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.)

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.)