked intoregional power play as China starts to assertitself in South and East China seas and seeksto enter India ocean region under the garbof preventing maritime piracy.
Joint war fighting, integrated across thestreams, as envisaged by its strategicluminaries, forms the basis of its ‘militarymodernisation’. ‘Informationalisation, andlocalised conflict mixed and matched withthe calibrated reliance on facets of‘unrestricted warfare’ is planned to providethe framework of Sun Tzu war winningdictum “winning without fighting” or at leastcost. Colonels Qiao Liang and WangXiangsui of the People’s Liberation Army ofChina in their highly publicised book“Unrestricted Warfare” have alsochampioned the art of “asymmetricalwarfare.” The recommended conductinvolves asymmetric or multi-dimensionalattacks on almost every aspect of theopponent’s social, economic and politicalsystem. People’s Liberation Army conceptof war fighting for the “New Period” focusestowards this construct by incorporatingasymmetric warfare means in all phases of itscampaign planning process.
Pakistan is the current epicentre formajor Fourth Generation Warriors (4 GW) –since India has always been a readybattleground for the al Qaida, Taliban,Hizbul Mujahideen(HM), IndianMujahideen and its affiliates such as SIMIand Lashkar-e Taiba (LET), supported bythe Pakistan Army and the ISI to wageattacks. The main thrust has been to createsuch conditions in J&K where itscontinuation with the Indian Union appearsprohibitive to Indian polity. There have beenmultiple terrorist attacks against Indiawhich besides causing widespread loss oflives and property has caused wide spread
4G WARFARE DECEMBER 2014 DSI
32
polarisation between communities. Severaltrain and marketplace attacks, acrossseveral Indian cities including Pune,Hyderabad and Bangalore coinciding withreligious festivals have been undertakenmore for the purpose of impacting humanminds and polarising the communities, thanreally for a few casualties. These and manymore including the macabre drama in theParliament were done to show theincompetence of the State to defend itself.Employment of Fourth Generationasymmetrical tools and irregular means toundermine commitment of India willcontinue to be her preferred strategy andregularity of this irregular war willcontinue to haunt India in time ahead.
The announcement by Ayman AlZawahiri in setting up of Al Qaeda’s newterror wing for the Indian subcontinentto“raise the flag of jihad” and illusion of‘Khorasan” now becomes even moresignificant. It appears that the Pakistanimilitary is “stage-managing” the terroroutfit’s latest advance into India. There is“no doubt” that the announcement of aterror wing of the Al Qaeda in the Indiansubcontinent backed by the ISI will assumesignificance in future for India as theadvantages of their actions will directly bereaped by the Adversary State – Pakistan.
Strategy Tactics and Technology:4GW has moved much beyond the 26/11paradigm. As known now, the means
encompassed by 4GW go much beyond themilitary and include economic support tofinance the movement, of which counterfeitcurrency, drug trade, money launderingfacilitate support of terror activities.Subversion of youth, high pitch religiousbigotry, instigating or raising of contentiousissues, with the aim of disturbing publicpeace and keeping some region or other in
turmoil through sub-conventional means,keep the networks active. Support toterrorists, their training and equipment, atlevels comparable or even more advanced,than what is provided to our security forceskeeps the pot boiling by providing thekinetic punch to their non-kineticendeavours. Use of commercially availabletechnology could be exploited for enhancingthe impact of effect based operations.Following deductions therefore emerge:-(a) 4GW is a return to the way war wasfought before the rise of the state. Lines areblurring as there is no defined battlefield.Many different entities wage war throughdifferent forms and formats, for manydifferent reasons but towards one purpose.(b) Military campaigns supported byinformation operations are beingsupplanted by strategic communicationcampaign, supported by guerrilla andterrorist operations.(c) Many different tools to fight war,employing irregular and asymmetric meansand tactics are likely to be used to deal withthe adversary. These may not be new andmany could be standard guerrilla tactics.Strategy and tactics used will be dictated bythe disparity resulting in exploitation ofweakness and undermining of strength.(e) No state military has succeeded recentlyin defeating a non-state enemy. Jury is stillout whether U.S. will succeed against ISIS?
Trends in Equipping of Forces forCombating 4GWs:The US military’s commandos are amongthe most proficient and best kitted in theworld in dealing with the fourth generationthreats but to become even better, U.S.Special Operations Command recentlyissued a formal request for “Advancementof Technologies in Equipment for use byU.S. Special Operations Forces”. Anexamination of their requirement isinstructive as it suggests their quest ofcapabilities for becoming even faster,lighter, deadlier force, which could then beexamined for consideration by IndianSecurity Forces.
While Special Forces seek 338 Lapuamagnum anti-materiel ammunition thatwould be fired from the Precision Sniper Rifleat ranges from 500m-1500m to penetrateLevel IV body armour (500m Threshold,800m Objective), their interest in purchaseof Collapsible Concealable/ Take DownUrban Sniper Rifle (CUSR) continues. The
The ARX-160 can quickly shiftfrom the 5.56 to the 7.62x39 mmcalibre. This allows to adapt theweapon to specific special forcesmissions © Beretta
Pakistan is the currentepicenter for major Fourth
Generation Warriors (4GW) –since India has
always been a readybattleground for the alQaida, Taliban, Hizbul
Mujahideen(HM), IndianMujahideen and its
affiliates such as SIMI andLashkar-e Taiba (LET),
supported by the Pakistan Army and the ISI
to wage attacks.
”
Adopted by the American specialforces the FNH SCAR-H or Mk17 in
7.62x51 mm calibre was used inAfghanistan and other operational
theatres © FN Herstal
33
“The move toward 4GW isoccurring in parallel withthe move into theinformation age; with thepolitical, economic, andsocial changes affectingsociety as a whole - theessential characteristics ofthis new form of warfarehave been clearly illustratedin recent conflicts”
—Thomas X Hammes
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 5:04 pm Page 3
CUSR is a small and light sniper rifle that canbe rapidly disassembled for concealed carryand rapid reassembly by the operator toengage targets. Compatibility with currentsuppressors or use of suppressed barrelscontinues to be preferred.
Personnel Defense Weapon (PDW issignificantly smaller and lighter than theM4A1) with capabilities beyond any pistol.There are two types of interest, those basedon operator/unit armor modifications toa M4A1 carbine and those based on a unique weapon design, both of which must fire standard 5.56mm X 45mmNATO ammunition.
Small unit organic munitions capable ofdelivering highly accurate kinetic effects onstationary, moving, soft targets, on theinteriors of hardened targets, at rangesbeyond crew served weapons effectiverange, is being explored. Potential materialapproaches are likely to include guided40mm tube launched grenades; self-propelled, precision-guided, handheldgrenades; guided 84mm Carl Gustavmunitions; and handheld guided kineticallyarmed unmanned aerial systems.
Technologies that stop/disableindividuals for an extended duration and areless lethal and capable of being used oncombatant and non combatant, continuesto find favour with the Special Forces.
Heads-up Display (HUD) technology forday or night operations which can securelyand wirelessly support full motion video datafeeds besides supporting augmented reality;integrated sensors configurable withsoftware applications (“apps”) also figures inthe demand list. Such capabilities will enable
soldiers to be networked through actionablebattlefield information, by possessing mapdisplays with situational awareness data. Toenable processing speeds, requirement forboosted brainpower, via drugs or othermeans considered to be an advantagecontinues to be sought.
Indian Military Modernisation andEquipment PolicyFuture Infantry Soldier as a System (F-INSAS) programme initiated by the IndianArmy to modernize its 359 Infantrybattalions and 66 associated RR battalionsis moving forward at a snail’s pace. It wasmeant to provide a fully networked, allterrain, all weather personal equipmentplatforms with enhanced fire power andmobility for the digitised battlefield of thefuture. It was to include a modular weaponwith a thermal imaging sight. Under BarrelGrenade Launcher and Laser range finderwere the additional components. A combathelmet equipped with a head up displayand communication hand set; a smart vestwith a body monitoring system; a backpack with an integrated GPS and radio andprotective gear are expected to be a part ofthe complete programme. Replicating theU.S. Army Land Warrior programme, andbeing built around COTS components, it isexpected to cost around Rs 50,000 croreswith capability being sought urgently andon priority in the 12th plan. Capability forthe soldiers will also include hand heldsurveillance and thermal imaging devices
for observation at night. Standaloneintrusion devices will also be needed insufficient numbers. The DAC has alreadyapproved a new assault rifle of 5.56 calibreand a new generation carbine. Themanufacturers who appear to be in race areIWI Galil Ace carbine, Italy’s Beretta with itsARX 160 and the United States Colt and SigSaur offering the M4 AND 516 Patrolmodels. These weapons are undergoing thefield trial. In the case of carbines theselected vendor will be required to transfertechnology to the OFB to license build theweapon. The RFP for modular bullet proofvests and an equal number of helmets hasalready been issued and it seems thattenders for knee and elbow protection padsawait finalisation. The search of AlternateNVD’s with FOM of 1800 continues. Over-all the F-INSAS programme of the Armyand its mission of networking all entitieswill go a long way in building a counternetwork capabilities of war fighters incombating 4GW. Along-with the desire toacquire better weapons, thrust is also toseek new generation ammunition, multispectral camouflage suits, battle -fieldmanagement system and seek more UAVsand their upgrade in the field ofcommunication and SATA capability.
The Special Forces whose taskingincludes dealing with asymmetric warfare,unconventional/fourth generation warfareand specialist operations have beenequipped with modern weapon systemsalong with surveillance and target
Much lighter than a 12.7 mm MG and with a terminal effectdouble of that of a 7.62 mm one at comparable weight as far asthe weapon is concerned, GDATP LWMMG might well become
part of special forces armouries © GDATP
4G WARFARE DECEMBER 2014 DSI
34
acquisition (SATA) devices as part of thecapability enhancement to conduct theirtasks. Equipping of Special Forces lagswoefully behind, as packaged equipping ofsubunits has not taken place and criticalequipment is yet to be provisioned. Withnew technology coming in, development ofSF capability will continue to remain, a
priority ongoing task. On similar lines a‘Ghatak Brick’ has been authorised to eachbattalion for creating a composite packageof additional capabilities. This up-gradation will facilitate the platoons to dotheir task with enhanced efficiency andcomparative ease in conventional and sub-conventional operations.
The capability of Indian Army will beaugmented by para-military and joint forces.Ten battalions of COBRA of CRPF are alreadyready and can be used for combating 4GW.Two battalions of National Security Guardcould similarly be used for intelligence-ledoperations. Similarly Cyber Command,should it get established in the 12th Plan(2012-2017), will greatly contribute tomilitary’s mission for dealing with thesethreats in the non-kinetic domain.
Future conflicts therefore are expectedto be multi-model or multi-variant ratherthan through characterisation of one formof warfare. The construct involving moreblurring and blending of war forms incombination of increasing irregular withregular with increasing probability, is whatwill be confronted by us.
Studies show that fourth generationtactics are rarely employed exclusively.Rather they exist side by side with the tacticsof earlier generations. Therefore, it will beessential for military leaders and securityexperts to make an accurate analysis of howto deal with the problem of constructing afull spectrum capability.
The 5.56 mm version of the Negev here equippedwith a Mepro 21 sight © IWI
“Globalization and othercurrent environmentalforces have distressinglyexacerbated the potentialinfluence of asymmetric andnon-state actors, leading toa wider spectrum ofconflicts with an extensiverange of opponents andactivities, making futurewarfare more broad anddynamic than ever”
DEPT RFI NAME OPENING DATE CLOSING DATEIndian Army RFI for 9MM Pistol 30 May 2014 25 Jun 2014Indian Army Procurement of Flexible Surveillance Device (FSD) 22 Apr 2014 15 May 2014Indian Army Procurement of Flame Thrower (Disposable) 04 Mar 2014 15 Apr 2014Indian Army Procurement of General Purpose Anti Personal Grenades 29 Apr 2013 15 May 2013Indian Army Procurement of 12 Bore Pump Action Shot Gun (PASG) 26 Jul 2012 15 Aug 2012Indian Army RFI for Anti Material Rifle 10 Jul 2012 05 Aug 2012Indian Army Night Sight For Carbine 23 May 2012 14 Jun 2012Indian Army RFI for procure Mini Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) 22 May 2012 01 Jul 2012Indian Army RFI for procure Fibrescope 22 May 2012 10 Jul 2012Indian Army Request for Information for Sniper Rifle for Infantry 18 May 2012 15 Jun 2012
RFP NAMEIndian Army Remote opening tool kit (CROT) , explosive detective kits, Hook and line set 14 Feb 2014 7 Mar 2014 Indian Army Spotting Scope with Digital SLR Camera 8 Nov 2013 3 Dec 2013 Indian Army Night Sight for 7.62mm Dragunov Sniper Rifle 3 Sep 2013 14 Oct 2013 Indian Army Bullet proof shield 31 Aug 2013 3 Oct 2013 Indian Army Mini UAVs 27 Aug 2013 24 Sep 2013 Indian Army Passive Night Sight for Rif AK-47 13 Aug 2013 23 Sep 2013 Indian Army Bullet Proof Jacket 16 Jul 2013 13 Aug 2013 Indian Army Ballistic Helmet 20 Jul 2013 20 Aug 2013 Indian Army Tactical Vest 20 Jul 2013 19 Aug 2013 Indian Army Surveillance Camera 29 Jun 2013 27 Jul 2013 Indian Army Harness for Bullet Proof Jacket 24 May 2013 28 Jun 2013 Indian Army Tactical Vest 25 Mar 2013 20 Apr 2013
LIST OF RELEVANT RFI / RFP W.E.F 2012-2014
35
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:20 pm Page 5
CUSR is a small and light sniper rifle that canbe rapidly disassembled for concealed carryand rapid reassembly by the operator toengage targets. Compatibility with currentsuppressors or use of suppressed barrelscontinues to be preferred.
Personnel Defense Weapon (PDW issignificantly smaller and lighter than theM4A1) with capabilities beyond any pistol.There are two types of interest, those basedon operator/unit armor modifications toa M4A1 carbine and those based on a unique weapon design, both of which must fire standard 5.56mm X 45mmNATO ammunition.
Small unit organic munitions capable ofdelivering highly accurate kinetic effects onstationary, moving, soft targets, on theinteriors of hardened targets, at rangesbeyond crew served weapons effectiverange, is being explored. Potential materialapproaches are likely to include guided40mm tube launched grenades; self-propelled, precision-guided, handheldgrenades; guided 84mm Carl Gustavmunitions; and handheld guided kineticallyarmed unmanned aerial systems.
Technologies that stop/disableindividuals for an extended duration and areless lethal and capable of being used oncombatant and non combatant, continuesto find favour with the Special Forces.
Heads-up Display (HUD) technology forday or night operations which can securelyand wirelessly support full motion video datafeeds besides supporting augmented reality;integrated sensors configurable withsoftware applications (“apps”) also figures inthe demand list. Such capabilities will enable
soldiers to be networked through actionablebattlefield information, by possessing mapdisplays with situational awareness data. Toenable processing speeds, requirement forboosted brainpower, via drugs or othermeans considered to be an advantagecontinues to be sought.
