sp's landforces feb-mar 2009

8/14/2019 SP's LandForces Feb-Mar 2009

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LandForces

SPs A N S P G U I D E P U B L I C A TI O N

LT GENERAL (RETD) PRAN PAHWAEDITOR

1/ 2009 SPS LAND FORCES 1

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

Edi tor ia l

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I s s u e 1 2 0 0 9 Vo l . 6 N o . 1

WWW.SPSLANDFORCES.NET R O U N D U P

On March 3, 12 heavily armed terror-ists attacked the Sri Lankan cricketteam in an up market commercialarea in Lahore. At the end of the 27-

minute gun battle, eight persons including sixpolicemen were dead and 10 wounded. Amongthose injured were seven Sri Lankan cricketers.

The incident shocked the world, highlightingthe systemic chaos that the State of Pakistanis rapidly descending into. Pakistan presents astrange paradox. As a systemic entity, it suffersfrom serious fault lines and ethnic cleavagesthat are threatening to tear it apart. The Statehas eroded the very basis of its corporate exis-

tence by heavily weaponising society. There areover 250,000 armed jihadis in Pakistan andover three million motivated madrasa studentsfed on a diet of hate and victimhood.

The main line of the educational systemwas thoroughly Islamised by General Zia-ul-Haq and transformed into what Dr Pervez

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

Use of airpower in thebattlefield has made thetask of ground forcessomewhat easier. In Iraqand Afghanistan, the US hasdemonstrated how airpowercan become the silver bulletin achieving victory in theimmediate battle.

LT GENERAL (RETD)NARESH CHAND6

Security threats and chal-lenges constitute the majorimpediments to a nationsendeavours at developmentand prosperity. If such dan-gers arise from the neigh-bourhood, they become morecomplicated and burdensome

because of the proximity that affords greaterimpact. The heightened sense of insecuritytends to keep security forces on the edge,thereby escalating violence. Indias immediateneighbourhood seems to be falling apart.

Pakistan is on the verge of collapse.The reasons could be one or more of the fol-lowing: political instability, Talibanisation of the provinces, sectarian strife generated byethnically or religiously motivated violence;Kashmir-based extremists or economic bank-ruptcy. President Asif Ali Zardari has said thathe fears a Taliban takeover and that Pakistanis fighting for its survival. The latest moveto further arm the population in Peshawarand Quetta to withstand the onslaught of theTaliban spells the recipe for a civil war, ingre-dients for which exist in Pakistan.

On February 26, Bangladesh experienced abrutal mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR),their border guarding troops. Many of those killedwere stripped, mutilated, bayoneted and shot.The Director General of the BDR, Major GeneralShakil Ahmed, was killed in cold blood and evenhis wife was not spared. The whole nation hasbeen numbed by the sheer scale of brutality. Themutiny has come at a time when the newly elect-ed government, enjoying overwhelming majorityin the Parliament, was getting ready for the taskof governance, hence pointing to a larger anddeeper conspiracy. The matter is being investi-gated by national and foreign agencies.

Sri Lanka, after a prolonged struggle hasmanaged to subdue and defang the LTTE butthe remnants are unlikely to give in easily asevidenced by the suicide attack during Muslimreligious festival, Milad-un-Nabi. The explo-sion on March 10 rocked the southern townof Matara, killing 14 people and injuring morethan 30, including Post and TelecommunicationMinister Mahinda Wijesekara.

Indias neighbourhood on the sub-continentis seething with militancy and terrorism. Thisaspect analysed together with the existingeconomic slow down and the Parliamentaryelections in April and May 2009, suggests that

India needs to remain calm, plug weaknesses,and prepare its security apparatus for acquiringtimely information and rapid reaction to pre-empt any attack from snowballing into a crisis.

Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor

Left wing extremismis perceived as a oneof the biggest threatto internal security.The PLGA of the CPI(Maoists) is no longera poorly trained militiabut a highly equippedforce trained on thelines of a regular army.

AMIT KUMAR SINGH94

The Indian Armysmodernisation planshave created a $20billion (Rs 1,00,800crore) opportunity,propelling the country tothe centre stage of allbig arms manufacturingestablishments.

LT GENERAL (RETD)V.K. KAPOOR

Edi tor ia l

Pakistan is paying a steep price for destabilising the entire region andindiscriminately employing non-state actors to spread the virus of chaos

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P A K I S T A N Collapse of a Nation

MAJOR GENERAL (RETD) G.D. BAKSHI

Neighbourhood Watch


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W W W. S P S L A N D F O R C E S. N E T

Hoodhboy describes as a blue print for areligiousFascist State. The US and the West

today are desperately trying to prevent Pakistanfrom becoming a nuclear armed Somalia witheven larger doses of military and economic aid.However, an objective analysis indicates that, asa systemic entity, Pakistan is no longer a viableconcept. It has gone too far down the road andhas become seriously dysfunctional.

Economic collapseIt is noteworthy that in the last 10 years theState of Pakistan has twice come to the brinkof economic collapse.

1998: Post the nuclear tests, economicsanctions imposed on Pakistan saw thecountrys economy teetering on the brinkof collapse. Islamabad was left with just$1 billion (Rs 5,170 crore) in its Forexreserves. The countrys foreign debt hadrisen from $10 billion (Rs 51,700 crore)in 1980 to over $40 billion (Rs 2,06,800crore) by the year 2000 and debt repay-ments were already 103 per cent of itsGDP. Pakistan had thus become a rentierstate. Executing a neat U-turn, Islamabadsigned on to the US-led Global War onTerror, thereby receiving a generous assis-tance of nearly $11 billion (Rs 56,900crore). Instead of rationalising its economy,Pakistan spent $6 billion (Rs 31,000 crore)on expensive Swedish Airborne Warningand Control System, US Orion MaritimePatrol Aircraft, German Air IndependentPropulsion Submarines and Chinese fight-ers and frigatesostensibly to fight terror.

2008: Not surprisingly, by 2008 Pakistanseconomy was once again on the verge of collapse. Its Forex reserves had come down

from $16 billion (Rs 82,820 crore) to just$3.5 billion (Rs 18,120 crore); simplyput, less than one months import bill.Hat in hand, the countrys elite attendedthe Friends of Pakistan meeting to seek abailout package of $10 billion to $15 bil-lion (Rs 51,760 crore to Rs 77,665 crore).The global financial meltdown caused itspatrons to quail. After much Pakistanipleading, General David Petraeus of theUS Central Command intervened withofficials of the International MonetaryFund to get Islamabad a loan of some $7.5billion (Rs 38,000 crore) to tide over itsimmediate financial crisis. The loan comeswith stiff conditionalities (stoppage of subsidies) which will only add to the levelsof economic pain in Pakistan. Pakistansdebt burden has now crossed $47.5 billion(Rs 2,40,610 crore). Inflation in Pakistanstands at a staggering 25 per cent andthere are serious food and fuel shortages.

Deep systemic flawsSultan Bashir, a Pakistani economist,has highlighted the basic structural flawin the Pakistani economy. It is in a LowEquilibrium Trap. This stems from its abys-

mally low rate of domestic savings. It is just12.7 per cent of the GDP (for most developing

countries this is around 20 per cent of theGDP). Low savings lead to low growth ratesof GDP. This further lowers the rate of domes-tic savings and makes Pakistan hostage to for-eign doles and bail outs. It is this vicious cycleor negative spiral which constitutes the LowEquilibrium Trap in the Pakistani ec onomy.

The poverty trapPakistan is one of the few countries in the worldwhere the levels of poverty have actually risen.In 1987-88, poverty levels in Pakistan werearound 17.3 per cent. By 2001, these had goneup to 35 per cent. These are estimated to bewell over 50 per cent today. In fact, more than74 per cent of the population of Pakistan liveson less than $2 (Rs 103) a day. It is this povertytrap which compels Pakistani families to pushtheir children into the madrasas for two squaremeals a day. The madrasas thus form an infor-mal social security net in Pakistan.

The madrasa trapAt the time of partition, the number of madrasas was just 245. By 2000, there were11,882 registered madrasas in Pakistan.If the number of unregistered madrasasis added, the total number of madrasas inPakistan goes over 45,000. Unfortunately,during the CIA sponsored Afghan jihad,these madrasas had been turned into fac-tories for producing fanatical and moti-vated Mujahideen for the jihad not just inAfghanistan but also in Jammu and Kashmir,Bosnia, Chechnya and Xinjiang. It is thisabrasive complex of jihad that spells a dan-ger now not just to the state of Pakistan but

equally for the entire region and the globe.US Secretary of State Hillary Clintonrecently underlined the fact that most ter-rorist strikes in the world have their originsin the Af-Pak region. It is these madrasaswhich spawned the Taliban and the ideol-ogy of jihad. General Zia-ul-Haq had madeAbdul Ala Maududis book Al Jihade-Islami into his Mein kamph! This book divides thewhole world into two conflicting ideologicalspacesDar ul Islam (where the pious rule)and the rest clubbed as Dar ul Harb, or theland of war which must be put to the fire andsword (and nuclear weapons once available).The Maududi thesis questions the very notionof state sovereignty. The only sovereignty thatthe jihadis recognised is Hakumate-Illahior the Sovereignty of Allah. The jihadis,therefore, have no sanctity for state frontiers.

