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Saturday, January 27, 2018

Wasted Opportunities, Mis-Placed Symbolisms, China's Geo-Strategic Myopia Of Yesteryears Revealed, And India's Diplomatic Fatigue In 1972 At Shimla

India’s 69th Republic Day parade at Rajpath yesterday, which was attended by the Heads of Government of all 10 member-states belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for India to showcase its growing military-industrial prowess by including several key homegrown/exportable  weapon systems as part of the annual the parade at Rajpath. Instead, the list of participating military hardware was finalised with neolithic efficiency at best. Shown below are the principal types of hardware—operated by all three armed services of India—that should have been showcased in the order-of-precedence shown below, instead of imported hardware like the T-90S medium battle tanks and BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles.
Strategic Systems
Army-Specific Weapons
Air Force-Specific Weapons
Next, we come to the shameful spectacle of salutes being given by elected civilian government officials—a practice that is forbidden for all except for the President of India, by virtue of he/she being the Supreme Commander of India’s armed forces. No one else, expecially hailing from the executive branch of the Govt of India, is required to give salutes. And yet why do they continue with this practice? Perhaps they have either falsely assumed that giving a salute symbolises one’s patriotism, or they are just unaware of the origins of the practice saluting.
A salute by anu uniformed military personnel is the highest form of respect that any armed forces can display. It is a gesture of respect and trust among officers/soldiers that encourages a pride in their uniforms, while at the same time elevates them in their own eyes by reminding them all of that is implied by the profession and its traditions of chivalry and courtesy.
The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have different salutes that have evolved over time and are steeped in tradition. In the Army, a salute is executed by a open-palm gesture with the right hand, with fingers and thumb together and the middle finger almost touching the hatband or the eyebrow. It not only establishes trust among the personnel, but also proves that the person saluting has no bad intentions and no weapons hidden up anywhere. In the Navy, a salute is executed with the right palm facing the ground at a 90-degree angle to the forehead. The reason behind this is to hide the hands of naval personnel that get dirty due to oil or grease stains while working on-board warshisp. In the olden days, since the sailors were always working on-board their vessels, their hands would get greasy and dirty. So they started saluting with their palms facing down, so as to not disrespect their seniors. In March 2006, the Indian Air Force issued new salute norms to its personnel. This new salute involves the palm at a 45-degree angle to the ground and the right arm being sharply raised from the front by the shortest possible way. It is a mid-way between the Army and Navy salute and was standardised to make it more convenient for the IAF.
However, there is no prescribed saluting style for a civilian (except for the President) and thus no civilian official is required to give any salute at any event or at any place. All that a civilian (except for the President) is required to do is to briefly stand in attention, leaving the saluting to be done by the uniformed personnel. And yet, we have over the past several decades seen elected civilian officials offering salutes in their own bizarre styles as prescribed by their respective whims and fancies!
The above clearly shows who is the beginner in geopolitics and who is the established practisioner.

India’s Diplomatic Fatigue In 1972 At Shimla: How Captured Chicken’s Neck Area Had To Be Returned
And in the words of M. K. Rasgotra:
First act of terror committed by Pakistan against India on foreign soil (in 1972):
Diplomatic Myopia of UPA-1 Govt

142 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,

Nice read. What’s your analysis of the current direction of India Russia ties. I was reading some twitter analysts mentioning the last round of India Russia dialog didn’t go well.
I don’t have much faith in such journos and would like to hear from you.
Thanks,
Anupam

buddha said...

https://m.timesofindia.com/india/clashes-in-london-after-lord-nazir-calls-for-kashmirs-independence-on-r-day/articleshow/62668146.cms
Why such things occur in UK.

Unknown said...

hi parsun sir 1-what is status of drdo aip sysuem can drdo really has capability to develop it 2-sir drdo does not have r&d on rifles 3-when qrsam inducted 4-sir futurestic artelliary diff from atags 5-sir drdo work on towed artelliary based on atags

Anonymous said...

Completely agreed with your perceptive on both the accounts regarding the lack of opportunity to showcase the Indian weapons systems developed in front of head of ASEANS countries and most important the Salute without a uniform. Have you tried to conveyed these important message in the Twitter Account of the Namo.

Tejas

Anonymous said...

Sir,

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/china-should-not-ignore-indias-cpec-concerns/articleshow/62667036.cms

"India sells pharmaceuticals and IT products all over the world, but not in China. Why? For 20 years, we have been asking for the Chinese market to be opened for our pharmaceutical and IT products and services,"

why cant India force china unless if u dont open market for our pharmaceuticals and IT industry than we will stop importing china manufactured mobile phones

Samuel

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,

Your post really nailed it!. I too was shocked at the watered down display of weapons and equipment. It seemed like we were trying to promote Russian equipment. Why will anyone in Asean look at Indian weapon systems like the Arjun for example, when our own Army showcases the T90.

rad said...

hi prasun
pse clarify whether the troop level radar and the 3d tact control radar are PESA based??

is ashwini an off shoot off the arudhra radar?can we extrapolate the ashwini to make our our ship based 4 faced radar like the chinese who have x band and s band aesa radar on the type 52 d ships??

is the atulay radar an off shoot of the flycatcher radar?

what will be the radar directing the qrsam ie astra?

what active seeker is going onboard the future akash missile ? will it be a dramatic boost in performance ? is there any talk of an IR based sam variant?












VJ said...

Prasunda,

What happened to the UAV that crash landed in chinese territory? No news on that.

kishore said...

why MOD/DRDO/ISRO/HAL etc do not recruit foreign talent?

soi said...

Nice article prasun da,

Recent news (http://idrw.org/pak-use-of-chinese-drones-alerts-india/): What is your take on this?

1. Progress made on Rustom 2 uav a.k.a Tapas 201, if any?
2. When can we expect some user trials, if any?
3. Does it have any scope in the force, If not why?
4. If not what can be done to improve the MALE/HALE UAV developement of this country?

Also, It seems another of your predictions going to be true,
Earlier you mentioned that for now Army's northern command will go for a import of several 7.62*51 rifles and rest will be the OFB 7.62*51 rifle, NOw that first part has come true ,Which now seems that 72400 will be procured under FTP process but,

5. What is the chance of OFB getting rest of the order? Does it makes any sense to go for another platform for the rest?
6. Is it possible to have two different platforms with same cartridge being used to be operational side by side?
7. Wouldn't be there any spare part issue?

Regards,
Soikot Banerjee

Newcomer said...

Hay sir..
Thank you very much for your replay to my previous query...
Sir I have seen the history channel video, what rifle where they using (7:10) looks very much similar to Ghatak.. Isn't it?
Can you please tell me the status of ghatak rifle..?

Unknown said...

Hi Prasun, i am regular reader of your blog but fail to understand why it is shameless to salute if you are a civilian "we come to the shameful spectacle of salutes being given by elected civilian government officials" Whether saluting a right only of a uniformed person ? And people in your blog are asking whether you have raised this issue on twitter. Do you think it is even worth raising in your blog. What purpose it serves to your readers or your defense blog ? Whether someone salutes or not that is his or her own right who are we to call them shameless?

bhoutik said...

-- the Ashok Chakra presentation setup always felt odd to me - right there in front of everyone seated in such close proximity - a separate area or dais could be prepared right beside that area where that happens. it seems not very well thought out

-- so good to see so many sensors developed for the services - pity they couldn't find more space on naval surface platforms

-- news reports suggest philippines is looking at the Rudra. if it happens, will the maintenance issues crop up again like in south america?

-- string of attacks in afghanistan in quick succession. happenstance or something else?

Amitoj said...

Sir, how do you compare the IAF garuds to its SF counter parts in other countries.
Garuds seem like a lot of show off but no formidable reputation such as that of para sf & marcos..

Is garud really a highly trained, proficient sf adapt at behind the enemy lines ops or just an air force infantry to guard air bases.. something akin to royal air force regiments that guard raf bases.

Thank you

Ankit Kumar said...

Few questions
1. What is the status of S400 procurement? If cost and ToT are the issues, do we have an option to look at what Israel offers? Further is China getting the longest range missile of S400 too in its deal ?

2. What are the chances and possibilities of hostilities of LOC spreading to IB this year? And what are our preparations ?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ANUPAM: LoLz! Were any of those ‘analysts’ present during the dialogue sessions? If not, then how can they assert that their ‘assumptions’ are facts?

BUDDHA: Many more things occur there. Will share them with you later tonight.

To PAWAN MEENA: Any newly-developed AIP system takes at least 5 years to become mature. The DRDO-developed AIP system has been undergoing tests only since 2016.

To RAD: Troop-Level Radar is the same as Flight-level Radar & both the are same as the Rajendra L-band PESA target engagement radar. The Swathi WLR too is derived from Rajendra. So all these 3 radars use PESA antennae. The Tactical Control Radar & naval Revathy are the same as Rohini 3-D CAR & they don’t use PESA antennae.

To VJ: It never crash-landed. It CRASHED & is now a total wreck. Now it is the property of the PLA.

To KISHORE: Because the Govt of India does not permit it.

To SOIKOT BANERJEE: 1,2,3,4) One can NEVER skip the evolutionary ladder, i.e. seeking to develop MALE-UAVs first & mini-UAVs later is like asking a newborn child to master sprinting first & then try master crawling & walking several years later! 5) OFB will supply the Ghaatak SLRs. 6 & 7) What’s wrong with having 2 types of SLRs in service? All those armed forces that are huge in terms of standing-strength do so. And as for the Wing Loong-2 in-service with the PAF, it has been inside Pakistan since April 2016 & one has crashed as well. Here are the crash factoids:

June 18, 2016: Wing Loong-2 UAV crashes in Mianwali:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qsP417giq4

September 26, 2016: CH-3A UAV crashes in Mianwali:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QpzU-g_JC4

October 29, 2016: PAF Falco UAV crashes in Sargodha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8X9T7p67sQ

December 26, 2016: PAF Falco crashes in Sargodha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRHyv-KMkIc

To NEWCOMER: The SF (Para) used only Tavor-21 SLRs fitted with UBGLs. Ghaatak SLR is still undergoing refinements. User-feedback from both the armed forces & CAPFs has been extremely positive.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAGHAV KHERA: It is unlawful, shameless & disrespectful for any civilian (barring the President of India) to salute SIMPLY BECAUSE the Warrant of Precedence regulations of the Govt of India PROHIBIT such actions, it’s that simple. Saluting is exchanged only between uniformed persons & the only civilian exception in India is the President. No other civilian can receive or give salutes in India. Hence, those who are receiving & giving salutes are in violation of the law of the land. It only shows how disdainful the country’s civilian lawmakers/administrators are in terms of complying with laid-down rules & regulations. Equally shameful are the acts of wearing Berets & Caps by civilians of military or CAPF formations. One must realise that it takes a lot of effort & hardwork to ‘earn’ the right to wear such headgear & therefore such headgear cannot be given to the ‘Netas’(like Rajnath Singh & Kiren Rijiju) as mere gifts. I still remember the day in the late 1990s when Gen Wiranto, the then Chief of Defence Forces of Indonesia’s armed forces, had expressed his desire to wear the beret of the KOPASSUS, Indonesia’s special forces warfare command. The Commandant of KOPASSUS had then said that gen Wiranto could wear it PROVIDED he spent at least 1 full working day within the barracks of the KOPASSUS & underwent all the regular chores of the average KOPASSUS personnel. And Gen Wiranto did comply with all these preconditions. In other words, one has to earn the right to sport such headgear without compromising one’s self-esteem. But it is too much to expect from India’s ‘civilian netas’ to afhere to all such honourable & dignified prerequisites, rest assured.

To BHOUTIK: LoLz! These are all mere symbolisms. Just observe the facial expressions of all the ‘desi’ VVIPs (like the PM, RM, Union Home Minister etc etc) during the presentation ceremony & you will clearly see through all the hypocricy. None of these ‘Netas’ has ever had any compassionate looks on their faces during the presentation ceremony. Back in 2015, even the then President Obama & his wife had sported somber looks in their faces, but none of the Indian ‘netas’ were even attentive. For them this was just another formality to be quickly dispensed with!!! It is really during such moments that close observation of such mannerisms reveals the fact that these so-called ‘netas’ are all for claiming the glory, but are always miles away from sharing the grief. The very least the Govt of India’s Rules of Business can specify is that the wife of the President, or PM or the RM should be seated in the very same enclosure & right next to the widows of the Ashok Chakra winners as a mark of solidarity & endearment. But even this, it seems, is too much to expect. And that’s precisely my blood boils everytime I see a ‘civilian neta’ offering salutes just for showing off one’s measxure of patriotism, when in reality it is just disrespectful showmanship (dikhaawa)!!!

