India Air Force to upgrade 8 ALGs in Northeast

In the next three years, the IAF will upgrade eight Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in the northeast to strengthen its capabilities to carry out aircraft operations in that region.

"We are planning to upgrade eight ALGs in the northeast... By August, we are expected to sign the contract and in next three years, our capabilities would be improved in that region," Air Chief marshal P V Naik told reporters here.


The IAF chief said the upgrading of the ALGs along with the upgrade of the airfields there was the focus area for the force and more such fields were planned under the 12th Plan.

The IAF is strengthening its capabilities in the northeastern sector in view of the increased military presence of China along its border with India.

IAF has already based Sukhoi-30MKI fighters at airbases like Tezpur and Chabua.

ALGs in areas including Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Ziro, Along and Vijaynagar as well as several helipads in Arunachal Pradesh are also being upgraded now, much like the western sector ALGs like Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyoma in eastern Ladakh.

An empowered committee (on North-East infrastructure development) under the Chief of Air Staff-designate Air Marshal NAK Browne is continuously monitoring upgradation of the facilities, creation of new infrastructure and induction of assets in this region.

Asked about the gaps in intelligence set up, the IAF chief said, "Gaps in intelligence will exist in many countries as you would want more and more of it.

"There have been lot of moves by the Home Ministry in terms of combining the intelligence inputs of various agencies and it is paying dividends. Things have improved from what they were earlier."
Source : htt p://zeenews. india. com/news/nation/iaf-to-upgrade-8-algs-in-northeast_722295.html

Coordination enhanced among maritime agencies: India defence Navy

There has been an enhanced coordination among maritime agencies to step up coastal security after the 26/11 terror attacks, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said on Saturday.

"The number of agencies utilised in maritime domain is very large. Earlier, there was no adequate coordination with them. It was virtually non-existent," he said, adding after the sea-borne attacks in the metropolis in November 2008, the coordination has improved.

The Navy chief was talking to reporters here after commissioning Shivalik class stealth frigate 'INS Satpura'.

Asked if he favoured the idea of the Navy having operational control of all maritime agencies to ensure better coastal security, the Admiral said, "I think it would be too huge a task to execute with my own manpower. That is the reason I think that very wisely, the tasking has been given to different agencies who actually deal with the subject."

The responsibilities have been assigned after a great deal of thought, he maintained. "That is the reason why the Navy had been pursuing the proposal for a National Maritime Commission. When that did not happen, we were looking forward to the appointment of a maritime security advisor.

Unfortunately, this also did not happen."

Admiral Verma chief cited these factors as "the reason each one of us was operating in isolation. That could be one of the many factors which led to 26/11."

"Today, fishermen are giving information (on suspicious movements in sea). This information is very accurate in the sense that trawlers and boats always carry GPS with them. When you get such inputs you are able to deploy the forces that Navy and Coast Guard have got."

Technical measures like smart cards for fishermen are progressing well. The coastal belt is well covered by mobile telecom operators and there are toll-free numbers in operation virtually along the entire coast, the Navy chief said.

"With transponders and identification aids to be installed on our fishing craft, there would be an element of identification."

"We have been hearing about the fishermen being the eyes and ears of the (coastal) security network. I have said that this is a very important aspect of the coastal security matrix," Admiral Verma maintained.

The Navy and Coast Guard have put in a tremendous amount of efforts to carry out the coastal security awareness campaign, he said. "The objective being that over a period, you visit each coastal village and every possible landing site and make fishermen aware of the situation that prevails at sea."

On piracy incidents, the Navy chief said the menace was initially contained within 500 to 700 miles off Somalia coast.

"They (pirates) later ventured into areas that came 200 to 300 miles off the Lakshadweep islands."

On China's exploration of a 10,000 sq km polymetallic sulphide ore deposit in an international seabed area in the Indian Ocean region, he said, "Firstly, for whatever reasons, we did not stake claim (to the area), otherwise we could have been owners of that site. There are complex issues involved here because you have to prove that you have the technology to carry out (seabed) mining."

