India's new Army Chief and more...

(Unedited)

General Bikram Singh PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM ADC assumes charge as the Chief of Army Staff on May 31, 2012. It is no coincidence that the 25th Indian General to lead the world's second largest Army is indeed one of the most decorated serving soldiers today.
Commissioned on March 31, 1972, into the Sikh Light Infantry (SIKHLI) Regiment, his four-decades career in the uniform so far has been a continuing saga of 'aspiring for excellence'. His colleagues remember him as one of the bright cadets at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), where he held the appointment of Battalion Cadet Adjutant (BCA).
An astute military tactician and an ardent student of military strategy and operational art till date, he was awarded the J&K Rifles Gold Medal for 'Tactics and Leadership' and the 'Shriganesh Trophy' at IMA. The affable General Bikram - better known as 'Bikki' to his friends, began displaying his steely resolve and grit very early in his army carer. At the Infantry School during his Young Officer's course, he topped the course and was adjudged the 'Best Young Officer' and also awarded the prestigious 'Commando Dagger' for being the best commando along with 'Best in Tactics' trophy. These awards, remain the most coveted dream of every aspiring young officer.
It was during his tenure as an instructor at the Commando Wing of the Infantry School that Gen Bikram would find his life partner. Then, a young Captain, Bikram saw and briefly met his future wife-to-be, Surjeet Kaur - popularly known as 'Bubbles' in army circles, at a family wedding. He saw her, liked her and proposed to her. "It indeed was love at first sight," reminisces Gen Bikram. Respecting the custom and traditions, he sought the assistance of his sister and other family members who set up the match before his return to the Commando School after his leave. "Within a week, things were arranged and we got engaged. However, I was not happy with the marriage being fixed after six months. So, I called her up from Belgaum and told her to be prepared for marriage within a month. Of course, this required convincing parents and family members on both sides." True to his words, marriage done, Mrs Bubbles joined him at the Commando Wing of the Infantry School within the stated time-frame.
For the newly-wedded lady, it was an altogether new experience to be in a way of life that she had no prior association with. "During various demonstrations that used to be organised for the public, I ensured that Bubbles was present to see and appreciate our commando skills and techniques". He needn't have done any more, for Mrs Bubbles was more than just smitten by this young, handsome officer and his honest display of affection, albeit only commando-like.
"Bikki's friends ensured that for nearly a month-and-half I didn't have to cook any meal after I joined him. Either we were invited to a friend’s house or they would send us meals at home," says Mrs Bubbles. Her tryst with the army life began on a note of bonhomie and she has stood steadfast to the core values of the camaraderie that is the mainstay of life in the armed forces, army in particular. Today, Mrs Bubbles has an equally important role to play alongside Gen Bikram Singh, as President AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association), in the days and years ahead.
The environs of South Block beckoned Gen Bikram on several occasions. After the 'Higher Command Course', he served his first tenure in the Military Operations (MO) Directorate. The tenure, as a Director, coincided with the Kargil war and the bright officer was singled out to brief the media on the daily progress of the conflict. Later, he was also made responsible for writing the official version of the war history. These were major responsibilities, which he fulfilled commendably.
He went on to serve four more important tenures at Army HQ which included one additional tenure in the MO Directorate as the Deputy Director General, thereafter, two tenures in the Perspective Planning Directorate, initially as the Deputy Director General of Perspective Planning (Strategy) and later, as the head of the Army's 'Think Tank' as the Additional Director General (the appointment now has since been upgraded to the post of Director General). He would later return to Army HQ as a Lieutenant General to serve as the Director General Staff Duties (DGSD) that facilitates the overall functioning of various branches of Army HQ, and serves as an interface with other government agencies besides looking at the Indian Army's training teams abroad and UN peacekeeping operations.
In between the 'Staff' roles, Gen Bikram Singh went on to command several other operational field formations. These include command of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in South Kashmir, an Infantry Division in J&K and the prestigious 15 Corps at Srinagar. His tenure later as the Army Commander of Eastern Command was also marked by significant improvements in both the conventional and sub-conventional war-fighting arenas. In addition to the timely raisings of various field formations and infrastructure development, the internal security canvas in all the militancy inflicted states has shown a marked improvement. The General ensured that all counter-terrorism operations were synergised, people friendly, and launched on hard intelligence to obviate inconvenience to the locals. All actions of his troops, he demanded, must contribute to the groundswell for peace.
As a Brigadier, he was selected to attend the US Army War College, Pennsylvania, where besides excelling in academics he also won the International Toastmaster's award in public speaking.
His international forays with peace-keeping missions include two assignments with the United Nations in Central America (ONUCA and ONUSAL) and as the Deputy Force Commander and GOC of Eastern Division in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His division comprised contingents from 18 different countries including a brigade each from India and Pakistan, and battalions and companies from China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Uruguay, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Benin, and Tunisia amongst other countries.
During his tenure in Congo, his division was instrumental in bring peace to the strife-torn eastern region and creating conditions for the consolidation of peace process.
Colleagues also remember him for being a 'soldier's soldier' for spending time and sweat with his troops on the ground. A shade of this was visible during the September 2011 earthquake in Sikkim when he visited all affected forward posts and even awarded commendation medals to soldiers and officers for exceptional service on the spot.
Gifted with a razor-sharp memory for details, Gen Bikram is known to often surprise old friends - even those he has not met in decades - with references to their family members and memories of time spent together.
Gen Bikram studied at Punjab Public School, Nabha. An avid sportsman, cricket, athletics and hockey were his favourite games in school. Singing and painting were his other talents that also fetched him awards in school. "Classical songs and ghazals are my favourites," he reveals. "Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali and Pankaj Udhas are his favourites," adds Mrs Bubbles.
Gen Bikram was nearly destined to be a doctor as most of his teachers believed he would. He was an exceptional student of Zoology and Biology and always scored very high marks in these subjects. But the wars of 1962 and 1965 were to have a profound impact on his young mind to motivate him to join the NDA in 1968. The medical fraternity's loss has been the Indian Army's gain. When asked whether he ever regrets the choice made, Gen Bikram says, "If I were ever to be born again, I would only join the Indian army" -words that would be echoed by only a highly motivated soldier, and that which would also inspire a generation of youth who aspire to be one like him.
The couple's two sons, Ramandeep and Kanwardeep are married and well-settled.