This is an anti-nation state and anti-modernideology that questions the very basis of aterritory centered nation state.

Today, this jihad centered ideology of Talibanism is threatening to take over thewhole of Pakistan. It is radiating outwardfrom the tribal areas of NWFP and FATAto the major cities like Karachi, Lahore andIslamabad. The Pakistan Army and the

Pakistani State simply lack the will to stopthe Taliban juggernaut. They just tamelysurrendered to it in the Swat valley. Nizam-e-Adl (Religious Code of Justice) has just beenimposed in the Malakand Division comprisingof seven districts, including Dir, Swat, Chitraland Khoistan. This marks a major retreatof the Pakistani State. Islamabad sealed thedeal with Maulana Sufi Mohammad who hadearlier led tribal Lashkars to aid the Talibanagainst the US-led Operation EnduringFreedom in Afghanistan in 2001. Pakistansunwillingness to fight the Taliban can betraced to the simple fact that 28 per cent of its troops are of Pashtun origin.

Collapse of over-militarised statesNo other country quite fits Paul Kennedysthesis of the collapse of over- militarisedstates as Pakistan. For 33 years out of 62, thePakistani Army has directly ruled the state.Even in periods of civilian ru le, it has neverbeen a normal state where the army obeys thecivilian government. Fact is, in Pakistan, the

army formulates and runs the security/foreignpolicies and has its finger on the nuclear trig-ger. The real power in Pakistan is the military-ISI nexus. For decades it ensured that in spiteof the lavish foreign aid and funding, Pakistanwas spending some 6 to 9 per cent of its GDPon defence. In contrast, expenditure on educa-tion has been just 1.7 per cent of GDP, whilehealth was allotted barely 0.4 per cent.

The Pakistani security state is obsessedabout competing with India militarily. Anuclear armed state, by simply threateningto collapse it holds a pistol to its own head. Ithas arm-twisted its foreign patrons not justinto keeping the bankrupt state economicallyafloat but also duped them into bank rollingits conventional and nuclear arms race withIndia for over six decades. India is a countryfive times the size of Pakistan and has 10

times its economic resources. India mustcater for deterring a much larger China. Yet,the Pakistani military elite has been aimingfor not just parity but even trying to gain anedge in nuclear and conventional terms.

Bane of asymmetric warfareKey cause for the systemic collapse that is nowthreatening the State of Pakistan is the heavy

investment its military has made in asym-metric warfare. In seeking military parity withIndia, it has time and again rented out terri-tory to extra regional powers in return for lib-eral grants of military aid and equipment. Tosupport the CIAs jihad against Soviet troopsin Afghanistan it indiscriminately weaponisedthe tribes in the Af-Pak border.

What was alarming was not just the scalebut the sophistication of weaponisation

which included shoulder-fired anti-aircraftmissiles and air defence guns, and heavycaliber rockets. Around 80,000 mujahideenwere armed and sent into Afghanistan. Theborder madrasas were turned into a jihadfactory. The ISI raised some 40 Islamistorganisations bent upon promoting jihad inall corners of the world. Once the Afghanwar was over, the ISI turned its full covertpotential to wage a proxy war in Jammuand Kashmir. The ideology of jih ad wasused to fuel these asymmetric wars in itsneighbourhood to seize the head waters of the Pakistani rivers in Jammu and Kashmirand gain strategic depth in Afghanistan.Hussain Haqqani observes: Unfortunatelyin the process of the tactical use of ideol-ogy to further short term agendas andnarrow political and personal objectives,

the very character and chemistry of thePakistani state changed forever. Vali Nasr,a Malaysian Islamic scholar, wrote, Zia-ul-Haqs use of ideology subverted the verycharacter and nature of the Pakistani State.Dr Ayesha Siddiqui highlighted: Pakistantried to minimise the cost of defence andincrease its strategic depth by employingnon-state actors. This is not a viable optionanymore. The general perception is thatthese groups can be used and discarded asrequired. In other words, they are control-lable or their use is unlikely to change thecharacter of a society and State.

Today, Pakistan is paying a steep price fordestabilising the entire region and indiscrimi-nately employing non-state actors to spreadthe virus of chaos. This has led to the indis-criminate weaponisation of its own society toan extent that has made the state completelydysfunctional. A modern nation state is char-acterised by its sole monopoly of violence. Ithas to consciously disarm and de-weaponiseits citizenry. Pakistan did the opposite and hasnow to come to terms with the stark conse-quences. Its asymmetric warfare assets arespinning out of control and seriously threat-ening the stability of not just the state butthe entire region. Problem is, Pakistan is anuclear armed state. If it spins out of controlor disintegrates under the weight of its ownself- contradictions, it could place weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-stateactors with a suicidal mindset. That would bea catastrophe for the world in general.

Is it already too late to save the nation statein Pakistan from its own asymmetric warfare

assets? Unfortunately, the time for short termsolutions and quick fixes in Pakistan is nowover. An objective and dispassionate analy-sis of Pakistan as a systemic entity clearlyindicates that it has become dysfunctional.Economically it can not be sustained. Periodicinjections of $10 billion to $15 billion (Rs51,375 crore to Rs 77,060 crore) cannot cor-rect the structural f laws in its economy. Suchdoles will be used by the military elite to buymore expensive weapons that may one daybe put to use to haunt the very people whofinanced them. The world may soon have tocome to terms with consequences of State fail-ure and collapse in Pakistan.

Even as the State careens into col-lapse mode in Pakistan, China is buildingthree more reactors to produce plutoniumto enlarge the Pakistani nuclear arsenal.

Paradoxically, even in its death throes,Pakistans patrons are supplying it with moresophisticated weapons and nukes for theTaliban to use tomor row. The world mustnow be made starkly aware of this gre at dan-ger to the global order. SP

The writer is a strategic analyst and former Senior Directing Staff at the

National Defence College.

Pakistan is a nucleararmed state. If it spins outof control or disintegratesunder the weight of itsown self- contradictions,it could place weapons ofmass destruction in thehands of non-state actorswith a suicidal mindset.

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One of the important highlights of the interim budget is the compara-tively higher allocation for defencecomprising the three services

and a host of other departments and agen-cies of the Ministry of Defence, includingthe Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) and the ordnancefactories. Elaborating on the governmentsdecision to increase the defence expen-diture to Rs 1,41,703 crore this year,Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the

Mumbai attacks had given a new dimensionto cross-border terrorism.

Over the last three decades, IndiasDefence Budget has varied between 2 and3 per cent of the gross domestic product(GDP), corresponding to between 13 and 17per cent of central government expenditure.Annual increase has varied from as low as 3per cent to a high of 26 per cent. This time,it has been pegged at 2.35 per cent of theGDP. Historically, the resource allocationstrategy of the government has appeared tobe incremental, driven by the need to replaceobsolescent equipment and hardware of each service. This time around an additionalfactor was introduced, namely, substantialincrease in the revenue expenditure due tothe enhanced pay and allowances for allcentral government employees in accordancewith the Sixth Pay Commissions report. Asfar as building a military capability is con-cerned, despite all the rhetoric endorsing theneed for capability-based defence budgetingto ensure a secure future, in practice India isstill employing the same old methods with anelement of su perficial sophistication infusedby the Integrated Defence Staff.

Building military capability is a longterm exercise which depends not only onthe level of expenditure but on a holisticplan that delineates stage wise milestonesof capability development. Thus, defenceexpenditure is linked to longer termplanned expenditure, based on emergingchallenges and threats, trends in warfare,induction of new technologies and newmethod of warfighting which is dependent

on the nature of future conflicts. Hence,military expenditure for capability build-ing is associated to a wide range of issues.Other factors that impinge on building amilitary capability include the voids in theinventory of equipment and munitions of each service, the revenue to capital ratios,indigenous research and development andmanufacturing capabilities, import con-tent, the technology and performance of acquired weapon systems, their lifetimesupport, interoperability with other systemsin use within the three services, and theefficiency of the equipment in local geo-graphical environment.

Budget in detailFor 2009-10, the defence budget at 2.35 percent of the GDP has increased by 34.19 per

cent over the previous years budget estimate(BE) of Rs 1,05,600 crore. However, at theRevised Estimate (RE) stage of 2 008-09,the budget stood Rs 1,14,600 crore, scaledupward by Rs 9,000 crore (8.52 per cent).Thus, the increase in the budget is 23.65 percent over the RE stage.

Towards revenue expenditure of the threeservices, Rs 86,879 crore has been allocated,

while capital budget, which caters for mod-ernisation and military capability building, hasbeen pegged at Rs 54,824 crore. Thereby, rev-enue expenditure has been increased by 50.85per cent (Rs 29,286 crore) while the capitalexpenditure has declined as compared to lastyear. The defence budget as a percentage ratioof revenue expenditure to capital expenditurenow stands at 61.31 to 54.54. Capital expen-diture has gone down by nearly 7 percentagepoints as per figures shown below.