Earlier, addressing the gathering after commissioning INS Satpura, India's latest stealth frigate, the Navy chief said "we have come a step closer towards realisation of our long cherished dream of being self-sufficient in warship production."

"We fully realise and are conscious of our responsibility to the global maritime community to ensure safety of the international shipping lanes that criss-cross our regions of interest. The Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring the security of seafarers in our region."

Admiral Verma lauded Mazagon Docks Ltd, where INS Satpura has been built, for "continuing to excel" as the premier defence shipyard of the country.
source : htt p://www.brahmand. com/news/Coordination-enhanced-among-maritime-agencies-Indian-Navy/7806/3/14.html

Indian Army fears rise in infiltration of terrorists into J&K

The General-officer-in-Command 15 Corps, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain has expressed apprehensions that armed terrorists from across the line of control would step up their efforts to infiltrate in to Jammu and Kashmir in the coming months. General Hasnain said that August and September are generally considered the best time for infiltration but our troops are ready to face the challenge.
"We have so far killed 12 to 13 commanders of Lashker-e-Taiba and Jaish-e- Mohammad this year. The level of desperation in the militant groups is high as their leadership has been wiped out. When desperation rises mistakes happen and we will exploit those mistakes of militants," Gen Hasnain told reporters at wreath laying ceremony of Lieutenant Navdeep Singh inside Srinagar Army headquarters on Sunday.
General Hasnain said, "There is no intelligence communication with the army from across the border but we have different resources for intelligence."
He said, the Pakistani sponsors frequently change the route of the armed terrorists to keep the Indian troops guessing. "Whenever we get success on certain routes on LoC against infiltration attempts, those routes get blocked and the terrorists are pushed in from other routes," corps commander Hasnain said.
About Saturday encounter at the LOC wherein 12 armed terrorists were killed, he said it was a result of coordinated and synchronized intelligence.
Meanwhile, State Human Right Commission has revealed that 2156 unidentified militant bodies have been buried in unmarked graves at 38 different sites in the Kashmir Valley.
A report released by the SHRC here reveals that there were 21 unmarked graves in Baramulla, three each in Bandipore and Handwara and 11 in Kupwara and others in other districts of Kashmir. It also said that 851 unidentified bodies were found in Baramulla, 14 in Bandipore, 14 in Handwara and 1277 in Kupwara.
All these bodies, according to the SHRC report, were handed over by the police to the local population for burial with bullet injuries and were classified as "unidentified militants."
The report came after a three-year-long inquiry by an 11-member team led by Bashir Ahmad Yatoo, senior superintendent of police of the investigative wing of the commission.
The SHRC probe was the response to a campaign by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, which in March 2008, released a report, "Facts Underground" and pointed out the presence of unmarked graves.
source : htt p://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes. com/2011-08-22/india/29914040_1_infiltration-srinagar-army-kupwara

Indian Army plans mountain strike corps to counter China

The Indian Army is planning to set up a mountain strike corps and is talking to various states against the backdrop of a Chinese build up of military infrastructure on its side of boundary. “We are in talks with the governments of states including Assam, West Bengal and Bihar for setting up the Mountain Corps headquarters, which would require at least 4,000 to 5,000 acres of land,” senior army sources said here.
Around 10-12 locations in these states have been identified by the army to set up the formation, they said.
The Mountain Strike Corps is being planned by the army after it established two new Mountain Infantry Divisions for the northeastern region.
The two new divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers, have their headquarters in Zakama in Nagaland and Missamari in Assam.
The army is also looking to deploy ultra-light howitzers and light tanks along the Line of Actual Control in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The IAF, on its part, has already based Sukhoi-30MKI fighters at airbases like Tezpur and Chabua. Eastern sector advanced landing grounds (ALGs) like Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Ziro and Vijaynagar as well as several helipads in Arunachal Pradesh are also now being upgraded, much like western sector ALGs like Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyama in eastern Ladakh.
All these developments come against the backdrop of a major build-up of military infrastructure by China all along the border, which includes five fully-operational airbases, an extensive rail network and over 58,000-km of roads in Tibet Autonomous Region.
source : htt p://www.firstpost. com/fwire/army-plans-mountain-strike-corps-to-counter-china-66420.html