Indian Military Modernisation andEquipment PolicyFuture Infantry Soldier as a System (F-INSAS) programme initiated by the IndianArmy to modernize its 359 Infantrybattalions and 66 associated RR battalionsis moving forward at a snail’s pace. It wasmeant to provide a fully networked, allterrain, all weather personal equipmentplatforms with enhanced fire power andmobility for the digitised battlefield of thefuture. It was to include a modular weaponwith a thermal imaging sight. Under BarrelGrenade Launcher and Laser range finderwere the additional components. A combathelmet equipped with a head up displayand communication hand set; a smart vestwith a body monitoring system; a backpack with an integrated GPS and radio andprotective gear are expected to be a part ofthe complete programme. Replicating theU.S. Army Land Warrior programme, andbeing built around COTS components, it isexpected to cost around Rs 50,000 croreswith capability being sought urgently andon priority in the 12th plan. Capability forthe soldiers will also include hand heldsurveillance and thermal imaging devices
for observation at night. Standaloneintrusion devices will also be needed insufficient numbers. The DAC has alreadyapproved a new assault rifle of 5.56 calibreand a new generation carbine. Themanufacturers who appear to be in race areIWI Galil Ace carbine, Italy’s Beretta with itsARX 160 and the United States Colt and SigSaur offering the M4 AND 516 Patrolmodels. These weapons are undergoing thefield trial. In the case of carbines theselected vendor will be required to transfertechnology to the OFB to license build theweapon. The RFP for modular bullet proofvests and an equal number of helmets hasalready been issued and it seems thattenders for knee and elbow protection padsawait finalisation. The search of AlternateNVD’s with FOM of 1800 continues. Over-all the F-INSAS programme of the Armyand its mission of networking all entitieswill go a long way in building a counternetwork capabilities of war fighters incombating 4GW. Along-with the desire toacquire better weapons, thrust is also toseek new generation ammunition, multispectral camouflage suits, battle -fieldmanagement system and seek more UAVsand their upgrade in the field ofcommunication and SATA capability.
The Special Forces whose taskingincludes dealing with asymmetric warfare,unconventional/fourth generation warfareand specialist operations have beenequipped with modern weapon systemsalong with surveillance and target
Much lighter than a 12.7 mm MG and with a terminal effectdouble of that of a 7.62 mm one at comparable weight as far asthe weapon is concerned, GDATP LWMMG might well become
part of special forces armouries © GDATP
4G WARFARE DECEMBER 2014 DSI
34
acquisition (SATA) devices as part of thecapability enhancement to conduct theirtasks. Equipping of Special Forces lagswoefully behind, as packaged equipping ofsubunits has not taken place and criticalequipment is yet to be provisioned. Withnew technology coming in, development ofSF capability will continue to remain, a
priority ongoing task. On similar lines a‘Ghatak Brick’ has been authorised to eachbattalion for creating a composite packageof additional capabilities. This up-gradation will facilitate the platoons to dotheir task with enhanced efficiency andcomparative ease in conventional and sub-conventional operations.
The capability of Indian Army will beaugmented by para-military and joint forces.Ten battalions of COBRA of CRPF are alreadyready and can be used for combating 4GW.Two battalions of National Security Guardcould similarly be used for intelligence-ledoperations. Similarly Cyber Command,should it get established in the 12th Plan(2012-2017), will greatly contribute tomilitary’s mission for dealing with thesethreats in the non-kinetic domain.
Future conflicts therefore are expectedto be multi-model or multi-variant ratherthan through characterisation of one formof warfare. The construct involving moreblurring and blending of war forms incombination of increasing irregular withregular with increasing probability, is whatwill be confronted by us.
Studies show that fourth generationtactics are rarely employed exclusively.Rather they exist side by side with the tacticsof earlier generations. Therefore, it will beessential for military leaders and securityexperts to make an accurate analysis of howto deal with the problem of constructing afull spectrum capability.
The 5.56 mm version of the Negev here equippedwith a Mepro 21 sight © IWI
“Globalization and othercurrent environmentalforces have distressinglyexacerbated the potentialinfluence of asymmetric andnon-state actors, leading toa wider spectrum ofconflicts with an extensiverange of opponents andactivities, making futurewarfare more broad anddynamic than ever”
DEPT RFI NAME OPENING DATE CLOSING DATEIndian Army RFI for 9MM Pistol 30 May 2014 25 Jun 2014Indian Army Procurement of Flexible Surveillance Device (FSD) 22 Apr 2014 15 May 2014Indian Army Procurement of Flame Thrower (Disposable) 04 Mar 2014 15 Apr 2014Indian Army Procurement of General Purpose Anti Personal Grenades 29 Apr 2013 15 May 2013Indian Army Procurement of 12 Bore Pump Action Shot Gun (PASG) 26 Jul 2012 15 Aug 2012Indian Army RFI for Anti Material Rifle 10 Jul 2012 05 Aug 2012Indian Army Night Sight For Carbine 23 May 2012 14 Jun 2012Indian Army RFI for procure Mini Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) 22 May 2012 01 Jul 2012Indian Army RFI for procure Fibrescope 22 May 2012 10 Jul 2012Indian Army Request for Information for Sniper Rifle for Infantry 18 May 2012 15 Jun 2012
RFP NAMEIndian Army Remote opening tool kit (CROT) , explosive detective kits, Hook and line set 14 Feb 2014 7 Mar 2014 Indian Army Spotting Scope with Digital SLR Camera 8 Nov 2013 3 Dec 2013 Indian Army Night Sight for 7.62mm Dragunov Sniper Rifle 3 Sep 2013 14 Oct 2013 Indian Army Bullet proof shield 31 Aug 2013 3 Oct 2013 Indian Army Mini UAVs 27 Aug 2013 24 Sep 2013 Indian Army Passive Night Sight for Rif AK-47 13 Aug 2013 23 Sep 2013 Indian Army Bullet Proof Jacket 16 Jul 2013 13 Aug 2013 Indian Army Ballistic Helmet 20 Jul 2013 20 Aug 2013 Indian Army Tactical Vest 20 Jul 2013 19 Aug 2013 Indian Army Surveillance Camera 29 Jun 2013 27 Jul 2013 Indian Army Harness for Bullet Proof Jacket 24 May 2013 28 Jun 2013 Indian Army Tactical Vest 25 Mar 2013 20 Apr 2013
LIST OF RELEVANT RFI / RFP W.E.F 2012-2014
35
Fourth Gen.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:20 pm Page 5
DEFENCE TIES
36
Between Devyani Khobragade episodeof Indo-US relations, and theelection of Narendra Modi as prime
minister of India, not much seem to havechanged in the bilateral relationship. Itmight be Modi’s foreign policyprioritisations that lent credence to thisthought, but it could also be the fact of thevisa denial to Modi in the wake of 2002 thatcould have clouded the relationship.
None of the public occasions of Modi,even the event at Madison Square Gardenwith non-resident Indians in the USA, didnot hark back to that decision of the denial
of visa. In fact as always, there were a bandof believers who would consider a highlevel Indo-US interaction to be the goldstandard of India’s foreign policy. Thoseinternal voices seem typically silent even afortnight before Modi was to visitWashington to meet the US President,Barack Obama in end-September.
The fact that the Indian prime ministerwas staying in the USA for four days; withModi’s Gujarati community booking theMadison Square Garden, New York, for agrand public appearance, and two days ofmeetings with Obama, the trip should havegiven high octane energy boosters to boththe ministry of external affairs; ministry ofdefence etc, and sections of the media.
But New Delhi in mid-September was fullof stories about how Chinese President, XiJinping, and his hundred oddbusinessmen’s delegation is going to invest $
20 billion in the country building railways,roads and other infrastructure projects. IsModi auguring a brave new world, where theancien regime the US leadership represent,was like an ill-fitting raiment that one has todon out of compulsion?
This is the USA mired in battles in areas ofWest Asia against resurgent Islamistfanatics in Washington’s long dragging andmilitant spawning ‘war on terror.’ This isalso the USA where poverty is rising; racialdiscrimination is deepening divides; andone where every move to alleviate some ofthe economic and social inequities within,is blocked at the Congress, where theRepublican Party legislators, and some ofthe Democratic Party government officials,seek to show who is more over the edge withneo-conservative fanaticism than the other.
That, however, is the least of India’sworries. Modi has to establish a modusoperandi with the US administration bywhich some of India’s worries about theglobalised market forces are alleviated. Thecase in point is the veto India exercisedover the Trade Facilitation Agreement(TFA) at Bali, Indonesia.
India’s argument was simple. Unless thedeveloped countries agreed to raise theceiling over agricultural and food subsidies,
it would not sign on the TFA, which theformer desperately want to resuscitate theirailing economies.
That was a kind of rhetoric Washington,London or Berlin have not heard in a whilewhen Manmohan Singh government was inpower. This was a level of Indocentricism thatthe world had not heard recently. Indeed, itresonated in Brasilia, Beijing, and Kampala.
So what was there to look for from Modi’strip to Washington that actually led from NewYork, where he will be attending the newlyconvened United Nations General Assembly?
Agenda Points:The USA is seriously wooing Indian defencesector to get a large share of the militarymodernisation pie. During the time of AKAntony, the entreaties of the Americanbusinessmen and politicians alike weremostly falling on deaf ears. Will Modigovernment be more receptive to them?That will be tested out.
The USA is seriously wooing Indiandefence sector to get a large share of the
$ 200 billion over ten years the governmenthas indicated for spending on the sector.Already, Washington has made two majoralterations in its wooing of the Modigovernment. When the Defence Secretary,Chuck Hagel was here in New Delhi inAugust, he made the telling points: one, theUS military-industrial complex was readyto “co-develop” and “co-produce” importantmilitary hardware with Indian corporatesand even the Defence Research andDevelopment Organisation (DRDO);second, the USA was no longer seeing Indiaas a hedge against China’s rise.
Hagel had stated that India could havean independent relationship with the USAand also with China. The two are notmutually exclusive. This should end thefeverish speculation in India in certaininterested sections of the elite, whetherIndia, Japan and USA could stand ‘tall’ inthe face of Chinese ‘expansionism’.
By the end of the trip the mention of thestatus of the international maritimeagreements for South China Sea in the Indo-US joint statement showed that Washingtonhas not entirely forgotten its strategic vision.
Then there is the issue of Afghanistan-Pakistan. While India is getting ready for apost-NATO withdrawal phase inAfghanistan; New Delhi can still do withsome support in political terms from the US,which has so rightly vowed to stay engaged inthe country, . Considering that the stock ofthe US is not particularly high at this
moment in time, in Afghanistan, a tie-upwith India’s developmental agenda can addto Washington’s shine a bit.
On the other hand, the absence ofmention of Pakistan in any of thearticulations left a lot unsaid. Though it wasthought to (would be) highly appreciated inIndia if the US Administration couldindicate to Modi how much support theywould continue to provide Pakistan’s rulingelite as the latter continue to foster terroristattacks. The two agendas – Modi’s andWashington’s – have to meld together forIndia to stay peaceful in the short term.
It would be interesting to see howNarendra Modi accounts to Obama for those500-odd Muslim boys who have finally beenlured into the hands of the global jihadists.This is a time when one should recall afamous Lal Krishna Advani statement after9/11. He, the deputy prime minister then,had pointed out despite the resurgent al-Qaeda spreading the message of jihad notone Indian Muslim have signed up on theirirredentist plot of creating a Caliphate.
Modi too made a strong statement in thewake of the news that al Qaeda establishedan Indo-centric sub-continental branch.He said that the Muslims of India can liveand die for the country.
KEY POINTSl The USA is wooing Indian defencesector to get a large share of the $200billion over ten years.l India will need the help of the USA inestablishing Indian Navy’s footprint onthe Ocean waters.l The negotiations on nuclear energyprogramme should cater to India’s wish ofbecoming a member of the NSG.
PINAKIBHATTACHARYA
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
WASHINGTON
Modi’s visit to the United States provides an opportunityto strengthen bilateral ties, which stagnated during theUPA II government. The strengthened bilateralrelationship would offer cooperation on various sharedinterests like economic, defence, and security.
IAF C-17 Globemaster III airlifter. C-17 aircraft is thefirst major procurement from US. IAF is the world’s
second-largest operator of the C-17 after the US © Boeing
CALLING
37
Indo-US.qxp_INDO-US.qxd 22/12/14 3:23 pm Page 1
DEFENCE TIES
36
Between Devyani Khobragade episodeof Indo-US relations, and theelection of Narendra Modi as prime
minister of India, not much seem to havechanged in the bilateral relationship. Itmight be Modi’s foreign policyprioritisations that lent credence to thisthought, but it could also be the fact of thevisa denial to Modi in the wake of 2002 thatcould have clouded the relationship.
None of the public occasions of Modi,even the event at Madison Square Gardenwith non-resident Indians in the USA, didnot hark back to that decision of the denial
of visa. In fact as always, there were a bandof believers who would consider a highlevel Indo-US interaction to be the goldstandard of India’s foreign policy. Thoseinternal voices seem typically silent even afortnight before Modi was to visitWashington to meet the US President,Barack Obama in end-September.
The fact that the Indian prime ministerwas staying in the USA for four days; withModi’s Gujarati community booking theMadison Square Garden, New York, for agrand public appearance, and two days ofmeetings with Obama, the trip should havegiven high octane energy boosters to boththe ministry of external affairs; ministry ofdefence etc, and sections of the media.
But New Delhi in mid-September was fullof stories about how Chinese President, XiJinping, and his hundred oddbusinessmen’s delegation is going to invest $
20 billion in the country building railways,roads and other infrastructure projects. IsModi auguring a brave new world, where theancien regime the US leadership represent,was like an ill-fitting raiment that one has todon out of compulsion?
This is the USA mired in battles in areas ofWest Asia against resurgent Islamistfanatics in Washington’s long dragging andmilitant spawning ‘war on terror.’ This isalso the USA where poverty is rising; racialdiscrimination is deepening divides; andone where every move to alleviate some ofthe economic and social inequities within,is blocked at the Congress, where theRepublican Party legislators, and some ofthe Democratic Party government officials,seek to show who is more over the edge withneo-conservative fanaticism than the other.
That, however, is the least of India’sworries. Modi has to establish a modusoperandi with the US administration bywhich some of India’s worries about theglobalised market forces are alleviated. Thecase in point is the veto India exercisedover the Trade Facilitation Agreement(TFA) at Bali, Indonesia.
India’s argument was simple. Unless thedeveloped countries agreed to raise theceiling over agricultural and food subsidies,
it would not sign on the TFA, which theformer desperately want to resuscitate theirailing economies.
That was a kind of rhetoric Washington,London or Berlin have not heard in a whilewhen Manmohan Singh government was inpower. This was a level of Indocentricism thatthe world had not heard recently. Indeed, itresonated in Brasilia, Beijing, and Kampala.
So what was there to look for from Modi’strip to Washington that actually led from NewYork, where he will be attending the newlyconvened United Nations General Assembly?
Agenda Points:The USA is seriously wooing Indian defencesector to get a large share of the militarymodernisation pie. During the time of AKAntony, the entreaties of the Americanbusinessmen and politicians alike weremostly falling on deaf ears. Will Modigovernment be more receptive to them?That will be tested out.
The USA is seriously wooing Indiandefence sector to get a large share of the
$ 200 billion over ten years the governmenthas indicated for spending on the sector.Already, Washington has made two majoralterations in its wooing of the Modigovernment. When the Defence Secretary,Chuck Hagel was here in New Delhi inAugust, he made the telling points: one, theUS military-industrial complex was readyto “co-develop” and “co-produce” importantmilitary hardware with Indian corporatesand even the Defence Research andDevelopment Organisation (DRDO);second, the USA was no longer seeing Indiaas a hedge against China’s rise.