2008-09 2009-10

Defence Budget(Rs in crore)

1 ,05,600 1,41,703

Growth of DefenceBudget (%)

10 34.19

RevenueExpenditure(Rs in crore)

57,593 86,879

Share of RevenueExpenditurein Defence Budget(%)

54.54 61.31

Growth of Revenue

Expenditure (%)

6.50 50.85

CapitalExpenditure(Rs in crore)

48,007 54,824

Share of CapitalExpenditurein DefenceBudget (%)

45.46 38.69

Growth of CapitalExpenditure (%)

14.51 14.20

The relatively large increase of revenueexpenditure is primarily due to the increase inpay and allowances flowing from the imple-mentation of Sixth Central Pay Commission.

To put the figure in perspective, total bud-geted pay and allowances debited from theservices budgets has more than doubledfrom Rs 21,891.67 crore in 2008-09 to Rs44,500.69 crore in 2009-10. Service-wise,the army accounts for the largest share of the 2009-10 budget with an approximateallocation of Rs 76,680 crore, followed by theair force (Rs 34,432 crore) and the navy (Rs20,604 crore). While the Ordnance Factories(OF) have a budget of Rs 1,505.45 crore, theDRDOs budget is Rs 8,481.54 crore.

Modernisation plansModernisation of the armed forces is notkeeping pace with the changing securityenvironment of Indias immediate and stra-tegic neighbourhood. New ch allenges havealready emerged while the old threats from

traditional adversaries remain. Hence Indianeeds to prepare itself for the full spectrum of warfare ranging from low intensity conflictinvolving counter insu rgency and counterterrorist operations to conventional conflictsunder the nuclear shadow. The dilemma is of how much emphasis should be laid to acquir-ing each type of capability. That notwith-standing, the requirements of the Services

are vast and wide ranging. Some require-ments of the three Services are given in thesucceeding paragraphs.

The Indian Army needs to acquire fieldguns of 155 mm calibre for its fighting for-mations in the plains, deserts and in themountains. India has floated a global tenderfor the purchase of 400 155 mm towedartillery guns for the army, to be followed byindigenous manufacture of another 1,100howitzers, in a project worth a whoppingRs 8,000 crore. In January 2008, the MoD

floated an RFP for 140 pieces of ultra-light39 calibre 155 mm towed howitzers for useby the Indian Armys mountain formationswhich will cost approximately Rs 3,000 crore.India has also decided to acquire another347 T-90S tanks from Russia and assemblethem within the country. Another area of inadequacy is the air defence (AD) of field for-mations. Nearly all equipment in the IndianArmys AD inventory needs replacement,most of the equipment is between 30 to 40years old. Simultaneously there is a need forequipping our infantry and Special Forceswith modern sur veillance and soft waredriven communication equipment. Tacticalcommunications need to be upgraded for fieldformations because that will form the back-bone structure for the C4ISR system when it isestablished. Hence, there is no dearth of proj-ects in the Army which need to be funded.

The Indian Air Force is in dire need of multi-role combat aircraft to fill the existingvacuum. Reduced to around 30 squadronsfrom its earlier strength of 39-and-half squadrons, the IAF is also in urgent need of radars to cover the gaps existing in the west-ern and northern borders and air defencemissiles. The percentage of precision muni-tions is also inadequate for the anticipatedconflicts of the future.

The Indian Navy requires: long range air defence and anti missile

defence capability long range anti-surface warfare capability

using precision guided weapons, includingthose with a c redible land attack capability

anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability

to counter the potential submarine threatboth conventional and nuclear throughprovision of a balanced mix of ASW capa-bility both for deep waters as also the morechallenging littorals

amphibious capability for provision of security to island territories as also for apossible power projection role, and

mine warfare through augmentation of minesweeping and mine hunting capability.All three services need to develop Network

Centric Warfare.

Availability of capital budgetAssuming that nearly 80 per cent of the capi-tal budget is meant for capital acquisitions,with 60 per cent of committed liabilities and40 per cent for new schemes, then the mainsub-divisions of th e capital budget could be

as under: Total Capital Budget : Rs 54,824 crore Capital Acquisition : Rs 43,859 crore Committed Liabilities : Rs 26,316 crore New Schemes : Rs 17,544 crore

In view of the above, a substantial amountwill be available for capital procurement.Nearly Rs 17,500 crore (30 per cent of thecapital budget) will be available for new

weapons systems planned for induction.While this is an optimistic view it will dependon how much resources are actually madeavailable and the meth od adopted for spend-ing the amounts made available.

Budgeting Process:The loopholesThe budgeting process for the ensuingfinancial year (FY) starts with the ForecastEstimates (FE), which are submitted to theMinistry of Defence by each Service HQ inthe month of November of the previous year.FE is an indicative projection of requirementof funds by the services for the forthcom-ing FY. The FE is followed by the BudgetEstimates (BE) in December. This is a morefine-tuned estimate of requirement of fundsfor the ensuing FY. Meanwhile, a number of proposals submitted by Service HQ remainpending with the government. There are noclear indications from the ministry aboutthe final outcome of these proposals and therelated cash out go in the current FY. Sincethe requirement of funds for the ensuing FYalso depends on the proposals cleared in thecurrent FY, Service HQ are not in a position

to project the BE accurately.Additionally, the government is also known

to surprise the Services at the RE stage (aroundmid-February) by withdrawing sizeableamount of funds from the initial allocations.The blame game between the services and thegovernment continues. The services harbourthe opinion that the government deliberatelygoes slow and withdraws funds from defenceallocations due to political considerations or tobalance the account books at the end of the FY.This surrender of funds is a matter of seriousconcern, since the money is from the capitalaccount of the budget, needless to say that themodernisation programme of the services aredelayed and much needed equipment is notavailable to the troops in actual combat. Thecascading effect of this delay in procurementcan never be made up, because of the sheernumbers and size of requirement.

Thus, even if adequate funds are allocated,equipment may not be available in adequatenumbers as also the time required to absorbtechnology will militate against mass pro-curement. There are a host of other reasonsfor surrender of fun ds, such as lacklustrepursual of procureme nt cases based on inac-curate and inadequate framework, bureau-cratic delays, delays in price negotiationcommittee, single vendor situations, long tri-als, no or late release of payments to vendorsand so on. Surrender of funds has been hotlydebated in Parliament and invited adversecomments of successive Defence Committees.

Utilisation of fundsThe defence budget for 2009-10 represents

14.87 per cent of total central governmentexpenditure, and 2.35 per cent of GDP. Thegrowth of over 34 per cent in this yearsdefence budget is a high figure. During thepast few years, the defence budgets had beensubjected to criticism in view of their decliningshare of total central government expenditureand GDP. In fact, last year the defence budgethad decreased to below two per cent of GDP.The corresponding figures for 2008-09 are14.06 per cent and 1.95 per cent respectively.

However, the problem of under utilisationof resources under the capital head persists.As the latest budget reveals, the budgeted capi-tal expenditure for 2008-09 has decreased byRs 7,007 crore (15 per cent) from Rs 48, 007crore to Rs 41,000 crore at the RE stage. Itsimplication is also seen in the wide variation inthe growth of the capital budget. If the entire

2008-09 capital budget had been spent, the2009-10 capital expenditure would have seenonly 14.2 per cent growth instead of 33.72per cent rise (Rs 13,824 crore). Recurringunder utilisation of resources is seriousenough to mandate a complete overhaul of the acquisition system to ensure that funds areutilised in a timely manner and for the purposefor which they are allocated. SP

Defence Budget

Money Sparsely SpentThe problem of under utilisation of resources under the capital head

persists even as Indias Defence Budget 2009-10 represents 14.87 per centof total central government expenditure and 2.35 per cent of the GDPLT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR


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The Indian Armys modernisationplans have created a $20 billion (Rs1,00,800 crore) opportunity, propel-ling the country to the centre stage of

all big arms manufacturing establishments. Thekey features of the plan and the steps alreadytaken towards the acquisition of equipment arediscussed below.Armour: The army has already received 14out of the 124 Arjun Main Battle Tanks (MBT)it had ordered. These are undergoing sub-unittrials before further induction of the entire lot.As many as 310 T-90S tanks had been orderedfrom Russia. Of these, 124 fully assembledtanks were directly imported from Russia and186 kits were imported for assembly in India.The first indigenously assembled T-90S rolledout from the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF),Avadi on January 7, 2004. These tanks havenow been operationalised. Defect in the fire con-trol systems of the T-90S tanks, caused due toexcessive heating of the turrets during the sum-mers, is being remedied by air-conditioning theinterior. An additional 347 T-90S tanks havebeen negotiated for induction into the service,bringing the total figure to 647.

A programme has simultaneously beenlaunched to modernise the T-72M1 AjeyaMBTs. Around 1,700 T-72M1s have been man-ufactured under licence at HVF, Avadi. The T-72M1 modernisation programme under Project

Rhino will extend the service life of the MBT by20 years, enhance their accuracy with the newDrawa-T Fire Control System (FCS) which, inte-grated with a thermal imager, will afford nightfighting capability. The tanks are additionallybeing equipped with Explosive Reactive Armour(ERA) for better protection, along with a laserwarning system and new, frequency hopping,tank radios sets from Tadiran for more securecommunications. A new power pack is alsounder consideration to further enhance mobil-ity, especially with the heavy ERA packages thatare being strapped on. However, modernisationof the T-72 is way behind schedule due to com-plicated procurement procedures exacerbatedby delayed decision making. The T-90 and theimproved T-72M1 tanks will constitute thearmour might of India in the future till a newMBT is chosen or designed indigenously.

