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F(ilHTE Dear Readers

Volume 6 No 9 May 2009

Editor PRAVIN SAWHNEY

Executive Editor GHAZALA WAHAB

Sr. Consulting Editor ADM ARUN PRAMSH (Retd):

AIR MARSHAL G.S. CHAUDHRY (Retd)

Consulting Editor BRIG. ARUN SAHGAL (Retd)

Associate Editor SANJARI CHAITERJTE

Special Correspondent ADIII BHAN

Correspondent VIDHI UPADHYAY

Srinagar Correspondent FAYM WANI

Bangalore Conespondent ANIL KUI/IAR

Photographers AlVllN WAR, HEI/IANT RAWAT

Design Consultant DHARANA

Manager Marketing JAMES RAIAN

Asst Marketing SWEETY SINGH

Puhlisher and Printer PRAVIN SAWHNEY

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It seems to be getting hotter and hotter. As the mercury continues its jour-ney north, excitement over the Multi Role Combat Aircraft also seems to be

boiling over. The IAF has indicated that chances of doum selection (inviting

only a select number for flight evaluation which will start by the end of May)

are very bright, throwing the contenders in a lizzy.Tlire guessing game has

begun with periodic leaks in the media. We bring you all the hard details on

the mother of all deals. This will indeed be a keenly watched and comment-ed upon competition. Our special report on the MRCA lists the capabilitiesof the competitors, as well carries an in-depth story on AESA radar. We willcontinue to revisit this subject with more details as the trials begin.

The other story we are looking at in this issue is the recent visit of the US

special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan (AfPak), Richard Holbrooke andthe US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral MikeMullen to New Delhi. This is another story that we will keep tracking regu-larly as Pakistan has made it clear that India will be an important player if US

AfPak policy is to be successfully implemented. However, in this story we

look at how the US plans to make Pakistan's nukes secure; unfortunately, at

the same time making them dangerous for India. It is indeed ironic that we

believe what the US thinks, that the Taliban will soon overwhelm Pakistan

and India would be next on their agenda. We need to step back and wonderwhy this scenario is not troubling the Pakistan Army, which through itsproxy civilian government, continues to extract more than has already beengiven by the US.

The special report is an encouraging one, on the growing relations

between India and Russia. This bilateral relationship, we believe, comes

closest to a strategic partnership that India has ever had with any country'We have our differences, all of which are such that can be overcome. We have

handled this story by deliberately concentrating more on the Russian per-

spective of the relationship. There is a comprehensive interview with the

Russian ambassador in India, who has the distinction of having spent near-

ly five years in India. We also bring you Russian viewpoint on the bilateraldefence cooperation, the cornerstone of the relationship. Yet another piece

is on the restructured Russian military forces. This should provide a fewgood ideas to our armed forces.

In addition, we bring you plenty of news on the defence industry. Despite

the global economic meltdown, this, we believe, is one Indian industry sec-

tor, that will continue to flourish. The reasons for this are rather simple:

India has the means and the need to restructure its armed forces, the Indianindustry needs a makeover, and global defence players are vying for part-nership with India. We only hope that the India defence media responds

equally responsibly to this growing challenge. So, keep the excitement going!

Editor

l\4ay 2009 F0RCE 1

SPECIAL REPORT

Ties that Stick

lndia-Russian relations

Partners Now

Challenges and opportunities for Russian-lndian millech Cooperation

Smash Hit

Army and the navy to induct BrahlVlos Block 2 cruise missile

INIERVIEW

'Russia and lndia Share a Partnership of a Genuinely Strategic

Natu re'

Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav l. Trubnikov

I %

GUESI COLUMN

Eye on the Future

Nivedita Das Kundu

A New Dawn

Ruslan Pukhov

2 F0RCE lVay 2009

C()VER ST()RY

The Race Begins

Field trials for MRCA to start in a few weeks

0ptimistic About lndia

Boeing gears up for the MRCA competition

Challenging Radars

AESA increases pilot's opiions

FRt]M J&K

A Hero's Adieu

Mass outpouring at Kashmir: s s: : :' :

Welcome Change

Sajad Lone s entry in:: a- ''2, -.'..

FEATURVREPORT

Pushed to the Edge

US mulling ici-*a --: :.' ,,::- -- :

Playing Catch-up

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nothing comes close

I0ver the Horizon

Two-pronged plan for procuring new-generation UAVs

Neighbourly Visit

BDR grateful for BSF's 'wisdom and prudence'

Private Cover

lndia lnc. makes bee line for CISF cover

Hero's Tale 75

The authorised biography of Marshal ofthe Air released by ACM EH. Major

Mulling over Media

Media is a necessity not a force multiplier

INTERVIEW

'With Existing Deficiency ol 0ver 27 Per Cent, Providing 0fficers 32

for Augmentation of NSG is Difficult'

Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Noble Thamburaj, PVSM,AVSM VS[/]

INI] USTRY

Guest Column

By Maj. Gen. Mrinal Suman (retd.)

Future Communication

Cll organises seminar to focus on communication to support BMS

Secure Seas

Lockheed Maftin hard-sells its Aegis BMD System to lndia

PIRAIE Leads

IAF seeking passive target recognition system

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The Saga Continues

The government issues RFI for Advanced Jet Trainer

Farther And Beyond 6S

IAF's A330-200 MRTTs will each be fitted with advanced mission systems

News

CO LUMNS

Vigil at Sea

Adm. Arun Prakash (retd)

The Morning After

Gen. Shankar Roychowdhury (retd)

First Person

Ghazala Wahab

Bottomline

Pravin Sawhney

52

55

56

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Agreement with Pakistan is not correct. UN Resolutions stay theretill such time the Security Council feels that these need not bepursued. So either $ray we have shot ourselves in the foot.

The only solution to J&K problem is to tell Pakistan to vacatePakistan Occupied Kashmir and Northern Areas in accordancelvith the UN Resoiutions. This would put the ball back inPakistan's court. To show our reasonable face, we should say thatwe are ready to hold a plebiscite provided Pakistan first vacatesPOK and the NorthernAreas. Since that is not going to happen, weremain rvhere we are but would have regained the moral highground; send a correct signal to the world community, Separatistsand the people ofJ&K.

I knorv that Indian leadership, advised by the cautious man-darins of the foreign office will not make a drastic shift in our pol-icy if at all we have one. So the chances are that lve rvill continueto drift and armchair strategists will continue to suggest imprac-tical solutions like no borders, people to people to contact, com-mon currency etc. Eventually, the Line of Control lvith minoradjustment will become the international border, the only practi-cal solution. Though what the Taliban, LeT, Hizbul Mujahideenand company think of it, is another matter altogether.

Maj. Gen. Sheru Thapliyal (retd)New Delhi

lettersKashmir ResolutionDear Sir, Apropos your cover story ofAprii 2009, I notice that youare anguished that even after 60 years, we have not been able tofind a solution to the vexed I&K problem. So far so good. But itseems you have also joined the ranks of a large number of arm-chair strategists and others who periodically sigh about lack of asolution but have never cared to spell out what this solutioncould be which would be acceptable to India, Pakistan and theKashmiri people.

May I suggest to you that it is entirely due to India's lveak-kneedpolicies and lack of an aggressive approach that we seem to havelost our case in the eyes of the world. Not many people know thatthe UN Resolutions, while recommending plebiscite in J&K havein an earlier clause stipulated that before that can happen,Pakistan needs to stop aggression and remove all its regular andirregular forces from l&K. We never concentrated on this part andinstead started trashing the UN Resolutions. In the meantime,Pakistan, very cleverly, never mentions the force vacation part butconcentrates only on the self-determination part. The result isthat most of the people, including some of our countrymenbelieve that we are in illegal occupation of J&K and in all fairnessshould vacate it. Moreover, saying that the UN Resolutions havebecome irrelevant merelv because rve signed the Shimla

4 F0RCE l\4ay 2009

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Mass outpouring at Kashmiri's soldier's death raises hopes

I Fayaz Wani

s hundreds of men, women and chil-dren in Kashmir gathered to mourn thedeath of a Kashmiri soldier, who was

killed while fighting Lashkar-e-Taiyyabamilitants in the Hafruda forests in borderdistrict of Kupwara, the event signaled a

change in the mindset of the people, whohave been witness to death and destruc-tion for the past 20 years in the Valley.

The phenomenon is unusual in theValleybecause usually, such outpourings arereserved only for slain militants. It is for thefirst time that people in large numberattended the funeral of a Kashmiri soldier(belonging to Shia community) killed in themilitant fire. Earlier, people used to shyaway from attending such functions for fearof facing reprisals at the hands of militants.

Shabir Ahmad Malik, 22, a paratrooper,was among eight soldiers killed in a fierceseven-day-long gunfight with a group ofwell-trained and battle-hardened Pakistanimilitants of LeT. Seventeen militants werealso killed in the fierce gunfight. Kashmiriyouth in the army are not unusual. Horvever,

in Shabir's case, he wasn't a recycled militantand neither a pro-government gunman(commonly knornn as lkhwanis) but had

6 F0RCE lVay 2009

joined the Indian Army after passing hisl2th class examination. A resident of Dab inGanderbal, he had studied at the prestigiousSainik School in the district.

Shabir's brother, Ghulam Mohammad, isproud of his brother's sacrifice for thecountry. "l wanted him to become a doctorbut he had a passion for joining the army.He wanted to complete his graduation so

that he could become an army officer.Since childhood, he was very patriotic andwanted to do something for his country. Hehas sacrificed his life for the country andhas made us all proud". Shabir's entire vil-lage attended his funeral amidst pro-lslamic and pro-Indian slogans like 'LongLive Shabir' and 'Hindustan Zindabad'.Women showered confetti and flowerpetals on the coffin while it was beingtaken for burial. Prior to his burial, Shabir'sbody, wrapped in tricolour, was kept in theImambara (religious place of ShiaMuslims), where locals poured in to paytheir last homage to the brave soldier.

Mohammad Yasin, Shabir's friendremembering the day he had accompaniedhim to army recruitment rally reminiscedthat only three boys including Shabir wereselected while he rvas left out because he\'\ras over age. Expressing his regret for not

being able to join the army, Yasin said,"Even now I have a desire to do somethingfor the country like Shabir, who hasbecome our hero. He died an honourabledeath. No doubt we are pained andanguished at his separation but at the sametime I am happy for the sacrifice he hasmade for the country". Another local, AijazAhmad, 28, said, "I have never in my lifeseen such a funeral. Such death is pride-worthy. Every family here is bereaved andevery family is mourning for Shabir."

The slain soldier's parents were incon-solable at the funeral. "I was with him atthe passing out parade. He used to call methrice a day. Now that he is no more, whorvill call me," Shabir's mother Raja Begumsaid, lvith tears rolling down her cheeks.

"He was a brave soldier and was air-dropped into the jungles to might the mili-tants. He killed some of the militants beforehis death," said SP Ganderbal, Mir Imtiyaz,adding, "It is for the first time that hundredsof people have participated in the funeralprocession of a soidier. This has made us

proud of our profession and job". The mass-outpouring of emotion at Shabir's death has

given a hope for Kashmiri youth, who infuture might be more willing to opt for a

career in the army. o

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THE RAOField trials forMRCA to startin a few weeks

r Prasun K. Sengupta

he Indian Air Force's on-going andfiercely competitive evaluations of sixdifferent types of fourth-generation

multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) rvillenter a decisive phase by the month's endwhen, following the completion of exhaus-tive evaluations of the technical offers, theflight-test regimes will kick off. At stake isthe procurement of about 250 MRCAs(betrveen 2012 and2022) that will not onlyreplace the MiG-2Is, MiG-23MFs, MiG-23BNs and MiG-27Ms, but rvill also beused to fill the void made by the delayedinduction of the indigenous fourth-gener-ation 'Tejas' light combat aircraft (LCA),

about 28 of rvhich are expected to enterservice starting 2011. The fourth-genera-tion MRCAs presently on offer comprisethe Anglo-S',vedish Gripen International'sGripen NG, Boeing Integlated DefenceSystem's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet,Lockheed Martin's F-16IN Super Viper,Eurofighter GmbH's Tranche 3-standardEF-2000 Typhoon, United Aircraft Corp(UAC) of Russia's MiG-35, and DassaultAviation of France's Rafale F-3.

To get a rough idea of horv exactly the IAFurill conduct flight and ground evaluationsbetr"".een June and September this year ofthe six contenders, it rvill be n orth taking a

look at horv the Sntiss Air Force evaluatedtl.re three principal contenders for replacingits existing fleet of 54 Northrop GrummanF-5E Tiger 2 combat aircraft. Follor,ving theissue of RFPs in Janualy 2008, each of thecontenders rvas subjected to a four-r'r,eekperiod of test-flights betneen last July andDecember', with a total of 100 sorties beinglogged in. The Glipen D tandem-seat MRCA

8 F0RCt lVlay 2009

NS,#

Clockwise: Eurofighter, Gripen, F-l 6lN,

Rafale, Super Hornet, MiG-35

was the first to be evaluated between July28 and August 28 last year, follolved by theDassaultAviation's Rafale between October13 and November 7, and the EurofighterF.F-2000 between November 10 andDecember 5. All three candidates, togeth-er with their air and ground crews, werebased at the Emmen air base, and all test-flights undertaken during the test andevaluation phase were flown according toa plan specified by the Swiss ProcurementAgency, with specific tasks for every flight,in oldel to give the Swiss evaluationteam all the necessary information aboutthe multi-role capabilities of aircraft,including air defence, air policing andreconnaissance.

In parallel r'vith the flight evaluations,there rvere also very intense ground evalu-ation activities undertaken. \A,4rile one ofthe aircraft was in the air, the second air-craft rvas used for evaluating the handlingofthe aircraft on the ground, including pre-flight preparations, re-armament, mainte-nance and logistics routines. The Swiss AirForce supported the evaluation with about50 F-sE/F and F/A-1BC/D missions each

for target simulation and formation flying.Night and supersonic flights were also car-

ried out. The Gripen D rvas subjected to 30

flights (lasting a total of 35 hours), whilethe Rafaie was subjected to 39 flights last-ing about 60 hours (including an extendedphase to test rhe Thales-built RBE-2 AESA

radal). The EF-2000 provided by EADS flew3l sorties lasting 45 flight hours. Earlier, onApril B last year, Boeing decided not toenter the competitive bidding process, say-

ing that 'after a thorough review ofSwitzerland's requirements for partialreplacement of its Tiger fighter aircraft,Boeing has decided not to enter the com-petition due to the disparity between therequirements for an F-5 replacement air-craft and the next-generation capabilitiesof the F/A-IBE/F Block 2 Super Hornet'.After completion of the flight and groundtests the collected data will be evaluatedand the three manufacturers will be invitedto submit a second offer. After submissionof the second offer and the subsequentevaluation report this May, the selection oftype is planned for this Iuly.

Competing Bids

Gripen International had on April 28 lastyear handed-over its compiiant response

to the RFP that was issued by India's min-istry of defence last year for an initial 126

MRCAs. The company has offered the IAF

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May 2009 F()RCE I

the next-generation Gripen IN, whichinciudes increased combat range andendurance, a more powerful GeneralElectric F414-GE-400 turbofan (rated at97kN thrust with afterburning), additionalweapons carriage capability, and increasedpayload. The offer is supported by a long-term programme of industrial co-opera-tion and offsets, and oftechnology transfer.

Saab's International industrial network willprovide substantial and long-term jointventure growth for the Indian aerospaceand defence sector. The Gripen IN is basedon the newly-launched Gripen NG, anenhanced version of the well-provenNetwork-Centric Warfare Gripen. TheGripen IN variant has been optimised toprovide full operational sovereignty to theIAF in terms of weapons and sensors, and a

sustained sortie generation rate throughhigh operational availability. The completeGripen IN solution includes an AESA air-borne radar (the SelexVixen 5000e) and anose-mounted IRST sensor, as well as awide range of precision-guided munitions.The Gripen IN's air-to-ground configura-tion equips it with two RAFAEL-builtPython V within-visual-range air combatmissiles on Station l, eight GBU-12 laser-guided bombs on twin-store carriers fittedto Stations 2 and 5, plus two 300 US gallonfuel drop tanks on Station 3, Station 4 fittedwith the Litening-3 laser designator pod,with Station 5C remaining empty. In the airdominance configuration, the Gripen INcomes armed with two Python Vs onStation 1, six RAFAEL-built Derby beyond-visual-range air combat missiles on twin-launchers on Stations 2 and a singlelauncher on Station 5, plus twin 300 US gal-

lon fuel drop tanks on Station 3, withStations 4 and 5C remaining empty. In themulti-role configuration the Gripen INwould be armed with two Python Vs onStation 1, four Derby missiles in Station 2

on twin launchers, four GBU-I2s on twin-store carriers fitted to Station 5, plus two300 US gallon fuel drop tanks on Station 3,

Station 4 fitted with the Litening-3, withStation 5 staying empty. The Gripen is

presently in service with the Swedish,Hungarian and Czech Republic Air Forces,

and has also been ordered by the SouthAfrican Air Force and Thailand. The UK-based Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) toois operating Gripen as its advanced fast jetplatform for test pilots worldwide.

The F/A-IBE/F Super Hornet Block 2,

which was approved for export to India bythe US State Department on 25 March

10 F0RCE May2009

2005, is currently being produced by con-sortium of US companies BoeingIntegrated Defence Systems, GeneralElectric, Raytheon and NorthropGrumman. It is not only an all-weatherMRCA that performs fighter escort, fleetair defence, force projection, interdiction,and close air support; it has also been opti-mised for operating within the 21st centu-ry network-centric warfare battlespace,and is the only operational MRCA that canneutralise the beyond-visual-range airwarfare threats posed by MRCAs like theChinese Su-30MKKs and Su-30MK2s. Itsbattlespace interdiction radius is 1,300km,and it has 11 weapon stations to carry a fullrange of guided and unguided armamentsweighing a total of 18,9001b (8,573kg). Theaircraft's powerplant comprises trvin F4l4-GE-400 turbofans, each providing 22,0001b

thrust with afterburning. The Block 2

Super Hornet also comes equipped rvithBoeing's Ioint Helmet-Mounted CueingSystem, and Raytheon's AN/ASQ-228ATFLIR precision targeting pod andSHARP multi-function reconnaissancepod. For air dominance operations, theF/A-1BE/F's Raytheon-built APG-79 activeelectronically scanned array fire-controiradar uses a 'search-while-track' method-ology that significantly improves the trackquality of multiple airborne targets, andoffers very high-resolution ground-map-ping. If the Super Hornet is selected, theUS Nar,ry as lead contractor under theForeign Military Sales programme lvillthen reconfigure an entire existing IAFBase Repair Depot (BRD) to undertake theintermediate-level maintenance of theSuper Hornet fleet, similar to what theIAF's Nasik-based 11 BRD does for the MiGand Sukhoi family of combat aircraft.

The twin-engined EF-2000 Tranche 3

Typhoon being offered by the EuropeanAeronautics & Defence Systems (EADS)

group will have the option to be equippedwith 3-D thrust vectoring nozzles.Incidentaily, EADS was last Februaryselected as the winner of a USD20 millioncontract (over Saab of Sweden, DassaultAviation of France, Boeing IDS andLockheed Martin of the US and UAC forassisting the DRDO's Bangalore-basedAeronautical Development Agency (ADA)

in expediting the airworthiness certifica-tion process ofthe 'Tejas' LCA and ensuringthe successful attainment of initial opera-tional clearance (IOC) and final opera-tional clearance (FOC) over a 25-monthperiod. EADS' scope of consultancy work

includes flight envelope expansion, valida-tion of high angle-of-attack flight profiles,aero database validation, external storescarriage with emphasis on weapons quali-fication and stores separation, wake mod-elling and penetration flight tests, andrefinements to existing flight/mission sim-ulation models. EADS is now negotiating a

separate follow-on contract (to run for 48

months) with ADA under which the formerwill assist ADA in areas like brake manage-ment, and redesign of the naval variant ofthe'Tejas' LCAs reduced weight nosewheeland main undercarriage. EADS has alsooffered to help ADA redesign the 'Tejas'

into a Mk2 variant that will feature biggerrvings and conformal fuel tanks, and beporvered by a single Eurojet EJ-200 turbo-fan equipped with 3-D thrust vectoringnozzles, all of which rvill also be on boardthe Tranche 3 EF-2000.

Of all the contenders r,ying for the con-tact to supply lourth-generation mediummulti-role combat aircraft (MRCA) for theIAB there's only one - Lockheed Martin -

that has to date established five highly suc-cessful international F-16 licensed-manu-facturing lines (in Belgium, TheNetherlands, Turkey, South Korea and inthe US), that has implementedindirect/direct industrial offsets pro-grammes worth more than USD37 billionin 40 countries, and has successfully part-nered with its counterparts in South Koreaand Japan to co-develop high-tech aero-space solutions - these being the T-50supersonic lead-in fighter trainer and theF-2 MRCA. And believe it or not, the mostadvanced variant of the F-16 produced todate by Lockheed Martin is not owned bythe US armed forces, but by the UnitedArab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). Two suchtandem-seat Block 60 F- 16F 'DesertFalcons' were 'borrowed' by LockheedMartin from the UAEAF and were used lastFebruary during the Aero India 2009 expoin Bangalore for familiarising the IAF withthe various cutting-edge technologies thatLockheed Martin is offering as part of itsbid for the MRCA contract. The UAEAFacquired 55 single-seal and 25 tandem-seat Desert Falcons between 2004 and2007. The UAE invested almost USD threebillion of its own money into research anddevelopment for the'Desert Falcon'. The F-16IN SuperViper being offered to the IAF isa derivative of the 'Desert Falcon'.

It is this kind of a CV that makesLockheed Martin the most towering andformidable party in the MRCA competition

:-:re. Earlier, on March 29 last year,

- --i]reed Martin was awarded a USD596

--..--ion Foreign Military Sales contract by:--. US defence department for supplying. ,. C- 130J-30 stretched Super Hercules mil-:::r' iransport aircraft for the IAE this:..:.iq India's first major military purchase' :: the US for more than 40 years. For the'.1::\, competition, Lockheed Martin has: =::d the single-engined F-16IN Super:=r in both single-seat and tandem-seat

:r-rrr.riS. Lockheed Martin claims that the:--::\ has been packaged and tailored. -^,:sivelv to meet or exceed all qualitative: j---,i:fements of the IAF. Additionally,* :.-leed ivlartin has prepared a technolo-: : ,admap for a robust upgrade capacity: : iire continuous insertion of technolo-.. :. the)'mature and become available,:.::ring that the F-I6IN can be readily

- ---rped rvith emerging capabilities': --sl.rout its life-cycle. The SuperViper is

- :-.: proposed with the Northrop

-::rman-builtAPG-80 radar (which is the:,'. iDerational AESA system to be export-: : - iiate, this being to the United Arab.-.-:aies), rvhich in future could be

. : ,ced n'ith the scalable agile beam radar- -:l . an AESA system that can also be

: l on board other aircraft platforms. As: -,'.. no other MRCA contender can even, ::: :irat its combat aircraft platform has''*rerational AESA-based fire-control::' on board. The APG-80 provides

- ::=cedented situational awareness and: :,-lion: ultra-high-resolution synthetic

- :- -',rr€ radar mapping, fully interleaved

modes of operations u'ith automatic ter-rain following; and air-to-air tracking ofmultiple targets. The fusion of net-centricoperations and on-board data provides a

total battlespace picture (ivith help fromAEW&C platforms) and optimises missionaccomplishment. The F-16 n'as the firstMRCA to incorporate a data link capability,and the F-16IN builds upon this capabiliryby enabling the IAF's o\\'n operational dataIink (ODL) to be integrated, thereby ensur-

ing interoperability lvith other IAF combataircraft and AEW&C platforms. Data inte-grates through all phases of the mission -from mission planning, navigation, com-munications and target prosecution toreturn to base - transforming the F-16INpilot from an aircraft systems manager to atactician. Pilots r,vould receive easy-to-interpret information via the all-digitalcockpit and a helmet-mounted cueing sys-

tem. The large AMLCDs rvill be capable offusing data from on-board and off-boardsensors, thereby reducing the lvorkloadand enabling the pilot to focus on the mis-sion. The F-16IN's Falcon Edge defensiveaids suite will include Raytheon's ALQ-184(V)9 jamming pod (lvhich can also con-tain the ALE-50 towed decoy). Powerplantfor the F-I6IN will comprise a GeneralElectric FI I0- 132A turbofan rated at 32,000

pounds of afterburning thrust and havingfull authority digital engine controls formaximum fuel efficiency and perform-ance. For all-weather precision strike, theF-I6IN rvill be equipped rvith LockheedMartin's Sniper ATP pod, capable of long-

range, positive identification of targets andpossessing a video dorvn link (VDL)

equipped with the 'Rover' ground receiverto relay high-resolution streaming video toforrvard-deployed forces for NT-ISR andrapid target coordination. The Sniper AIPalso provides essential non-traditionalinteiligence, surveillance and reconnais-sance using high-resolution, mid-waveFLIR and TV sensors, lvhich operate in con-junction rvith a dual-mode laser, permit-ting eye-safe operation and precise geo-

location in urban environments. For targetcoordination, the Sniper pod possesses a

laser spot tracker to acquire other laser

spots from air and ground assets, an infra-red marker visible to night vision goggles

and a video down-link to ground forces.

The Sniper ATP is also the only targetingpod fielded that incorporates meta-data inevery frame of video. The date/time stampand coordinate information furtherensures accuracy throughout intelligenceand command-and-control functions. The

F-16IN's weapons package includesRaytheon-built AIM-I20C AMRAAM andAIM-9X Sidewinder air combat missiles(the latter being used with Boeing's jointhelmet-mounted cueing system, orIHMCS, for high off-boresight targetting),Boeing's AGM-B4K SLAM-ER network-enabled standoff precision-guided air-to-surface missile with a l50nm range, BLU-I00/110 bombs equipped rvith Boeing-built joint direct attack munition (IDAM)

GPS guidance kits, Boeing's SmallDiameter Bomb, and Raytheon-built AGM-BB high-speed anti-radiation missile, andAGM-154 joint standoff weapon (ISOW)

that enables precision air strike launchesfrom ',vell-beyond most hostile airdefences, at kinematic standoff ranges ofup to 70nm (130km). If desired, the F-l6INcan also be equipped with NorthropGrumman's pylon-mounted AAQ-32

Internal FLIR targeting system (IFTS),

which includes a navigation FLIR sensor

and a targeting FLIR both mounted withina single pod. It allows the aircraft to detectand identify both ground and airborne tar-gets, even at night or in adverse weather.

Once series-produced, the Super Viperwill become the seventh major 'blockchange' of the F-I6 since its inception inthe late 1970s, and incorporating four-and-a-half generations of core avionics, five tur-bofan versions divided between two parentmodels (Pratt & Whitney's F100 andGeneral Electric Aero Engines' F110), sixradar versions. five electronic r,varfare

re

l\4ay 2009 F0RCE I I

\---:

suites, and two generations of other sub-systems. The Super Viper's core avionicssuite has more than 2,000 times the memo-ry and more 260 times the throughput ofthe original production Block 15 F-16 sup-plied to Pakistan in the early 1980s. T'he

Super Viper's trvin conformal fuel tanksmounted above the wing root rvill allo',v fora mission radius of 1,025 miles rvith no in-flight refuelling. On the issue of releasingthe'source codes' for the'SuperViper's dig-ital data bus, mission computer, integrateclelectronic rvarfare suite, and SABR, it is

cleal that the US Defence Department u'illnever autl'rorise anyone, includingLockheed Martin and Nolthrop Grumman,to release them to anyone - no exceptions,period! Horvever, there is a r,vay out of thislogjam and it involves the OEMs releasingcustomlsed 'object codes' that r,r,rill allorvthe Super Viper's operator to add data tothe aircraft's electronic threat library on itsown. Along rvith the 'Super Viper',Lockheed Maltin is also ploposing an arrayof advanced training tools for the air rvar-rior. This includes the creation of a 'missiontraining centre' housing a full-flight simu-latol and its blief/debrief station, cockpitprocedures trainer, part-task trainers relat-ed to PGM weapons targetting and deliv-ery, and maintenance procedures trainers.In addition, Lockl'reed Martin is also pro-posing to reconfigure an existing IAF Base

Repair Depot to undertake both intermedi-ate-level and depot-lcvel through-1ifel-realy maintenance of the airframe,engine, avionics, instrumentation andaccessories, all of r'r,hich u,i11 be undertakenby dedicated rvorkshops and labs.

In terms of reliability and combat ef'fbc-

l2 F0RCE lVay 2009

:i3.=:-l.-

tiveness, the single-seat, trvin-enginedMiG-35 and its tandem-seat operationalconversion trainer from Russia's UAC u'illbe more advanced derivatives of the 12

MiG-29Ks and four MiG-29KUBs (bothder.eloped undel Projects 9-41 and 9-47)that rvili be delivered to the Indian Narr.latel this 1'ear. The MiG-35 rvill have a four-channel digital fly-by-r'vire flight controlsystem, N,IIL-STD-15538 digitai databus,open-architecture mission computerdeveloped by the Bangalore-based DefenceAviorrics Research Establishment (DARE),

ergonomic hands-on-throttle-and-stick(HOTAS) configulation, and advanced nav-igation-attack avionics for conducting all-weather precision strikes agalnst mobileand static ground-based targets. Both theMiG-35 'wiil have up to l1 \veapon stations(10 underrving and one centreline, ventral)rvl'rich, togethel, rvill be able to carry rnorethan five tonnes of air combat missiles andprecision- guided air-to- ground munitions.The principal mission avionics suite onboard the aircraft lr,ill be Phazotron ISC'sZhuk-AE active pl.rased-array, multi-moderadar, rvhose air--to-ground modes of oper-ation rvill include leal-time ground map-ping (1ike an airborne synthetic apertureradal or SAR) for detecting and trackingstatic/mobile ground-based targets fromstandoff distances. Also to be offered onboard the MiG-35 rvill be secure on-boardtactical data links for receiving targetingdata frorn AEW&C syster-ns as r'veil as

unmanned aerial vel.ricles employed forreal-time battlespace surveillancc usingoptronic and SAR sensors. For decisive aircombat operations both ivithin andbe1'ond visual rat'rge, a tterv-generation

UONIZ-built l3SM infra-red search-and-track sensor combined r,vith a laser target-ing s1'51sm t-111 be installed. For making the\IiG-35 super-manoeuvrable, the KlimovEngine Design Bureau has already devel-oped the RD-133 turbofan incorporating a

thrust-vector-control (TVC) nozzle. TheRD-133, delivering Bl.4kN of thrust withafterburning, rveighs 1,145kg, and its 3-Dnozzle can be deflected by up to 15 degreein any direction. Thrust vecloring is

achieved by controliing a short inner seg-

ment of the nozzle, and consequently theRD-133's nozzle is a sirnpler and morecompact design than that on the NPOSaturn-built AL-31FP engine used on theSu-30MKI. Other advanced features of theRD-133 rvill include single-crystal turbineblades, and a full-authority digital elec-tlonic contlol (FADEC) system for regulat-lng and optimising the turbofan's fuel-florv.Among the advanced technologiesplar.rned for incorporation on the MiG-35rvill be on-condition and predictive main-tenance sensors and health-and-risagemonitoring avionics similar to those onboard the Su-30MKI, as well as all-compos-ite airframe structures.

The dark horse in the MRCA competitionis Dassault Aviations Rafale F-3 'ornni role'combat aircraft, lr,hich has to date lost outin competitive evaluations conductedsince the late 1990s in South Korea,Singapore and Morocco. The latest F3 vari-ant, available since July last year, can carryprecision-guided payloads of more thannine tonnes on 14 hardpoints. The Rafale isporvered by t',vin MBB-2 turbofans built bySNECMA Moteurs, rvith each engine pro-viding an afterburning thrust of 75kN.o

at**o*o

0ptimistic About lndiaBoetng gears up for the MRCA competition

Llditi Bhan

:e 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft]lRC"{) competition worth USD 10 bil--:on, is termed as the 'mother of all

:*=nce deals' in India. And with each pass-

:-€ da1', the competition is just hotting up.Iie ield trials are expected to begin in three

--::ihs' time and already one player,:::::ch fighter Rafale has been knocked out- i =e race. The reason is reported to be that:ea.ie did not clear all the requirements:',:--rg the technical evaluation of the bids:-:::rined by the six contenders. Little won-:e: :hen that the activities within other: :::lerirors, namely, Boeing (F/A-IB Super:r:,=et), Lockheed Martin (F-16 Falcon),'--=:ed

-\ircraft Corporation (MiG-35), Saab.:::en) and EADS (Eurofighter Tlphoon)-;',: siarted gathering momentum.

3:eing's Chris Chadwick, president,:,:e:ng \Iilitary Aircraft was in India::::::l| and talked about the company'sr,L::-":iies in India. "We expect the field tri-ili :r start sometime in May in northern:,,:,:es in India where one can touch the::i=:ent angle of requirement - cold, hot,--= and lorv," said Chadwick. The comple-- -:- :i \I-MRCA deal is expected to take ati:_i: n{o more years.

Asked how the company will dischargeits offset obligations if it wins the bid,Chadwick said, "We are in negotiationswith a number of companies - we are tryingto look at it with a more holistic view.Offsets allow us to provide product servic-es, and expertise in a number of areas." Headded, "My focus at this point is two-fold:One, for each programme, we need to exe-cute on-cost, on schedule so that existingand future customers know that we candeliver on our promises. And the other isfocus on productivity."

Meanwhile, having alreadywon the USD2.1 billion order for eight P-BI long-rangemaritime reconnaissance and anti-sub-marine warfare aircraft from Indian Navyearly this year; Boeing now wants to targetthe helicopter market in India. "There is ahuge demand for helicopters in the coun-try," said Chadwick. To begin with, thecompany is serious about bidding forattack helicopters this time. Boeing isoffering its AH-64D Apache Longbowattack helicopter to India.

A tender for the purchase of 22 attackhelicopters issued in May 2008 was can-celled last month by the government as

some companies did not meet the require-ments and others did not respond. The

defence ministry had issued request forproposal (RFP) to AgustaWestland, Boeing,Eurocopter, Russian Kamov and BellHelicopter but only three responded -Boeing and Bell had pulled out of the race.

Boeing cited less response time for not bid-ding for the attack helicopters then. Thistime, however, the company is not willingto repeat the past.

"We look forward to an opportunity toreview any new request for proposals andfollow up based on that," said DrVivek Lall,vice president and country head, India,Boeing IDS. "I think the RFPs this time willbe different as India will want more com-panies to participate. We do plan to bid forthe attack helicopters," said Chadwick.Fresh tenders for the attack helicopters are

expected soon. The contract is estimated tobe about USD I billion.

Apart from attack helicopters, Boeingplans to bid for heavy-lift helicopters. It isoffering its CH-47 Chinook in this catego-ry. The Chinook is a twin-engine, tandemrotor heaqr-lift helicopter whose primaryrole includes troop movement, battlefieldre-supply and artillery emplacement.India, at present, plans to buy l2 heavy-lifthelicopters.

Boeing is also very optimistic about itsmilitary-transport aircraft C-17 Globe-mas-ter IIL "We believe the C-17 is very unique interms of its access to runaways, ability tosurvive in a combat environment and also

provide. humanitarian relief work," saidChadwick. This four-engine, T-tailed aircraftis capable ofcarrying 102 passengers at onetime. The company had also bought C- 17 toIndia in the recently held Aero-India 2009.

"It is a capability that you don't know howmany ways you can use it until you have it,"added Chadwick.

Meanwhile, with President BarrackObama replacing George Bush in the US

and the US economy in shambles, appre-hensions about the new President's policytowards India are still very much there. "It isstill too early to tell," said Chadwick.Moreover, with India also going to polls thisseason and a new government, may be a dif-ferent one, expected by the end of May, does

Boeing fear about the future of Indo-USrelationship? "Civil nuclear deal reallycemented the relationship between the tlvocountries. I think India has time and againshovrn that it has a stable democratic gov-

ernment, and it is a stable country," clarifiedChadwick. He also added, "One of the rea-sons to participate now in India is that it isworth the expanse." o

lVlay 2009 F0RCE I 3

Challengi ng RadarsAESA increases pilot's

I Prasun K. Sengupta

options

fierce competition is now underrvay forsupplying up to 450 active phased-array radars (AESA) for the lndian Air

Force's (IAF) future combat aircraft acquisi-tions, with the principal contenders hailingfrom the US (Northrop Grumman andRaytheon), Europe (EADS DefenceElectronics, THALES and SEI.EX Galileo),

Scandinavia (Ericsson Microu'ave), Israel(Israel Aerospace Industries), and Russia(Phazotron JSC and Tikhomirov lillP). The

enabling technology for AESA is GalliumArsenide (GaAs) monolithic microrvaveintegrated cilcuit (MMIC),lvhich uses lith-ographic-type processes to producemicrorvave circuits on chips at vely highlevels of integration. A modern X-bandtransmit/receive (T/R) module, in additionto a radiating element, contains up to eightchips (MMICs) produced in a foundry andlater integrated into a substrate ::rvith a few discrete componentsand cooling provisions, all fillinga space on the order of 1/4 cubicinches. Unlike a conventionalmechanically steered-array(MSA) radar, the antenna array ofT/R modules is fixed, rvith nomoving parts. The radar can steerits agile beams electronicaliy - atnearly the speed of light - andredirect them instantaneouslyfrom one target to another. InMSA radars, a circular or elliptlcalantenna plate in the nose of theaircralt is moved rapidly using a

gimbal system u'ith three or fourdrive motors to scan an area ofairspace or on the ground, a sin-gle flashlight-like beam at a time.AESA radars on the other handcan track significantly more tar-gets and can operate in multiplemodes simultaneousll,, such as

air-to-air search (in lor'r,-, medi-um-, and high-PRFs) and digitalglound mapping. The AESA alsoautomatically establishes track-ing files for each detected target(more than 24), thereby reducingpilot rvorkload. with interleaved

air-to-air and air-to-surface cockpit dis-plays, the aircrerv rvill thus be able to main-tain situational arvareness while executingair-to-surface missions. AESA radars also

offer better air-to-ground resolution (three

times higher) than MSA radars, particular-ly using their synthetlc aperture radar(SAR) mode.

The current market leaders in terms ofconfirmed orders for AESA radars for com-bat aircraft are Northrop Grumman andRat.theon. The former has unr-eiled a nen'AESA radar it is developing rvith companvfunds to equip the Lockheed \lartin F-16and other aircraft. The Scalable Agile Beam

Radar (SABR) is currentlv undergoingflight-tests and rvill be available b1' 20I1.Northrop Glumman presentll' supplies tlieAPG-77 AESA for the Lockheed Martin Fi A-

22 Raptor, APG-80 for the UAE Air Force's F-

168/F Desert Faclons, and APG-81 AESA

for the Lockheed Nlartin F-35 JSE, tvhile

APG.T9;(below) Eaesar

Raytheon supplies the APG-79 for theBoeing-built F/A-lBE/F Super HornetBlock 2, and the APG-63(V)3 for theBoeing-built F-lSSGs of the Republic ofSingapore Ail Force. Raytheon has also

repackaged itsAPG-79 AESA as the RANGR,

a next-generation radar sized to fit the F-

16, Saab's JAS-39 Gripen and KoreaAerospace Industries' A/T-50. Competingagainst the US aerospace giants is France'sTHALES Group, rvhich is proposing itsRBE-2 AESA, rt4rich has been under devel-opment since 2003, and will be availableiiom next vear. The RBE-2 along with theOSF infra-red sealch-and-track system is

being proposed for installation on board 90

of the IAF's 230 Su-3OMKIs on order'. Also

being proposed are SELEX Galileo's Vixen5000e AESA, Israel Aerospace Industries'ELIN|-2052, and the Caesar from EADS.

The X-band EL/M-2052's array comprises'bricks' of 24TlR modules, making it easy

to assemble the AESA in differentconfigurations to match the size

and shape of an existing fighternose, up to I,290 modules.Smaller, lower-module-countversions can be air-cooled, reduc-ing rveight and making integra-tion simpler. The Caesar is beingproposed for both retrofit as rvellas on board the Eurofighter EF-

2000 Typhoon Tranche 3. TheEuroradar consortium-builtCaptor Active ElectronicallYScanned Array Radar (Caesar),

which has been co-developedsince 2003 by the UK's SELEX

Sensors & Airborne Systems,Galileo Avionica of Italy, EADS

Defence Electronics of Germanyand INDRA of Spain, is a modularAESA comprising six line-leplaceable units (LRU) andr,veighting around l70kg. The six

LRUs include twin transmitterand receivel units, the radar com-puter and the antenna block. The

radar computer comPrises 17

individual processors and is able

to perform up to three billionflorv-point operations Per sec-

ond. As the radar computer's sig-

II

{

1

14 F0RCE May 2009

- .]ata processor ls program-.:' .'. it is easy to upgrade the:, bl sirnply uploading new. ..:re. Tlle Caesar's soltware is

i:'n ro MIL-STD-2167A. stan--: .rnd comprises 1.2 million.- ricode. The antenna can be.--:: around by at least +/-70'in

, :zimuth and elevation. The: 1- e mploys trvo data process-

-:-,annels for target detection

- :ackir.rg, and uses a third one:entilication and suppres-i irostile electronic counter-

:::-.r€S (ECM). The combina-,i high scanning and pro-

-- :-q speeds with a dedicated-. :r:ocessing channel provides

iaesar rvith exceptional1.1 capabilities. For beyond

--.. :ange (B\/R) aerial engage--.:: :ire Caesar provides three-. ::rodes. The range-while-- ::cde (RWS) is used to scan. :: ield-of-view for detecting- - aircraft at the longest pos-: :-stance. The track-while-

'': ,de rl'\VS) is uscd ro give:.- 'i a better picture of the, .--: ahead thereby increas-

- --. situational awareness'.:rile the velocity search

'. , S is used to determine:tile contacts' closure

.-- :rlr target priorisation. In' .-: io other radars oflering,: rnodes, the Caesar

- :: :rte pilot to define a sec-.::e the radar should look

' ,rr:,i: and also determine if a

: - :r cont&ct should be auto--..--. tracked or not.