Hagel had stated that India could havean independent relationship with the USAand also with China. The two are notmutually exclusive. This should end thefeverish speculation in India in certaininterested sections of the elite, whetherIndia, Japan and USA could stand ‘tall’ inthe face of Chinese ‘expansionism’.
By the end of the trip the mention of thestatus of the international maritimeagreements for South China Sea in the Indo-US joint statement showed that Washingtonhas not entirely forgotten its strategic vision.
Then there is the issue of Afghanistan-Pakistan. While India is getting ready for apost-NATO withdrawal phase inAfghanistan; New Delhi can still do withsome support in political terms from the US,which has so rightly vowed to stay engaged inthe country, . Considering that the stock ofthe US is not particularly high at this
moment in time, in Afghanistan, a tie-upwith India’s developmental agenda can addto Washington’s shine a bit.
On the other hand, the absence ofmention of Pakistan in any of thearticulations left a lot unsaid. Though it wasthought to (would be) highly appreciated inIndia if the US Administration couldindicate to Modi how much support theywould continue to provide Pakistan’s rulingelite as the latter continue to foster terroristattacks. The two agendas – Modi’s andWashington’s – have to meld together forIndia to stay peaceful in the short term.
It would be interesting to see howNarendra Modi accounts to Obama for those500-odd Muslim boys who have finally beenlured into the hands of the global jihadists.This is a time when one should recall afamous Lal Krishna Advani statement after9/11. He, the deputy prime minister then,had pointed out despite the resurgent al-Qaeda spreading the message of jihad notone Indian Muslim have signed up on theirirredentist plot of creating a Caliphate.
Modi too made a strong statement in thewake of the news that al Qaeda establishedan Indo-centric sub-continental branch.He said that the Muslims of India can liveand die for the country.
KEY POINTSl The USA is wooing Indian defencesector to get a large share of the $200billion over ten years.l India will need the help of the USA inestablishing Indian Navy’s footprint onthe Ocean waters.l The negotiations on nuclear energyprogramme should cater to India’s wish ofbecoming a member of the NSG.
PINAKIBHATTACHARYA
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
WASHINGTON
Modi’s visit to the United States provides an opportunityto strengthen bilateral ties, which stagnated during theUPA II government. The strengthened bilateralrelationship would offer cooperation on various sharedinterests like economic, defence, and security.
IAF C-17 Globemaster III airlifter. C-17 aircraft is thefirst major procurement from US. IAF is the world’s
second-largest operator of the C-17 after the US © Boeing
CALLING
37
Indo-US.qxp_INDO-US.qxd 22/12/14 3:23 pm Page 1
It will be also important to see in theimmediate future that on the issue of ‘co-development’ and ‘co-production’ ofmilitary weapons and equipments, whetherthe USA urge India again to sign on whatthey call the “three foundationalagreements” – the CISMOA, LSA and theBasic Exchange and CooperationAgreement on Geospatial Cooperation.
The USA failed to make Antony sign onthe dotted line during his long tenure asdefence minister of the country. Yet,Washington did claim earlier that unlessthey could conclude these agreements,sales of military items from the US would get hindered.
Having said that, Hagel, when he washere did not actually make a mention ofthese, at least publicly, during his recent tourof India. And now that the narrative haschanged to ‘co-production,’ any movementon the agreements is to be viewed closely.
Will Modi also seek a revalidation of theUS promise, made by the AmericanPresident, Barack Obama during his lasttour of the country about supporting NewDelhi’s bid for a permanent seat at theUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC)?Amidst the bonhomie of the joint visit to the Lincoln Memorial, all that New Delhi was an expression of desire for UN reforms.
Ahead of the trip, India had signed on theAdditional Protocol of the IAEA, agreeing toseveral safeguards about separating thecivilian nuclear programme from the
nuclear weapons programme. This was aresidual agreement, stemming from the 123agreement that ndia had signed with theBush Administration.
The civilian agreement should alsoremove some of the roadblocks on India’sdesire to become a member of the NuclearSuppliers’ Group. India also needsmembership of the Wassenaar Arrangementand the Australia Group, before it can countitself to be a de-facto nuclear weapon State.
Obama, after he had become thepresident, had slowed down the pace of theUS’s efforts at making India a party to the N-5without the country fulfilling theconditionalities of the Treaty on Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT). He had stayed the hand ofthe Administration in pushing India’scandidature to the NSG. It remains to be seenwhether it pushes India’s case this time.
India, in its turn, had quite rightly pulledback from allowing American nuclearenergy majors and power producers a freerun in the country. It had passed a strictlegislation with ‘liability’ clauses pushing theinsurance costs high for companies likeWestinghouse etc. Still, they wanted thisnew vista for doing business.
Modi certainly encountered on all thesepending issues of the 2008 agreement withthe US on the civilian nuclear energycooperation during his trip.
DEFENCE TIES DECEMBER 2014 DSI
A key element of the Indo-US defencerelations are the joint exercises of the threearms – army, navy and the air force – withtheir American counterparts. In fact,recently, India Army and the US Army tookpart in their annual exercise, ‘Yudh Abhyas’.Reports at the beginning of the DefenceFramework Agreement of 2004 talkedabout the joint military exercises creating“interoperability” amongst the two forces.
In the latter years of the Antony ministry,the issue of exercising for building“interoperability” had been removed fromthe lexicon. The Americans surely sought togauge whether Modi was agreeable to theproposition of the Indian armed forcesdevelopment of interoperability, which pre-supposes joint action, where each force canreplace of the other seamlessly.
Modi should encourage the Americanarms manufacturers to compete in bidsinstead of seeking sales to India under theForeign Military Sales route. While it maybe a secure way of transacting business withIndia, considering those deals aregovernment to government – thus cuttingout the influences of middlemen – they stilldo not offer a competitive price for thepurchases made by the country. Consideringthe fact these sales are routed through theUS government to the US Congress and thento the US administration again for
identifying supplier/s (suppliers), the price isalso fixed by Washington in the process,leaving aside any attempt at negotiations.
India has a long shopping list for sourcingmilitary arsenals from the US. It requires abulk quantity of helicopters – light andmedium utility, attack and heavy liftchoppers. Of course, Modi government hasmade indigenisation a mantra in the defenceministry, there are items still that will need tobe possibly bought outright and/orproduced under licence here.
Considering the fact that the IndianArmy is raising a full mountain corps andexpanding the number of Special Forcesunits, the demand for American equipmentcan only rise. Some of the war-fighting stuffthat the country needs on a short notice arenight vision devices, artillery guns (thoughthe Modi government have shown a markedpreference for the homegrown variety),aircraft engines, small arms etc.
Finally, as an emerging military power,India has the desire to project its influenceacross the Indian Ocean, hitherto beingdominated by the USA. So New Delhi willneed the help of Washington in establishingIndian Navy’s footprint on the Ocean watersand the littoral states.
While the visit of Xi Jinping has reflectedthe desire of India and China to develop afull scale relationship based on cooperation,the element of competition between the twowill, on occasions, underscore the US role inthe Indo-Pacific. Modi’s high profile visit toJapan could augur for a balancing act, Indiawill have to play in terms Chinese influencesand disputes on the one hand and US-Japan-ASEAN interests on the other.
That will only be possible if India bolstersits strategic autonomy and has the muscleto undergird its political initiatives. Whileall across the world US arms have normallyfollowed US politics, in India this paradigmhas to change. Modi would do well to keepthe two separate compartments; only toallow synergy between the two when Indianeeds it.
It should be borne in mind with respectto Modi’s visit, that the Indo-US defencerelations really saw its acme during theKargil conflict of 1999, when Bill Clinton hadhimself intervened to make Nawaz Sharifoverrule the army generals led by the Chief ofArmy Staff, General Parvez Musharraf, andbring to an end to the conflict. That was alsothe beginning of the countdown that led tothe de-hyphenation of the India-Pakistan
India has a long shoppinglist for sourcing militaryarsenals from the US. It
requires a bulk quantity ofhelicopters – light and
medium utility, attack andheavy lift choppers. Of
course, Modi governmenthas made indigenisation a
mantra in the defenceministry, there are itemsstill that will need to be
possibly bought outrightand/or produced under
licence here.
” 39
US based Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk, strong contenderfor Indian Navy multi-role helicopters contract
Indian Army infantryman is familiarizing with the American machine gun prior to fieldtraining as part of the annual India-US Yudh Abhyas training exercise
38
Indo-US.qxp_INDO-US.qxd 22/12/14 3:23 pm Page 3
It will be also important to see in theimmediate future that on the issue of ‘co-development’ and ‘co-production’ ofmilitary weapons and equipments, whetherthe USA urge India again to sign on whatthey call the “three foundationalagreements” – the CISMOA, LSA and theBasic Exchange and CooperationAgreement on Geospatial Cooperation.
The USA failed to make Antony sign onthe dotted line during his long tenure asdefence minister of the country. Yet,Washington did claim earlier that unlessthey could conclude these agreements,sales of military items from the US would get hindered.
Having said that, Hagel, when he washere did not actually make a mention ofthese, at least publicly, during his recent tourof India. And now that the narrative haschanged to ‘co-production,’ any movementon the agreements is to be viewed closely.
Will Modi also seek a revalidation of theUS promise, made by the AmericanPresident, Barack Obama during his lasttour of the country about supporting NewDelhi’s bid for a permanent seat at theUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC)?Amidst the bonhomie of the joint visit to the Lincoln Memorial, all that New Delhi was an expression of desire for UN reforms.
Ahead of the trip, India had signed on theAdditional Protocol of the IAEA, agreeing toseveral safeguards about separating thecivilian nuclear programme from the
nuclear weapons programme. This was aresidual agreement, stemming from the 123agreement that ndia had signed with theBush Administration.
The civilian agreement should alsoremove some of the roadblocks on India’sdesire to become a member of the NuclearSuppliers’ Group. India also needsmembership of the Wassenaar Arrangementand the Australia Group, before it can countitself to be a de-facto nuclear weapon State.
Obama, after he had become thepresident, had slowed down the pace of theUS’s efforts at making India a party to the N-5without the country fulfilling theconditionalities of the Treaty on Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT). He had stayed the hand ofthe Administration in pushing India’scandidature to the NSG. It remains to be seenwhether it pushes India’s case this time.
India, in its turn, had quite rightly pulledback from allowing American nuclearenergy majors and power producers a freerun in the country. It had passed a strictlegislation with ‘liability’ clauses pushing theinsurance costs high for companies likeWestinghouse etc. Still, they wanted thisnew vista for doing business.
Modi certainly encountered on all thesepending issues of the 2008 agreement withthe US on the civilian nuclear energycooperation during his trip.
DEFENCE TIES DECEMBER 2014 DSI
A key element of the Indo-US defencerelations are the joint exercises of the threearms – army, navy and the air force – withtheir American counterparts. In fact,recently, India Army and the US Army tookpart in their annual exercise, ‘Yudh Abhyas’.Reports at the beginning of the DefenceFramework Agreement of 2004 talkedabout the joint military exercises creating“interoperability” amongst the two forces.
In the latter years of the Antony ministry,the issue of exercising for building“interoperability” had been removed fromthe lexicon. The Americans surely sought togauge whether Modi was agreeable to theproposition of the Indian armed forcesdevelopment of interoperability, which pre-supposes joint action, where each force canreplace of the other seamlessly.
Modi should encourage the Americanarms manufacturers to compete in bidsinstead of seeking sales to India under theForeign Military Sales route. While it maybe a secure way of transacting business withIndia, considering those deals aregovernment to government – thus cuttingout the influences of middlemen – they stilldo not offer a competitive price for thepurchases made by the country. Consideringthe fact these sales are routed through theUS government to the US Congress and thento the US administration again for
identifying supplier/s (suppliers), the price isalso fixed by Washington in the process,leaving aside any attempt at negotiations.
India has a long shopping list for sourcingmilitary arsenals from the US. It requires abulk quantity of helicopters – light andmedium utility, attack and heavy liftchoppers. Of course, Modi government hasmade indigenisation a mantra in the defenceministry, there are items still that will need tobe possibly bought outright and/orproduced under licence here.
Considering the fact that the IndianArmy is raising a full mountain corps andexpanding the number of Special Forcesunits, the demand for American equipmentcan only rise. Some of the war-fighting stuffthat the country needs on a short notice arenight vision devices, artillery guns (thoughthe Modi government have shown a markedpreference for the homegrown variety),aircraft engines, small arms etc.
Finally, as an emerging military power,India has the desire to project its influenceacross the Indian Ocean, hitherto beingdominated by the USA. So New Delhi willneed the help of Washington in establishingIndian Navy’s footprint on the Ocean watersand the littoral states.
While the visit of Xi Jinping has reflectedthe desire of India and China to develop afull scale relationship based on cooperation,the element of competition between the twowill, on occasions, underscore the US role inthe Indo-Pacific. Modi’s high profile visit toJapan could augur for a balancing act, Indiawill have to play in terms Chinese influencesand disputes on the one hand and US-Japan-ASEAN interests on the other.
That will only be possible if India bolstersits strategic autonomy and has the muscleto undergird its political initiatives. Whileall across the world US arms have normallyfollowed US politics, in India this paradigmhas to change. Modi would do well to keepthe two separate compartments; only toallow synergy between the two when Indianeeds it.
It should be borne in mind with respectto Modi’s visit, that the Indo-US defencerelations really saw its acme during theKargil conflict of 1999, when Bill Clinton hadhimself intervened to make Nawaz Sharifoverrule the army generals led by the Chief ofArmy Staff, General Parvez Musharraf, andbring to an end to the conflict. That was alsothe beginning of the countdown that led tothe de-hyphenation of the India-Pakistan
India has a long shoppinglist for sourcing militaryarsenals from the US. It
requires a bulk quantity ofhelicopters – light and
medium utility, attack andheavy lift choppers. Of
course, Modi governmenthas made indigenisation a
mantra in the defenceministry, there are itemsstill that will need to be
possibly bought outrightand/or produced under
licence here.
” 39
US based Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk, strong contenderfor Indian Navy multi-role helicopters contract
Indian Army infantryman is familiarizing with the American machine gun prior to fieldtraining as part of the annual India-US Yudh Abhyas training exercise
38
Indo-US.qxp_INDO-US.qxd 22/12/14 3:23 pm Page 3
construct in US diplomatic-militaryendeavour. Those were the days of the NDAI government. And, Atal Behari Vajpayee,then prime minister, had played a host tothe Clinton as then US president in itsimmediate aftermath.
Epilogue:Notwithstanding that, the ObamaAdministration will do well to remember thatNarendra Modi is a different kettle of fish.He is someone who understands politicalpower in all its manifestations. While he hasinherited the Indian military modernisationprocess, he would like to quickly establish
his ownership over the programmes.If Washington affords him that
opportunity, that could erase the bittermemory of the USA blackballing him after the2002 Gujarat carnage. On the other hand, inthe penultimate year of the ObamaAdministration, one that seems hemmed inby adverse foreign policy choices in Europe,West Asia, and even South Asia, generositywas a commodity at a premium.
Also, the problem with the USA is itspenchant for expecting returns oninvestments in quick time: they do nothave Confucian Chinese practice of taking amillennial approach to issues of contention
and those that are divisive. On the otherhand, the threshold for pain of the generalpopulation of the USA on foreign militaryadventures is low, even though the ‘war onterror’ has raised the bar a little. Thesecontradictory factors often leave the bestdesigns of the American national securityelite go down the tube.