Meanwhile, more sensationalism from a ‘desi patrakaar’:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/critically-short-of-anti-tank-missiles-army-sounds-alarm/articleshow/62678079.cms

And this is the reality:

http://trishul-trident.blogspot.in/2017/11/missing-woods-for-trees-putting-cart.html

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To AMITOJ: One cannot compare GARUD to any other SOF formation because the roles of GARUD are: 1) to protect vital static installations of the IAF, & 2) to undertake CSAR missions.

To ANKIT KUMAR: 1) Neither of them are issues. The only issue is the incomplete R & D work for the LR-SAM. Only Russia & India will be acquiring this type of LR-SAM that can shoot down inbound IRBMs & MRBMs. No one else will. 2) As far as India is concerned, the boundary separating Jammu from Pakistan is the IB, whereas Pakistan refers to it as the WB & nor the IB. As for the portion of the IB stretching from Punjab till Gujarat, there will be no need for either side to initiate active military hostilities in those areas. However, if the PA dares to initiate offensive operations in those areas in times of war, then their warfighting formations will suffer the same fate as that of Longewala in December 1971, rest assured.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Plenty of parise & kudos for the LCA Mk.1 here, but ZERO details & factoids to justify such praise (i.e. a textbook example of how not to make such a documentary!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poFhw5Hkxa0

LRDE Presentations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOudmEjh-g4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Jsu03BxeY

NPOL Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWOQAstddtQ

Rafale Operations from Charles de Gaulle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkvLUBOKdGc

Terrain-Hugging/Terrain-Masking Flight Profiles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT7qrYi8R_M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4OZdzC-BY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4e454PSUGU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQz-5HclDo

How 'Made in Israel' Is Defined:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maMSb8ZIHVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7n11XAYp7k

Two credible documentaries which establish that Subhas Chandra Bose has departed Singapore's Keppel Harbour on-board a Japanese submarine for Dairen (Dalian) in August 1945 & was known to be alive only till 1953:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9zl8MB1Ef8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpZNu9ngPZA

And the extraordinary story of a Pathan Hindu 'spy' who had helped Bose reach Berlin via Kabul:

https://www.amazon.in/Indian-Spy-Story-Remarkable-Secret/dp/9386021587

http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/adding-to-the-mystery/article18159636.ece

https://www.thebetterindia.com/120357/silver-bhagat-ram-talwar-quintuple-indian-spy-world-war-two/

http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/SI6fMdzWdZCljhosiArPAK/Silver-The-man-who-betrayed-Subhas-Chandra-Bose.html

https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/silver-streak-review-of-the-indian-spy-by-mihir-bose/story-3na0mfuzcL7Z6933z4iGfM.html

Abhay Jain said...

Prasun Sir,

What's your thought about the latest flight test of NAL Saras and it's future and it's application in military and civilian transport segment?

Do you think we have crossed the crawling stage and ready to walk as far as the aeronautical sector is concerned?

regards

bhoutik said...

also, the weird covering up phenomenon is so messed up - like in the ghoomar song of the recent movie and if you noticed the dancers of the chattisgarh tableau at the parade - this veiling/covering up phenomenon is non-indic and yet it is these clueless self-proclaimed nationalists that are pushing it. u can't see even a hint of the mid section of either sitharaman in her mummified sari-wearing or of sushma swaraj with her weird half-coat. talk about destroying beautiful traditions

capricorn said...

Sir,

1> Can you please shed light on the status of shaurya missile project.is it being imprived or shelved permanently and why?

2> what is the status of drdo standoff weapons for IAF(garuthmaa,garuda etc.) and any new weapons in the pipeline?


----Off hand do you think narendra modi will win in 2019???

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

The ‘desi’ bandalbaaz’ is at it yet again:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/pakistan-s-army-backs-dialogue-india-hangs-tough-118012700822_1.html

And now we all can see why this fella K M Kasuri was being fetted last month in Delhi by ‘interested parties’ that had included this very ‘bandalbaaz’. Clearly, after being prodded on by China, Islamabad’s instructions from Beijing are to salvage the CPEC under any condition (which consequently means that Pakistan’s illegal occupation of PoK inclusive of Gilgit-Baltistan be formally perpetuated) & hence the resurrection of the 4-Point Formula. What such ‘bandalbaazes’ always conveniently forget is that this Formula had only a 15-year validity, following which a referendum was to follow. This is similar to the Panchsheel Agreement of 1955 that had a validity of only 8 years! Such agreements/pacts fall under the category of EXECUTORY, meaning they have to be re-validated from time to time & are not perpetual in nature. Contrast this with international treaties, conventions & demarcation/delineation of international boundaries, which come under the category of EXECUTED, i.e. those that cannot be repudiated or terminated by mutual agreement, but can be only through coercive compellance.

To ABHAY JAIN: LpLz! The crawling stage was overcome way back in the early 1960s thanks to the HF-24 Marut R & D project, but the momentum was not carried on further, due to which everything that had been learnt was lost forever. Now, common-sense suggests that since HAL has already been licence-building the 19-seater Do-228 since the mid-1980s, the homegrown Saras should have been at least a 26-seater or 30-seater. Instead, the Saras has been dwarfed into a 15-seater. Therefore, to me the Saras is a textbook example of flawed project definition that is totally detached from the objective ground realities WRT both economic viability & scaling up the technology curve. In other words, a perfect wasted opportunity.

soi said...

Wait,
Is the Official name for OFB 7.62*51 also "Ghaatak" as a 7.62*39 named the same also exists? I am bit confused on this issue, as far as I know the OFB's 7.62*51 rifle has no official name yet or you are talking about 7.62*39 "Ghatak"? Please Clarify.

Regards,
Soikot Banerjee

Harsh said...

Sir, if u have time watch this crap. And tell us where this islamic nation is headed. Books are meant for education purpose but such books are being promoted which will further push the Pakistanis to extreme depths of delusion.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2OvOXNa6CEw

Vinay said...

I feel like, I am living in a stone age where people lost their mind and act on their emotions, just like BJP Bafoons.

Harsh said...

And now this article....
https://thewire.in/217799/india-fragile-state-social-cohesion-executive-judiciary-security/

When is India going to disintegrate?

Better don't read the wire and you won't ever get such negative hallucinating thoughts.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ARITRO DATA: 1) That project was given a decent & permanent burial way back in 2011. 2) The only ones I know of that are being developed for service-induction are the smart anti-airfield weapon, standoff anti-airfield weapon & the NG-ARM. 3) BJP will win not because of that party’s brilliance or performance, but because of the extremely fragmented & directionless combined opposition.

To SOIKOT BANERKEE: 7.62 x 51 SLR is the GHAATAK. 7.62 x 39 SLR was only an experimental model that was junked 2 years ago. GHATAK is the name of special operations Platoons attached to infantry battalions deployed along the LoC & LAC. Then there’s the GHATAK stealthy UAV being co-developed by DRDO & HAL.

To HARSH: It was NEVER an Islamic nation by any stretch of imagination. An Islamic state of existence was attained only due to the presence then of the Holy Prophet & that too he was the recipient of divine wisdom. And all Muslims believe without fail that such wisdom cannot ever be attained by any other mortal human being. So, that being the case, no Muslim country/nation can be expected now or in the future to be guided by divine wisdom since the conduit of such wisdom—the Holy Prophet—no longer exists nor is he to be re-incarnated in any form in future. And as a consequence of all this, no Muslim country/bation can claim to be Islamic in form or character. That’s why NONE of the major Muslim-majority Arab countries in the Middle East or West Asia use the term ‘Islamic’ to describe themselves. And those that do are always in a state of disarray & are torn apart by civil war & sectarian strife, perhaps because of their blasphemous nature that in turn invites Allah’s wrath.

To BUDDHA: Here are the videoclips of the London protests:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwH6VTpyEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdAqProI_Bg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJLZdryy4aU

Have also uploaded new slides above that are related to this issue.

buddha said...

Netaji Bose and Lost Treasure By History Channel ...the link above is not the complete story...plz can u provide the link of the rest part..... very interesting and full of information.....

kishore said...

www.cidap.gov.in/files/download/crimemanual/_CHAPTER-06.doc

Page 112

E. Police officers in uniform will salute all civil gazetted officers of the Government and Commissioned officers in uniform of the Navy, Army, Air and Auxiliary forces who are higher in rank than themselves when addressing them or being spoken to by them.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To KISHORE: That's right, only civilian gazetted officers even though they don't wear uniforms are to be saluted by the Police & CAPF officers. Politicians & 'Netas' are NOT officers, but public servants.

To BUDDHA: Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSN-UrXYEQ

kishore said...

do you believe recent attacks in afghan is from ISI? who is going to punish them ? US/UK/EU?

Kaustav said...

Gen.Ashok Mehta's Article in today's DNA on India's failing or rather compromise with China on Doklam completely coincides with your views on China trying to increase it's footprint and influence on Bhutan using the current generation and the BHUPALESE as they have done in Nepal.
So does India roll over and play possum as we cannot compete with the Chinese on the consumer service (ISPs), consumables and consumer electronics which are anyway dominated even in India by Chinese companies?

Ved said...

Dear Prasun,

Is this the Ghaatak 7.62*51 you are referring to which would be inducted by IA?
https://youtu.be/r5hmpp8Upzk

Anonymous said...

http://www.gnsnews.co.in/afghan-envoy-to-us-claims-that-pakistan-army-supplied-military-equipment-to-let-in-kashmir/

why there is a sudden spike in these attacks and what are ulterior motives

Ron

AMIT BISWAS said...

" https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fir-against-army-over-shopian-firing-to-be-taken-to-logical-conclusion-mehbooba-mufti/articleshow/62699474.cms "

To Prasun sir : What a peculiar situation ...if army personnel don't shoot they would be lynched/convoy trucks would be on fire.....or somebody may attain martyrdom........and if they do indeed shoot to protect themselves they get caught in political crossfire....what an irony.....Whats your take sir ??? Now there may be a SOP and violation may / mayn't have occurred but from a standalone PoV the IA soldiers performing just their duty face such thank less gesture

AMIT BISWAS said...

" https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/ready-for-talks-with-india-to-resolve-cpec-differences-china/articleshow/62693485.cms "

Another one of your prediction coming true it seems........kindly elaborate ( if you have decoded ) Chinese game plan now???? Can there be a give and take policy here for NSGmembership/masood azhar with India's CPEC policy ???

soi said...

Hello Prasunda,

1. It seems Pak is going for chinese VT-4 tanks(https://www.facebook.com/united.pakistan12/photos/pcb.338105146670402/338104983337085/?type=3&theater). Your views on this issue regarding how will it be affecting us in terms of millitary strategy and preparedness?
2.Does this bring back an need to induct Arjun Mk-2 in even larger number as against 118 as of present?

Regarding FICV project:
3. Are we going to hear something on it soon?
4.Seems like TATA has a half baked model in it's backyard(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJXna0DbURc) at 9:59, also there is a FICV project undertaken by OFB too, I wanted to know that what will be the final competitors look like i.e (OFB+2 Private companies or 2 Private companies) if the deal happens at all?
5. You once mentioned that 83 Tata Kestrel are in army as a part of pilot project for BMS, Is there any chance in near future to see Kestrel in substantial numbers?

At last being a annoying small arms fanboy out of curiosity

There is a purposed theory by Mr.Random a.k.a Ajai shukla ji that the army thinks to go for 250000 7.62*51 Battle rifle which as of 72400 will be imported and rest will be made in India , further 550000 will be so called Inferior Indigenous Ghatak or Insas 1c.
Now,
6.How far is this postulate true? If true is it viable?
7. Now as you said first lot will be imported which has turned out to be true, what do you think will be the OFB 7.62*51 quantity look like (80000-72400: which seems more logical to me) or (250000-72400: as suggested by his postulate)

Thanks for all your previous response,
Regards
Soikot Banerjee

dilbert said...