Interview with Gen Bikram Singh

In the last week of May, Gen Bikram Singh, while on a tour to various formations in north-east, shared few of his thoughts with Sainik Samachar (for issue June 1-15, 2012), the fortnightly journal of the armed forces. Some excerpts from what he spoke on various issues:

What are your priorities after taking over as the Army Chief?

My first priority is to ensure the operational readiness of the Army to enable it to fulfil its constitutional obligations and assigned roles effectively. Secondly, address the hollowness and ensure the modernisation process proceeds as per stipulated timelines. Thirdly, strengthen the Army’s work culture and the core values, namely, Duty, Honour, Loyalty, Integrity, Respect and Selfless Service. Fourthly, focus on effective human resource management to ensure high standards of motivation and morale amongst all ranks. Fifthly, enhance ‘jointness’ with other services. Sixthly, ensure welfare of veterans, Veer Naris and widows. It is important that we care for these very valuable members of our fraternity as they constitute the very bedrock of our bigger Army family. All commanders must endeavour to create a climate during their command tenures that hinges on our cherished core values, professional ethos and is conducive for growth and cohesion.

On Army's war-fighting capabilities?

Our Army remains fully prepared to face and counter any external threat and deal with internal security challenges. Capability enhancement, as we all know is an ongoing process wherein, we have to ensure that initiatives aimed at modernisation, augmentation of combat power, infrastructure development, and joint-ness coupled with honing the individual and collective skills receive the desired attention at all levels.

What would be your message to your men?

We all belong to the Best Army of the world. To remain there, let us continue to strive for all-round excellence with added zeal and élan. Let us uphold our cherished core values so that we can continue to remain as one of the most potent, responsive, and accountable instruments of national power.
On this day I also wish to pay my sincere homage to all our gallant officers, JCOs and soldiers who have made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Jai Hind!

HAL inks tripartite contract for developing MTA

By M A Athul

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd signed the tripartite General Contract with United Aircraft Corporation -Transport Aircraft (UAC-TA), the Russian partner & their JV-Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd. (MTAL) for the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) project on Monday, 28th May, 2012.

HAL will carry out design & development of its work share of MTA at ARDC in Bangalore while its Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) at Kanpur will manufacture the prototypes and subsequently the serial production will  be  at Kanpur, where  dedicated  facilities are being set up. HAL’s other R&D Centres and manufacturing divisions will share development of systems & LRU’s and manufacture of components, sub assemblies and composite structure. HAL will showcase its expertise in design of aircraft as well as systems, manufacturing & flight testing while jointly working with the Russian team in Moscow as well as in India.

The current MTA pact succeeds an earlier Indo-Russian governments inking an Inter Governmental Agreement for joint design, development & production of

MTA on 50:50 sharing basis and had decided to form a JV between HAL, UAC-TA & Rosoboronexport to execute the project.

The primary objective is to achieve self-reliance in design & development and production of aircraft of this size and also to manage the programme with international collaboration and large number of global suppliers.

"The aircraft will be designed for the roles of cargo/troop transportation; para-drop /air drop of supplies including Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) and is to be co-developed by HAL and UAC & Rosoboronexport of Russia through a Joint Venture Company (JVC)," says a release.

HAL & UAC-TA has proposed to Design, Develop and Produce Multirole Transport Aircraft in the 15-20 tone class, jointly by Indian and Russian Agencies to meet the requirement of 100 aircraft for the Russian Air Force, 45 aircraft to the IAF and 60 for other nations. Total requirement for the present is 205. The MTA project preliminary design will start immediately on signing the follow up contract on preliminary design on which tripartite discussions have been concluded.

                                                 athulmenath55@yahoo.com

Space policy of the United States

By M A Athul

In the new era dominated by technology which banks on the mantra  -- information is power -- the latest area which come to prime importance for many countries is the outer space. In the 1960s and 70s there were only a handful of countries who had a presence in outer space. But now there are around 60 countries and non state entities that have entered space due to the potential opportunities. The USA has been the major power in space technology. They were the ones who had pioneered space technology and today they have a well established Space industry.