Modi’s advisers are well aware of theserealities. They would advise him to play fortime on issues that have a particularimmediacy; and hasten the pace of thosewhich policy mavens of Washington want topush to the backburner. In other words, thebest effort for Modi was to seek control thepace of the interaction from the firstopportunity itself. And he succeeded some.
Unless he leaves a lasting impression onhis American interlocutors at the firstopportunity, he would find his spaceconstricted in the next.
These myriad factors of the September-end sojourn could well be the defining factor ofhis extensive foreign engagements in the firstfour months of his tenure. It will set the moodfor the remaining period of ObamaAdministration and the one that will getushered in 2016. Remember, Modi met theClintons, with Hillary being a currentfrontrunner for the Democratic Party’s ticketfor presidential polls.
DEFENCE TIES
It should be borne in mindwith respect to Modi’svisit, that the Indo-US
defence relations reallysaw its acme during the
Kargil conflict of 1999,when Bill Clinton hadhimself intervened to
make Nawaz Sharifoverrule the army generals
led by the Chief of ArmyStaff, General Parvez
Musharraf, and bring to anend to the conflict.
”US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi in August 2014
40
Indian Air Force is evaluating Boeing’s AH-64DApache for attack helicopter requirements
AFP
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
Indo-US.qxp_INDO-US.qxd 22/12/14 3:23 pm Page 5
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POLICY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
4342
From multi-role aircraft to munitions,armed forces have a long shoppinglist. It keeps getting longer as newer
requirements keep getting added while theolder items do not get ticked off the list.
Since the time the defence establishmentwas jolted out of slumber by Pakistan’saudacious attempt to capture the Indianposts across the line of control in 1999 inKargil, MoD has taken various steps toensure that no service chief has to repeat ‘weshall fight with what we have’.
A capital acquisition wing was set up in2001 and the procedure for capitalprocurements was promulgated in 2002.
KEY POINTSl There is procedure to be followed forprocurement like ‘Buy (Indian)’ to ‘Buy(Global)’ but no policy on categorisationof proposals.l The basic problem of offset is that it isalmost completely vendor-driven.l The policy also aims to create conditionsconducive for the private industry to takean active role in this endeavour.
DPP which contains this procedure has beenreviewed six times since then. Thisdocument is always under the scannerbecause it regulates acquisition of big ticketitems that form the backbone of the warfighting capability of the armed forces.
Between 2002-03 and the current fiscal,allocation for capital acquisition has alsogone up from Rs 18,882 crores to Rs 75,315crores; and till the end of the last fiscal a sumof approximately Rs 4,25,480 crores hadbeen spent on capital acquisitions. Strangely,this seems to have made little difference.
The Indian Air Force is down to 32/34squadrons against the targeted strength of42/45. It is embarrassing to mention thenumber of submarines the Indian Navyoperates. The Indian Army has beenswinging between hope and despair for thelast quarter of a century in its quest forartillery guns. Forget about other things, weare running low even on ammunition. Wedo not seem to have sufficient stock of fusesand no one knows when the spectre of nightblindness of the land forces is going tobecome history. This is only indicative of thegigantic problem that needs to be fixed.
What has gone wrong?There are explanations galore – politicalindifference, bureaucratic guile andincompetence, civil-military relations,procurement planning, inefficiency of theordnance factories and the defence publicsector undertakings, budgetary constraints,archaic procurement procedures, unexcitingFDI policy and an insipid offset policy. Ofthese, the last three have a more proximatebearing on defence procurements.
Huge amounts are required for all thatthe armed forces aspire for. However, asrepeated underutilisation of allocation forcapital acquisition indicates, availability offunds is not a big constraint, for the present.Since 2002-03 MoD has never been able tospend the entire capital acquisition budget,except during the years 2004-05 and 2010-11. But this situation may change if theprocurements pick up.
The only hope lies in the economy gettingback to a high growth trajectory making itpossible for the finance ministry to generatemore resources for eventual allocation tovarious claimants, including defence. Buteven if that happens – and one ferventlyhopes that it does - it will be embarrassingfor a country aspiring for a seat in the UNSCto continue to be the largest importer of
DPP, OFFSETS AND F DI IN DEFENCEThe FDI hike in defence is geared towardscreating indigenousdefence industrial base.The offset policy will make substantial progress in minimizing the import throughprogressive increase indomestic production.
Airbus & Tata have submited a joint bid for replacing the Indian Air Force’s (IAF)Avro aircraft fleet.The team is offering combat-proven Airbus C295 medium
transport for the contract, which covers replacement of 56 Avro aircraft
AMITCOWSHISH
DPP.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 3:09 am Page 1
POLICY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
4342
From multi-role aircraft to munitions,armed forces have a long shoppinglist. It keeps getting longer as newer
requirements keep getting added while theolder items do not get ticked off the list.
Since the time the defence establishmentwas jolted out of slumber by Pakistan’saudacious attempt to capture the Indianposts across the line of control in 1999 inKargil, MoD has taken various steps toensure that no service chief has to repeat ‘weshall fight with what we have’.
A capital acquisition wing was set up in2001 and the procedure for capitalprocurements was promulgated in 2002.
KEY POINTSl There is procedure to be followed forprocurement like ‘Buy (Indian)’ to ‘Buy(Global)’ but no policy on categorisationof proposals.l The basic problem of offset is that it isalmost completely vendor-driven.l The policy also aims to create conditionsconducive for the private industry to takean active role in this endeavour.
DPP which contains this procedure has beenreviewed six times since then. Thisdocument is always under the scannerbecause it regulates acquisition of big ticketitems that form the backbone of the warfighting capability of the armed forces.
Between 2002-03 and the current fiscal,allocation for capital acquisition has alsogone up from Rs 18,882 crores to Rs 75,315crores; and till the end of the last fiscal a sumof approximately Rs 4,25,480 crores hadbeen spent on capital acquisitions. Strangely,this seems to have made little difference.
The Indian Air Force is down to 32/34squadrons against the targeted strength of42/45. It is embarrassing to mention thenumber of submarines the Indian Navyoperates. The Indian Army has beenswinging between hope and despair for thelast quarter of a century in its quest forartillery guns. Forget about other things, weare running low even on ammunition. Wedo not seem to have sufficient stock of fusesand no one knows when the spectre of nightblindness of the land forces is going tobecome history. This is only indicative of thegigantic problem that needs to be fixed.
What has gone wrong?There are explanations galore – politicalindifference, bureaucratic guile andincompetence, civil-military relations,procurement planning, inefficiency of theordnance factories and the defence publicsector undertakings, budgetary constraints,archaic procurement procedures, unexcitingFDI policy and an insipid offset policy. Ofthese, the last three have a more proximatebearing on defence procurements.
Huge amounts are required for all thatthe armed forces aspire for. However, asrepeated underutilisation of allocation forcapital acquisition indicates, availability offunds is not a big constraint, for the present.Since 2002-03 MoD has never been able tospend the entire capital acquisition budget,except during the years 2004-05 and 2010-11. But this situation may change if theprocurements pick up.
The only hope lies in the economy gettingback to a high growth trajectory making itpossible for the finance ministry to generatemore resources for eventual allocation tovarious claimants, including defence. Buteven if that happens – and one ferventlyhopes that it does - it will be embarrassingfor a country aspiring for a seat in the UNSCto continue to be the largest importer of
DPP, OFFSETS AND F DI IN DEFENCEThe FDI hike in defence is geared towardscreating indigenousdefence industrial base.The offset policy will make substantial progress in minimizing the import throughprogressive increase indomestic production.
Airbus & Tata have submited a joint bid for replacing the Indian Air Force’s (IAF)Avro aircraft fleet.The team is offering combat-proven Airbus C295 medium
transport for the contract, which covers replacement of 56 Avro aircraft
AMITCOWSHISH
DPP.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 24/12/14 3:09 am Page 1
defence equipment. We seem to be meeting70 per cent of our requirement of defenceequipment though imports.
MoD set out to change all this in January2011 when it came out with a defenceproduction policy with the objective ofachieving ‘substantive self reliance in thedesign, development and production ofequipment/weapon systems/ platformsrequired for defence in as early a time frameas possible’. The policy also aimed atcreating ‘conditions conducive for theprivate industry to take an active role in thisendeavour; to enhance potential of SMEs inindigenisation and to broaden the defenceR&D base of the country’.
A year later a new-look defence offsetpolicy was released in August 2012 tostrengthen the domestic defence industry.In April 2013 a technology perspective andcapability roadmap was released to sensitisethe defence industry about what the armedforces might be interested in buying over thenext 15 year period. The idea was to helpthem gear up for meeting the futurerequirements but the information given inthe document is too generic and unspecific tobe of much help to the industry.
Two months later DPP 2013 waslaunched with the objective of ensuringfaster procurement of defence equipmentand higher indigenous production. Theseobjectives were to be met throughhierarchical ordering of the procurementcategories, starting with ‘Buy (Indian)’,followed by ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, ‘Make(Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make’. From then on‘Buy (Global)’ was to be the category of lastchoice. This principle was followed evenearlier but DPP 2013 formalised it.
As a complementary move, the FDIpolicy was tweaked in August 2013 to permitFDI beyond the prescribed cap of 26 percent on a case to case basis with the approvalof the cabinet committee on securityprovided it entailed access to modern andstate-of-the-art technology.
The expectation was that with priornotification to the industry of what thearmed forces might procure, preference forprocurement from the Indian industry, athoroughly revamped offset policy andtweaking of the FDI policy, the domesticprivate industry will come up trumps andreduce India’s dependence on imports, witha bit of a leg up from the foreign vendors.
But all this has had little impact. Ifanything, defence procurement seems to
have slowed down. Why have all thesemeasures not had the desired effect? Is itbecause of the procedures being archaic, astill born offset policy or an unexcitingliberalisation of the FDI regime?
Somehow it is hard to believe that despitesix reviews in twelve years, the procedurecontinues to be archaic or needlesslycomplex. There are indeed several stagesthrough which a procurement proposal mustpass before culminating in a contract but arethese essential? You have to formulate theSQRs, seek approval-in-principle (AoN),solicit offers (RFP), carry out evaluations(technical, field and staff), negotiate with thevendor (CNC) and then seek the finalapproval of the competent financial authority(CFA) before signing the contract. It isdifficult to visualise a procedure free from oneor more of these stages.
The problem is not really with these stagesbut with the processes linked with each ofthese stages. These processes could do with alot of streamlining and simplification. Youcannot do away with the SQRs but you couldimprove the process through which these areformulated so that the procurementproposals do not fall through because offaulty SQRs. You may not be able to do awaywith contract negotiation but you couldimprove the process so that it does not takeseveral years to conclude the negotiations.This is true of every stage.
But one big problem that cuts across allthe stages is the debility in the decisionmaking process. The last few years havebeen particularly bad, what with a number oftransgressions in defence deals coming tolight. The system simply seems to have gotimmobilised at the points where decisionswere required to be taken.
Policy Imbroglio:Much of this confusion in decision-makingis because of the mix-up between policy andprocedure. We have a defence procurementprocedure but no defence procurementpolicy. The policy has become a subset of thisprocedure whereas it should have been theother way around. For example, we have theprocedure to be followed for procurementunder various categories starting from ‘Buy(Indian)’ to ‘Buy (Global)’ but no policy oncategorisation of proposals. Inevitably,difference of opinion crops up at every stage,and with no policy in place to guide them,everyone tends to play safe, thus delaying thefinal decision.
It also makes the officials inflexible. Theyare not confident of deviating even an inchfrom the written word of the DPP, even if thesituation warrants, for fear of being accusedof showing an undue favour to the party thatbenefits from their action.
Every procurement programme is uniqueand, therefore, has to be nurtured frombeginning till the end. This is not possible ifyou follow the procedure mechanically.There has to be a policy, as distinct fromprocedure, which the procurement officerscan fall back on when confronted with aprogramme-specific issue.
The tendency to introduce policyobliquely through the DPP is not a smartthing. The policy-cum-procedure relating to
POLICY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
44
the Integrity Pact is another example. It is apart of the DPP but it falls between twostools. As a policy it is not comprehensiveand as a procedure it is not complete asdemonstrated by the VVIP helicopter case.
How do you come to the conclusion that abreach of Integrity Pact has taken place?What procedure would you adopt forinvoking the pact when you decide that therehas indeed been a breach? The DPP tells youwhat actions can be taken in the event of anybreach but it does not tell you under whatcircumstances which particular action is to betaken. When do you debar a company? Doyou debar the company with whom MoDhas the contract or you debar all the groupcompanies, apart from the holding
company? These are the kind of issues that acomprehensive policy must address so thatthe officials implementing the policy areclear about what is to be done and when,rather than rushing to the attorney generalevery time a crisis surfaces.
This problem of policy-procedure mix-up does not, however, afflict every aspect ofthe procurement system in equal measure.The offsets and FDI policies are primarilyintended to be policies but these suffer froma different set of problems.
Offset and FDI:The offset policy was introduced in 2006and revamped in 2012. MoD does notrelease official data on the offset contracts it
signs but according to a question answeredin the Lok Sabha on 19 August 2013, only 12contracts had been signed till then. Thesecontracts were for a total value of USD3,166,306,031 and another 167,216,604 inSwiss Francs. Another estimate puts thecurrent number of contracts at 24. Most ofthese contracts have been signed under theearlier versions of the offset policy.
Whatever the statistics may suggestthere is no doubt that the offset policy hasbecome more of an impediment than amechanism for strengthening the domesticindustrial base which is why the policy waspromulgated.
The basic problem is that it is almostcompletely vendor-driven. There is noprovision for MoD to demand andchannelise offsets in the areas in which theseare required the most. Consequently, therehas been little impact of offsets in anyparticular area or on any particular industry.Manufacturing sector, in particular, has notbenefitted as much as it was expected.
There are a number of ambiguities in thetext of the policy. One of the ways in whichoffset obligation can be discharged isthrough ‘direct purchase of’ or ‘executingexport orders for’ eligible defence products.Everyone is bound to have an opinion on
Implementation of offsetpolicy is the responsibility
of an organisation calledthe defence offsetsmanagement wing
(DOMW). It also operatesa facilitation cell to help
the vendors and the Indianoffset partners. However,
in the absence of anyinternal mechanism to
resolve the issues posed bythem, this cell, as indeed
DOMW, has been of littlehelp to the industry.
”
45
An Army CH-47 helicopter attached tothe 159th Aviation Regiment lifts aNaval Special Warfare 11-meter rigidhull inflatable boat (RHIB) during amaritime external air transporationsystem training exercise
DPP.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:43 pm Page 3
defence equipment. We seem to be meeting70 per cent of our requirement of defenceequipment though imports.
MoD set out to change all this in January2011 when it came out with a defenceproduction policy with the objective ofachieving ‘substantive self reliance in thedesign, development and production ofequipment/weapon systems/ platformsrequired for defence in as early a time frameas possible’. The policy also aimed atcreating ‘conditions conducive for theprivate industry to take an active role in thisendeavour; to enhance potential of SMEs inindigenisation and to broaden the defenceR&D base of the country’.
A year later a new-look defence offsetpolicy was released in August 2012 tostrengthen the domestic defence industry.In April 2013 a technology perspective andcapability roadmap was released to sensitisethe defence industry about what the armedforces might be interested in buying over thenext 15 year period. The idea was to helpthem gear up for meeting the futurerequirements but the information given inthe document is too generic and unspecific tobe of much help to the industry.