Hi Prasun,

Would appreciate your reaction to this YouTube video, which is one of many from the Raisina 2018 conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy0evZ56CPE

All the speakers were relevant and interesting, but what I found of tremendous significance were these words of Ram Madhav (National General Secretary of the BJP and Director of the India Foundation) from 31:00 to 36:36 re. India’s strategic role in the Indo-Pacific region, and thereby in the world. He made clear that these are not his own ideas that he whipped off the top of his head, they are actually BJP’s ideas and the Modi govt’s policies. Clearly, under Modi’s leadership, the old timid, aloof, almost paranoid India is gone and a new assertive and self-confident entity is rapidly emerging. What struck me is that Madhav was quite forthright in saying that our new attitude is mostly in response to China’s activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

At a later point in the discussion on stage, Ram Madhav makes it clear that the “hyphenation” principle of Indian foreign policy is gone. See here 53:53

Bearing this in mind, I wonder what you would say about my assessment that Modi, Doval et al have already decided to get into a quasi-alliance (q/a) with the US, at least in the naval realm. This q/a would involve the signing of things like BECA and CISMOA (or some modified forms thereof, let's call it “Son of CISMOA”), purchase of F/18 fighters for the Navy, joint patrols with the USN etc. This would not, of course, be a formal alliance (a la NATO), as India’s basic political instincts would not allow this and it would endanger relations with Russia and Iran. Further, I think this agreement would stay in the closet until after the 2019 election. Assuming the BJP won a majority in that, the q/a would then be out in the open. My assessment above is something I had arrived at independently over the last 3 years, but it really amazed (and delighted) me to see official confirmation that I am probably right. Your thoughts?

Kishore said...

does India has any leverage on Maldives? If so, is it economical? Medical? or any other? Does Sri Lanka (I know china fulfills their military needs and economic needs with loans and leases) fulfill their needs if India denies? If India has leverage, will it play hardball on Maldives? Since Maldives is completely dependent on Tourism why the west is still allowing their citizens to travel there given the present Govt has become autocratic and also since the west know they are giving their islands on lease to china? Thanks

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To DILBERT: VMT. But don’t you reckon such ‘revelations’ or ‘enunciations’ emanating from a person without any established portpolio within the executive bramch of the Govt of India, & who claims to represent only an NGO but in the same breath claims to speak on behalf of the Govt of India, all tantamount to India being reduced to the world’s laughing stock as far as strateghic visioning/policy-making goes? Can you gaive me a single instance of any other country detailing its national security imperatives in an unofficial seminar? Are there no institutions within the Govt of India for formally making such pronouncements (e.g. a comprehensive debate in India’s Parliament) & taking the country’s citizens into confidence? Why this spectacularly STUPID urge to educate the foreigners first while doing no such thing for India’s very own citizens? To me, therefore, such acts symbolise only buffoonery & such sounbytes can truly emanate only from buffoons like the one whose name you’ve mentioned. It is such buffoons who can’t really fathom the meaning/depth of terms like ‘INDO-PACIFIC’. And there are many in India who wrongly assume that INDO stands for India. In reality, within ASEAN, Japan & the US, INDO denotes the sphere existing from the Western Pacific till the Indonesian archipelago. Just examine the codenames of various exercises held between the US & various ASEAN member-states & those conducted among various ASEAN member-states & you will realise which country holds the monopolu on the term INDO. Hence, only imbeciles will shamelessly claim that the term INDO denotes India.

As for India’s future national security imperatives in a REGIONAL context, you can rest assured that not a single Indian citizen is calling the shots. Instead, they all are dancing to a particular tune that, for once, is advantageous for India. But this again does not mean that India is in the controlling seat. For, to be a controller in such matters, one has to be a global power & not a ‘regional’ or ‘growing’ or ‘major’ power. As for the Quad, rest assured that will soon expand into a CINQ (meaning five) because France too will become a member of this grouping. After all, the Indian Ocean island of REUNION is sovereign French territory.

So, do rest assured that India’s leaders don’t possess the farsightedness or sagacity reqd for articulating India’s national security objectives. That’s why I had uploaded slides explain how India had to return the captured Chicken’s Neck area back to Pakistan under the Shimla Agreement. And now come the damning revelations from Lt Gen (Ret’d) Satish Nambiar, who has thoroughly exposed Dr MMS as a very poor judge of character & a myopic personality, who could not fathom Gen Pervez Musharraf’s duplicity (I,e. pretending to talk peace with India while killing Indian citizens in Afghanistan from 2002 rill 2007). I’m reproducing Gen Nambiar’s observations below.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

A few months into the UPA-1 dispensation in 2004 I received a call from the Prime Minister’s Office to say that Dr Manmohan Singh would like me to meet him for a discussion on security issues. On further enquiry it emerged that he desired to hear my views particularly on the “Glaciers Issue” in context of the ‘first-hand’ knowledge I had in dealing with the issue in my capacity initially as the Additional Director General Military Operations, and later as the Director General Military Operations, from mid-1989 to early 1992; which included discussions with Pakistani counterparts as the Head of two Defence delegations for talks with them: in April 1991 in New Delhi where we negotiated an agreement (which still holds) on exchange of information between the two countries on conduct of military exercises and aircraft flights in the proximity of the border, as also communications between naval vessels at sea; and in September 1991 at Islamabad, where we negotiated an end to hostile action between the two countries on the Line of Control in the Poonch Sector. At the time the call came from the Prime Minister’s Office, I was the Director of the United Service Institution of India (a position I held for twelve and a half years from 1st July 1996 to 31st December 2008, when I stepped down at my own request). I cannot recollect the exact date but it was well before JN Dixit, the then National Security Adviser, an old friend and colleague, expired (he passed away in early January 2005). I duly presented myself at the Office of Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh in South Block at the appointed date and time. It was indeed an honour and a privilege to meet someone I had met earlier (when the Congress party was out of power), at meetings convened by Mani Dixit at the IIC Private Dining Room for informal discussions on security issues. Dr Manmohan Singh was his usual gracious self, and asked me make myself comfortable; just the two of us (no note-takers or advisers). We commenced discussions without much ado. He asked me for my frank and forthright views on the “Glaciers Issue”, which was at that time one of the ‘stand alone’ aspects under discussion with Pakistan. I therefore conveyed my views without any inhibitions. The contents of the points I made to the PM are as set out in the note appended below. These had in fact been communicated by me formally to JN Dixit the National Security Adviser, a couple of weeks earlier, on a request he made to me. After my meeting with the PM, I handed over a copy of the note to him; as it had apparently not yet been shared with him by the NSA Mani Dixit. It may be a matter of interest to also append a note that I sent to Mani Dixit’s successor as the National Security Adviser, another friend and colleague, Mike Narayanan, in February 2007; which is self explanatory.

Cont'd below...

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

On conclusion of our discussions on the Glaciers issue, just as I was preparing to excuse myself, the Prime Minister asked me whether I had ever met General Musharraf, who was then the President of Pakistan. Somewhat taken by surprise at the change of track, I informed him that I had in fact briefly met the Pakistani General a couple of times. The Prime Minister then asked me what I thought of him: whether in my assessment, he was a person the Prime Minister should conduct serious business with, as it were. As it happened, I had little hesitation in expressing my opinion, which was that I did not consider General Musharraf a person to be trusted. Somewhat surprised, Dr Manmohan Singh asked me what prompted me to give such a spontaneous and unequivocal response. I informed the Prime Minister that I was one of the few senior officers in the Armed Forces to have not only engaged with Pakistani counterparts on the battlefield in 1965 and 1971, the then Cease Fire Line in Jammuand Kashmir in the early 1960s, but also with many of them while in Service away from operational situations, commencing with a Pakistani counterpart at the Staff College in Australia (who incidentally went on to become the DG ISI under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992), in London where I was the Military Adviser at our High Commission in the mid-1980s, as the Director General Military Operations in 1990-92, and after retirement, on a number of Track-2 initiatives held in Delhi, Islamabad and other parts of the world. I apprised the Prime Minister that, in the process, I had developed good personal rapport and working relationships with a number of Pakistani counterparts, and through inter-action with them was, among other things, able to supplement my personal assessment of individuals like General Musharraf. I briefly recounted the occasions on which I had met General Musharraf. The first time at a conference of former Heads of Missions, Force Commanders, and senior country representatives of troop contributor countries to UN peacekeeping operations, convened at the UN Headquarters in New York in November 1994, that I was invited to, in my personal capacity, a couple of months after I had superannuated from the Indian Army. Then Major General Musharraf attended the conference in his capacity as the DGMO at the GHQ Pakistan Army. It is another matter that, in my capacity as the Director General Military Operations of the Indian Army, I had dealt with two of his immediate predecessors in that assignment, Jehangir Karamat, who went on to become Chief of the Pakistan Army and was later Pakistan’s Ambassador to the USA, and the late Maj Gen Jamshed Malik; with both of whom I had developed most satisfactory and mutually rewarding, professional and personal links.

Cont'd below...

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

The second time I met Gen Musharraf was as a member of an Indian delegation of politicians, media persons and retired professionals, that visited Islamabad and Lahore in mid-2003 at the initiative of the South Asia Free Media Association. Members of the delegation called on him at the Presidential Office and were individually introduced to him. The delegation then had a brief formal session with him, and later an informal inter-action with him over tea and snacks. I found it somewhat disconcerting that when introduced to him, General Musharraf did not acknowledge having met me earlier. But what surprised me even more was the fact that when Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, also a member of the delegation, was introduced, General Musharraf did not acknowledge knowing him despite the personal inter-action they had as Directors General of Military Operations in their respective Headquarters at the same time. This, more than anything else was, in so far as I was concerned, a reflection of the lack of character in the man. It is another matter altogether that I had occasion to meet him again when I was invited to attend a conference on United Nations Peacekeeping at the Pakistani National Defence College in 2007. The occasion of the conference was used to inaugurate the Pakistani National Defence University at the premises of the National Defence College. The inauguration was done by General Musharraf in his capacity as the President of Pakistan. I had a brief inter-action with him at the event, and though he again did not acknowledge having met me earlier, he took time off to ask me to convey to the Indian establishment in New Delhi that he was prepared to do engage in negotiations. I have dwelt on this episode in some detail because, besides the fact that I had conveyed my candid opinion to the Prime Minister, as it happened, a couple of weeks after that meeting, the Head of the Government’s Psychological Research Institute based in Delhi called on me at the United Service Institution of India as he had been tasked by the Prime Minister’s Office to do a detailed profile study on General Musharraf. Needless to say, he recorded all that I had to say on the subject of General Musharraf. One is not aware of the follow-up action taken. But have, ever since, been somewhat more charitable in my views of the establishment in the knowledge that those who run the country not only obtain views on matters of national security, but also take follow-up action they consider appropriate. Much is made of the strategic relevance of the Glaciers Area to the security of our positions in the Ladakh Sector. However this is as much in order to deter our establishment from making any unilateral concessions to Pakistan, as to convey to the Pakistani establishment that no compromises can be made on this issue.

Cont'd below...

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

The objective position can only be that strategically the area has only marginal security significance to our positions in Ladakh. No large scale operations can be sustained against us either by the Chinese or the Pakistanis that we cannot effectively deal with through interdiction by our Air Force. (This statement is nevertheless contingent on the fact that we have the political determination and will to counter any adversarial moves in the area without procrastination and political expediency). Even so, it may be useful to recall that there is considerable symbolic importance to the area. The Indian Army undertook actions in 1984 because Pakistan had resorted to cartographic aggression. The actions our forces undertook were quite unique; involved considerable loss of life in the initial actions, in repelling Pakistani assaults, and in the subsequent retention of positions. This should obviously not be perceived as having been in vain.

Demilitarisation, Verification and Monitoring
Before assessing the implications of demilitarisation of the area it would be useful to understand what exactly demilitarisation implies in this context. It would mean that a zone to a designated distance on each side of the existing ground positions along the SALTORO Ridge would be kept free of the militaries not only of the two countries but also free of any other type of armed elements, para-military or civilian. To that end all such forces would be withdrawn to pre-determined areas away from this demilitarised zone. It is imperative that this arrangement be subjected to joint verification in the first instance. After which a mechanism for the conduct of joint monitoring on an agreed periodic basis including by aerial means, needs to be put in place. It is eminently desirable that this arrangement be also be made subject to challenge inspections to be carried out jointly when suspicion is aroused on either side. The process of withdrawal of military forces should not pose problems as all the preparatory work in regard to the positions to which forces are to be withdrawn on both sides have already been discussed and general agreement arrived at. The only aspect of disagreement in this regard relates to the exchange of maps reflecting the Actual Ground Position Line about which the Pakistanis apparently have some reservations. This is not something we should compromise on because delineation of the demilitarised zone is contingent on clarity in this regard. In fact, in so far as positioning of our forces so withdrawn is concerned, we need only keep nominal forces in the agreed positions behind the demilitarised zone in context of the responses suggested should there be violation of the agreements in this area.