New strike corps for China border

In 2009, New Delhi acted decisively in sanctioning two new army divisions, about 35,000 troops, to strengthen Indian defences in Arunachal, which China claims as a part of Tibet. It can now be revealed that New Delhi has also sanctioned a new mountain strike corps,  of an additional 40,000 soldiers, to be permanently located in bases in northeast India. The new corps is to retaliate against any major Chinese ingress into India by launching an offensive into Tibet.
For decades after India’s humiliation at the hands of China in 1962, New Delhi shrank from a robust defence posture on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control (LAC), fearing  it might provoke China. In the aftermath of 1962, through the 1960s and 1970s, the Indian Army stayed away from the border, remaining behind a self-imposed ‘Limit of Patrolling (LoP)’. In the 1980s, the army returned to the LAC, but remained entirely defensive in outlook. The sanctioning of a strike corps, therefore, signals a dramatic new assertiveness in New Delhi.Business Standard has been aware of this development since 2009, but has refrained from reporting on it after requests from top Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials. Now, with the outlines of this development emerging in the media, Business Standard no longer feels bound by confidentiality.
The new mountain strike corps will control two divisions, trained and equipped for an attack into Tibet. If China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) captures any Indian territory, by quickly concentrating an attacking force over Tibet’s impressive road network, the Indian Army would not be forced into bloody, Kargil-style counterattacks to recapture that territory.
Instead, the new strike corps would launch its own riposte, advancing into Tibet and capturing a vulnerable chunk of Chinese territory, e.g. the Chumbi Valley that projects into Sikkim and Bhutan. Several such objectives would be identified in advance and detailed preparations made for the offensives. The new strike corps will have its own mountain artillery, combat engineers, anti-aircraft guns and radio equipment. It would also be supported by Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters, operating from newly renovated bases in northeastern India. On July 26, the then IAF chief confirmed that Sukhoi-30 fighters had already been posted to air bases at Tezpur and Chhabua.
On June 25, he told NDTV that Jorhat, Guwahati, Mohanbari, Bagdogra and Hashimara were also being developed as air bases. The IAF is also modernising eight ALGs (Advanced Landing Grounds), essential for quickly building up and resupplying a strike corps. These bases would also be crucial for airborne operations, especially heli-lifting forces to key objectives behind the enemy frontlines.
The proposal to raise two additional divisions for the defence of Arunachal Pradesh, as well as a strike corps, dates back to 2007. It began as a decision of the China Study Group, a secretive government body that considers all strategic issues relating to China. Thereafter, the army’s Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) prepared a cabinet note. The decision to raise the additional divisions was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on May 14, 2009.
This was the last major decision taken by the UPA government before the elections of 2009. It was rushed through because top UPA leaders felt if the UPA were not re-elected, the new government would begin the decision-making process afresh, losing another two years. To manage the expenses, it was decided the two defensive mountain divisions would first be raised during the 11th army plan (2007-2012). Next, the strike corps, including its two mountain divisions, would be raised during the 12th Defence Plan (2012-2017). The cost of raising a new Indian Army mountain division is estimated to be Rs 700 crore.
The 4,057-km LAC consists of three sectors. In the western sector in Ladakh, which India’s 14 Corps defends, the PLA already controls most of the area that China claims. The central sector, at the UP-Tibet border, which India’s 6 Mountain Division defends, is relatively insignificant. The most contentious is the eastern sector, which includes Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, where China claims 90,000 sq km of territory that India occupies. It is here, driven by fear of Chinese aggression, that India is strengthening its capabilities by raising new formations.
A mountain strike corps will provide India with strategic capabilities that were badly missed when Mao Zedong marched the PLA into Tibet in 1950. While considering its responses, the Indian government asked the army chief of that time, General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa, what resources he had to intervene on behalf of Tibet. Cariappa could spare just one battalion (800 soldiers). And, so, New Delhi watched as Tibet was subjugated and the China border advanced all the way to the Himalayas.
source : htt p://www.business-standard. com/india/news/new-strike-corps-for-china-border/446854/

No compromise on nuclear safety: Manmohan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted on Wednesday that there would be no compromise on the safety of nuclear installations and officials had been instructed to ensure that such units had world-class safety facilities.