Two months later DPP 2013 waslaunched with the objective of ensuringfaster procurement of defence equipmentand higher indigenous production. Theseobjectives were to be met throughhierarchical ordering of the procurementcategories, starting with ‘Buy (Indian)’,followed by ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, ‘Make(Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make’. From then on‘Buy (Global)’ was to be the category of lastchoice. This principle was followed evenearlier but DPP 2013 formalised it.
As a complementary move, the FDIpolicy was tweaked in August 2013 to permitFDI beyond the prescribed cap of 26 percent on a case to case basis with the approvalof the cabinet committee on securityprovided it entailed access to modern andstate-of-the-art technology.
The expectation was that with priornotification to the industry of what thearmed forces might procure, preference forprocurement from the Indian industry, athoroughly revamped offset policy andtweaking of the FDI policy, the domesticprivate industry will come up trumps andreduce India’s dependence on imports, witha bit of a leg up from the foreign vendors.
But all this has had little impact. Ifanything, defence procurement seems to
have slowed down. Why have all thesemeasures not had the desired effect? Is itbecause of the procedures being archaic, astill born offset policy or an unexcitingliberalisation of the FDI regime?
Somehow it is hard to believe that despitesix reviews in twelve years, the procedurecontinues to be archaic or needlesslycomplex. There are indeed several stagesthrough which a procurement proposal mustpass before culminating in a contract but arethese essential? You have to formulate theSQRs, seek approval-in-principle (AoN),solicit offers (RFP), carry out evaluations(technical, field and staff), negotiate with thevendor (CNC) and then seek the finalapproval of the competent financial authority(CFA) before signing the contract. It isdifficult to visualise a procedure free from oneor more of these stages.
The problem is not really with these stagesbut with the processes linked with each ofthese stages. These processes could do with alot of streamlining and simplification. Youcannot do away with the SQRs but you couldimprove the process through which these areformulated so that the procurementproposals do not fall through because offaulty SQRs. You may not be able to do awaywith contract negotiation but you couldimprove the process so that it does not takeseveral years to conclude the negotiations.This is true of every stage.
But one big problem that cuts across allthe stages is the debility in the decisionmaking process. The last few years havebeen particularly bad, what with a number oftransgressions in defence deals coming tolight. The system simply seems to have gotimmobilised at the points where decisionswere required to be taken.
Policy Imbroglio:Much of this confusion in decision-makingis because of the mix-up between policy andprocedure. We have a defence procurementprocedure but no defence procurementpolicy. The policy has become a subset of thisprocedure whereas it should have been theother way around. For example, we have theprocedure to be followed for procurementunder various categories starting from ‘Buy(Indian)’ to ‘Buy (Global)’ but no policy oncategorisation of proposals. Inevitably,difference of opinion crops up at every stage,and with no policy in place to guide them,everyone tends to play safe, thus delaying thefinal decision.
It also makes the officials inflexible. Theyare not confident of deviating even an inchfrom the written word of the DPP, even if thesituation warrants, for fear of being accusedof showing an undue favour to the party thatbenefits from their action.
Every procurement programme is uniqueand, therefore, has to be nurtured frombeginning till the end. This is not possible ifyou follow the procedure mechanically.There has to be a policy, as distinct fromprocedure, which the procurement officerscan fall back on when confronted with aprogramme-specific issue.
The tendency to introduce policyobliquely through the DPP is not a smartthing. The policy-cum-procedure relating to
POLICY DECEMBER 2014 DSI
44
the Integrity Pact is another example. It is apart of the DPP but it falls between twostools. As a policy it is not comprehensiveand as a procedure it is not complete asdemonstrated by the VVIP helicopter case.
How do you come to the conclusion that abreach of Integrity Pact has taken place?What procedure would you adopt forinvoking the pact when you decide that therehas indeed been a breach? The DPP tells youwhat actions can be taken in the event of anybreach but it does not tell you under whatcircumstances which particular action is to betaken. When do you debar a company? Doyou debar the company with whom MoDhas the contract or you debar all the groupcompanies, apart from the holding
company? These are the kind of issues that acomprehensive policy must address so thatthe officials implementing the policy areclear about what is to be done and when,rather than rushing to the attorney generalevery time a crisis surfaces.
This problem of policy-procedure mix-up does not, however, afflict every aspect ofthe procurement system in equal measure.The offsets and FDI policies are primarilyintended to be policies but these suffer froma different set of problems.
Offset and FDI:The offset policy was introduced in 2006and revamped in 2012. MoD does notrelease official data on the offset contracts it
signs but according to a question answeredin the Lok Sabha on 19 August 2013, only 12contracts had been signed till then. Thesecontracts were for a total value of USD3,166,306,031 and another 167,216,604 inSwiss Francs. Another estimate puts thecurrent number of contracts at 24. Most ofthese contracts have been signed under theearlier versions of the offset policy.
Whatever the statistics may suggestthere is no doubt that the offset policy hasbecome more of an impediment than amechanism for strengthening the domesticindustrial base which is why the policy waspromulgated.
The basic problem is that it is almostcompletely vendor-driven. There is noprovision for MoD to demand andchannelise offsets in the areas in which theseare required the most. Consequently, therehas been little impact of offsets in anyparticular area or on any particular industry.Manufacturing sector, in particular, has notbenefitted as much as it was expected.
There are a number of ambiguities in thetext of the policy. One of the ways in whichoffset obligation can be discharged isthrough ‘direct purchase of’ or ‘executingexport orders for’ eligible defence products.Everyone is bound to have an opinion on
Implementation of offsetpolicy is the responsibility
of an organisation calledthe defence offsetsmanagement wing
(DOMW). It also operatesa facilitation cell to help
the vendors and the Indianoffset partners. However,
in the absence of anyinternal mechanism to
resolve the issues posed bythem, this cell, as indeed
DOMW, has been of littlehelp to the industry.
”
45
An Army CH-47 helicopter attached tothe 159th Aviation Regiment lifts aNaval Special Warfare 11-meter rigidhull inflatable boat (RHIB) during amaritime external air transporationsystem training exercise
DPP.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:43 pm Page 3
what do these terms denote but whatmatters is the official interpretation, which isyet to be provided after two years of thepolicy being in existence. Sadly, there aremany other ambiguities in the policy.
Some of its provisions are impractical. Thevendors are required to furnish details of theoffset partners through whom the offsetobligations are to be discharged. Consideringthat most of the contracts are spread overseveral years and the vendors can takeanother two years to discharge the obligation,this requirement is as impractical as it gets.
Implementation of offset policy is theresponsibility of an organisation called thedefence offsets management wing(DOMW). It also operates a facilitation cell tohelp the vendors and the Indian offsetpartners. However, in the absence of anyinternal mechanism to resolve the issuesposed by them, this cell, as indeed DOMW,has been of little help to the industry.
MoD knows all this but has not been ableto fix the problem though the 2012 policyhas been under review almost since the timeit was promulgated. In fact, MoD addedsome more uncertainty by issuing an order inMay 2013 that holds services as apermissible mode of discharging offsetobligation in abeyance. More than a yearlater MoD is still to make up its mind what todo with the abeyance orders.
Taking a step forward only to take twosteps back, as in the case of the abeyanceorders, is as bad as making inconsequentialpolicy changes, as was the case with 2013
liberalisation of the FDI policy. No foreignvendor can be expected to offer state-of-the-art technologies if he does not have a decisivesay in the management of the affairs of theentity to which it transfers the technology.
No wonder not a single dollar came in byway of FDI between August 2013 when theFDI policy was tweaked and June 2014, forwhich the figures are available on the DIPP
website. The total FDI received since 2001stands at Rs 24.36 crore. Of the 62 sectorsfor which data is available, only the coirsector has received less FDI than defence.
Judged by the yardstick of the previousattempt, the policy changes introduced lastmonth are more pragmatic. It makes notmuch of a difference in regard tomanagement and control of an entitywhether the FDI is 26 per cent or 49 percent, which is perhaps why the newgovernment did not have qualms aboutraising the FDI cap to 49 per cent. It couldhelp the medium cap defence companies, aswell as SMEs, in taking defence production inIndia to a different level, even if it falls shortof being state-of-the-art. If nothing else, thiscould generate greater employment and,may be, save MoD a few dollars.
Removal of the stipulation that the equityheld by the single largest Indian shareholderhas to be 51 per cent of the total equity willnow permit a foreign investor to be thesingle largest stakeholder even with 49 percent equity. But it remains to be seen if this isgoing to be good enough to bring in state-of-the-art technologies.
While the new government has takensome steps, which include notification ofthe list of defence items that requireindustrial license, these are ratherdisjointed. The industry cannot thrive inan atmosphere of uncertainty andcontinuous flux. The eco-system has to be intune with the requirement of the industry.Issues relating to the process of industriallicensing, acquisition of land, labour laws,taxation, incentives, level playing field withthe public sector, and exports have to betackled. This requires inter-ministerialcoordination. Most importantly, officialshave to understand how the industryfunctions, are accessible to all stakeholdersand take decisions.
India presently occupies 134th positionin a global index of ease-of-doing business,flanked on either side by the YemenRepublic and Ecuador. Does one have tosay anything more to point out what needsto be done?
POLICY
While the newgovernment has taken
some steps, which includenotification of the list of
defence items that requireindustrial licence, these
are rather disjointed. Theindustry cannot thrive in
an atmosphere ofuncertainty and
continuous flux. The eco-system has to be in
tune with the requirementof the industry.
”46
Airbus Helicopters is pitching formultipurpose EC725 helicopter for theIndian Coast Guard’s requirement for 14 shore-based helicopters. The provenEC725 fitted with special weapons andsystems is also in the fray for the 123 NavalMulti-Role Helicopter competition
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
DPP.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:44 pm Page 5
NEDIEDIDIDIITTTITITITIOTIOTIOIOIOOOOOOOONNNNNNNE NNNNNNNNNN
ttthhthh
Organised by
Associated withOfficial PublicationAssociation Support Media Partner
ARMYNAVY AIR FORCE PUBLICSECURITY
CORPORATESECURITY
Ad Size 216x276.indd 1 23/12/14 2:33 PM
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
4948
Time could not be more opportunethan now to focus on our SpecialForces capability. The external
threats of irregular war are looming largewith some 300 plus Indian youth havingjoined the ISIS, Ayman Zawahri’s call toestablish an India Wing of al Qaeda,Pakistan’s continued state policy ofterrorism, Chinese indulgence in irregularwar, US-NATO withdrawal fromAfghanistan and above all lack ofinternational pressure on Pakistan to stopspawning terrorism. Condemnation ofPakistan is only lip service as Pakistan’s ISIwill always retain the strategic potential toassist the West in its containment of Russiaand China through her proxies, in tandemwith her global terrorist links. Both Pakistanand the West know it and West will alwaysforgive Pakistan all her trespasses as theydid in the case of Osama bin Laden. Thisequation may only change if majorcatastrophe occurs in the West that is tracedback to Pakistan. China too is optimisingPakistan’s this evil potential, in addition toherself directly indulging in irregularwarfare. That is what led to Ashley Tellis of
Carnegie Foundation say two years back,“India being continuously subjected toterror actually suits many …… India is asponge that absorbs terrorism.”
Expansion of Special ForcesGlobally, expansion of Special Forces fol-lows a set of norms, explicitly followed bydeveloped countries with modern armiesand Special Forces. Significantly, expan-sion of Chinese Special Forces too hasbeen undertaken in very controlled fash-
ion. These norms are: one, Special Forcescannot be mass produced; two, quality isbetter than quantity; three, humans aremore important than hardware, and; com-petent Special Forces cannot be createdafter emergencies arise. Expansion ofSpecial Forces in foreign militaries is verydeliberate. In the case of US SpecialForces, authorised annual expansion ratein the US Special Operations Command(SOCOM) is fixed at 1.8 percent. However,additional bids can be made which are
considered as on the basis of requirement. For example, Admiral Olsen, then
Commander SOCOM had bid for 2.5 per-cent expansion in 2011 because of globalengagements including in Afghanistan andMiddle East. Similarly, his successorAdmiral McRaven, who oversaw theAbbotabad raid to kill Osama bin Laden,had asked for an addition of 3000 due toincreased responsibilities, but this includedsupport elements also. The ratio of ‘supportelements’ including civilian teams (like for
psychological operations) is two third toone third, latter being actual Special Forcesoperatives – the cutting edge.
The US SOCOM strength stands todayat about 66,000 active duty, NationalGuard, and reserve personnel from all fourservices and Department of Defence(DOD) civilians assigned to its headquar-ters, its four components, and one sub-uni-fied command. In February 2014, DODissued the 2014 Quadrennial DefenseReview (QDR). The 2014 QDR called for3,700 personnel to be added to the SOCOMstrength but SOCOM’s FY 2014-2015budget request of $ 9.913 billion thoughwith four percent reduction over the previ-ous year may not be met completely. Thisproposed expansion is in accordance withSOCOM proposal to be given additionalresponsibility for synchronizing the plan-ning, coordination, deployment, employ-ment of special operations forces globally,broader responsibility beyond counter-ter-rorism activities, to include activitiesagainst other threat networks. Even withthe additions, the actual Special Forcesoperatives would just amount to some22,000 approximately 660 special opera-tions teams (includes, Army Special ForcesOperational Detachment-Alpha (ODA)teams and their equivalents; Navy Sea, Air,Land (SEAL) platoons.
Chinese Special Forces numbering anestimated 14,000 are specialized in rapidreaction combat in a limited regional warunder high-tech conditions, commandooperations, counter-terrorism, and intelli-gence gathering. They are organized in anumber of units and sub-units like:Guangzhou Military Region Special ForcesUnit established in 1988 and expanded in2000 as first PLA special operations unitcapable of air, sea and land operations;Chengdu Military Region Special ForcesUnit established in 1992 and specialized intarget surveillance, target designation, air-borne insertion, sabotage, offensive strike,rescue, and has experimented new con-cepts, tactics, equipments including digi-tized army soldier system and high-mobil-ity land weapon platforms; BeijingMilitary Region Special Forces Unit estab-
lished in early 1990s and holds high-techequipment including UAVs, modern dem-olitions, laser designators and laser daz-zlers; Shenyang Military Region SpecialForces Unit; Nanjing Military RegionSpecial Forces Units (two of them), HongKong Special Operations Company knownas five minute Response Unit; and theMacau Quick Reaction Platoon. In conflictscenarios, Chinese Special Forces will like-ly be deployed in conjunction with China’sAirborne Corps. However, in non-warperiod Chinese Special Forces would becovertly deployed for information supportoperations, strategic surveillance, training,arming and advising dissident / terrorist /insurgent groups in target countries, andperception management.
Indian Special ForcesThe major part of the Indian SpecialForces comes from the Army. Then thereare the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) ofthe Navy, the Garud of the Air Force, theSpecial Groups of the Special FrontierForce (SFF) and the Special Action Groupsof the National Security Guard (NSG).Rapid expansion has taken place in recentyears and is still ongoing – all racing up tomatch the numbers of cutting edge SpecialForces of SOCOM without taking intoaccount global employment of US-SF vis-à-vis our inward policy of not deployingSpecial Forces abroad other than on UNmissions, the only exception being deploy-ing all the then three para-commando(later renamed Special Forces) battalionsunder the IPKF in Sri Lanka. There is anapparent void of a holistic appreciation atthe national level to question: what magni-tude of Special Forces does India require;with our tendency to numerically go onexpanding our Special Forces numberingthose of the USA, where are we in terms ofresources and technology compared tothem; would it be more prudent to havesmaller Special Forces with effective reachwithin areas of ‘our’ strategic interest;should we not optimize our SpecialForces potential with available technolo-gy and indigenous content, and; whatdeliberations are required in selection of
DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTOR, DSI
KEY POINTSl Special Forces cannot be divined ineither quantum or qualitative terms asthe process is highly rigourous.l Urge to create volumetric SFs in Indianeed to be based on realities likeindigenised equipment; theatre specifictraining etc.l The army has also had the problem ofreplacement of imported equipments.