- - - .'. . ihe Caesar rvill work inr :::ie to detect aircraft as

' .,. possible. The antenna'': :riionlatically steered to,,.' cletined sector and the

,' ,li automatically choose. - :iired PRF depending on

{-on direction and the targets'- , .::qies to optimise performance. If a

-: :s detected the pilot rvill be- ^

. : r 3nd the contact rvill be shorvn on-. .-.i: 2-D horizontal display format

- - -:r io its position in azimuth and-. ,:-iiomatic target tracking is select-. -.:.ar n'ill then track the contact by-... ;ailv srvitching to TWS mode. To

- .'-., radar \vill generate a track filer: .i !li\'€s the position of the contact.

With every electronic sweep the Caesalwillcheck and update the targets positionagain and again. Ttacked contacts aresho,"vn rvith their flight direction and iden-tification. The Caesar is at least able totrack up to 40 targets at once, rvhile search-ing for additional targets, even under look-up/look-dolvn conditions.

For target identification the Caesar fea-tures an integrated IFF system rvhich rvillautomatically try to identi$, every tracked

EVN|-2052contact by sending out a cryptedsignal torvards the contact andar'vaiting a correct response.Targets will be shown as differentsymbols in different coloursaccording to their identiticationstatus, which could be friendly,hostile or unknown. TheVS modervill be normally interleaved rviththe TWS mode to determine thecontacts' closure speeds. In TWS

mode every tracked target will beautomatically priorised takinginto account a target's distance,flight direction, closure speed,altitude and identification. Everytalget will be marked with a letterdepending on its priorisation.Despite the fact that the VS modewill be normally interleaved withthe TWS or even RWS mode thereis also a separateVS display modeshowing contacts in relation totheir closure speed rather thanrange. The Caesar is able to trackat least up to l2 high-prioriry tar-gets. Normally, the contacts pos-ing the highest threat r'vill beassigned by the system as high-priority targets, but the pilot canalso select any target he wants as

a high-prioriry target using theradar cursor. If the prioritieschange,the pilot will be automat-ically informed. He can easilyslvitch to the nerv priority targetvia a voice recognition system.High-priority targets rvill also betracked outside of the scanningsector as long as they stay rvithinthe scanning angles ofthe anten-na. This technique is called dataadaptive scanning (DAS) andimproves the tracking perfolm-ance at longer distances. Thanksto its high scanning speed theCaesar is able to track u,hile scanrvithin the full azimuth coverageif required, in comparision to

other systems which are rnostly limited inthat direction. For all high-prioriry targetsthe fire-control system will automaticallycalculate firing solutions, enablir.rg theTyphoon to pelform multiple targetengagements.

The Caesar also features an aircraft-to-missile data link that lvill provide mid-course guidance updates for active radar-guided B\RAAMs launched towards high-priority airborne threats. In addition to the

May2009 F0RCE l5

three main modes, the Caesarfeatures a single-target track(STT) sub-mode that enables it toconcentrate on a single target byincreasing target data updaterates and countermeasuresresistance. The Caesar also fea-tures a non-cooperative targetrecognition (NCTR) capabilitythat allows it to identit'a trackedcontact as a specific aircraft typeby comparing the characteristicradar returns to examples storedin a programmable data libraryAnother feature is the raid assess-

ment mode that enables the radarto identif, and tlack single targetswithin a verv close formation thanks to itshigh-resolution. The trace fitnction allon'sthe pilot to identif-v enemv alrcraftmanoeuvres and tactics. Another uniquefeature of the Caesar is its ability to gener-ate a 3-D picture of the airspace, thus mak-ing threat analysis and target acquisitionmuch easier and enhancing the pilot's SA.

Next to the 2-D horizontal display modethere is also a 2-D elevation mode shoi'vingcontacts in relation to their position inrange and altitude. As both display modescan be simultaneouslv shou,n on tivo indi-vidual multifunction head-down displays,the pilot gets a complete 3-D picture of theairspace ahead.'I'he Caesar's tracking rangeis rvell beyond 200km against combat air-craft-sized targets, r,vith a range of morethan 300km against large targets like trans-ports or aerial refueling tankers. TheCaesars antenna, using a liquid coolingsystem, comprises 1,500 Gallium-ArsenldeT/R modules. Each of these active, finger-sized and I5-gram light modules provides apower output of i0 Watts and is able togenerate, s\\reep, send out and receiveradar signals. To optimise performance,single modules can be formed into groups.

Thanks to electronic scanning the Caesarcan instantaneousiy scan the entire field-of-vierv u,ithin some milliseconds, vastlyincreasing reliability, countermeasuresresistance and target data update rates. It iseven possible to form a number of primarybeams of different shapes and srveepingthem in diffelent directions for undertak-ing various tasks simultaneously'. The rapidscanning in combination rvith the use offrequency hopping technologies and healysidelobe suppression dramatically leducesthe radar's detectable emissions, rvhileincreasing the countermeasures resistance.

Even lunctions like threat rvarning, iam-

16 F0RCE May 2009

ming and data transmission are perfornredsimultaneously.

Russia's Phazotron JSC is offering itsZhuk-AE AESA, nhose full-scale rnock-uprvas first displayed during the MAKS aero-space exhibition at Zhukovskl in August2005. At that time, the radar featured a

700mm-diameter antenna compri.ingf,0BB T/R modules (272 packs, each cot.t-

taining four modules); the antenna mirrorwas set at a 20" look-up angle. Tl.ris design,horvever, turned out to be too hear'1' (450k9).

In the next version the lveight of indir.idualcomponents rvas reduced, cutouts \veremade in the radar body and a lighter rnag-nesium alloy was introduced. Finallrr theantenna diameter rvas reduced to 575mmand the number of T/R modules trimmed to680 (170 packs of four modules each); theantenna itself rvas set in a vertical positior-r.

The overall radar r,veight rvas reduced to220kg.The definitive design of the Zhuk-AErvill eventually have a 700mm-diameterantenna rvith 1,100 T/R modules. Last 1'931

an initial batch of 12 Zhuk-AEs radars rvere

built. The so-called 'filst stage' Zhuk-AE(also designated FGA-29 rvith 1,064 T/Rmodules) that was shown in Bengaluru inFebruary 2007 was a modernised version ofthe mechanically-scanned Zhuk-ME radar

fitted with an AISA antenna. It retained theexisting computing system rvith dataprocessor, s'ignal processor and softnare, as

rvell as the clock generator. The Zhuk-AE/FGA-29 radar can be series-produced byretrofitting the present Zhuk-ME radar.Phazotron rvill probably offer such anoption for Zhuk-ME users such as Yemen

and Eritrea. The Zhuk-AE/FGA-29 is a mul-tifunction X-band radar (3cm rvavelength),rvhich can track and engage air, ground andnaval targets. The radar in its present formhas a search range of l30km against combat

aircraft. According to Phazotron,by selecting the proper rangebet'rveen radiating elements, theantenna beam can be deflected by+/-60 deglees without palasiticsidelobes. The radar can track upto 30 airborne targets and engage

sk of them simultaneously. The'second stage' radar designatedZhuk-AE/FGA-35 will be fitted tothe production MiG-35 M-MRCA.It will leceive a new computingsystem and nerv multifunctionr,videband generator. The FGA-35

rvill feature a 700mm-diameter

zhuk.s ;[",:llf'.l.'i]'","]lil:,lJ[:best method of heat dissipation - a criticalissue for the success of future develop-ments. The range of the Zhuk-AE/FGA-35rvill be 200km, it rvill be capable of trackingup to 60 airborne targets and engagingeight of them. Phazotron JSC has designedand manufactured all radar componentsin-house, except for the T/R module. In2002, the Almaz-Phazotron subsidiary inSaratov tried unsuccessfully to produce itsonrn T/R module. Phazotron JSC subse-quently engaged two companies fromTomsk: Mikran and NIIPP (Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Institut Poluprovodni-korrykh Priborov, Scientific ResearchInstitute of Semicon-ductor Instruments)to produce the T/R modules. Mikrandesigns Russian monolithic microlvaveintegrated circuits (MMIC) and TR mod-ules, n4.rile NIIPP undertakes productionon an industrial scale.

fikhomirov NIIB on the other hand, is

busy developing its X-band AESA radar forfitment on to both the Su-3SBM and theFifth Generation Fighter Aircraft that willbe co-developed by Russia's UnitedAircraft Corp and India's state-ownedHindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Thusfar, three prototype AESAs have been builtand are now undergoing laboratory tests,rvith the first functional unit due to enterthe flight-test phase in 2010, and theseries-produced radars entering serviceby 2015. The AESAs front-end antennaarray will also be offered for integrationrvith the existing NO-1lM 'Bars' PESA

radars by 2014. Yet another AESA variantbeing designed by Tikhomirov NIIP is

called the 'smart skin' in rvhich the T/Rmodules can be located anyrvhere onboard the aircraft to generate the relevantradiation fields required for almost 360-

degree airspace surveillance coverage. o

.1

I

Seueral false starts and a beginning

Vigi I at Sea

I Adm. Arun Prakash

(retd)

0ne positive outcome

of P-3 fiasco was that

the lN request for an

entry into the Boeing

P-8 MR-ASW pro-

gramme received suP-

port from Pentagon,

keen to make amends.

The airborne MR-ASW

field represented a

golden opportunity for

HAL to enter the

lighVmedium trans-

port aircraft business,

and for DRD0 to

embark upon develoP-

ment of airborne sen-

sor and weapon suites

n the summer of 1588, sharp eyed look-outs on

the cliffs of Cornwall detected the distant

approach of the Spanish Armada, and lit a

chain of beacons which rapidly conveyed the

news to London. According to legend, this early

warning gave English Admiral Francis Drake

enough time to finish his game of bowls before

sailing out with his fleet to score an historic victo-

ry over the Spaniards.Three and a half centuries later, the Americans

were not so lucky. Admiral Kimmel of the Pacific

Command received no warning at all, as Vice

Admiral Nagumo's huge task force of six aircraft

carriers steamed through Pacific waters on a

southerly course, on 7 December 194I. The sur-

prise attack by over 400 aircraft of the Imperial

Japanese Navy on Pearl Harbour inflicted heavy

damage on the US Pacific Fleet, and catapulted

USA into'rMW II.'surprise'was first enunciated by the 19th centu-

ry Geiman strategist Carl von Clausewitz as a

Principle ofWar. From the Trojan horse episode to

the Pearl Harbour attack, historyhas demonstrated

that it is a key factor in the success of any well-

planned and professionally executed operation'

Experience has also demonstrated that the obvious

antidote for surprise is sound and timely intelli-gence supplemented by effecti"'e reconnaissance,

at all levels ofwarfare; from tactical to strategic.

Do We Learn From HistorY?

In this context, reflection should remind us that,

from the stealthy Chinese PIA infiltration of Aksai

Chin between 1959 and 1962, to the surreptitious

penetration of Kargil heights by the Pakistani

Northern Light Infantry in 1999, with numerous

other instances during the intervening fourdecades; it has been ineffective intelligence and

tardy reconnaissance that has repeatedly jeopar-

dised India's national securitY.

The 26111 terrorist strikes in Mumbai were sim-

ply more of the same. They demonstrated that peo-

ple like us who'...fail to learn from history'will' as

predicted bywinston Churchill,'be condemned to

re-live it': over and over again' Even the 'blame-

game' which followed, was depressingly familiar to

the thinking Indian. In this instance, since the sui-

cidal marauders had obviously landed on our

seashote, it became a slanging match betlveen the

intelligence agencies and the seagoing Services

(the Indian Nar,Y and Coast Guard).

The intelligence agencies made it known to the

media that that they had provided timely warning

of the terrorists, based on a satellite-phone inter-

cept. The naq/ countered that the location report

received by them in mid-November 2008 had put

the boat's position just a few miles south of

Karachi, well inside Pak territorial waters'

Moreover, this single report had not been amplified

and hence the intelligence was'un-actionable"

Navies deal with such situations on a daily basis

and their responses cannot be impromptu' Every

location report regarding enemy or hostile forces is

evaluated to check for three essential components:

\A/hat (description), Where (position) and \A{hen

(date and time of detection) . In the case of a mobile

target like a ship or boat, it also needs a fourth

ingredient: \,Vhither (course and speed). If one or

more of these components is missing, the user

would be justified in classifiring such intelligence

as 'un-actionable' because pursuing it would only

result in a waste of tesources in a futile pursuit'

Moreover, if an intercept is considered significant,

it must be followed up by the originating agency'

Monitoring the 0ceans

Considering the fact that the atms and explosive

for the 1993 Mumbai blasts, too, had been landed

by sea on the Ratnagiri coast, it becomes obvious

that the sea routes have now become a conven-

ient highway for terroiist traffic; especially since

ourWestern land borders have been sealed' \A/hile

the Indian Naqr (IN) and the Coast Guard (CG)

each have their or,rryr operational rationale for

exercising wide-ranging reconnaissance at sea,

the events of 26111 have now added a crucial

homeland-defence dimension and brought the

issue into sharPer focus'

In today's technology-enabled environment,

comprehensive national security demands that

we have a clear understanding of all activities tak-

ing place within a relevant domain; on land, at

sea, in the air and in space as well as in cyber-

space. Such domain awareness enables early

identification of potential threats and aids deci-

sion making as well as resource allocation' In the

naval context, such a capability' termed maritime

domain awareness or MDA, implies knowledge of

the constantly evolving multi-dimensional (i'e'

surface, underwater, airspace, electronic and

cyber) picture in the maritime area of interest'

While satetlites, unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) and a range of electronic sensors carried

by ships and submarines contribute to buildinga MDA picture, the use of fixed-wing patrol air-

craft for maritime teconnaissance (MR) still

May2009 F0RCE l7

tL-38S0

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*

ffix

,w

remains a salient instrumentality forinformation gathering over extendedocean areas. Since MR aircraft are large

multi-engine airframes capable of carry-ing a considerable payload, they are fre-quentiy equipped, in addition, with thesensors and rt'eapons necessary for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and thus desig-

nated N{R-ASW aircraft.A single MR-ASW aircraft, using all its

sensors; i.e. radar, electlonic-warfare suite,

sonobuoys, infra-red and electro-opticaldevices as well as magnetic anomaly detec-

tors, could search thousands of square

miles in a typical B-I2 hour patrol. Butgiven the vast oceanic spaces to be cov-

ered, and the intensity of maritime trafficprevalent, the levels of ambiguity remainvery high at sea. Duling hostilities, the

additional challenge of distinguishing war-ship from merchantman and fishing boatfrom submarine periscope adds to the 'fog

of war' which must be penetlated beforethe MR-ASW aircraft launches an attackwith weapons ranging from anti-ship mis-siles to torpedoes and depth charges. It isalso customary for our MR-ASW squadronsto be tasked with the international Search

and Rescue (SAR) commitments in theIndian Ocean Region.

A briel survey ol the maritime scene

18 F0RCE May 2009

brings home not just the extent of India's

stake in the seas around the peninsuia, and

diverse nature of maritime challenges thatface us, but also the enormiry of the taskinvolved in keeping vigil over the vastreaches of the Indian Ocean.

lndian 0cean Security lmperatives

Among many factors that compel the INto deploy MR assets in an endeavour tomaintain a holistic maritime picture of thesurrounding seas, a few are worthy of men-tion here.o A long peninsular coastline studded rvithdeep-water ports, a well-endowed EEZ, a

rich hinterland and island territories onboth seaboards are all valuable assets, andas demonstrated by the events of 26lIlthey also represent i,ulnerabilities. India's

dependence on the sea for food, energy

and minerals will grow in the coming years,

not just because of necessity, but also

because evolving technology will bring itsexploitation rvithin realms of possibility.o With a large merchant fleet, rvhich hasjust crossed nine million GRT; India ranks

l5th amongst seafaring nations. This fleet,

operating out of 12 major and lB4 minorIndian ports carlies about 20 per cent ofour seaborne trade, and as the recent spurtin piratical activity off the Somalian coast

and the Horn of Africa shows, it will needmonitoring and protection, as much inpeace as in r,var.

o India's central location in the IndianOcean, about half way between the Persian

Gulf in the west and the Malacca Strait inthe east, places her in a dominant positionastride vital international sea lanes of com-munication (SLOC). Annually, over 100,000

merchantmen transit these waters, carry-ing cargo worth about a trillion dollars, andany disruption in the supply of commodi-ties - especially energy resources - woulddestabilise economies worldwide. Thiscasts a heavy mantle of responsibility onIndia's shoulders; to maintain vigilanceand ensure stability in the Indian Ocean as

an international obligation.. Low intensity maritime conflict waged

by non-state entities continues to be a grimreality in our region. Such conflicts cutacross state boundaries and require multi-national response. In the coming decacies,

the chailenge of threats such as terrorism,piracy, gun-running and drug smugglingr,vill only grow requiring the cooperativeuse of maritime forces to counter them. Agood example is the role played by MR(backed by sound intelligence) in bringingthe LITE to its knees by interdicting itsmaritime activity in international lvaters.

r ::nally; the past few years have seen.-ehbouring China launch a significant--.:itime build-up which includes a large-.el submarine force, amphibious ship-

--:q. surface escorts and naval aviation.: .erious concern to India is the growing:.-rese force of ballistic missile-armed as

=-- as attack nuclear submarines. There is.-.',' firm evidence that China has also::arked on a construction programme

:- :uild five-six aircraft carriers. A-ll this:.::ages the entry of the Pl,A. Naly into':-= Indian Ocean, and a possible bid at:--rC domination.

-- rhe face of these challenges, the:=:e$'ithal for mounting and sustaining:L--{S\\r in areas of vital concern for

- -::s security interests have remained out, : :=ach of the IN so far.

lr; 1n ;n6't, .-: genesis of MR aviation in India can be:.:ed back to the formation of No.6

: ::adron IAF in I950, equipped with B-24

- . : =:aror bombers, subsequently:::-aced b1.the L-f049 Super Constella-- ,::. er-Air India. A quarter of a century-:=: in 1975, the MR role was transferred,. ::-e rvith the aircraft, from the IAF to thel' :iis1 a long and acrimonious battle

- :.'.i 3e fl ihe t\vo Services.

The Super Constellations, although retro-fitted with belly-mounted radar of \\rW IIvintage, were ill-equipped for maritimeoperations and were, in1977, supplementedby a squadron of five Illyushin-38 MR-ASWaircraft that the IN had already contractedfrom the USSR. The graceful'Connies'rverephased out by 1984, and this squadron re-

equipped, four years later, by eight Tupolev-142 (M) versions of the Soviet long range

bomber, the largest combat aircraft in theworld, modified for the MR-ASW role.

In 1976, the IN had acquired 13 BN-2Britten Norman Islander twin-enginepatrol aircraft from the UK. Equipped witha weather-radar, these simple machineswere deployed for navigation training, fleettasks and coastal MR. By the early 1990s

the license-built twin turbo-prop Dornier-228 light transport aircraft began to beinducted for medium-range MR duties.\A{rile the MR version Dorniers wereequipped with modern surface-searchradar, others were fitted out with multi-rolesensors and converted to the electronic/information warfare (EW/IW) role.

By the turn of the century both the long-range MR-ASW squadrons were facing seri-ous problems, arising from attrition, obso-lescence and serious deficiencies in Russianproduct support. -W4rile it was decided to

progressively phase out the Tu-142s andseek a replacement, the Il-3Bs were ear-marked for a refurbishment and mid-lifeupdate programme in Russia. As it tran-spired, this programme ran into innumer-able delays and problems, and the new Sea

Dragon ASW/EW mission system equippingflve Il-3Bs does not seem to have come up toIN expectations so far. Some incrementalupgrades were also incorporated into theTu-142s with assistance from FIAL.

The Hunt for a Replacement

The degradation in MR-ASW capability ledthe IN to urgently explore alternativeswhich would essentially release them fromRussian clutches; the most obvious onesbeing to seek second hand P-3 Orions fromthe US or Breguet Atlantiques from France.Also available were some less capableDutch, Canadian and French options. For

one reason or another, none seemed to be

working out.The navy's preferred solutionwould have

been an indigenous one, and for this theyapproached FIAL. This PSU had, for manyyears, been exploring the possibility ofundertaking the design or license manu-facture of a medium-range passenger air-craft (whose capacity kept varying between50 and 100 seats) and was keen to involve

May2009 F0RCE 1S

the armed forces in the project. Since mostMR-ASW aircraft are military versions ofairliners, such an option was exactly whatthe IN was looking for, and NHQ outlinedits broad requirements to HAL, for an orderofup to 50 aircraft over 10-15 years.

The conversion of an airliner into a com-bat aircraft essentially entails three majordesign modifications. One is to accommo-date the sensors and antennae either inter'-nally or externally in blisters, pods ordomes. The second is to wire the wings andequip them with hard-points to carry ord-nance. The last and perhaps most complexchange required, is, to create a hydraulical-ly operated rveapons-bay in the belly.

To the nar'y's sincere regret, llAL couldtypically muster neither the interest andenthusiasm, nor perhaps design skills totake up this challenging project of vitalinterest to national security. The IN had nochoice but to resume exploration of thelbreign market.

The P-3 0rion Fiasco

The rvarmth in Indo-US relations that hadproglessively been building up in the post-

Pokhran II phase, appeared to havereached a high plateau around 2004-05,and out of the blue NHQ received anunprecedented offer for sale of surplusLockheed P-3 Orion MR-ASW aircraft. Theoffer appeared to be too good to be tlue;and as we found later - it was!

At this point in time thele lvas a feelingin the Pentagon as well as South Block(both in MEA and MoD) that somethingtangible needed be done in the defencearena to make a much needed symbolic'breakthrough'. Of the three armed forces,the IN-USN relations being the ciosest,the focus naturally turned on NHQ; whichsuited the IN fine.

Consequently, the IN mooted a proposalwith the US Navy and the Pentagon that inorder to hasten matters they should look ata three year dry-lease (rather than sale) ofsome Orions to tide over our currentpredicament. The proposal r'vas receivedenthusiastically since it rvould have notonly boosted defence ties, but also placedthe US in an advantageous position whenthe IN rvent to the market for acquiringsuch ailcraft. Tfto months later', NHQ rvere

disappointed (but not surprised) to beinformed that the US Nar,y could not spareany aircraft.

A little later, it was learnt that some oldmodels of the P-3 had been located, andthe offer was being renewed. However, acloser look at the proposal revealed thatthe lease terms excluded weapons and sen-sors, and NHQ had no choice but to rejectit. Some furious lobbying by the US Nar1,

leadership managed to revive the case onelast time, towards end-2005. This time,NHQ found that the cost of a three-yearlease, calculated by department of defenceaccountants, exceeded the price of a brandnerv aircraft! The matter rvas thereforegiven a quiet burial.

The Future

India's extensive maritime interests andinternational responsibilities, and theemerging hazards of diverse nature in the\rast Indian Ocean demand that a vigil bemaintained on activilies in its \vaters.Countries like Japan and Australia havedeclared a maritime 'cordon sanitaire'around themselves, and enforce it by

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':=:ns of intensive maritime reconnais--.',-e: Japan deploys about 100 P-3 Orions

:--e -{ustralia has out-sourced MR to a

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', e ma1, 161 lave the means or resources

P3 l)rion

to follow suit, but the Indian Nar,y's plansto establish a network-centric operationsmodel will inherently contain a compre-hensive MDA capability with embeddedMR-ASW forces. The nature of traffic and

the threats at sea require the splitting up ofeffort into coastal, medium-range andlong-range patrols; implying capabilitiesembodied by UAVs, twin-engine and multi-engine aircraft respectively, with the num-bers in each category running into highdouble-figures.

One positive outcome of P-3 fiasco was

that the IN request for an entry into theBoeing P-B MR-ASW programme receivedsupport from Pentagon, keen to makeamends. The airborne MR-ASW field repre-sented a golden opportunity for HAL toenter the light/medium transport aircraftbusiness, and for DRDO to embark upondevelopment of airborne sensor andweapon suites. Both missed the bus due totheir self-centred approach, and disinter-est in immediate operational needs of thearmed forces. One can only hope that these

organisations will shed complacency anduse the work-share opportunity presentedby the P-BI Poseidon project to make upsome lost ground. o(Tlrc ruriter is a member of the NationalSeatrity Aduisory Board cmd a former chieJ

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he media impact of 26lII Mumbai attacksmay well have been unprecedented, but interms of actual casualties (I73 killed, 308

injured), it was of lesser dimensions than its now,forgotten predecessors - Mumbai 1993 (1213), theoriginal serial bomb blasts which left 257 killedand 7i3 injured; and Mumbai 2006 (11/7), thesuburban train bombings that left 181 killed and890 injured. By some counts, 26111 was the 33rdmajor terrorist attack in the country since 1993,and the 12th incident of this tlpe specifically tar-geting Mumbai alone. As the old saying goes,"Once is an accident, rwice is a coincidence, butthe third time it's enemy action." The naturalquestion that arises from these attacks is: is Indiafacing a war and who is the enemy?

\rVhatever the answer to that question, 26llIattack has certainly exposed chinks in the coun-try's security systems. However, it is also impor-tant that the shock of Mumbai must not divertattention from the fact that terrorism is only onefacet - albeit major - of an overall threat whose fulldimensions are more extensive. An obsessivefocus on this single incident may dilute or divertattention from other equally dangerous andurgent threats confronting the country. There is aneed to move beyond Mumbai, and address thebroader perspective in a more holistic manner.

To begin rvith, traditional perceptions andmindsets regarding threat perceptions and con-flicts perhaps require a rethink. Consider the issueof nuclear weapons, which are now generally con-sidered solely as instruments of deterrence ratherthan war-fighting, with possibilities of nuclearconflict more or less dismissed out of hand as

unfounded panic-mongering, bordering on theabsurd. Nuclear weapons come packaged forblackmail and coercion, as well as nuclear terror-ism and black marketing of nuclear materials andtechnologies, which can all escalate tension.However, the rise of radical quasi-state entitieslike the Taliban, Iihadi multinationals like al

Qaeda, and the spread of fundamentalist religiousideologies in Pakistan have introduced new reali-ties in South Asia where the possibility of roguenuclear establishments ideologically linked toJihadi elements in the armed forces responsiblefor safeguarding Pakistan's nuclear arsenal can noIonger be discounted as total fantasy. Hence, thetraditional soothing nostrums may require revi-sion in the context of emerging realities. It is alsowell to remember that like the forbiddenBrahmastra of Hindu mytholog],, nuclear

weapons too are ultimately weapons, and henceal\vays potentially usable.

Also, a new feature has entered into the old-style conventional wars generally between stateparties, rvhich are usually played dovm and dis-counted. 'Non-state actors' of yore, Iihadis andinsurgents, have graduated to the status of quasi-state entities, organised and powerful enough toconfront established governments; bring themdou'n or force them back. In this context, perhapsthe tin"re has also come to acknowledge that thetidal n'ar,e of crime rvithin the country - organisedas rvell as unorganised - can now be taken on-board as a groning component of the nationalthreat perspective. Terror is a noxious effluentcommon to both terrorism and organised crime,n'hich is graduall-v overrvhelming the forces of lawand order in large parts ofthe country, holding thelife, safeh-, property and honour of communitiesliteralll'to ransom. To the common citizen, theneed to control crime can at times acquire moreurgencY than to fight terror; until, as it sometimesdoes become a moot point to determine whichone constitutes the more immediate threat. Therehave aln'a)'s been strong linkages between politicsand crime, rvith political-criminal-terrorism rein-forcing each other to achieve common objectives;and hence a determined effort to combat crime as

part of civil governance will undoubtedly have itscorresponding effect on fighting terrorism as well.

The Kargil Review Committee was the first for-mal and comprehensive post-Independencerevie\r' of India's national security systems. TheCommittee's report, submitted in 2000, urged a

thorough reappraisal and overhaul of the securi-tv systems, based on which the government ofIndia established a Group of Ministers (GoM) inApril 2000, who in turn set up four mission-ori-ented Task Forces headed by eminent specialiststo revielv specific aspects of national security inthe areas of intelligence apparatus, internalsecurity, border management, and defence. TheTask Forces made many recommendations,some of fundamental significance, others rela-tively mundane and routine. However, many ofthese fundamental changes could not be imple-mented due to the failures of political andadministrative systems; resistance to changewithin the bureaucratic ruling classes, involun-tarily reinforced by 'terrain friction' within thedefence services themselves.

Prominent amongst these aborted launcheswere the recommendations for a Chief of Defence

The Morning AfterLessons to be learnt and put into practice, especially after Mumbai 26/11

I Gen. Shankar

Roychowdhury (retd)

It is important that

the shock of Mumbai

must not divert atten-

tion from the fact

that terrorism is only

one facet, albeit

major, of an overall

threat whose full

dimensions are more

extensive. An obses-

sive focus on this sin-

gle incident may

dilute or divert atten-

tion from other equal-

ly dangerous and

urgent threats con-

fronting the country.

There is a need to

move beyond Mumbai

22 F0RCE l\4ay 2009

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Staff, and functional merger of service anddefence ministry headquarters. The Task

Forces also drew specific attention to theIndian nuclear weapons programme andits decision-making process, remarkingthat successive prime ministels had keptthis as a private dialogue outside the r,vhole

formaiised process of government, lvhichonly a small group of confidantes werepri\y to, and liom rvhich the defence forces

in particular had been kept rigidly andnoticeably excluded. The Task Force rec-

ommended the publication of a WhitePaper on the subject, rvhich has also notseen the light of day.

India's national security apparatus is

generally patterned on that of the UnitedStates, rvith necessary variations for theCabinet system of decision-making. Likeall structures, physical or organisational, itdoes require peliodic refurbishment andupgradation, rvhich has to extend to attitu-dinal overhauls as rve1l. In organisationalmetaphor, the current state of the seculitymechanism in India resembles a pent-house apar-tment supported on precariousjerry-rigged bamboo scaffblding. Thus, at

tl.re penthouse level of the Central govern-

ment, the requisite instrumentalities ofgeo-political and strategic decision-mak-ing have been put in place since l99B afterthe nuclear tests at Pokhran, including aCabinet Committee on Security headed bythe Prime Minister, suppolted by a

National Seculity Advisory Boald headedby a National SecurityAdvisor, and an over-lapping Nuclear Command Authority forhandling nuclear policy. It is procedurallysatisfactorl', but its inner rvorkings on for-mulation of national security doctrineshave to be calibrated and optimised.Needless to say that the recommendationsof the Kalgit Committee Task Forces shouldbe implemented as early as possible,notabiy in respect of a genuine integrationof Service Headquarters and the ministryof defence, rather than the shoddy bureau-cratic subterfuge adopted at present.'fheimbroglio over the Chief of Defence Staffalso needs to be satisfactolily resolved, butthe biggel fear is that even if these issues

are somehow addressed and even resolved,the outcome will be so trvisted and mis-shapen by internal pulls and pressures

from a variety of sources within the estab-lishment that the spirit and objective of theoliginal proposals may become rvarped. Ithas to realised, that in the intensely politi-cised environment prevailing in the coun-try, the ultimate factor in all decisions

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May 2009 F()RCE 23

affecting national security has to be itsdomestic acceptability. Even otherwise,Iogical and straightforward issues withregard to national security, obviously in thenational interest, may still end up as unac-cepted because of vocal opposition fromsectarian or ideological lobbies.

But the real black hole in national securi-ty lies at the level of the states, the bambooscaffolding supporting the penthousecomplex. Security architectures at state

level are utterly rickety and indeed barelyfunctional, creating structural contradic-tions at the very primary levels. The organ-isational building blocks for holisticnational systems are all available, butuntidily strewn like children's toys, ofwhich some pieces may even have been

misplaced. Deficiencies in security organi-sations at state level rvere on public dispiayin the confusion and incoherence ofresponses in the single state affected byMumbai 26111, rvhich can safely be takenas representative of affairs in other states as

well. Under the Seventh Schedule of Article246 of the Constitution of India, the states

of the Union hold the constitutionalresponsibility for preservation of 'publicorder' rvhich is the corner stone of internalsecuriry. States are the base-plates of thefederal system of national governance, andrequire to be seamlessly incorporated intoan overall securiry edifice designed andconstructed from the foundationsupwards, a basic principle which has neverbeen consciously adhered to since inde-pendence. State governments require to be

closely connected with the CentraiGovernment and resources and capabili-ties at both levels integrated into a vertical-ly patterned overall system combiningboth bird's and worm's eye views. \.A,Ihat is

really necessary is a basic change at state

level to a generally laid-back mofussil workculture. It is undoubtedly a steeply uphilltask, but one iong overdue, without whichno amount of reorganisation, refurbish-ment or modernisation will be effective. No

improvement will be possible without an

energetic, enlightened, and indeed pro-active political leadership at state levelwhich has traditionally been reallyinvolved or even concerned about issues ofoverall national security. As things stand,

the weakest girder of the system is theinability or reluctance of state govern-ments till date to undertake their constitu-tional responsibilities as an integral com-ponent of the national security system,

ascending from the basic grassroots.

24 F0RCE May 2009

The main resources with state govern-

ments are their state police and intelli-gence bureaux, along with the civil defenceforces comprising home guards, firebrigades, medical infrastructure and otherspecialised components. Of necessity, it isthe state police which has to be the leadagency as immediate responders to inter-nal crises or emergency, but it must always

be kept in mind that rvith a police-to-pop-ulation ratio of 0.956207 police per 1000

persons, India takes the runners up place

amongst the least policed countries in thelvorld (the world title for this dubious hon-our going to Costa Rica!). It is also no news

that state police forces and intelligenceagencies in h.rdia have been systematicallymisused ever since Independence, to ser\re

the agendas of the political parties inporver, leading to a general degradation ofprofessional, ethical and moral standards.Another glaring shortcoming in thisrespect in ail states across the board is thestandards of personal leadership and moti-vation. The degeneration in police stan-

dards brought about by politicians seems

irreversible, and should be a matter of huge

concern, because without a credible policeforce, security issues will never be full-v

under control.The humble thana or local police station

is the basic and critical institution in the

internal security system, but the very large

majority across the country are grossly

understaffed, and manned by police n'hoare under-equipped, ill-trained and demo-tivated. This is the weakest link in theupwards chain, and puts the entire nation-al security effort on the wrong foot at thevery outset. This is unfortunate, becausegiven the necessary inputs and impetus,there is no reason why selected units ofpolice forces cannot perform as rapid reac-

tion special forces just like designatedSpecial Task Forces, Special OperationalGroups, Greyhounds, commandos, SWAT(Special Weapons and Tactics, Americanpolice) or any other. Police Special Forces

in the initial stages at Mumbai, might rvellhave succeeded in containing or eliminat-ing some or all the terrorists, before the sit-uation escalated with the passage of time.By all accounts, there has been no dearth ofresource allotments to states for refulbish-ment of police forces but the majority have

not utilised them for the intended purpose.There is no police force with national juris-diction on the lines of the AmericanFederal Bureau of Investigation. The so

called Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

is really a paramilitary constabulary, with-out investigative capabilities or prosecut-ing authority, which in any case functionsunder directions of the state governmentswherever deployed, and subject to many ofthe same handicaps as the local policeforces. There is also the Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI), originally designed forwhite collar crimes, not operationally ori-ented or culturally attuned for hard edged

criminal/terrorist investigations, and also

requires permission from State

Governments before being deployed with-in their domain. Its functioning is restrict-ed by the many procedural and iegalrestrictions. The recently institutedNational Investigative Agency Act 2008

hurriedly prepared after the 26111 attacks

and rushed through as part of the 'newlook' policy of the nerv Home Minister,cannot Vet be visualised as'India's FBI'.

Effective crisis management is anintensely netrvork-centric activity based ona national net\\'ork of command, controland coordination centers interlinked andintegrated from district headquarters tothe nationai capital, where the Ministry ofHome Affairs could possibly be designatedas the apex nodal agency at national level.

Corresponding security structures at state

government level in parallel with those at

the central government have to be devel-

oped as part of integrated national securi-

ry such as State Committee for SecuriryState Securitv Advisory Board as well as a

State Security Advisor. But the ultimatesolution lies in changes to the Seventh

Schedule ofArticle 246 ofthe Constitutionof India, either transferring Public Order tothe Concurrent List, or, creating a new sub-ject of Internal Security on the Central Listof the same schedule. Its scars are still rela-tively fresh but fading, but action to estab-

lish such an infrastructure along with itshuman resources needs to be taken whilevestiges of the impetus still remain.

Intelligence is another national securityshortcoming repeatedly highlighted aftereach major strike, whether terrorist or mil-itary, as was very evident in the failure to

prevent the 26111 attacks or Kargil i999,besides other terrorist incidents. This was

one of the issues specially examined by a

special Kargil Committee Task Force. Theirrecommendations do not appear to have

taken seriously, given the series of success-

ful jehadi attacks since 1993. Many of therecommendations pertain to basic short-comings that have been around for a longtime and are well known. \A,hile intelli-

-r :- gathering using technical systems--:-:llNT) is beyond the capabilities of-: :irte apparatus and must rest with the, ::al authorities, Human Intelligence:,'l.ll\T) should have become the basic

. -::--qih of state level police and intelli-- , --: establishments, but surprisingly this

- :: irot generally appear to be the case.

:::' again the thana or police station:-.-: back into the picture as the primary.:iion center for HUMINT at locai

: .:ds to district and beyond for collec-- :,rllation and analysis, which is again a

: lacuna in the system.

-: 11 also demonstrated that while-:::ral security of the country's territorial

- - r.iaritime frontiers might be the pri-- :. iesponsibility of the Central govern-

- r.:. the governments and the civil--:-,ristrations of coastal and border

- :i Also have a special responsibility in. :.gard. Border and coastline districts

- - ---;e special attention from their states:.':ms of additional policing, surveil-

--,: orrd intelligence coverage to create a

,-1. :iop security zone in the proximate.=:land of the international border or

-r.r,rre coastal waters being manned by: ::-r Security Force (BSF) or the Coast

.:i. -\t present, illegal migrants or infil--, :s have to merely negotiate a thinly

::-',',.atched line of border outposts on.. : or coast guard patrols at sea, before

--:ssfully reaching a network of safe

-.es and sanctuary amongst elements of'. -rdian population in close depth ofthe::ir. as is fiequently experienced on the

Indo-Bangladesh border. Ifstate policing is

properly implemented in the border dis-tricts, an additional border security zone is

created in depth, which can break theactivities of foreign agents, guides, srnug-glers and other criminal elements tvhofacilitate illegal immigration, infiltrationand criminal activities in these areas. Thisproblem is particularly acute along theextended stretches of the Indo-Bangladeshborder, where border fencing has not -vetbeen carried out.

Naxalite militancy has taken root overlarge stretches of the Indian heartlandspread over several states, (165 districts in 14

states by some counts) which has tlrro\\in upissues of multi-state jurisdiction of statepolice forces, an issue not encounteredbefore. Jammu and Kashmir is a single-stateinsurgency, rvhile in the North East, rvherelocal insurgencies also extend across multi-ple states, jurisdiction is not a problem forthe Indian Army lvhich is the lead agencythere. However, in the case of Naxaliteextremism, the Ministry of Home Affairs(MFIA) is experimenting with a new andindeed somewhat perplexing concept,under which Naxalite violence is to be dealtwith by state police forces as a larv and orderissue in each of the affected states, withinter-state cooldination through mutualconsultations. State police forces are handi-capped by their inability to foilow upextremist groups who often move intoneighbouring states to escape police pres-

sure. Hence, if state police forces are to func-tion as lead agencies in anti-militant opera-tions, operational logic indicates the

requirement for multi-state'special securityzones' to allow them the required opera-tional freedom. The alternate could be a

Central force with multi-state jurisdictionlike the CRPF to function as the lead agencyon the pattern of theArmyin the North East.

In times of crises, our politicians gener-ally revert to reflexive knee jerk statementssuch as Aar Paar ki Ladai' or All OptionsAre Open', verbal flatulence which betraystheir essential ignorance of strategic reali-ties. India is definitely capable of offensiveaction and'surgical strikes' onto any targetin the Pakistani heartland, but the politicalleadership must also understand andaccept the possibility of escalation into ageneral Indo-Pak war with the potential ofcrossing an indeterminate'nuclear thresh-old'. This is a risk factor inherent inresponses to terrorism which have to becalibrated accordingly. But this also serves

as a convenient fig leaf for the politicalleadership to rationalise and take recourseto the traditional Indian inclination forcompromise and dialogue even under themost severe provocations, in the traditionof 1962 during the time of Panchsheel andthe Se la, 1999 and the Kandahar hijackingof IndianAirlines IC 184,2001 orthe attackon the Indian Parliament, and nowMumbai 26l11. Capability for appropriateretaliation is an essential part of nationalsecurity strategy and it is surely insuffer-able to al1ow India, with its ambitions for a

permanent seat on the Security Council ofthe United Nations, to be taunted andhumiliated with impunity without fear ofretribution. If circumstances precludeimmediate conventional counter-action,then those at the helm of affairs in Indiarvill definitely have to seriously considerother alternatives, amongst which couldbe the 'Long War' - a defensive shield ofintensive homeland defence employing allpossible resources, state as well as central,with a covert plausibly deniable sword (or

possibly dagger) offensive of'death by a

thousand cuts' targeting the military-ISl-jehadi establishment in Pakistan. Lessonsfrom Mumbai26lll should be clear, espe-

cially to our politicians - until the countrydevelops the capability and the will torespond in kind against terror attacks, aphilosophy of 'turn the other cheek' willremain a compulsion for India under allcircumstances.