Cont'd below...

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Civilian Activity
It would be useful for us to recognise that in the early years, either by default or by design, or both, Pakistan was well ahead of us in exploiting the area for mountaineering expeditions and adventure activities. Most such activity by foreigners prior to assertion of our presence in the area in 1984, was sponsored through what was an International Himalayan Expeditionary Centre (IHEC) or some such organisation, set up by the Pakistani authorities West of the Saltoro Ridge in an area North of Sia La. Consequent to an agreement on withdrawal of military forces from the area and its demilitarisation, we may insist on a reciprocal presence of a civilian organisation on our side (in the present Base Camp area) for coordination of expeditionary activities. However it would be best both in terms of confidence building measures and also as a means of discreetly asserting our claim over the Pakistan occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir without seeming to do so, for us to suggest that the IHEC be made a joint centre for coordination of all sub-continental and foreign expeditions and adventure in the area. It could even be made a hub for joint environmental activities.

Violation of Agreements
Whereas I have made the above recommendations for dealing with the dispute in the Glaciers Area in an amicable manner, I would be less than honest if I did not express what in my view is the reservation that most of us no longer in military uniform, or those still wearing it, now hold. Our perception is that the political establishment in our country is not likely to take the decision that violation of an agreement on the Glaciers by Pakistan be treated as an act of war and dealt with accordingly, on our terms. For any agreement on the Glaciers issue to carry credibility within our military, our general public, as also internationally, it is essential that the political leadership find a mechanism whereby they are able to convey quite clearly that any violation of an agreement by Pakistan will entail-
Ø Declaration of war.
Ø Freedom to engage in military operations at places of our choosing with all available means at our disposal.
Ø Suspension of all other agreements arrived at.

Cont'd below

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

The Bottom Line
Allow me to stress that should we arrive at an agreement on the Glaciers issue, the option of directing our military forces to launch operations for the recapture of positions on the Saltoro Ridge should be treated as closed unless this is part of an overall offensiveagainst Pakistan and undertaken with overwhelming air, missile and artillery support that would not entail unacceptable casualties to our land forces.
November 2004

Further to the note I sent you on the above subject some time back (a copy of which I enclose for ready reference), allow me to make a couple of points in context of the contents of media reports pertaining to negotiations with the Government of Pakistan. Some reports I read some time back indicated that General Musharraf and some Pakistani authorities have given assurances that Pakistani forces would not occupy “The Siachen Glacier” subsequent to an agreement on demilitarization of the area arrived at between the two countries. In the note I sent earlier I have given my views on the major issues, particularly regarding the imperative need to ensure delineation of the existing ground positions as part of any agreement. I shall not repeat myself. However, if the media reports have any truth, it is important to note that should we arrive at an agreement on demilitarisation of the area and pull-out from the positions now occupied by our troops, Pakistan does not have to “occupy” the Siachen Glacier to dominate the area. They only need to occupy the Saltoro Ridge that is now occupied by our troops in order to dominate the Glacier. To preclude the possibility of being overtaken by semantics later, any agreement we arrive at with the Pakistanis should, besides ensuring delineation of the current ground positions, provide for a specific assurance that “PAKISTAN WILL NOT OCCUPY THE SALTORO RIDGE LINE AFTER IT IS VACATED BY OUR FORCES”. Furthermore the assurance should make it clear that when reference is made to the fact that “Pakistan will not occupy the Saltoro Ridge” it includes military and para-military forces and also civilian agencies. Unless of course the agreement provides for joint civilian presence in the area. I am sure you will be able to get a more detailed briefing on these nuances from the Ministry and Army Headquarters.
February 2007

Also, do read this:

http://www.theweek.in/columns/guest-columns/a-man-without-character.html

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SOIKOT BANERJEE: LoLz! 1) Just because a VT-4/MBT-3000 is spotted inside Pakistan doesn’t mean the PA will be acquiring it. In reality, that VT-4 has been there for fore than 6 months to enable some PA personnel to master its mobility/firepower features, since such PA personnel will be operating the VT-4s (which have already been bought by a Middle Eastern customer) on behalf of a Middle Eastern country, i.e. the PA won’t be the owner of such tanks. 2) Two more Regiments of Arjun Mk.1A are already on order. Hence the IA will have 2 Regiments of Arjun Mk.1 & 2 Regiments of Arjun Mk.1A. 3) Not at all. 4) The doctrinal debate on FICV isn’t over as yet. If the future battlefield hosts only MBTs & FICVs, then the FICV is require to be much more heavily armoured & its weight should touch 50 tonnes. On the other hand, if the Fire-Support Vehicle (FSV) like BMPT Terminator is introduced to operate in tandem with MBTs, then the FICV need not be heavily armoured vehicles. And the recent catastrophic experiences of the Turkish Army WRT Leopard 2A4s destroyed by ATGMs fired by rebel Syrian Kurds again serves us all valuable lessons about introducing the FSV into future battlefields. So, do read & watch these:

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/germanys-leopard-2-tank-was-considered-one-the-best-until-it-24234?page=show

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2017/02/12/battle-al-bab-verifying-turkish-military-vehicle-losses/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POmzNkVfcg4

4 & 5) The Kestrel 8 x 8 will be introduced into service, but it will take close to a decade to induct them all into service. 6 & 7) That is fake news. 250,000 SLRs will be imported, while the rest (800,000+) will be the Ghaatak SLRs.

To AMIT BISWAS: 1) It has not yet been established whether the civilians were killed with bullets or dies due to exposure to tear gas. 2) There can never be a give-n-take on territorial sovereignty. India’s stance is crystal-clear: by all means China can proceed with CPEC in all forms & manifestations, but not through sovereign Indian territory (which is PoK inclusive of Gilgit-Baltistan). No other issue can take precedence over it. NSG membership won’t translate into any tangible economic gains for India, while the likes of Masood Azhar can easily be taken out by US drone-strikes, rest assured.

IMF Warns Pakistan on US$150 million Loan Repayment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Btrl8aS0YY

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RON: There are no spikes. This pattern of terror attacks inside Kabul had commenced way back in mid-2016.

To VED: Yes, that’s the one. And here are all the homegrown small-arms/ammo/sensors that are in-service with both the armed forces & the CAPFs:

Ghaatak 7.62 x 51 SLR from OFB Ishapore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5hmpp8Upzk&feature=youtu.be

OFB belt-fed 7.62 x 51 LMG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRMHDqe_k5Y

Joint Venture Protective Carbine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiZEWMGYF4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kG_JCGf6l8

OFB Trichy 40mm Smoke Grenade Launcher & 40mm AGL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLYbpOJKjI

TONBO Imaging Thermal Imagers for NSG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyc3WjOGrR8

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To VIKRAM GUHA: All stabilisers for P-15/P-15A/P-15B DDGs & P-17 FFGs & P-28 corvettes have been developed & supp;\lied by L & T and therefore supplying similar hardware for Project 1135.6 FFGs should not be a problem.

To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Not Singapore, but Cambodia, Laos & to some extent Thailand are pro-China. Singapore since 2013 has changed its friendly perceptions of China, followed by Indonesia.

To ANAND: Yes, that news-report is correct.

To RON: What needs to be understood is that the UNSC Sanctions Committee was acting on a report prepared by Russia about Pakistan's non-compliance. This committee has been in place since 1999. So, all those who are dreaming about creating a China-Pakistan-Russia-Iran-Turkey axis will fo well to undergo a reality check!

Rajesh Mishra said...

We were demanding a small mountain and you dropped the whole Himalayas on us. It may take hours or days or weeks for many to come out of it.

Rajesh Mishra said...

I have read that "It can hold 30 rounds in its polycarbonate magazine which can be fired at Single shot or in automatic mode with a firing rate of 600 rounds per minute. The effective firing range is 400m."

Is this statement true for the Ghaatak 7.62X51 SLR from OFB Ishapore especially regarding firing till the full magazine goes empty just in one go.

soi said...

Thanks for the response prasun da,
News of the Day:
"http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/defence-ministry-to-stop-investing-in-ordnance-factories-dpsus/article22580014.ece"

1. Is the news Fake or true?
2. If true, it's Pros and Cons?

Regards,
Soikot Banerjee

SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...

Thanks PrasunDa

1 So does it make sense for Delhi to try to create a coalition with ASEAN that is anti China knowing fully well that there are ASEAN countries that are pro China ?

2 Also apart from Cambodia, Laos & Thailand , isn't Burma pro China as well ?

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,

Us is looking at 6.5x48mm intermediate round which is plastic cased or caseless by Textron. Seems higher range as 7.62 mm and lethality delivered at lower weight volume.

rad said...

hi prsun
i think it is a reminder to all that no tank is invulnerable to anti tank guided missile .If the leopard and M1-a2 can be taken out , then what chance has the arjun or the t-90?
what ever happened to the active protection system that were ordered and short listed for our tanks ?
it pure common sense to order them for the tanks especially after the iraq and syrian wars what ever the cost?

does the sr sam ie astra surface fired have a TVC? the exhaust seems so?



Ashish Gautam said...

Hi sir,
As explained by you earlier that for LCH quad missile carrying pods are under designing. I wanted to know that why LCH carries 12*70mm rocket pods? Why not 19*70mm pods like Mi-17?
1 personal question if you don't mind, are you ex-Army person?

VIKRAM GUHA said...

Prasun Da, the first Collegiate headed by Secretary(Defence Production), after the notification of Make-II procedure , accorded “Approval-in Principle(AIP)” for 21 Proposals

https://twitter.com/DefProdnIndia/status/958714789538287616

So does this mean that companies (Govt & Pvt) can get contracts for these 21 items ?

Thank You

VIKRAM

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,
Nice article.THANKS.
For how long Pak committed genocide in Afghanistan?

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,
Here: new Ukrainian BMPT fire support vehicle Strazh based on T-64 MBT.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/arms_and_security_2017_online_show_daily_news/strazh_new_ukrainian_bmpt_fire_support_vehicle_based_on_t-64_mbt.html

Pratap said...

Army Chief Gen Rawat confirms that talks are on with Israel to procure Spike missiles in limited quantity as a stop gap measure. He also says that DRDO has promised the army that MPATGM will be a better missile than the Spike. Can DRDO fulfill its promise to deliver a better missile than Spike, or is it just another bluff by them? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8fXAKbQYs

Rajesh Mishra said...

@ ashish gautam:

I do not think he was ever in Army. Army would have never allowed him to go away.

Srinivasa Nanduri said...

Hi Prasun,

What do you think of CIIS published document on Modi Doctrine” and the Future of China-India Relations:


http://www.ciis.org.cn/english/2018-01/25/content_40203016.htm

I see a lot of contradiction in what report aims for. Especially on Sino Indian relationship and author's comments on Pakistan.

Your thoughts on this please.

Arpit Kanodia said...

@ashish gautum

Why we think strategic matters only belong to people from Armed Service? And only they produce smart and knowledgeable person?

If one don't know about how to fire a rifle, then that doesn't mean he/she also don't know how to play chess.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAJESH MISHRA: That’s a very high rate of fire for any SLR. Usually SMGs have that kind of firing rate.

To SOIKOT BANERJEE: Of course that’s not true. But there is a need to prioritise the list of items to be manufactured by OFB. For instance, why are 30mm ammo for DEFA cannon, 20mm ammo for the Rudra’s cannon & 30mm ammo for the cannons on BMP-2s & Su-30MKIs still being imported? Why can’t the OFB become a wholly publicly-listed corporate entity like L & T or TATA? What’s the unrelenting obsession with all such military-industrial entities being wholly owned by the MoD? If the MoD can trust private-sector companies like L & T to build nuclear-powered submarines, then surely a privatised OFB or Mazagon Docks Shipbuilding Ltd can build ammo rounds of all types & diesel-electric submarines.