ARMY SPECIAL FORCES: EXPANSION AND BEYONDEven with the promise ofa joint command, the SF expansion seem overlyambitious as they are notmatched by resources
A Sailor assigned to ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal Mobile Unit helps
hoist an Indian Soldier into ahelicopter during multinational
exercise between the US, Indian andCanadian armed forces © US Navy
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 1
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
4948
Time could not be more opportunethan now to focus on our SpecialForces capability. The external
threats of irregular war are looming largewith some 300 plus Indian youth havingjoined the ISIS, Ayman Zawahri’s call toestablish an India Wing of al Qaeda,Pakistan’s continued state policy ofterrorism, Chinese indulgence in irregularwar, US-NATO withdrawal fromAfghanistan and above all lack ofinternational pressure on Pakistan to stopspawning terrorism. Condemnation ofPakistan is only lip service as Pakistan’s ISIwill always retain the strategic potential toassist the West in its containment of Russiaand China through her proxies, in tandemwith her global terrorist links. Both Pakistanand the West know it and West will alwaysforgive Pakistan all her trespasses as theydid in the case of Osama bin Laden. Thisequation may only change if majorcatastrophe occurs in the West that is tracedback to Pakistan. China too is optimisingPakistan’s this evil potential, in addition toherself directly indulging in irregularwarfare. That is what led to Ashley Tellis of
Carnegie Foundation say two years back,“India being continuously subjected toterror actually suits many …… India is asponge that absorbs terrorism.”
Expansion of Special ForcesGlobally, expansion of Special Forces fol-lows a set of norms, explicitly followed bydeveloped countries with modern armiesand Special Forces. Significantly, expan-sion of Chinese Special Forces too hasbeen undertaken in very controlled fash-
ion. These norms are: one, Special Forcescannot be mass produced; two, quality isbetter than quantity; three, humans aremore important than hardware, and; com-petent Special Forces cannot be createdafter emergencies arise. Expansion ofSpecial Forces in foreign militaries is verydeliberate. In the case of US SpecialForces, authorised annual expansion ratein the US Special Operations Command(SOCOM) is fixed at 1.8 percent. However,additional bids can be made which are
considered as on the basis of requirement. For example, Admiral Olsen, then
Commander SOCOM had bid for 2.5 per-cent expansion in 2011 because of globalengagements including in Afghanistan andMiddle East. Similarly, his successorAdmiral McRaven, who oversaw theAbbotabad raid to kill Osama bin Laden,had asked for an addition of 3000 due toincreased responsibilities, but this includedsupport elements also. The ratio of ‘supportelements’ including civilian teams (like for
psychological operations) is two third toone third, latter being actual Special Forcesoperatives – the cutting edge.
The US SOCOM strength stands todayat about 66,000 active duty, NationalGuard, and reserve personnel from all fourservices and Department of Defence(DOD) civilians assigned to its headquar-ters, its four components, and one sub-uni-fied command. In February 2014, DODissued the 2014 Quadrennial DefenseReview (QDR). The 2014 QDR called for3,700 personnel to be added to the SOCOMstrength but SOCOM’s FY 2014-2015budget request of $ 9.913 billion thoughwith four percent reduction over the previ-ous year may not be met completely. Thisproposed expansion is in accordance withSOCOM proposal to be given additionalresponsibility for synchronizing the plan-ning, coordination, deployment, employ-ment of special operations forces globally,broader responsibility beyond counter-ter-rorism activities, to include activitiesagainst other threat networks. Even withthe additions, the actual Special Forcesoperatives would just amount to some22,000 approximately 660 special opera-tions teams (includes, Army Special ForcesOperational Detachment-Alpha (ODA)teams and their equivalents; Navy Sea, Air,Land (SEAL) platoons.
Chinese Special Forces numbering anestimated 14,000 are specialized in rapidreaction combat in a limited regional warunder high-tech conditions, commandooperations, counter-terrorism, and intelli-gence gathering. They are organized in anumber of units and sub-units like:Guangzhou Military Region Special ForcesUnit established in 1988 and expanded in2000 as first PLA special operations unitcapable of air, sea and land operations;Chengdu Military Region Special ForcesUnit established in 1992 and specialized intarget surveillance, target designation, air-borne insertion, sabotage, offensive strike,rescue, and has experimented new con-cepts, tactics, equipments including digi-tized army soldier system and high-mobil-ity land weapon platforms; BeijingMilitary Region Special Forces Unit estab-
lished in early 1990s and holds high-techequipment including UAVs, modern dem-olitions, laser designators and laser daz-zlers; Shenyang Military Region SpecialForces Unit; Nanjing Military RegionSpecial Forces Units (two of them), HongKong Special Operations Company knownas five minute Response Unit; and theMacau Quick Reaction Platoon. In conflictscenarios, Chinese Special Forces will like-ly be deployed in conjunction with China’sAirborne Corps. However, in non-warperiod Chinese Special Forces would becovertly deployed for information supportoperations, strategic surveillance, training,arming and advising dissident / terrorist /insurgent groups in target countries, andperception management.
Indian Special ForcesThe major part of the Indian SpecialForces comes from the Army. Then thereare the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) ofthe Navy, the Garud of the Air Force, theSpecial Groups of the Special FrontierForce (SFF) and the Special Action Groupsof the National Security Guard (NSG).Rapid expansion has taken place in recentyears and is still ongoing – all racing up tomatch the numbers of cutting edge SpecialForces of SOCOM without taking intoaccount global employment of US-SF vis-à-vis our inward policy of not deployingSpecial Forces abroad other than on UNmissions, the only exception being deploy-ing all the then three para-commando(later renamed Special Forces) battalionsunder the IPKF in Sri Lanka. There is anapparent void of a holistic appreciation atthe national level to question: what magni-tude of Special Forces does India require;with our tendency to numerically go onexpanding our Special Forces numberingthose of the USA, where are we in terms ofresources and technology compared tothem; would it be more prudent to havesmaller Special Forces with effective reachwithin areas of ‘our’ strategic interest;should we not optimize our SpecialForces potential with available technolo-gy and indigenous content, and; whatdeliberations are required in selection of
DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTOR, DSI
KEY POINTSl Special Forces cannot be divined ineither quantum or qualitative terms asthe process is highly rigourous.l Urge to create volumetric SFs in Indianeed to be based on realities likeindigenised equipment; theatre specifictraining etc.l The army has also had the problem ofreplacement of imported equipments.
ARMY SPECIAL FORCES: EXPANSION AND BEYONDEven with the promise ofa joint command, the SF expansion seem overlyambitious as they are notmatched by resources
A Sailor assigned to ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal Mobile Unit helps
hoist an Indian Soldier into ahelicopter during multinational
exercise between the US, Indian andCanadian armed forces © US Navy
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 1
manpower, equipping, training and mostimportantly command and control?
Army Special ForcesIronically, the Army Special Forces went infor a 120 percent increase during period2001-2004 including converting threeParachute battalions to Special Forces andadding the fourth assault team in allSpecial Forces units, completely disregard-ing the global norms with regard to expan-sion of Special Forces. This rapid expan-sion was pushed through by two successiveColonels of the Parachute Regiment (bothnever having served in Special Forces) tosomehow convert the entire ParachuteRegiment to Special Forces with the aimthat every paratrooper gets entitled to theSpecial Forces Allowance and gets to wearthe distinctive ‘Balidan’ badge authorized
to the Special Forces personnel, throwingto the wind the consequences of such rapidexpansion and the shortage it would createin number of parachute battalions, nowbeing rectified by raising additional units ofthis category since regular turnouts in theParachute Brigade became impossible andparachute battalions were going withoutcounter insurgency experience from six tonine years at a stretch.
The rapid expansion was actually set inmotion during the US invasions of Iraqand Afghanistan by somehow convincingthat the US had deployed some 20,000US-SF in operations by counting opera-tions by US Airborne Divisions, who actu-ally were not Special Forces in the firstplace. But this was not all.
Discounting a 2001 comprehensivestudy on modernisation of Indian Army’s
Special Forces that was approved alongwith the recommendation to consolidateon existing number of Special Forces, thethen Colonel of the Parachute Regimentwho also had never served with SpecialForces headed a study to recommend thatevery army Corps should have its ownSpecial Forces battalion – a case of grossmisunderstanding of establishment ofeffective Special Forces and more impor-tantly complete lack of sense about strate-gic employment of Special Forces in 21stcentury conflict environment. As a result,the Army already has nine Special Forcesbattalions and establishment of the tenthone is on the anvil. But the fallout of therapid expansion has been adverse.
ManpowerEvery time an additional Special Forcesunit is created, existing Special Forces arerequired to provide a nucleus of officers,junior commissioned officers and non-
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
50
commissioned officers. This breaks thecohesion of existing units, a fact not wellunderstood by anyone who has not servedwith Special Forces, since even continuityin a five man assault squad contributes tosuccess of missions.
Then is the shortage of officers. First,the Special Forces units are already shar-ing the poverty of shortage of officers with-in the army. Then shedding officers to newunits is taxing especially these are youngmajors and captains who have been inoperations, and most importantly whenalmost all Special Forces units are not evenposted with one third of the authorisedstrength of 48 officers. Less the officers,less will be the combat output sinceSpecial Forces operations are designed forprecision and high gains through officerled small subunits, lowest being the five-man assault squad not counting still small-er two-man surveillance missions. TheSpecial Forces battalions are almost downto the void of one assault team.
HardwarePlanners need to understand that SpecialForces equipping must be ‘packaged’. Theconcept of ‘packaged equipping’ simplyimplies that equipping cannot be piece-meal. For example, if an assault squad isauthorized ‘X’ weapons and ‘Y’ equipment,all of them have to be provisioned togeth-er if the expected mission outcome andcombat capability is to be achieved. Forexample, hand-held laser target designa-tors have been authorized to army’sSpecial Forces since last 10 years but havenot been provisioned yet. The army hasalso had the problem of re-supply /replacement of imported special equip-ment since concurrent action of ‘introduc-ing’ the equipment into service has notbeen taking place. There is apparent lackof forethought and standardisation ofequipment as well, leave aside measureslike centralised special equipment pro-curement for the military and similarly forthe non-military Special Forces.
Indian Army paratroopers practice parachute landing falls during airborne refresher training inYudh Abhyas, an annual training exercise between the armies of US & India in 2013 © US Army
However, in non-warperiod Chinese Special
Forces would be covertlydeployed for information
support operations,strategic surveillance,
training, arming and advising dissident/
terrorist/insurgent groups in target
countries, and perceptionmanagement.
”51
Amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) conductingjoint forces exercises in the US © US Navy
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 3
manpower, equipping, training and mostimportantly command and control?
Army Special ForcesIronically, the Army Special Forces went infor a 120 percent increase during period2001-2004 including converting threeParachute battalions to Special Forces andadding the fourth assault team in allSpecial Forces units, completely disregard-ing the global norms with regard to expan-sion of Special Forces. This rapid expan-sion was pushed through by two successiveColonels of the Parachute Regiment (bothnever having served in Special Forces) tosomehow convert the entire ParachuteRegiment to Special Forces with the aimthat every paratrooper gets entitled to theSpecial Forces Allowance and gets to wearthe distinctive ‘Balidan’ badge authorized
to the Special Forces personnel, throwingto the wind the consequences of such rapidexpansion and the shortage it would createin number of parachute battalions, nowbeing rectified by raising additional units ofthis category since regular turnouts in theParachute Brigade became impossible andparachute battalions were going withoutcounter insurgency experience from six tonine years at a stretch.
The rapid expansion was actually set inmotion during the US invasions of Iraqand Afghanistan by somehow convincingthat the US had deployed some 20,000US-SF in operations by counting opera-tions by US Airborne Divisions, who actu-ally were not Special Forces in the firstplace. But this was not all.
Discounting a 2001 comprehensivestudy on modernisation of Indian Army’s
Special Forces that was approved alongwith the recommendation to consolidateon existing number of Special Forces, thethen Colonel of the Parachute Regimentwho also had never served with SpecialForces headed a study to recommend thatevery army Corps should have its ownSpecial Forces battalion – a case of grossmisunderstanding of establishment ofeffective Special Forces and more impor-tantly complete lack of sense about strate-gic employment of Special Forces in 21stcentury conflict environment. As a result,the Army already has nine Special Forcesbattalions and establishment of the tenthone is on the anvil. But the fallout of therapid expansion has been adverse.
ManpowerEvery time an additional Special Forcesunit is created, existing Special Forces arerequired to provide a nucleus of officers,junior commissioned officers and non-
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
50
commissioned officers. This breaks thecohesion of existing units, a fact not wellunderstood by anyone who has not servedwith Special Forces, since even continuityin a five man assault squad contributes tosuccess of missions.
Then is the shortage of officers. First,the Special Forces units are already shar-ing the poverty of shortage of officers with-in the army. Then shedding officers to newunits is taxing especially these are youngmajors and captains who have been inoperations, and most importantly whenalmost all Special Forces units are not evenposted with one third of the authorisedstrength of 48 officers. Less the officers,less will be the combat output sinceSpecial Forces operations are designed forprecision and high gains through officerled small subunits, lowest being the five-man assault squad not counting still small-er two-man surveillance missions. TheSpecial Forces battalions are almost downto the void of one assault team.
HardwarePlanners need to understand that SpecialForces equipping must be ‘packaged’. Theconcept of ‘packaged equipping’ simplyimplies that equipping cannot be piece-meal. For example, if an assault squad isauthorized ‘X’ weapons and ‘Y’ equipment,all of them have to be provisioned togeth-er if the expected mission outcome andcombat capability is to be achieved. Forexample, hand-held laser target designa-tors have been authorized to army’sSpecial Forces since last 10 years but havenot been provisioned yet. The army hasalso had the problem of re-supply /replacement of imported special equip-ment since concurrent action of ‘introduc-ing’ the equipment into service has notbeen taking place. There is apparent lackof forethought and standardisation ofequipment as well, leave aside measureslike centralised special equipment pro-curement for the military and similarly forthe non-military Special Forces.
Indian Army paratroopers practice parachute landing falls during airborne refresher training inYudh Abhyas, an annual training exercise between the armies of US & India in 2013 © US Army
However, in non-warperiod Chinese Special
Forces would be covertlydeployed for information
support operations,strategic surveillance,
training, arming and advising dissident/
terrorist/insurgent groups in target
countries, and perceptionmanagement.
”51
Amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) conductingjoint forces exercises in the US © US Navy
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 3
The absence of corner shots with theNSG employed during the 26/11 Mumbaiterrorist attack was conspicuous althoughthis equipment was held with the SpecialGroup of the SFF for past few years.Surveillance, communications and night-vision equipment though authorised can beimproved both in quality and quantity.When the Tavor assault rifles were initiallycontracted, only one night-vision wasbought per four assault rifles knowing fullwell every Special Forces operative’s assaultrifle must have a night sight. Mercifully, thisfolly was rectified subsequently. Presently,equipping voids exist from the very basic tobigger operational requirements.