Meanwhile, whatever happens, Indiashould prepare for a long, hot summerahead. I(The writer is a fonner Chief of Anny Staff)

May 2009 F0RCE 25

Pushed to the EdgeUS mulling formal nuclear weapons status for Pakistan

r Pravin Sawhney

he Indian media and experts failed tograsp an important purpose of therecent visit (April B) of the US Special

Representative for Afghanistan andPakistan, Richard Holbrooke, and the US

Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, AdmiralMike Mullen to New Delhi after their'stopovers in Kabul and Islamabad. The t$'omet the National Security Advisor, NI.K.

Narayanan and the foreign secretary', Shiv

Shankar Menon amongst other officialsand debriefed them selectively about theirtalks rvith the Afghani and Pakistani leader-ship. Later at the media interaction, an

Indian reporter, based upon reports from

the US and Pakistani media, ask the duo ifthe US ."vas considering a nuclear deal forPakistan similar to the one rvith lndia. Thiswas an easy question, and Holbrooke'sresponse was an emphatic no. fhe rightquestion rvould have been rvhether the US

n'as norking to legitimising Pakistan'snuclear \veapons status, for this is precise-

l], n'hat is being done, rvith far-reachingoperational implications for India.

The US' biggest \\'orrlr is Pakistan'snuclear \\,eapons lalling in the u'ronghands. This fear is accentuated bv US

experts rvho rvorry that Pakistan is headedtorvards becoming a failed state and, if nothelped, may disintegrate in six-months to ayear's time. After the exit of President

Pervez Musharraf, it is evident that theNational Command Authodty, having civil-ian leadership as members, has beenrvrapped up. The command and control ofPakistan nuclear weapons is with the armychief, General Ashfaq Kayani and is exer-cised through the Strategic Plans Divisionheaded by Lt Gen. Khalid Kidwai. Thisarrangement is not institutionalised and isdependent on Kayani's men. Consideringthat the Pakistan Army has become a roguearm)r \vith a proven capability to fight a

conventional and irregular (terrorism) warat the same time, it is perfectly possible forthe Taliban, u'ho have deep-rooted linksn'itl.r the ISI, to get hold of nuclear\feapons. Once done, all that remains is for

Asian LoopUS Special Enuoy for Pakistan

US Envoy for AfPak Richard Holbrooke'swrapped his three-nation, five-day tour ofAfghanistan, Pakistan and India earlierthis month. Even before the diplomatarrived in New Delhi, the press was abuzzwith thaw setting in the Indo-US rela-tions, of Pakistan's ISI chief snubbingHolbrooke by refusing to meet him.Holbrooke, who arrived late on April 6 inNew Delhi, met National Security AdvisorM. K. Narayanan and foreign secretaryShivshankar Menon during his visit.Addressing the press here in New Delhi,he said, "Regional challenges requireregional solutions. Military power alone ispowerless. Civil-military integration isvery important for good governance andgood leadership is absolutely vital. We

cannot settle Afghanistan and many otherworld problems without India's fullinvolvement." Holbrooke was accompa-nied by US Chairman of Joint Chiefs ofStaff Admiral Mike Mullen. Recollectingthat the region has a great deal of com-mon in terms of history, its past, betweenAfghanlstan-Pakistan and Paksitan-India,Holbrooke said that it is the first timesince the partition of the two countriesthat they along with US face a common

26 F()RCE May 2009

and Afghanistan uisits India

threat. "For the first time since partitionIndia, Pakistan and the United States are

facing a common threat and a commonchallenge...but now that we face a com-mon threat, we must work together and inthe centre of that area is Pakistan."

Reacting to the media reports in Indiathat ISI's chief had refused to meetHolbrooke, the envoy said it was not true."We met the ISI chief in Pakistan and hadelaborate discussions with him." He also

went to great lengths to stress that his visitto India was to inform the officials in NewDelhi and not anything else.

"Let me just be clear on my one rvordanswer. We did not come here to ask theIndians to do anlthing. We came here toinform about our trips (to Afghanistan andPakistan) as we always do and to get theirviews. We did not come here with anY

requests," said Holbrooke.Referring to his meeting with Indian

Ambassador to Afghanistan Iayant Prasadin Kabul, Holbrooke said, "Issues inAfghanistan and other issues can't be set-tled without India's full involvement andtheir own expressions of views, whenMullen and I met Ambassador Prasad inKabul, he outlined India's assistance plan

for Afghanistan. And the plan is impres-sive." The envoy said that India's efforts tobring economic stabiliry match with simi-lar US plans.

Holbrooke, a former President of theAsia Society for seven years, said he was

not in the region to negotiate India-Pakistan relationship, which "we woke upto see the TV that is what we are supposedto be doing." Asked if US was considering a

nuclear deal with Pakistan on similar linesas US, Holbrooke said the issue did notcome up for talks. "We continue to seek astable regime in Pakistan and my discus-sions throughout have focussed on that,"he said.

Explaining the US' AfPak policy, thediplomat said that, in the new administra-tion under Obama spent first seven weeks

on developing a strategy and is in thebeginning of the implementation stage.

Both Holbrooke and Mullen stressed thattheir India visit was regarding this veryimplementation process and they wereencouraged by the fact that India and US

shared some plans for Afghanistan, andthe visit would promote coordination inthose plans. o

Vidhi Upadhyay

I

{i,':='

==-Er.*

.r' terrorists to activate the timer of the--lclear \'\reapon and walk alvay The situa-

'n is grave for the US as the Pakistan

':nv has refused Washington's help in-:'.-rlring its nukes for fear that they may

:-iall some hidden technology to control.-ease of their ultimate arsenal' This is not

- . -{ccording to US reports quoting senior

::lcials, Pakistanis have hidden their

-.clear arsenal in scattered undelground'.^nkets to avoid Washington's scrutiny'

'.1 ,reover, Pakistan, rvith Plutonium pro-

,-.ction, is making a new generation of

:npact nukes which are sn-raller rvith bet-

.: r'ields than the earlier ones based on-:.rnium fissile material. The Bush admin-- :ation since the end of 2006, r'r'hen it

:horised limited US air strikes inside

,r ,.i:tan's tribal areas by CIA operatives,

-,. grappling'"vith the problerr of how to-.:itutionalise Pakistan nukes' seculity'' -ili the Obama administration, having

---;ided to disregard the Durand Line for'

: itan'operations and conduct air strikes

parts of NWFP and Baluchistan, the

:iitmarish scenario of Pakistani nukes

-,ching the terrorists has acquired alalm-

ing proportions.The ideal answer fbr the US is to provide

Pakistan rvith Permissive Action Links or

PALs technology, rvhich rvill ensure that

only a small authorised group rvhich knon's

the secret cocles can detonate a nuclear

weapon. Anyone lvho does not know the

codes and does guessrvork lvill after a ferv

false attempts, disable the nuclear lveapon

permanently. As the Pakistanis do not $'ant

the US scientists to fix PALs on their nukes,

the Pakistani scientists rvould have to be

trained in the US on hor'v to fix PALs them-

selves on the nukes. There are, ho'"vever,

trvo problems rvith this approach. The first

and the more important legal one from the

US perspective is that giving PALs to

Pakistan is against US domestic larv:

Pakistan's nuclear weapons status is not

legitimised. The reason rvhy Pakistan can-

not be considerecl for a similar nuclear deal

that the US did rvith India is because it does

not serve US' non-proliferation objectives'

lndia's nuclear \veapons progt'atnme is an

off-shoot of its civilian nuclear pro-

gramme, and hence by seeking a separa-

tion of its civilian and military nuclear

reactors under the supervision of the IAEA'

the US is in a good position to monitor and

thereby control India's nuclear weapons'

activities. This cannot be done i'r'tithPakistan as its nuclear programme is solely

for rveapon purposes.

Even as the US is considering on how to

legitimise Pakistan's nuclear u/eapons sta-

tus by other methods, the travelling of

Pakistani scientists to US laboratories to

understand functioning of PALs and their

eventual handover to the Pakistan Army

rvould not remain hidden from India' IfIndia is not put into this picture well in

time, this rvould have implications forgrorving Indo-US relations' Thus, a key

purpose of the two senior Obama officials

in meeting the NSA in New Delhi rvas to

apprise him about what options

Washington has been mulling over tosecure Pakistan's nukes. New Delhi's official

response rvill only be available after a nert'

government is sr'vorn in by end-May'

Hor'vever, should this happen, it would

disadvantage the Indian armecl forces tur'-

ther in a conventional wat rvith Pakistan'

India has a nuclear no-first-use policy and

May 2009 F0RCE 27

:',:.,$oldier$:,sJ Afghan.

' flational lrmy

r'"'_4- 3*--':r?trt*!&l.'v

_&;*''1:.

.t::-- "* * -'1--" *:;a--'+-5'-.f*?a,*:c :;,

."- "q* .-1* t "t.. - "-€! _$.-*.. :,::

.igqii':1'. ',.consequently has ruled out acquisition ofTactical Nuciear Weapons (TNWs).Pakistan, on the other hand, has a nuclearfirst-use policy and is known to possess

TNWs (technology acquired from China).As TNW have sub-kiloton nuclear yieldswhich rvould result in limited area devas-tation, they are certainly useable in battle-field conditions rvhere, let's say, in a giventheatre, Indian armed forces manage to,wittingly or unrvittingly, cross Pakistansnuclear threshold. Moreover, as bothcountries do not have a formalised nuclearcontrol and verification centre, the temp-tation for Pakistan to stop an Indian thrustrvith TNW would be great. Hor,vever, fbrthis to happen, Pakistani operationalforces in the field must have TNW rviththem well in advance once the war isjoirred betr'r,een India and Pakistan. Thisl'ras been the rub for General Headquartelsin Ran alpindi: rvhat if someone inPakistani field forces rvith Taliban iinkages,as the latter rvould also fight against Indiashoulder-to-shoulder rvith regular forces,hands ovel TNIV to unauthorised persons?The ansrver to this dilemma would befound in PALs, as orrly the authorised per-sons rvould be able to activate the nukes.Thus, the Pakistan Army r'r'ould be moreconfident of using its TNWs secured rvitlrPakistani-PALs. Converselv, the h.rdian

28 F0RCE lVlay 2009

\ ---\ r:----S:: .; .'j5

Army rvill be severely disadvantaged.

The lndian StopoverIn Nerv Delhi, Holbrooke said that theObama administration rvanted Indo-USrelations to include 'regional and globalstrategic issues' to go beyond the bilateralrelationship. As Holbrooke's brief is lirnitedto Afghanistan and Pakistan (AfPak), get-ting India onboard should be difficult as

Washingtons AfPak policy is premised onrveakness and not strength. Horv else can itbe explained that Pakistan as a'disinteglat-ing' nation is actuall-v placing conditionson the US for its help in eliminating terror'-ist and extremists from its soil? Probabll,,the most audacious one is the recerrt callmade by Pakistan's ambassador in the USHussain Haqqani, that military and non-militaly aid to Pakistan should beenhanced to US30 billion dollars from theoffered USt0 billion dollars. Earlier, thePakistan Army l.rad put two conditions forits role in AfPak; that US should tell India toreduce its troops on the Line of Control(and the US should mediate on theKashmir resolution), and India should cur-tail its role in Afghanistan. Speaking for hisarmy, President Asif Ali Zardari has saidthat the US should provide the PakistanArmyrvith armed drones and night fightingcapabilities, and ir.rtelligence to fight ter-

rorists and extremists within its sovereigntellitolies. It is evident that the PakistanArmy does not agree with the US' estimatethat its nation is coming apart.

Why is it so? Three reasons: One, an armytrained to use its ISI-aided terrorists(lihadis) as its first line of offence in a con-ventional war with India cannot undertakecounter-terrorism operations against itsorvn elements. Hence, the ruse of askingUS' assistance to resolve the Kashmir issue.(Resolving the Kashmir issue should beIndla's prioriry but it should not be doneunder any outside pressure). TWo, the ISIhas links with the Afghani Taliban and byextension with al Qaeda as it hopes to havea role in a future Taliban government inAfghanistan. And three, while the PakistaniTaliban headed by Baitullah Mehsud are

creating mayhem in Pakistan's Punjabprovince, their ultimate demand, if agreed,rvould help the Pakistan Army as well.Mehsud is asking for stoppage of US airstlikes on Pakistani territories, and seekingpeace deals in FATA like the one in the Swat

region of N\.&TB which is inimical to theUS. Thus, Washington may do well torevierv its AfPak policy, which at present,appears to be rewarding Pakistan for all itsmisdeeds. If this continues, the US AfPakpolicy will do little good to bilateral rela-tions betrveen India and the US. o

\,)=tr" .,-n"----&r*.

lollorved the round of competitive evalua-

tions conducted by the Pakistan Army ofthe A-100E and the competing NORINCO-built AR-z, another 300mm MBRL also ofChinese origin. The A-100E comprises a

Iaunch vehicle, and reloading vehicle andcommand-and-control vehicles, all ofrvhich are mounted on the WS-2400 BxB

wheeled chassis (the same truck also torvs

the launcher for the Babur multi-rolecruise missiie). A11 l0 r'ockets, each

equipped r'vith a 200kg rvarhead, can be

fired rvithin 60 seconds out to a range of100km, and it can be reloaded in 20 min-utes. The NORINCO-built AR-Z NIBRL, onthe other hand, has 12 launch tubcs fromr'vhich rockets armed rvith a rvide variety ofwarheads are fired. The rvarhead optionsfor the A-100E include fragmentation sub-munitions lvarhead, anti-tank nine scat-

tering rvarhead, shaped-charge fragrnen-tation submunitiot-ts r'r,arhead, separableHE-fragmentation r'varhead, tuel-airexplosive rvarhead, and HE-fragmentationr'varhead. The target acquisition ar-rd fire-control system elements include tl-re

CETC-built 702D meteorological r-aclar sta-

tion and SLC-2 \&T-R.

The NORINCO-built SH-1 motorised

Playing Catch-UpPakistan Army to

t Prasun K. Sengupta

etermined to maintain its alreadycornmanding lead in the arena of long-range field artillery over its Indian

.rnterpart, the Pakistan Army is gearing

-: ro ir-rduct into service tr,vo Regiments (or.. iaunchers) of the lO-barrel, 300mm A-

rE rnulti-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL)

-:'i its related ground-based fire-control- .:enls from China's China Precisionl.,lirinery Import-Export Corp (CPMIEC)

.r CETC. Also being acquired are approxi-'.-...ielr' 90 SH- I l55mm/52-calibre- iorised horvitzers from NORINCO of

: .:a, plus three Regiments of the, l.llEc-built HQ-9 long-range suface-to-

:rissile (LR-SAM) system (these being- -:uired by the Pakistan Air Force, or PAF),

: .e f}om Ukraine the Pakistan Army willr lcquiring about 400 T-84U rnain battle. .is (NIBT) off-the-shelf.-: rtas during the visit last October to..:ra of Pakistan's Chief of Arm-y Staff,.-:reral Ashfaq Parvez Kayani that

- ,:ritbad and Beijing inked the contracts: :ire lnitial 36 A-100Es and trvo CETC-

.r SI.C-2 passive phased-array weaponsriing radars (WLR), plus the SH-ls. This

induct 36 launchers of the L}-barrel, 300mm A- l00E MBRL

155mm/52-calibre horvitzer underrventextensive mobility and fireporver trials inDecember 2007 in Pakistan's NorthernAreas, and undern'ent similar lield trialslast June in the Thar Desert. The SH-l can

fire rocket-assistedV-LAP projectiles out to53km, as r,vell as laser-guided projectileslike NORINCO's 'Red Mud' and KBP

Instrument Design Bureau's Krasnopol-M2. The SH-I can also fire base-bleed155mm rounds out to 42.skm, and its truckchassis houses a fibre-optic gyro-basednorth positioning-cum-navigation system,

battiespace management system,autonolT10us orientation-cum-muzzlevelocity radar, gun loader's display-cum-ramming control box, ammunition boxhousing 25 rounds (of seven differentrypes) and their modular chalges, and a

netr,vork-centric artillery file direction sys-

tem. A complete SH-l Regiment comprises24 SH-1s, four Battery Command Post

vehicles, one Battalion Command Post

vehicle, one road-mobile CETC-built lY-30C-band meteorological radar, four 6xG

rvheeled reconnaissance vehicles, and an

S-band CEI'C-built Type 904-1 artillerylocating-cum-fire correction radar. Earlier,

on September 9, 2007 the Pakistan Army

-..!

:',.;;:.t1. ,:

:;!i:;! t ': q'.fl

May 2009 F0RCE 29

accepted at its Nowshera-based School ofArtillery the first of twelve l8-tonne T-155Panter I55mm/S2-calibre torved howitzersfrom Turkey's state-owned Machines andChemical Industry Board (MKEK). ThePanter was co-developed in the lateNineties by MKEK and SingaporeTechnologies Kinetics. For producing the155mm family of munitions, WahCantonment-based Pakistan OrdnanceFactories (POF) has teamed up witl.r SouthKorea's Poongsan and on April 12 last year,General Kayani symbolically received thefirst lot of licence-assembled K-307 BB-HEand K-310 155mm BB dual purpose impro-vised conventional munitions (DPICM)Ammunition from POF Chairman PakistanLt Cen Syed Sabahat Hussain.

l'he three HQ-9 LR-SAM Regirnents arebeing procured for the alr defence of staticstrategic targets that may be targetted bV

India's BrahMos supersonic muiti-rolecruise missiles. The HQ-9 rvas jointly devel-oped by CPMIEC, the ChinaAerospace Science & IndustryCorp (CASIC), and the Shaanxil'lanhe Industry Group. Series-ploduction of the l0Okm-rangeLR-SAM rounds ls being under-taken at the Gui Yang-basedGuizhou Aerospace IndustryCompany Ltd, rvhile the TWS-312engagement control centre (ECC)

and its SJ-231 missile guidancesystem and the TWS-312 AirDefence Command System'sBattery Control Centre (thatincludes the C-band HT-233 pas-sive phased-arlay tracking-cum-engagement radar from whichthe SLC-2 \,VLR is derived) areseries-produced by the Xi'an-based Shaanxi Tianhe IndustryGroup. All elements of the HQ-9re-mounted on TAS-5380 BxB

heavy-cluty cross-countly vehi-cles. The HT-233 radar carries outairspace search, target detection,target track. identification. mis-sile tracking, missile guidanceand electronic counter-counter-measures (ECCM) functions. TheHT-233 radar is automaticallycontrolled by a digital \veaponscontrol computer housed rvithinthe ECC, and cable link is used toconnect the Sl-231 to the T'WS-312, rvhich is the only mannedstation in a I{Q-9 Battery and itprovides the human interface for

30 F0RCE lVlay 2009

control of all automated functions. TheECC communicates with all HQ-9 FireUnits as well as rvith highel-echelon com-mand headquarters, and has on board anAir Situation Display console and TrackingDisplay console that adopts customisedBITE technologies, and has embeddedsimulated trainlng softrvare for engagingmore than 100 airborne targets in variousflight profiles, all of which can be used foropcrational training in peacetime. The HT-233, operating in the 300MHz bandrvidth,has a detection range of l50km and track-ing range of 100km. The radar antenna has4,000 active ferrite phase shifters. It candetect targets in azimuth (360') and eleva-tion (0' to 65"). It can simultaneouslyengage more than 50 targets when used inconjunction with a Brigade-level ECC(lvhich can handle automatic command-and-control of three subordinate HQ-9Regiments). In some cases a HQ-9 Fire Unitreceives early warning of hostile

ballistic/cruise missile launchs (launches),along with direction and time-of-arrivaldata. Target engagement can be carried outby the HI-233 in manual, semi-automaticor automatic mode. When the decision hasbeen made to engage the target, the ECCselects the Launch Battery or Batteries tobe used and pre-launch data is transmittedto the selected missile via microwave line-of-sight data links. The target position datais dorvnloaded to the missile to aid the mis-sile's target acquisition. After launch, themissile is acquired by the HT-233 radar.The missile's track command up-link anddorvn-link between the missile and the HT-233 allows the missile's flight to be moni-toled and provides missile guidance com-mands from the ECC's weapons controlcomputer. As the missile approaches thetarget, the active radar-based terminalguidance svstem on the missile is activatedand the missile is steered torvard the target..\s the missile's closest approach to the

missile is reached (50 metres), a

RF proximity fuze detonates thedirectional high-explosive blastfragmentation rvarhead. The mis-sile's engagement zone is

betlveen 300 metres and 50km interms of altitude, ,"vhile it has aslant range of between 7km and100km, and a maximum speed of1,600 metres/second.

The HQ-9 Fire Unit can deployin three ways: the vehicle mode,the trailer mode, and the stand-alone mode. It carries four ready-to-fire missiles, and is capable ofremote operations. The two-stageLR-SAM is'cold-launched' verti-cally from a tubular launcher. Themissile s first stage has a diameterof 700mm while the second stagehas a diameter of 560mm. Thetotal launch mass is two tonnes,whiie the missile's length is ninemetres. It is armed with a t8OkgHE fragmentation warhead andhas a maximum speed of Mach4.2.The missile's guidance mech-anism comprises initial inertialnavigation, radio command mid-coulse correctiOn, and active ter-minal guidance. Wihen in rangefor an effective lock-on rvith theon-board X-band monopulseradar, the terminal guidancephase, lasting 20km, gets under-way. For iong-range target acqui-sition and tracking, the Jiangsu

A1 (l(lE MBRL

IPanter

I:rvince-based Nanjing Researchr.iitute of Electronic Technology (NRIET,

: --: also more commonly known as the

-:h Institute) has co-developed with-:TC the road-mobileYLC-2V S-band 3-D:-:>Dace surveillance radar (six of which.:= being acquired by the PAF), which has

- :rarimum range of 450km, a maximum:..rlution of 0.5 metres, and can scan a 0-

-,-degree arc in azimuth and 0-90

-:itces in elevation.-r all its deployment patterns, the HQ-9

:.-S,\NI offers a multi-target and multi-: ::ciional area air defence capabiliry. A1l

:- qround-based and airborne compo-.::iS dr€ integrated in a plug-and-flight.::irirecture under which the software-:::d integration of all hardware-based

:: :::rents permits the autonomous man-

-.:rent of various functions such as pro-

-:.nmable surveillance, target detection,.::er acquisition, target identification and:. -'si n g, threat evaluation, threat prioriti--,- .ra, interception assignment and target. :3gement. Depending on the opera-

::al scenario - whether to defend a lul-- -::ble area or r,ulnerable point - up to

-- HQ-9 Batteries (with 96 ready-to-fire'-,.siles and four SJ-231 stations) can func-.: together seamlessly even when

: ::.oved over a wide area and are linked to

- I =:iment-ievel ECC by CETC-built secure

microwave line-of-sight data links as n'ellas TS-504 mobile troposcatter communi-cations terminals. When an entireRegiment of HQ-9 is deployed, use is made

of aYLC-2V radar to provide a single inte-grated airspace picture to the RegimentalECC. TheYLC-2V and up to four SJ-231 sta-

tions can be networked with a SectorOperations Centre (SOC) via a CETC-builtDA-6 tactical internet controller usingeither underground fibre-optic links orland-mobile broadband, multi-channel,beyond tine-of-sight, TS-504 terminals.This same type of systems architectureusing the above-mentioned tools can be

employed to develop an integrated, hierar-chical air defence network that seamlessly

integrates the LR-SAM, E-SHORADS andVSHORADS into one monolithic guided-missile-based air defence system. To make

the HT-233 radar virtually inlrrlnerable tohostile electronic jamming, a number ofECCM features have been incorporated,including narrow transmit and receivebeams, very low sidelobe antenna, auto-matic frequency selection mode, interfer-ence analysis and mapping, and random-ness in frequency, space and time.

The T-B4U MBTs and related Atletarmoured repair-and-recovery vehiclesbeing acquired from Ukraine have beendeveloped by the state-owned Kharkov

Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau(KMDB). Series-production of these vehi-cles n'ill begin later this year at theMalyshev Plant in Kharkov. Each T-B4U

MBT will have on-board a commander'spanoramic sight incorporating a laserrangefinder, daylight and thermal imagers(this being the high-resolution MAIIS-STDfrom France's Sagem D6fense S6curit6,which is also on board the Arjun MklMBT), a smoothbore 5I-calibre l25mmKBA-3 gun (containing amlzzle reference

system) housed within a welded turret thatwill also house a laser warning system, a

bustle-mounted autoloader, separate crewand blow-out ammunition compartments,new-generation non-explosive reactivearmour plates based on a new principle ofdefeating kinetic and chemical energyattacks (with special focus on increasingthe hull's sides and turret's protection lev-els to enhance the MBT's survivabiliry),Kontakt-s explosive reactive armour plates

on the frontal hull, environment-friendly1,200hp 6TD-2E two-stroke, multi-fuel, liq-uid-cooled 6-cylinder diesel engine, a newsteering wheel and an upgraded digitalpanel equipped with GPS-based land navi-gation system and a digital battlespacemanagement console for the driver andcommander', new radio equipment, and aIOkW auxiliary power unit. o

May 2009 FORCE 3l

'With Existing Deficiency of Over 27 Per Cent, Providing

Officers for Augmentation of NSG is Difficult'Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lr Gnw. Nonrn Tuaununtt, PVSM, AVSM,VSM

Post 2611 1 attacks, it was reported that the armed

forces had asked for certain acquisitions on the

fast-track basis. What items has the army asked foron this basis?

Post 26ll1, an in-housc audit rvas carriedout to enhance the equipnent state andcornbat potential. Certain items u,ere iden-tified for procurement on fast track basis.

There are a large numbel of indigcnous as

n ell as tbreign vendors i,vho have come for-nard. The items are in various stages ofevaluation and procurement.

What surveillance means have been acquired and

what more is needed by the army by end ol 11

defence plan (2007-201 2)?

Airborne sun'eillance capabilities bymeans ol Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) liave already been acqr-rired. Certainvoids arc being addressed rvith additionalprocurement of tlAVs. In thc curlent p1an,

DRDO is in the process of developing UAVsystem capable of operating in hlgh alti-tude area. This is likely to fi-uctify in the

32 FORCE May 2009

l2th Army plan. Ground basecl surveillancesensors have bcen procured for sun,eil-lance units. In addition, night binocLrlarsu,itir range finders, passive night sigl.rts forAK rifles are also in the pipeline as part ofour endeavour to modernise and enhancethe infantrl, combat capabilities.

Artillery firepower appears to be an area with glar-

ing deficiencies. What is being done to plug thisoperational gap?

Modernisation is an ongoing process andthe field artillery moclelnisation plan is oncoulse. In older- to contintre maintairringan edge over the adversary and to keep upr'r'ith the various technological advance-ment in the field of military hardrvare, r'ar-ious rnodernisation programmes havebeen undert:rken tbr the Indian ArtilleryDivelse procruement actions have alreadybeen ir-ritiated for induction of a r'r,ide vari-et1, of artillerl' ecluiprncnt to inciude mod-ern I 55mm guns/horvitzers, self-propelledgur-rs, precision ammunitions, extended

range rockets and missiles.A programme has also been undertaken

to upgrade the in-service 155mm guns,rr4'rich is the main stay of Indian artillery.Surveillance and battle field transparencyhas also been considelably upgraded byinduction of long range state of the art air-borne sensors like UAVs, radars on elevatedrnasts and electro optical dcviccs. Artilleryis n'ell-poised to takc on an adversarv rviththe existing equipment in its present stateof ongoing modernisatior-r.

It seems that project Future lnlantry Soldier is mov-

ing slower than planned? What all is envisaged to be

accomplished on this in the 1 lth defence plan?

Ploposal fbr FINSAS has been approved bythe Cl'rief of Arrny Staff. In the l lth Plan, theinduction of the rveapon sub-system (r'\rhich

includes the CQB carbine and assauit rifle),the body armour clothing and individualequipment sub-system (including modularload carrying equipment, hydration pack,ballistic heln'ret, body armour, boot antimine and superior quality clothing) as

Pl.rase I of the Project is envisaged. Further,researcl-t rvolk and analysis of programmesof other countries is simultaneously beingundertaken to finalise GSQRs for the othersub-systems rvhich nould be inducted in alater timeframe.

How do you see network-centric operations in the

service by end 1 1 th delence plan?

Netrvork-centric rvarfare translates lnfor-mation sriperiority to enhance combatpotential by effectively netu,orking sen-sors, decision-makers and shooters.Effective netnrorking requires the estab-lishment of the robust, high performance'lnformation Infrastructure' in order toprovide all the elements of a rvar-fightingenterprise lvith access to high qualityirrformation scrvices.'l hc army is catelingfor sucl-r a robust, secure and reliable com-munication system and rretrvork rvithappropriate redundancies.

The objective is to make the Indian Almy'netn,ork-cnabled' at the earliest and 'net-rvork-centric' by end of 11th Defence Plan.We are going about it in a systematic man-

..er in broadly two phases. In the first:iase, we have begun concurrent develop-rent of the sensor grid, establishment of:looter grid and fielding of the command.rd control grid. Establishment of these

- rmponents will extend the net-centric-:pabilities from the operational to the:=ctical levels. Phase 2 will involve the vali-::rion of joint operational concepts and

arfare doctrines; and training offorces in:-,nducting operations in network centric

=:,'ironment. We are concurrently consoli-:.:ing and integrating these network and: , :i€lrs to make the 'Network of Networks'

:ich lvill act as a catalyst to achieve the

-Jian army's vision.

-!,,i important is Aerospace Command for the

:my. and what operational benefits will accrue by

= creation?

--. iuture operations are likely to be prose-, ..:ed in a single battle space, the organisa-

r 1. as and when it comes up, should be a

-:--service Space Command'. Space is:::rerging as a vital dimension of warfare.-i its utilisation will become crucial for----irary operations. Some operational::'.antages that will accrue from space-::'ed applications are; imagery, naviga-- , r. signal intelligence, telecommunica-- ,:s, early warning and meteorology. The.::r-e rvill provide real time situational: ,:reness throughout the area of opera-

:-,r. Incidentally, the army happens to be' : largest user ofsuch space applications.

ilr-',ai are the army's views 0n having a Chief olIr'ence Staff?

: appointment of a CDS to provide 'sin-

-: :loint' advice to the government is long

=:due. Though a number of measures- :.:iding the enunciation of a Joint:::ational Doctrine, setting uP of HQ:.'srated Defence Staff, establishment of

- = lefence Intelligence Agency, Andaman

- : \icobar Command and the Strategic: ::es Command have been undertaken to' ,'.'e a joint war fighting mechanism,-- ---h still remains to be done, especially-. appointment of the CDS. There is no

:. :,.aving that 'jointness and interoper--: -.n'' u'ili be the key to success in any- - . -:e \rar. The appointment of a CDS will- - '::e the operational imperative to syner-- -- and optimise the capabilities of the.-:::' Ser\/ices in various operational con-- ::rcies, across the spectrum of conflict.

'--- = :ppointment will become even more

- -.ssarv in the near future especially.

--i ,,\'e dn'ell on the need to create Joint

Specified Functional Commands and JointTheatre Commands in the long term.

What level 0l exercises is planned lor this year with

friendly armies? How does exercising with the PLA

help the army?

Today, we operate in a globalised environ-ment, where training to combat commonthreats, mutual learning from each other'sarmed forces and showcasing one's poten-tial and professionalism are essentialparts of progression of an army. To thisend, over the last few years, there has beena graduated increase in the joint exercises

with foreign armies. This has not onlygiven our military diplomacy a giobalreach but has also enabled constructiveengagement and furthering of our strate-gic interests besides earning tremendousgoodwill for our armed forces and ournation. In 2009-10, we have quite a fewjoint exercises planned with foreignarmies. Out of these, three joint exercises

are planned with United States and one

with Russia at Company level. The bal-ance exercises are essentially proposalsfor Platoon level joint training/exerciseswith various countries.

The recently concluded joint exercises

with China have given us a deeper insightinto the organisation, tactics and function-ing of the PLA.. It has also been a major con-fidence building measure that has helpedin promoting positive military relationbesides helping develop a deeper under-standing for tackling the common threat ofterrorism that is faced, globallY.

How do you envisage giving the additional troops

that have been asked for by the NSG? What was the

army's case for having its own three-star general

accepted by the defence ministrY?

The need for expansion of NSG is wellunderstood. The requirement of officers forNSG augmentation are in select ranks (Cols

and above) and non-select ranks (Lt Cols

and below). "&hile

officers in select ranks

can be provided, but with existing deficien-cy of over 27 per cent in the non-selectranks, large manpower requirements forllth Plan and the manning levels in unitswhich are at below our hard scales, provid-ing officers in non-select ranks for aug-

mentation of NSG is difficult.

How do you see the partnership between the army

and the indigenous private industry? What factors

are inhibiting its full exploitation?

The partnership between the army and theindigenous private industry is still in the

nascent stage. The defence sector is reliantmainly on ordnance factories and defence

PSUs. However, a number of initiativeshave been taken by the army to tap thepotential of the vibrant private sector.

These include:(a) Increased interaction with indigenous

private industries in the form of defence

expos.(b)Change over to commercial off-the-

shelf (COTS) items with emphasis onindigenous private industries of nation-al repute.

(c Joint Ventures with OFB/DPSUs/RURsfor indigenous development of weaponsystems for the armY.

(d)Upgradation cum over-hauling of exist-

ing weapon systems with state of the arttechnology.

(e) Indigenisation of spares for war likeequipment and weaPon systems Pro-cured through import.

(f)Outsourcing certain maintenance/repair tasks to capable firms.

What role do you see for the army in combating

Naxals in the near term?

The role of the army is to offer advice, assis-

tance in training and capacity building.Within this ambit, numerous steps have

been taken, such as:

(a) Periodic reviews are being conductedand relevant inputs are being providedto MoD/ MFIA. RecentlY, comPrehen-sive recommendations with regard tostreamlining of operations, perform-ance audit and fast tracking of criticalinfrastructure have been formulatedand forwarded.

(b)Indian Army teams were deputed for onthe spot assessments of the situation inthe Naxal-affected states ofChhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand in2008. The visits were well-received byMHA and generated a number of Posi-tive spin-offs/follow uP action.

(c) I90 companies of police forces have

been trained by Indian Army in diverse

aspects like counter Naxal operations,training of trainers, IED neutralisation,training of armourers and Battle FieldNursing Assistants (BFNAS).

How will the Ml directorate be affected by the cre-

ation of the new NIA?

Military intelligence deals with counterintelligence aspects and acquisition ofmilitary information only. MI Directorate'srole does not overlap or clash with that ofthe NIA. o

May 2009 FORCE 33

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TIES THAT STIOKIndia-R zss ian relations

r Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala Wahab

bsence of hype sometimes can be a

good thing. It ensures that work con-tinues belorv the radar screen, the

expectations remain realistic and sincepublic opinion does not come into play,hard decisions and hard bargainingbecome possible. It is with these advan-tages that India has been forging its rela-tionship with Russia, which today can becalled truly strategic even by conservativeestimates: it incorporates the entire gamutof political, economic, defence and strate-

34 FORCE l\4ay 2009

gic linkages.Despite the temporary setback, follow-

ing the restructuring that took place afterthe collapse of the Soviet Union, the twocountries discovered areas ofmutual bene-fit and since then have only strengthenedthem. Such has been the steadfastness ofthe relationship that India can call Russiaan all weather friend, whose political sup-port has never been found wanting.Unfortunately, the only bilateral issue thatmakes news in India pertains to defenceequipment, with the controversy about theconstantly rising price of aircraft carrier

Admiral Gorshkov hogging maximumheadlines, followed in quick succession bythe poor product support that the Indianarmed forces get from the Russian originalequipment manufacturers (OEM).

As a result, other issues, which probablyhave greater long term value, from theIndian perspective are pushed in the shad-ows. Perhaps, just as well. For instance, thefact that the biggest beneficiary of Indo-US nuclear deal so far has been the Indian-Russian civil nuclear cooperation has notmanaged to draw much attention, whichmay not be such a bad thing. On his maid-

:n visit to India in December 2008,

f ussian President Dmitry Medvedev.igned a number of agreements with India,.rgnificantly in the area of atomic cooper-.tion. In addition to the two nuclear porver

rlant units that are being built rvithlussian assistance in Kudamkulam, Tamil\adu, Russia agreed to build four more:3actors, in addition to helping India con-iiruct a fresh plant at a new site, probablyn the eastern coast. The nerv facility,

'.,henever, it comes up will be backed by

-\LA guarantees through its lifetime. Not

-nlv this, another MoU envisaged supply-i nuclear fuel rvorth USD 700 million to

-rdia by the Russian comPanY TVEL.

The other area of cooperation with long:-rm positive implications for India has

:ren energy securiry as it has the potential: helping India diversily its source of oil

.rd gas. Indian Oil and Natural Gas

-cmmission Videsh Ltd (OVL) got the offi-,.al nod from the former PresidentMadimir.::tin to bid for stakes in Sakhalin III oilfields

-i:rirrg his official visit to Nerv Delhi in-.:ruary 2007. He was here as the chief guest

: -: the Republic Day.\A{Lrile India had sought

=l per cent shares (which will be offloaded:'. ihe Russian company Rosneft from its.::are of 70 per cent, with 30 per cent being...-1d by China National Petroleum

-.rrporation), it got the commitment for:h' 23 per cent. Despite this, India will have

t Y+. rf €arja:+ a;;:I : r::rr' Fr.;{*k*

RUSSKAVA!, r, :' l*r ii:i s.J ll*tui: Lir*r

to make a huge investment in the project as

drilling in the icy fields of Siberia is 20 timesmore expensive than in the Persian Gulf.

Production from Sakhalin I, where India

own 20 per cent stake has already begun.

Then there are numerous indigenousdefence projects all over the country, where

Russian scientists and engineers have been

helping Indian PSUs. Visit any indigenousfaciliry rvhether aerospace or ship-building'and Russians are there. The days ofbuyingand selling are clearly over.

Without the usual hoopla that follorvs

the visits of the Western leaders,

Medvedev's two-day India trip remainedlow in terms of visibiliry but high on sub-

stance. There were no high profile televi-sion interviews, no shopping sprees by thewife to Santushthi or moonlight touristyactivity in Delhi. This is the biggest irony ofthe relationship that despite the enormousmutual benefits that it accrues for both thecountries, it does not have a softer, humanface. It is driven solely by the political, andto some extent, the business classes, u'iththe masses remaining completely indiffer-ent. This is unlike India's relationship rvithany other country in the r,vorld, includingPakistan and China that get the extra push

by the people to people contacts. Language

is not the only barrier.Says one Russian journaiist, only half in

jest, "The lack of interest about each other

is not exclusive to Indians alone. TheRussian people suffer from the same prob-lem. They come to India only if they must.Otherwise they are happier going to

Europe or the US."Maria B. Pavlova, deputy director of the

Russian Centre of Science and Culture(whose officiai terminology, which Pavlova

insists on using is Federal Agency forCommonwealth of Independent State'

Compatriots living Abroad andInternational Humanitarian Coopera-tion), tries to explain this lack of interest inthings Russia in India. She says, "In thedays of the Soviet Union, our biggest sup-port in India was among the Communistpeople here. Till about two decades back,

there lvas substantial number socialist-minded people even if theY weren'tCommunists among Indians and also inthe art community. Hence, Russian art, cul-ture and even circus were very popular inIndia. Norv rvith Russia, that support group

is no longer there. We are now trying to re-

establish cultural relations."Hourever, even in the high noon of Indo-

Soviet ties, the peopie to people relationsrvere primarily orchestrated by the gov-

ernments of the two countries and not so

much by the initiative of the people.

\\4rich is why, unlike theWest, where Indiahas a substantial Diaspora, there is none

in Russia. Neither is there Russian popula-tion in India. Hence, 'Year of Russia' inIndia passed by without creating muchripples in 2008 and the 'Year of India' has

commenced in Russia, without anybodyeven noticing. The biggest culturalambassadors of India, the film stars, whohave started drawing bona fide crowds inthe Western countries, have not even

been roped in. Clearly, it will remain a

government initiative featuring govern-

ment artists.India-Russia relations have been

immune to party Politics in India.Irrespective of the governments in NewDelhi and contentious issues (Indian com-plaints apart, Russians rue that Indianarmed forces do not give it adequate timeto respond to the requests for spares andbuy junk from former Soviet states) theyhave grown quietly. Perhaps, it rvould notbe a bad thing if this strategic relationshipis embraced by the people as well. Indiansare intrepid travellers. If Russia realises

their force and liberalise its Visa regime,

these returning tourists from Russia can

become its biggest socio-culturai ambassa-

dors. And then, we can be real friends'o

I\4ay 2009 F0RCE 35

I

,E

*':*.

=,

'Russia and lndia Share a Partnership of aGenuinely Strategic Nature'Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Vuacaasrav I. TnunNrcov

Having completed nearly five years as the

Russian ambassador in lndia, what, in

your assessment, have been the high

points and accomplishments in bilateralrelations during your tenure?

I am happy to note that during mytenure as ambassador, theRussian-lndian strategic partner-ship l.ras developed in a stable andsustainable rva),. We succeeded ir-r

maintaining intense political con-tacts. Annual summits \{ere aug-mented b]' active fi'uitful dialoguebetn'een various governmentalstructllres, including regular con-sultations at tl.re foreign ministrylevel, interaction betr,r,,een thesecurity councils, palliaments,election commissions, accountsand audit chambers as rvell as judi-ciaries of the tn,o countries.

The year 2007 marked the 60thanniversary of establishingRussian-Indian diplomatic rela-tions giving us an excellent oppor-tunity to recall thc glolious pages inthe history of bilateral engagementas rvell as luurrch nen' pioneelinginitiatives meant to consolidate it.President Vladimir Putln bccamethe first Russian head of state topartic\;ate as the chief guest in theRepublic Day celebrations duringhis official visit to India irr JanuarS'that ycar.

President Dmitry Medvcdev'sfirst visit to India in December 2008reaffilmed the stlategic value of ourrnultifaceted relations. On behalf ol'all Russians, he expresscd solidaritl,urith the fi'lendly people of India inthe rvake of terrorist attacks inMumbai and unrvavering resolve ofN'loscorv to further join efforts withNerv Delhi in the fight against inter-national terrorism.