To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: 1) Why not? Sirely any country would like to have as many cards as it can for using them as leverage, instead of putting all eggs into a single basket. 2) Myanmar has always been independent & has been more non-aligned than anyone else. Even during Communist rule under Ne Win, Yangon had kept its armaments imports restricted to mostly neutral supplier countries like Austria, Switzerland & Yugoslavia. For instance, Myanmar’s air force was the first one in Asia to make use of the Pilatus PC-7 & PC-9 basic turboprop trainers & all of Myanmar’s small arms & ammo were/are being built with industrial machinery imported from Austria.

To RAD: What has happened is that the range of ATGMs has outstripped that of the MBT’s main armament. The only option therefore is the usage of mini-UAVs or light aeroscout helicopters as the early warning providers of hidden hostile infantry enclosures, following which attack helicopters with standoff ATGMs can engage them in concert with FSV-type vehicles. This will sufficiently degrade through attrition the hostile dug-in infantry concentrations, thereby leaving the MBTs to engage hostile MBTs as well as conduict mopping-up operations by using thermobaric rounds to engage hardened hostile bunkers. So far no APS suite of any type has been ordered by India. Those missiles that have TVC don’t require control fins. So, all those DRDO-developed missiles that have control fins don’t possess TVC nozzles.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ASHISH GAUTAM: Rest assured that when the LCH enters service, it won’t carry the 2.75-inch rocket pods, but will carry only HELINA ATGMs & Mistral ATAMs. Only the Rudras will carry such rocxket pods. And now we have this new puzzle: if the LCH flew with an indigenous automatic flight-control system (AFCS) for the first time on January 31, 2018, then how come on August 26, 2017, the Defence Minister launched the production of LCH at Bengaluru and IOC documents of the basic version were handed over to HAL by CEMILAC on that very same date? How can CEMILAC release a certificate of airworthiness to HAL when the latter had at that time not even commenced flight-testing the LCH’s AFCS? Something very fishy is going on for sure. An no, I’m not ‘ex’ anything.

To VIKRAM GUHA: What exactly is meant by ‘Approval In-Principle’? Either one approves, or one disapproves. Previously such approvals were given for several projects & even after a decade the ‘fina;’ approval is still awaited. In any case, in the absence of a detailed military-industrial policy roadmap, only a fool will welcome such ‘Approvals In-Principle’. The sad state of affairs WRT this issue is best summed up here:

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/not-made-in-india-fdi-in-defence-foreign-investment-military-budget-5045360/

In other words, an approval for developing diesel engines for just MBTs won’t have any takers unless a comprehensive policy guideline is issued for developing a whole family of diesel engines meant for powering locomotives, submarines, heavy-duty trucks, and warships. That’s how the rest of the world goes about it.

To SUVO: 1) Since the early 1980s. 2) Since the IA possesses hundreds of T-72Ms, thery all can easily be converted into BMPT-type FSVs. Even the older T-55s can be modified into FSVs or carriers of turret-mounted breech-loading 120mm mortars. What the MoD should have done a decade ago was to spare a few T-72M & T-55 hulls for the OFB, Kirloskar, Kalyani Group, TATA Power etc etc & should have asked them to form an industrial partnership in order to collaboratively develop FSVs using such hulls, with each industrial partner developing a single item, like diesel engine & gearbox, internal comms suite, armament suite, turret-control/stabilisation system, & tracks. And by now the IA would have possessed such homegrown FSVs in large quantities.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To PRATAP: It is the ‘desi’ patrakaars who have confused the entire issue. The reqmt was NEVER for tens of thousands of 4km-range ATGMs. Instead, only a short-range fire-n-forget ATGM with 2.5km-range was reqd to replace the Milan-2s & a small quantity of fire-n-forget Spike-SRs with 1.5km-range have already been procured to this end. The reqmt now is for 2.5km-range fire-n-forget ATGMs for which only 2 ATGMs fit the bill: the Javelin, & the DRDO-developed MPATGM using a Raytheon-supplied IR-CCD seeker. The Spike-MR/LR are all wire-guided & hence are not fire-n-forget. So, if the IA’s COAS is asking for a small number of Spikes through direct imports, then he is surely referring to the Spike-SR. For the 2.5lm-range ATGM reqmt, the only option available immediately is the Javelin.

To SRINIVASA NANDURI: Such documents are always miles away from reality simply because they lack dispassionate analysis. Since China is a totalitarian system, the consequent emerging visioning is always emanating from tunnel-vision. Furthermore, the core values cherished by China & India are diametrically opposed to one another: one is totalitarian & revisionist while the other is pluralistic/all-inclusive. Hence, the writing on the wall says that China will always regard India as a hostile neighbour & it will also regard all alliances of democratic countries as being hostile to China, menaing not against the people of China, but against China’s one-party political set-up.

Meanwhile, here’s an excellent example of a well-articulated treatise on India’s national security imperatives:

https://theprint.in/2018/01/22/india-needs-a-national-security-policy-jk-governor-nn-vohra/

But alas! One never witnesses such issues being discussed & debated upon in India’s supreme decision-making body: the Parliament. Instead, we come across such factually incorrect tweets from the country’s highest official:

https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/957864720811225088

If I’m not mistaken, Timor Leste is the youngest country on this planet!

And it also now seems that my observations about the ‘salutiong’ practice by politicians have been taken note of & hence this correct & sober ‘standing-in-attention’ practice adopted 3 days ago!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUtWpWBUMAEG_Hz.jpg

AFAIK, this is also the first time a career bureaucrat has officially acknowledged that India’s clandestine agencies had received training from the British SAS.

And here’s the unadulterated version of the documentary on the corss-LoC surgical strikes on HISTORY/TV-18 channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXu4loJiEgE

And here’s what will follow in the near future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndW2oI3wBqo

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

And now yet another country becomes a victim of China's debt trap:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/road-ruin-china-debt-binge-150727195.html

Ashish Gautam said...

Vmt prasun sir, no idea what is being cooked in HAL factories regarding LCH. Let's see what we get as final version of LCH From HAL & what weapon package does it come with.

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GPShUqOZpk


Pakistan Army Shoots Missile at Indian post on line of Control on Dec 31, 2017

is this for real?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R-_O6VoJHA
Can Pakistanis Burn Indian Flag for Money.... Shocking Reaction

1st guy reply was tight slap on her..lolz

Ron

soi said...

Thanks Prasun da,

1. There was a news somewhere in 2015 that DRDO, will revive BHIM SPH project, Do you think that thing ever took off?
2. Since there is already K-9 coming in, is there any hope left for BHIM SPH?
3. This is hypothetical now, Suppose in war we do need some more help can we revive old projects that were successful but shutdown or Prototyped and shut down especially in case of BHIM SPH, DRDO Tank EX and DRDO light tank. If at all circumstances push us to a limit where it is needed can this projects be revived?

Regards,
Soikot Banerjee

Pierre Zorin said...

sadly the uploader has not made those videos available in my country!

capricorn said...

AGAIN IT seems the govt. has made no special allocation for defence in budget whreas it should be alteast 3-4% of GDP? Is this deliberate and why so? or there is something behind the scene no one knows??

Pravin said...

Prasun sir,
https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/india/india-joins-ashgabat-agreement/amp_articleshow/62745556.cms

Good news!
Pravin

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RON: LoLz! That was a competitive Baktar Shikan ATGM firing exercise at the PA’s Tilla Field Firing Range near Jhelum. The LoC does not run over flat plains, but over mountainous terrain.

To SOIKOT BANERJEE: The Bhim tracked SPH project was terminated for good in the previous decade itself. Projects once terminated can’t be revived since alternate replacements always get procured.

To ARITRO DATA: Defence spending allocations can be increased ONLY IF 90% of the capital account’s amount is being spent internally. But if this quantum is spent on imports, then obviously the increase in real terms in every defence budget will be minimal. This is exactly what happens when one tries to licence-build imported weapons at 2.5 times more cost than the acquisition costs for off-the-shelf iomports. The greatest lie that was propagated for decades in India was that licence-building weapons was cheaper than importing them off-the-shelf. Instead of licence-building them, all effort should have been undertaken to set up indigenous MRO facilities & indigenise the rotables & consumables of various weapons platforms so as to reduce the platform’s life-cycle costs. Had this been undertaken, then service-induction of platforms imported off-the-shelf would have been much quixcker & cheaper, thereby freeing enormous amount of finances available for developing & mass-producing several homegrown platforms for all 3 armed services. This would have not only accelerated India’s military-industrial capacities & capabilities, but would also have contributed to a significant expansion of India’s manufactuiring sector. But alas, sound common sense did not & still does not prevail.

To ANUP: The initial Spike-SRs were imported for the IA’s Northern Command & Southwestern Command. More fire-n-forget ATGMs are now reqd for the IA’s Eastern & Western Commands to counter the PLA’s ongoing introduction of Red Arrow-12 ATGMs among its Border Defence Regiments & other formations of the Tibet Military District under the PLA’s Western Theatre Command. And why the hell should Maitri be procured when the QR-SAM is already bveing developed & Barak-1 SAMs are being ordered?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Have uploaded new slides above to contextualise the fracas over the Siachen & Sir Creek negotiations & what really transpired among India's decision-makers.

To PRAVIN: VMT, that's very good news indeed. But I was intrigued by the MDL advert on top of that newspage, because I still cannot fathom any reason for displaying the Indian PM's photo & caption on that advert. After all, the present-day PM was not the one to approve the Scorpene SSK procurement, nor was he there to launch the Karanj SSK.

rad said...

hi prasun
from what i gather about the vulnerability of tanks to ATGM it is pure suicide to send mbt into war without active protection systems like the trophy etc.This is especially
true in the current scenario after syria and iraq where supposedly the best tanks in the world the leopard and the M1A1 got blown up .

but how did the t-90 survive a tow hit,the video which has been going around in youtube?

can a dew pulse disable a missile?

it is going to be difficult to locate dug in ATGM units and take them out due to camo and other means.
its a no brainer to equip tanks with APS .I would rather have a 1 regiment of APS tanks rather than 2 regimants of unprotected tank?

why has this talk of eqiping our tanks with PS died down after all these trial and selection?

what about the laser guided 70 mm rockets for the lch are they comming along?

Anonymous said...

https://www.dawn.com/news/1386838/army-chief-qamar-bajwa-prince-salman-hold-meeting-in-riyadh

getting any free aid or grants from KSA with US aids being stopped?

Ron

VIKRAM GUHA said...

Prasun Da,

This year's budget has fixed defense spending to 1.57% of GDP (down from 1.62%). Is this a signal to the services, that there will continue to be a major disconnect between defence plans and actual procurement unless projected requirements are synchronized with indigenous development ?


Thanks,

VIKRAM

capricorn said...

Prasunda,

You said bjp will win in 2019 because of fragmented opposition. But the bypolls in rajasthan are worrying.surveys indicate bjp will lose rajasthan completely.What is your opinion about the recent turn of events? Will they be in danger from the opposition in 2019?

Anonymous said...

http://indianexpress.com/article/pakistan/us-not-contemplating-military-action-inside-pakistan-pentagon-5048610/

Sir i think we can conclude that no Airland hostilities or any kind of Highend Hostilities will be there this year because on one hand US have its hands full with syria,afghan and north korea to concentrate and Ind on other hand well "no body knows better than you about our political elite Indecisiveness and lack of stuff in there skulls" and such kind of hostile environment not present in India

Kiran

soi said...

Prasunda,
Can you please explain why is LICENCE MANUFACTURING IN INDIA more COSTLY than DIRECT IMPORT, in more detail?

Regards,
Soikot Banerjee

bhoutik said...

-- what is the usual audience for the R.N. Kao Memorial Lecture? and is it closely followed and the views/advice heeded by policymakers, bureaucrats and influential politicians in cong. & bjp? and what are the chances of the suggestions of N. N. Vohra taken up and being implemented?