With the coming of the information age, Space tech is being given more importance. The first documented Space policy of 21st century was formatted by Bush administration in 2006. The goals of space policy are:

1.  Energizing competitive industries

2.  Expand international cooperation

3. Strengthen stability in space, increase assurance and resilience of mission    essential functions  

4.  Pursue human and robotic initiatives

National Security Space Strategy, a document released by Department of Space, reiterates the importance of space dominance which is seen as vital to US national security interest .According to NSSS, current and future strategic environment will be driven by 3 factors . Congestion, competition and contest.

Space debris causes the biggest threat to shuttles and astronauts. More countries are getting involved in space since they have become aware of the utility of space. As of today there are 60 countries involved in space. There are 22000 man-made objects in space of which 1100 are satellites .The debris caused by collusion is a big risk to satellites. The collusion between US and Russian satellites caused 1500 pieces of debris and the ASAT testing of China created 3000 pieces of debris. These can create huge problem for satellites and space shuttle missions. It is estimate that by 2015 the satellites in outer space would number to 9000, increasing the risk of collusions and congestion in space.

US space system faces a variety of man made threats which will deny degrade and deceive their assets. The increasing number of space faring nations and the entry of non state entities have resulted in increasing competitiveness with the US. China is trying to catch up with the US and countries like India is also asserting themselves in space arena, Which will tilt the balance of power against the US .Due to the financial meltdown, the US economy has become weaker and this has affected the budgeting of NASA. The agency is facing budget cuts .February 14th Obama announces an 18.7bn budget.

The US  has started a process of engagement to work towards  countering the menace of space Debris. They  has started to work with the UN on a collective level and with countries on an individual level. Together with EU they are working on the long term sustainability with in COPOUS (Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space). Simultaneously, the US is cooperating with other space faring countries in R&D Technology to mitigate the problem of on orbit debris. The US space policy realizes the importance of a robust space situational awareness.The US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is working on establishing a two way information exchange system to facilitate rapid notifications of space hazards

US policy also reiterates that it will work with other countries to pursue pragmatic Transparency and Confidence Building Measures (TCBM) to mitigate mistrusts and mishaps US, though cautiously has agreed to consider arms control concepts provided they are equitable verifiable and effective .US to built TCBMs has started dialogue with Russia, China Japan, Australia India etc 

The Indo–US space cooperation has increased over the years, through various platforms such as High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) established in 2002 and the Next Step in Strategic Partnership (NSSP), in 2004. These agreements culminated in the Indo-US nuclear deal of 2005. Besides cooperation in civil nuclear Arena, operation is envisaged in space arena too. NSSP made technical advances by mapping a road map that would permit India that would acquire a variety of dual use technology needed for developing space technology. In 2004, the ISRO was removed from the entity list and the present administration has promised removal of technological sanctions imposed on ISRO.

In conclusion, we can say that the revised space policy of US is not drastically different from the early ones. Although they are concerned with the increasing number of countries with space ambitions, the US is also concerned about the increasing space debris, collusions etc.

The US have accepted the requirement of TCBMs and are ready to cooperate with countries like India, China, and Russia etc to counter emerging the threats in space sector. But at the mean time they are against any legal obligations which will prevent weaponisation of outer space.

Another main concern of the USA is the rising Chinese capabilities in space.The realization that dominance of space leads to dominance of means of communication and this in turn helps to have the strategic dominance  over other countries has spurred the Chinese to invest heavily in space technology field.  In the mean time there is no indication that US will cease its development and deployment of ballistic missile program.

They are not ready to give up the dominance of space in near future. During the ballistic missile review conducted under the Obama administration it was highlighted that  the threat from short range, medium range and intermediate range ballistic missiles in the region where the US deploy forces and maintain a security relationship is growing at a rapid pace. We can see that threat perceived by the US from ballistic missiles are very much real, and they will keep trying to develop the missile shield and keep the dominance of space intact though this time it would be more based on strategic cooperation.

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The article is the Part-2 impressions of the book ‘Space Security: Need for Global Convergence,’published by Pentagon Press. One more part would appear later. (Earlier part here). The writer is a first year P-G student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence writer. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007. Email Athul, if you think that his writings and thoughts need further fine-tuning.)

Russia's 'secret' missile test fires-up Indian scientists

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Serivce

Bangalore: Missile minds in India are an excited lot after monitoring the developments of Russia's 'secret' test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on May 23. While information on the test and its results are in short supply, sources with India's Missile Complex in Hyderabad seems to have made merry of what ever tit-bit features that have trickled in from Russia's Plesetsk range. Topping the eye-catching item numbers are: the missile's lesser radar cross section (RCS) features, multiple warhead capabilities and the use of a new fuel, that possibly makes the propulsion phase faster. The excitement of Indian scientists can be justified from the fact that many of the new features tested on the Russian missile are the the ones being planned for future versions of Agni series.