During the past five years a rviderange of il-nportant agreelrentsn'ere signed in tlie key spheres ofcollaboration namely tlade,nuclear energlr, outer space explo-

@=

.

36 F0RCi l\4ay 2009

ration, military-technical cooperation,

ioint aircraft manufacture, metals,machine-building, pharmaceuticals,biotechnology, information technology,tourism, including the recent agreementon cooperation in the construction of addi-tional nuclear power plant units atKudankulam as well as nuclear powerplants at new sites in India.

One of my top priorities as the ambassa-

dor of the Russian Federation to India was

to do everything possible for providing an'informational breakthrough' so that thenvo nations could be aware of where in2Ist century our interests coincide. There

\vas common understanding that our per-ception of each other was based to a large

extent on past experience. In this regard itbecame a matter of a great importance togive the peoples of Russia and India, ourvoung generation a chance to get acquaint-ed with each others present-day life andrvith the achievements of the two countriesin recent years. We spared no effort to makeheadway in this sphere. Thus, for example,

a wide range of events were held in theframework of the 'Year of Russia' in India in2008 to cover the fields such as politics,economy, science, culture, education andtourism. The programme during the yearincluded various exhibitions, conferences,tours of the Russian artists of different gen-

res etc. The above activities were not con-fined to New Delhi alone but took place allover the country.

One of the goals of the 'Year' was to pro-mote economic ties and direct business-to-business contacts. The Russian-IndianTrade Forum, the largest and most repre-sentative bilateral business-meetingbet"r,een the two countries undoubtedlygave a new powerful impetus to strengthenour cooperation in this field. Anotherimportant milestone in the area of 'busi-ness-to-business' relationship between ourcountries was the creation and inaugura-tion of the 'India-Russia Chamber ofCommerce' in February 2008 by the firstdeputy chairman of the Russian govern-

ment, Alexander D. Zhukov.The activities of the 'Year' also have con-

tributed to enhancing direct cooperationbetr,veen the regions of the two countries.The main message of the 'Year' was thatRussia has a strong will to further strength-en strategic partnership between our coun-tries with the highest level of understanding,confidence and trust in each other.

I am sure that the'Year of Russia'in Indiahas significantly contributed to enhancing

people-to-people contacts, creating broadnew opportunities for cooperationbetween our businesses, scientific and cul-tural communities and will be remem-bered with warm feelings. I know that a lotof young Indians took part in differentactivities of the 'Year'. Such experienceenriched them with new knowledge anddeeper understanding of Russia. It is veryimportant for further developing of rela-

tions between our countries for thedecades ahead. The 'Year of India' beingheld in Russia this year will no doubt fur-ther enhance our strategic partnership andopen new vistas for mutually beneficialcooperation.

When it is said that lndia and Russia have a'strate-gic relationship', what exactly does this mean?

Many countries declare establishing strate-gic partnerships aimed at underlining an

increased level ofbilateral cooperation andgrolving interest towards each other. This is

a prevaient tendency and obviously suchpartnerships in many cases are announceddespite the fact that states could still have

deep rifts on various principled issues.

\&ihen referring to the relations betweenRussia and India, you should see the core,

that this is a partnership of a genuinelystrategic nature. This is not merely a soundbite given by high officials of the two coun-tries, but a reality based on many years ofevolution of fruitful, tested by time anddramatic events of historic dimensions,multifaceted relationship that has created

a special atmosphere of trust and mutualunderstanding between our peoples. In away, this partnership is a reflection ofgeopolitics and the current shifts in theinternational relations. This is somethingbased on the consensus concerning ever-

lasting mutual understanding that'a friendin need is a friend indeed'.

India leels that more can be done bilaterally in the

oil and gas sector. What is the update on the lndian

petroleum and natural gas minister Murli Deora's

M0sc0w visit in November 2008 where he sought a

joint venture between 0NGC Videsh Limited and

Rosneft for expl0ration in east Siberia, and also

the need for LNG purchase?

Rephrasing the famous statement, 'it is atruth universally acknowledged' that every

fast growing emerging market economysooner or later is sure to increase its energy

sector demands. Back in 2007 , Rosneft andONGC signed the memorandum of mutualunderstanding that particularly providedthe possibility of ONGCVidesh Ltds partic-

ipation in exploration and development ofthe oil and gas fields in Eastern Siberia. The

plans, however, are not yet fully-developed,and both parties are still negotiating theprobable future partnership in this area,

but the potential for this partnershipstands strong.

Regarding liquefied natural gas purchas-es, as you are probably well-informed,ONGC is a 20 per cent shareholdel ofSakhalin-1. But India does not get its share

of Russian gas solely from those fields. For

example, India has recently received thefirst consignment of LNG from a Sakhalin-2 field. The delivery was made in the end ofMarch 2009. Presently, ONGC Videsh Ltd,GAIL and Rosneft are in the process ofdis-cussing the construction of a gas liquefac-tion plant. These proposals are not yet fullyflnalised, but there are three possible areas

for such joint activity: Siberia, Russian Far

Eastern region and a site in Kazakhstan.

Apart from the public sector initiatives,which also include the acquisition ofImperial Energy assets in Russia by ONGC

Videsh Ltd, a number of private companiesin both countries demonstrate their inter-est in joint exploration and production as

well as downstream projects in India,Russia and third countries. A vivid exampleof such successful cooperation is the jointventure of the Sun Group and the Russian

company ITERA, called SUNTERA, whichis developing two gas fields in NovyUrengoi, a gas project in Nigeria and oiland gas project in Canada.

Considering that trade seems t0 be a weakness in

bilateral relations, what steps so far have been

taken by the lndo-Russian lnter-Governmental

Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific,

Technological and Cultural Cooperation?

The 14th session of the Commission was

held on 3 December 2008 in New Delhi'The Russian and Indian sides expressed

their commitment to implement the deci-sions taken during the bilateral summits.In spite of the unfolding worid financialand economic crisis, our trade turnoversaw a 30 per cent increase in 2008, itreached almost USD seven billion, whichmakes the goal of achieving USD 10 billionby 2010 even more achievable notrvith-standing the global meltdown.Furthermore, the year 2008 saw some othersignificant developments which are due tobring the economic relations up to the levelof our mature strategic partnership.

The 2nd meeting of Russia-India Forumon Trade and Investments took place in

lVlay 2009 F0RCE 37

New Delhi in February 2008, and generatedgreat interest in the business community.The 3rd meeting of the Forum is to be heldin September 2009 in Russia.

New Delhi was the venue of the first meet-ing of the Joint Task Force in November2008, whose objective is to monitor imple-mentation of the Joint Study Group recom-mendations aimed at promoting bilateraltrade, investment and economic coopera-tion betr,veen Russia and India.

December 2008 witnessed the first-eversession of the Russia-India CEO Council ledby two reputed industrialists, VladimirYe!.tushenkov of 'Sistema' Corporation andMukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries Ltd.This forum is expected to become an effec-

tive instrument of cooperation betweenbusiness communities of both countriesand to contribute to further growth of eco-nomic ties. Meanlvhile,'Sistema' is success-

fully implementing its project of launchinga pan-India mobile serviqes network underthe MTS brand with an accumulated invest-menl of over USD 5.5 billion.

Both sides encourage relevant organisa-tions and companies to participate in proj-ects and tenders, to facilitate exchange ofin[ormation, 1o broaden cooperation invarious spheres of mutual interest.Undoubtedly, by joint efforts we will beable to make economic cooperation thepillar and the driving force of our strategicpartnership.

How can bilateral defence cooperation be

improved?

Russian-Indian defence cooperation has along history and has stood the test of time.At present, there are several prospectiveprojects on our agenda that may signifi-cantly reshape our defence ties. Mostimportantiy, Russia is one of the bidders inthe tender to supply the Indian Air Forcervith 126 combat aircraft. Our MiG-35 is byail means one of the strongest contenders.

Slorvly, but steadily we are moving for-lvard in ironing out the difficulties and are

determined to further strengthen our time-tested defence cooperation. The mostimportant feature of our present-day inter-action is the gradual shift from purelyexport-import relations to joint design,Iicensing, manufacturing and marketing ofdefence equipment using state-of-the-arttechnologies available in both countries.The best example of such collaboration is

the BrahMos joint venture that producessupersonic missiles and the production inIndia of such a unique and modern aircraft

38 F0RCE lVlay 2009

as Su-30MKI and so on.It is also essential for the Russian side to

ensure comprehensive product support ofthe machinery and equipment supplied toIndia. The recently incorporated joint ven-ture for repairs and maintenance ofRussian-origin helicopters with the partici-pation of the Russian HelicoptersCorporation is an obvious indication of thefact that serious efforts are being made inthis area. In other words, both sides realisethe importance of thorough day-to-daywork aimed at ensuring best performanceand ideal combat capabilities of theRussian equipment used by the Indianarmed forces.

What is the update on the construction of four

additional nuclear power plants in l{udankulam,

and especially on the possibility of new Russian-

designed nuclear plants for lndia?

The Russian-Indian summit in December2008 in New Delhi saw the signing of theagreement on cooperation in the construc-tion of additional nuclear power units atKudankulam site as well as in the construc-tion of Russian designed nuclear por,r'er

plants at new sites in India. At the moment,technical and commercial negotiations onnew.units of Kudankulam are undenvayand as soon as everl'thing is agreed, bothsides will be ready to sign the correspon-ding contract.

As far as new sites are concerned, we are

ready to consider any suggestions from theIndian side. In our opinion, Russian-Indiannuclear cooperation has a huge potentialand we are eager to expand it in all possibleways. The recently signed MoU by IndianLarsen & Toubro and Russian Atomstro-yexport for cooperation between the twocompanies for Russian design reactorsWER-1000 has been a sure sign of uninter-rupted progress in this dilection.

What have been the recent achievements and what

is the future roadmap for bilateral cooperation in

human space flight programme?

Indo-Russian cooperation in the field ofspace has a long history. The importance ofmutual efforts in this area was clearlyunderlined by Indian and Russian leaders

at the meeting last December during thevisit of the Russian President DmitryMedvedev to India. An MoU was alsosigned between the Federal Space Agencyof the Russian Federation and the IndianSpace Research Organisation on jointactivities in the field of Human SpaceflightProgramme.

In the framework of this MoU, jointactivities are to be held in such areas as

elaboration of the autonomous space mis-sion of Indian astronauts, Russian experts'assistance in construction of the IndianOrbitalVehicle and in establishment of theAstronaut Training Centre in India, use ofIndian avionics by Russian spacecrafts andother areas. It will obviously give a strongimpetus to fruitful bilateral interaction inthis significant field.

ln a glohalised and transient world, how independ-

ent are lndo-Russian relations to ties between New

Delhi and Washingon?

We presume that every vector of coopera-tion in this triangle - Russia-India, India-US and Russia-US - has its orr,n impor-tance. Holvever, in the contemporary glob-alised and interdependent world, bilateralrelations betlveen all countries and in par-ticular such centres of global and regionalinfluence as Russia, India and the US can-not develop without due consideration ofpositions and interests of each player.Mutual consideration is a precondition forthe success of our efforts to address theacute problems facing the internationalcommunity. We are convinced thatRussian-Indian relations, as an importantfactor of global and regional politics, havegreat potential that should be utilised inthe interest of our two countries and for thepurpose of international peace, stabilityand prosperity.

What role, according to y0u, can lndia'sincreased involvement have in the SC(), and what

does this mean for the trilateral lndia, China and

Russia relationship?

Russia attaches great significance to thedevelopment of the RIC format. The troika- Russia, India and China - has beenformed naturally. Russia, India and Chinaoccupy one region, and participate in thework of a rvhole array of internationaiorganisations which exist in the Asia-Pacific region. We are also partners in theSCO framework. It is natural that this for-mat of the three malor powers of the regionhas been established as a dialogue mecha-nism which is rapidly evolving. Now rve are

in the process of institutionalisation of ourcooperation. It is proceeding gradually andin a positive way. A mechanism of foreignpolicy consultations at the level of depart-ment heads of the foreign ministries of thethree countries has been set up and is

operating. The sectoral dialogues are work-ing on the follo',ving areas: agriculture,

w-

national crime. The main mechanism ofbilateral interaction in this area is theRussian-Indian Working Group on coutt-tering internat ional terrorism.

The Russian side strongly condemnedthe terrorist attacks in Mumbai and reiter-ated its solidarity and support to the gov-

ernment and the people of India. Thistragedy calls for reactivation of coopera-tion to counter terrorism internationallyand bilaterally. This was the essence of thediscussion at the fifth session of theRussian-Indian Joint Working Group oncombating international terrorism held inNew Delhi on 17 December 2008 at whichit was decided to take certain practicalsteps, especially in the UN, in the sphere oflaw enforcement, legislative, financial and

other measures taken against terrorists andtheir networks. We agreed to strengthenbilateral mechanisms of exchanging intbr-mation and sharing experience in the fightagainst international terrorism, curbingtrafficking in narcotics and terrorist financ-ing as a key component of the counter-ter-

rI

\.\,1

rorism strategy.

What role do you visualise tor lndia in Alghanistan?

What bilateral cooperation exists between lndia

and Russia on Afghanistan?

In the recent years, Russia and India inten-sified their interaction on many interna-tional and regional issues. We continue tofacilitate the ongoing political processes

and economic reconstruction ofAfghanistan. Our countries work on paral-lel courses, enhancing assistance ef'forts inrebuilding the Afghan economy and infra-structure. We are considering possibilitiesto contribute to the creation of the armyand police of Afghanistan.

Moscow and Nelv Delhi are also partnersin enelgising regional efforts to stabilisethat countr).. The special conference onAfghanistan held in Russia in March thisyear under the aegis of the ShanghaiCooperation Organisation has constitutedan important step in rethinking the strate-

S' of the international community thatshould apply a comprehensive approachcombining the use of force to suppress ter-rorism and illicit drugs trade with assis-

tance to the economic and social recon-struction of Afghanistan.

Our countries share the view that the UNSecurity Council's sanctions regime shouldcontinue to serve as a reliable shieldagainst extremists' penetration into thegovernment structures of Afghanistan.Attempts to strike a deal with terrorist lead-ers should not be a substitute for effortsaimed at national reconciliation.

The US has already hinted that it would talk to

lndia about signing the CTBT, lissile material cut-

off ahead of the global treaty, and greater US

involvement for India-Pakistan talks on Kashmir

resolution. What position is Moscow likely to take

on these issues?

As we understand, the nerv US administra-tion is conducting a review of the country'sforeign policy and it is too early to commenton its approaches towards the CTBI FMCT

and other issues. Regarding, Indo-Pakistandialogue on Kashmir, it seems that duringrecent contacts between India and the US,

specifically the discussions that our Indianpartners had with R. Holbrooke in NewDelhi, there was no discussion on any US

involvement in the resolution of this issue.

At the same time, the US lvith its globalreach and specially Russia, China and othercountries in the neighbourhood have theirown concerns and profound interest inavoiding a dangerous scenario in the region.

::rerg€nc! prevention and response and, :blic health (the second round of-::rective meetings will be held in Russia,

jia, and China this year). There is also a

-..iness forum and a forum of the cham-::S of commerce of Russia, India and

--,-na that we are trying to activate. Our.-.demic circles are collaborating very:-::i'el1'. A seminar on modern geostrate-: : irends took place in India in March last::i ?Ild we expect such meetings will be-.-d on a regular basis. We are also

-'.rssing on the security of the region

- -j. undoubtedly, the influence of our- .^ntries on the developments in our-=-qhbourhood.

h'at possibilities exist in bilateral c00perati0n in

::nbating international terrorism especially afteri-;sia's helplul position after 26/1 I Mumbai

:::cks where it said that the perpetrators 0l the

: - ne should be tried in lndia?

:: see New Delhi as our natural ally and:. :lartner in fighting international terror--: - illicit drug trafficking and trans-

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lVlay 2009 F0RCE 3S

Partners NowChallenges and opp ortunitie s for Rus sian- Indian mil- tech Co op eration

m Constantin Makienko

ussian-lndian militar1, ancl ecotrotnicties occupv a spccial place in thcentire spectrum of militarr.technical

coopelation ol the llussian Fecleratioun,ith 1'oreign states. 'Ihe political, rnilitaryand techno-inclusttial iurportatrce of thcIndian rnarkct lirr llussia is greiiter thatttlre value of ant. othet' tnarket, includingthe Chinese one.

ile;:r:ai Pt:lil,l;a, a;ii ilisicri: 0crierlfilst olall, it is nccessarv to notc thc ercep-tionallv harrnonioLts nature of thc IlLtssian-Irrtliirn rrrilitirlr atttl et ottotttit ties.Commercial ir-rtclcsts ol arnts c\llorters are

not irt oclcls n'ith their national rtrilitarl'sccLrlitl, interests. ,\ classical eranrplc intl-ris sense is the Russiitn-Chinese rniiitar'1'-trchnical coclpclation n'itli its inlet'tralanragonism: thc Russian militart' eslalt-lishrnent has ncvcL likecl it rvl-rct't thircl- ancl

40 :i.;-iil r liaV 2009

fourth-generation n'eapons tvele supltliedcn masse 1cl that cor.lntr\/ ancl ltas ahra\.sstriven to make surc that the n'eaponshancled over to the PIIC aLe ol sotncu'hatinf'elior technological Ievel. hr tl-rc casc ofInclia, b-v contrast, n,c see tliat politico-niil-itarl' ancl comrncrcial intercsts comple-rrent cach otlicr lernarkabh'. P"tltotr., ttnother counll'1' pclceives Inclia's ntilitart'gron'th arid technokrgical plogress rvithsr.rch benevolence as llussia does. Ilttssia iskecnh, interested in tl-re cnrergeltce of ttctvpoles of militart' ancl economic pon'er ofglobal importancc tllat u'oulcl preservethcir cultulal lclentitl' ancl political person-alitr' instcacl of bcing satellites of a singlesuperpo\\,cr. India's self:positiortirtg in thcu'orld tirllv treets tltis visiott ol I'loscon'.

Iloth Russia and hrclia lace tl-rc ncccl tomir-rd the lisks posecl bv crtretnist IslattticgroLlps, u'hose activitt'is coorclinatccl at theintelnational lcvcl. iLncl that makes the tn'ocountries oirjcctilc allies in tl-re global figlrt

Sukhoi-30MKl

against international terrorism. Finalll',bclth India ancl Russia cannot ttr|n a blincleve to the impetuous rnilitarl' grotvth irtChina, a country rvith nhich both cortn-tlies have verl' extensivc coltlltlolt borrlers.At the same timc, it shoulcl be notecl thatrvhatcvcr tl-rc pi-ogress that Inclia makes iuthc dcvelopment ol its armecl lbrces ancl

the clefence inclustr\', thc grou'th n'ill itt t'ton'aY atfbct Russia's sccur itY interests.

Thus, thc basic implication of thcRussian-lnclian rnilitarr.technical coclper-ation is that politico-mllitar'f intercsts of'

the tn'o countries completnent eetch other,ancl tliat cletennines theit' nutual interestin the der,elopment of those ties. ln aclcli-

tion, Russian-lnclian ties arc based ttn a

so1icl liistolic groundnork, as contactsbetn'ccrr thc t\vo countries began back irr

thc 1960s. It $'as Soviet supplics thatcnsuled the clevelopncnt ol thc Indianan-ned forces, anrl it rvas Soviet wealponsand hardn'are that L-rdia used in its cotr-

ricts ivith Pakistan, the victorious 1971

.'. ar included.

' 1 iiitary-Technical Cooperation

:irst of all, let us note the quantitativerportance of the Indian market for Russia'

luring lgg2-2007,India was steadily hold-

:g second place in the volumes of purchas-

:i. surpassed onlyby China' In our estimate,

::dia's average annual share in the overall

.rhrme of Russias exports rvas behveen 25

:-lr cent and 30 per cent, and in some Vears,

.ie 2003, India led with 42 per cent against

-einas 38 per cent. Later, Chinese purchas-

:: reduced, which became noticeable after

- r05, and beginning t}om 2007 India.-.carrre the largest buyer and r-ecipient ofl.rssian weapons. Thus, in 2007 India's-:rare included 45 per cent of nelvly con-

-.irled contracts and about 30 per cent ofall..-issian deliveries. In 2008, Nerv Delhi:iained its leading position rvhen it:ceived a quarter of Russia's weapon

:..Dorts. Since half of Russia's contractual:ligations correspond to India (approxi-

,--ately USDl6 billion of the USD32 billion)': is safe to forecast that in the foreseeable

..ilrre that country rvill retain first place

::toug importers of Russian \veapon\.i:r'en more important, horvever, is the

-'.:alitative nature of Indian impolts' Due

a number of peculiarities of Indian pur-r'-ases, military-technical cooperation

-th that country has exercised a deeply

r)itive influence on the structure of the

:.issian defence-industrial complex.

-:rose peculiarities include' first of all,

..,iremely high technological require-:'-.nts of the Indian militarl', rvhich at- :nes demand the maximum of r'vhat the

. -:-ssian defence industry is capable of::oducing. In addition, Indian contracts

- rhe I990s more often than not used to

. ior rveapon systems created in accor-

-:nce rvith exclusive requirements of the--.iian military, not for series systems,

-,.ually purchased by countries like China'-.. a result, Indian contracts stimulated.-:ensive and large-scale research and

-:'i.elopment in Russian companies,:rich in the end, led to the creation of,:h-tech, competitive weapon systems'

:--es that would later become best-sellers

-:rong Russian offers on the weapons

.-.rrket. The best example of that is the--.rhoi-3OMKI fighter plane, rvhich has

:en developed under the specification: .. er.r by the Indian Air Force, and these

-- ecifications were at the highest level in.e mid- 1990s. Indian contracts also

played a decisive role in the development

of such weapon systems as Talrvar-class

tiigates, the Uran-E anti-ship missile sys-

tem, the Club missile system and others'

Another peculiarity of the Indian pro-

grammes is their long-term nature, rvhich

positively distinguishes them from Chinese

contracts. The very same Sukhoi-3OMKI

programme formaily began rvith the signing

of the first contract in i996 (in reality, itstarted much earlier, if rve take into account

pre-contract joint rvork of the Indian AirForce and the Sukhoi Development Bureau)

and will end no earlier than in 2014. Such

lasting contracts enable Russian companies

to develop long-telm strategies oftheir eco-

nomic, financial and innovative develop-

ment. It is no mere chance that it $'as the

Sukhoi-3OMKI project that gave rise to such

a filst-class aircraft-building compan\r as

Irkut, rt'hich has since become the core ele-

ment in the Russian United Aircraft-build-ing Corporation.

A third important peculiarity of Indiancontracts is that they are concluded to pur-

chase rveapons on a series scale. In that

respect, the Indian armed forces prettv

much substitute the domestic buyer lbr the

Russian defence-industry (the Russian mi1-

itary does not purchase modern \\'eapons

on a selies scale). Thus' the Indian Air

Force has ordered a total of 230 Sukhoi-

3OMKI fighters, rvhich is comparable to the

order- of the French Air Force for Rafale

fighters. The Russian Air Force rvould need

approximately the same number - 250-300

airclaft - if it were to address the task of a

radical modernisation.Finally, Indian contracts are charac-

terised by their propensity for purchasing

hybrid, internationalised rveapon sys-

tems, where third-country sub-systems

are integrated with basic air or naval sys-

tems at the request of the Indian military'Thus, Sukhoi-30MKI onboard equipmentincludes elements made in India, France

and Israel. French equipment is also pres-

ent in the MiG-29K ship-borne fighter,

currently being developed fol the IndianNavy. The need to internationaliseweapons supplied to India stimulated the

Russian industry to look for internationalpartners, primarily in France and Israel'

The experience of international coopera-

tion, gained by the Russians when meet-

ing Indian orders rvill be invaluable in the

future, rvhen defence ploduction rvillbecome pledominantly internationalancl autarchic defence-industries lvillcease to exist.

New Challenges

TWo principal challenges may affect the

prospects of Russian-Indian military-tech-nical cooperation. Firstly, competition on

the Indian market is becoming increasing-

ly stiff. The Indian market has ahvays been

open and competitive; however, in the

1960s and 1970s Soviet prevalence in the

supply of weapons to the Indian armed

forces was indisputable. The situationbegan to change in the l9B0s, when France

sold to India a significant number of air-

craft and Germany sold it a batch of sub-

marines. In the 1990s, Israel entered the

Indian market and has by no'r,v become the

second largest exporter of r,veapons and

defence technologies to India, ready to

crond out Russia as the leader. Yet, Israel's

second place is only in terms of volume

and not importance. Moreover, India is

expected to increase its military purchases

fron-r the United States. In fact, first majorcontracts for tl-re purchase of C-130J troopcarriers and P-BI Poseidon anti-submarineplanes have already been concluded.Thus, all major international arms

exporters, except China, are now present

in the Indian market.The second challenge that Russia faces

on the Indian market is that the Indian mil-itary is making increasingly high demands

on the technoiogical level of the l'r'eapons

that they buy. Until recently, Russian offels

looked ideal for the Indian market because

of their cost-efficiency and until the begin-

ning of the current decade, that factor had

great importance given India's limitedfinanciai potential. However, after almost

l0 years of very fast economic growth, Nelv

Delhi's potential of buying more expensive

and at the same time more high-techweapons have grown significantly. The

purchase of such super-expensive systems

as Poseidon is a case in point' In the near-

est future, Indian demand may be expected

to shift, at least partially, to the highest

price segment, rvhere the most high-techproducts are offered' Meanrvhile, Russia

has the most competitive offers in the

medium-price and medium-technologi-cal-level bracket.

Nonetheless, we must note that, in spite

of the mentioned risks, Russia, apparently,

has reserved to itself solid positions in a

number of market segments where it may

hardly face a threat. First of all, we are talk-ing about the segment of hear'ry fighters of

the 4+ and 5th generations. As of today, it is

absolutely clear that Sukhoi-3OMKI is

going to fbrm the basis of India's fighter

IVIay 2009 F0RCE 41

ITunguska Ml

pool for at least another 40 years. Andsince, beginning from approximately 2020,

series production of the fifth-generationRussian-Indian fighter will begin, it is safeto say that for the entire foreseeable futurethe healy fighter pool of the Indian AirForce will consist of Russian and Russian-Indian hardrvare.

Another sector where weapons of Russianorigin will dominate is that of main battletanks. Like with the fighters, India, havinglaunched a malor programme of direct pur-chasing and license production ofT-90S, isnow showing an interest in joining theRussian programme of the T-95 new-gener-ation main battle tank. AIso, for a long timeto come, Russia r'vill retain a considerablepresence or even domination in such sec-tors of the market as surface vessels of thedestroyer and frigate t1pe, anti-ship mis-siles, air refuellers and troop carrying heli-copters and rvill also enter the segment ofaircraft calriers and form the market ofmulti-purpose nuclear submarines.

New 0pportunitiesRussia's response to the ner,v challengesthat emerge on the Indian market is a shiftfrom simple trade relations between theseller and the buyer to implementation ofjoint defence-industrial projects r,vhere

risk-sharing partnerships emerge. The cre-ation of the PI-10 anti-ship missile under

42 F0RCE May 2009

the BraMos programme became a pilotproject ofthat kind. In addition, under theMTA Project, the two countries plan todevelop and produce in series for their airforces a medium-sized transport aircraftwith carrying capacity of 1B metric tons.

india's joining the Russian programme ofcreating the PAK FA fifth-generation fighterhas enormous political, commercial andindustrial importance. The fifth- generationfighter is such a large-scale programmethat its implementation through jolntefforts of Russia and India rvill in fact meanthe formation of a single military and eco-nomic space of the trvo countries, becausejoint work wlll involve the creation not onlyof an airframe but also of a ladar with anactive phase-locked array, an engine andpossibly new-generation missile weapons.

In general, Russia and India are idealpartners for the implementation of jointmilitary-industrial projects. Firstly, we havealready noted the harmony of politico-mil-itary interests of Russia and India.Secondly, they complement each other lnscience and technology. Thus, Russia stillleads scientifically in a whole number ofmilitary technologies, especially in the areaof alrcraft, missile and shipbuilding,rvhereas India doubtlessly leads in softwareand in some cases possesses more modernand efficient manufacturing facilities.Russia and India are also optimal partners

due to their comparable financial and eco-nomic potentials, rvhich rules out imbal-anced relations and unequal partnership.

Russia's being highly cooperative inhanding over technologies to the Indianside is still an important tool of retaining itsposition in the Indian market. That prac-tice became widely spread in those timeslvhen numerous license agreements stipu-lated production of Soviet and Russian air-craft and armoured hardware in India.Today, however, Russia is prepared to handover to India technologies that are consid-ered worldwide to be the most valuableand sensitive. We are talking, for example,about the latest air engines or active-arrayradars. Thus, India is organising produc-tior.r of RD-33 engines for MiG-29 fighters,and the Russian company Fazotron-NIIR isprepared to organise in Indiajoint produc-tion of the latest radar Zhuk-MAE.Apparently, no other international manu-facturer is prepared at present to hand overto India such advanced technologies.Russia also remains for India an alterna-tive-free source of sub-strategic weapons,for example, nuclear-powered submarinesor long-range bombers.

Finally, additional opportunities open inconnection with the integration of thedefence-industry, which is taking place inRussia, and first of all, of the aviationindustry. Thus, the merger of the Sukhoiand the RAC MiG companies, which beganafter the appointment of MikhailPogosyan, head ofSukhoi, general directorof MiG, opens the opportunity of promot-ing package deals to the Indian market. Forexample, when developing the RussianMiG-35 fighter, offered to the Indian AirForce in response to the tender for the pur-chase of 126 multi-purpose fighters, tech-nical solutions rvorked out at Sukhoi whencreating a fifth-generation fighter will beused. On the other hand, MiG-35 is madelargely uniform with MiG-29K planes,being supplied to the narry, which willmake it possible to significantly reduceexpenses on logistical support.

Thereby, along with the new challengesthat Russia faces in the Indian market, newopportunities also open up before Moscow.Those opportunities relate to changes inthe structure of the Russian defence indus-try and the formation of the first elementsof a singie Russian-Indian military andeconomic space. a(The writer work witlt the Centre forAnalysis of Strategies and Tecltnologies

tCASTl, Rtrssia)

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Smash HitArmy and the nauy to induct BrahMos Block 2 cruise missile

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I Prasun K. Sengupta

t is all systems go for Block 2 of theBrahMos supersonic land-attack cruisemissile (MRCM), rvhich rvas previously

only available for anti-ship strike.Follorving trvo successful test-firings con-ducted on March 4 and March 29, the pre-cision-guided land-attack variant is no,,v

entering series-production lor both theIndian Army and the Nar,y, '"vith serviceinduction planned for 2011. The Indian AirForce is expected to begin inducting theBrahMos' maritime strike and land-attackversions by 2012 follorving its flight qualifi-cation on board the Su-3OMKI.

The Arm1,, r'vhich in 2006 had raised itsfirst regiment - the 86lst - rvith theBrahMos'Block I variant, will in future raisetrvo additional regiments - the B62nd andB63rd - and equip them with an initial 260

44 F0RCE lVlay 2009

land-attack rnissiles (to be mounted on72rvheeled mobile autonomous launchers, orMAL, each carrying three cannistered, ver-tically launched missiles). All threeBrahMos regiments rvill form part of theArmy's existing 40th and 41st ArtilleryDivisions. Work on developing the BrahMosBlock 2 had begun two years ago, with thefocus being on deriving a nerv algorithm forthe Granit ISC-supplied X-band SGH activeradar's applications softr'vare. The algo-rithm - called SCAN (for Scene Correlationand Navigation) - enables the SGH radar tomake use of pre-uploaded imagery ofground-based reference structures (man-made or natural) obtained earlier by syn-thetic aperture radars (SAR) like the pod-mounted ELIA Systems-supplied EL/M-2060P SAR (acquired in mid-2008) carriedby the Su-3OMKI, to acquire the targeteven against dense ground clutter condi-

M

tions b1, day or night, Consequently, theBrahMos' land-attack variant has a circu-lar error probability of no more than a

metre. For ensuring accurate navigationduring the missile's cruise phase and foractivating the SGH radar during the termi-nal phase, use is made of an on-board ringlaser gyro-based inertial navigation sys-

tem (RLG-lNS) that rvas developed earlierby the Def'ence Research & DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO).

The first test-firing of the BrahMos Block2 on January 20 this year had to be abortedin the missile's terminal flight phase afterthe missile rvent off-target mid-coursedespite a successful Iaunch The missiletravelled a distance of 53km for 112 sec-

onds instead of the slated 84 seconds andfell seven km ar'vay from the target (whichrvas a simulated chemical munitions man-ufacturing facility equipped rvith radar

reflectors using Luneberg lenses) at

the firing range in Pokhran,Rajasthan. While the Prescribedflight-test environment was

extremely demanding (the firingrange has a dePth of onlY 48km,

precluding the BrahMos to be test-ed out to its maximum range of290km), post-flight analysis carriedout by BrahMos AerosPace revealed

rhe existence of a glitch in terms of'navigational synchronicity'between the RLG-INS of the MALsroute navigation system on onehand, and the missile's on-boardRLG-INS, which is responsible foractivating the SGH radar's targetacquisition phase.

To fully understand how crucialthis 'synchronicity' is for ensuringI00 per cent mission success, it is

necessary to briefly exPlain hor,v

eractly the BrahMos Block 2's targetacquisition/engagement Phasesn'ork. During a typical mission,iasting no more than 15 minutes,the MAL and the accomPanYingBattery Command Vehicle, afterceing deployed to the staging area

in a ready-to-fire mode, will makeuse of their on-board VSAT termi-nals to receive the target's digitisedS-{R imagery (obtained earlier bY

SGH radar another airborne Platform eitherthrough the EL/M-2060P or fromthe RISAT-2 SAR-equiPPed over-head recce satellite) from airborneol space-based platforms. The tar-get's leceived SAR imagerY willthen be uploaded into the Pro-grammable signals processor of theBrahMos Block 2's SGH radar, fol-lowing which the MALs on-boardroute navigation system (that uses

a RLG-INS) will be Programmed bY

obtaining a GPS fix (throughGlonass) of the MALs location via-

a-vis the target. Concurrently, the

very same results of the GPS fix willbe uploaded on to the BrahMosBlock 2's on-board RLG-INS. For

pinpoint strikes the BrahMos Block2 and its MAL will both have access

to Glonass-generated PY-code GPS

upda(es every 2 seconds.

BrahMos Block 2 test-liringon March 29

After it had zeroed-in on the'nav-igational sYnchronicitY' glitch,BrahMos AerosPace quicklY workedout a more robust firing solution,which was Put to test on March 4,

with this test-firing being witnessedby the deputy chief of the almy staff

Lt Gen. M.S. Dadwal. To ensure sus-

tainable reliabiliry a third test-firingrvas carried out at 11.15 am onMarch 29, which saw the missile

covering a distance of 90km (by flying a

crooked flight-path), with the entire target

acquisition-cum- en gagement phase lasting

no more than 150 seconds. This climactic

test-firing rvas witnessed by the army's

director general of military operations Lt

Gen. A.S. Sekhon, Deolali-based School ofArtillery's Commandant Lt Gen' Rao, addi-

tional director generai (Artillery) Maj. Gen.

VK. Tiwari, BrahMos Aerospace's ChairmanDr A Sivathanu Pillai and DRDL Director P

Venugopalan. The final icing on the cake

came the very next day -March 30 - from the

vice chief of the army staff, Lt Gen. Noble

Thamburaj, when he explained why the

army had enhanced its aspirations and

wanted the BrahMos Block 2 to achieve

high standards of accuracy. 'Accuracy was

the mantra. We had wanted a special sensor

to be integrated in the missile so that it can

hit the desired target accurately fromamong similar kinds of targets in an urbanenvironment. On behalf of the army, Iwould like to congratulate the scientists ofthe DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace for con-

ducting an extremely successful third test of

BrahMos Block 2". o

May 2009 F0RCE 45

Eye on the FutureIndia and Russia are set to take the ties to another leuel

r Nivedita Das Kundu

ussia and India today alc differentcountries than rvhat they rvere a

decade ago. They are resurging; havelegained their confidence; and aspire tobecome global pou,ers. Both countries are

gror,ving in te rms of the 1evel of production,the gross national product, and othel keyparameters of science and technologl'.Importantll,, they r'velcome and acknotl,l-edge the achievements of one another andunderstand the posslbility of lurtherstlengthening the multi-faceted relation-ship. They also appleciate each other'sincleased role and authority in interna-tional affairs as they both aspire to con-struct a multilateral \'vorld order. This is thereason they want to increase the effective-ness of multilateral mechanisms of cooper-ation rvith the central role of the UnitedNations. The India-Russia relation today is

a major factor in the international affairsand its potential is far from being exhaust-ed. Strategic partnership betrveen both thestates will only strengthen universal peace,

safety and prosperity.Indo-Russian ties are old (they have

now endured for ivell over 40 years) buttoday there is a nerv vigour. Ihey are driv-en by important defence links and sharedhopes of creating a multi-polar rvorld.Russia's relations nrith India have beenconsidered as time-tested and based oncontinuity, tnrst and mutual understand-ing. It is a cooperation based on a con-structive approach, r,vhicl-r makes it possi-ble for the two countries to rvork success-fully on complehcnsive expansion andstrengthening of strategic partnersirip.Inclo-Russian relation reflects the fact thatthere are obvious long-term interestsbetn'een tlre trro countries.

The econonries of both countries are

grorving annually at around eight to nineper cent. Flol.,'errer, in spite of acceleratedgro\'\rth and immense opportunities in eachother's econom1,, Indo-Russian trade is stillvery 1ou,. While cooperation between thebanking and financial institutions haspicked up in the recent years, proactivesteps, like easing of visa regulations lbrIndian businessmen, are lequired to boost

46 F0RCE l\4ay 2009

trade. The Indo-Russian shipment routeiilso needs to be optimised. The presentroute, rvhich passes through the Suez Canaland enters the Russian port of St.

Petersburg via Kotka (Finland) andRotterdam (Netherlands), is long and timeconsuming but the proposed short r-oute(the North-Soutl.r Corridor, conncctingNlumbai-Bandar Abbas-Astrakhan) has notbeen commissioned yet. There is also theissue of utilising the remaining funclsunder the Rupee-Rouble debt agreementn'hich needs to be settled.

'Ihe big prospects could be seen in thesphere of inter-regional cooperation andcontacts betr,veen small and medittm busi-ness. This is reflected in the relationsbetr,veen the legions in Russian Federationand valious states of India, particulalll.,Astrakhan and Gujarat, Samara andKarnataka, and Kazan and Hyderabad.Establishment of Representative Office ofConfederation of Indian Industrv and theRussian-Indian business Council createdby Trade and Industrial Chamber of Russiaand Federation of the Indian Industry andChamber of Commelce is significar"rt.Present economic engagements are most11'

in the public sectol and even here it is nar-rorvly focused on the defence sector. Oflate, Russia l-ras shorvn particular lntelest incooperating in sectors like telecommuni-cations, shipbuilding and high tecl.rnologliincluding outer space.

'Il-re trvo countries have agreed to jointlydevelop the Russian global navigationsatellite system 'Glonass' to 'Glonass-M'and'Glonass-K'. Russia intends to increase(n ith the participation of India) the group-ing ofGlonass system to 1B satellites and afull orbital group of24 satellites by the endof2009. The trvo countries have also agreedto jointly develop a 'Youth Satellite' forediicational purposes. Russia has alsojoined in India's 'Chandlayan II' Lunarproject. India and Russia are exploring thepossibility of developing equipment for'

Earth probes. Joint research in the area ofelectric engines fol spacecraft and jointprojects for probing lunar surface andbuilding a space-based solar observatoryto study X-rav radiation are also corning upbetr,veen the tu'o countries.

Russia is expected to play a greater rolein global energy security and India's energyrequirements are increasing lapidly. By2020, 45 per cent of the gror'vth in demandfor oil is anticipated fiom India. Hence,there is need to improve pipeline connec-tivity between Russia and India. Some pro-posals are given by energy experts for pos-sible pipeline connectivity betlveen thet\\'o countries."vhich both the countries are

looking into, like the East Siberian OilPipeline that rurr from the Sibelian city ofAngarsk to China's Daqing, which couldhelp India pick up Siberian oil from thePacific port of Nakhodka and would be a

significant step to\'vards creating a foun-datior.r of Asian Oil Market. India's ONGCVidesl.r Ltd (O\4.) has proposed an energyhighrvay to construct a Russia-China-India (RCI) pipeline. The RCI is supposedto stretch from Russia throughTurkrnenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, toKashgar in China's Xinjiang. It could enterIndia via Ladakh or through HimachalPradesh, to supply gas to northern India.In addition to this, Russia is interested injoint construction of oil and natural gas

production and transportation facilities inIndia and in the surrounding regions. O\{,and Russia's Rosneft are jointly bidding forSakhalin III project.

Russia is India's most important partnerin defence cooperation. A major part ofIndia's defence inventory is still of Russianorigin and rvill continue to remain so evenin the near future. Russia is the only coun-try with nhich India has a fbrmal mecha-nism of an Inter-Governmental Commis-sion for Military-Technical Cooperation(IRIGC-MTC), rvhich meets annually underthe chailmanship of the tr,vo defence min-isters. India and Russia have furtherextended the tenure of the IRIGC-MTC byanother i0 years after its present termexpires in 2010.

Joint participation in long-term R&Dprojects and joint production of sophisti-cated military equipment is the highlight ofthe current Indo-Russian military andtechnical cooperation. Military tiesbetrveen the two countries are developingsteadily and include joint R&D, prodttc-tion, marketing, regular cooperation

benveen the different branches of armed

forces, and joint training exercises. In

September 2005, the defence forces of the

nvo countries held their first-everjoint air-

borne military exercise at the Mahajan

Field Firing Range (MFFR) near Bikaner.