-- speculation in the media about a possible railgun about to be tested in china onboard a modified naval vessel. anything to it?

bhoutik said...

the healthcare plan announced in the budget - your views on that please

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAD: It will be a fallacy to compare the battlefields of Iraq & Syria with those to be found in the sub-continent. The former are all in semi-urban or urban built-up areas like the ones found in Chechnya 2 decades ago, while the latter comprises agrarian terrain in the plains, or desert terrain where man-made bunkers easily stand out & can be engaged with either field artillery or air-launched PGMs. No man-made bunker can be camouflaged against SAR sensors. Hence, fielding of SAR-equipped ground surveillance helicopters along with light aeroscout helicopters along with attack helicopters is a MUST in support of advancing armoured formations. After sufficient attrition has been inflicted by field artillery, the MBTs escorted by FSVs will start to roll in to enemy territory & they will be provided superior situational awareness by aeroscout helicopters. Syrian T-90S survived ATGM hits due to the ERA tiles. The mid-life upgrade of the first 310 T-90S tanks has yet to commence & is overdue by 6 years. The Belgian FN-supplied 70mm rockets for Rudra & LCH are all unguided.

To VIKRAM GUHA: Not at all. All it means is that force modernisation plans have to be formulated with only two-front LIMITED WAR scenarios in mind, & not on total warfare requiring full-scale mobilisation—all of which I have been explaining for years. Nor is there anything called indigenous development ub the sense that no one India can come up with a solution that no one else in the world has been able to. Hence, all so-called indigenous products require just the mastering of technologies developed elsewhere. What’s reqd is only the setting up of military-industrial infrastructure, which in turn can come up ONLY IF the armed forces are able to quantify their reqmts. For i8nstance, no one from the MoD has as yet been able to state with certainty exactly how many ALHs, LCHs & LUHs will be ordered for sure & in what kind of timeframe. And such long-term pl;ans cannot be articulated UNLESS there’s national consensus on funding such plans. No such consensus exists to date & one only has to recall the alacrity with which the UPA-1 Govt had unceremoniously scrapped the earlier NDA-1 Govt’s creation of a non-lapsable defence modernization fund back in 2004.

To ARITRO DATA: The electorate’s priorities for central-level general elections & state-level elections are totally different. Hence, the electorate is likely to vote for one party for the former & another party for the latter.

To KIRAN: LoLz! Then under what category do the US drone strikes inside Pakistan come under? Are they non-military actions by any stretch of imagination? Was OP Neptune’s Spear in May 2011 just another non-military operation? You need to watch this as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxMXvhPcSkE

To SOIKOT BANERJEE: The per-unit acquisition cost charged by any foreign weapons manufacturing OEM for any weapon comprises the non-recurring R & D expenditure + the cost of military-industrial production. When the importing country wants to licence-produce the weapon then the per-unit acquisition cost includes the non-recurring R & D expenditure + the cost of military-industrial production that is charged by the foreign OEM, + the cost of importing raw materials from the foreign OEM & the cost of setting up military-industrial production capacities inside the importing country.

To BHOUTIK: Such lectures are attented almost exclusively by retired senior bureaucrats & politicians. Such venues are not meant to serve as catalysts or incubators for spawning new thought-processes or ideas. As for healtyhcare plans, the proof of the pudding always is in its eating. So pone has to wait & see what methodology will be applied to the implementation phase.

Black box said...

Hi prasun,
Recently Rheinmetall Active Defense System (AMAP- ADS) was released to the market ,in the video shown the system was compact and versatile.do you think it's the best among all the available aps?.Any chance indian army is interested in it.

Anonymous said...

true true they were indeed military actions but what im saying is if US cant denuclearize or deflung North Korea then it certainly cant do it for ally country like Pakistan...The thing is the wind that generated hostilities during north Korea missile launches is not same state in case of Pakistan and these kind drone strikes are going on for over a last decade its has become routine for PA and Pakistan people and eventually all aids and funds will be start going Pakistan like it has from 2012 or something..bottom line there is chance for your assertion might go wrong on Pakistan nuclearization in 2018.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1387031/us-general-rules-out-military-operations-inside-pakistan

coming from US general

Kiran

Rookie said...

Prasun da,

What is your take on the pics surfacing on the net of what seems like an electromagnetic railgun prototype that the Chinese have fitted onboard the Type 072-III?

Unknown said...

Nothing is being cooked. It was earlier flying with an imported AFCS & now it is being tested with HAL's Mission Control Systems R&D Centre (MCSRDC) developed one.

bhoutik said...

should India intervene in maldives right now?

VIKRAM GUHA said...

Prasun Da, first of all great explanation why licenced defense hardware made in India is a lot more expensive than imported hardware.

That being said, isn't it a benefit to have an assembly line in India despite the fact that it's only licence manufacturing ? In that way at least the forces get some items on time. For example licence producing Su 30 MKI in India means even if Russia fails to meet delivery schedule you can a tleast build a few Su 30 MKI at home .

Thanks,

VIKRAM

Sridhar said...

Dear Sir

Pakistanis claim that 100 JF 17 planes are fully operational

What is the Reality

Is the JF 17 a Threat to India

Pakistanis claim that a They will have a Fleet of 250 JF 17 and this will help in
Neutralising Indian Agression

SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...

PrasunDa,

Cochin shipyard said it has signed an agreement with Russia's USC to design and manufacturing of high-speed vessels, river-sea cargo vessels, passenger Vessels, hovercrafts and other watercrafts predominantly for use in India.

Why is it that these technologies still do not exist in India & shipyards have to enter JVs with foreign countries to get these tech ? Designing high-speed vessels, hovercrafts etc (the ones named above) is not all that difficult right ? China, South Korea designs such vessels themselves.

https://ultra.news/t-t/37422/india-signs-agreement-russian-firm-manufacture-inland-shipping-vessels/


Thanks
-Sujoy

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,
Thanks.
China In Talks Over Military Base In Remote Afghanistan
http://idrw.org/china-in-talks-over-military-base-in-remote-afghanistan/

Your opinion please.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To BLACK BOX: All APS suites are comparable in performance but are not necessarily adaptable for all types of MBTs. For the IA’s reqmt, offers from Israeli & Swedish OEMs are being considered.

To KIRAN: LoLz! Why are you hell-bent upon comparing apples with oranges? Dopes the DPRK have a declared arsenal of deployed BMs & nuclear WMDs? All that the DPRK has done so far is demonstrate the capabilities of its BMs & tests of its re-entry warheads have yet to take place. Secondly, the DPRK itself has stated that it can only deliver BM-launched payloads filled with biological weaponbs like anthrax. So since the DPRK itself has stated that it still does not possess any deliverable nuclear WMDs, then where’s the need to denuclearize such arsenals? Hence, it is ludicrous to compare the nuclear WMD programmes of Pakistan & DPRK. Hence, do go through the videoclip I had posted yesterday on this issue that explains all the instructions coming from the POTUS to his subordinate military Generals that totally override & contradict all the soundbytes emanating from US Generals visiting Islamabad.

To PRIMORDIAL PETE & BHOUTIK: LoLz! Application of sound common-sense will answer all those questions. For instance, a simple comparison of the physical dimensions of EMRGs fielded by the US with those of the PLAN’s turret-mounted weapon will reveal that the latter is by no means an EMRG. Secondly, why should such EMRGs be mounted on LSTs & not on principal surface combatant vessels? The merte fact that the turret-mounted weapon is on an LST is indicative of the fact that it is nothing but a heavy-duty breech-loading mortsr encased within a turret.

To BISWAJIT PATTANAIK: If the ‘desi’ AFCS has just begun its flight-tests, then how come CEMILAC last year awarded the certification of airworthiness to the LCH? For those who don’t know about such matters, such a certification is issued only to a platform AFTER it has completed its entire flight-test regime. And apart fropm the AFCS, the entire self-defence suite & weapons package still has not been installed. So yes, in terms of announcements, many of them are premature & uncalled for, just like the on-going farce about the Tejas Mk.1’s IOC & FOC. And again, for those who don’t know, IOC is not about hardware integration issues, but is all about conversions of aircrew & ground-crew into fully-integrated production-standard platforms.

To BHOUTIK: What for & why? And what will be achieved through such acts?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To VIKRAM GUHA: I had already uploaded several weblinks some threads ago containing data on product indigenisation roadmaps of each armed service. Data from both the IAF & HAL clearly show that the process of indigenising rotables & spares began only 2 years ago, despite the licence-production contract being signed in the year 2000. And the raw materials reqd for producing all such spares are being supplied by Russia. So the so-called indigenization is onlky in the sphere of fabrication & one final assembly line at Nashik. Now contrast this with 3 separate production lines existing for the Su family of combat aircraft in Russia (Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk & Irkutsk). So between Russia & India, which of the 2 countries is best positioned to ensure faster aircraft deliveries? Wouldn’t it have been far better had the Ruskies supplied all Su-30MKIs off-the-shelf at an annual rate of 40 per annum, leaving HAL to then begin indigenizing all the rotables, consumables & other components & accessories from the year 2000 itself so that by 2010 such in-country production targets could be achieved well in advance of the firstr batch of Su-30MKIs requiring depot-level MRO?

Here is a good discussions of all the difficultiesd associated with the so-called indigenisation & Make-in-India efforts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epdJRXA23o8

To SRIDHAR: Only 50% of that number are operational, even though all 100 have been delivered.

To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Even China & South Korea had to obtain designs of hovercraft & catamarans from Australia & Canada. None of them had in-house product design capabilities. Similarly, all India-based shipyards—MoD-owned or privayely-owned—have no choice but to go for industrial partnerships with established foreign OEMs. While one can ask why seek such designs from abroad when the IN’s Design Bureau has designed aircraft carriers, DDGs & FFGs, one then should also ask why then has the IN imported rapid interceptor vessels from France & the UAE’s Solas Marine when L & T and CSL have already supplied domestically designed vessels of this type.

To SUVO: The talks were concluded last year itself & joint patrols had already commenced in the latter half of last year.

And here is an excellent 2-part investigation into the present going-ons inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgil7Kv80_0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L47nDA1-sGE&t=16s

Jay said...

Hi Prasun, since you have been such a big supporter of LCA Tejas and various indigenous weapon systems, you must be very happy with USAF chief flying Tejas

capricorn said...

Prasunda,

1>http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12638-cabal-plans-october-meltdown-share-prices-rout-bjp-------HAVE ALOOK!!!! THIS IS TERRIFYING!!!

2> WHY is not modi/bjp doing anything to counter such divisive tactics of congress--rajasthan,gujrat,karnataka..everywhere the same thing!!! why cant they just hire some foreign 'disposal' experts to take care of these 'garbage'!!!!!

Senthil Kumar said...

Dear Prasun,

http://www.gulf-times.com/story/580467/Maldives-top-court-seeks-to-impeach-president-atto

What is happening in Maldives? Is there any control India Have to tame the President Abdulla Yameen.

He is highly influenced by China. Can India use this opportunity to overthrow him.

Thanks
S. Senthil Kumar

bhoutik said...

to oust the corrupt islamists in power in maldives. the authorities there are not complying with their highest court's orders. int. support would be with India on this. what could be the downsides prashun bhai? what am i missing?

Unknown said...

1.Is there any Area 51 type in India for special projects of Milotary research?
2.Recently Iranians screened anti-India movie on Kashmir and Khamenei had his pics on that posters.He even said anti-hindu statements.Your take?
3.Do you believe first prototype of Ghatak UCAV can fly this year?
4.There's a Missile test upcoming in next few days.But which one will it be?

SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...

PrasunDa,

So did Cochin Shipyard sign this agreement with Russia's USC because they are expecting orders from Govt of India. for hovercrafts, high speed vessels etc or have they already received orders from GoI ?

Thank You

Anik said...

4 soldiers including an officer lost their lives in ceasefire violation by pakistan in BG sector. http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/jammu-kashmir/army-officer-3-jawans-killed-in-pak-shelling-in-j-k-s-rajouri/538620.html


This has become an everyday news and government seems to neglect whatever is happening at our western border. We urgently need to bring in our 155mm Bofors guns and hammer pakistanis hard.



Meanwhile situation is not good in Maldives. I think GoI should use this as an opportunity to get rid of pro china government there. What do ypu think Prasun da??

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,
Thanks.Some off the topic:
I read a book "Desh Bivag Firay Dekha" by Ahmad Rafiq (Bangladesh).The book is published by Aninday Prokash (Dhaka).Dada it is a good book.

VIKRAM GUHA said...

Prasunda, despite India's retaliation Pakistan has stepped up shelling along the border. Today, 4 more Indian Army soldiers got killed. It seems they are not scared of Indian retaliation at all. What could the reason be ?

Regards,
VIKRAM

Blggr said...