Dr. Singh, however, said: “ ... because there is a nuclear threat we must put a stop to the country's economic and social progress and technological development, and that we should not make use of new technologies and not exploit the potential that exists would be a counsel of despair. I don't believe that it does justice to our capabilities to meet the challenges that are on the horizon.”

Dr. Singh was replying to a question in the Lok Sabha on the safety of nuclear power stations vis-à-vis the accident in the Fukushima plant in Japan after it was hit by tsunami last year. He said concerns relating to the safety requirements of the nation's nuclear installations were paramount in the minds of the government and the Department of Atomic Energy.

After the Japan tragedy, he asked the atomic energy establishment to look at the safety features of each and every plant, both by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. “So, you have my assurance that we will not compromise in any way on nuclear safety.” 

source : htt p://www.thehindu. com/news/national/article2392302.ece

Decision on Army chief’s age final, says govt

The government on Wednesday said its decision on General V K Singh's age was "final'', making it clear that the Army chief would have retire in May 2012.

"The defence ministry (which held Gen Singh's date of birth would stand at May 10, 1950) will stick to its decision, which was taken last month after due diligence. There will be no rethink,'' said a senior official.

This comes after the Army's adjutant general branch sought an explanation from the ministry of defence on why its move to change Gen Singh's date of birth to `May 10, 1951' had been declared "null and void and non est (non-existent)''.

Defence minister A K Antony himself had rejected Gen Singh's move to officially become a year younger after examining all records as well as the opinion of the law ministry and attorney general, as was reported last month.

The appointment of Gen Singh, when he took over as the Army chief in March 2010, was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on the basis of 1950 being the year of his birth. This, in turn, meant he would retire in May 2012.

But if Gen Singh's claim of his actual date of birth being "May 10, 1951'' had been accepted, which he said was not done earlier because of "vested interests'', his tenure would have continued till March 2013.

As of now, present Eastern Army commander Lt-Gen Bikram Singh is slated to become the next Army chief. But if Gen Singh's year of birth had been settled at 1951, then Northern Army commander Lt-Gen K T Parnaik would have been his likely successor. As per rules, a Service chief can serve for three years or up to the age of 62, whichever is earlier. 
source : htt p://www.bharat-rakshak. com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=15076

Hooda punished for role in Adarsh: Army chief

The chief of Army Staff, General VK Singh, on Wednesday said that the army had taken action against retired Major-General R K Hooda, former General Officer (Commanding) for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa area, who was allotted a flat in the controversial Adarsh housing society.

"The commission on inquiry (CoI) has punished General Hooda for not performing his duty on certain issues in the Adarsh case. As a result, Hooda lost his promotion (as Lt General). Another CoI has been set up to inquire about the transfer of defence land at Kandivli; a report is expected at the earliest. Action will be taken against those officers, however high-ranking they might be, for not doing their duty," Singh said.

The army chief was responding to a query from TOI as to whether the army has taken inspiration from Anna Hazare, an ex-army man, to clean up the system. "Anna is a good man. I would not like to comment further. So far as the army is concerned, I have maintained that we want to clean up the system. This will continue," Singh said.

Singh is in Mumbai for a two-day visit. Earlier, he gave a keynote address, "Indigenization of army supplies", at an event organized by the All India Association of Industries.

In its March 13 edition, TOI had mentioned that a three-man CoI, headed by Lieutenant-General J S Rawat, commandant of the Intelligence School in Pune, did not find any evidence of Hooda misleading superiors about the fact that the land did not belong to the army. However, Hooda was issued a show-cause notice for failing to inform the army headquarters that he has taken a Rs 30-lakh bank loan and withdrawn Rs 5 lakh from his provident fund to pay for the Adarsh flat. n the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Chief of the Army Staff General VK Singh on Wednesday said that the Army had taken action against retired Major General (then serving) R K Hooda, former General Officer Commanding for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa area and one of the allottees in the 31-storey building.