The exercise, co-ordinated by 140 militarypersonnel from both countries, introducedihe concept of interoperability'in a count-er-terrorism backdrop. One significanterample of joint defence production is the

BrahMos cruise missile. Some 20 indianand 10 Russian companies are involved inits production. Now Russia and India are

also planning to 1'ointly develop Brahmos

\lk II missile.During Prime Minister Manmohan

Singhs visit to Russia on l2 Novembet2007the trvo countries signed an agreement forjoint development of multi-role transportaircraft to replace the ageing An-32 fleet ofthe Indian Air Force. Hindustan.\eronautics Limited and Rosoboronexportl'ill be the project partners. The invest-

ment of USD600 million will be shared

equally by the two countries; the Russian

contribution will be paid out of the Rupee-

Rouble debt India owes to Russia' The

envisaged requirement is of 100 aircraft for:he Russian Air Force, 45 for the IAE and

sale of 60 aircraft to third countries. Indiaand Russia have also agreed to jointlydevelop a fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

The agreement was signed on 19 October

2007 during defence minister A.K. Antony's,,'isit to Russia. The fighter aircraft rvill have

>upersonic manoeuvrability and cruising

ability, long-range strike and high-endurance air defence capabilities. The

Jevelopment and certification of this air-

iraft is expected to be completed in the

rext sixyears. Indo-Russian defence coop-

:ration also includes refitting ofthe aircraft

--arrier Admiral Gorshkov, which will join:he Indian Narl' as INSVikramadirya by the

:nd of 2012. However, some Problems:ame up between the two countries whenlussia demanded additional USD 3.5 bil--ion from India for the aircraft carrier. This

.s the second time that Russia has sought a

:rice increase from the original contractedinount of USDl.5 billion.

President Putin's era will indeed be noted

.: a transformational period for Russia as'.,.ell as for the Indo-Russian strategic part-

::ership, given that he was the major factor

r re-vitalising the relationship after the':eltsin years. Russia's new Presidentlimitri Medvedev also showed his inclina-:,on on further developing Indo-Russian

relationship. President Medvedev's firstvisit to India on 4-6 December 2008 provid-

ed fresh impetus to the strategic partner-

ship between the trvo countries. According

to President Medvedev India and China

are the key partners of Russia in the forma-

tion of a ne'"v world financial system and

security architecture. He has also appreci-

ated India's socio-economic achievements

and balanced foreign PolicY.The visit reinforced the interests of both

countries in maintaining close and friendlyties and in strengthening a multi-polarworld order. During his visit, Medvedev

had one-to-one talk with Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, followed by discussions

between the two sides on various sectors.

The two countries signed several major

agreements related to civil nuclear cooper-

ation, space, defence, trade and economy,

terrorism and culture. Both the head of

Russia is lndia's most imPor-

tant partner in defence coop-

eration. Moreover, Russia is

the only countrY with which

lndia has a formal mechanism

of an lnter-Governmental

Commis-sion for MilitarY-

Technical Cooperation which

meets annuall}t

states stated that there is a convergence of

ideas on various international issues.

\Mhile addressing concerns related to

trade and economic cooPeration,

Medvedev articulated the point that bothIndia and Russia are fast grorving

economies and therefore there is a need to

make greater efforts to penetrate each

other's markets and strengthen forums like

SCO, RIC, and BRIC through which both

the countries can further intensify the

trade and economic cooperation, as well as

cooperation in the sector like environment,

disaster management, pharmaceuticals,metallurgy, bio-technology and tourism.

In the energy sector, the Russian presi-

dent mentioned that his country is ready to

co-operate with India in the civiliannuclear domain. Agreement for the con-

struction of four additional nuclear reac-

tors at the Kudankulam nuclear power

plant in Tamil Nadu, as well as a pact for

expanding activities at other sites were

signed during his visit' Russia and India

also signed an agreement to suPPlY

Russian nuclear fuel to Indian nuclearpolver plant as per an agreement signed inFebruary 2008.

During his visit he emphasised that as

military ties benveen India and Russia are

developing steadily Russia will remain as a

major defence partner of India in the com-

ing years too, despite the differences that

has come-up on certain issues related to

sudden escalation of prices and regarding

the delay in delivery of defence supply. On

extremism and telrorism, he said that bothcountries have decided to address the

threat bilaterally and globally' It is envis-

aged that the India-Russia Joint Working

Group on Counter-Terrorism would be

strengthened and both countries wouldstep-up 'operational contacts', to face this

common threat.Among the top priorities on the Indo-

Russian cooperation are also the tradition-ally warm and hearty people-to-peoplecontacts and cooperation in the field ofculture. Academic, scientific, educational,

sports and other exchanges are beingactively promoted under various sections

of the culture exchange programmes (CEP)

between the t\rvo countries. Of late, interest

for the Indian yoga is also gaining momen-

tum. India celebrated 'Year of Russia', inIndia in 2008 and Russia celebrates'Year of

India' in 2009. All these clearly show boththe countries growing interest in each oth-

ers culture and PhilosoPhY.The Russian and Indian interests have

generally tended to coincide whether it isthe question of terrorism, defence or ofterritorial integrity. There is certain empa-

thy for each other as both India and

Russia share simiiar and very close geo-

strategic interests, which provides the

basis for their cooperation' There is an

inherent value in the lndo-Russian ties'

Though this does not exclude differences

of approach on certain specific issues, the

overall parallelism of interests has been

evident. It is in the interest of both Russia

and India to strengthen the bilateral coop-

eration to curb the unilateral tendencies

in the present international politics. The

warmth in relations between both the

countries will depend on how they bal-

ance themselves between their increasing

desire to diversify as well as maintain theirtraditional relationshiP' o(The writer is a research felloru at the IndiatlCotmcil of World Affairs, New Dellti)

May 2009 F0RCE 47

A New DawnSerdyukou's Plan for Russian Military Reform

r Ruslan Pukhov

n I4 October 2008, following a meet-ing of the Collegium of the RussianDefence Ministry, minister Anatoly

Serdyukov announced the launch of a newstage of military reform. If the defenceministers reforms go through as planned,it will mark the most radical transforma-tion of the Russian military system since1945, touching upon every aspect of thearmed forces, including service strength,central command and control bodies,tables oforganisation, and the officer train-ing system. The reforms were clearly influ-enced by lessons drawn from the Augustmilitary campaign against Georgia, even ifthe strategy had been developed much ear-lier. Indeed, the general thrust of reformwas expected from the moment Serdyukovrvas installed at the Arbat. Nevertheless,events in Georgia have enabled Serdyukovto act decisively.

The main points of Serdyrkov s plan areas follows:o Accelerate the downsizing of the armed

forces;o Reduce the number of officers and

restructure the composition of the offi-cer corps;

o Establish a non-commissioned officercorps;

o Centralise the system of officer training;o Reorganise and downsize central com-

mand and control bodies, including theMOD and the general staff;

o Eliminate cadre formations and bring allformations to permanent readiness sta-tus;

r Reorganise the reserves and their train-ing system;

o Reduce the number of units, formations,and bases;

o Reorganise the ground forces into a

brigade system, eliminating the regi-ment, division, corps, and army eche-lons; and

o Reorganise the airborne troops, elimi-nating divisions.

Cuts to Personnel and the Number of Officers

According to Serdl'ukov's announcements,

48 F0RCE May 2009

the planned reduction of the servicestrength of the armed forces from 1.f 3 mil-Iion to one million servicemen will beadvanced from 2016 Io 2012. The numberof officers will be reduced radically, from355,000 positions currently on the books tojust 150,000. That said, the actuai numberof officers to be discharged is less. Some40,000 positions are currently vacant, andthese will be eliminated by the end of theyear. Moreover, 26,700 officers are due toretire, and another 9,100 would havereached retirement age in 2009. In addi-tion, 7,500 serving officers rvere called upfor two years after graduation from civilianinstitutes of higher learning. They will bedischarged at the end of their term, andthis category of specialists will no Ionger berecruited. The remaining 117,500 officerswould be discharged over the course ofthree years. To a large extent, their releasewill be effected as a result of anotherreform, announced by Serdyrrkov in early2008, concerning the transfer of a numberof positions, such as military medics andlawyers, to the civilian public service.

The central command and control bod-

ies also face steep cuts. Serdyrkov counted10,523 people in the central apparatus ofthe ministry of del'ence and another 11,290rvorking for the military command bodiesof the ministry; in all, almost 22,000. Thistotal is to be reduced to just 8,500, includ-ing 3,500 in the central apparatus of theMOD. In line with these changes, person-nel at the General Staff will be reduced by50 per cent by I March 2009.

Serdyukov described the current person-nel profile of the army as "shaped like anegg, swollen in the middle. There are morecolonels and lieutenant colonels than jun-ior officers. By the end of three years wewill have built a pyramid, where ever5rthingwill be clearly structured and proved."Accordingly, the number of lieutenants andsenior lieutenants in the armed forces is toincrease from 50,000 to 60,000.

The creation of a non-commissionedofficer (NCO) corps, formally lacking in theSovietArmy, is an important element of thereforms. A strong corps of NCOs shouldserve as the basis for soldier training andmilitary discipline. But the introduction ofsergeants into the system will take not

three to four years as envisaged, but at least10-15. This delay could undermine reformby creating problems with managementand the manning of those combat armswhere a relatively high percentage of offi-cers are involved in the direct operation ofmilitary equipment, such as the submarinefleet, air-defence forces, etc.

Reform ol Military Education

The centralisation and dornmsizing of themilitary education system is closely relatedto planned reductions to the officer corps.

Serdyukov announced that the 65 militaryinstitutions of higher learning (15 acade-mies, four universities, 46 colleges andinstitutes) would be reduced by 2012 to justten 'systemic institutions': three research

and teaching centers, six academies andone university. The new institutions willnot only serve to train officers, but also toconduct research. They will be establishedaccording to territory, not combat arm. For

now all existing facilities will become affil-iates ofthese ten centers; decisions regard-ing potential closures will be taken later.

Serdyukov affirmed that the entire facul-ty of existing military institutes would bepreserved and absorbed into the new sys-

tem, and that only the managerial layer willbe reduced. He also said that many former-ly military specialisations, such as lartryers,

rvill now be educated at civilian facilities.

Permanent Readiness Forces

The elimination of the division-regimentalstructure ofthe Russian Ground Forces and

changing over to a brigade organisation is

one of the most interesting aspects of theannounced reforms. "Today, we have afour-link command and control system:

military district, army, division, and regi-ment. We are changing over to a three-linksystem: military district, operational com-mand, and brigade. That is, the division-regimental link will disappear, andbrigades will appear in their place."Serdyukov went on to say that thechangeover to the new structure will elimi-nate excess layers of command and willincrease the effectiveness of troop com-mand and control. He said the number ofmilitary units and formations in theGround Forces would be reduced from1,890 to I72 within three years. He repeat-

ed the announcement made earlier byPresident Dmitry Medvedev that all non-fully manned (cadre) units will be disband-ed, bringing all army units to a permanentstate of combat readiness.

Two aspects should be singled out. First,the conversion of all units and formationsof the Ground Forces to permanent-readi-ness status marks a sharp increase to thepeacetime combat capability of the armyand a departure from the longstandingstructure of the Soviet Army, which was

based on formations subject to full deploy-ment only upon general mobilisation. TheRussian Army will thus cease to be a

mobilisation army. The Soviet Army of theEighties had four categories of tank andmotorised-rifle divisions, depending onthe degree to which they were manned

Iwith personnel in peacetime. Of approxi-mately 200 divisions, onlY about 50

belonged to the so-called Category A, thatis, manned at 100 per cent and ready to go

quickly into battle. The remaining 150

divisions required partial or full manningby mobilised reservists and took quite a

Iong time to deploy to wartime levels. Thiscombination of permanent readiness andcadre units has been preserved up to thepresent time.

According to the plan, all formations willbe fully mannedby2012 and maintained ina state of permanent readiness. The transi-tion to a contract system of manning sup-ports this goal. Thus, the peacetime com-bat capabilities and reaction speed of theRussian Army will increase significantly,enabling the rapid engagement of forces inany tlpe of conflict, including those similarto the recent one in Georgia. At the same

time, the increase in permanent-readinessforces should compensate for the general

reduction in the size of the Ground Forces.

The disbanding of a number of cadre for-mations manned with only officers inpeacetime and no privates enables reduc-tions to the size of the officer corps, espe-

cially senior officers.Of course, Russia's inherent need for a

large reserve, created by its enormous size

and long borders, remains unchanged.But it is clear that there is no threat of anunexpected, large-scale land invasion ofRussia's territory now or for the foresee-

able future. Any enemy, even if potentiallycapable of carrying out such an invasion(United States and NAIO, China) wouldrequire a lengthy period for mobilisation,deployment, and concentration of groundforces on Russias borders. The long periodof time leading to a ground war allowsRussia significantly to reduce thedemands on its reserve component.Russia will have significant time tomobilise its forces, permitting the elimi-nation of expensive maintenance of cadreformations during peacetime.

Iudging from the overall sense of thereform plan, it would seem that existingarms and equipment depots, where divi-sional and brigade equipment is stored,

will become the main reserve componentof the Ground Forces. Upon general mobil-isation, further brigades and divisionscould be deployed from these depots. It isnoteworthy that Russia held an entireseries of exercises specifically on deploy-ment from these depots. It would seem

that the new mobilisation concept "\ias

May 2009 FI]RCE 49

Iworked out during these exercises.

From Regiments and [livisions to Brigades

The actual transformation of brigades isthe second essential step of the reform. To

date, Russia has kept the structure of theSoviet Army. The current table of organi-sation of the Ground Forces was estab-lished during the post-war reorganisationof 1945-1946, took its final form duringthe Zhukov reforms of 1956-57, and hasessentially remained unchanged sincethen. The basic formations of the GroundForces are four-regiment tank andmotorised-rifle divisions (usually threetank and one motorised-rifle regiment ina tank division and one tank and threemotorised-rifle regiments in a motorised-rifle division). Three to four divisions, as a

rule, make up a combined services armyunder the command of a military district;that part of the army has now been low-ered in status to an army corps. Separatemotorised-rifle brigades made their firstappearance in the Ground Forces duringthe Nineties, as a result of reductionsmade to divisions for economic reasons.At the same time, the North Caucasus hasseen the emergence of several new-typebrigades (including the 33rd and 34thMountain Motorised-Rifle Brigades). Itseems that this latter experiment was seenas relatively successful.

A brigade is considered to be an interme-diate tactical formation between a divisionand a regiment, though the existingbrigades in the Russian Army are closer instrength to individual regiments. It seems

that the impending organisation of Russianbrigades will be based on a strengtheningof their combat support units, which are

now situated at the divisional level. Suchbrigades should be more flexible, withgreater combat power, and capable ofindependent action on the tactical level.The new formations will be exclusivelymotorised-rifl e brigades.

In place of the existing divisions andcombined-services armies (and armycorps), the new brigades shall form part ofoperational commands. The compositionof these new formations (apparently at thecorps level) is not yet clear, but would logi-cally include the combat and support unitsof existing divisions and armies and, mostimportantly, correspond to the currentlypopular Western notion of 'joint' forces,that is, uniting all services within a givenzone of responsibility under a single com-mand, including aviation, air defence, mis-

50 F0RCE May 2009

sile units, etc.Perhaps the most controversial part of

the reorganisation is the planned elimina-tion of divisions. On the one hand, thisincreases the independence of thebrigade, but on the other hand, it couldcreate difficulties for the concentration offorces and equipment on the battlefield.On the whole, the elimination of divisionsand the complete transition to a brigadesystem orients the army primarily towardcombat in limited, local conflicts that donot require large-scale conventional com-bat against a strong enemy pursuing high-ly consequential operational-strategicgoals. Apparently, the experience of therecent war with Georgia had an influenceon the final approval of the given schemefor reorganising the army. During combatoperations in South Ossetia, five regimen-tal combat tactical groups (that is, rein-forced motorised-rifle regiments) fromthe I9th (North Ossetia) and 42nd(Chechnya) Motorised-Rifle Divisionswere put into action by Russia. The com-mand and control of this grouping wasnot executed by the division staff oreven the staff of the SBth Army, but direct-Iy by the staff of the North CaucasusMilitary District through a specially creat-ed group. The new three-link structure ofmilitary district - operational command -brigade seems like the formalisation ofthis scheme.

The approximate composition of thefuture Russian Army can be establishedon the basis of the planned deliveries ofarms and military equipment as pub-lished in the Nationai Armament Programfor 2007-2015. Accordingly, the RussianArmy should receive 22 battalions of newtanks and 23 battalions of modernisedtanks, as well as new and modernisedequipment for more than 170 motorised-rifle battalions. Considering the smallamount of new military equipmentreceived up to 2007, this suggests thatapproximately 230-240 tank andmotorised-rifle battalions will beequipped with new and modernisedequipment. With four battalions to a

brigade, this allows for the manning ofabout 60 'healy' line brigades at perma-nent readiness. Russia nowhas about ll0tank and motorised-rifle regiments andbrigades. Thus, the inevitability of nomi-nal reductions is clear, though far from allregiments and brigades are maintained atpermanent readiness.

It was announced that every tank or

motorised-rifle division will be trans-formed, as a rule, into two brigades. Thisprocess began in October 2008 with thetransformation of the 2nd Taman GuardMotorised-Rifle Division near Moscow.

Not Just the Ground Forces

Anatoly Serdyukov's reforms affect theother services as well. The number of unitsin the Air Force will be reduced from 340 tolB0, and the Navy will be cut almost byhall from 240 to 123 units. The StrategicMissile Troops will retain just eight in placeof twelve missile divisions (although thiswas already part of planned reductions tothe strategic nuclear forces) and the Space

Troops will be reduced from seven to six.

It was announced that the Air Forceplans to eliminate the reduced, two-squadron aviation regiments (those with24 combat aircraft per regiment). All avia-tion regiments will be disbanded. The neworganisation of the Air Force establishesthe air base as the basic structural element,with three or four combat aviationsquadrons dislocated to each (that is, theequivalent of a Soviet-era aviation regi-ment). This same Air Force structure existscurrently in Belarus.

At the same time, Serdyukov announcedthat he does not see the need to createindependent rapid-reaction forces. "Thearmed forces already have such units in theAirborne Troops. They will be strength-ened, and each military district will havean Airborne brigade to carry out urgentmissions and operations under unpre-dictable circumstances," he said.

The lour existing two-regiment air-assault divisions will be transformed intoair-assault brigades, of which there will beat least seven or eight. Thus, the composi-tion of the Russian air-mobile forces will bestrengthened even more, underlying thegeneral direction of military reform towardthe creation of a professional army at per-manent readiness.

No matter how contentious individualaspects of the announced reforms mayappear to observers, this is undeniably thefirst time in post-Soviet Russia that a fulland comprehensive plan for the radical ref-ormation of the Armed Forces is beingadvanced, supported by clear political andadministrative will, and allocated sufficienteconomic resources to bring it to life. o(The writer is director of the Centre forAnalysis of Strategies and Technologies

tCASTl, Russia and the publisher of theMoscow Defense Brief)

by invitation

0omfort ZoneRussia is filting the Indian Helicopter market

he fleet of Indian helicopters is integrat- holding company ISC 'Russian Helicopters' upgraded taking into account the require-

ed mainly by the Mi-B and Mi-17 organised a presentarion of MRo facility ments of theflyingpersonnel'The aircraft

Russian-made helicopters - excellent for the Russian-made helicopters operat- equipped with a ramp and t"vo siiding

rotorcraft in real operations for rvhich they ing in the Indian territor} The MRo facility doors allorvs 35 paratroopers more opera-

\vere once developed. Today, taking into is being developed together nith the tionally. Upgrading the helicopter cockpit

account the specific features of operation Indian company'vectra Group'. The Joint- rvas adapted for the pilots' applying NVG'

in the Indian arena, the helicopters have venture Co*pury (lvc) 'Integrated rheaircraftrvasfittedadditionally"viththe

beenessentiallyupgraded. Helicopter services Private Ltd' rvill be hoist-type cargo handling system, making

The Mi-B/17 helicopters non,adays are .r.,guged in the after-sales maintenance of it possible to hoist-out trvo people at the

rvidely operated in almost g0 countrie, .r"ir fquipment to be delivered and equip- altitude of 60m on board the aircraft' the

rvorld over, and in extraordinaly ciimatic ment in opelation. This rvill contribute to a cockpit armor protection and the most

zones. In 40 countries, the above aircraft p.rr.rur-ra.rt presence of the Russian heli- importantassemblyunitsandcomponents

have been adopted by both Air Force and copter industry blanch in the Indian rvere reinforced'

Army Aviation. India is no exception, national market'

almost 200 helicopters of the kind are in The share of 'Russian Helicopre's' in New helicopters will be delivered soon

operation. Horvever, mostof themhave got Russian and Indian JVC amount to 51 per The first lot of B0 Mi-17-v5 helicopters to

obsolete image requiring upgrading, repair cent rvhile 49 per cent belong to the Vectra be purchased by India rvill be delivered by

r 20I0. As the comPetition in the

on experienc", .r'" .'pg*au- g ,lil:1il1XHl:T$::ljlJ::;tions of these machines n,ould : J.A .*SrS qbe an impossible task rvirhout ---i€ . .e-'SigJbeanimpossibletask.'i;;;5JET"j:@ee€ryT:]:9*ll""':l..^:.::'^::'}':

'"..i',i#' "i"ri."'"ti""i.. j :c ,- \?*-+:*F::*,. ,. i-lllll-llliT:'^ n:::::lHelicopters'. It is a dedicated -A*S.ij steadily improving their Prod-

uct quality.

and life extension todal'. Based ';- :::::::: F =r

enterprises providing after- :::::* :cilF' :*ffiffi E€:' -

sales supporr. Today, rhe re-created heli- Group. "The IVC staff is already function- "t"t "t:.t:]11t-lljYTlf:-t:l lliflll.

---*- : "- *-o '' ' '! isters of defense of the Europeanenterprises of the Rusllan rure5'rrit{C\l;="=: .: union countries intended to

nanasement'"'o"nu""':: "J"';"* -**'lr.m,:,:*"ffnew industrial helicoPte

:;'",1"J i:i::"r','"f;:ilil

:*:l::ril***::*Jp:: ru :-* *,*.;# [#itiil:-:ri#.Ttp

copter industry of rhe Russian aircraft ing," informed Eugeny Kisel, chairman of ing their long term operation in conditions

industry is already capable of realising full Board of Directors of Integrated Helicopter like high dust level, icing during the flight'

life cycle of all type and class helicopters ser.vices, JVC. According to Kisel it rvill be differential temperature and pressure' The

from the beginning of development to possible to render services for three to five NATO Coalition Forces command in

retirement and snapping helicopters at a time. The capacity of the Afghanistan faced trying conditions lvhere

The Indian Air Force does not need addi- enter;ise rvould depend on the complexi- their helicopters were capable of handling

tional exposure to the Russian-made heli- ty of the rvorks. "During the year \\re are only the standard conditions'

copters through the Mi-B/17 helicopter planning to render services to dozens of At the International Air Shows world

family. India has already signed a contract Russian-made helicopters. The rvarehouse over, all the leading helicopter manufac-

rvith the Federal state Uniary Enterprise for the helicopter spares and components turingplantsof theusandwestEuropean,Rosoboronexport, on the delivery of B0 will be located in the MRo house." countries have been aggressively displal'-

\,Ii-r7-vs helicopters tbr the I'dian Air ng their assault helicopters r'vith their

Force last year. So, ,fr" Ml-elit h"fi*p,", Mi-17-V5 helicopters saving' ecologically pure power plants and

fleet in India is increasing, rvhich requires Theupgradingof theMi-Bhelicoptertothe glamoroustrappings'Againstsuchaback-

timely and qualitative maintenance and ieu"t oil,li-tz-Vs image became the next drop the Russian Mi-B/17 helicopters

repair thereof. step in the development of Mi-B helicopter don't look enticing enough, ]'et they

This year at Aero India in Bengaluru, the family products' A nerv aircraft was are thriving'l

May 2009 F()RCE 51

0ver the Ho rizonTwo-pronged plan for procuring new-generation UAVs

I Prasun K. Sengupta

o meet the ever-increasing demand foractionable intelligence, surveillance,targetting and reconnaissance (ISTAR)

inputs for all three armed services, Indiahas embarked upon a tlvo-pronged planfor procuring new-generation unmannedaerial vehicles (UAV) from both abroad andthrough homegrown R&D effort.Consequently, over the next five yeals allthree armed services will be equipped rvithhundreds of such UAVs, rvhich rvill becapable of both long-duration ovcr-the-horizon reconnaissance and targetting, aswell as infantry soldier-deployed mini-UAVs, each of which rveighs 4.5kg, and isdesigned for day and night so-called'beyond the hill' observation and for tar-getting missions at ranges up to tOkm.Such mini-UAVs will also be used by thearmy's Armoured Corps for 'over-the-hill'acquisition of hostile armoured forces andtheir engagement by indirect fire supportweapons like the NAMICA (equipped with4km-range Nag anti-armour guided-mis-siles) or tank cannon-launched laser-guid-ed projectiles like the l20mm IAFIAT nowbeing licence-built by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Ltd.

To ensure the speedy induction of suchUAVs, the ministry of defence's (MoD)Defence Research & DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) has adopted theconsortium approach under wl.rich boththe public-sector and private-sector indus-trial entities will play the prominent rolewhen it comes to detailed systems design,prototype development and engineering,and series-production. Consequent to theadoption of this approach, the DRDO'sBangalore-based AeronauticalDevelopment Establishment (ADE) andDefence Avionics Research Establishment(DARE), along rvith the National AerospaceLaboratories (NAL) and HindustanAeronautics Ltd (HAL) have joined forcesto co-develop the three types of UAVs,while TA'IA Advanced Systems has joinedforces with Israel-based Urban Aeronauticsfrom for the marketing and manufacturingof vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)UAVs based on UrbanAero's patented

52 F0RCE May 2009

Fancraft technology. FL{L, on the otherhand, has teamed up with Israel AerospaceIndustries (IAI) to co-develop the ship-borne naval rotary-winged unmanned aer-ial vehicle (NRUAV), and rvith ElbitSystems oflsrael to co-develop the Skylark-1E manportable mini-UAV lhe three con-ventional takeoff and landing UAVs beingconcurrently being developed by tire

Nishant; (below) Rustom:(opposite page) Wheeled Nishant

DRDO include:o Pawan low altitude long endurance(LALE) UAV that will be catapult-launchedfrom a wheeled vehicle. A sum of USD 33.2million will be spent on the joint R&Deffort that'"vill last 24 months and involvethe development of four prototype vehi-cles. Each such UAV to be used by theIndian Army, rvill rveigh l20kg, have an

tr

a.

h

b**- i'>j

endurance of 24 hours, be equipped withpod-mounted optronic sensors, and its

radius of operations will be 150km.

r Gagan medium altitude long endurance(MAIE) UAV for the army and Indian AirForce (IAF), which will be co-developed at

a cost of USD 55.5 million and whose belly-

mounted payload will include pod-mount-ed optronic sensors (daylight TV camera

and thermal imager), or a laser target des-

ignator, or a synthetic aperture radar. A

total of four prototype vehicles are to be

developed over a 42-month period. The

Gagan wilt have service ceiling of lB'500

feet, radius ofoperations of300km and an

endurance of 24 hours.. Rustom medium-altitude longendurance (HALE) UAV for the IAF and

Indian Navy'. R&D effort for this UAV over a

lB-month period will cost USD 100 millionand involve the design and fabrication offour protot'?e vehicles each of which willrveigh 1.1 tonnes, have an endurance of24hours, service ceiling of 30,000 feet and its

radius of operations will be 300km. The

payload will comprise a mix of optroniciensors, ELINT sensors, a communicationsrelay suite, and an inverse synthetic aper-

rure radar capable of both ground and

maritime surveillance.All three UAVs will be series-produced by

a production agency-cum-developmentpartner (PADP) from India's private sector,

irith final selection of the PADP takingplace before this June. The Pawan's air-

irame will be derived from the NAl-built

light canard research aircraft (LCM),whose design (the Rutan Long-EZ) was

bought outright bY NAL in the earlY

Nineties from the US-based Rutan AircraftFactory. The LCRA was the first made-in-India aircraft made fully of rigid-foamfibre-reinforced plastic composite materi-als and was also the first to feature twincanards and wingtip fins and twin rudders.

The LCRAs Pawan MALE-UAV variant willbe powered bY a single 1l6hP Pistonengine developed by the DRDO's Vehicles

Research & Development Establishment

and driving a pusher-prop, will have a tri-cycle landing gear configuration with the

nose gear being retractable, have a

wingspan of 7.90 metres, length of 5.12

metres, canard span of 3.60 metres, and a

wing area of 7.62 square metrers. The vehi-

cle will be able to withstand high cross-

winds during both takeoffand landing' The

Pawan's maximum takeoff weight will be

600kg, of which the payload component

will account for 350kg' The service ceiling

will be 35,000 feet, flight endurance will be

24 hours, while the maximum cruise speed

will be 350kph. Range at maximum speed

will be 1,840km, with the rate of climbbeing 6.35 metres per second. The MALE-

UAVwill require a takeoffroll of 290 metres,

and a landing roll of 210 metres. Service

ceiling will be 6,700 metres. The Pawans

payload suite (for the army and Indian Air

Force) will include a SATCOM-based tr'vo-

way secure data link, a chin-mounted sta-

bilised optronic sensor housed within a

swiveling turret, and a belly-mounted syn-

thetic aperture radar (most probably

derived from the ELTA-built EL/M-2060P

system that is flight-qualified now for the

Su-30MKI) housed within a radome. The

shore-based naval variant of the MALE-

UAV will also have on board ELINT and

COMINT sensor suites. For enhancingflight safety and survivability when cruis-

ing at high altitudes, the Pawan will be

equipped with wing de-icing systems. For

operational deployment, a typical Pawan

MALE-UAV system will comprise of six air

vehicles, and a mission control unit (which

will have a large amount of commonalitywith the ground control station that was

developed by the DRDO for the indige-

nously developed Nishant tactical UAV).

The path-breaking NRUAV for the IndianNavy is being developed to deliver tailor-made solutions for multi-spectrum and

wide-area maritime surveillance. Adoptinga hands-on approach, Navy HQ, along withHAL and the MAI"\T DMsion of IAI has

already begun co-developing this vertical

takeoff and landing system' The fuselage of

the NRUAV will be the same as that of a

FIAL-built SA.3t68 Alouette III/Chetak hel-

icopter, while its upgraded powerplant willbe the FlAl/Turbomeca Ardiden lH/Shaktiengine mated to a HAl-designed gearbox.

Its principal on-board sensors will include a

belly-mounted IAI-supplied EL/M-2O22H(V)3 multi-mode radar, a nose-

mounted stabilised MOSP optronic turrethousing a lowJightJevel TV camera as well

as a thermal imager, a four-element radar

warning receiver developed by DARE, two-

way secure data links built by TADIMNSpectralink, and a rear-mounted Harpoon

deck-arresting gear. Also being co-devel-

oped are the shipborneVSAI terminals and

ground control stations, with the latter

being a derivative of that for the IAl-builtHeron 2 MALE-UAV The NRUAV's concep-

tual design was first disPlaYed bY

IAI/MAI-AI in Bangalore during the Aero

India 2007 exhibition. The principal role of

the NRUAV lvill include beyond-the-hori-zon surveillance, over-the-horizon target-

ting, ELINT, COMINT, ground mapping and

Iocation of moving ground-based targets,

and airborne early warning. The NRUAV

will not carry any on-board weapons for the

moment, but could in future be armed witha single heavy,aleight torpedo or two light-weight torpedoes. Development of such a

UAV can rightly be described as 'path-

breaking', and the Chetak's airframe was a

logical choice as it was not only available in

May 2009 F0RCE 53

plenty within India, but it also has a tricycleundercarriage (as opposed to fixed landingskis) that facilitates the UAV's landing evenin choppy waters in the high seas, therebyensuring safe recovery on board the mothervessel. The project was conceived in 2005

and is the brainchild of none other than thecurrent Chief of the Naval Staff, AdmiralSureesh Mehta, who initiated this projectwhile he was FOC-in-C Eastern NavalCommand and concurrently also one of thegovernment-appointed Directors of FIAL.

Another unique UAV solution now beingdeveloped in-country will revolutioniseboth the aerial transportation ofbattlefieldcasualties, as well as frontline aerial logis-tics. During the DEFEXPO 2008 exhibitionin Delhi last February, TATA AdvancedSystems formally revealed its decision toinvest in Urban Aeronautics of Israel's R&Deffort to develop the MULE, a single tur-bine-powered UAV for military re-supplyand medical evacuation operations with a

payload capacity of 250kg. Such a WOL-UAV utilises a unique rotorless design thateliminates the serious safery hazards asso-

ciated with helicopter rotors and permitssecure access to any location. In addition,the vehicle's arrival time is guaranteed andpredictably speedy with effectively zerorulnerability to contingencies such as traf-fic or other access obstacles. The capabilityto sustain a safe, stable hover adjacent to awindow wall or slope or to land safely in acongested space allows access and evacua-tion from virtually any location without theuse of ladders or hoists. The Mule WOL-UAV is also significantly quieter than anyhelicopter and offers unrestricted mobilityand accessibility. Lastly, in an air ambu-lance configuration, this WOL-UAV offersa revolutionary capacity for emergency res-

cue teams to reach their destlnation quick-ly, despite practical obstacles or complexlandscapes.

For real-time Battalion-level all-weatherand real-time'over-the-hill' reconnais-sance, the Indian Army will, from later thisyear, begin the large-scale induction a sol-dier-deployed system, which weighs 4.5kg,is designed for observation and for target-ting missions at ranges up to 15km, has lowacoustic and visual signatures, has a flightendurance ofthree hours, operational ceil-ing of 15,000 feet, and a maximum gross

takeoff weight of 6.3kg. The Skylark-IE is1,400mm long, with a wingspan of2,080mm and pod length of 720mm. It hasa flight speed of up to 60 Knots. It can bequickly assembled before the mission and

54 F()RCE May 2009

is launched by hand. Recovery is per-formed by a deep stall manoeuvre, whichlands the mini-UAV safely on a small inflat-able cushion, at a pre-designated point.The entire mission is flown autonomously,feeding real-time continuous video andtelemetry data to a laptop-based groundstation. Its wings and tail surfaces are con-structed of lightweight composites, and thefuselage's tubular boom is also made ofcomposites. The avionics and sensor pay-loads are contained in a pod carried belorvthe boom. The gimballed payload, weigh-ing only 1kg, comprises a daylight CCD oran optional FLIR for night operation,which can be rotated by four gimbals.Skylark-lE operators with no experiencecan become fully certified after less than aweek of classroom training and anotherrveek of actual flying, safety and mainte-nance instruction. The Skylark- 1 ispresently operational lvith l5 armed forcesworldwide and is currently deployed inAfghanistan as well. It was on September22 last year that the first FlAl-assembledSkylark-18 took to the skies in Bangalore.HALs Bangalore-based CompositeManufacturing Division is now gearing upto series-produce this mini-UAV The FIAL-Elbit Systems team leading the Skylark-IE'slicenced-production effort in Indiaincludes Daniel Ma'ayan (Director, ElbitUAV Systems), Shemual Zilbar (ProgrammeManager), Uriyah (Chief Instructor), Galle(Instructor), Andrew S (Mission Debrief),Sireesh (Ground Control Station) andPrashant (Launch & Recovery).

The Rustom MALE-UAV too will be pro-cured in large numbers (more than 100).

Each such UAV wili be powered by twinRotax 914 4-cylinder four-stroke pistonengines sourced from the UK. Thus so far, a1:2 scale-model of the Rustom has com-pleted control surface tests and low-speedtaxi trials. This vehicle is called theRustom-l (the production variant will be

called Rustom-H). Each engine will devel-op 120hp, and offer a range of l28mmwhile working at 5800rpm. Service ceilingwill be 35,000 feet, while endurance will be24 hours. The on-board data link with six-axis tracking capability will have a 250kmline-of-sight range and 350km with relay.

The 350kg payload will include belly-mounted search radar or ISAR radar, orCOMINT/ELINT receivers and a chin-mounted FLIR turret. There is also provi-sion for tr,vo hardpoints under each wing.Maximum takeoff rveight of the Rustomwill be 1.8 tonnes, inclusive of the 350kg

payload and l00kg of fuel. Wingspan willbe 20 metres, the fuselage will be 14 metreslong and fuel consumption will be40kg/hour, which will work out to some 25hours of endurance. The T-tail will housethe COMINT/ELINT antenna arrays (three

vertical pieces on each tip). The Rustom'stail portion will not have any fuel tanks toavoid any CG shift. Instead, the fuel tankswill be located in the wings and fuselageonly. The entire tail section will be fabricat-ed with glass-fibre reinforced plastic forreduced radar cross-section. The produc-tion-version Rustom's first flight rvill beundertaken by 201 1.

The DRDO has already developed to datethe Nishant tactical UAV for the army, withits mission payloads and avionics suitebeing developed by the Dehradun-basedDefence Electronics ApplicationsLaboratories (DEAL) and the launch con-trol system coming from the Pune-basedR&D Establishment Engineers. Nishant hasa multi-mission day-night capability withadvanced belly-mounted optronic pay-loads (housed within a two-axis gimbaledpod), autonomous flight capabiliry has ajam-resistant command link and digitaldown-link, and uses a mobile hydraulicpneumatic launcher hosted on a 6x6 truck.It is used for dayime and nighttime battle-field reconnaissance, surveillance, targettracking, and localisation, plus correctionof field artillery fire. The UAV has a lengthof 4.63 metres, cruise speed of 150kph,maximum speed of l8skph, minimumspeed of llOkph, endurance of four andhalf hours, and an altitude ceiling of 3,600

metres. It also has an on-board recoveryparachute and landing bags. The payloadlink's line-of-sight range is 160km. TheNishant's sub-51'slsrns were developed bythe DRDO's Agra-based Aerial Deliver-vResearch & Development Establishment(ADRDE) and are being produced byBangalore-based HALBIT Avionics, inwhich FIAL holds 50 per cent of the shares,

Elbit Systems of Israel holds 26 per centand Bangalore-based MerlinHawk holdingthe remaining 24 per cent. On November15, 2004 the MoD ordered the first 12

Nishants in a limited-series productionbatch from HAL. Each Nishant systemcosts USD 3.5 million and comprises fourNishants and a ground control station,antenna tracking system, and the launcherand mission support vehicles. A wheeledversion of the Nishant has now begun ta-xi

trials and will incorporate a rear-mountedarrestor hook for arrested recovery. a

I

the border, not letting anY fleeingBDR men to cross over to India,that is what rve are thankful for."

Questioned about the dePor-tation of ULFA leaders ArabindaRajkhowa, Paresh Barua, AnuPChetia and Ranjan DaimarY ofNDFB, Islam remained non-committal saying that he has just

returned from fire of hell. "OurPrime Minister has stated thatwe will not harbour anyonefrom India or any other country,"he said adding, "These issues

are there, and they will be

solved. Just give some time to thenewly-elected government of

Bangladesh."On the probe into the carnage, which

claimed the life of 58 army officers includ-ing that of the paramilitary force's DG

Major General Shakeel Ahmed, Islam said

that it was two early to say anything in thatregald as three separate enquiries are

going on into it including a judicial and an

administrative one. Asked about Pakistan's

intelligence agency ISI's involvement in the

mutiny, Islam said only the investigationswill reveal who s and why's of the revolt. o

range of issues related to border manage-

ment and agreed to strengthen joint efforts

to prevent trans-border crimes includingillegal movements across the border' traf-

ficking of women and children, smuggling

of drugs, arms and ammunition, etc. Last

year, during the 9th home secretary level

talks between India and Bangladesh held

in Dhaka, a decision had been taken

regarding joint visits by both sides to visitto a few lrrlnerable stretches rvhere fencingis not feasible, including the riveline areas

ofthe border. Both sides had agreed to for-mulate a joint border management planrvhich would help in effectively reducingtrans-border crime and strengthening bor-

der management. BSF and BDR recalled

that committees from India andBangladesh have already been constitutedand expressed the hope that visits wouldtake place soon.

Addressing a joint press conferencealong with the BDR chief, Kumawatexpressed his condolences over the tragedythat struck BDR and reiterated India's con-tinuing support during this period andcommitment as a friendly neighbour tostrengthen the friendship. "We extend ourfull support to the Bangladesh governmentin resurrecting BDR. We shall not let anyBDR recalcitrant elements enter into India,this had been our policy during the crisisand this shall be our policy in future as

rr.ell", Kumawat said.BDR chief Brig. Gen. Islam termed the

mutiny as the: "saddest episode to have

Neighbourly VisitBDR gratefut for BSF's 'wisdom and prudence'

rVidhi UpadhyaY

order SecuritY Force andBangladesh Rifles met forthe first time in New Delhi

last month since the barbarousmutiny struck India's neighbour.The first biannual talks of 2009

between BSF and BDR were heldfrom 31 March-1 APril 2009. Six-

member BDR delegation, led bY

the newly appointed DG,

Brigadier General Mainul Islammet his Indian counterpart DG

BSE M.L. Kumawat at the BSF

headquarters.The two sides discussed a

occurred in the world. ...We thought itrvould be good to make the visit here even

r,vith reduced representation. We came

here to thank the Indian government and

the BSF for their wisdom and prudence

shown during the mutinY", he said

expressing his gratitude.\.Mhen asked about the specific gesture of

the BSF for which BDR felt grateful, Islam

said, "On February 25-26, while we vrere

focussed on Pilibhit (where the BDR is

headquartered), BSF dealt rvith wisdom on

Border LineHome minister uisits Indo-Pak border in Punjab

Union home minister P Chidambaram visited the BSF border outposts located in

Punjab and Rajasthan on March 26 to get a first hand experience of the conditions pre-

vailing on thetorder and also take stock of the security situation along the Indo-Pak

bordei. Accompanied by DG BSB M.L. Kumawat, senior officers from the MHA and the

BSE the home minister visited K.K. Barrier post in Firozpur sector which is peculiar in

deployment due to divergent terrain condition. He moved along the border track to

""u.rri.r" the efficacy of the fencing and observed that the fencing in Punjab needed

replacement as it had outlived its utility. After seeing the International Boundary align-

ment, gate management and cultivation of land neal the fencing area, he interacted

with the local farmers as well. Subsequently, he visited the Maltl'r's Memorial at

Hussainwala and paid homage there.