Hi Prasun,

When the Us is looking at caseless rounds and reduce weight carried by infantry should India not look at them as well and induct such revolutionary rounds and firearms instead of going back to traditional equipment. They see 6.5mm rounds performing optimally up to 1200 meters and the round Almost as expensive to produce as the current in service brass ones.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To JAY: LoLz! That’s a typical rhetorical oversimplification! All flights by foreign citizens on board the Tejas Mk.1’s tandem-seater version have been joyrides & are most unlikely to be interpreted as marketing efforts. Will the USAF acquire the Tejas Mk.1? Will the republic of Singapore Air Force acquire it? The answer to both is NO. So what’s there to be happy about? Nor had any IAF pilot to date stated that the Tejas Mk.1 is an optimum weapons-launching platform or s superlative dogfighter. All soundbytes to date have only stated that this aircraft handles beautifully, or is a sheer joy to fly with, i.e. an excellent platform for aerobatics, but ZERO verbal inputs about its performance in a combat environment. Hence, NO I have never been a supporter of Tejas Mk.1, but I do support the Tejas Mk.1’s tandem-seater as a LIFT platform & I will support the LCA-AF Mk.2 ONLY IF my recommendations about the methodology of developing such an MRCA are followed.

To ARITRO DATA & INTOLERANT PERSON: Nowadays there’s no end to FAKE NEWS being peddled by certain ‘Commando-type’ electronic media & TV channels. And that news-item highlighted by you is one such perfect example. Then there are these:

http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/10553-my-radar-ansari-was-uncooperative-indifferent-when-tehran

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOP0MYphRz8&t=49s

All these are PAID NEWS with obvious malicious intentions, rerst assured.

To S SENTHIL KUMAR & BHOUTIK: Here is what’s actually going on in the Maldives:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYs7-G_j-Y

And why should India bother about it? Let the Maldivians sort matters out for themselves. Only if the legally elected authorities request India to intervene in any manner can such a request be considered. And no such request has been made thus far. So what’s the hurry?

To INTOLERANT PERSON: 1) That can easily be established by browsing through GoogleEarth. The simple answer is: NO, 2) That is FAKE NEWS. 3) And what exactly is the utility of such a flight? Can you remember when the Rustom-1 first flew? And what has happened to it since then? The same is the case with the Rustom-2/TAPAS. And how can a prototype be test-flown before its technology demonstrator can take to the skies? 4) It can be either the Agni-4 or another Nirbhay test-flight.

To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: It is just an MoU, not a firm contract or agreement by any stretch of imagination. Similar MoUs had been in ked throughout the 1980s & 1990s by other MoD-owned shipyards, but nothing came of them. GSL too had inked such MoUs with Intermarine of Italy & with Almaz Shipyards in the early 1990s. What has come of them? ZILCH. In any case, the good news is that the MoD has shelved the MCMV project for 12 vessels & the money ffrom this project has been diverted for funding urgent reqmts of the IA. As for why India requires riverine ferry craft like hovercraft or hydrofoils, it is all about the SAGAR MALA project’s & riverine trade connectivity component, as it used to be in ancient times throughout India. It is all explained here for those who tend to gloss over India’s ancient maritime heritage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPQg_gcZw2Y

Anik said...

Agni 1 and BrahMos...

Deepak said...

Prasun Sir, in an event of war with china, how is IAF going to counter vast number of chinese surface to air missiles so as to maintain Indian fighter jet's dominance over tibet?

Anonymous said...

Dear Prasun,
can you update what will be the future of MCMV(mine countermeasures vessels). Please refer to the following article : https://strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20180205.aspx

Regards,

Anand

joydeep ghosh said...

@prasun da

now that MCMV are off the table, i think Indian Navy and shipyards should look for these 132 ft long remote controlled ships UFVs that cost just around US$20 million, a food for thought

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5352451/132ft-long-self-driving-Sea-Hunter-joined-Navy.html

thanks

Joydeep Ghosh

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ANIK & VIKRAM GUHA: As per approved SOPs, a proportionate attack will be mounted by the IA, rest assured. As I had stated earlier, the PA by & large attacks the ‘non-Muslim’ areas along both the LoC & WB in southern Jammu in line with its distorted religiosity-based national narrative under which only non-Muslims & Shia-Muslims of India are to be targetted. But it also needs to be noted that India has now begun arming Afghanistan’s ANA with fofrce-multiplier firepoiwer like the ex-IA Konkurs ATGMs that can still be used for another 2 years. So, expect the Durand Line to also heat up in the days ahead.

To BLGGR: Yes of course it is being looked at. But these are all meant for induction in the mediem-/long-term. The reqmts of the IA, on the other hand, are for immediate usage.

To DEEPAK: Elementary. Just make greater use of PGMs meant for SEAD/DEAD missions.

To ANAND: I had stated a long time ago that Kangnam Shipyard cannot transfer any shipbuilding technology to GSL that Kangnam itself had acquired from Italy’s Intermarine SA strictly for fulfilling the RoK Navy’s reqmts. Nor will any foreign shipbuilder share its GRP-based hull construction technologies with any Indian shipyard. In other words, thepre-fabricated hull made of GRP-based composites would have to originate from Intermarine. What Kangnam had proposed was to have such hulls imported from Italy & then resupply them to GSL—a very expensive & nonsensical proposition. It is therefore far cheaper for GSL to import such hulls directly from Intermarine SA & then fit them out with the requisite type of imported hull-mounted anti-mine sonars & imported ROVs from ECA of France. Sadly, this commonsensical option was not adopted by the MoD (due to its ludicrous policy of floating global tenders) & as a result of this, the IN’s MCMV procurement exercise is today in a total mess.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ANIK: Now will be a good time to indeed ask why has the IN not been allowed to acquire a fleet of 4 LPHs despite such a reqmt existing since mid-2004. And also why can't such a LPH be designed in-house? If a 39,000-tonne IAC-1 can be designed in-house, then why can't the same be done for a 20,000-tonne LPH? What is more important: an IAC-2 that will be required only after 20 years, or the four LPHs that were required since the previous decade? Without such LPHs how can the IN emerge as the nett guarantor of security & as a first responder during humanitarian disasters throughout the IOR?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-needs-4-years-to-catch-up-with-satellite-demand-dr-sivan/article22651083.ece?homepage=true

capricorn said...

the sensex has fallen to 34000 losing 5 lakh crore of investor wealth-----cause for alarm? temporary shock or more freefall in future??

Ved said...

Dear Prasun,
How long we have to wait for Ghatak UCAV. Will it constitute complete indigenous technology? How far have we progressed?

Is the IA fully equipped to fight war at night across all spectrum of battlefield? Where do we stand in terms of night fighting capability of IA?

What is the status of CCM integration of Tejas? Is Python5 still on cards or IAF is exploring other options?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To S SENTHIL KUMAR: The Yazidis-India connection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puL4gwNhXMI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqNyzEX4Bhc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU5JSByMMdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwlfej_upFE

China's footprints in Maldives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBrA-Y8Q-BM

To VED: How long? How long did France take to develop its Neuron UCAV? So, my estimate is by 2040. Since even France has been unable to keep the Neuron 100% Fremch in terms of material contents, to expect India to achieve anything more will be foolhardy. Nightfighting along the LoC & WB as well as along the LAC in Ladakh, Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh is not a problem. CCM is already integrated into Tejas Mk.1 LCA in the form of R-73E SRAAM. But if the IAF wants a CCM that can be cued before-launch through a HMDS, then the Python-5 will have to be used since the Targo HMDS can operate only with Python-5. If the R-73E is to be used, then the pilot will have to use the SURA HMDS imported from either Russia or Ukraine.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To KAUSTAV: LoLz! You are now sounding more & more like those suited-up TV anchors of NDTV, CNN-News18 & INDIA TODAY who excel in shedding crocodile tears at every such incident & who are under the illusion that India can decisively retaliate once & for all—all this obviously due to their misplaced perception that in turn is generated through reading of Tom Clancy0authorted fictional flicks. I can’t understand why such feelings should arise in the first place, simply because no one from the armed forces is complaining about it, nor are the armed forces saying that such attrition-levels are unacceptable or unsustainable. Nor should one expect today’s Indian political leadership to act any differently from those of yesteryears. Why so? Just try to digest what a thoroughbred RASCAL by the name of Amit Shah said yesterday in his maiden Rajya Sabha speech: J & K has never been any safer as it is today. Anopther RASCAL by the name of Manish Tiwary yesterday claimed that everything was honky-dory along the LoC from 2004 till mid-2014. Now, if this is the level of political discourse among such rascals who view themselves as being in the decision-making/opinion-making loops, then how the hell can anyone expect a national consensus emerge on any strategy aimed at keeping Pakistan under check? No one politician today is even willing to talk about how to go about implementing the all-parliamentary resolution of February 1994 that had called for re-uniting the whole of J & K by any means. Consequently, what has been the result to date?

1) About 6,300 Indian military personnel have perished along the LoC from 1989 till to date.

2) Leave alone the cross-LoC infiltrations, no one from India’s decision-making loop has even bothered to give a befitting response to what are considered acts of war (as a consequence of violating India’s territorial boundaries), i.e. the February 1993 Mu7mbai terror bombings & the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

3) Instead, it is the hapless citizens of J & K that have been subjected to every conceivable kind of dehumanization, with the non-Muslims of the Kashmir Valley becoming internally displaced in their own countrym while the Sunni Muslim-majority population of Kashmir Valley being subjected to endless number of internal security-mandated vetting, frisking & restricted movements—all of which have led to a siege mentality setting in & this in turn culminating in calls for ‘Azaadi’ (liberation, or mukti) from such a miserable daily existence. I would very much like to see if any other Indian citizen will react any differently if faced with such an existence for over 27 years non-stop. And today if any resident of either Jammu or Kashmir Valley raises his/her voice against the existing status quo, then they are branded as being traitors, when in fact all they are asking for is for India to live up to her word by implementing the all-parliamentary resolution of February 1994 so that the on-ground daily misery can come to a permanent end.

Cont'd below...

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

So, can vertical escalation by the IA & IAF along the WB & LoC impose prohibitive costs on the PA? Yes, but PROVIDED they are of a sustained nature, i.e. lasting for well over 6 months. Will Pakistan be able to retaliate in kind? Definitely not, since the PA & PAF is already embroiled in a 3-front scenario & will therefore find it impossible to initiate hostilities against India across the IB, whereas in India’s case if hostilities are kept limited to only across the WB & LoC then China will find it impossible to enter the fray on Pakistan’s side. But most importantly, do India’s present-day political decision-makers have the reqd quantum of common-sense to realise all this? Judging from their responses to date, most definitely not. And why not? Simply because they still do not understand the difference between a temporary ceasefire line like the LoC or WB, & permanent borders like the IB. Nor do they realise that once it has been decided to cross the LoC, then the end-objective should be to maintain the momentum until Gilgit-Baltistan too are liberated, even it it takes 90 days to achieve thisd objective. And if the PA wants to use TNWs in such areas, then by all means it is most welcome to do so, since this will lead to Pakistan losing forever all its moral claims over any portion of J & K. Can India’s existing political decision-makers then articulate a national strategy aimed at achieving such objectives? Most definitely not, judging by the statement made by the PM from the ramparts of the Red Fort 2 years ago, when he claimed to have been received felicitations from the residents of PoK & Baluchistan.

Instead of making such nonsensical pronouncements, he should have made a lengthy statement in Parliament to explain to his country & the world that Pakistan has forfeited any right whatsoever over any portion of undivided J & K simply because it had been proven to be thoroughly incapable of effectively administering even those territories that were legally part of Pakistan, i.e. East Pakistan till 1971, & now FATA & Baluchistan. At the same time, the PM should have clearly stated that the 1893 drawing of the Anglo-Afghan Durand Line was, as per the UK’s own admissions in its Parliament till 1930, meant to serve only as an indicator of the frontiers of each country’s respective sphere of influence, & such a Line was therefore neither delineated on any map nor was it demarcated on land through the construction of boundary pillars. Hence, India cannot lend any sanctity to the Durand Line & as colonial India’s successor state, is of the view that the borders of Afghanistan start from the Oxus River to the north & end in the western bank of the River Indus.