Mechanised Infantry: The mechanisedinfantry is equipped with the BMP-2 InfantryCombat Vehicle (ICV), christened Sarath. Over1,000 of these have been manufactured since1987. A new variant is the 81 mm CarrierMortar Tracked based on the chassis of theSarath ICV and has been indigenously devel-oped to enhance the integral firepower availableto mechanised infantry battalions. Other vari-

ants include a command post, an ambulance,armoured dozer and engineer and reconnais-sance vehicles. The ICVs are being equippedwith thermal imaging sights and image intensi-fiers. The army had ordered 198 Carrier MortarTracked, which have since been delivered.Artillery: In keeping with the policy that 15mm will be the standard calibre for the artil-lery, Israeli firm Soltam was given the contractfor upgunning 180 of the M-46 130 mm gunsacquired from Russia. After some initial hitches,all 180 guns have been successfully upgradedand operationalised. This will extend the rangeof the erstwhile 130 mm guns from 28 to 40km with extended range ammunition.

Two regiments of Smerch Multi-BarrelRocket Launchers (MBRL) have been procuredfrom Russia, through Rosboronexport. This willenhance the reach of the artillery considerably,thus giving commanders multiple options foroffensive operations in enemys depth. Extendedrange rockets are also expected to boost therange of Grad BM-21 rockets from 22 km toabout 40 km. The indigenously developedPinaka MBRL has been accepted for inductioninto service. Two private sector companies aretaking part in the production of Pinaka.

Two missile groups of Prithvi surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile and oneof Agni have reportedly been raised. Agni-IIintermediate range ballistic missile has been

successfully test-fired and is undergoing furthertrials. These missiles may be placed under theStrategic Forces Command. The army versionof BrahMos cruise missile, developed jointly byIndia and Russia, has been successfully testedand inducted into ser vice. Twelve AN/TPQ-37Firefinder radars have been received from theUS. Additional radars of the same class areplanned to be acquired through indigenousdevelopment.

The Heron UAVa medium-altitude, longendurance UAV from Israelhas been acquiredin addition to the Searcher I and II UAVs.Medium range battlefield surveillance radarshave been introduced into the inventory of thearmys surveillance and target acquisition unitsfor enhancing the medium range ground sur-veillance capability of the army. The long-rangeobservation system (LORROS) provides day

and night surveillance capability up to a rangeof about 11 to 13 km. It is performing well,especially in counter-infiltration operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Most of these sensors arecurrently functioning in a stand-alone mode asthere are no arrangements to link them togeth-er on a networked surveillance grid.

Development of the Nishant remotely pilotedvehicle, designed by the Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO) to under-take battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance,real time engagement of targets by artilleryfire and laser designation has been successfullycompleted. It has been approved for inductionthrough limited series production. The ArtilleryCombat Command and Control System hasbeen successfully developed and is under pro-duction. Trial evaluation of Terminal GuidedMunitions, Trajectory Guided Munitions,Velocity Enhanced Long Range ArtilleryProjectiles and Anti-Radiation Ammunition isalso in progress.Air Defence Artillery: The Corps of ArmyAir Defence holds a large variety of gunsand missile systems. It has the 40 mm L/70,Zu-23-2 Twin gun, ZSU-23-4 Schilka andTangushka in its inventory. The 40 mm L/70,which is about four decades old, needs immedi-ate replacement. Considering the high costs of new weapon systems, the army is going in for

weapon upgrades for L-70, ZU-23-2 Twin gun,and ZSU-23-4 Schilka.

Meanwhile, the army is also looking for suc-cessors to L-70 and the ZU-23-2. A successor toSchilka (ZSU-23-4) already exists in the form of Tangushka, but in limited numbers. In missilesystems, Kvadrat (medium range) and OSAAK(short range) have reached the end of their life-cycle. These were to be replaced by Akash andTrishul surface-to-air missiles, but since theseDRDO projects have been inordinately delayed,replacements from abroad may have to beacquired. One major weakness in the overall airdefence matrix is the lack of a battlefield man-

agement system, which is also linked with thenational air defence network.Infantry: The combat potential of the infan-try, particularly in the areas of firepowerand surveillance for counter-insurgency andconventional operations, is being significantlyenhanced. Some of the systems introducedrecently include the 20 mm and 14.5 mm Anti-Material Rifle, Automatic Grenade Launcher-

30, Multiple Grenade Launcher, 84 mm RocketLauncher Mk II and Kornet-E ATGM with ther-mal imaging night sights. Surveillance equip-ment includes Battlefield Surveillance Radars,Hand Held Thermal Imagers and various typesof Unattended Ground Sensors.Engineers: Equipment has been procured toassist in de-mining operations. Equipment is alsobeing procured to better equip army engineers toparticipate in disaster management. Protectiveequipment, to enhance the fighting capability of the army in the nuclear, biological and chemicalscenario has been procured. Protection againstImprovised Explosive Devices (IED) in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations isalso being enhanced through procurement of asophisticated range of equipment.Communications: A country-wide, secured,value-added backbone for data and voice trans-mission in a networked architecture is beingestablished to connect the armys importantformation headquarters. Strategic broadbandsatellite network, the first of its kind connect-ing 22 locations, has recently been commis-sioned under a project titled Mercury Flash.On February 24, 2006, the erstwhile Presidentof India, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, dedicated theArmy Wide Area Network (AWAN) to thenation. The AWAN is designed to connect allfield and peace-time formations, training estab-lishments and logistics installations in the coun-

try. As regards electronic warfare, the DefenceAcquisition Council of the MoD has approvedthe acquisition of electronic warfare equipmentworth Rs 1,500 crore ($333 million).Information Systems: A new organization, theDirector General Information Systems, has beenestablished in the army under the Deputy Chief (Policy and Systems). The objective is to vigor-ously pursue the establishment of the CommandInformation Decision Support System for thearmy to link together all other automated com-munication and information systems such asthe Battlefield Surveillance System, the ArtilleryCombat Command and Control System, the AirDefence Control and Reporting System, andBattle Management System in an effort to pres-ent a holistic picture to a commander and hissenior staff officers to ease the decision makingprocess. This will also link the communication

system at strategic, operational and tactical levelsand enable the army to fight network enabledwarfare in the future. Developments in thesefields are slow but steady and the army report-edly expects to achieve the first stage of networkenabled capability in a decade or so. SP

Full article in SPs Military Yearbook2008-2009.

Reinforcing POWERA synopsis of the proposed and acquired systems that promise to enhance the armys capabilitiesLT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

The Indian Army

The T-90 and theimproved T-72M1 tankswill constitute thearmour might of India inthe future till a new MBT

is chosen or designedindigenously

The T-72

The Agni III missile model w w w . i m a g e s h a c k . u s


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Accurate intelligence is a vital ele-ment of planning for any success-ful military operation. The processof gathering intelligence starts

with the systematic collection of information

by all types of sensors soldiers, electronicsand optics, to name a few. Information is alsoaccrued by reconnaissance and target acqui-sition. This information is then convertedinto intelligence to assist the commander andhis staff formulate battle plans for execution.

Technology can assist in providing bet-ter sensors, faster passage of informationand conversion of mass information intointelligence with the help of computers.Integrating the Intelligence, Surveillanceand Reconnaissance (ISR) systems with bet-ter communications, faster computers andcommand and control systems helps to cre-ate a complete battle command and controlsystem. Intelligence received by the militaryforces must:

be in a format that enables the defenceforces to swiftly defeat an adversary

enable the commanders to act quickly,secretly, and effectively

allow anticipation of the adversarysactions and the needs of own command-ers and warfighters

provide predictive intelligence that staysahead of the battle, and

extend to the post-conflict, security andstabilisation phase of a campaign as well.

Major ISR systemsImagery Intelligence: IMINT uses all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electro opti-cal/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar(SAR), moving target indicator and so on. The

UAVs range from Global Hawk and Predator tothe smaller tactical versions, like the US ArmysSHADOW 200 and Elbits Skylark which pro-vide flexibility and adaptability to meet theimmediate needs of battlefield commanders.The US also has the Joint Surveillance TargetAttack Radar System and other similar systems.Measurement and Signals Intelligence: MASINT includes unattended ground sen-sors (UGSs) and so on.Signals Intelligence: SIGINT, as the namesuggests, involves intelligence gatheringby intercepting signals. CommunicationsIntelligence (COMINT) refers to informationgleaned from exchanges between people,while Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) signifiessignals intercepted between machines, includ-ing radars. As sensitive information is oftenencrypted, signals intelligence often involves

the use of cryptanalysis. However, traffic anal-ysis can also produce valuable information. Infact, order of battle (ORBAT) can be built stepby step through SIGINT. Various systems pro-viding COMINT and SIGINT are available andcan be used to enhance intelligence or jam theadversaries systems.Human Intelligence: HUMINT is a vital com-ponent of ISR and can be obtained by covert or

overt means, including special forces.Future Combat System Platforms: Thisis especially applicable to the US and othercountries which have developed and fieldedsystems for their soldiers for providing bet-

ter situational awareness, faster exchangeof orders, better fire power, improved com-munications and protection. India is alsodeveloping a similar system called Soldieras a System. All the sensors used in thesesystems are integrated with the overall ISRsystem to provide a better intelligence picture.