Russian news agencies have reported over the week that the testing of the yet-to-be-named weapon is Russia's answer to NATO's missile defence shield (European). The timing of the test with many first-time-embedded features came only days after NATO declared that their missile defence shield attained operational status. “We too have a very active Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme running, including a counter measure for BMD. It is one of our key activities and we are seeing reports from Russia with interest,” Avinash Chander, Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems), Defence Reserach and Development Organisation (DRDO), told Express.

He said some of the features that is reported to have tested are areas DRDO have already set its sight on. “The idea is to reduce the time during the cruise phase. How to reduce RCS and IR (infrared) signatures? What are the active counter measures in terms of the capabilities to mauouvere? These are all common interest areas for missile scientists world over,” Avinash said. To a specific question on the new features of Agni-V future versions, he said: “We are now preparing the canister-launch-system for Agni-V.”

The Russian missile hit the designated target after cruising 6,000 km, carrying dummy warheads. On the new fuel the missile reportedly used, sources in the Missile Complex said: “This could provide higher acceleration and enable high thrust-weight ratio. In Agni-V, we used a solid booster with HTPB (Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene) propellant during the rocket's active stage of trajectory.”
On the Russian missile's capability to launch separate warheads with independent flightpath – thereby ducking incoming threats, sources said that India too would have similar features in days ahead. “Agni-VI is a definite possibility, though we haven't designed the vehicle yet. With many developed nations moving towards mastering new maneuvering skills for their missiles, we are confident of meeting our targets too. The idea of multiple independently-targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRV) and manoeuvring re-entry vehicles (MaRV) are on our active radar,” sources said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

DRDO's production-version of IFF system released

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) shared yet another success story of collaboration with Indian private industries, with the release of the Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) System in Bangalore on Wednesday. Designed and developed by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), the IFF system is a spin-off product of India's Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) programme. CABS began the design and development of IFF for the AEW&C project in 2004. 

Military sources tell Express that the need for IFF systems was projected in large numbers by the Tri-Services and DRDO pitched in with the idea of mass production by transferring the technology (ToT) to the private industries. “We were using the IFF systems manufactured by HAL Hyderabad and BEL. It was in 2010 we projected the need in large numbers following the Defence Acquisition Council nod and agreed to their (DRDO) proposal,” sources said.

DRDO on its part short-listed Chennai-based Data Patterns and Bangalore-based Alpha Design Technologies for the mass-production of the units, based on the IPR of CABS design. The IFF is a system required in all aircraft and is widely known as a secondary surveillance radar (SSR), when used onboard a commercial platform. In a military theater, the transponder and interrogator of the unit helps to decode encrypted signals, thereby helping to identify whether the sender or receiver is a friend or foe.

Sources say that depending upon the size of the fighter, the IFF units also differs. “In a large platform like an AEW&C, the IFF consists of separate transponder and interrogator units, while for fighter planes it comes as a combined package. The IFF system will be a standard-fit on all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in future, if they need to use civilian air space,” sources said. DRDO chief V K Saraswat released the production version of IFF in Bangalore on Wednesday.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) official predicts that the three arm of Services would need a total of 3,000 IFF systems in future. “This could be not an immediate requirement, but likely to be spread over the next 4-5 years. Each IFF unit costs around Rs 1 crore. It is an evolving product,” he says. A South African firm is said to have shown interest in marketing DRDO's IFF systems internationally, details the official refused to part with.

AEW&C arriving in July: India’s eye-in-the-sky AEW&C platform (EMB-145I) is scheduled for an official touchdown this July. Sources say that the platform would first arrive at Jamnagar Air Base enroute to its destination in Bangalore for system integration. The plane had its first official flight on December 7 (2011), in Brazil.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

DRDO's Environmental Test Chamber goes live today

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will throw open a state-of-the-art facility at the Centre for Airborne System (CABS) campus, near Old Air Port in Bangalore on Wednesday. The Environmental Test Chamber (ETC) will be used in military applications to execute HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screening) operations. DRDO chief V K Saraswat will inaugurate the facility. “The chamber’s environmental performance combined with the integrated shaker makes it superior to other chambers. Accelerated testing is used to quickly detect any inherent design and manufacturing flaws in defence applications,” sources tell Express.
CABS installed the HALT-HASS chamber facility, which has a temperature range of -100C to + 2000C with an accuracy of ± 20C. Liquid Nitrogen expansion is used for the cooling and 120 kW Nichrome heaters are used for heating the chamber. “The chamber has a PLC-based (Programmable Logic Controller) control display (colour touch screen), which has an interface that can be operated even from a laptop,” sources said.
Built just under two years, the ETC is set to accelerate all mandatory ground-based checks of many aerospace systems and sub-systems. “We are planning to offer the facility to Indian defence firms and private industries at very nominal rates,” sources said. The shock and vibration facility at the ETC provides a worthwhile testing environment for transportation simulation, mechanical shock, mission profile and environmental stress screening.
Explaining the features of the complex chamber, sources say that with dynamic factors such as displacement, velocity, acceleration and force, electrodynamic vibration will be able to accurately simulate a wide range of conditions that can work to improve quality and reliability of multiple products. “As closed loop vibration control systems, electrodynamic shakers can accurately reproduce real world vibration on products from the electronics, automotive, aerospace and military industries,” sources said.                           (Copyright@The New Indian Express)

Cyber security need of the hour: Menon

By M A Athul

NSA Shiv Shankar Menon said that India needs to create a climate in which security is built into our cyber and communications working methods. He was releasing the IDSA report on India's Cyber Security Challenges.