Lastly, it should have been made known to India’s rascal politicians that Pakistan celebrates February 5 every year as KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY & therefore some mischief was to be expected on February 4 night/February 5 morning. That NO ONE in any of the TV talk shows even mentioned this shows just how shallow the thought-processes of these so-called ‘intellectuals’ are. Here’s what February 5 means for the PA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb6mpQQKc60

And here are the shameful grandstandings of such ‘intellectuals’ yesterday, with the only exceptions being Lt Gen (Ret’d) Ata Hasnain & Dr Ajai Sahni, while that RSS ideologue expectedly outshone all others yet again as a certified RETARD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-x0kdD5V4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WadbkLGjEHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DP3JTZGvts

Kaustav said...

Prasunda
The frigging politicians of whatever hue can take a bloody hike across the mined LoC and as far as liberating PoK is concerned it can wait for dogs years. I want the Army and Armed Forces in general to revenge themselves, period.If escalation to kill 10 times as many of Indians as perish at the Pigs hands results in war or attainment of other strategic objectives in the way as you stated above that shall be the responsibility of the civilian government to decide and manage. The immediate and primary objective for the Army should be a kill count of 40 Pakistani Officers period. The importance of assorted Kashmir Day, Pakistan Day, etc. the emotions of assorted Kashmiri and Pakistanis be damned and is not the concern of the Army. Massive Disproportionate Retaliation to any Enemy provocation should be the immediate objective and standard SOP.

AJS said...

What's it going to take to knock some sense into the govt. so that they deal with Pakistan once and for all? It's immensely frustrating to watch the same scene unfold decade after decade.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ANIK: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-successfully-test-fires-nuclear-capable-agni-i-missile/story-E1y1PrXbkTj6YpYbC4XXIO.html

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

The UK & Canada have already given the Green Light for India to act WRT Maldives & now the US nod is awaited. I won't be surprised at all if an Indian Navy flotilla/task force from HQ Southern Command in Kochi is already in the high seas & only a few hours away from Male. This time it will be an IN-led operation & one of the vessels will probably include those Maldivian politicians who are now residing in self-imposed exile in Colombo, Sri Lanka & who now are free to go back to Male under armed protection.

Sidharth said...

Prasun da,

As per the current speculation, the latest Agni 1 tested today is capable of doing YAW manoeuvre.

rad said...

hi prasun
will not sending a naval flotilla anger a lot of maldivians ? those die hard followers of the present fellow? will we not be countered by a chinese who can do the same thing? China is keen to play in troubled water as usual.?
At best we should wait till the maldivians and the world condemn and remove the dictator!and then move in? when the change in gov takes place can they negate the influence of the Chinese and get back the islands leased to them?

you were saying that the python 5 CCM missile was still to be integrated on to the LCA . I believe the derby has been already. The derby is a more complex RF missile with more electronics etc , what is the problem to integrate the python missile ?.The interface electronics and pylon should be the same?

After all ,the heart of the LCA is an israeli radar. Does the python 5 inherently have a data link to the elm -2032 radar ?

you mentioned that the jf-17 has an availability of 50%? is it due to the Russian engine ? or other chinese spare part logistical problem or some other issue?

Does the jf-17 have a HMS to cue CCM chinese missiel?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SIDHARTH: The Agni-1 tested today had a ring-laser-gyro-based inertial navigation system supplied by IAI’s TAMAM Division (the same RLG-INS that is on BrahMos-1 & Nirbhay LACMs). This is now replaced the earlier stellar inertial reference system.

To RAD: Unrest within Maldives is now in a state of popular resentment & those supporting the existing regime are a dwindling minority now. In addition, Maldives is home to some 22,000 Indian citizens. Of the country’s approximately 400 doctors, more than 125 are Indian citizens. Similarly around 25% of teachers are Indian citizens. Therefore, there’s no way China can replace India’s involvement in the survival of Maldives. Located nearby are Diego Garcia & Gan Island, military outposts of the US & UK. Will they allow China to fish around in such waters? The only problem with Python-5 was structural integration, i.e. the AAM’s ADA-designed pylons need aerodynamic refinement at the front-end. If you were to closely examine all the underwing pylons of the Tejas Mk.1, you will easily conclude that they were designed at best for subsonic flight! Python-5 does not require integration with EL/M-2032 MMR. Instead, it is already integrated with the TARGO HMDS supplied by ELBIT Systems & offers 45-degree off-boresight lock-on-before-launch capability. JF-17 is MRO-heavy due to the RD-93 turbofan. The PL-9E CCMs of the JF-17 don’t have all-aspect engagement capability & therefore do not require any HMDS.

bhoutik said...

i wasn't aware that Gan island was being used militarily. is it the UK? on a related note, would it make sense for India to lease / develop space in Diego Garcia for her own needs?

Anonymous said...

After the Kahuta disaster, has Raw being able to regain it's original strength or is it still lagging behind ISI. Can you comment something on it?

Tushar

joydeep ghosh said...

@prasun da

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHXLkDVnAuI

yazidi spiritual head visited murugan temple in Washington in 2014 to seek peacock gods blessing, there seems to be lot of similarities with indian culture civilization,

could it be possible these people are branch of people who left the indus valley civilization after its downfall and moved west via iran,

bcoz according to their calender its just over 6000yrs almost coinciding with the indus valloey reaching its height and then a downfall

2. will i military intervention by India in maldives be any beneficial

3. hearing a lot of murmur that the current govt may not be able to survive the 2019 geenral election, if it looses the state election in 6-8 states by year, only then the pak offensive will go through and also heard that if it does win there will be mid term poll in december 18 and then the pak offensive will be on permanment back burner.

4. you still havent given your opinion the US$20 million 132 ft unmanned drone ship, why cant IN use them as MCMV/ASW platform

your views

Joydeep Ghosh

Kapil said...

Prasun sir, in the background of whats going on in Maldives and given how important that country is to our national security, why cant India offer Maldives statehood within the Indian Union with autonomy with Indian control confined only to defense, communication and external affairs?

Shiv said...

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/maldives-top-court-revokes-own-order-to-free-prisoners-nasheed-seeks-indian-military-intervention/articleshow/62811493.cms

prasun da, what next ?

Rajesh Mishra said...

Let Pappooji speak anything on Rafale deal, but India must act quickly in Maldive, more so because it has been requested by their Ex-President himself.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAJESH MISHRA: The PAPPUji & all his 'Chamchaas' are obviously suffering from memory-loss/amnesia: all they have to do is go back to the 1980s to see the written answers from the MoD submitted in Parliament WRT all weapons procurement contracts inked from 1980 till 1988, where no such details of the type now being asked for were ever shared even then. In particular, these pertained to contracts inked by India with the then0USSR, France & the UK.

To SHIVL What next? Obviously the IN flotilla is now meant to set sail for Male after picking up some Maldavians from Colombo by helicopter. After that, wish them all Bon Voyage.

To JOYDEEP GHOSH: All your queries on the Yazidis are answered in the very videoclips I had mentioned. 4) Maybe after another 20 years, perhaps after first learning to operationalise the Rustom-1 & Tapas UAVs! In the meantime, the IN has already acquired underwater ROVs from ECA of France.

To KAPIL: You are ASSUMING the the people of Maldives are begging India for such a privilege.

To TUSHAR: Exactly what kind of disaster had unfolded in Kahuta?

To BHOUTIK: China's spectacular offshore marvels in the South China Sea:

http://www.inquirer.net/specials/exclusive-china-militarization-south-china-sea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcY4JovmQ8c

Meanwhile, these Chinese 'businessmen' now flooding Karachi seem to be engaging in the sort of activities that Raymond Davies once engaged in around Lahore & Muridke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XWkh1kmGaQ

And finally, all the propaganda of Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri & his pal Mani Shankar Aiyar WRT Musharraf's 4-point formula have now been thoroughly exposed by both Dr Hussain Haqqani & Asif Ali Zardari. Watch what Dr Haqqani recently revealed from 0.25.22 till 0.26.25:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0gYgk30YKQ&t=92s

And this is what Zardari said yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdB8hehZ_EU

Anonymous said...

The killing of our agents due to Desai and the subsequent reduction of RAW's offensive capabilities by him. My question is about RAW'S offensive capabilities. Has it been restored like it's good old days or are we still struggling.

Tushar

Rajesh Mishra said...

The concept of Peacock worship traveled from South India/Srilanka (Kumari Kandam) to the huge glaciers of Mount Meru at Himalayas spread between Ayodhya and South of Caspian Sea during ~30000 BC. The Yaksha Gods from Kumari-Kandam split into total 4 types of Gods (Deva, Yaksha, Gandharva and Kinnar) around the Mt Meru. After the total evaporation of Mt Meru around 6000 BC, some Gandharva gods migrated to Kurdistan and further divided themselves in to the same 4 categories of Gods/Castes. These 4 categories still exist seriously among the Yezidi peoples. So 8000 years old Yezidi people may have many connections with Mallahu people of Indus valley but Yezidi people may not be a direct resultant of the destruction of the Indus valley around 4000 years ago.

Anonymous said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow#Foreign_interest

out of topic question? why did this project cancelled in mid way? is it because KGB has infiltrated through in Avro company?

How did our Pandit chacha Nehru was able to bring Nazi German scientist and built HF 24 Marut from scratch? i think we should appreciate his interest and funding the aircraft industry project but his enthusiasm is not carried away by his daughter.

Ron

Ved said...

Dear Prasun,
Has the IN settled with SUT torpedoes for Kalvari class or is there still some scope left for Black Shark. Can there be an indigenous solution although you had stated that only black shark or F21 can be used with it's CMS.

Read in some forums that ATAGS has cleared winter trials successfully. When can we expect it to start getting inducted?

How good are P8I in detection of submerged subs? Do you have any knowledge about the maximum depth at which it can detect submarines?

Thanks...

Senthil Kumar said...


There are two theories about Yazidis settlement.

First theory - After Kumari Kanadam (KK) Submerged, Yazidis moved from KK to south India and migrated to Indus Valley (IVC) and Settled near Iraq.

Second theory - After KK Submerged, Nova sailed from KK and settled in Anatolia(Turkey) from there they settled in Iraq.

In both theories center part is Babylonian empire. Babylonian main city is "ELAM".

Bottom line Kumari Kandam is cradle of Civilization.

The GOD of the Yazidis is Murugan. Their MECCA is Palani Murugan Temple in tamil Nadu.

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.qa/2014/08/the-yazidis-of-iraq-ethnic-cleansing-by.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX-g587ral0&t=2s

Thanks
S.Senthil Kumar

Ashish Gautam said...

Prasun sir,
Why Indian government has not yet ordered intervention in Maldives despite they have got clearance from uk, Canada & hopefully US too? Are they waiting to fight with Chinese navy in Maldives? Coz Chinese now have significant presence in Male & if Indian government did it late then Maldives can become a bettlefield between India and China.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To TUSHAR: Just because the Janata Party stopped overseas spying operations does not mean that the identities of all the informants/assets of R & AW were revealed to one & all. So, how could possibly such informants/assets been killed? That’s why I always say that don’t just blindly gulp in all the trash being dished out by the ‘desi’ patrakaars.

To VED: Nothing has changed since you had asked this very same question in the recent past. A wire-guided version of Varunastra HWT is still five years away from being fielded. There are 2 ATAGS prototypes being tested—one built by Bharat Forge/Kalyani Group & another by TATA Power SED. So which of the two has passed the trials & which of the 2 has been selected for bulk production? Any MR/ASW aircraft will be able to detect submerged submarines through air-dropped sonobuoys only in shallow waters, i.e. up to 140 metres below water.

To ASHISH GAUTAM: The PLAN does not have the kind of deployment force reqd for resisting the IN around Maldives. India cannot intervene unless 1) the UNSC authorises such an action; & 2) the majorioty of Maldives’ elected officials officially ask India to do so.

Anik said...

https://worldview.stratfor.com/situation-report/china-increased-naval-presence-indian-ocean-could-be-aimed-deterring-indian
From Above report::

A Chinese surface action group composed of a Type 071 amphibious transport dock, a Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate, supported by a comprehensive supply ship, has recently entered the eastern Indian Ocean.

So Chinese Ships are now moving towards Maldives. How will India counter this move......

Paro said...

Hi Prasun,
Does India taking control of Chabahar for 18 months have anything to do with something that's going to happen with our neighbor this summer? Or what economic value would be there to take control of a port for just 1 & 1/2 years?