The basic rucksack provided officiallyis as inferior as the basic web equipmentthat was supplied to the army with muchfanfare. The material was so inferior andthe stitching thread so inferior that firsttime a soldier went through the obstaclecourse, it ripped open in places. SpecialForces units are presently using theirown funds to buy good quality rucksacks.Similarly, no worthwhile rappellinggloves and rappelling ropes are officiallysupplied, both in quality and quantity.
A major void exists in the provision of abattlefield information system that wouldenable multiple Special Forces detach-ments operating widespread over long dis-
tance and deep inside enemy territory com-municating with a special operations com-mand post at the parent battalion head-quarters, Corps level FMCP and directly tothe air-force for calling airstrikes includingarmed UAV’s. Equipping should be viewedin the backdrop that they must have allweather, all terrain operability and survivalcapacity for strategic tasks including sur-veillance and target designation in areas ofour strategic interest.
Akin to shedding officers, junior com-missioned officers and non-commissionedofficers to new raisings, the hardware ofSpecial Forces units has taken a heavy tollon their combat potential especially whencoupled with existing and never endingequipment voids and shortages. Worst hitis the holding of Tavor Assault Rifles andthe ammunition as replacements are notforthcoming. So each Special Forces unithas shortages of Tavor assault rifles, made
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
52
up with AK 47s in some case. But the worstproblem is severe shortages in supply oftraining ammunition for this rifle which isentirely dependent on import and not even50 percent of the annual requirement isbeing met. There is also a ‘complete void’against authorised quantities of hardware,major ones being: heavy machine guns;underwater rifles; 60 mm mortars, dis-posable anti-tank rocket launchers; dis-posable flame throwers; satellite phones;airborne SAR systems; VHF repeaters;solar panels for charging; light strikevehicles; GP delivery system (GPADS) 2ton category; GPADS 4 ton category;underwater cameras; underwater driverpropulsion vehicles; digital compasses;GPSs; laser target designators; videocameras for HX transmission; still cam-eras for HX transmission; night scopewith adapter; remote detonator transmit-ters; remote detonator receivers, and;radio controlled detonators.
In addition, major deficiencies exist in:assault rifles with night sights; GPMG withnight sights; AGL with night sights; 40mm UBGL; pistols; ATGM with TI; SAMwith night sight: carbines with night sight;tactical computers; ground to air LUP;radio transmitter beacons; combat mili-tary free-fall parachutes and compatibleoxygen equipment; high resolution binoc-ulars; passive night vision binoculars;night vision binoculars with communica-tion and range finder; HHTIs, and; passivenight vision goggles.
On balanceThe Army has periodically toyed with theideas of raising more armoured regi-ments with just 30 tanks instead of the 46presently authorized and even raisingmore infantry battalions with three riflecompanies instead of the authorised fourrifle companies. Luckily these idiocieswere not put into effect. However in
going in for rapid expansion of SpecialForces, the army has landed up doing justthat. The utter neglect to equipping canbe gauged from above. There is littlemovement on the equipment front andno provision of a separate Special ForcesBudget as most countries have.
Special Forces units in NorthernCommand are slightly better off becausethey can get some special equipmentthrough Army Commander’s SpecialFinancial Powers but this too is ad-hocarrangement. There is no concept of ‘support elements’ and integral or dedi-cated insertion/extraction means either.Ironically, no corresponding increase inadvance specialist training facilities hasbeen undertaken either. Rapid expansionignoring global Special Forces norms hasproved to be a recipe for diluting themanpower of Special Forces, their equip-ping and most importantly their overallcombat capacity.
Sailors practice vesselboarding techniques
during a multinational,mission-based task forceworking under Combined
Maritime Forces, toconduct counter-piracy
operations on IndianOcean region © US Navy
53
Use of ground robots during a search missionby special forces © ReconRobotics
Special Forces units inNorthern Command are
slightly better off becausethey can get some specialequipment through Army
Commander’s SpecialFinancial Powers but this
too is ad-hoc arrangement.There is no concept of
‘support elements’ andintegral or dedicatedinsertion/extraction
means either.
”
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 5
The absence of corner shots with theNSG employed during the 26/11 Mumbaiterrorist attack was conspicuous althoughthis equipment was held with the SpecialGroup of the SFF for past few years.Surveillance, communications and night-vision equipment though authorised can beimproved both in quality and quantity.When the Tavor assault rifles were initiallycontracted, only one night-vision wasbought per four assault rifles knowing fullwell every Special Forces operative’s assaultrifle must have a night sight. Mercifully, thisfolly was rectified subsequently. Presently,equipping voids exist from the very basic tobigger operational requirements.
The basic rucksack provided officiallyis as inferior as the basic web equipmentthat was supplied to the army with muchfanfare. The material was so inferior andthe stitching thread so inferior that firsttime a soldier went through the obstaclecourse, it ripped open in places. SpecialForces units are presently using theirown funds to buy good quality rucksacks.Similarly, no worthwhile rappellinggloves and rappelling ropes are officiallysupplied, both in quality and quantity.
A major void exists in the provision of abattlefield information system that wouldenable multiple Special Forces detach-ments operating widespread over long dis-
tance and deep inside enemy territory com-municating with a special operations com-mand post at the parent battalion head-quarters, Corps level FMCP and directly tothe air-force for calling airstrikes includingarmed UAV’s. Equipping should be viewedin the backdrop that they must have allweather, all terrain operability and survivalcapacity for strategic tasks including sur-veillance and target designation in areas ofour strategic interest.
Akin to shedding officers, junior com-missioned officers and non-commissionedofficers to new raisings, the hardware ofSpecial Forces units has taken a heavy tollon their combat potential especially whencoupled with existing and never endingequipment voids and shortages. Worst hitis the holding of Tavor Assault Rifles andthe ammunition as replacements are notforthcoming. So each Special Forces unithas shortages of Tavor assault rifles, made
DEFENCE PLANNING DECEMBER 2014 DSI
52
up with AK 47s in some case. But the worstproblem is severe shortages in supply oftraining ammunition for this rifle which isentirely dependent on import and not even50 percent of the annual requirement isbeing met. There is also a ‘complete void’against authorised quantities of hardware,major ones being: heavy machine guns;underwater rifles; 60 mm mortars, dis-posable anti-tank rocket launchers; dis-posable flame throwers; satellite phones;airborne SAR systems; VHF repeaters;solar panels for charging; light strikevehicles; GP delivery system (GPADS) 2ton category; GPADS 4 ton category;underwater cameras; underwater driverpropulsion vehicles; digital compasses;GPSs; laser target designators; videocameras for HX transmission; still cam-eras for HX transmission; night scopewith adapter; remote detonator transmit-ters; remote detonator receivers, and;radio controlled detonators.
In addition, major deficiencies exist in:assault rifles with night sights; GPMG withnight sights; AGL with night sights; 40mm UBGL; pistols; ATGM with TI; SAMwith night sight: carbines with night sight;tactical computers; ground to air LUP;radio transmitter beacons; combat mili-tary free-fall parachutes and compatibleoxygen equipment; high resolution binoc-ulars; passive night vision binoculars;night vision binoculars with communica-tion and range finder; HHTIs, and; passivenight vision goggles.
On balanceThe Army has periodically toyed with theideas of raising more armoured regi-ments with just 30 tanks instead of the 46presently authorized and even raisingmore infantry battalions with three riflecompanies instead of the authorised fourrifle companies. Luckily these idiocieswere not put into effect. However in
going in for rapid expansion of SpecialForces, the army has landed up doing justthat. The utter neglect to equipping canbe gauged from above. There is littlemovement on the equipment front andno provision of a separate Special ForcesBudget as most countries have.
Special Forces units in NorthernCommand are slightly better off becausethey can get some special equipmentthrough Army Commander’s SpecialFinancial Powers but this too is ad-hocarrangement. There is no concept of ‘support elements’ and integral or dedi-cated insertion/extraction means either.Ironically, no corresponding increase inadvance specialist training facilities hasbeen undertaken either. Rapid expansionignoring global Special Forces norms hasproved to be a recipe for diluting themanpower of Special Forces, their equip-ping and most importantly their overallcombat capacity.
Sailors practice vesselboarding techniques
during a multinational,mission-based task forceworking under Combined
Maritime Forces, toconduct counter-piracy
operations on IndianOcean region © US Navy
53
Use of ground robots during a search missionby special forces © ReconRobotics
Special Forces units inNorthern Command are
slightly better off becausethey can get some specialequipment through Army
Commander’s SpecialFinancial Powers but this
too is ad-hoc arrangement.There is no concept of
‘support elements’ andintegral or dedicatedinsertion/extraction
means either.
”
Special Forces.qxp_INDO-PAK.qxd 22/12/14 3:58 pm Page 5
54
DEFENCE BUZZAn Update on Defence News
DEFENCE BUZZ DECEMBER 2014 DSI
Firing trials of the Akash AirDefence System, designedand developed by the DefenceResearch and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) andmanufactured byNavratna defencePSU BharatElectronics Limited(BEL), were conductedsuccessfully at theIntegrated Test Range,Balasore, Odisha, from November 17 to 22, 2014.
The Akash AirDefence system hasbeen designed todefend and protect thenation’s assets frompenetrating aerialattacks. The Akash missile canfly at supersonic speed.
At the latest firing trials, thesystems were testedsuccessfully under extremeflight condition of nearboundary low altitude, farboundary high altitude andmulti-target, multi-missilescenario. The flight trials were
carried out on unmanned aerialtarget Banshee jet andpara-flares. The targets wererepeatedly destroyed by theAkash Missile System. This is
the last in the series of flighttrials carried out on theproduction version of the AkashAir Defence System for theIndian Air Force to validatecomplete intercept envelope ofthe Air Defence System.
The firing exercise wasconducted under the ableleadership of outstanding
Scientist, G Chandramouli,Project Director, Akash,DRDL, and senior officers ofthe Indian Air Force. BEL’steam of engineers participated
and steered the critical flightexercises. The Akash MissileSystem is an all-weather, point/ area air defence weaponsystem for defendingvulnerable areas / pointsagainst medium range targets penetrating from low,medium and high altitudes.
BEL is involved in the
manufacture and integrationof highly complex andsophisticated Ground Radarsfor Surveillance and trackingand control centers for theAkash Air Defence System.The missile guidance and air
defence functionssuch as classification,threat evaluation,prioritization andmissile launch areautomated withmanual over-ride.
The Akash missileutilizes an integralrocket-ramjetpropulsion system toprovide thrust tillintercept. A digitalonboard computerenables automatedmission sequencing
and the embedded digitalautopilot ensures flightstability and missilemaneuvering.
The onboard commandguidance unit receives codeddigital information from theRadar which is used forsteering the missile towards the target.
Akash Air Defence System successfully completes firing trials
Manohar Gopalkrishna PrabhuParrikar took over as the 36th Defence Minister of thecountry. The Defence Ministerhad said, he would maintain thefast pace of acquisition set inmotion by the Government forthe Defence Forces whileensuring transparency at everystage. Parrikar said, “hispredecessor Arun Jaitley hasinitiated work on many issuesrelating to Defence despiteseveral constraints and that heis confident of taking these
steps forward with speed.Referring to the ‘Make in
India’ drive of theGovernment, he said, “themeasure will not only lead toself-reliance in Defencemanufacturing but alsogenerate employment andwould ultimately contribute toeconomic development”.Earlier technical skills used tobe handed over from onegeneration to the other but thattradition is gradually vanishing.It is for this reason, we have to
train people to acquire not onlytraditional skills but also newskills, the minister added.
Parrikar expressed hisanguish at the sinking of a Navalvessel off the Coast ofVisakhapatnam and the earlierincident of an explosion in asubmarine. Senior officials of theMinistry of Defence including theDefence Secretary Shri RKMathur welcomed him at theSouth Block. The Minister ofState for Defence Rao InderjitSingh and the three ServiceChiefs also called on him and hadgreeted on assumption of office.
New Defence Minister takes charge
Defence Buzz.14.qxp_DSI Defence Talk-May09.qxd 22/12/14 4:19 pm Page 2
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56
DEFENCE BUZZ
Tata Advanced Systems(TASL) and Airbus Defenceand Space announced a jointbid for a government contractto supply military aircraft forthe Indian Air Force. The IAF islooking forward to replace itsfleet of Avro aircraft with themarket-leading Airbus C295medium transport.
A total of 56 Avro aircraft
are to be replaced. In the eventof contract award, AirbusDefence and Space will supplythe first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from itsown final assembly line. The subsequent 40 aircraft willbe manufactured andassembled by Tata AdvancedSystems in India. This willinclude undertaking structural
assembly, final aircraftassembly, systems integrationand testing, and managementof the indigenous supply chain.
The C295 is a superblyreliable and tough aircraft withoutstanding economics whichis proven in the most difficultoperating conditions all overthe world. It has already beenordered by 19 countries, manyof which have placed repeatorders. And just this year it has
dominated the marketwith orders for no fewer than 20 aircraftfrom five countries.
It is a landmark for thedevelopment of aircraftmanufacturing capabilityin India, now that TataAdvanced Systems ispoised to take this steptoward building entireaircraft in India. Theselection of TataAdvanced Systems byAirbus demonstrates the confidence that has been built in our ability to undertake this complexprogramme.
Bell Helicopter and TextronSystems signed an agreementwith Dynamatic TechnologiesLimited of Bangalore, Indiaestablishing Dynamatic as asingle source supplier of majorairframe assemblies forthe Bell 407GX and 407GT.
The agreement is for aseven year period with optionsto extend through the life ofthe product and follows aMemorandum ofUnderstanding signed in 2012to mutually explore businessopportunities for theproduction of Bell’s model 407airframe assemblies. TextronSystems will workcooperatively with Dynamaticand Bell Helicopter to supportin-country procurementoperations. Both companiesremain engaged in identifyingadditional business
opportunities to further buildon Dynamatic’s Premiersupplier capabilities as Bell Helicopter looks to invest and expand operationsin the region.
“This agreement withDynamatic represents asignificant milestone in BellHelicopter’s global sourcingstrategy and brings
efficiencies to ourmanufacturing process for the Bell 407,” said MikeLoeffler, Bell Helicopter’s VicePresident, Supply Chain”.
Textron Systems, inconjunction with BellHelicopter, is cultivatingIndian offset relationships insupport of current and futureinternational programs.Textron Systems is currentlyprocuring a range ofcommodities in India viaseveral prime sourcingpartnerships, and continues toseek new opportunities to expand its supply base in country.
Dynamatic has alreadysuccessfully completed theFirst Article Acceptance of AftFuselage detail parts andrecently commencedproduction for shipment toBell’s aircraft assembly site inMirabel, Canada.
India,China jointmilitary exercise
Bell, Textron expand presence in India
The Fourth India-China JointTraining Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2014 held at Pune on 17November 2014 with animpressive opening ceremonyat the Aundh MilitaryCantonment in Pune. The aimof the joint exercise was toacquaint both the Armies witheach other’s operatingprocedures in the backdrop ofcounter terrorismenvironment.
The 12 day schedule wasfocused upon training oncrossing of obstacles, specialheliborne operations, firing ofvarious weapons, handlingand neutralisation ofimprovised explosive devicesand conduct of cordon andsearch operations ininsurgency and terrorismenvironment.
An opening ceremony washeld at the parade ground inAundh Military Camp. Theopening ceremony wasattended by Lt General BobbyMathews, Corps Commanderof the Indian Army and LtGeneral Shi Xiangyuan,Deputy Commander ofChengdu Military Command ofthe People’s Liberation Army,besides many senior armyofficials of both nations. Theparade was commanded by LtColonel Tian Jeiwen,Commanding Officer ofPeople’s Liberation Armycontingent.