"The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has punished General Hooda for not performing his duty on certain issues in the Adarsh case. As a result of which the officer lost his promotion (as Lt General). Another CoI has been set up to inquire transfer of defence land at Kandivali and where, a report is expected at the earliest. Action too will be taken against those officers, however high ranking they might be for not doing their duty," Singh said.

The army chief was responding to a query from ToI to whether the Army had taken any inspiration from Anna Hazare, an ex-army man to clean up the system. "Anna is a good man. I would not like to comment further. So far as the army is concerned, I have maintained that we want to clean up the system. This will continue," said Singh.

Singh is in Mumbai for a two-day visit - the first time after he took over as army chief in 2010. Earlier, he gave a keynote address on "Indigenisation of Army Supplies" at a interactive organized by the All India Association of Industries.

ToI in their March 13 edition had mentioned that a three man CoI headed by Lieutenant General J S Rawat, commandant of the Intelligence School in Pune did not find any evidence of Hooda misleading superiors on the fact that the land did not belong to the army. The former GOC however, was issued a show-cause notice for failing to inform the army headquarters that he had taken a Rs 30-lakh bank loan and withdrawn Rs 5 lakh from the provident fund (PF) to pay for the Adarsh flat. 

sources : htt p://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/city/mumbai/Hooda-punished-for-role-in-Adarsh-Army-chief/articleshow/9726686.cms

ISRO's eyes in the sky to watch climate change

Climate change is on everybody's minds these days. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also planned to launch some sophisticated satellites to keep a watch on climate change.
Director of NRSC V K Dhadwal, who came calling to the Regional Remote Sensing Centre in the city, spoke about the importance of keeping a watch on the changes in climate and the role remote sensing can play in it. The most ambitious projects include Megha-Tropiques, INSAT-3D, Saral Altika and SCATSAT among others. He said not just ISRO but other national and international space bodies including NASA and United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP) had been taking serious actions in this regard too.
Director of NRSC V K Dhadwal, who came calling to the Regional Remote Sensing Centre in the city, spoke about the importance of keeping a watch on the changes in climate and the role remote sensing can play in it. The most ambitious projects include Megha-Tropiques, INSAT-3D, Saral Altika and SCATSAT among others. He said not just ISRO but other national and international space bodies including NASA and United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP) had been taking serious actions in this regard too. As the name suggests, Megha-Tropiques would help analyse the rainfall pattern while the advanced INSAT-3D would be exclusively used for meteorological purposes. Dhadwal was especially excited about Saral, which was being developed with help from French scientists, as it would be the first spaceborne altimeter to operate at K{-a} band. SCATSAT, that he said would be in use only in 2014, would be entirely dedicated to climate monitoring.
As the name suggests, Megha-Tropiques would help analyse the rainfall pattern while the advanced INSAT-3D would be exclusively used for meteorological purposes. Dhadwal was especially excited about Saral, which was being developed with help from French scientists, as it would be the first spaceborne altimeter to operate at K{-a} band. SCATSAT, that he said would be in use only in 2014, would be entirely dedicated to climate monitoring.
sources : htt p://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes. com/2011-08-24/nagpur/29921874_1_climate-tropiques-insat-3d

Navy prevented 34 piracy attempts in Gulf of Aden

Navy warships have prevented 34piracy attempts and apprehended 120 Somali pirates since theirdeployment in the Gulf of Aden in October 2008.

"26 Indian Navy ships have been deputed in the Gulf ofAden since October 2008. A total of 1,731 ships have beenescorted. 34 piracy attempts have been prevented by the Navythere," Defence Minister A K Antony told the Rajya Sabha inreply to a question. He said a total of 120 pirates have been apprehended and73 fishermen and crew rescued in four operations of Navy inEast Arabian Sea in 2011.