ISR in the Indian ArmyA great source of intelligence durin g peaceand war, SIGINT has been widely used in theIndian Army (IA). Also in the frame are theELINT systems which have various types of radar signatures in the database and, aftercomparing with intercepted signals, canissue electronic order of battle from whichORBAT can be inferred. The other sourceis battlefield surveillance radar developedby the Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured byBharat Electronics Limited. UAVs, like theIsraeli-made Searcher and Heron, have alsobecome part of the inventory.

Improved ISR packages are available,which include the SAR. Then again, BAESystems AURORA Generation IV spectralISR system combines hyperspectral imagingtechnology with high-resolution electro-optic

and infrared sensors with an airborne pro-cessing system that fuses spectral and imag-ery data in real time and has been providedto the US Army. IA is reportedly on the look-out for micro UAVs directly or through the

DRDO route. The border management hasbeen through a mix of HUMINT, battlefieldsurveillance radars, electro-optical devices,UAVs and even electrified fencing which ismanufactured by Tata. But certain portionsof the border with Bangladesh or the desertarea in Rajasthan is still porous and needsbetter means for surveillance.

To fight insurgency like that unleashedby the Naxalites, systems specially designedfor urban areas need to be acquired. Amongthe systems fielded are the Eyeball-1 andGate Keeper, remotely controlled video sur-veillance devices from ODF Optronics Ltdof Israel. Eyeball-1 enables troops to gathervaluable intelligence by viewing images andlistening to voices in a target area prior toan assault into a room or entering subter ra-nean spaces. Gate Keeper uses covert cam-

eras, triggered by passive infrared signals,to secure access routes, or a building, roomor floor, validating that it has not beenrecaptured by hostile elements. A minia-ture UGS, developed by Seraphim, providescovert visual surveillance of a target. Thechoices are varied and to keep pace with thefuture operational challenges, India needsto upgrade ISR systems. SP

Close CombatShort range and very short range air defence

systems are effective in countering lowaltitude attacksLT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Use of airpower in the battlefieldhas made the task of groundforces somewhat easier. In Iraq andAfghanistan, the US has demon-

strated how airpower can become the silverbullet in achieving victory in the immediatebattle but ground troops have to finally slogto win the war. This is the time when theyare most vulnerable to e nemy airpower andwould need air defence (AD) by own air forceas well as ground based systems.

Threat from the air will include fighteraircraft, attack helicopters, UAVs and c ruise

missiles. Generally, the attack profile will be atlow altitudes, except that of the UAVs. Thus,the requirement will be of point AD wherethe fighters will be flying low and attack heli-copters will be flying nap of the Earth evenas zooming cruise missiles hug its contours.However, with the development of standof f weapons, selected AD weapons will requirelonger ranges to destroy the attacking aircraftbefore it launches its weapon.

Indian PerspectiveUse of airpower was quite extensive duringthe 1965 and 1971 conflicts. As a conse-

quence, army AD was modernised especiallyto cater for the field army, including themechanised forces.

Guns: The 40 mm L60 and L70 werein service and, later on, all the L60s werereplaced by L70, but with its heavy weightand fire control radar, the latter provedunwieldy for the field army. Subsequently,ZU-23 mm twin barrel guns were acquiredfrom Russia which, although very light andmobile, had to be manually operated and thusnot effective during the night. The L70 is nowobsolete and needs immediate replacement

but options are few. At the forefront is theSkyshield of Rheinmetall Defencea moderngun system with Ahead (advance hit efficien-cy and destruction technology) ammunition.Ahead contains 152 h eavy tungsten metal,spin stabilised sub-projectiles that are ejectedby a time fuse and is very effective againstsmall targets. Schilka was acquired for themechanised forces during the early 1970s butis now obsolete. Tangushka replaced Schilka,but for some reason a limited number wereimported. There is a requirement to acquireeither more Tangushkas or look for alterna-tives, like mounting Skyshield on a suitable

indigenous chassis or Pantsir S1 developed byKBP, as an upgrade of the Tangushka.

Short range missile systems: India hadacquired the OSA-AK (SAM 8) which hasa range of about 8 km and is a fully mobilesystem, but now needs to be replaced.Trishul was being developed by the DefenceResearch and Development Organisation,but it was foreclosed as efforts hit a wall. Atpresent, there are many systems available,like the Spyder which has been developedby Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries.It is a short range (15 km max range), low

level (20-9,000 m altitude), integrated, all-weather air defence system, which consistsof the Python 5 IR guided and Derby RFguided Beyond Visual Range missiles. TheIndian Air Force has already acquired a fewlaunchers of Spyder.

Raytheons SLAMRAAM is a mod-ern system which offers ef fective defenceagainst the low-flying cruise missile and theunmanned aerial vehicle. Russias TOR-M1surface-to-air missile system is a mobile,integrated air defence system, designed foroperation at medium-, low- and very lowaltitudes, against fixed/rotary wing aircraft,

UAVs, guided missiles and precision weaponat a range of 12 km. Canadas Air DefenseAnti-Tank System (ADATS) is based on theM113A2. The ADATS is purportedly themost successful short range AD system inthe world, with 85 per cent or better engage-ment success rate. Developed by RheinmetallAir Defence, it has a range of 8 km forground targets and 10 km for aerial targets.

Shoulder-fired AD missile systems:Indian defence forces have the Igla shoul-der-fired missile system of Russian originwhich is a very good system. Russians are

developing its successor, the Igla-S, whichis effective against approaching targets. USshort range AD systems are based aroundthe FIM-92 Stinger missile and its mountedplatforms, the M1097 Avenger and M6Linebacker. It is effective against cruise mis-siles, UAVs, low-flying fixed-wing aircraftand helicopters. Similar to most of theshoulder-fired AD systems, it is a fire-and-forget infrared guided missile. Another sys-tem is the Starstreak, with a range of 7 km,which is in service in UK and has been man-ufactured by Thales Air Defence Limited(formerly, Shorts Missile Systems). SP

Air Defence

Gateways to IntelligenceISR Systems facilitate accrual of information that can be converted intointelligence to assist in the formulation of battle plans. These systemshelp to create a complete battle command and control system.

LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Technology

The Pantsir S1 developed by KBP

The Shadow 200 UAV

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2009 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.Customer Success Is Our Mission i s a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.Photo courtesy of S&H

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Power WheelsMahindra Defence Systems initially createdthe market for light bullet proof vehicles inIndia and soon became the leader inup-armoured vehiclesBY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Indust ry

The Axe

Mahindra Defence Systems(MDS) is a division of Mahindra& Mahindra Ltd (M&M).Supplying vehicles since 1947

to the army and security forces, M&M is alsothe main supplier of 4 x4 light vehicles tothe Indian armed forces, police and para-military forces. At present there are over12,000 vehicles in the army and manytimes that number with the police and para-military forces.

MDS was formed in July 2000 as a singlepoint contact for all M&M dealings with theMinistry of Defence and for special vehiclesfor the security forces. MDS initially createdthe market for light bullet proof vehiclesin India and soon became the leader inup-armoured vehicles. Today there are inexcess of 600 MDS up-armoured vehiclesin service in the Indian Army and security/police forces as well as in the security forcesof some foreign countries.

MDS is organised in three functionalareasLand Systems, Naval Systems andDefence C4I systems.

Land SystemsAfter modest beginnings with supply of M&M Jeep and its variants to Indian Army,Land Systems has developed into a largeentity with its own Defence R&D and amanufacturing facility near Faridabad.Current competencies in land systems areup-armouring of light and medium vehicles,high mobility vehicles and special vehicles.In the light armoured vehicle category, MDShas a 80 per cent market share.Up-armoured and Specialist Vehicles:Currently, the range encompasses the fol-lowing up-armoured and specialist vehicles.Rakshak: This is a battle proven opera-

tional vehicle of which there are over 450

in service. With ballistic protection up to7.62 mm x 51 NATO ball and the ability towithstand the simultaneous explosion of twogrenades below the belly, these vehicles have

been tested in combat.Marksman: Indias only bulletproof vehiclebased on a steel capsule, it offers ballisticprotection against 7.62 mm x 51 NATOball. It has the aggressive styling andengine power required for high intensitycombat situations.Up-armoured Scorpio & Bolero: Discreetprotection for VIPs and senior officers, thereare over a hundred up-armoured Scorpiosand Bolero in service. Various protectionlevels to suit user needs can be configured.Mine Protected Vehicle: This MPVi isbeing developed specifically for the require-ments of Indian armed and police forces.A highly powered operational vehicle, theMPVi will have modern fitments and weap-on mounts for its role. Apart from suitableballistic protection, it will have protectionagainst mines and IEDs containing upto 10kg of explosive.Axe: A High mobility fast attack vehicle, itincorporates world class technologies forbespoke Indian Army requirements. Basedon a space frame chassis with independentsuspension on all four wheels, fitted with a180 hp engine, the Axe is a consummateoff-road military vehicle. It has a versatiledesign that can be adapted to various mili-tary uses.Light Strike Vehicle: The vehicle has a 3tonne GVW with a payload of 950 kg anda power to weight ratio of above 30 kW /T.MDS is the only Indian vendor participatingin the Global Tender by Indian Army for 138such vehicles.Rapid Intervention Vehicle: The RIV is

designed for riot control in urban areas by

police forces. It has many specialist fittings,including tear gas launchers and a dozerblade to clear obstacles.Cash in Transit Van: Designed for movement

of valuable cargo, the CITV is a sheer proof light armoured vehicle that can be manufac-tured to any configuration required by the user.