Later Chidambaram also visited BOP Satpal in Bikaner, located in remote area of the

desert. He also addressed the BSF jawans during Sainik Sammelan' In his address, he

said that while the BSF men are facing a particulal tlpe of problem in Punjab' the situ-

ation in Rajasthan is still worse due to remoteness, high temperature, lack of habitation'

lack of scope for socialisation and also lack of connectivity. He said that with the

increasing BSF units by 29 battalions and three sectors, he hoped that the existing gaps

can be narrowed down. I

l\4ay 2009 F0RCE 55

I

Private CoverIndia Inc. makes bee line for CISF couer

r Subhashis Mittra

t is time for India Inc to make a bee lineto the North Block to seek CentralIndustrial Security Force (CISF) protec-

tion from the Union home ministry tokeep terrorists at bay. Over 50 private sec-tor organisations have already put in theirrequest for CISF cover. The firms includeReliance famnagar Oil Refinery, OberoiHotels, Taj Hotel Delhi, Infosys, Wipro,Electronic City, an IT Park in Bangalore,DLf; Ambuja Cement and Iindal Steel.

The Reliance Refinery Infosys andWipro -

which come under the high risk category -will be among the first to get CISF cover withthe Union home ministry giving its nod tothese establishments after processing theapplications. The CISF and other securityand intelligence agencies carried out securi-ty audit of the threat perception as perwhich the Electronic Ciry the Bangaloresoftware complex, too will get the Para-mil-itary cover. Other companies are expectedto get CISF cover in due course.

Private organisations in Delhi that haverequested for CISF security include DelhiPublic School branches in East of Kailash,Vasant Kunj and R. K. Puram, RadissonHotel and Sir Gangaram Hospital. Besides,the Trident Hotels have sought CISF cover ateight locations and the Oberoi Hotels at fivelocations. \.A/hile both these hotels bore thebrunt of the 26lII Mumbai attack, theMarriott chain of hotels too have soughtsimilar protection in the wake of the terrorattack on its hotel in Pakistan recently.

The CISF also provides security and fire-related consultancy services to IIT(Kharagpur), the National Institute ofCriminology and Forensic Sciences andsome major temples, including theAkshardham temple in Delhi. In all, CISFprovides consultancies to 63 public andprivate sector units at present - securityconsultancy to 24 units, fire consultancy tonine units and combined security and fireconsultancy to 30 units.

In line with the suggestion of theParliament's Standing Committee on homeaffairs that deplolirnent of CISF securitycover to the private sector companiesshould be done only after a comprehensive

56 F0RCE l\ilay 2009

security audit of those firms, the ministryhas forwarded these requests to the CISF forcarrying out further study of these privateorganisations. After completing the securityaudit, the CISF will station Quick ReactionTeams (QRT) and commando units at therequired installations.

"The decision on providing security toany unit will be taken after considering theeconomic and other vital parameters," asenior home ministry official said.

\A/hile suggesting that CISF cover shouldbe provided to the cooperative sector as

well, the parliamentary panel in its latestreport tabled in both Lok Sabha and RajyaSabha said the government should haveundertaken security audit of the installa-tions and industries in the private sectorprior to the introduction of the Bill. Such anaudit would have given the right assessmentof the quantum of deplol'rnent of CISF forproviding security coverage in private andjoint sectors.

The Central Industrial Security Force(Amendment) Bill, 2008 was introduced inthe Rajya Sabha in December last year toamend the original Act of 1968 in the wake

of Mumbai terror strikes which targeted theTaj and Oberoi hotels. Since the Bill wasreferred to the Parliamentary StandingCommittee, an ordinance was promulgatedduring the inter-session period.

Observing that there would be a naturalinclination amongst the CISF personnel toseek lucrative postings in the private sector,the panel said "there is need for putting inplace a suitable personnel policy in the CISFto impart the required re-orientation to itspersonnel in the wake of the new areas ofdeployment." It also said the governmentshould formulate a comprehensive billingsystem for charging the costs from the pri-vate and joint sector. "The governmentshould ensure that it does not incur anyexpenditure, direct or indirect, for securitycoverage provided in any private installa-tion," it said.

The panel also said that private industrialhouses should not be allowed to seek CISFprotection to save on benefits like Pf; gratu-iry redrement benefits and ESI by suspend-ing or terminating services of personnelalready employed by them. The Committeefelt that it would be appropriate if such facil-

ity was extended to the cooperative sector,

as there were some big industries in thatsector which also contribute to the nationaleconomic growth and development.

Provision of CISF cover to the cooperativesector should not be a major issue as thegovernment is of the vielv that an)'thingowned by a person other than the Centre orState governments would be considered tobe in the private sector.

On the panel's recommendation that thecriteria for providing CISF protectionshould be scientific, reasonable and trans-parent, and based on ground realities likethreat perception, security and integrify ofthe country, the home minister P

Chidambalam said the service rvould beavailable to the private sector after the gov-

ernment makes a risk analysis. "!Ve n ill do

risk analysis before providing the services,"he said adding that preference rvould begiven to those areas l'ulnerable to threatsfrom Naxalites and terrorists. In this con-text, he informed that steel and minesn'ould be accorded priority r,vhile providingCISF protection. Na-xalites have been tar-geting private telecom installations and oilrefineries in some states.

He said that the government and thepublic sector units would retain theil firstclaim on the CISF cover even after its serv-ices were extended to the private sector." Ihere will be no question of reducing theCISF cover to public sector units. The first

The 0rigin of CISFThe CISF was formed by an Act ofParliament in 1968 to provide better pro-tection and security to Public SectorUndertakings after a devastating fire inHEC, Ranchi in 1964 in which sabotager,\ias suspected. Under the Act, the forceprovides security to Central Public SectorUndertakings (PSUs) on full reimburse-ment basis. The Act had been amended onthree occasions. By an amendment of thePrincipal Act in 1983, the CISF wasdeclared as an Armed Force of the Union.The amendment made in the Act in l9B9made a provision for protection of the per-sonnel of the PSUs as well. The furtheramendment of the Act in 1999 enabled theCentral Government for deployment ofCISF in industrial organisations owned orfunded by the Central Government and toentrust any other dufy to the force and alsomade provision for consultancy to privatesector in security matters.

claim lvill be from government and thepublic sector units," he clarified.

Top priority will be accorded to estab-lishments in petroleum, IT and po-'ver sec-

tors while extending CISF protection toprivate and joint ventures, the home min-ister said. "We have a number of requests.Priority will be given to petroleum andnatural gas, II, communications, airports,sea ports and porver sector as these sec-

tors are most vulnerable and critical to theeconomy."

Chidambaram observed that the attacksin Mumbai brought into focus the threatto iconic institutions rvhich needed to beprotected.

The Committee felt that lvhile the CISF

would be entrusted rvith physical protectionand securiry cyber crimes should also be

addressed. "If necessary training may begiven to CISF personnel and setting up of aseparate IT unit may be considered," it said,

adding that the CISF personnel should be

provided rvith latest weaponry and technol-ogy to enhance their preparedness. The

CISF should also be provided helicopters forquick response to meet an1'emergent situa-

tion, the report said. Responding io the sug-

gestion, Chidambaram assured that theCISF would be equippedwith latest gadgets.

The panel proposed that the CISF shouldstrictly be deployed to protect the installa-tions, machineries and ploduction onlyand not interfere in industrial or land dis-

Besides PSUs, the CISF provides securityto most of the airports, critical and vital,nuclear power and space installations,major sea ports, thermal and hydel proj-ects, petroleum and natural gas installa-tions, industries including mines in LeftWing Extremism (LWE) affected areas,

WPs, Delhi Metro, important governmentbuildings and Samadhis. The force was

also deployed on internal securiry disastermanagement and election related duties.

With the security scenario in the coun-try undergoing a sea change during thelast few years and in view of the grolvingthreats due to terrorism and extremism,the private sector has been makingdemands for security of their establish-ments through CISF on cost reimburse-ment basis. Many vital industries in thePrivate Sector and Joint Ventures Sectorsare producing goods and rendering servic-

es, which have contributed to the scientif-

putes. The home minister, however, allayed

apprehensions that the CISF rvould get

involved in land disputes, saying these

issues lvould lemain under the charge oflocal authorities.

The statement of objects and reasons ofthe Bill states that with the growing threatof terrorist outfits, industries in the privatesector and joint ventures, which have con-tributed to the growth of economy, also

require CISF cover. It sought to extend CISF

cover to Indian Missions or UNPeacekeeping Missions abroad in the back-drop of the attack on Indian Embassy inKabul last year. The CISF is deployed at theUN Mission in Haiti.

Chidambaram made it clear that theCISF securitl, cover rvould not be extendedto the private sector overnight as the forcehas to be expanded. The strength of theforce would be expanded to I,45,000 offi-cers and men from the present level of1,12,534, to meet the growing demand.Noting that there were no separatervomen's battalion in the CISEChidambaram informed that at present,the force has 5,000 women personnel andhoped that more would .ioin.

"We will induct 33,000 more personnelrvithin the next two years," informed CISF

Director General N. R. Das.

Dismissing fears of 'misuse' of the forceby private enterprises, he said, "We havegood experience of dealing with the private

ic and technological growth of the countryand have also been playing significant rolein developing machinery, equipment andgadgetry of strategic importance.

Contribution by the private sector inthese fields has substantially contributedin the economic growth and rising status

of India in the world in the recent years. Atthe same time, country's economic growthand all round development has createdvulnerabilities from fbrces and elementsinimical to the country, in terms of effortsto destabilise our economy through sub-versive and terrorist activities.

Many of the major cities, most recentlyMumbai, have suffered terrorist attacks,

bomb blasts etc, which aim at terrorisingthe people at large and shake their confi-dence in the political system. The loom-ing threat of the terror also shakes theconfidence of the private sector and theinvestor in the economy. The need toamend the bill this time was felt in thiscontext. a

May 2009 F0RCE 57

sector since 2001, when Cochin Airportrvas built lvith private-public partnership."The CISF chief was of the view that the

expertise would prove handy in dealinglvith new challenges.

Explaining the criteria for processing

requests from the private sector units, the

CISF DG said the first priority would be

industries as it is vital for the economy.

Militancy-hit areas surfaced next on the

list, while the third category would includeindustries involving heary investments.

For now, the home ministrY has drawn

up a three-tier priority list that has crucialsectors like power, atomic energy, space'

airports, science and technology at the top'The second priority includes major units inNaxalite or insurgency-affected areas.

Private sector units that do not fall in either

of the first two, but may face a significantthreat come last.

A security audit of the public and private

sector has been ordered to assess the secu-

rity requirements at the new locations andoptimise deployment at the 300-plus pub-lic sector installations. In addition, the

security audit also covers big hotels in met-

ros iike Mumbai's Taj and beaches fre-quented by foreign tourists. But since the

security cover is not going to be abie avail-

able to everyone for asking, the audit "vill

determine the kind of security cover thatshould be extended, if at all.

The Parliamentary panel, headed bY

Sushma Swaraj, observed that there was

'stagnation' in certain cadres and result-ant resentment in the force and suggested

that efforts should be made to increasepromotional avenues in all the cadres ofCISF in general and in the affected cadres

in palticular.A senior BJP leader S. S. Ahluwalia sug-

gested that instead of expanding the CISF

to provide security cover to private estab-

lishments, the services of ex-army men and

ex-policemen could be availed. He felt thatposting of CISF personnel to places likeBangalore and Pune would cause heart-burn among other personnel posted inremote Na-xal-hit areas to guard private

sector units.The home ministry has made it cleal that

the CISF personnel - at existing and nen'locations -would get out of watch andwardfunctions. Instead, the CISF commandoswould be posted at crucial locations and

come into the picture in case of a need.

Union home secretary Madhukar Guptatold the Parliamentary Committee that the

CISF deployment aimed at'protecting criti-cal areas' relating to access control and sur-

veillance. "The other access control shouldbe in the hands of private security guards.

However, wireless communication system

would be maintained by the CISF, In case of

any problem, the Quick Reaction Team ofthe CISF would immediately rush to the sit-

uation," he informed the panel.

In case of IT majors, the home ministrl'favoured positioning CISF commandos at

Iocations from where they could extend

cover to multiple units at the same time.The CISF at present provides protection

to lB9 Public sector undertakings, 49 gov-

ernment buildings and 57 airports. It also

protects 33 other installations like theDelhi N1etro Rail and'samadhis' (memori-

als) like Raj Ghat. o

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58 F0RCE May 2009

Stumbling BlocksTechnology transfer under'Buy and Make' is a misnomer

I Major General

Mrinal Suman (retd)

As regards'Make'

cases, lndia has noth-

ing to show in the last

five decades.

Conversion of the

much hyped Trishul

missile defence sYs-

tem into a technologY

demonstration Pro-

gramme once again

proved the failure ol

lndia's DRD() to devel-

op any hightech

equipment in the

promised time-lrame

and conlorming to the

accepted parameters.

It has been a chroni-

cle of tall claims and

1l proposals for the procurement of new

equipment are debated in the Defence

Acquisition Council (DAC) and categorised as

'Buy', 'Buy and Make' and 'Make' cases. 'Buy'

implies outright purchase of the complete quanti-

ty required. In case the requirement is large, it isconsidered prudent to adopt 'Buy and Make'

route. It entails initial purchase of limited quanti-

ty in fully built up form, follolved by licenced pro-

duction/indigenous production of the balance

requirement. Finalty, 'Make' cases refer to indige-

nous development of the equipment.India has been exercising 'Buy' option in

respect to high-tech, high value and urgentlyrequired procurements. As in ali such cases the

quantity required is limited and it is not consid-

ered cost-effective to create infrastructure for

subsequent manufactute within the countrySome of the major 'Buy' cases finalised in the

recent past relate to Weapon Locating Radars, C-

1301-30 Super Hercules Transport aircratl, P-BI

Boeing Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance air-

craft and Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers'

Recently, the government has issued Request for

Proposal (RFP) for outright purchase of 140

155mm/52 calibre Ultra-Light Hoivitzer guns'

As regards 'Make' cases, India has nothing toshorv for its efforts in the last five decades'

Conversion of the much hlped Trishul missile

defence system into a technology demonstration

programme once again proved the failure ofIndia's Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) to develop any high-tecliequipment in the promised time-frame and con-

forming to the accepted parameters. It has been a

chronicle of tall claims and abject failures'

Therefore, it was decided in 2006 to revise 'Make'

category and limit the role of DRDO to the devel-

opment of projects requiring sophisticated tech-

nology of strategic, complex and security sensitive

nature. Development of high-tech equipment has

been assigned to Integrated Project Management

Teams under the Acquisition Wing of the Ministry

of Defence (MoD).

However, it is 'Buy and Make' category that is

considered the preferred route for most of the

large quantity high value contracts. Instead ofprocuring the complete quantity in fully built-upcondition, India buys some and manufactures

the balance under transf'er of technology (ToT).

Earlier when the erstwhile USSR rvas the sole

supplier of defence equipment to India, acquisi-

tion of all major weapon platforms followed the

same route.The history of production of tanks in India is

indicative of India's continued dependence on

licenced production. Manufacture of T-55 tanks inIndia began in early Seventies under a'Buy and

Make' arrangement. T-72 and T-90 have followed

the same route. Apparently, India has gained littleduring the last four decades in terms of technolo-

gy to be self reliant. Similar course has been fol-

lorved in the case of fighter aircraft - from old

rvarhorse MiG 21 to current Sukhoi series.

laguar aircraft from the UK rvere also licence

manufactured in India. The trend continues withrenerved intensity. A contract for Hawk jet trainers

rvas signed rvith BAE in 2004 for 66 Hawk trainers

- 24 ro be supplied by BAE in flyalvay conditionn'hile the remaining 42 are being manufactured inIndia under technology transfer licence' As per

reports appearing in the press, an additionalrequirement of 57 aircraft is being projected now'

Request for proposals (RFP) issued for 126

Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)

for a projected cost of over 10 billion dollars con-

tains the clause that the first lB aircraft rvill come

in a'fly arvay' condition, while the remaining 108

rvili be manufactured under fbT. It is reported

that the government wants to retain an option1br an additional quantity of 64 aircraft on the

same terms, thereby bringing the total quantity

to 190 aircraft.Indian RFP for 197 light helicopters (133 for the

Indian Army and 64 for the air force) to replace its

aging Chetak and Cheetah fleet worth close to 600

million dollars also contains the clause that 60

helicopters would be bought outright, with the

remaining 137 being built under license by

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Similarly,

as per the RFP issued for I55mm 52-calibre torved

guns, India wants to buy 400 guns off-the-shelfand produce 1,100 guns in India under licence'

Stated Advantages of'Buy and Make'

Once a decision is taken to categorise a procure-

ment proposal as'Buy and Make', the Department

of Defence Production (DDP) is asked to nomi-

nate an agency to receive technology for indige-

nous production. The Production Agency (PA) so

nominated is thereafter co-opted in the prepara-

tion of RFP to oversee all aspects concerning ToT.

As all defence public sector units and the ord-

nance factories (collectively referred to as the

public sector hereto after) come under DDB it isalways one of them that gets nominated as PA'

abject failuresMay 2009 F0RCE 59

IPrivate sector companies, even if moresuitable to receive and absorb technology,are never considered for nomination as PA.

At times a public sector entity is nominatedas PA only because it does not have ade-quate work load, its suitability being of lit-tle consequence.

As seen above,'Buy and Make' continuesto be the preferred route. Four major rea-sons advanced in its favour are as follows:-

Gains ftom Technology ImportTechnology received under'Buy and Make'helps raise threshold of indigenous knowl-edge which acts as a take-off platform forfurther progression. Instead of reinventingthe wheel, India takes a technology jump tocatch up with the latest advancements.Imported technology provides an impetusto indigenous research and developmentin defence systems, thereby reducingdependence on foreign suppliers for futurerequirements and making India self reliant.

Saving ofResourcesIndigenous manufacture is considerablymore cost-effective than procuring fullymanufactured equipment, even though allmajor assemblies and critical componentsare supplied by the foreign vendor.

Assured LifeTime Support to EquipmentBy establishing production infrastructurein India, life time technical and spare-partssupport is ensured for the equipment.Thus, dependence on foreign suppliersgets eliminated. Additionally, indigenisa-tion of critical components goes a long wayto ensure serviceability of equipment.

Social and Economic BenefitsInflow of assembly work creates consider-able number of jobs in the country whichwould be lost in case India procures com-plete requirement in assembled condition.Most of the defence public sector units(DPSU) are thriving on assembly work asvery little indigenous developmental workhas resulted in production orders. In caseassembly orders dry up, DPSU would bestrapped for rvork.

Appraisal of'Buy and Make' Policy

India has been adopting 'Buy and Make'route for decades now. Enough time haspassed and considerable experience hasbeen gained for an objective assessment ofvarious facets ofthe policy.

Technology transfer under 'Buy andMake' is a misnomer. In fact, it is the

60 FORCE May 2009

biggest myth that is being perpetuatedrvith total disregard to ground realities. Notechnology gets transferred to India at all.\Vtrat the foreign vendors provide are rudi-mentary drawings to assemble equipment.Indigenous production is nothing exceptassembling of sub-assemblies and compo-nents to deliver fully built units to the serv-ices. Therefore, India gains nothing asregards technological know-how from suchan arrangement.

Take the case ofT-series tanks - India hasbeen producing them since early Seventies,yet our competence to improve upon theimported know-how is pathetic. India pro-cured T-55 tanks along with technology forindigenous manufacture. \.&rhen T-55became obsolete and needed replacement,India had to rush abroad for T-72 tankswith ToT. Even after manufacturing hun-dreds of these tanks, India could not mas-ter the technology or improve upon it. Itwas again Russia that provided T-90 tanksto replace the ageing fleet. Once againIndia has bought technology for licencedproduction in India. If every time India hasto resort to import of newer versions, tech-noiogy infusion means little.

Such an arrangement suits the foreignvendors ideally. They do not part with theirclosely guarded technology as that guaran-tees them continued business by perpetu-ating India's dependence on them. Theyprovide assembly drawings and nothingelse. India has to keep importing criticalsub-assemblies and components fromthem, thereby assuring long-term busi-ness to them. Citing inflation, they keepraising prices as rvell. The net result is thatinstead of importing fully built units, Indiaimports equipment in semi-knockeddown or fully knocked down condition forindigenous assembly.

'Buy and Make' policy appears custom-made for India's DPSU. Unlike the privatesector, they do not have to strive and com-pete for business. Their struggle is limitedto intense lobbying in the corridors of DDPfor nomination as PA. A nomination meansassured business for years with no riders ofcost, quality and delivery schedule. Nomastery of advanced technical knowledgeis required to assemble equipment.Therefore, ',vithout much sweat, DPSUstarts producing equipment.

Although the roie of nominated PA islimited to putting together sub-assembliesand pasting its own label on the assembledproduct, it charges a huge profit for itsefforts. At times, the services are hard

pressed to accept prices quoted by them.They border on exorbitance. There havebeen times when it was felt that import offully built-up equipment would have beena cheaper option. Many equate such PAwith middlemen and traders who chargehefty commission (fancifully called valueaddition) for facilitating imports.

India's defence research and develop-ment ef'forts have also not benefited from'Buy and Make' deals. Every time newequipment is imported, DRDO strips itopen to learn through reverse engineering.In the absence of detailed drawings,DRDO's efforts remain confined to dupli-cation rather than absorption of technolo-gy. Not one case can be quoted whereDRDO has learnt from imported technolo-gy to develop better products indigenously.

Even in the case of essential spares, Indiahas never achieved self-reliance. Every for-eign vendor ensures that India remainsdependent on him for critical spares. Hethus retains effective leverage and exploitsit by hefty price increases. Even after'decades of manufacturing T-series of tanksand MiG aircraft, India looks up to Russiato keep its fleet functional. It is a sad reflec-tion of futility of current mode of ToT.

India has certainllr lsgn able to replicatesome imported components under its indi-genisation programme, but this process islimited to itens like rvashers, seals andother commonplace components. As noforeign vendor parts with metallurgicalknorv-hon', even critical nuts and boltscannot be manufactured locally and haveto be imported.

Absence of genuine transfer of technolo-gy can also be gauged from the fact thatIndia cannot even upgrade the equipmentmanufactured under ToT. In every case, theforeign vendor has to be approached. Hedevelops the kit, upgrades some numbersand thereafter, the balance quantity isupgraded indigenously under the same'Buy and Make' route. The foreign vendorthus not only charges huge fees but alsoensures that his business thrives throughselling of upgrade kits to India.

Finally, most ToT agreements getembroiled in controversy. It is alleged thatforeign vendors tend to renege from theircontractual obligations by resorting toskewed and subjective interpretation ofvarious clauses. Recent reports of Russia'sintransigence and non-cooperative atti-tude in respect of ToT for T-90 tanks amplyproves this point. With little leverage, Indiais always on the receiving end with insin-

cere foreign vendors trying to e\ploit smallprint in contracts.

The Way Forward

'Buy and Make' policy has the follorvingfallout:

o As the recipient of technologf is aln'ays apublic sector entity, entry of the privatesector in defence production gets effective-Iy blocked. It is a neat stratagem to perpet-uate the monopoly of the public sector. Therole of the private sector remains restrictedto supplying components and sub-assem-blies to the public sector. That is one of thereasons why the private sector continues tobe a fringe player.. Due to the availability of assured busi-ness opportunities through nomination as

PA, the public sector never feels the need toupdate its technology or improve its skills.It remains smug in the knowledge that ithas only to keep the decision makers ofDDP in good humour to get orders. In theabsence of any competition, the publicsector becomes complacent and fails tomodernise itself.o Being part of MoD, every public sectorPA treats the services as captive customers.The services have to suffer indifferent qual-ity and delayed deliveries. As seen earlier,

the public sector assembles sub-assem-blies and puts its own tag and charges hefq'profit. Frequent and unwarranted priceincreases make products unjustly expen-

sive. In other words, the defence budget is

made to bear the burden of ensuring sur-vival ofthe public sector.o Knorvledgeable vendors find 'Buy andMake' route to be the most remunerativemode of doing business with India. Theirmake huge profits by piggyback riding onthe public sector. They have learnt that thepublic sector continues to call shots inIndia. They manage to court it by promis-ing licenced production with ToT. Once a

contract is signed continuous flow of busi-ness is ensured for decades - initially bysupplying fully built units and subsequent-ly by providing sub-assemblies and criticalcomponents.o No real transfer of technology takesplace. No expert agency monitors groundimplementation. The complete responsi-bility is assigned to PA. Unfortunately, nei-ther PA nor the foreign vendor is keen tocarry it out sincerely. PA is happy as long as

it can keep assembling equipment to sell tothe services.

The net result is that the Indian defenceindustry continues to suffer. As no genuinetransfer of technology takes place, India

remains a laggard. It will not be incorrect tostate that India's'Buy and Make'policy has

succeeded only in impeding developmentof indigenous competence and perpetuat-ing dependence on imports. Worse, thispolicy effectively rules out any role for theprivate sector, thereby denying the countryof its prowess.

According to Defence ProcurementProcedure - 2008, suitable PA could be

selected from any of the public/private sec-

tor firms including a joint venture company,

based on the inputs from DDP and, ifrequired, from DRDO. Unfortunately, theabove provision means little. Inputs andrecommendations of DDP are always infavoul ofthe public sector. In a recent case,

DDP went to the extent of nominating a

public sector company peremptorily as thesole development and production agency ina'Make' case, flouting its ovrn written policy.

India must take three steps urgently toset things right. First, DDP should be abol-ished. It is an archaic department withbiased mindsets. DDP is known for itsimpedimentary role in the modernisationof the services. It contributes little anddelays all proposals till the public sector isaccepted as the sole supplier. A newdepartment called Department of DefenceIndustry should be created to oversee

development of Indian defence industry(both the public and the private sectors) inan integlated and synchronised manner.

Secondly, time has come to involve theprivate sector at the categorisation of pro-posals stage itself, albeit within the con-straints of secrecy requirements. As

monopoly breeds complacency, opencompetition should be encouraged to forcethe industry to upgrade its technology andskills for survival. The most suitable entityshould be selected to receive technology.The country can ill-afford to continue tosustain inel-ficient public sector companiesthrough unwarranted patronage.

And finally, the complete gamut of tech-nology and its transfer should be adminis-tered by a duly constituted DefenceTechnology Oversight Committee (DTOC).

DTOC should identify level and scope oftechnology needed to be imported, identi-fy suitable recipients and oversee smoothtransfer and absorption on ground. It mustbe appreciated that purchase oftechnologycosts the country dear. Full advantagemust be taken of it for the advancement ofindigenous industry. It is too serious a mat-ter to be left to the diligence and prudenceof nominated defence sector entities. o

l\4ay 2009 F0RCE 61

Future CommunicationCII organises seminar to focus on communication to support BMS

lnternationa* #*ru=c*mr

radigm Shift in Cor*rnunication to Support

Battlefield Mar: eg*ment SYstem

-.*

r Aditi Bhan and Vidhi Upadhyay

magine this - a battlefield where there are

no soldiers to guard or fight the enemyyet the latter can't enter the area lvithout

risking his life - for every movement of the

enemy is being watched and any intrusionrvould prompt counter-action from the sol-

dier sitting far away from the scene of actionand regulating the events through remote-controlled weapons. A bit vague or straightout of some science fiction, isn't it?

'Il-ren imagine the other scenario - a sol-

dier standing at the check-post, checkingthe vehicles entering a building. Suddenly,

there is a terrorist attack and he is killed.Yet, before the terrolists can enter thebuilding and cause havoc, they are gunneddorvn by the alert soldiers r,vho had beenmonitoring the scene from inside thepremises. Sounds a bit realistic? Doesn't it?

But fbr these illusions to take folm thereis a need for effective surveillance and a

sound communication system, that is, real-

62 F0RCE lVlay 2009

l_

Confederatior

time situational awareness. So rvhenGeneral Deepak Kapoor, Chief of the Arml'Staff, says that future rvars rvould be ofshorter duration rvhere technology rt'ouldplay the most important role, he is talkingabout a scenario rvhere information flotvs

smoothly from almy headquarters to bat-talion headquarters, right up to the soldieron ground. As General Kapoor puts it,"Technology r,vould form the backbone ofall future rvars which rvould be of a shorterduration but probably more lethal andtherefore it is important that we empowerthe last man at the post."

It has been quite sometime norv since

lndian Army has been on a mission tomodernise itself to meet the future chal-lenges of the battlefield. And to help it in itstask, Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) recently organised a setninat on'Paradigm Shift in Communication toSupport Battlefield Management System'.

The seminar sar,v huge participation fromboth industry and armed forces personnel.

S i;i:i':$ltt'ilt

Speaking at the inauguration of the sem-

inar, General Kapoor said, "Ensuring suffi-cient availability of radio frequencies orspectrum for setting up an optimal battle-field management system (BMS) is essen-

tial for the Indian security forces which are

today upgrading their legacy communica-tion systems." He further said, "We have toensure suitable netrvorking betrveen thecommunications systems of various secu-

rity agencies that will ensure availabiiity ofreal-time data in real-time situations." He

also expressed the need to suitably priori-tise spectrum availability with nationalsecurity needs.

Stressing upon the need for the IndianArmy to develop suitable linkages with theprivate sector, given the dynamic changes

taking piace in communication technolo-gies, Lt Gerr. P C. Katoch, Director General

Information Systems said, "The existinglegacy systems do not allor,v the soldier onthe ground to take advantage of informa-tion services like video, graphics data and

"f

m

'What we 0ffer is Transfer of Technology to the lndian lndustry'

Director, Thctical Internet Aduanced Projects, Defence Tactical Communications, Land and JointSystems, Thales, JneN - Louts DnnnunnrTell us ahout your products and what are you

offering to lndian armed forces?

We are working on Joint Tactical Radio

System (ITRS) programme in the US.

Thales is one of the champiorls in JTRS

right now, particularly the enhanced JTRS.

Our US soldiers right nolv use JEM (ITRS

enhanced MBITR). We are also otfering the

FLEXNET. FLEXNET is a Sofnvare DefinedRadio (SDR), manufactured by both I'halesand Rockwell Collins; and can be

described as a compact vehicular rvidebandV/UHF SDR.

The purpose of our programmes is toselect the most appropriate rvat'eform thatmatches with the current tactical situationof the unit. Even if there is a need to have a

long-hold communication, sanre radioshould be used for it. For example, if thereis an ealthquake, then the best \\'ay to co1-

laborate with the securiry fbrces, police-

men or firemen is through talk. With thistype of software-defined radio, we can

load into this radio, if it is necessary. This is

one of the proposals that we have.

\Vhat we offer is Transfer of Technology(ToT) to the Indian industry. This is a busi-ness. We can provide this technology tl.rat

we have in the US and the UK to localchampion of radio in India. So it is for thebenefit of Indian industry and on a way

back for us - it is a tremendous business

case because Indian army is so big, so huge

that even ToT is of interest to our company'

How is your product different from the ones being

oflered by other companies?

Thales probably is the only company inthe world to provide complete communi-cation solution from the lowest in therank to the highest. Our company is tak-ing care of radio for soldier and platoon;and company is also providing same typeof radio for vehicles, combat vehicleinfantry etc. We also take care of commu-nication solution for TCS programme forlndia. We can also take care of deployablelP area network (DIANE). This is themodel for TCS programme. o

Our radios have beet-r around for longtime, the legacy is from Collins Radio

Company. So the radios from that compa-ny have been used by customers aroundthe globe. There are a lot of platforms inIndia as r've1l including the fbrces usingour radios.

What are you currently ollering to the lndian

Ministry of Defence?

We have recent broadband radios thatcan support the voice data and the videocapabilities. We can also of'fer ourDynamic Spectrum Access capability. We

should be able to provide them the entireproducts across for the entire voice radiocommunicatlons, the data link communi-cations, and be able to network them, so

basically entire net\'vork management.We just won a programme for net-cen-

tric operations for the naly which we are

doing jointly with ECIL. The army is obvi-

ously interested in the surveillance and sit-uational awareness, for UAVs and othersystems, displairs fbr ground and air plat-forms, and we supply those as well.

The IAF has legacy platforms fromRussia. Rockwell Collins is a major player

in providing the entire avionics upgradefor them. We want to be able to bring oursolutions into the Russian platformsincluding among other capabilities'an improvement in the situationalawareness. .

'We Can 0ffer Products to the lndian Defence Ministry Across the Board'

Vice President, Global Technology, Rockwell Collins, ReI Accenwer

Tell us something about the Rockwell Collins

Engineering Development Gentre in Hyderabad.

We started the Er.rgineering developmentcentre for aviottics and communicationin Hyderabad in October last year and it isoperational now. We call it the engineer-ing development centre for the Rockrt'ellCol1ins, and so it goes all the rva-v f}omhardware to software systems. Rightnow we are doing sottware applobationfor the displays and the flight manage-ment systems.

ln which areas are you offering your products and

service here in lndia?

Rockwell Collins has products for militaryas well commercial systems, rvhichinclude navigation, communication, even

the flight controls, UAVs, displays and sur-

veillance products. We can ofTer productsto the Indian Defence Ministrv across

the board.

Which of your products are currently being used

here in lndia defence services?

1.A

May 2009 F0RCE 63

'With Netcentric Mission, We will be Equipped to Respond lmmediately'Chief of the Land Armament Programme, Italian Army, CoL Envnvro Prcntucnuxr

Tell us something about your Future lnfantrySoldier Programme? Will you be implementing theprogramme this year itself?Yes, we are going to send our first batch offuture infantry soldiers to Afghanistan thisyear. At the moment we are doing somemore tests, the prototype is ready and hasdone a good job. We are going for produc-tion and I don't think there should be a

problem there.

How is the concept of communication for Future

lnfantry Soldier dillerent from the existing ones?

Basically, the platoon commander is ableto talk with the vehicle, but as an edge Iwill say, they can also communicate usingthe satellite at the regiment level. Theyhave some other equipment such as theBluetooth system just for talking insidethe platoon.

Every single soldier is able to talk withthe platform vehicle, besides there aresome other extra radio communicationsystems as well. Every single soldier is ableto reach the platform and through theplatform reach another level. However,one notable facet is that only the com-mander can talk with the regiment com-mander; no one can cut into or cut thiscommunication.

How do you then ensure the security of such a net-

work?

Crypto Communication is one thing,besides that our communication issecured because of the codes inside and

imagery. For this, it is importantthat the Indian security forcestake advantage of the strengths ofthe domestic IT industry." Headded, "Technology can be theforce mtrltiplier that can give otrrsecurity forces the cutting edge."

1'he Lrvo-dal seminarwas joint-ly organised by CII and the IndianArmy's Directorate General ofInformation S)'stems (DGiS).Besides senior army officials,there were also speakers fromindustry who talked at lengthabout their producrs. \\fhile LarsHeinonen, senior systerns engi-neer, Saab, talked about the prob-lem of inadequate bandrvidth;

64 F0RCE lVlay 2009

I

we don't need to change every singlemoment of frequency. The communica-tion is also secure because we can use allspectrums of frequencies.

How and when did the c0ncept of Future InfantrySoldier begin?

The countries involved in this kind of pro-gramme have been working since 2002-03.It is normai for the kind of operations thatrve carried in Iraq and Afghanistan thatcountries involved like ltaly, Germanl',USA, the NATO countries * exchangeinformation. The companies which startedworking on the concept only moved u'ith-in these NATO countries. We needed thetransmissions from our systems to becompletely integrated rvith the NATO sys-tem, which implied that information could

be exchanged simultaneously with aGerman or a French colleague. Some ofour Finmeccanica companies exchangeinformation with other companies andeverybody is looking for the best solution.

Can you explain, by way ol example, how theimproved communication with a Future lnlantrySoldier will give you an edge in the lield?Afghanistan is on our prioriry list at themoment. \Vhen we began this kind of proj-ect, the chief of defence said that the mainidea n'as to change the equipment of thesoldier if possible, and that would havetaken 10 years. Or else, change net-centricvisiorr for the future. In Afghanistan, wecan use this sl.stem for firing, targetting,precision, helping a soldier in trouble -

basicallv for protection purpose. With net-centric mission, rve rvill be equipped torespond imrnediately to any situation. Italso helps in sharing information withother countries at work there. In earliertimes, the commander was unable toreceive all the information from the battle-field. There rvas a hierarchy of peopleberiveen the commander and the soldierlike the intelligence people, officers, com-mand post, rvho all shared the informationivhich finally filtered to the commander.Today, thg chief of defence is able to reachthe field immediately and witness the sol-dier's movement. It means a soldier is ableto send a picture or a video even at thestrategic level - one of the greatestachievement of this system. o

Jean-Louis Debeuret of Thales(see interview) spoke about howhis company supports communi-cation from between all levels ofthe army and between the threedefence services - army, nar,y andair force. Then thele was alsopresentation by Col ElminioPierangelini of Italian army (see

intervierv).An exhibitlon r'vas also held

on the occasion rvherein bigglobal defence companieslike Raytheon, Thales andFinmeccanica participated.Among the many things that wereexhibited were mobile radios andeven antennas. o

Secure SeasLockheed Martin hard-sells its Aegis BMD System to India

hile the Indian Nav-v has been

speaking about a terrorist threatfrom the sea for quite sometime,

nobody, including probabll' the narvitself took this threat seriousll'unless26l I I happened. Norv, more maritimethreats look real. For instance. in case

of a war with Pakistan, a likell' sce-

nario would be the use of ballistic mis-

siles and cruise missiles b1'lslamabadon lndias sea lanes of colnmunica-tions; to ensure that India's shipping is

immobilised for the rvar duration. To

counter this, what India needs is a sea-

based ballistic missile defence svslcm(BMDS) that working bf itself, or inconcert with land-based B\1DS'

demolishes the incoming missile long

before it reaches the target. \\iithout isaying all this, Richard G. Kirkland, :i

president, South Asia, Lockheed iMartin GI, CorPorate Business

Development, met a select Sroup ofIndian journalists to talk about theAegis BMD; the ploven area-defence

capability at sea on board six coun-tries navies'cruisers and destrovers.

-He said that his team (his senior - -naval advisor for Asia and Pacific Affairs, I.Daniel Howard was present to ansn'er tech-

nical questions on the Aegis B\{D) hadgiven presentations (called informationalbriefings) to the Inciian Navl' and the

defence ministry on the system. He con-

firmed that sales, if they happen, rvould take

the Foreign Military Sales (FNIS) routebet\,veen the t\,vo governments' The US gov-

ernment alone would decide rvhat tech-

nologies could be offered, saying in the

same breath that both the variants of the

radar onboard the Aegis, SPY lD and SPY lEhad been sold to friendly countries.Emphasising on the radar, his colleague,

Howard, explained that the radar of the

Integrated Aegis Combat System, lvhich is

20 years old, is still the same Phased Array

horizontal scanning radar with minimalchanges. \A,{hat has changed drastically is its

processing system. The latter is state-of-the-art with a capability to process signals thou-

sands of times faster. On this technology,

LM has spent nearly US10 billion dollars inthe last tr,vo decades. The Aegis Combat

Richatd G. Kirkland

Management System (the command post,

the nerve centre that links the sensor to the

shooter) has two modes, manual and fullautomatic, imp$ing that the CMS, to save

time, automatically transmits the sensor'

information to the shooter. The shooter, ofcourser is the Raytheon's proven formidableSM2 (standard Missile) and SM3 intercep-

tors. Thus, the Aegis system is about the

powerful radar onboard ship at sea with the

capability to track over 100 targets and

engage multiple targets including longrange cruise missile, anti-ship missiles and

tactical ballistic missiles. The target infor-mation is relayed to the CMS, which in turnacts to activate the interceptor to hit and

destroy the hostile missile in mid-course.

The ballistic missile thus is intercepted out-

side the atmosphere.All this evinced a lot of interest amongst

the listening journalists and there was a vol-

ley of questions on technology, and how

much and in what fashion the Aegis capabil-

iry could be given to India. The queries on

Aegis technologies are: At what range can

the radar detect and identify hostileIong range cruise missiles? \Arhat

about the supersonic and hypersoniccruise missile of the BrahMos class?

Ballistic missiles of what speed can be

successfully intercepted? \Mhat is theproven area defence that a single Aegis

can provide? \\ihat is the capability ofthe interceptor seeker? How does

Aegis network with land-based BMD'

let us say PAC-3 and so on? Howard

did some plain speaking and said thatmuch of this stuff was classified.However, a lot of information could be

got from the internet.This led to the next question: if

Aegis is given to India, what about the

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

Kirkland said that this issue will be

resoh,ed by the two governments.Once the US government gave its nod,

LM will ensure that the sold capabilityrvould remain relevant throughout the

life of a ship, which is 30 to 40 years' Itlvould be LM's resPonsibilitY toupgrade, redesign and maintain the

Aegis system onboard the ship. This ispossible as the combat system has an

open architecture design, Should the user

want a new interceptor, or wish to replace a

sub-system, it would be LM's job to inte-

grate things. At this stage, a natural question

to ask the LM team was whether they have

seen the DRDO's budding BMD capabiliry

and was it possible to collaborate withthem? Kirkland confirmed that they were ina dialogue with the DRDO. His clever reply

to the trick question on collaboration was:

'The two systems (LM and DRDO's effort)

have to be compatible for data exchange.'