The Minister said the Navy was cooperating with othernavies operating there and the Arabian Sea.

Meanwhile, replying to another query, the Minister saidthe Navy had also played a crucial role in rescuing a Chinesemerchant vessel from being hijacked by the pirates in May thisyear.

Answering another query, the government denied that therewas a scam in the Defence Ministry's department looking afterresettlement and rehabilitation of ex-servicemen.

sources : htt p://zeenews.india. com/news/nation/navy-prevented-34-piracy-attempts-in-gulf-of-aden_728098.html

China has strengthened nuclear missiles as deterrent against Indian : U.S.

“Pace of its military investments may destabilise regional military balances”

China has substituted liquid-fuelled, nuclear-capable missiles with “more advanced and survivable solid-fuelled” rocket systems, and this has been explicitly aimed at “[strengthening] its deterrent posture relative to India,” according to an annual report on the developments within the Chinese military, authored by the United States Pentagon.

In its report to the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon warned that the People's Liberation Army had replaced the CSS-2 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles with its CSS-5 Medium Range Ballistic Missile systems. It also emphasised that China was further investing in road development along the Sino-Indian border that could “support PLA border defence operations.”

While the report was principally focused on the rapid step-up in Chinese military investments in recent years, including its aircraft carrier programme, cyber-warfare capabilities, anti-satellite missiles and the top-secret J-20 next-generation stealth fighter, the report also commented on India's concern at some of these regional developments.

Pointing out that India was also improving its infrastructure along its north-eastern border, the report said: “New Delhi remains concerned by China's close military relationship with Pakistan and Beijing's growing footprint in the Indian Ocean, Central Asia, and Africa.”

Despite burgeoning defence rapprochement manifested in the Sino-Indian Annual Defence Dialogue established in 2007, India had pulled out of high-level military exchanges following China's denial of a visa to a senior Indian general in 2010, the Pentagon report said.

Although Premier Wen Jiabao attempted to mend fences during his December 2010 visit to New Delhi “he did not address serious irritants... [and] a high degree of mistrust continues to strain the bilateral relationship,” the report added.

Regional tensions

Discussing the main findings of the Pentagon report, Michael Schiffer, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for East Asia, expressed alarm that the pace and scope of China's military investments were, overall, “potentially destabilising to regional military balances, increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and may contribute to regional tensions and anxieties.”

The report also warned of maritime implications for regional powers like India. In the context of the continuing tensions in the South China Sea, Mr. Schiffer said, in addition to planning for Taiwan contingencies, China placed a high priority on asserting and strengthening its maritime territorial claims.

“An increased PLA naval presence in the region, including surface, subsurface and airborne platforms and possibly one or more of China's future aircraft carriers, would provide the PLA with an enhanced extended-range power projection capability, with all the implications for regional rivalries and power dynamics that that implies,” Mr. Schiffer added.

sources :  htt p://www.thehindu. com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2398233.ece

Bomb defused ahead of queen's Ireland visit

A bomb was defused near Dublin ahead of a visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth scheduled to start on Tuesday, Irish police said. "A viable explosive device was found on a bus yesterday evening in Maynooth," near Dublin, a spokesman said, adding that police had been tipped off by an anonymous call.

The device was defused by the Irish army, he said.
Earlier, a homemade bomb was found in the luggage compartment of a bus in Ireland on Tuesday and blown up by the army in a controlled detonation, the military said, hours before the first state visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth.
Ireland has mounted its biggest security operation ahead of a visit steeped in symbolism and gestures designed to underline how warm neighbourly relations have replaced centuries of animosity.
The bomb was found in the town of Maynooth, about 25 km from Dublin, the defence forces said in a statement. The military had deployed a team to the outskirts of the town, in county Kildare, in response to a police request.
The remains of the device were handed over to police for their investigations, the statement said.

sources : htt p://www.hindustantimes. com/News-Feed/europe/Bomb-defused-ahead-of-queen-s-Ireland-visit/Article1-698545.aspx