Future CompetenciesIn order to expand its range of products,MDS plans to acquire the following addi-tional competencies, obtaining technologythrough joint ventures with internationalleaders in the field where required:

Artillery Systems upgrades and integration. Combat vehicles and advanced vehicle

armouring. Remote controlled vehicles.

In keeping with our plans, and followingapproval from the Government of IndiasForeign Investment Promotions Board,a joint venture is being set up with BAESystems focused on Land Systems for theIndian Defence Forces and export market.

Mahindra Special Military Vehicles

Facility: This modern facility is the first of its kind in India; spread over six acres inFaridabad, it is uniquely equipped to handlethe manufacture of special military vehicles

for various applications. Besides manufactur-ing, virtual designing, vehicle engineeringand advanced prototyping of vehicles willalso be undertaken at the facility. The facil-ity which started its operations in Decemberlast year is currently manufacturing uparmoured light and medium vehicles.

Military ElectronicsIn conjunction with Tech Mahindra, theDefence IT Capability & Solutions Unit Defence intends becoming a global providerof C4I Systems & Network Centric Warfaresolutions to the armed forces & other secu-rity agencies. Tech Mahindra is today con-sidered the third largest systems integratorin the world, and it will bring this awesomecapability to bear on defence solutions.This organisation has already leveraged itsstrong capabilities for various military C4Iprojects. SP

Naval System

Mahindra Naval Systems is a leading supplier of high technology marine underwater systemsfor defence applications. The company has a dedicated manufacturing facility at Pune with over21,000 sq ft of covered space and a wide range of machinery for composite applications. It hasbeen associated with the Naval Processor Based Ground Mine Mk 1, including significant improve-ments in the electronics of the mine. In conjunction with the NSTL, Visakhapatnam and BEL,Bangalore, it has manufactured the first indigenous Torpedo Decoy Launcher for fitment on boardnewly constructed warships. SP

Processor Based Ground Mine MK I Torpedo Decoy Launcher

The Rakshak The Marksman

Up-armoured Scorpio & Bolero Rapid Inter vention Vehicle

Cash in Transit Van Mahindra Special Military Vehicles Facility

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Counter Terrorism

Rise of Left ExtremismLeft wing extremism is one of the biggest threat to internal security.The Maoist influence affects 40 per cent of India.

AMIT KUMAR SINGH

Roots of Left wing extremism in Indiacan be traced back to the colonialphase of the modern history. Leftist/communist political movements,

labour and agrarian u nrests, revolutionarysocieties and tribal revolts that erupted dur-ing various phases of colonial rule in Indiasowed the seeds of Left movement in India.The revolutionary fervour these movementsinduced among the masses proliferated to thepost-Independence period as well. The radi-cal Left political movement continued to gainpopularity and support and ultimately crys-tallised into an organised armed movementin the aftermath of a police firing incident inNaxalbari village in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal on May 25, 1967. The incidentwas the beginning of the transformation of aprimarily political and socio-economic agrar-ian movement into an armed struggle.

During this phase, radical Left move-ments erupted in various parts of the country.Ripples of the Naxalbari incident were feltin Tamil Nadu, Bihar (Muzaffarpur), Kerala(Wayanad and Tellicherri), parts of Orissa,

Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh(Srikakulam). But it remained largely scatteredand uncoordinated. The movement could notwithstand the repressive measures of the gov-ernment. West Bengal, for instance, launcheda major offensive, Operation Steeple Chase, inwhich the military, paramilitary and the stateforces participated jointly in the Naxal affectedareas. The movement finally died out after thearrest and death of Charu Majumdar in July1972. Thereafter, it re-emerged in the early1980s, continued to gain base and has beenexpanding ever since. Charus death dealt ablow to Naxalites across the country even as thecentral authority of the movement collapsed.In the aftermath, the Communist Party of India(Marxist-Leninist), or CPI (M-L), got disinte-grated into innumerable groups and sub-groupswhich were engaged in internecine squabbles.

Efforts to form a joint frontLate 1970 onwards, the centre of gravity of Naxalism gradually shifted from West Bengal toBihar and Andhra Pradesh. During this phase,some extremist groups, such as the MaoistCommunist Centre (MCC) and the Peoples WarGroup (PWG), made dogged efforts to form a joint front. Despite similarities in ideology and

shared objectives, endeavours tothe merger met with numerousobstacles, with territorial andleadership clashes giving rise toan internecine conflict. However,towards the end of the millen-nium, efforts to form a joint frontbore partial fruit. The creationof Jharkhand State in November2000 and anti-Maoist operationslaunched by the administrationpushed the MCC and PWG intocloser cooperation, and a trucewas announced. Significantly, the

PWG had earlier merged with theCPI (M-L) Party Unity of Bihar onAugust 11, 1998. The ideologicaldifferences have now been ironedover, with Maoism prevailing.

At the close of the millennium,the CPI (M-L) PWG, the MaoistCommunist Centre-India (MCC-I)and the Janashakti emerged as themain Left Extremists Groups andefforts to amalgamate these groupswere intensified. Besides, focus

was directed towards organising regular mili-tias. In December 2000, the PWG reorganisedand rechristened its guerrilla force to form thePeoples Guerrilla Army (PGA). Efforts to forma joint front resulted in the merger of the MCC-Iwith CPI (M-L) Peoples War in September 2004to form Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI-Maoist) which emerged as the most powerfulNaxalite group in the country. The merger aug-mented the groups support base and impartedit a pan-Indian revolutionary group character.The two guerrilla armies of the PWG and theMCCthe PGA and the Peoples LiberationGuerrilla Army (PLGA), respectivelyalsomerged under the agreement. The new armedforce reportedly operates under the name of PLGA since December 2, 2004.

Compact Revolutionary ZoneAs of today, there are around 38 to 40 LeftExtremist Groups with their area of influenceand operation extending across nearly 194districts of the country. There was an attemptto bring CPI (M-L) Janashakti to the CPI-Maoist fold but the ef fort failed. The extremists

aim to establish a Compact RevolutionaryZone (CRZ) from Nepal to Tamil Nadu. Themerger had brought the Maoists closer to theirobjective of liberating their proposed CRZ; itsrealisation would give them domination overthe vital mineral and industrial areas of Indiaas this area contains most of the countryscoal, iron and aluminium mines.

The ninth party Congress (2007) of theLeft Extremists Groups was held after a gapof 36 years. Apart from emphasising onforming a joint front and expressing desire totake the movement to the next stage of theMaoist strategy, a decision was also taken toprotest against Special Economic Zones andthe setting up of industries by acquiring for-est and tribal land. It appealed to the groupsto upgrade the PLGAs to regular PLA, deepenmass base and wage a militant mass move-

ment against the neo liberal policies of glo-balisation, liberalisation and privatisation.

Over the past several years, efforts havebeen multiplied towards gathering and mobilis-ing international public opinion to put pressureon government agencies. Available reports indi-cate that the CPI-Maoist is currently strength-ening the formations of the PLGAs threeforcesbasic, secondary and main. Lately, an

increased presence of Naxalites in the urbanareas and industrial belts has been observed.While pursuing the goal of enlisting broadermass support, the rebels are adopting latestinformation technologies to spread awarenessabout their ideology and goals besides estab-lishing one-to-one contacts and sponsoringcultural events, like folk songs, dances anddrama, to convey their message.

A multi-faceted problemLeft wing extremism poses a unique, multi-dimensional and comprehensive challenge tothe Indian state structure. The multi-faceted

problem has social, ideological, security, cultur-al, economic, political and strategic dimensions.Flaunting the single largest armed group in thecountry, Left wing extremism is perceived as aone of the biggest threat to internal security.The sheer geographical expanse of the Maoistinfluence affects 40 per cent of India.

The Naxalite groups, particularly the CPI-Maoist, have been expanding and consolidatingtheir influence much beyond traditional strong-holds (Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Chhattisgarh,Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa)into certain new areas such as Tamil Nadu,Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Punjab,Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa. Naxalpresence is also being felt in some of the promi-nent Indian cities such as Mumbai, Pune andDelhi which clearly signal their urban shift.Of all the Left-wing extremist groups, the CPI-

Maoist has the largest presence in differentparts of the country. The CPI (M-L) Janashaktiand the CPI (M-L) Liberation are also reportedto have a sizeable presence and influence.

Naxalite groups have been makingconcerted efforts to militarise their cadresthrough formation of special guerrilla squads.The PLGA of the CPI (Maoists) is no longer apoorly trained militia but a highly equippedforce trained on the lines of a regular armythat has an elaborate command structure.The arsenal is a mix of hand-made agricultur-al tools, country made weapons and sophis-ticated weapons. Besides dedicated teams for

repair and fabrication of weapons, they aresaid to have various R&D units as well.