That said it all. By DRDO's ovm admission,

its BMD capabilities are a technologydemonstrator, suggesting that just about abeginning has been made. The DRDO

would need a lot of outside assistance to get

its project going. Meanwhile, Kirkland con-

firmed that they are also in touch with boththe Indian PSUs and private industry ship-

yards to understand how the Aegis combat

system can be co-opted on indigenous ships

under construction. Given that LNI is

aggressively pushing its Aegis combat man-

agement system, the story has just begun. o

.:.*€

May 2009 F0RCE 65

PIRATE LeadsIAF seeking passiue target recognition system

r Prasun K. Sengupta

ust like the fierce competitionnow underrvay for supplyingMRCAs lor the IndianAir Force

(IAF), a parallel competition isproceeding ahead for supplyingnerv-generation passive infra-red search-and-track (IRST) sys-tems coupled with active elec-tronically scanned array (AESA)

radars for both the yet-to-be-selected MRCA, and for the'Iejaslight combat aircraft (LCA),

rvhich is non'being flight-tested.All in all, more than 460 IRST svs-tems are expected to be ordered.Bidding to supply the IRSTs are

Burope's EuroFirst consortium(offering the PIRATE), a consor-tium of France's THALES andSagem D6fense Sdcurit6 offeringthe Optronique Secteur Frontal(OSF), Slveden's Saab offeringthe IR-OTIS, and Russia's UralsOptical & Mechanical Plant(UOMZ) offering the l3SM1sensor.

The PIRAIE, 'or passive infra-red airborne tracking equipmentlis a second-generation imaginginfra-red (IIR) system and hasbeen developed by the EuroFirstconsortium led by THALESOptronics and Selex-Gaiileo.PIRATE incorporates both a for-rvard looking infra-red (FLIR) andIRST capability. The system itselfutilises a highly sensitive IIR sen-sor mounted to the port side of thecanopy. This sensor scans ac[osswavelengths from three micron toll miclon in tno bands. Thisallorvs the detection of both thehot exhaust plumes of turbofansas rvell as sulface heating causedby friction. By supercooling thesensor even small variations intemperatule can be detected atlong range. Although no definitiveranges have been released anupper limit of B0nm has beenhinted at, but a more tlpical figure

66 F0RCE lVlay 2009

Pirate IRST;

(below) ()SF IRSI;(bottom)'l3SMl IRST

rvould be 50nm. The use of pro-cessing techniques furtherenhances the output, giving a nealhigh-resolution image of targets.The actual output from the systemcan be directed to any of themulti-function head downAX,ILCDs rr-rounted within a com-bat airclaft's cockpit. Additionally,the in.rage can be overlaid on boththe helmet-nrounted display sightand heads-up display (HUD). TheIIR sensor is stabilised within itsmount so that it can maintain a

target \vitllin its field-of-view(FoV). Up to 200 targets can besimultaneouslv tracked by the sys-

tem using one ol several differentmodes: n-rultiple target track(MTT), single target track (STT),

single target track identification(STTI), sector acquisition andslar,ed acquisition.

In NIll' mode the system lvillscan a designated volume spacelooking for potential targets. InSfT rnode PIRATE rvill providehigh-precisior.r tracking of a sin-gle designated target. An additionto this rrode, STT Identificationallon's for r,isual identification ofthe airborne target, the resolutionbeing superior to that providedby the Caesal AESA. \ffhen in sec-tor acquisition mode, the PIRATE

n'ill scan a volume of space undeldirection of another sensor suchas the Caesar. ln slave acquisitionthe use ol ol'f-board sensors is

made, rvith the PIRATE beingcommanded by data obtainedfrom an AEW & C platform, forexample. lVhen a target is foundin either of these modes PIRAIErvill automatically designate itand srvitch to STT. Once a targethas been tracked and identified,PIRATE can be used to cue a r,vith-

in-visual-range air-to-air missile,i.e. a missile lvith a high off-bore-sight tracking capability.Additionally, the data can be usedto augment that of the Caesar or

AAQ-32 lFtss

off-board sensor informatioir obtaineclfrom an integrated E\\- suite'. lltis tviller.rable the IRS'I'-equipped aircrait to over-come severe ECM enviror-rments ancl stillengage lts targets.

Nolthrop Grurnnau's .L\Q-:j2 InrernalFLIR targetting svstem (IF'IS), coupled niththe APG-80 AESA, is currcntiv opcrationalon board the Lockhced \lartin-built lllock60/62 F-t6E/F Dcsert Faclor.r \l-\lRCAs ofthe United Arab Emirate s -\ir Force(UAEAF). The IFTS incluclcs iL narigatior.tFLIR sensor and a targeting Fl.lR bothmounted rvithin a single pocl. It allorrs theaircraft to detect ar.rcl iclentifi' both groundand airborne targets, even at r-right or inadverse weather. The IFTS relie-s on the air'-

cralt fol its porver and cnlgenic coolingrequirements. \'\t-hile the targetting FLIR andlaser designator have been repackaged in a

pod, the u,ide-area nirvigation stabilisedFLIR sensor is housecl above the nosc. TheIFTS, hor,r,ever, ls r.rot beir.rg offered to h.rclia

for the F-l6IN M-MRCA. The OSE couplednith the TFIALES-developed RBE-2 AESA, is

mounted in front of the cockpit and consistsof tno optronic modules. The starboaldmodule has a long-u,ave (8-12 nricron) IIRcamera and is used for ailborne targetsearcir and track. The range of thecamera is believed to be up to90km in ideal conditions. Theportside module carries a CCD TVcamela for dal,tirne target identiti-cation. The system also includes alaser rangefinder. The OSF suitecarries out search, target identifi-cation, telemetry and automatictarget discrlmination and tlack-ing. By cueing the OSF lvith thetracks plovided by the RBE-2 or b-v

another aircraft via a secure oper-ational data link, a pilot can easilyidentify an agglessor lbrce :rt a

range of several tens of nautical miles. Forexample, he can pick up three F/A-I8spreparing to penetrate at 20,000 t'eet andthree additional F/A-1Bs protecting the fbr-rner at 40,000 feet.

Saab D1'namlcs, on the other hand, is

offering the IR-OTIS in conibination rvithboth its Ericsson-built Nora .,\ESA and theexisting PS-o5/A mechanicallv scanneci air-borne multi-mode radar'. 'I'he IR-OTIS has

been fligl.rt-tested since 2001, and is locatecijust in front of the aircraft canop\', slightlvoflset to port and is about 20cm in dianreter.The IR-OTIS'FOVnill be cued bv a hehret-mounted display system (as rvill the radar).It rvill also have an autonomous search pro-gramne and tracking function. The infor-mation will be storable for evaluatior-t ar-tcl

compalisor-r rvith radar inforrn:rtior-r in real-time, and also as Video for later use.

Another novel IRSI'solution being pro-posed comes from Lockheeci Nlartin, n'hichhas already been selected to supplv the IRST

sensor for the Boeir.rg F/A-IBE/F Block 2

Super Hornet. Ihe podded s_vstem n-ill pro-vide passive detection and tracking of air--

borne targets at long-range. The long-rvaveIR sensol rvill be mounted in the nose of the1,820 litre centreline fuel tank. Boeing and

Lockheed Martin are co-developing a proof-of-concept demonstrator. The IRSTs sub-sYstems include a sensor head that houses athree-a,xls inertially stabilised gimbal thatscans the optics aDd cletector assembly; aCOTS processor that hosts the algoritl.rmsand a l.righ-density digital recorder, and anair-to-liquid heat exchanger (environrnentalcontrol sub-system, or ECS). The US Navyplans to buy 150 such lRSTs, rvith the systemscheduled to become opelational in 2072.'Ihc IRS'I, n'hen coupled nith Raytheon'sAPG-79 AESA, provides the F/A-1BE/F'smission computer rvith track file data on alltargets rvhile simultaneously providing IIRinragery to cockpit displa-vs. The IRST rvilloperate in either track-r,r,hile-scan or singletarget track mode, r,vith cockpit selectablehands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) con-tlolled scan volumes in azimuth and eleva-tion. 'Ihe IRST ivill be mounted in the for-n'ard section of the centreline fuel tank,thereby ensuring that its FOV is ma.ximised.UOMZ's 13SM1 (OLS-UEM) IRST, originallydeveloped for the MiG-35 and rvorking inconjunction with the Phazotron lSC-builtZhuk-AE AESA, has a l20-degree FOV inazimuth, 55 degrees and - 15 degrees FOV inelevation, has a detection range of28km in

the fbru'ard hemisphere and 70kmin the leal hemisphere, and has atotai rveight of 60kg. UOMZ has

also developed the OLS-K pod-mounted look-doll,n IRST thatcombines a TV camera rvith an IIRsensor and laser rangefindel/des-ignator, all of ivhich are housedr'-ithin a belly-mounted ll0kg-pod. The OLS-K is thus a multi-purpose IRST sensor that is usedfor not onl_y ailborne target detec-tion, but also lbr detection anci

engagement of ground-bascd tar-gets or-lt to 40km. o

IRSI lor Super Hornet

May 2009 FORUE 67

The Sa ga ContinuesThe gouernment issues RFI for Aduanced Jet Trainer

r Aditi Bhan

arely five years ago, it seemed therequirement for advanced jet trainer(AIT) by Indian Air Force (lAF) had

come to an end. The IAF settled for BAESystems' Hawk and the order comprised 66AJTs along with an option for another 40.But the induction phase wasn't as smoothas expected. Problems regarding supply ofspares cropped up time and again. In fact,the Air ChieftMSOfficell Marshal FaliHomi Major, in an interviewwith FORCE inOctober 2008, admitted the problems withthe Hawk programme but maintained thatthey had been addressed. "There havebeen a fer,v teething problems, in theinduction phase of the Hawk, but, I think,that is to be expected. We have taken veryactive steps in coordination with BAE sys-tems and HAL, so as to overcome issuesaffecting smooth operation. The supply ofspares and assistance of specialist teamsfor rectification and maintenance has norvbeen addressed." Things however, were notas simple as that. For rvithin a ferv months,the government issued fresh RFI for theAJTs; with IAF reportedly deciding to doarvay rvith the option of 40 add-ons.

The RFI, for the procurement of nearly

68 F0RCE May 2009

56 trainer jets, has been sent to five compa-nies, namely, Korea's KAI (T-50s), the CzechRepublic's Aero Vodochody (1.-i59), Italy'sAlenia (M-346), Russia (YAK-130 variant ofthe M346 joint project, or MiG AT) and sur-prisingly, even to BAE for Harvk (but a moreadvanced variant). The companies havebeen asked to specily the characteristics ofthe aircraft, delivery time and their budget.

Interestingly, some of these companieslvere in the race last time (early thisdecade) as rvell. In fact, Aero Vodochody isbelieved to have caused a stir in the 2000swith its entry. A neui entrant at that time, ittook everyone by surprise I'r,hen it rvasreported as one of the serious contendersin the AIT acquisition competition.

Meanrvhile, companies are gearing upfor the new competition. Korean AerospaceIndustries (KAI) which produces T-50, u'illsubmit its response through LockheedMaltin's Indian Business Developmentoffice. According to Lockheed Martin, "TheT-50 Golden Eagle is the world's mostadvanced jet trainer aircraft in servicetoday. It features a cockpit that is represen-tative of the 4th Generation fighter aircraftthat its pilots are being trained to fly, as rvellas flight performance l,vhich no other train-er aircraft can match." The T-50 is market-

ed n orld-rvide by T-50 International (TFI),the joint marketing team betweenLockheed lvlartin Corp. of the USA and KAI.

Alenia Aelmacchi, a FinmeccanicaCompar.rl', rvill be submitting its responsesoon for its product M-346. According tothe companl', "I'he M-346 Master is theoni1. nen' generation advanced/lead-infighter trainer currentll, available inEurope. f'he aircraft is tailored to trainpilots to fl1' netv generation cornbat aircraftand is nell suited for everv phase ofadvanced and pre-operational training, toreduce the flight ltours on the more expen-sive aircraft. The aircraft embodies the lat-est'design-to-cost' and'design-to-main-tain' concepts, tvith avionics modelledupon those of nen.generation military air-craft such as Eurofighter, Gripen, Rafale, F-16,F-22 and the future JSE"

Further, Alenia Aerntacchi has also signedan agreement u.ith Bocing IDS as per rvhichthe trvo companies nill cooperate on mar-keting, sales, training and product supportactivlties in internaiional markets for the M-346 next-generation adr.anced and lead-infighter trainer and the N1-31I basic-advanced trainer, both designed and manu-factured by r\lenia Aennaccl-ri.

Not to be left behind, BAE Systems hasalso decidcd to take part in the competi-tion. The conpan\,u.ill be responding tothe RFI but is unrvillingll, 16 disclose any-thing further at present.

\Ieanrvhile, tire ntove is seen by many as

a positive step; given the lact that it lvillnot onlv provide IAF rvith trvo types oftrainers in its fleet but will also equip itu'ith a more modern AI1, possibly the onethat matches rvell rvitl.r the fighters thatIAF hopes to buy in the near future. Thereare honever, speculations that the acqui-sition process for AIl's may get delayeddue to the ongoing medlum multi-rolecombat aircraft (X,I-MRCA) competition as

IAF may rvisl.r to proceed lvith AITs onlyafter M-MRCA deal is done.

Earlier', the AJT competition took nearlytrvo decades before India finally zeroed-inon BAE Systems' Hawk in 2004. It would beinteresting to see horv long it r,vill take thistime, belore Hawk gets its new companionin lAF, o

Farther And BeyondIAF'; ASS0-200 MRTTs will each be fitted with aduanced mission systems

he Indian Air Force (IAF) is n'ide1y

expected to become the fifth exportcustomer for the EADS/Airbus-bttilt

A330-200 multi-role tanker transport(MRTT) aircraft when, later this vear, theministry of defence (MoD) is expected toink a contract with EADS for procuring an

initial six such aircraft (against a projectedrequirement for 24 such plattbrn.rs).Deliveries will begin in2012. The A330-200

MRTT has, since 2004, been ordered for theair forces of Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UKand the United Arab Emirates. The \loDhas issued a global request for proposals(RFP) for the initial six aircratt in mid-2007to which EADS/Airbus Nlilitarl' Aircraft,Israel Aerospace Industries' Bedek AriationDivision (offering the 8.767-200 BD\lRTT)'and Russia's Rosoboronexport State

Corp/United Aircraft Corp consortium(offering the IL-7BMKI-90) responded.Although the IAF's Agra-based NoTB

Squadron already operates six 78\1KI-90s

delivered earlier by Uzbekistan's fashkentAircraft Production Organisation (TAPO),

what tilted the balance decisivelv in lavourof the 4330-200 MRTT tvas the on-goingand still unresolved spat betiveen TAPO

and the RosoboronexPort State

Corp/United Aircraft Corp consortiumregarding Russia's demand that finalassembly of the IL-78 take Place atVoronezh instead of Tashkent.

The IAF's 4330-200 MRITs n'ill each be

fitted with advanced mission sYstems,

including real-time data-link, militarycommunications and navigation suites,

and an electronic warfare self-protectionsystem for protection against threats fromsurface-to-air missiles. The primary on-board mission suite will comprise trvo

underwing-mounted and one fuselage-mounted (centreline underbelly) COBHAMGroup-built FRL 900E Mk 328 aerial refu-elling pods. The cockpit will have a refu-elling officer's station behind the pilot andco-pilot seats. The lower deck cargo com-partment will be able to hold six 88-inch x108-inch NATO-standard pallets plus twoLD-3 cargo containers. The aircraft willhave a maximum fuel capacity of 139,090

litres or 111 tonnes. Even with a full fuelload, the aircraft has the capacity to carry

43 tonnes of cargo. The cockpit's electronicflight information system will have six large

interchangable AMLCDs rvith dupiicatedprimary flight and navigation displays and

electronic centralised aircraft monitors'The pilot and co-pilot positions rvill have

sidestick controllers and rudder pedals'The aircraft will also be equipped with an

Airbus future navigation system (FANS-A),

including a Honelnvell flight managementsystem and Smiths digital control and dis-

play system. The fly-by-wire flight controlcomputer suite will include three flightcontrol primary computers and two flightcontrol secondary computers, all operatingcontinuously. It has yet to be decidedwhich powerplant will be selected by theIAF for the ,{330-200 MRTTs. On offer are

Rolls-Royce's Trent 7728 turbofan rated at

71,1001b thrust, and GE's CF6-B0Elengines, rated at 72,0001b thrust.

The IAB in addition to the six existingIL-78-90 aerial refueling tankers, also has

procured six COBHAM Group-built Type

754 buddy-buddy aerial refuelling pods

for its Su-30MKIs. The pod has a fuel-flowrate of 1,552 litres per minute and has ahose trail length of 75 feet. It is now beingproposed for the Indian Navy's soon-to-arrive MiG-29K carrier-based mediummulti-role combat aircraft. COBHAM has

also supplied its telescopic and actuatedprobes for the IAF's upgraded Jaguar IMs

and IS interdictor/strike aircraft, as well as

on the Nar,y's Sea upgraded Harrier FRS

Mksl V/STOL carrier-based light multi-role combat aircraft. COBHAM is also

expected in future to supply telescopicand actuated probes for a fetv of the Harvk

Mkl32 lead-in fighter-trainers belongingto the IAF. o

Prasun K. Sengupta

May 2009 F0RCE 53

FRL S00E Mark 328 reluelling P!

?ffi

Naveed Hussain, Dinesh Keskar, John Tracy and T. Ramasami

Boeing 0pens lndia Research & Technology CentreBoeing opened its Boeing Research & Technology-India centre at

Bangalore recently. As per the company, the centre r'vill help it sus-

tain its competitive technological edge rvhile enhancing India's

aerospace capabilities.'Ihis centre lvill carry otlt collaboration rvithIndian R&D organisations, including government agencies andprivate sector R&D providers, universities, and other companies."Boeing is partnering with the best researchers around the worldto find the best technology solutions for our customers, and rve

look forrvard to working with our partners here in India on somepromising new technologies," said Jol.rn Tracy, Boeing chief tech-nology officer and senior vice president, Engineering, Operationsand Technology. This is Boeing's third advanced research centreoutside the U.S., the others being in Europe and Australia. The cen-

tre will coordinate the work of more than 1,500 technologists,including 100 advanced technology researchers, from across India."Boeing is defined by its technological edge," said Dinesh Keskar,

president, Boeing India. "Working r'vith India's technology leaders

helps Boeing assimilate nerv ideas and innovative plocesses intoour products and programmes. This also is good for India because

it helps grow the capabilities of the Indian R&D community tomeet the emerging needs in country."

HAL hands over first rear fuselage to lAlHindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first rearfuselage for the Gulfstream (G-150) aircraft to Israel AircraftIndustries (IAI). Gulfstream (G- 150) is a business executive aircraftbuitt in Islael and transported to the United States for further fur-nishing. Ihe G-150 is marketed the rvorld over by the US-based

Gulfstream Corporation. "With the G-150 fuselage delivery, HALhas norv entered a fairly advanced manufacturing level of buildingmajor structural assemblies for global players in the civil sector.

The G-150 project augurs well not only for HAL, but also for thenational objective of producing a civil aircraft of internationalstandards," said Ashok Nayak, chairman, HAL.

"The G-150 programme has given us huge confidence in takingup bigger challenges. We are norv looking forward to the G-250 pro-gramme and we have made our strong presence felt in the biddingprocess. HAL-IAI has a time-tested partnership and rve are here tocapitalise on the vast potential in the business jet market," said

Na-vak. "We have seen closely HALs capabilities in handling nerv

technologies and ner,v IT processes. For us the Gulfstream fuselage

is a perfect example of synergy and quality," said Shlomi Karako of

70 F0RCE l\4ay 2009

lAI. FIAL has a seven-year schedule to deliver 200 fuselage ship-sets to Israel.

DGNS Expertise to Counter PiracyDCNS preser.rted its key ploducts fol countering piracy and secur-ing sea lanes at the Naval Security and Offshore Patrol Vessels

Middle East 2009 conference, held recently at Abu Dhabi, in theUnited Arab Emirates. DCNS presented the Gowind(l) family ofOPVs and corvettes. The companl, claims that the Golvind(r) OPVs

and coruettes combine innovations to optimise ship-based naval,

commando and coast guard operations, including the covertdeployment of fast commando boats in less than five minutes,optimisation of helicopter and lJ,W (unmanned aerial vehicle)operations, dedicated mlssion planning area and inherent flexibil-ity. The company claims tl.rat tl.re Gou'ir.rd(r) tamily has an advan-tage of DCNS's IT ancl command information systems, includingthe Matrics(r) Maritime Traffic Intelligence and Control of the Sea

system. Matrics(r) ladicallf improves maritime surveillance bt'automatically detecting suspicious behaviour b), ships and craftusing netwolked vessels and shore-based control centres. The

company claims that Gowind (r) fan"rilr' of'ter nar.ies state - of-the- art

ffi=i$1===---

.:€:

resources in meeting emerging mission requirements from count-er-piracy to sea control and denial. It turther adds that these sur-

face combatants are ideal for counter-terrorism, drug interdictionand anti-smuggling operatiorrs, protectior-r of oil and gas plat-forms, sealch and rescue, fisl-reries and etrvironmental policingand humanitarian support.

AWl39 Enters Service with Sky Shuttle HelicoptersAgustaWestland recentlv announced that the first tlvo AWl39 medi-um trvin helicopters ouned br- Sh'Shuttle Helicopters Limited ofHong Kong have entered operational service. The event marks the

start of the second stage of Skt' Shuttles expansion project whichincludes the introdLrction of lour more A\V139 helicopters as well as

the building of a helipad. The i2 seat-configured AWl39 helicoptersrvill be used to provide helicopter shuttle fliglrts betrveen HongKong, Macau and Sherrzhen. Statc-of-the-art technology, outstand-ing performance, lou, operating costs and the only helicopter in itsclass to meet the latest safety standards are some of the benefits ofAWl39 listed by the company Over 430 AWl39 helicopters have norv

been ordered by ovel 100 customers in more than 40 countries. The

helicopters are meant to perform tasks like MP/ corporate transport,passenger shuttle services, offshore transport, EMS/SAR, lar'v

enforcement, fire fighting and troop transport with civil operators,government agencies and military customers. Sky Shuttle

Keskar, John Tracy and T. Ramasami

-.

I

Helicopters is one of the rvorld's leading helicopter operators and

ciaims to be the sole commercial helicopter operator between Hong

Kong, Macau and Shenzhen. Todal', SIs'Shuttle Helicopters operates

more than 60 helicopter flights per dalt

Eurofighter Delivered to ltalYAlenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company, has delivered six

Eurofighter Tl,phoon Tranche 2 production aircraft to the ItalianAir Force. The first Italian l'2 aircraft i.r'as delivered in November

2008. According to the compan\', the Eurofighter \phoon r'vas

designed as the world's most advanced nerv-generation swing-role

combat aircraft and is in operation in 10 air force bases across

Europe. With 620 aircraft ordered for the ibur nations plus 15 for

Austria and 72 for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 707 aircraft are

presently undeI contracl.

New CE() of BAeHAL Software Ltd.Krishnan Tinnaneri is the new CEO of BAeHAL Software Ltd. He

took over from Dr C. Subramaniam who retired on 3I March 2009.

Prior to joining BAeFIAL Software Ltd., Tinnaneri was senior direc-

tor in Siemens IT Solutions and Services Inc. US, and was respon-

sible for airport and aviation systems. Tinnaneri has also been the

programme director for the IT and communication systems proj-

ects for the Bangalore International Airport and Hyderabad

International Airport, executed by Siemens Information Systems

Ltd in India. BAeHAL is a joint venture company between

Hindustan Aelonautics Ltd., India and BAE Systems, UK. BAeFIAL

operates in the field of IT and IT enabled services in India and

abroad since 1993.

Ashok Nayak is Now HA[s ChairmanAshok Nayak is the new chairman of FIAL. He succeeds Ashok K'

Baweja, who retired on 31 March 2009. Prior to this, Nayak was

the managing director of FIALs Bangalore Division. After taking

charge, Nayak said, "With the offset opportuniry and massive

new programmes coming up, HAL must find ways and means to

capture all these opportunities for a safe and secure future. We

have made an impact in the international market and rn'ill now

have to focus on our exports further to stay ahead in the race'"

Nayak, a mechanical engineer, joined

HAL as a management trainee in 1973.

ln a professional career spanning over

three decades, he has held keY Posi-tions in the fields of manufacturing,qualiry assurance, production, plan-

ning, customer services and export. At

the engine division in Bangalore(1986-i998), he headed Productionengineering and led the assembling,

overhaul and repair of engines like Artouste, Garrett, Dart,

Orpheus, Gnome, Adour and the Avon series. As the general

manager of Aerospace Division in2004, he gave a major thrust

to the manufacturing of GSLV Mk. III structural assemblies and

tankages. In 2006, he took over as the general manager of

Aircraft Dir.ision at Bangalore Complex and gave a filiip to con-

current engineering and upgrade ofJaguar aircraft. During this

period, he also established a sound manufacturing base for the

production of the pilot-less target aircraft, apart from providing

impetus to the Haivk and IIT projects. He was elevated as the

managing director of the Bangalore division (that is, leading

seven divisions of the company) in Iuly 2007.o

Rheinmetall wins Bundeswehr Ammuniti0n 0rderThe German Bundesu'ehr has arvarded

Euros 63 million contract for artilleryammunition to the Diisseldorf-basedRheinmetall Group. The order to be

completed by 2014, encomPasses

30,000 rounds of high exPlosive155n.rm ammunition, tYPe DM 121.

DNI 12I has a range of over 30km (withmaximum charge load) and possesses

an ability to penetrate bunkers. The

company is hopeful that the productrvill be received well by a number ofnations, particularly those lvhoseartillery forces use 155mm 39-152 cal'

artillery systems, and especially users

of PzH 2000 and M109 self-propelledhowitzers and Rheinmetall's RWG-52

wheeled horvitzer.

Eurolighter Completes 10,000 Flight HoursThe Italian Air Force's pilots have surpassed 10'000 flight hours on

the Eurofighter Typhoon, the new-generation defence aircraft in

service rvith tr'vo squadrons in Italy. The airclaft is used in missions

of air police and quick-reaction alert for the airspace control'

Besides ltaly, four other nations, namely, German\', United

May 2009 F0RCE 7l

Kingdom, Spain and Austria are flying Typhoon, thereby taking thenumber of flying hours to 50,000. The company is hopeful of deliv-ering the first Typhoon to the Saudi Arabian Air Force, Eurofighter'sfirst non-European customer, by the end of the year. Saudi Arabiahas ordered aboutT2 aircraft.

0rder Placed for lhird BPC by FranceAs part of the French government's recovery plan, STX France andDCNS have been awarded the contract to build the French Nary'sthird Projection and Command Vessel (BPC). lVork on the thirdBPC has already begun. The first two BPCs, Mistral and Tonnere,built by DCNS and Chantiers de I'Atlantique, were delivered in2006 and 2007. STX France, the prime contractor for the project,will build the platform and fit out the ship, rvhile DCNS, its co-con-tractor, will produce its combat system. Due to the extremely tighteconomic constraints that characterise this project, the ship will bebuilt solely on the Saint-Nazaire site. 199 nretres in length, with a

displacement of 21,000 tons and a speed of l9 knots, the BPCs aredistinguished by their large carrying capacity: 450 troops, 16

hear,y-lift helicopters, 2 hovercraft, 4 LCMs (landing craft) or a

third of a mechanised regiment (1,000 tons), r,vhich they are able todeploy worldwide. They are equipped with electric pod propulsionand their high level of automation enables the size of their crew tobe reduced to 160. They also boast an on-board hospital for large-scale humanitarian missions. Their particularly advanced commu-nications system, 3D surveillance radar and combat managementsystem (Senit 9) make them ideal platforms for commanding anaval task force.

AMRAAM Fired lrom Eurofighter TyphoonAMRAAM was recently successfully test-fired at Moron Air base inSouthern Spain. The trial was the result of close cooperationbetween the Spanish and British Flight Test Centres of EADS CASAand BAE Systems, under guidance of Eurofighter GmbH, usingEurofighter \phoons IPA4 and IPA5 - Spanish and British aircraftrespectively. The objective of the testing was to fire the AMRAAMmissile from a Eurofighter \phoon rvhilst its radar was in passivemode and thus invisible for Electronic Support Measures (ESM)

Systems. The necessary target data for the missile rvas acquired bythe radar of a second Eurofighter Typhoon and transmitted usingthe Multi Functional Information Distribution System (MIDS).This scenario is especially relevant for Eurofighter Typhoon'sBeyondVisual Range (B\rR) air combat capability against high levelthreats, including Low Observable aircraft.

Spain's IPA4 led the trial as the'firer', while IPAS as the'co-oper-ator' iliuminated the target with its radar active. Thls trial is the firstmissile firing that Spain has participated in as part of theEurofighter Typhoon programme, building on their previous flighttest rvork lvhlch includes meteor environmental testing and air-to-ground weapon trials. The complex test r,vas meticulously plannedover several months and involved a large team of experts fromacross all partner nations as well as the US, r,vhich provided sup-port fbr the exercise.

FB Heliservices Takes Delivery 0f AWl39 HelicopterFB Heliservices recently took delivery of its first AWl39 mediumtwin helicopter at AgustaWestland's Vergiate plant in Italy. This air-craft will be used to provide search and rescue training forAgustaWestland export customers and it r'vill be operated from RAFValley inWales where FB Heliservices already perform SAR training

72 F()RCE May 2009

for the UK military services. FB Hellservices signed a contract fortwo AWl39 helicopters in 2008. The second aircraft is expected tobe delivered next month. The AWl39 is equipped for SAR opera-tions over both land and \vater and lncludes a rescue hoist, searchradar, FLIR camera, cabin rnission console, emergency flotationsystem, life-rafts, comprehensive communications system and a

NVG compatible cockpit.AW139 SAR customers include the UK Maritime Coastguard

Agency, Spanish Marine Safeh'Agenct' (Sesamar), Japanese CoastGuard, Australian Queensland Government, Italian companyAirgreen, Italian Civil Protection Agenc)/ and Coast Guard, Irish AirCorps, Korean Coast Guard, trlalaysian Maritime EnforcementAgency and government agencies in the UAE, Oman, Estonia andCyprus. Nearly 430 medium-t$.in helicopters have been ordered bymore than 100 commercial and government customers in over 40countries. FB Heliserr.ices is a joint rrenture company betweenCobham Air Services and Briston'Helicopters Ltd that specialise inhelicoptels and associated services to military and governmentmarkets. FB Heliservices operate over' 60 helicopters and haveoperations in the UK, Belize, Brunei, Clprus and the Middle East.

DCNS to supply heat exchangers to ChinaDCNS has signed a contract rvith China Nuclear PowerEngineering Co. Ltd. (C\PEC) to supply l4 heat exchangers for twolatest-generation EPR-tvpe nuclear power-plants in China. Theheat exchangers u,ill be produced at DCNS's Nantes-Indret facility,in collaboration rr.ith the Cherbourg shipyard. Deliveries lvilt beginin 2010 and are scheduled for compietion by 20I l. This deal is thelatest in a series of contracts that DCNS has won in the civil nuclearsector. Others ir-rclude production of reactor vessel internals andtwo aillocks for the EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) power sta-tion at Flamanville in France and a mock-up of the vacuum cham-ber for the experimental ITER reactor under construction atCadarache, France. DCNS is also working with a number of com-panies in this sector, such as, Alstom, Areva, EDE French atomicenergy commission CEA and now CNPEC, part of ChinaGuangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC), which operatesnumelous nuclear plants.

Million 0perational Hours for Litening Targeting SystemNorthrop Grumman Corporation's Litening precision targetingand sensor systems, currently deployed with US and allied force,have achieved over one million operational hours. "Litening haspioneered such advanced targeting technologies as preciselyaligned and stable sensors, coordinated air-to-ground and air-to-

air capabilities through laser spot search and track and laser mark-

"rr, dutu links for coordinated air-ground attack and J-series

weapons employment capabilities, and we continue to refine our

system today as proven by the cutting-edge Litening G4," said Mike

Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance Programmes

at Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division' Since its

introduction in 1999, the Litening system has undergone four spi-

ral upgrades to ensure continued combat relevance in an ever-

changing battlespace. Litening G4 is the next step in the evolution

of the Litening family and applies the latest in sensor technology

for target detection, recognition and identification ranges' The

Litening G4 pod includes an adl'anced Ik forrvard-looking infrared

sensor, a I024x1024 pixel charge-coupled device (lk CCD), laser

target imaging, advanced high porver laser and advanced next-

generation data links. Deliveries of the Litening G4 system will

begin in mid-2009.

PSP Enters 0perational ServiceEADS Defence & Securiq' (DS) and Thales have completed deploy-

ment operations leading to the ent{'into operational service of the

initial version of the Paris Strategl' Centre (PSP) Information and

Communication Svstem. The deplorrnent concerns the Armed

Forces Headquarters (E\lA) and the ivlilitary Intelligence

Directorate (DRM). This initial version n'as completed under a

contract, the Complete Restructuring of the information and

Communication Systems of the Paris Strategy Centre (OE SIC PSP),

worth about 70 million euros, and was awarded to EADS DS'

Thales and their partners, INEO and Cegelec in October 2006' It

covers a programme involving the complete re-modelling of the

information and communication systems of the French High

Command at the Paris Strategy Centre. The programme is to be

completed within six years with a possible extension of five years

for maintenance.At present, the PSP system is deployed in its initial version at

the Ilot Saint-Germain (ISG) in Paris and at the DRM in Creil, and

is available for over 2,000 users. The new system offers a network

architecture that can be easily reconfigured and ensures that the

Paris Strategy Centre command centre has an initial capability

level designed for collaborative work with a modernised and

attractive information system working in synergy with the exist-

ing system. The second version of the new system rvill offer a uni-

fied, open EMA-DRM command centre capable of implementing

a potiiy designed to promote information flow and operational

effectiveness.

New C-l30J Super Hercules Delivered to USAFE

The first of 14 nerv Lockheed Martin c-130I Super Hercules aircraft

that will be permanently based at Ramstein Air Base, were recently

delivered to the US Air Force' The new aircraft will support the

Ramstein-based 37th Airlift Squadron, B6th Airlift Wing that has

been flying C-130Es. These aircraft have the longer C-130I-30 con-

figurati,on, which is now the standard for recapitalising the US Air

FJrces in Europe (USAFE) and many other air forces around the

rvorld.TenC-I30JswillbedeliveredtoRamsteinthisyear,withfourmore scheduled for delivery in 2010. "The c- l30I is a proven aircraft

that can meet the airlift needs of many, many countries' The greater

range and cargo capacity of the C-130J provide a much-needed

.uputitity to USAFE," said Ross Rel'nolds, Lockheed Martins vice

president for C-130 programmes. C-1301s are engaged in high-

t.-po op.tutions in multiple combat theatres and are routinely

depioyed in support of both peacekeeping and humanitarian mis-

sions. The air-lifter has been selected by 10 nations, with 173 aircraft

delivered to date. The c-130J is a flexible, multi-mission aircraft and

has accumulated over 500,000 flight hours.

EADS DS to Modernise AC ldentification SystemsEADS DS has bagged a contract to modernise the identification

systems of the Bulgarian armed forces. The modernisation willhelp in avoiding friendly fire and increase air traffic security'

Defence Electronics (DE), an integrated activity of DS, has been

awarded this contract, worth 14m euros, by the Bulgarian compa-

ny Promaxgg and includes the delivery of new technology identifi-

cation (Identification Friend or Foe or IFF) systems' The MSSR

May 2009 FORCE 73

(Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar) 2000 I systems can beused for air traffic control and can be integrated in Ground andNaval platforms. As per the company, identification systemsexchange data automatically such as origin, course, speed etc.,thus enabling precise identification of the object. This dataexchange is based upon encrypted signals which, it says, can nei-ther be analysed nor jammed by l.rostlle forces. This, together withthe information supplied by other sources, helps in rnonitoring thecrisis regions. This way, accidental attacks on one's own or alliedforces can be avoided, especially during multinational operations.

"Due to the increasing complexity of combat situations and sce-narios, identification is today an existential matter during all mili-tary operations," explained Bernd Wenzler, CEO, DE. 'And thanksto these equipments, Bulgaria will be able to actively participate infuture NATO operations." DE has delivered many IFF systems toseveral NATO nations for ground and naval applications. Forexample, the MSSR 2000 I interrogator is deployed on Germannaval vessels and by the naval forces of France, Norrvay andFinland for the military friend-or-foe identification (IFF).Furthermore, EADS Defence & Security is also active in the field ofcivil air traffic control. DE's identification systems are used for airtraffic control in countries such as Portugal and the Philippines.

Rheinmetall equips Canadian frigates rllith MASSRheinmetall Defence has bagged a contract from public works andgovernment services, Canada to equip the Canadian Nai,y'sHalifax-class frigates with the MASS (Multi Ammunition SoftkillSystem) naval countermeasures system. As part of Project Shieldunder Canada's FELEX frigate modernisation programme, a total

HffiHHffi,.. "of l2 frigates will be equipped lvith MASS. Deliveries rvill take placeduring the 2010-2014. Rheinmetall Defence's ship protection spe-cialists based in Fronau, Germany is the prime contractor and'"villwork rvith Rheinmetall Canada Inc. Since its market launch in2002, MASS has received orders from nine nations for a total of 130launchers for 15 different classes ofnaval vessels. The system pro-tects patrol boats, mine hunters, corvettes, and frigates.

Sikorsky S-76C+ + Flies into lndiaSikorskyAircraft Corp. has delivered its first S-76C++(tm) helicop-ter to an Indian corpolate house. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of UnitedTechnologies Corp. The helicopter has been delivered in a VMPconfiguration. The company is scheduled to deliver two moreVMPhelicopters in India by the end ofApril 2009. The three deliveriesare meant for three separate customers. The S-76C++ helicopter

74 F0RCE May 2009

has gained a rvorldwide reputation for delivering fast, comfortableand reliable executive transportation. AVM AJS Walia (retd), man-aging directot', India and South Asia, Sikorsky Aircraft, said, "We areglad to announce our re-entry into the Indian skies rvith the deliv-ery of the first S-76C++ WIP helicopter. This delivery takes us tothe next stage of our engagement rvith the country and reinforcesour intentions to\vard India, rvhich holds very high significance inour global expansion plans as an aerospace hub centre for theentire South Asia market."

The S-76C++ helicopter is tire latest production model in thecompany's highly successful S-76 helicopter line, which includesmore than 700 aircraft that have accumulated more than five mil-lion fleet flight hours rvorldn.ide. l'he S-76C++ delivers a compre-hensive package of improvernents, including more powerfulengines, important safett'features, a lnore comfor-table cabin envi-ronment and a health and usage monitoring system that recordsoperational data for maintenance analr.sis. In addition to executivetransport, S-76C++ helicopters are instrumental ln supporting off-shore oil projects in various terrains including the South China Seaand Bohai Bay.

PW4000 AdvantageT0(tm) Takes FlightPratt & \Aihitney's PW4000 .\dvantage70 engine has successfullycompleted its first flight aboard an Air Comet A330-200 inToulouse, France. The AdvantageT0 tlight marks the beginning of aflight test programme. The first P\\-{000-100 engines with theAdvantageT0 technology r.rpgrade, each of rvhlch delivers 70,000pounds of thrust for the A330 aircraft fanill', are scheduled to enterservice in mid-2009. Pratt & \\hirnev is a United TechnologiesCorp. company. "This is an erciiing progralnme milestone thatbrings us one step closer to enrrv into service," said AndrewTanner, vice president, Product Line \lanagement. "Norv morethan ever, products like Adlar-rtage7O deliver value to our cus-tomers by improving performance trltile lotvering operating costs."AdvantageT0 techr.rologl. upgrades deliver enhanced engine per-formance, including t\\.o per cent thrust increase, one per centreduction in fuel consumption, increased durabiliry and reducedmaintenance costs. The A330-200 and A330-300 passenger aircraftlvill be the first to fl1'P\\i4000-100" engines rvith AdvantageT0 inmid-2009 on Air Comet and Air Caraibes respectively.

Thales-BAE Partnership for SubmarinesThales UK's naval business has signed a submarine performancePartnering Arrangenent (PPA) u'ith BAE Systems. As per thearrangement, the trvo companies rvill cooperate on future subma-rine programmes. Under the PPA, Thales n ill be the pleferred con-tractol'for submaline sonar rvork and rvill provide sonar function-al integration services to BAE S).stems. Thales rvill also continue tobe a key contributor to the combat s)/stem Design Evolution Teammanaged by BAE Svstems on behalf of the UK ministry of defence.Ed Loi've, managing dilector of Tl.rales UK's naval business, said,"This agreement is a vely positive factor in the ongoing and closervorking rvith BAE Systems. It underpins the two companies' long-term relationship and is significant for Thales's underwater sys-tems business in the global maritime defence market." Ion Sayer,director, Combat Systems and Support, BAE Systems, said, "Theperformance of UK sonar technology, and of Sonar 2026 in partic-ular, is rvorld-leading. BAE Systems are very pleased to enter intothis agreement to sustain the supply of this capabiliry into the sub-marines rve design and build, today and in the future." o

Hero's TaleThe authorised biographyof Marshal of the Airreleased byACM EH. Major

rVidhi Upadhyay

ecording and studf ing nritten histon'has never been the strength of Indians.Instead, people thrite on oral histon',

which travels from generation to genera-

tion. This, according Air Cmde Iasjit Singh,

is what compelled him urite 'The lcon', an

authorised biography of tl.re \larshal of theAir Force Arjan Singh, DFC. The retiredIndian Air Force officer and the recipient ofthe gallantry awardVrC, Jasjit Singh, \rantedto write this book 25 t'ears ago, but theMarshal of the Air refused. Perhaps, he feltthe time was not right. Just as rvell. The bookwas finally released on April 15 br- Chiel ofAir Staff Air Marshal Fali Homi \lajor onArjan Singhs 91st birthdar: Fittingit-, amongthe audience rvere the Chairman Chiefs ofStaff and the Chief of Naval staff, AdmiralSureesh Mehta and Chief of Armv StafiGeneral Deepak Kapoor ivith their n'ives.Also present was NIrs Teji Arjan Singh, visi-bly proud of the long distance she had trav-elled with her husband Arjan Singh.