Menon specified that India was not in favor of curbing virtual freedom but reiterated that a line had to be drawn between privacy and collective security. He emphasized on the need to harden critical networks and develop metrics to safeguard the nation’s cyber infrastructure.
The NSA also emphasized on generating indigenous manpower and technology required for cyber security. He spoke about the ICT on warfare and said that the revolution in IT industry has redistributed power to non state actors including terrorists. He also notified on the effects of ICT on warfare and how the weaker states can use cyber war to neutralize or raise the cost and deter the use of its military strength by a stronger state. The NSA concluded that India must be ready to face threats to cyber space and risks arising through cyber space, and also emphasized on the need of public-private partnership to preserve the functionality in cyber space. 
He also added that while NTRO (National Technical Research Organization) is tasked with the protection of cyber space, the institutions like CERT-IN have proved their worth during events like Common Wealth Games in defending our open civil systems.

Later the Director General of IDSA Dr Arvind Gupta said that the report is aimed at raising awareness about the dynamic nature of cyberspace and cyber security challenges that India is facing. He further added that India must foresee and plan for various challenges arising out of the growth of internet and digitalization of governance. He also pointed out that India is vulnerable to cyber crimes and espionages.

Later there was a panel discussion on the subject “Indian Cyber Security- Way forward." Deputy national Security Advisor Ms. Vijay Latha Reddy said that the government is putting together an architecture involving various agencies and departments to deal with cyber security. Also present was the Chief Information Security Officer, Airtel, Felix Mohan who gave an example of a successful public private partnership between CERT–IN and Airtel during the Common Wealth Games where over 8000 cyber attacks in two weeks.

The IDSA had set up a Task Force in 2011 to explore the diverse dimensions of cyber security challenge that India is facing. The Task Force was headed by Shri Nitin Desai, former Member of the NSAB, and comprised Director General, IDSA, Dr Arvind Gupta. The report argues that Government and the private sector give cyber security some priority in their security and risk management plans, and do this jointly. Being a report that is addressed to the security community in the widest sense and intended to stimulate public discussion, it relied on publicly available information. (Edited from an IDSA release)

If you find any errors in the article, email them to: athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

TOP GUN: National honour for Tejas Test pilot Suneet

Express News Service
(City Express)

Grp Capt Suneet Krishna, a city-based Test pilot associated with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme has been selected for this year's Dr V M Ghatage Award. This annual award – tipped as a prestigious one among the flying clan – is being given away by the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), New Delhi.

Suneet, currently working with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), is a seasoned Indian Air Force (IAF) Test pilot. According to sources in ADA, Suneet was posted to the Tejas programme in 2000. “He flew the chase aircraft when LCA first took to the skies in January 2001,” ADA sources said.

AeSI chose Suneet ahead of others for the award for his long-standing contribution to the Tejas programme. “Suneet has many milestones to his credit, including the first LCA Test pilot to cross 100 hours on various Tejas platforms. He is also among those who have logged maximum number of flying hours on Tejas,” ADA sources said. Suneet will receive the award during the AeSI annual general meeting scheduled to be held at Thiruvananthapuram on June 1.

On deputation from the IAF to the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) of ADA till recently, sources say that Suneet is now part of ADA as a permanent Test pilot. “The AeSI award is a testimony to Suneet's tireless efforts in making Tejas a world-class flying machine. As a Test pilot, Suneet along with other team members have given many valuable inputs to make Tejas a completely pilot-friendly fighter. He has contributed in bringing out many modifications to the Tejas' cockpit over the years,” ADA chief P.S. Subramanyam told City Express.

According to AeSI officlas, Suneet was commissioned into the IAF as a fighter pilot in 1989. “He is a qualified pilot attack instructor and completed the Experimental Test Pilots course in 1999, and thereafter has continued to be directly associated with flight test activities as a Test pilot till date. He has had several tenures in various organizations carrying out flight test duties,” sources said.

With over 4500 hours of flying on of 35 types of aircraft, AeSI sources say that Suneet has the unique distinction of carrying out two first flights of Tejas fighter. “The award is to acknowledge his deep involvement in the flight research and development program, testing the prototype digital flight control system hardware and software. Suneet's skill and experience contributed across the realm of fixed wing flight test activities carried out in the country, covering all aspects of prototype, production and operational flight test,” sources said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

Sainik Samachar: Chronicling for over a century

By M A Athul

Sainik Samachar is an in-house magazine of the defense forces. It summarizes news with a military bias. It was first published in 1909 in Urdu from shimla, the summer capital of India. Initially the name was Fauji Akhbar. Sainik Samachar has provided invaluable service to the Indian defense field in the course of last 100 years. Sainik Samachar would be the only armed forces magazine which is being printed in 13 languages. The primary purpose of the magazine is to keep the defense forces updated with the events relating to defense or any other fields which will affect their field of work.