Faced with the rapidly spreading influ-ence and power of the Naxalites, the foremostresponsibility of the State, and the need of the hour, is to uphold the law of the land,provide security of life and property and asecure environment for development andeconomic growth in the areas deeply affectedby the violence unleashed by these rebels.The formation of a special 10,000-personnelstrong force Combat Battalion for ResoluteAction (COBRA) for the purpose is a step inthat direction. The various development ini-tiatives undertaken by the Central and stategovernments would also, in the long run,help weed out the Naxal menace. SP

The writer is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

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The wars in Afghanistan and in Iraqhave demonstrated how relativelysmaller number of troops usingprecision weaponry and networked

digitised communications, together withintegrative technologies (C4ISR), were ableto wrap up military operations with preci-sion and speed. Many analysts point out thatthe conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are stillongoing and though the new technologiesmay have greatly assisted the US forces inachieving a quick military victory initially, butthey have not been able to secure peace despiteincreasing the troop strength from time totime. While this is true, nevertheless, these twowars and the ongoing, technology driven, rev-olution in military affairs (RMA) have spurredthe military leadership all over the world toreview their military doctrines, organisations,force structures and equipment in light of thechanges observed in the method of wagingconflicts by employing new technologies.

Types of violence/conflicts likely to affect

security and stability in and around India,due to external and internal security prob-lems are: terrorism emanating from theneighbourhood in the west and in the east;ethnic and sectarian violence, insurgencies,narcotics/drug wars, illegal immigration,religious fundamentalism, territorial dis-putes over unsettled boundaries, conflicts inthe neighbourhood, proliferation of nuclearweapons, WMD falling in the hands of ter-rorists, wars to secure resource areas, andpiracy and terrorism at sea, land and in theair. The above challenges cover the entirespectrum of warfare and will place heavydemands on the military as well as the policeforces doctrinally, and organisationally.

Terrorism and insurgencies are the moreserious challenges facing the country todayand will have to be fought in all types of ter-

rain, including urban areas of Indias denselypopulated towns and cities which have alarge number of vulnerable installations andlandmarks, all of which cannot possibly bewell guarded. Overcoming this challenge willdemand extensive use of new and emerg-ing technologies among other doctrinal andorganisational reform, in order to remainahead of the adversary at all times.

Modern technologiesThere have been rapid advances in technol-ogy in recent times. Historically, there arecountless examples to illustrate that technol-ogy is one of the principle factors that drivesthe change in the method of war fighting andIndia is facing an entirely new technologyera, generated through advancements in thefield of miniturisation, digitisation, materialscience, bio-technology, sensor technology,stealth, communications and informationtechnology. India needs to integrate newtechnologies as warfighting systems.

The dominant technology trendsthat impact land forces are: Long RangePrecision Firepower; Integrative technolo-gies, including Intelligence, Surveillance andReconnaissance (ISR); stealth technologies;communication technologies; lighter, moremobile strike vehicles with greater firepowerfor out of area c ontingencies and power projection, and for urban combat. This articledeals with Armoured and Infantry Fighting

Vehicles (AFVs and IFVs) technologies for lowintensity and urban combat.

Armoured Fighting VehiclesThe US and coalition troops have engagedin counter-insurgency operations in Iraq,and the Israelis in their low intensityconflict with th e Palestinians. They haveacquired ample experience in the employ-ment of AFVs in urban combat. Both advo-

cate the employment of fully integratedcombat teams in any urban warfighting

environment. Across the spectrum of combat action in urban warfare, a mutu-ally supporting combined arms (armour-infantry) tactical grouping can achievesuccess while keeping casualties, as wellas collateral damage to a minimum. Thenature of fighting in urban areas compelsthe use of smaller combined arms teamsof armour and infantry led by experiencedand audacious young officers. The rapiddecentralisation makes command and con-trol difficult.

At small-unit tactical levels (sectionsand platoon), light infantry forces without

armour would face serious disadvantages.When moving exposed in an urban environ-ment, dismounted infantry troops may besubjected to intense hostile fire, thus pin-ning them down. It is here that AFVs comeinto action while the close-in protection of AFVs would be provided by the infantry.Normal infantry weapons lack adequatefirepower for subduing well-protectedenemy bunkers and carefully camouflagedpositions in buildings. Decentralised tacti-cal movements through built-up areas posesevere difficulties in maintaining controland mutual identification. In such a situa-tion, the danger of fratricide casualties also

becomes acute. This weakness can be com-pensated for by using AFVs or IFVs like theones available in mechanised infantry units,provided that the vehicles are adequatelyprotected by add-on armour or other pro-tective suites capable of withst anding thefire of rocket propelled grenades from closequarters and heavy indigenous explosivedevices (IEDs).

In Iraq, insurgents used innovative tac-tics during urban encounters against USarmoured elements. The troops reported useof snipers, grenades and Molotov Cocktailsfrom rooftops or upper floor windows, in anattempt to attack vehicle crews and command-ers through open hatches. Moreover AFVs andmechanised infantry units also face dangers inconfined urban areas due to limited all-roundobservation and restricted manoeuvre capa-bility. This places the armour as well as themechanised infantry at a severe disadvantagewhen operating alone. The tactics employed by

the insurgents included simultaneous attackson both flanks from alleys, allowing the insur-

Armoured Fighting VehiclesAFV and IFV technologies are among the most effective for low intensity and urban combatLT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

Terrorism andinsurgencies are the moreserious challenges facingthe country today andwill have to be foughtin all types of terrain,including urban areas ofIndias densely populatedtowns and cities

Technology

MODERN IFVs & APCs

Fahd Fuchs VAB USMC LAV-25 Stryker ICV BTR-90

Weight 10.9 t (12.0short tonnes)

18.3 t (20.2short tonnes)


12.8 t (14.1 shorttonnes)



Primaryarmament

30 mm (1.2 in)2A42 automaticcannon

Up to three 7.62mm (0.300 in)Rheinmetall MG3machine guns

7.62 mm (0.300in) AA-52machine gun

25 mm (0.98 in)M242 chain gun

0.50 in (13 mm)M2 Browningmachine gun

30 mm (1.2 in)2A42 automaticcannon

Secondaryarmament

7.62 mm (0.300in) FN MAGmachine gun

- - 7.62 mm(0.300 in) M240machine gun

- 7.62 mm(0.300 in) PKTmachine gun

Missilearmament

(Range)

AT-5 Spandrel(700-4000

meters)

MILAN (400-2000meters)

- - - AT-5 Spandrel(700-4000

meters)Road range 700 km

(430 mi)800 km(500 mi)

1,000 km(620 mi)

660 km(410 mi)

500 km(310 mi)

800 km(500 mi)

Maximumvelocity(On road)

100 km/h(62 mph)

96 km/h(60 mph)

110 km/h(68 mph)

100 km/h(62 mph)

100 km/h(62 mph)

100 km/h(62 mph)

Capacity(Maximum)

3 crew + 10passengers






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gents to fire RPGs from close range at the rela-tively weak areas of the tanks armour. Sincethe urban scenario has no frontline, attackscan come not only from the front, where thetanks are heavily protected, but also fromabove, and from the flanks or the rear, aimingat the vehicles weak spots. Attacks by IEDsand mines can also come from below the sur-face. Thus, innovative methods of improvingthe armour protection on top and in the belly

of the tank will help.Although urban warfare is not exactlythe tankers dream, a significant number of future battles will inevitably take place inthis environment. The value of tank supportcannot be underestimated in this high-riskenvironment, in which a commander wishesto use all available combat elements in orderto reduce casualties. Modifications to tanksfor use in urban combat conditions will con-tinue to make them indispensable partnersin the future warfighting team.

Israeli experienceIsraeli Defence Force (IDF) have already mod-ified the Merkava main battle tanks so theycan be employed in lieu of M11 3s armouredpersonnel carriers (APC), even though thetanks are much heavier and more difficult to

manoeuvre in urban terrain. The Merkava isbeing increasingly deployed in low-intensityconflict. The IDF have adapted the tank tooperate as an infantry carrier thus protect-ing the infantry throughout the approachto the objective area. Removing the ammu-nition from the back of the tank opens upenough space to fit five soldiers. The tankoperators can scan and observe from insidethe vehicle, with the hatch closed. Patrollinghostile urban areas in a tank can be danger-ous, because the AFVs cannot manoeuvre aseasily as light armoured personnel carriers,and can be threatened by a range of weap-onsfrom rocket-propelled grenades firedfrom tall buildings to trip wires and MolotovCocktails. According to Israeli soldiers, theMuslim casbah is the most challengingenvironment for tanks.

Merkava has now been equipped with anunderbelly charge plate, lightweight plowsand mine rollers. A mine roller or minetrawl is a demining device mounted on atank or APC, designed to detonate anti-tankmines. It allows engineers to clear a lanethrough a minefield which is protected byenemy fire. The IDF, additionally, is consider-ing equipping the tank with so-called non-lethal weapons for crowd control anti lawenforcement type of operations.