Tata-Airbus bid for IAF Avro replacement
57
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
French Chief of Naval Staff,Navy Admiral BernardRogel was on an official visit toIndia from 13 to 18 Nov 14 todiscuss existing Navalcooperation, cement existingbridges of friendship as well asto explore new avenues ofcooperation between the
Indian and French Navies.Admiral Bernard Rogel was
accorded a ceremonial guardof honour. He met senior Navalofficers as well as varioussenior MoD and othergovernment officials at Delhi.The Admiral also visited Goawhere he addressed the Navalparticipants at the Naval WarCollege Goa. Also, he visitedNaval facilities as well asMazagon Dock Ltd in Mumbai.
Indian Navy – French Navalcooperation covers a wide
spectrum of maritimeactivities and includes Navy toNavy Staff talks, bilateralexercise Varuna as well asregular delegation levelinteractions. Warships of bothNavies make regular port callsto each other’s ports. Thetraining interaction includes
courses in hightechnology as wellas at staff levels.
French Navyhas been an activesupporter of theIndian Navyinitiated ‘IONS’which is aimed atcollaborationamong IOR littorals
towards enhancement ofmaritime security and goodorder at sea.
Interaction between thetwo navies has, over the yearsnurtured into a strongpartnership based on mutualinterest and trust. Navalcooperation has progressedmost encouragingly in recentyears and the increasing scale of operationalinteraction is indicative of thegrowing understandingbetween both navies.
The Light Combat Aircraft TejasProgramme achieved anothermilestone with the first flight ofits trainer PV6. The two-seaterversion took to the skies,piloted by Capt Vivart Singhalong with Capt AnoopKabadwal. This is the 16thTejasvariant to have flown as part ofthe project.
The aim of this flight was tocheck the twin cockpitfunctionality which is similarto series production two-seater aircraft. All systemsfunctioned as expected duringthe 36 minute flight. PV6 is thesecond two- seater and hasthe capability to deliver all airto air and air to ground
weapons as required by theIndian Air Force for the FinalOperational Clearance.
The PV6 has absorbed allthe major designmodifications undertakenduring the last 2500 plus flights
in the programme. This is thefinal prototype leading toseries production trainer.
Test Director CommanderJitendra Raturi, Safety PilotRitu Raj Tyagi, ADA DirectorP.S. Subramanyam, NFTC Chief
Test Pilot Cmde J.A. Maolankarand LCA Navy Project DirectorCmde C D Balaji (Retd) werepresent at the telemetrymonitoring centre.
This flight is theculmination of efforts of ADA,HAL, CEMILAC, DG AQA, IAF,ADA and other DRDO andCSIR organisations.
Scientific Adviser to theDefence Minister, Dr AvinashChander congratulated theTejas team on achieving thismilestone and said, “havingachieved success in indigenousdesign and development ofTejas in both its combat andtrainer versions, its productionand induction will add newstrength to Make in IndiaCampaign.
Indian-French Navies exploring new avenues
Tejas Trainer PV6 successfully completes first flight
Major General Hoo Cher Mou,Chief of the Republic ofSingapore Air Force (RSAF)was in New Delhi on a threeday official tour . The Chief ofRSAF was accorded a Guardof Honour at AirHeadquarters. He met theChief of the Air Staff, Air ChiefMarshal Arup Raha, anddiscussed matters of mutualinterest.
He visited Air ForceStation, Agra on Wednesday toget a firsthand account of thetraining pattern of IAF’s ParaTroopers School (PTS) and theMid Air Refueling Squadron
(MARS). Also, he visited AirForce Station, Kalaikundawhere a team of RSAFpersonnel was alreadyundergoing training as part of the ‘Joint MilitaryTraining’ (JMT).
The annual Air Staff talksbetween the air forces of Indiaand Singapore commenced in2006. The IAF-RSAF JMT is anannual programme that hasregularly been held since 2008.The JMT provides an idealplatform for exchange of airtactics and training philosophyto the pilots of the twocountries.
India-Singapore joint military training
Defence Buzz.14.qxp_DSI Defence Talk-May09.qxd 24/12/14 3:18 am Page 4
56
DEFENCE BUZZ
Tata Advanced Systems(TASL) and Airbus Defenceand Space announced a jointbid for a government contractto supply military aircraft forthe Indian Air Force. The IAF islooking forward to replace itsfleet of Avro aircraft with themarket-leading Airbus C295medium transport.
A total of 56 Avro aircraft
are to be replaced. In the eventof contract award, AirbusDefence and Space will supplythe first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from itsown final assembly line. The subsequent 40 aircraft willbe manufactured andassembled by Tata AdvancedSystems in India. This willinclude undertaking structural
assembly, final aircraftassembly, systems integrationand testing, and managementof the indigenous supply chain.
The C295 is a superblyreliable and tough aircraft withoutstanding economics whichis proven in the most difficultoperating conditions all overthe world. It has already beenordered by 19 countries, manyof which have placed repeatorders. And just this year it has
dominated the marketwith orders for no fewer than 20 aircraftfrom five countries.
It is a landmark for thedevelopment of aircraftmanufacturing capabilityin India, now that TataAdvanced Systems ispoised to take this steptoward building entireaircraft in India. Theselection of TataAdvanced Systems byAirbus demonstrates the confidence that has been built in our ability to undertake this complexprogramme.
Bell Helicopter and TextronSystems signed an agreementwith Dynamatic TechnologiesLimited of Bangalore, Indiaestablishing Dynamatic as asingle source supplier of majorairframe assemblies forthe Bell 407GX and 407GT.
The agreement is for aseven year period with optionsto extend through the life ofthe product and follows aMemorandum ofUnderstanding signed in 2012to mutually explore businessopportunities for theproduction of Bell’s model 407airframe assemblies. TextronSystems will workcooperatively with Dynamaticand Bell Helicopter to supportin-country procurementoperations. Both companiesremain engaged in identifyingadditional business
opportunities to further buildon Dynamatic’s Premiersupplier capabilities as Bell Helicopter looks to invest and expand operationsin the region.
“This agreement withDynamatic represents asignificant milestone in BellHelicopter’s global sourcingstrategy and brings
efficiencies to ourmanufacturing process for the Bell 407,” said MikeLoeffler, Bell Helicopter’s VicePresident, Supply Chain”.
Textron Systems, inconjunction with BellHelicopter, is cultivatingIndian offset relationships insupport of current and futureinternational programs.Textron Systems is currentlyprocuring a range ofcommodities in India viaseveral prime sourcingpartnerships, and continues toseek new opportunities to expand its supply base in country.
Dynamatic has alreadysuccessfully completed theFirst Article Acceptance of AftFuselage detail parts andrecently commencedproduction for shipment toBell’s aircraft assembly site inMirabel, Canada.
India,China jointmilitary exercise
Bell, Textron expand presence in India
The Fourth India-China JointTraining Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2014 held at Pune on 17November 2014 with animpressive opening ceremonyat the Aundh MilitaryCantonment in Pune. The aimof the joint exercise was toacquaint both the Armies witheach other’s operatingprocedures in the backdrop ofcounter terrorismenvironment.
The 12 day schedule wasfocused upon training oncrossing of obstacles, specialheliborne operations, firing ofvarious weapons, handlingand neutralisation ofimprovised explosive devicesand conduct of cordon andsearch operations ininsurgency and terrorismenvironment.
An opening ceremony washeld at the parade ground inAundh Military Camp. Theopening ceremony wasattended by Lt General BobbyMathews, Corps Commanderof the Indian Army and LtGeneral Shi Xiangyuan,Deputy Commander ofChengdu Military Command ofthe People’s Liberation Army,besides many senior armyofficials of both nations. Theparade was commanded by LtColonel Tian Jeiwen,Commanding Officer ofPeople’s Liberation Armycontingent.
Tata-Airbus bid for IAF Avro replacement
57
DECEMBER 2014 DSI
French Chief of Naval Staff,Navy Admiral BernardRogel was on an official visit toIndia from 13 to 18 Nov 14 todiscuss existing Navalcooperation, cement existingbridges of friendship as well asto explore new avenues ofcooperation between the
Indian and French Navies.Admiral Bernard Rogel was
accorded a ceremonial guardof honour. He met senior Navalofficers as well as varioussenior MoD and othergovernment officials at Delhi.The Admiral also visited Goawhere he addressed the Navalparticipants at the Naval WarCollege Goa. Also, he visitedNaval facilities as well asMazagon Dock Ltd in Mumbai.
Indian Navy – French Navalcooperation covers a wide
spectrum of maritimeactivities and includes Navy toNavy Staff talks, bilateralexercise Varuna as well asregular delegation levelinteractions. Warships of bothNavies make regular port callsto each other’s ports. Thetraining interaction includes
courses in hightechnology as wellas at staff levels.
French Navyhas been an activesupporter of theIndian Navyinitiated ‘IONS’which is aimed atcollaborationamong IOR littorals
towards enhancement ofmaritime security and goodorder at sea.
Interaction between thetwo navies has, over the yearsnurtured into a strongpartnership based on mutualinterest and trust. Navalcooperation has progressedmost encouragingly in recentyears and the increasing scale of operationalinteraction is indicative of thegrowing understandingbetween both navies.
The Light Combat Aircraft TejasProgramme achieved anothermilestone with the first flight ofits trainer PV6. The two-seaterversion took to the skies,piloted by Capt Vivart Singhalong with Capt AnoopKabadwal. This is the 16thTejasvariant to have flown as part ofthe project.
The aim of this flight was tocheck the twin cockpitfunctionality which is similarto series production two-seater aircraft. All systemsfunctioned as expected duringthe 36 minute flight. PV6 is thesecond two- seater and hasthe capability to deliver all airto air and air to ground
weapons as required by theIndian Air Force for the FinalOperational Clearance.
The PV6 has absorbed allthe major designmodifications undertakenduring the last 2500 plus flights
in the programme. This is thefinal prototype leading toseries production trainer.
Test Director CommanderJitendra Raturi, Safety PilotRitu Raj Tyagi, ADA DirectorP.S. Subramanyam, NFTC Chief
Test Pilot Cmde J.A. Maolankarand LCA Navy Project DirectorCmde C D Balaji (Retd) werepresent at the telemetrymonitoring centre.
This flight is theculmination of efforts of ADA,HAL, CEMILAC, DG AQA, IAF,ADA and other DRDO andCSIR organisations.
Scientific Adviser to theDefence Minister, Dr AvinashChander congratulated theTejas team on achieving thismilestone and said, “havingachieved success in indigenousdesign and development ofTejas in both its combat andtrainer versions, its productionand induction will add newstrength to Make in IndiaCampaign.
Indian-French Navies exploring new avenues
Tejas Trainer PV6 successfully completes first flight
Major General Hoo Cher Mou,Chief of the Republic ofSingapore Air Force (RSAF)was in New Delhi on a threeday official tour . The Chief ofRSAF was accorded a Guardof Honour at AirHeadquarters. He met theChief of the Air Staff, Air ChiefMarshal Arup Raha, anddiscussed matters of mutualinterest.
He visited Air ForceStation, Agra on Wednesday toget a firsthand account of thetraining pattern of IAF’s ParaTroopers School (PTS) and theMid Air Refueling Squadron
(MARS). Also, he visited AirForce Station, Kalaikundawhere a team of RSAFpersonnel was alreadyundergoing training as part of the ‘Joint MilitaryTraining’ (JMT).
The annual Air Staff talksbetween the air forces of Indiaand Singapore commenced in2006. The IAF-RSAF JMT is anannual programme that hasregularly been held since 2008.The JMT provides an idealplatform for exchange of airtactics and training philosophyto the pilots of the twocountries.
India-Singapore joint military training
Defence Buzz.14.qxp_DSI Defence Talk-May09.qxd 24/12/14 3:18 am Page 4
58
DEFENCE BUZZ DECEMBER 2014 DSI
The Long Range Surface to AirMissile (LRSAM) wassuccessfully flight testedagainst a flying target in arange in Israel.IsraelAerospace Industries (IAI),Israel carried out the test inthe presence of DRDOscientists and officials of theIndian Armed Forces. TheLRSAM system is jointly
developed by DRDO and IAI Israel.
All the systems includingthe radar, communicationlaunch systems and themissile system haveperformed as expected and hit the target directly and damaged. The system is developed forboth Israel Defence Forces
and Indian Armed Forces.Scientific Advisor
to Indian Defence Minister Dr. Avinash Chander haswitnessed the test along withPresident of IAI Mr. JosephWeiss and other top officials ofIsrael Defence Forces. Hetermed the event as amilestone in the cooperation between two countries in developing advancedweapon systems.
Boeing delivered the sixth P-8Imaritime patrol aircraft toIndia, on schedule, on Nov. 24,arriving at Naval Air StationRajali to join five others beingused by the Indian Navy. TheP-8I is part of a contract ofeight awarded in 2009. Thefinal two deliveries arescheduled for 2015.
“The P-8I’s arrival in India isanother key milestone for theprogram and marks our finaldelivery of the year,” saidDennis Swanson, vicepresident, Boeing Defense,Space & Security in India. “TheIndian Navy is currentlyconducting missions with thefirst five aircraft, and thisnewest P-8I will begin flighttrials in the coming months.”
Based on the company’sNext-Generation 737commercial airplane, the P-8I isthe Indian Navy variant of theP-8A Poseidon that Boeingbuilds for the U.S. Navy. TheP-8I incorporates not onlyIndia-unique design features,but also Indian-builtsub-systems that are tailored
to meet the country’s maritimepatrol requirements. The P-8Ifeatures open systemsarchitecture, advanced sensorand display technologies, and aworldwide base of suppliers,parts, and support equipment.
In order to efficiently designand build the P-8I and the P-8A,the Boeing-led team is using afirst-in-industry, in-lineproduction process that drawson the company’sNext-Generation 737production system. P-8Iaircraft are built by aBoeing-led industry team thatincludes CFM International,Northrop Grumman, Raytheon,Spirit AeroSystems, BAESystems and GE Aviation.
Boeing has been active inIndia for 70 years with itscommercial airplanesproviding the mainstay ofIndia’s civil aviation sector.More recently its militaryaircraft have started to play animportant role in themodernization andmission-readiness of India’sdefense forces.
Avia Indra I, Phase II, a jointIndo – Russia Air Forceexercise held at Air ForceStation Halwara ,Punjab from17 November was successfullyconcluded . The Phase I of the‘Avia Indra I’ was held atAstrakhan near Caspian Seain Russia in August 2014.
The Russian team wastouched by the warmth of theirhost and amongst otherthings, encashed on theopportunity to learn a fewsteps of ‘Bhangra’ dance.
The joint Air Force exercisebetween the Indian Air Force(IAF) and Russian FederationAir Force (RFAF) took thehistoric and strategic militarypartnership between India and Russia to a newlevel. During the exercise,
fighter, helicopter and missilecrew of the two countriesoperated together. It includedair to ground firing and fightersorties over the mightyHimalayas. Select members ofthe team were taken toBengaluru, where they wereintroduced to indigenousprograms, including theLCA Tejas and Advanced LightHelicopter (Dhruv).
To commemorate theevent, the two commandersAir Commodore PK Vohra VMand Major General AlexanderN Lyapkin unveiled a handcarved stone and plantedsaplings next to the memorial stone to symbolizegrowth of this uniquepartnership etched in thestone for posterity.
India receives sixth P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Indo-Russia joint exercise ”Avia Indra I”
DRDO-IAI successfully flight test LR SAM missile
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