During the First World War the magazine kept Indian army well informed about the developments on all fronts. The magazine was the main source of news for the men of the Indian army fighting in France. The title piece of November 14^th issue was printed in gold ink to commemorate the victory over Germany. Later in 1923 printing was shifted from Shimla to Lahore, bringing the cost of printing down.

The glory days of Fauji Akhbar were yet to come. During the Second World War; the circulation reached its peak, to 300000. The printing was shifted to Cairo, to serve better the men fighting in North Africa. The overseas edition was brought out in Roman- Urdu. And at the mean time the staff swelled from 15 to 60. Fauji Akhbar was renamed to “Jawan” on September 1945. It was later rechristened to Sainik Samachar on April 14^th 1954, after the Independence.

Sainik Samachar has chronicled the evolution of the Indian army from colonial times to the present day. Its report has chronicled the evolution of Indian Army from the colonial times to the present day. Sainik Samachar has a different taste, giving perspective on various issues. Sainik Samachar also has a huge collection of rare photographs. Many great writers has written  in the issues of Sainik Samachar, such as Ruskin Bond, Khuswant Singh among others.

At the present day Sainik Samachar is being published in 13 languages. The English language magazine debuted in 1923. 'News in Pictures' on the second cover became a regular feature.  In 1940 the magazine began to be published in English and was renamed Jang-Ki-Khabren.The magazine began to be published in, Hindi, Roman Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil Telugu and Marathi. In 1944 Gorkhali edition started as Gorkha Samachar from Shimla. The Tamil edition started from Shimla in 1945.

During the partition of India the publishing stopped since there was a massive immigration of the staff. In 1948 the printing was shifted to Delhi and restarted the round year publication. The Malayalam edition was started from Delhi in 1964 and the Bengali edition was started in 1971. In 1969, the magazine celebrated its diamond jubilee.

In 1997 Sainik Samachar started being published in color and becomes a biweekly magazine. From this year the price changed to Rs 5  with an annual subscription of Rs 100. During its centenary in 2009, the Defence Minister congratulated the magazine and said it has been doing a yeoman service to the armed services. A coffee table edition “Soldiering on” was published. It has chronicled the reports of the magazine for more than a century. The book includes archival photographs of important events of history such as declaration of Delhi as capital, the First World War, the early stages of formation of all the wings of Armed Forces and its major institutions, the Second World War, the partition and India’s independence. At present Sainik Samachar Editor in chief is Dhirendra Ojha and the magazine is published from Delhi.

The magazine has evolved from a simple Urdu magazine into a multi Lingual magazine. For more than 100 years, it has witnessed and reported the evolution of our defense forces from the colonial era to the modern times, and continues to be the primary magazine of the defense establishment.   

If you find any errors in the article, email them to: athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Arjan Singh exhorts to strive for excellence

By M A Athul

On the occasion of 34^th Flight Test Course, Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh  exhorted  young officers to the strive for excellence and to  contribute to developments in aviation. He was presenting graduation certificated to 9 Test Pilots and 6 Test Engineers of the 34^th Flight Test Course in Aircraft System Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore. He pointed out that India was on the verge of achieving indigenization in the aviation field.

On arrival at the ASTE was accorded with a guard of honor. He was conducted around the Establishment by Air vice Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, Commandant ASTE. The Marshal also interacted with ASTE personnel and visited the Flight Test Memorial, where he paid homage to those who had made the supreme sacrifice while performing Flight Testing duties.

Suranjan Das Trophy for the best all-round student Test Pilot was awarded to Squadron Leader K U Rao , while Chief of Air Staff Trophy” for the best student Test Pilot in Flight Evaluation was awarded to Squadron Leader D Gupta. The “Hanumanth Singhji” Sword for the best all-round student Flight Test Engineer was awarded to Wing Commander Gulshan Kumar and the “Dunlop Trophy” for the best student in Flight Evaluation was awarded to Wing Commander Karthikeyan. (Edited from press release)

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

RCI brain Kannan selected for AeSI's Swarna Jayanthi Award

By M A Athul

The AeSI has selected Mr Muthukrishnan Kannan of RCI for the prestigious Swarna Jayanthi Award for his outstanding contributions valuable contributions in the development of Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) of various class for missiles, aircrafts, ships and submarines. He has been the group head of INS division since 2010. He has also headed the INS team for BrahMos Cruise Missile and was the project lead for Indigenous Navigation Systems for Naval Ships.

In his present designation as Group Head, INS division he plays a pivotal role in many ongoing projects such as development of Ring Laser Gyro (RLG) based INS+GPS+GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) systems. The technology is used in Agni-iii, HAL Tejas, and Shaurya missile. He was also responsible for development, testing, performance evaluation and delivery of INS for Brahmos Missiles.

As a systems developer Kannan was responsible for the Development, testing, Performance Evaluation and Delivery of Navigation System for AD (AD-1 and AD-2 are being developed as intercept ballistic missiles with a range of 5000 kilometers) Mission as well as the Prototype System Development and Flight Performance Evaluation of the system. He was also involved He was the project leader for “Indigenous Navigation System for Naval War ships i.e. a system purpose is also to serve as a Master INS system for ship-launched versions of missiles.