For low-intensity missions, the Merkavais being upgraded with polycarbonate. Acategory of plastic materials used to makea myriad of products, including CDs and

CD-ROMs, sight shields, a rear-door firingpeephole, and intake and exhaust shields todefend from Molotov Cocktails. The IDF hasalso fitted tanks with marking poles, whichassist the commander and driver manoeu-vring in narrow streets. To protect againstindividuals planting explosive charge, wiremeshes were added to close the openings

and to shield the optic sights. A redesignedcommanders cupola was installed toimprove the commanders visibility at high-er elevation. A firing hatch and observa-tion window was opened in the rear access

door, where a sniper can operate from asheltered position. The newest version of the Merkava eventually could get activeprotection systems, which defeat incomingrocket-propelled grenades or missiles byshooting them down with another rocket.That technology also is being considered forUS armoured vehicles, but it poses a dangerto friendly troops in the vicinity of the tank,who may be accidentally killed by theirown vehicles defensive weapons. The IDF,meanwhile, has built a prototype Merkavathat, is at least 15 tonnes lighter than themain battle tank, and would be employedexclusively as a personnel carrier for urbancounter-insurgency operations.

Infantry Fighting VehiclesIFVs have gained prominence in asymmetricwarfare and in urban combat zones wheretheir importance is being once again highlight-ed. The IFV offers a viable compromise betweenmobility, protection, and firepower. They canbe used in high and low intensity conflicts aswell as peacekeeping operations. The latest

vehicles have been designed with an emphasison modularity that improves their ability to berepaired in the field. Some IFVs are amphibiousand nearly all are air transportable.

Wheeled IFVs can travel great distanceson their own without needing to be trans-ported by tank transporters and railwaywhich is mandated by the tracked versions.The tracks themselves and the weight of theIFVs tend to r uin road surfaces, especiallyin large scale movements while the wheeledIFVs have the same impact as other wheeledvehicles. Consequently, wheeled IFVs havegreater mobility.

Moreover, many wheeled IFVs canextract themselves from a battlefield evenon flat tires, while an IFV with damagedtracks would require an armoured recov-ery vehicle to tow it out. However, tracksdo offer greater cross country mobilityand greater manoeuvrability than wheels.Stryker Mobile Gun System of US Armyand Vehicule Blinde de Combat dlnfanterie(VBCI) of the French Army are describedbriefly in the succeeding paragraphs.

Stryker Mobile Gun SystemThe Stryker Mobile Gun System is an eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicle mountinga 105 mm tank gun, based on the CanadianLAV III light-armoured vehicle, which inturn is based on the Mowag Piranha. It isin service with the United States and is alsobeing considered for adoption by several

other countries, including Canada. Stryker isa family of eight-wheel-drive combat vehicles,transportable in a C-130 aircraft, beingbuilt for the US Army by General DynamicsLand Systems, Canada (formerly GeneralMotors Defense) and General Dynamics LandSystems Division of the US. Fabrication andfinal assembly of the vehicles is being shared

among plants at Anniston, Alabama; Lima,Ohio; and London, Ontario.

The Stryker brigade combat team com-bines the capacity for rapid deploymentwith survivability and tactical mobility. TheStryker vehicle enables the team to manoeu-vre in close and urban terrain, provide pro-tection in open terrain and transport infantryquickly to critical battlefield positions. Theeight-wheeled Stryker is the first new militaryvehicle to enter service into the US Armysince the Abrams tank in the 1980s.

Stryker variantsStryker variants include the M1126 infantrycarrier vehicle (ICV) and the M1128 mobilegun system. There are eight configurationsof the ICV include M1135 nuclear, bio-logical, chemical reconnaissance vehicle;M1134 anti-tank guided missile; M1133medical evacuation vehicle; M1129 mortarcarrier; M1132 engineer squad vehicle;M1130 command vehicle; M1131 fire sup-port vehicle; and the M1127 reconnaissancevehicle. These have parts commonality andself-recovery abilities, and are equipped witha central tire-inflation system.

Vehicule Blinde de CombatdlnfanterieIn the early 1990s, the French governmentstarted the Vhicule Blind Modulaire, orModular Armoured Vehicle, as a replacementfor its older Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Soon,Germany and UK joined the project. However,in 1999, the programme was discontinuedbut France decided to follow on its own. On

November 6, 2000, the French governmentordered 700 vehicles. In 2003-2004, theprogramme reached some major milestones:The mobility/agility tests, the armour testsand the electronic systems tests were all suc-cessful. From 2004 to 2005, the first five pro-totypesfour VCIs and one VPCwere testedin real conditions. These tests proved somecrucial design mistakes on the DRAGAR tur-ret, which had to be redesigned. The two-yeardelay in the programme is the consequenceof this design flaw.

As the programme reaches completion,other versions are being studied. A mortarversion and a vehicle using the MILANMissile have been considered by the develop-er. In June 2007, VBCI was being consideredfor the British FRES programme.

On October 2007, the DGA ordered 117

VBCIs, bringing the total ordered so far to182 out of a total requirement for 700;the first vehicle for the French Army wasassembled two months later. The first unit tobe equipped with the new infantry fightingvehicle was the 35th Infantry Regiment inBelfort. The DGA ordered an additional 117vehicles on December 2008, bringing thetotal ordered to 298. SP

The eight-wheeledStryker is the first newmilitary vehicle to enterservice into the US Armysince the Abrams tank inthe 1980s

The Merkava Mk4 The new BTR-90 builds on the success of the BTR-80

The French Army has selected the VBCI 8x8 infantr y fighting vehicle as a successor to the AMX10P

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Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefJayant Baranwal

EditorLt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor

Assistant EditorArundhati Das

Senior Technical Group EditorLt General (Retd) Naresh Chand

Contributing Editor

Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. BhatiaSub-EditorBipasha Roy

ContributorsIndiaGeneral (Retd) V.P. MalikLt General (Retd) Vijay OberoiLt General (Retd) R.S. NagraLt General (Retd) S.R.R. AiyengarAir Marshal (Retd) Vinod PatneyMajor General (Retd) Ashok MehtaMajor General (Retd) G.K. NischolBrigadier (Retd) Gurmeet KanwalBrigadier (Retd) S. MishraRohit Sharma

Europe Andrew Brookes (UK)

USA & CanadaLon Nordeen (USA)

Anil R. Pustam (West Indies)South Africa Helmoed R. Heitman

Chairman & Managing DirectorJayant Baranwal

Admin & CoordinationBharti Sharma

Design Associate Art Director: Ratan SonalGraphic Designer: Rajkumar Sharma, Vimlesh Kumar Yadav

Published bimonthly by Jayant Baranwal onbehalf of SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd. Allrights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, photocopying, recording, electronic,or otherwise without the prior writtenpermission of the publishers.

Printed in Indiaby Rave India (www.raveindiapress.com)

SP Guide Publications, 2009

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News in Brief US considers arms sales to LibyaThe US is ready to consider arms deals withLibya, a former foe, that could include trans-port aircraft and systems for coastal and bordersecurity. We will consider Libyan requests fordefence equipment that enables them to build

capabilities in areas that serve our mutualinterest, said Lt Col. Elizabeth Hibner of thearmy, a spokeswoman for the US DefenseDepartment. As examples, she referred to sys-tems used for border and coastal security aswell as theatre airlift, by implication aircraftsuch as Lockheed Martins C-130 Hercules thatcan ferry forces and equipment.

Libya entered a new era with the US mili-tary in January with the signing of what thePentagon calls a non-binding statement of intent aimed at developing bilateral militaryties. Relations had warmed after Libya gave upbanned weapons programmes in 2003, andagain after settlement of compensation claimsfor attacks including the 1988 bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, forwhich Libya has accepted responsibility. CharlesTaylor, a spokesman for the Pentagons Defense

Security Cooperation Agency, said Libya alreadyhad requested approval to buy Humvees, therugged light trucks that are the vehicularbackbone of US forces worldwide. As a preludeto any such sale, US and Libyan officials wereworking to mesh cer tain aspects of their acquisi-tion systems, he said, without providing details.

Composite armour solutionagainst EFP roadside bombsTenCate Advanced Armour has developed anarmour protection solution against improvised

explosive devices (IED)with explosives formedprojectiles (EFP), oftenused by insurgents. Theproduct, made withTenCate Armourtex BM,is lightweight compositevehicle armour, minimis-ing the added weightto the vehicle. In recentyears military peace-keeping operations havebecome increasingly haz-ardous for soldiers due

to a shift in the methods of military engagementand the use of roadside bombs. The companyclaims that the roadside bomb armour will beideal for the protection of armoured personnelcarriers for the latest threat requirements givingprotection against armour piercing projectiles aswell as the more complex threats of EFP and IED.

France orders 800 SIT V1BMS for the armyThe French Defence Procurement Agencyhas placed an order on Nexter for 800 SIT V1Battle Management Systems (BMS) in order

to equip 400 Infantry Combat Vehicles. Thiscontract includes a new version of the softwarewhich increases the interoperability of the SITV1 with the other information systems in useby forces through the SIC TERRE joint opera-tions. This contract also includes technical con-trol and maintaining in operational conditionof the SIT V1 systems for 10 years.

China arms spend promptsSouth Korea to issue a warningSouth Koreas President Lee Myung-bak has

warned of the danger of a North Asia arms raceafter China announced another double-digit risein annual military spending. Lee, speaking dur-ing a visit to Australia, said a near 15 per centhike in Chinas military spending this year couldinfluence the defensive strategies of other coun-tries, like Japan and South Korea. In NortheastAsia, it is not desirable to have countries engagedin a race for military build-up, or increasingtheir mi

sp's landforces feb-mar 2009

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