Kannan passed B.E in electronics and communication from Madurai Kamraj University and M.E in avionics from Anna University and joined RCI (Research Center Imarat) on June 1997 with the designation a “scientist B”. He has been in RCI ever since. He became a “C” scientist in 2000, D grade scientist in 2004 and an E grade scientist in July 2008. The distinguished scientist also has a plethora of publications to his credit. A few of them are Quick Reaction Strap down INS for Brahmos, INS+GPS integrated system for canisterized missiles, Micro machined Accelerometer Systems. Some of his commendable achievements are the designing and development of the first DTG based integrated INS+SATNAV scheme & system (for Programme AD), which turned out to be the precursor for the other versions of Integrated INS+SATNAV systems developed for all the other strategic and tactical missile programmes of DRDO. Another achievement was the development of DTG based Quick Reaction INS for the Indo-Russian Joint Venture BrahMos missile project. He was also involved in periodic re- calibration of BrahMos INS.

Kannan Muthukrishnan has also received Agni award for excellence in self reliance for the year 2008 for contributions towards development of Navigation system for Air Defense (AD) missile as well as well as award of RCI for the year 2010.He is also a life member of Astronautical Society of India and Sensors Research Society.

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Farewell at sea

                                      By M A Athul

Vice Admiral KN Sushil, who is the flag officer C in C of the of South Naval Command reviewed the operational preparedness. This was his last review, since he is retiring on 31^st May, after 40 years of glorious service.

He had joined the navy as a submariner and was one of the pioneers who inducted Shishumar Class submarines .He was also the first Inspector General Nuclear Safety of Indian Navy and had laid the ground work for induction of nuclear submarines.

Eight ships participated in the maneuvers off Kochi coast. INS Tir was the Flag Ship of the Commander-in-Chief. Vice Admiral Sushil in his final address exhorted the men to always remain sharp and to keep the Naval Ensign flying high. (Edited from a Navy release)

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

OUTER SPACE: An emerging theatre of war

By M A Athul

The evolution of technology has opened new fields of conflict. Outer space has become the new area of contest, thanks to the advent of information era and the dependence on satellites for communication. Rockets reaching outer space have been talked about since WW2. The Nazis pioneered the technology with the V1 and V2 rockets. Later, the Soviets came up with FOBS (Fractional Orbit Bombardment System). The latest weapons such as DEW (Direct Energy Weapon) using X-ray to neutralize ICBMS in mid-flight and ABL (Air Borne Laser) to direct energy against incoming projectiles or aircrafts are used for neutralizing spying satellites.

The new technology will have a profound effect on how war will be fought. Satellites are used for remote sensing and intelligence gathering and is vital for C4I (Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence) systems. Therefore protecting satellites and neutralizing that of the enemy’s is critical for swift victory. The anti-satellite weapons are much cheaper and thus easily deployable. The use of micro satellites to neutralize satellites is very effective tool. The robotic plane of USAF X37B and X37, the reusable spacecrafts are a few space weaponries. The US DoD is investing much in anti-satellite missiles and space vehicles capable of dispersing projectiles for ASAT purposes.

The new arms race in space is between China and USA. Chinese space program is being carried out under the guise of China’s supposedly non-military space program. Now China has risen to a major force in space technology. The use of ASAT in shooting down its own satellite in Jan 2007 is a fitting example. For attaining CNP (Comprehensive National Power), being a dominant power in space technology is seen as an important step. In the near future China foresees a clash with the US. To have an upper hand, China has prioritized nuclear, space, shipbuilding electronics and other defence-related industries. The most striking feature of Chinese space industry is that it is directly related with missile development. It’s not exclusively a civilian enterprise.

The 1^st Gulf War, Kosovo and Afghanistan wars have taught that in a conventional war the technologically-superior nation always wins due to superior intelligence-gathering ability. In the 21^st Century, the space-based support systems could well be the difference between victory and failure. The Chinese has developed the Long March rocket systems to be used in 2014 which can outperform Arianne 5. China has noticed the overdependence of USA on satellites for smooth running of its war machine, and considers it the Achilles heel of the US. And they have come up with ASAT capabilities to obstruct the satellite communication capability.  Chinese are using OST for monitoring activities in West Pacific, South China Sea and Indian Ocean where its strategic interests lie. They see space program as an anti-containment strategy.  Since China is a rising power, the West probably wants to contain China’s rise.  Chinese see the way out of this trap by equipping themselves with better technological ability, especially in space. During 60^th anniversary of PLAAF, its former commander Xu Qiuling stated that it will develop force projection ability to outer space too and that only power can protect peace. This statement itself shows the coming era of weaponisation of outer space.

Chinese space technology is a direct threat to India, increasing our vulnerability in both land and sea. For instance as the ballistic missile program matures for China, the threat to our land and naval assets will increase over time. China would be able to hit targets deep inside Indian Territory.

As the technology will tilt the balance of power in favor of China, the geopolitical climate will become unfavorable to India, and China will start dictating its terms. Hence, India has started to recalibrate its space program and focus on technological developments to counter the Chinese superiority. Agni 5 can be seen in this light as a counter-weight to Chinese weaponry.  With a range of 5000 km Agni-5 is a China centric missile, enhancing India’s ability to hit targets deep inside China. And with V K Saraswat saying that the Agni programme would continue and the program won’t be caped, one can assume that India is at least for the time being is moving in the right direction .

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The article is the Part-1 impressions of the book ‘Space Security: Need for Global Convergence,’ published by Pentagon Press. Two more parts would appear later. The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Grit, password to Everest: Nepal Army Chief

By M A Athul

The Nepali Army Chief General C M S Gurung visited the 22 member Indian Army’s Everest team, including 7 women members, led by Col Ajay Kothiyal. He was accompanied by Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad and Indian Defense Attaché, Col Ajay Pasbola, at the Nepal side of Everest Base Camp.

The visit was a great morale boost to the team. He said he had come there with greetings from the people of Nepal and India and the Indian Army. His advice to the team was that physical fitness can get one to the Base Camp but it is mental strength, drive and determination that will get one to the top.

General Gurung is an alumnus of the IMA and is an Honorary General in the Indian Army. He has offered a helicopter and a smaller aircraft on a constant standby to help the team with any exigencies which may arise during the expedition. He also revealed future plans of joint expeditions between the two armies to be conducted in India and Nepal in future.

He also recounted the past joint expeditions such as 2003 Joint Indo-Nepal Everest Expedition and the recently-concluded Eco-Annapurna Trek 2011. The 22-member summit team is making the summit attempt between May 15 and 20. They had left New Delhi on March 22. (Edited from an Army release)

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University. He is currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007 based out of Bangalore. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and indepth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be necessarily that of Tarmak007.)

Tech growth gave India strategic edge: Saraswat

National Technology Day Lecture 

                                                       By M.A. Athul  

Dr V K Saraswat

Growth in technological capability in the areas of defence, atomic energy and space in the last decade has given strategic edge and an image boost to the country, said Dr V K Saraswat, DRDO chief recently. He was speaking at a function organized by DRDO on National Technology Day in  Delhi. Recollecting the contributions of scientists like Dr Homi Bhabha, Dr Satish Dhawan, Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, he said that the events like nuclear testing in 1974, 1998, launch of first satellite, rollout of MBT Arjun tanks and the flight of LCA have had a huge impact on the technology  map of the country .

Saraswat also said that earlier technology was driving the way wars were being fought but in future security needs of the country will drive the technology, giving examples of cyber warfare. He also reminded about the need to develop non lethal weapons technology, for fighting insurgents, who are own country men and women. He also stressed on the importance of surveillance systems like mini, micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), intelligent systems like swarms of robots, etc for better intelligence gathering. He emphasized on the importance of developing eco-friendly and sustainable technologies and said that self-reliance meant independence from controls.

Earlier, the DRDO scientists gave presentations on specific topics. Dr Dubey gave an insight into the Identification of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and their Markers, Dr S Sai Kumar Development of Machining Technologies for Composites and Ceramics and Ms V Sangamithra on challenges in developing the Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), a force multiplier in the battlefield.

National Technology Day signifies the achievements of Indian science and technology and has been celebrated after the successful Pokhran II, nuclear tests on May 11 & 13, 1998.  (Edited from a DRDO release.)

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University. He is currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007 based out of Bangalore. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and indepth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be necessarily that of Tarmak007.)

Navy set to augment pool of qualified Test pilots

With LCA Navy finally hitting the flightpath, TPs' demand to go up

Photo: Indian Navy 

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

With the naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) finally hitting the right flightpath, Navy feels the necessity for qualified TPs immediately. “There are concerns with the availability of TPs and they (Navy) are now addressing it at the senior-most level. The idea is to augment the existing corpus of TPs. There are also concerns over the high failure rate of officers being sent for TPs screening. Emphasis will be given for their proper grooming,” sources said.Bangalore: The Indian Navy is gearing up to address the shortage of test pilots (TPs) and save themselves from sailing into troubled waters. The Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy) has written to its naval aviation arm(s) for the augmentation of TPs. Sources tell Express that there's no panic yet and they are confident to meet, what is being termed as, 'an inescapable requirement.'

To raise the TPs selection bar, the Navy would now put stringent measures in place. “The Navy plans to view the failure of TPs during screening test as a very serious matter. The short-listed candidates are likely to be given a minimum of six months as preparation time, ahead of the screening. The idea  is to make the aircrew stay motivated ahead of the screening test,” sources said.

Responding to a set of Express queries, the Navy said that it has presently adequate TPs to meet the requirements. “Since Test flying is a specialised task, the number of pilots required with such qualification is limited. It is based on the assessed requirements vis-a-vis the available strength of suitably qualified pilots. As the LCA (Navy) programme picks up pace, additional TPs will be provided,” naval Spokesperson Cdr P V S Satish said.

To a query whether the high failure rates of officers nominated for TP screening is a matter of serious concern, Cdr Satish said: “The TPs' course is an extremely demanding one and the screening involves testing for esoteric capabilities beyond normal operational flying. Rejection in such high demand courses are known to be higher than in regular courses. The Indian Navy, therefore, pays special attention to the screening and selection of potential TPs.”

(Copyright@The New Indian Express)