Addressing the gathering, Air ChiefMarshal Major recalled that horv 4l years

ago, when Arjan Singh had pinned thebadge of the helicopter pilot on his chest, hehad no idea that one day he rvould be releas-ing the biography of the same person. Theair chief said that there must be somethingmagical and mystical in the North West

Frontier Provinces of Pakistan and srvampyBurmese border that they have given the IAF

its only Marshal of the Air and army, twoField Marshals. In his praise for the book,the ACM Major said that Icon telis a storyabout a neglected period of country's histo-

ry and gives a fresh perspective into theevents, renewing the pride in IAF. He also

appreciated the literary and factual finesseof the book saying that the book tells a storythat needs to be told and told well includingsome hard-hitting cold truths that depictthe tension of the times objectively. Praisingthe magnanimity of the man, ACM Major

usilsllrns I

mentioned the independent trust thatMarshal of the Air Arjan Singh had created

in 2004, from which he has spent Rs nvo

crore for the welfare of the needl' veterans

and their families.The 342-page book, according to the

author, is not iust a personalised biogra-phy, but the story of the IAF as u'ell, as itcaptures the 30 years that Arjan Singh nasin service. The book includes the crucialperiod of the 1965 war, and seeks to lay torest a lot of false propaganda circulated byPakistan Air Force and negligence on ourpart. It documents a few mistakes made byindividuals during the war. The book sheds

light on a few key aspects, one of which inthe words of the author is: 'Air support toIand forces has been the religion of the IAF

since World War I and that is where we dif-fer from the rest of the world. However, theworld is learning in the last 20 years that airdominance is critical for land forces."

Speaking on a lighter note on the joint-ness of the three services, which has beenspoken of at length in the book, Singh said,"Through the course, we have seen excel-Ient jointness in the three services till we

came down to the budget." The most con-tentious issue in the book is the 1965 war.

The book studies in minute details the cir-cumstances preceding the war, under whatpolitical strain was it fought, the decisionsthat were taken, what was to be told andwhat was to be held back.

Marshal of the Air, Arjan Singh, who

'U =.-l'-+w\*",, €+*u

clearly looked humbled at the occasion,recalled how Air Cmde jasjit Singh hadexpressed his desire to write this biography25 years ago and the Marshal had refused."...but after retirement we all tend to get alittle soft and weak kneed, so when he

asked me again, I submitted fairly neatly. Iu'ish he was more critical. It is a historicalbook and I am glad you will be able to read

about the heroes of lAF", he added.Through a long discourse of 15-20 min-

utes, the Marshai of the Air travelledthrough time recalling his colleagues, theheroes ofthe IAF and a few anecdotes keep-

ing the audience enthralled. Recounting theglorious days when he commanded the No

I squadron of the IAI, he said that thesquadron was not just number 1 for name-sake, but also in reality, as it always com-pleted the operation assigned to it fightinglike wounded tigers. He also recalled howhis pilots countered the supersonics of thePakistan Air force in 1965 bravely, since IAF

didn't have such fighters at that time. He

subsequently advised the air force to get

good equipment for the force to keep theirmorale up. o

Trrn lcox: Mlnstt,,rt. ot,AtR FoRce Ant,rs

Srxcrr, DFCAn Authorised BiographyAir Commodore Jasjit Singh AVSM, VrC,

VSM (retd)

Knowledge World Publishers Ltd,pg 336, Rs BB0

May 2009 F()RCE 75

Lone RangerSajad Lone's entry into poII fray marks a new chapter for Kashmir

r Fayaz Wani

fter a brief success last year on accountof the Amarnath land row theSeparatists in Kashmir are in disarray

and seem to be loosing their ground thisyear. \.4/hile Separatist leader and chairmanof People's Conference Sajad Lone hasdecided to contest the parliamentary elec-tions, the moderate faction of HurriyatConference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooqwill not campaign against the polls.

Springing a surprise on Aprii ll, Lone,son of slain Hurriyat Conference leaderAbdul Gani Lone, announced his decisionto contest in the Lok Sabha elections fromthe from Baramulla-Kupwara seat. Hisentry into the arena will make the contesttriangular in the constituency, whereNational Conference stalrvart MohammadSharif Shariq and former minister andPeoples Democratic Parfy's senior leaderDilawar NIir are already in the fray.

Lone, whose brother Bilal Lone is a

member of the moderate faction ofHurriyat Conference said, "My decision tocontest the Parliamentary elections is nei-ther a blow to Separatism nor a victory forIndian democracy. I stand by every word,comma and full stop I have said about theresolution of Kashmir issue. I will preferdeath to representing India in Kashmir".

Justifiing his decision to join the electionfray, the leader said that after Kashmiris didnot heed his boycott call during Assemblyelections, he was seeking representativecharacter by getting elected to Parliament.'After several months of introspection inthe aftermath of the Assembly elections, Ifinally came to the conclusion of takingpart in the elections", he added.

Stating that he was not breaking anytaboo nor diiuting his adherence toKashmiri cause, Sajad said, "The precedentof resistance voices using representativemechanisms of the contested systems inconflict zones is not anything new. Thismethod has been used in Northern lreland,Kosovo, Palestine and dozen other majorconflict zones across the world."

He further said it was not right to depicthis move to contest polls as a blow toSeparatism or a victory for Indian democ-

76 F0RCE May 2009

racy as 'Separatism is far bigger... billiontimes bigger than Sajad Lone. The senti-ment of Separatism has been there since1.947 and it is going to stay till Kashmirissue is resolved as per the wishes and aspi-ratlons of the people of Kashmir. It is alsonot a victory for the Indian democracy as

only a resolution of Kashmir issue accord-ing to the wishes and aspirations of peoplewill be such a victory."

Lone further said he was convinced ofbeing on the right path as it was the onlyway to represent his people and take theirvoice to the bigger platform of Parliament."Till now they (government of India) havenot been listening to us. NoW I want to gothere and tell them the ground realities and

impress upon them the need for resolutionof the Kashmir issue. I will be seeking votesof the people so that there is a victim ofhuman rights violations in the Parliamentwho can speak for them," he added.

In the past, Lone has been accused bvSeparatist leader, SyedAIi Shah Geelani offielding proxy candidates in 2002 and2008 assembly elections. One of his so-called proxy Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi, rvholater became forest minister in theCongress-PDP rule under MuftiMohammed Sayeed's regime was accom-panied by Saiad Lone during a press con-ference. His fielding proxy candidates hadled to divislon in the Hurriyat Conferencervith Geelani parting ways and forming hisown Hurriyat Conference.

Noq adding twist to the story, the moder-ate faction of Hurriyat Conference led byMinvaiz Umar Farooq too is follorving the'soft policy' torvards the elections. The con-

glomerate has decided not to campaignagainst the polls. De-linking the electionsfrom the Kashmir issue, acting Hurriyatchairman lvlaulana Abbas Ansari during themeeting of executive and general council ofmoderate conglomerate refrained fromlaunching anti-election campaign. Termingelections as a non-issue, he said that he leftit to the people to decide rvhether to castvotes or stay a\va\. from the process. Ansari,a Shia leader, led the moderate faction ofHurriyat Conference in absence of MirwaizUmar Farooq, rvho u,as undergoing medicaltreatment in Neiv Delhi.

The mainstream parties have welcomedLone's decision to jump into the electionfray and Hurrivat's decision not to cam-paign against the elections. However, thehardliners including Geelani haveexpressed their anguish over the develop-ments. There hat-e also been protestsagainst Sajad Lor-re and Abbas Ansari insome pockets in dorvntor,vn with youthburning their effigies.

Meanu'hile, political commentators seeLone's joining poll fra.v as a rvin-win situa-tion for Nen- Delhi. "They can now claimthat there is a change in mindset andSeparatists are joining the mainstreamcamp," said a political commentator. Thecoming of a Separatist leader in the pollfral', according to them, will lend credibili-ty to the elections and New Delhi can sell iteasilv to n orld communify.

Houer,er, there are voices being heardsuggesting that this decision to join the frayis an indicator that Lone has got some con-cessions from New Delhi. "He has takensuch a big decision and it must have beentaken after a lot of thought. May be, he hasbeen guaranteed a rvin by New Delhi," a

political science student of KashmirUniversity said.

Meanwhile, after announcing his candi-dature, Lone also said, "I will representKashmir in India. I will be taking oathunder the Indian Constitution rvith a healyheart as it is not easy to do what you do notbelieve in." What remains to be seen here iswhether the Separatist leader can make itto the corridors of Parliament House ornot. Will there be more surprises in thecoming days, only time will tell. .

Mulling over MediaMedia is a necessity not a force multiplier

I Pravin Sawhney

edia as a force multiplier is an inter-esting subject. hr the last decade,there have beett tnant':etrtinars

within the armed forces on tl.ris subject, a

felv ofwhich I have attended. The debates

are always about horv to exploit or lnanage

the media as a force multiplier. Fen'havequestioned the basic premise rvhethermedia indeed is a force multiplier for thearmed forces. I intend to start by question-ing this basic premise.

I heard the phrase that'media is a forcemultiplier for the army' for the first timefrom the then army chief, General B.C.

Joshi in October 1993, when I rvas thedefence correspondent with the IndianExpress newspaper. A bit of a backgroundis needed to put this in context. Gen. Joshihad in September 1993 ordered raisings ofnearly 45,000 RR troops for Jammu andKashmir in a record time of nine monthsfrom lvithin army's own resources aftel theUnion home ministry refused to fund thisforce meant for counter-insurgencY opera-

tions. In Februarl, 1994, Pakistan Prir.ne

Minister, Benazir Bhutto raised concernsabout Human Rights violations in J&K at

the United Nations Commission forHuman Rights in Geneva. Consequentll',the Indian Army Headquarters in March1994 established an Army Human Rights

cell. Gen. Joshi was toying r,vith the idea ofcreating a Psy Ops division under the armyvice chief when he died in harness. Gen.

Joshi rvas the first service chief to grasp theimportance of Psy Ops and the utiliry ofmedia in combating CI ops. Since then, theemployment of the armed forces, defini-tion of rvar and terms of combat engage-

ments have changed, and the media also

has acquired a drastic makeover. Holrrever,

to my mind, the armed forces continue tobelieve that the media in 2008 is the same

as in 1994.

Tivo big changes have happened for thearmed forces in the last ferv years. First, theIndian Nary and the Indian Air Force are

talking about strategic reach. This is so

especiaily after beginning 2005, rvhen theunited states said that it will help India

becorne a major power. Strategic reachirnplies that the services' area of responsi-bility and the area of interest haveincreased manifold. This, of course, is a

nen'ballgame from the earlier times whenthe air force spoke about itself as a tacticalair force, and the nar'1, kept its port calls at

Io"v visibility. Norv, strategic reach means

that the service should both acquire nerv

capabilities and they should be visible tofriends and foes as rvell. This is wi.rere themedia is required as the force multiplier.To facilitate this transparency, the navyand the air force headquarters have creat-ed the posts of ACNS (FCI) andACS (Space

and Media) under trvo-star officers. Inaddition to assisting their service publicrelations officer rvho deals with the mediaon a regular basis, these senior officersinteract r'vith the ministry of foreign affairsto understand evolving relations n'ithfriendly countries. With such institution-alised services' interaction, things shouidhave been smooth sailing. Unfortunateh',they are not.

The reason is that the political leader-

May 2009 F0RCE 77

ship has shown little interest in under-standing the role of military power andmilitary diplomacy in nation-building andpower projection. The armed forces areoutside the national security policy-mak-ing loop, and despite integration rvith thedefence ministry, the service headquartersare adjuncts of its core ministry. Thus, thedilemma of the services is always howmuch to share with the media, especiallythe media which is always eager to com-pare the Indian Naly and the Air Force withthose of major powers. This has led toembarrassing instances where senior mili-tary officers have spoken more than hasmet the approval of bureaucrats in theMoD and MEA. This, of course, is the small-er problem.

The bigger problem is about the secondrole of the armed forces when terrorismhas come to mainland India. With theseries of regular bomb blasts across thecountry starting 2006 and especially after26lll, the army and the na\y are verymuch part of the security apparatus meantto defeat this proliferating terrorism. Thenaqr with the coast guard are responsiblefor maritime security and the army as theNSG component and as advisors to securi-ty forces combating Naxalism are constant-ly under medias radar screen. The air forcewill also have a role in transportation ofsecurity forces. Until no!\i, on mainlandIndia, the role of the three defence serviceswas limited to aid to civil power. Be itfloods, earthquake or any other naturalcalamity, the defence services are alwaysrequired. Their role is uncontested and noone in the government objects to their free-wheeling interaction with the media.

However, things are not the same when itcomes to terrorism. Three ministries ofhome, defence and external affairs as wellas the PMO get involved each time terrorstrikes India's mainland. Considering thatNew Delhi is still adjusting with this nervthreat to national security, it will be longbefore formalised structure and SOPs areevolved to meet this new challenge. Thus,this is the time for the three defence servic-es headquarters to work in unison and seeka say in combating terrorism in addition toproviding assets. \&/hat we witnessed dur-ing 26lll attack when accusatory fingerswere pointed at the interaction of seniornaval officers with the media should nothappen. During such unfortunate tacticallevel terrorist attacks that affect strategiclevels, the involved defence forces shouldhave formal clearance for directive style of

78 F0RCE May 2009

Even after 1 6 years of Gl ops,

the army lacks permission for

directive style of communica-

tion, and is apprehensive of

even sharing the good work

like 0p Sadbhavana that they

are doing in J&K

interaction with the media. 'vVhat thismeans is that all officers present at thespot, irrespective of their rank, should beauthorised to respond to media queries onunfolding events. This is the lesson thatneeds to be learnt from the I&K theatrewhere the army has been combating CI opssince 1993.

It is not my case to defend the army inwhat they are doing in l&K. But, my case isto say that they are doing an extremely dif-ficult task with one hand tied behind theirbacks. They worry about Human Rightsviolations and the need for clearance fromthe top for speaking with the media. Theterrorists have no such worries and hencealways score over the security forces in PsyOps, an essential element in combating CIops. Unfortunately, even after 16 years ofCI ops, the army involved in these opera-tions lacks permission for directive style ofcommand, and is apprehensive of evensharing the good work like OperationSadbhavana that they are doing in J&Kwith the media for the fear of its beinglabelled as propaganda.

Having spoken about the three defenceservices'visible roles in national securirylet us also look at the media in 2008. Thereis the electronic media with little time fordetails but with enormous instant reach.This precipitates perception over reality.This is not all. With so many mushroomingnews channels packed with youngsters, therace amongst them is to break news even ifthat means putting own security forces inharm's way or at the cost of establishingtruth. We all sarv the 26l t 1 reporting r,vhere

most Indian channels were busy scoringbrol,rnie points showing which rvindorvcurtain on which floor of the Taj Mahalhotel had caught fire. Seasoned interna-tional channels like the BBC and CNNdevoted time to providing a larger pictureincluding government press releases say-ing rvhat action r,vas being taken. Suchexpansive reporting is helpful and reassur-

ing. \.Vhat most of our electronic channelsdo is disturbing and harmful.

Now let's see the print media. Reportingterlorists' attack is everyone's business andthus many reporters who cover this knowlittle difference between various securityforces. Uppermost on most minds is how toget their by-lined copy to the front page oftheir nervspaper. The surest way to do this isto report lvhat rvas rvrong rather than whatwas right rvith the operations. \A/hat is a sin-gle by-lined stor\,for a leporter puts enor-mous pressure especially on the armedforces which are ultra-sensitive to criticism.Consequentll', on directions from the top,the armed forces personnel clamp up com-pletely. And this rvorks to their disadvan-tage as reporters in any case have to pro-duce another stor\- another day. The differ-ence betr,veen print media reporting in J&Kand on terrorists attack on mainland Indiais that the former is usually motivated, andthe latter ignorant and impulsive. Both donot help the armed forces.

This brings me to r.nl, basic questionwhether media is indeed a force multiplier.This needs to be ansrvered against thebackdrop of the armed forces' traditionalroles, and the t\vo ne\\. ones that I havespoken about, strategic reach and terror-ism on mainland India. In the case ofstrategic reach, until the armed forcesthemselves knon', ideally in black andwhite, what is expected of them, there willalways be dissonance betrveen what theysay and rvhat thev should say. The answerthus lies ivith the political leadership,which needs to give clear directives to thedefence serrices. \\Iithout going into thedebate on the need for a CDS, suffice is tosay that major re-structuring alone canbring the armed forces rvhere they shouldbe in a nation n'hich aspires for strategicboundaries bet'ond the geographical ones.

Regarding terrorist attacks on mainlandindia, there is little doubt on three counts:the attacks lvill increase rather than dimin-ish, the armed forces will get sucked inmore rvith time, and the government willbe compelled to create formalised andfilnctionai structures to combat it purpose-fully. Thus, here the armed forces shouldstart no\'v to find a good foothold to exploitthe media better. However, in both roles,unless the desired things happen, thearmed forces will have to remain contendwith a balancing act with the media. Inshort, the media is not a force multiplierbut a necessary element that needs to becatered for from the planning stage itself.

SOPs have to be laid down on rvho, rvhenand how much can be spoken rvith themedia. And importantly, senior officers ofthe armed forces should rvorry less aboutwhat media reports.

Here, I will digress a bit, to share rvhat Iperceive to be the unchanged mindset ofthe senior defence services brass. As a

young army captain posted at sno\\'-bound Se La pass in Arunachal Pradesh ir.r

I978, I remember getting instructionsfrom all seniors, brigade commanderdownwards, not to speak at all u ith a visit-ing team of journalists rvl.ro had clearance

from the army headquarters. Thev spend

about two hours n-ith me and had manvinnocuous questions on the fauna andflora of the place. Having got ihe message

from the brigade comnander himself, Istuck to my position of 'l don't knon'' untilit sounded foolish to me and I cl.ranged itto 'I have instructions not to speak.' I do

not know what eventualh' those iournalistsreported, but I kept mulling over horv stu-pid the army rvould hai'e looked n iih sen-

iors giving permission lor the visit and theman on the ground refusing to ralk at all.

My inescapable conclusion uas that mt-

seniors did not trust me and iheir on-nseniors as rvell.

I say rvith sadness that regarding ihe tra-ditional roles of the arm\', and mavbe thearmed forces, the position remains thesame. The only difference is that nou-l am

on the other side of the fence. \'isit the Lineof Control or the Line of Actual Control,officers and men even todar- have instruc-tions to talk little ivith visiting journalists. Itis another matter that the\, usuallv pourtheir heart out when they learn that I have

been one of them. And mind you, these vis-

iting journalists are not the greenhorns,but designated defence correspondents ofmainline media.

The problems confronting the armedforces and the media when reporting thetraditional roles are of a different variety.

For example, there are two problems withthe defence services. One, as trips to theLAC and LC are sponsored ones, the armyor the air force does not like even themildest criticism in the reportage, even

when it helps them. The army does notwant to expose its living conditions defi-ciencies, and instead takes pride in showinginnovation and improvisations done bythem. \A,/hile the living conditions of theother tvvo services are much better, they toohave the same ethos of showcasing morethan should be feasible in a given situation.

Counting on the Media as a

force multiplier by the armed

forces is incorrect. A fine bal-

ancing act is required: for the

two new roles of fighting ter-

rorism on mainland lndia and

strategic reach

And nt'o, there is an instinctive urge to hidethings from the media. It can be argued thatthis is partially correct. The more a countrylike India rvith modest military means

hides, it translates into deterrence as theadversary is kept guessing. On the otherhand, deterrence for powers like the US

implies the opposite; the more capabilitiesthey shor'v, the more their adversaries get

deterred. This thinking, hon'ever, shouldnot be followed blindly. Except for opera-

tional plans, there is very little that needs tobe hidden. There is simply no case to hideequipment deficiencies especially rvhatconstitutes operational gaps. This does nothelp the defence services that do so, andalso deprives the media of a story thatought to be got from the horse's mouth.

The media that covers traditional roles ofthe defence setvices also suffers from tr.vo

handicaps. One, the urge to break nervs

usually gets the better of senior defencejournalists as well. As I said earlier, such

nervs is invariably about what is wrong inthe organisation, the troops' low morale,various scandals, and so on. And two,unfortunately, the so-called seasoned

defence correspondents hardly care tounderstand rvar-fighting and operationalaspects of the defence services. TWo exam-ples rvill suffice here. The mainline printmedia talks about the'Cold-Start' doctrineof the army, and the air force having the'Dissuasive Deterrence' strategy againstChina. Both are rvrong, and are jarring todiscerning readers. The army has a pro-active strategy against Pakistan, and theIAF has graduated to an Active Deterrence'strategy against China. There is a sea differ-ence between the two positions. Itaxiomatically follows that if one does notunderstand the doctrinal difference, one

cannot comprehend the capabilitiesrequired to adopt that posture successfully.

Thus, what is done by defence correspon-dents and even senior defence writers is

bean-counting ofassets to conclude which

side is better placed to win the war. This isboth misleading and self-defeating.Defence correspondents cannot be likeother beat correspondents who learn fast

and are shifted faster to another beat lest

they become liabilities. I dare say that theproblem lies at the top. Few editors under-stand national security in all its hues, justas a few politicians feel the need to knowthis vital subject. For example, at a recentCNN-IBN television debate on nationalsecurity between Arun Jaitely and KapilSibal of the BJP and Congress party respec-

tively, I was amused to hear them talk onlyabout terrorism and how to combat it.

\A/hat is the way forward for the armedforces' interaction 1,\iith dedicated mediacorrespondents reporting on their tradition-al roles? Some say that we should switchover to the US and western countries' con-cept of embedded journalists. For h'vo rea-

sons, this is neither feasible nor desirable.First, unlike the US and west, India is notinto out-of-area operations, and for defence

reportage within the country it is usually a

junket hosted by the services headquarters.And secondly, because of different defi-

nitions of what constitutes deterrence (Ispoke about this earlier), here, defence cor-respondents are kept at a safe distance.

This is unlike, say the US, where one is

pleasantly surprised to find most of thefirst floor of the Pentagon occupied bymainline media correspondents. For us,

under the prevalent circumstances, thebest that the defence services can do is toeducate select defence correspondents onmatters of defence. This is slow process,

but to my mind is the only way to get themedia to understand defence services'per-spective on its traditional roles. Even as thishappens, the mindset of senior militaryofficers of being ultra-sensitive to defence

news should also change.Thus, in conclusion, I would say that

counting on the Media as a force multiplierby the armed forces is incorrect. A fine bal-ancing act is required: for the t\,vo new roles

of fighting terrorism on mainland Indiaand strategic reach, which have strategiclevel connotation, clear cut directives ofwho and when can speak with the mediashould be laid down. For the armed forces'

traditional roles, there is a need to educate

seiect defence correspondents on combatperspective. The media is neither a friendnor an enemy of the armed forces. It is a

necessity that cannot be rvished a\\'ay. o(This talk was giuen at tlte Naual llhrCollege, Mwnbai ort 17 A1:ril 2009)

May 2009 F0RCE 79

F{ilddEF(}RCE EDIT()RIAL CALENDAR 2OO9

F()RCE SPECIAL ISSUES 2t}{}9

MONTH OCCASION

lanuary lndian Army Day on .lanuary 15

,_:,

FONCE rcRCE,,J-tl,?i$ll,ll,$w,.

Fs\&ffi-

FOncE

February

March

August

0ctober

Special Report

December

Aero lndia 2009, February 11-15

3 Show Dailies on Feb 12, 13

and 14

Aero lndia Show Repod

F0RCE Anniversary Special

lndian Air Force Day on October 8

FEATURE LIST

0perational Doctrine

National Rifles (Rashtriya Rifles)

Modernisation, Acquisition, Upgradation Plans

Special Forces

Future lnfantry Soldier

Network Centricity

Cooperation with Friendly Armies

lnterview, Chief of Air Staff

lnterview: All AOC-in-Cs

Cll Profile

DPP 2008 and Defence 0ffsets

Profile of Select Global Defence lndustry

Profile of Select lndian PSUs

Profile of Select lndian Private Defence lndustry

Comprehensive Review of Aero lndia 2009

Business done, in the pipeline and possibilities

Joint Ventures

Technologies Showcased

Modernisation Review of lndian Army, Air Force,Navy,

Coast Guard and Para-military

Exclusive lnterviews with the Service Chiefs and Director

Generals of Para-military forces

0perational Aerospace Doctri ne

Modernisation, Acquisition, Upgradation Plans

Network Centricity

Passive Use of Space

Cooperation with Friendly Air Forces

Update on M-MRCA Flight Trials

DSE| 2009, London (8-11 September)

0perational Maritime Doctrine

Modernisation, Acquisition, Upgradation Plans

Network Centricity

Sh ip-bu ild ing

Cooperation with Friendly Navies

Reconnaissance and Fleet Air Defence

Dubai Air Show 2009 (15-19 November)Special Report

lndian Navy Day on December 4

May

July

FORCE I}THER ISSUES 2OOg

MONTH

April

June

September

0ccAsr0N

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndustry/technoloSt

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndusby/lechnolory

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndustry/lechnolory

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndustry/lechnolory

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndustry/technology

Special Report

Land

Sea

Air

lndustry/lechnolory

FEATURE LIST

Defence Relations with the US

Cou nter-Terro ri sm Needs of Army/Pa ra- m i I ita ry

Fleet Review: lndian Coast Guard

Helicopters

Missile Defence

Defence Relations with Russia

Surveillance Sensors for Contact and Deep Battles

Reconnaissance At Sea

M-MRCA Update

UAVs

Show Report on'IMDEX Singapore 2009

Border Management Equipment

Submarine Warfare

Heavy and Tactical Air Lift

Cruise Missile

Show Report on Paris Air Show 2009

Artillery Requirements Update

Stealth in Warship-building

Ground-based Air Defence Systems

JVs and MoUs

Show Report on MAKS 2009

Anti-armour Guided Missiles

Amphibious and Carrier-Based 0perations

Operations in Mountains

Future Tanks and lnfantry Vehicles

Defence Relations with European Union

lnfantry Battalion Weapons & Equipment

0PVs

Flying Training Challenges

Defence Research and Development 0rganisation

November

Assuming VictimhoodPakistan has built Thliban as a monster to highlight its helplessness

I Ghazala Wahab

Taliban have heen

consistent in their

as loyal to Pakistan

Army as they are to

lslam. Even the pat-

tern of the attacks

shows how symhiotic

the relationship with

the Taliban is. Apart

lrom the easy targets

like the Shiites and

the loreigners, the

Taliban have essen-

tially attacked the

police and the

Paramilitary and not

the army itself

82 F0RCE lMay 2009

here seems to be greater concern about thegrorving power and audacity of Taliban in Indiathan in Pakistan. Fuelling our fears of the

Taliban are Pakistanis themselves, who instead ofquivering in their living rooms, are n arning Indiainstead. Even Ahmed Rashid, who is consideredthe best authority on Taliban has said that Indiashould not wring its hands in glee as the Talibanmake progress inside Pakistan, because if theysucceeds, the next target would be India. For hiscledentials, Rashid is taken very seriously.

Horvever, in Pakistan, there is another entity thatneeds to be taken seriously. Ihat is the army, lvhichdespite the opprobrium of having virtually cededground to the Taliban in parts of the country, does

not appear to be much daunted by what seems tobe a mortal threat to the country. Even now,according to the head of the US Central Commandthat deals with Pakistan and Afghanistan, GeneralDavid Petraeus, Pakistan considers India to be agreater threat than Taliban. Addressing the Senate

Armed Services Committee in April 2009 to under-Iine President Obama's AfPak strategy, he said,"Many Pakistani leaders remain focussed on Indiaas Pakistan's principal threat, and some may evencontinue to regard Islamist extremist groups as apotential strategic asset against India." ReadPakistan Army for leaders, because there is no big-ger leader than that in Pakistan.

In the early days of Asif Ali Zardari's presidencl',rvhen he exhibited some promise of change, in anintervierv to Wall Street Journal in October 2008, hesaid that, "India has never been a threat toPakistan." He obviously took his presidency veryseriously and didn't check with the 'real' leadersbefore shooting his mouth. For the last 60 years, thePaklstan Army has diligently built a constituencyfol itself primarily on the back of the 'India threat';against which only the army is the saviour. Themost recent example of this rvas seen after theNovember 26 attacks in Mumbai. The immediatereaction among the average Pakistani, which lvas

reflected in most of the media there, was shock andempathy. But once the Pakistan Army raised thespectre of an attack by India, the country ralliedbehind the army, silencing Zardari and company.

And here unlvittingly, perhaps, Pakistanexposed the reason '"vhy it does not fear theTaliban. Neither the Afghani nor the Pakistani.Accused of assassinating former Pakistan PrimeMinister Benazir Bhutto, Baitullah Mehsud'sTehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), added to the jin-goistic cacophony. His deputy N{aulvi Faqir

Mohammad issued a statement saying, 'If Indialaunches a \var on Pakistan, we will divide thefight into hvo parts. The air defence will be theresponsibili6, ol the militar_r', and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan rilll fight the rr.ar on ground.'

Despite the proverbial cat being out of the bag,some people nere surprised b1. this and consid-ered it a change of position of tl.re Taliban; a posi-tion that the Taliban clianged again once the warclouds receded and it u'ent back to fighting thePakistani state.

Actually, Taliban hale been consistent in theirpolicies. They renain as loval to Pakistan Army as

they are to Islam. Onh the armv has been mis-leading (and prettv sr-rccessfulll') the rvorld onrvhat Taliban actualh' are and u'hat they want.Taliban are Pashtuns on either side of the DurandLine. In Afghanistan thel rvant to throrv out theoutsiders and reinforce rheir control, rvhile in thetribal areas of Pakistan rhev n'ant a degree ofautonomy, which thev ahvals enjol'ed. They wantthe Americans out and the drone attacks to stop.The spurt in Taliban attacks in Pakistan is a recentphenomenon. In tl-re afore'mentioned October2008 intervien', Zardari had also said that the US

rvas carrying out missile attacks in Pakistan withhis government's consenr. In his rvords, "We havean understanding, ir-r the sense that rve're goingafter an enemy together."

The enemy is retaliating non'. It has just been afew months since that admission by Zardari, whohas since been relegated to the back room. PrimeMinister Geelani l.ras capitulated and the army is

running the shorv. Even the pattern ofthe attacksshorvs horv s1'mbiotic rhe relationship with theTaliban is. Apart from the eas)/ targets like theShiites and the foreigners, the Taliban have essen-

tially attacked the police and the Paramilitary andnot the armt'itself.

By raising the level of the tl.rreat posed by theTaliban, Pakistan has ensured that the stringsthat rvere to be attached to the US aid are not tootight, Pakistan becomes increasingly indispensa-ble to the US, some kind of accommodation withpro-Pakistan Taliban rvorks out in Afghanistanand international support to India againstPakistan after 26/il attacks \\ranes. On his Delhistopover, US envov Richard Holbrooke, said that,for the first time, US, India and Pakistan face thesame enemy So instead of India being the victimof Pakistan-perpetrated terrorism, Pakistan isalso a victim norv. Funnily enough, we seem tobelieve it too. o

policies. They remain

The air force chief leaues behind a rtclt legacy

Mai or Years

Work on the ALGs in

Arunachal Pradesh is

moving very slowly.

Senior air force offi-

cers say that this is

due to bureaucratic

tardiness as various

environmental clear-

ances are not easy to

come by. This may be

partially true. I sus-

pect that New Delhi is

worried about

Beijing's reaction to

military activity in

Arunachal Pradesh

recentlr' asked the air force chief, .\ir CliiefIlarshal F.H. \lajor. nho retires on \lar' 3I,about his t\\'o-\'ear ienure beginning 1 April

2007. In his inimirable ,stlle. he quippe'd. "lt u'as a

n'onderlll. iensiorr tiee ienure." -\C\l \lajor hasbeen an amazinglv accessible sen'ice' cliief, andhas allol'ed rhe discerr.ring media (FORCE includ-ed to r-isii air rbrce installatior-rs and decide thingsior iir.-nseir'es. This has helped me understandL\F s gain: during liis tenllre; and thel are plenn'.

-lop or-r mv list is the u'ork done on the China

:roni. -\iter decades of r-reglect, the three defence:c:\ices. rrith gor.ernment support, are linallv.eizeci about the threat from the East. Given thel.05rrkm long disputed land bordel in inhospitable:errain. the air force has taken a bold step: its rvardocirine has changed from'dissuasit'e deterrcnce'io acrive deterrence' against China. This meansiirar in.tead of adopting a strategic defensive pos-rure. rvhicl.r rvill allorv the PtA to fight a border waron h'rdia's soil, the switch-over is now to fightinsread on the enemy's territory. The new air forcedocrrine replicates the PLA r'var doctrine, and willcn:ure that our o\vn forces are not placed disad-lantageousll'. 'lo implement the new war thinking,rhe air force needs matching equipment and infra-srnlciure. And this has been a priority during ACM\lajor's tenure. In May 2008, he told me: "We havenorr decided to beef up our assets and moreirnportantll'the infrastructure in the Eastern sec-

ior. \\'e intend modernising our airbases to makethem capable of undeltaking operations of alltlpes of aircraft, both heavy transport and fighters,ir.rcluding the Su-30MKL" The Su-30MKI are prac-tising operational flying from the Leh air forcebase, and rvithin two to three years, once the infra-structure ibr their logistics and maintenance isprovided, the premier aircraft will be permanentlystationed there.

To overcome the formidable Khardung La(pass), the Leh and Thoise air force stations are

being upgraded to become independent nodalstations. Probably the more important rvork is thebuilding of a network of Advance LandingGrounds (ALGs) and helipads for air-logisticsdelivery to provide air-connectivity to the numer-ous inaccessible areas. This will help both in warand peace, especially the latter as developmentrvork on border roads along the Line of ActualControl virtually stopped after the l987Sumdurong Chu crisis',vith China. Indian troopstake days on foot to reach numerous border posts,ivhich remain cut-off for most part of the year

because of inclement weather. Once the ALGs are

available, both the AN-32 and the newly acquiredC-130J aircraft can land there to provide succourto the troops. Key ALGs in the Western sector(Ladakh) that have been activated are Daulat Beg

Oldie, Fukche, and Nyoma, south of Chushul at13,400ft right under the PLA nose. I was present atthe Leh air force station two weeks before the AN-32 aircraft was to land at Fukche ALG; the moodrvas jubilant and it had to be seen to be believed.

For tl.re Eastern sector (Arunachal Pradesh), itrvas envisaged that four ALGs at Tuting, Mechuka,\iaja1'n3gu. and Pasighat would be upgraded anda fen' neu' ones would be built. Unfortunately,rvork on the ALGs in Arunachal Pradesh is movingverl' slon'11'. Senior air force officers say that this isdue to bulearrcralic tardiness as various enviton-mental clearances are not easy to come by. Thismay be partially true. I suspect that Nen'Delhi is

worried about Beijing's reaction to military activi-ty in Arunachal Pradesh. Chirra, after a1l, recentlyobjected to the visit of the Indian President andPrime Minister to the state, and rvhat is unprece-dented, they have blocked loan from the AsianDevelopment Bank for a project ir.r the borderstate; an area of 90,000sqkm that China is claim-ing as its territory. New Delhi should not succumbto Beijing's pressure tactics as otheru'ise the1, rvillcontinue to pless further.

Another area where ACNI NIajor deserves acco-lades is the hard push he has given to the fitfullymoving Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project beingdeveioped by the Aeronautical DevelopmentAuthority (ADA) of the DRDO. \\ritl.rin a month oftaking office, ACM Major had deputed a 12-mem-ber air force team under AVNI C. Nanjappl'to get

embedded rvith the ADA as the 'project monitor-ing team.' The deputr, air force chief since thenhas been reviewing the Tejas (LCA) project eachmonth, and ACM Major himself gets an updateevery quarter. The earlier team leader wasreplaced by AVM Shankar Mani a month ago as

part of regular rotation. The Tejas project director,Dr PS. Subrarnanyam told me on two occasions(the second time a week ago) that the 'projectmonitoring team' has improved the pace of theprogramme substantially. \A/hen I asked him horvthis has been done, he replied that'we, scientistsare very conservative with our assessments,whereas in actual flying such rigidity need not befollowed.'This has put the traditional wisdom onits head fol the eventual advantage of the I'ejas

project. For example, Dr Subramanyarn does not

I Pravin Sawhney

l\4ay 2009 F0RCE 83

worry about the flying hours done, but is

concentrating on the number of test-points that require to be successfully eval-uated. Test points refer to the aircraft char-acteristics and manoeuvres like the alti-tude and speed changes that the aircraftcan do in a given time. Dr Subramanyam isconfident of the Initial OperationalClearance (IOC) by December 2010 and theFinal Operational Clearance (FOC) by 2012.

However, for the FOC, the IAF needs todecide the BVR missiles that it wants to use

with Tejas. Regarding the Multi-ModeRadar (MMR) validation, which is tradi-tionally done after the IOC, DrSubramanyam told me that the groundtesting has already been done, and in thenext six r,veeks, the flight testing will be

done. He has an order for 40 Tejas from theIAF which will be fitted rvith GE 404 IN20and GE 404F213 engines.

This is not all. The RFP for the newengine which will power the Tejas Mark II isexpected to be issued shortly for GE 414

and EI 200 engines. Dr Subramanyam sur-prised me by saying that he will validateTejas Mark II in 14 to 18 months after thenerv engine is procured. A new enginewould require re-designing of the rear fuse-lage, and the cornels ofthe flight envelop-ment would need to be explored fully.According to him, he has set up two ADAteams already, one each to n'ork on thedesign changes with either engine. Oncethe engine is decided, the other team,which rvould have gathered expertise indesigning, would join the main team.Certainly a sensible thing to have done; hewould have consulted his users on this. Inhis enthusiasm, it slipped out of his mouththat the IAF has already indicated an orderfor five squadrons of Tejas Mark II. Byattaching the user team with the developer,ACM Major has demonstrated his prefer-ence fol indigenisation, and the need toaccomplish the project before it succumbsto inertia once again. With my visit to ADAsix months ago and after the recent inter-action i,vith the Tejas project director, I amconfident that the Tejas rvould join the IAFinventory in good time, just when theMRCA gets inducted into the service.

The MRCA technical evaluations areover, and senior air force officers say thatthe flight evaluations rvill commence inend-May/early lune. A down-selection ofthe competitors is on the cards; not all ofthe six competitors who have bid for theMRCA are in possession of capabilitiesthat they have projected on paper. Just as

84 FI)RCE May 2009

The good news is that the

military satellite, RISAT-I, with

sub-meter resolution has been

cleared by the cabinet com-

mittee on national security

and is expected to be

launched in the last quarter

of this year

the RFP for the MRCA that was sent out onACM Major's watch was a comprehensivedocument, the flight trials would be a

novel experience for the IAF. There will beflight triais in India and in the biddingcountry. The IAF'would also be looking atthe facilities in the bidding countries tounderstand aspects like product support,technology transfer and so on. The sense Ihave got is that the IAF has prepared itselfto undertake broad-based and speedyflight evaluations.

Another highpoint of ACM Major'stenure was the IAF's reaction to the 26lI1tragedy. Within days of the terrorist attack,when the political leadership r,vas vacillat-ing about blaming Pakistan for the event,the collective military leadership hadagreed that only the Pakistan Army couldhave carried out the precision strike. TheIAF lvas in the forefront explaining toIndia's top leadership that time had cometo use the air power; even if it meant anescalation, the IAF could give a bloodynose to the enemy in minimal time rvhilekeeping hostilities below the nuclearthreshold. Once the IAF's consideredadvice rvas set aside, it was evident thatNelr' Delhi had chosen defence overoffence. Defence of homeland became thebuzzlvord and the government encouragedfast-track purchases of operationally criti-cal equipment.

\{fhile not seeking any new purchases,the IAF made the case to strengthen airdefence of the homeland, lvhich ultimatelyis its sole responsibility. A breakthroughfollorved after years of indecisiveness.Pulchases of various sensors and a largevariety of land-based radars were promptlycleared by the defence ministry. Against a

requirement of 72 radars,22 numbers n'ereagreed to be purchased rvithin a month.\Vhile the medium range sulface to air mis-sile (MR-SAM) project jointly undertaken

by the DRDO-Israeli IAI has run into rough\veather, the IAF believes that it would notbe serious enough to sever the contract.\'1eann'hile, the AWACS, which would revo-lutionise IAF's air defence concepts, isexpected to be finally inducted in May. Thedelav has been attributed to various teststhat still needed to be done; the air forcesaid tiiat elervthing should be finishedbefore the first A\\ACS arrives from Israelto the Agra air force station. The recentappointrnent ol -\ir \larshal D.C. Kumariato the nertlr creaied post ofdirector gener-al operatiorrs is ro be seen in the context ofimproved air detence. Senior iAF officersopine thar il acquisitions continuesmoothh', in sir ro seven years, air defencecapabilities n ould reach tl.re desired goal.

The I.\F is conscious that the ultimatesurveillance oi ihe hon-reiand would bethrough dedicaied militarv satellites. TheRadar Imaging Saielliie-2 (RISAI-2) r,vhich

n'as launched inro loiv earth orbit by thePSLV on April 20 n as indeed a surveiilancesatellite rreanr ro keep a \\'atch on India'sborders. But conrnrrr' ro n'hat most mediareported, RIS.\l -l '.'. o'.rici be' used by civilianintelligence age::cir-:. The good news is

that the miliian s:.ieiiire. RISAT-1, withsub-meter reso|.riion iras been cleared bythe cabinet cor.r-l.i:iiie c on national securityand is erpected :o :rt iaunched in the lastquarter of this i.a:. lhe i.{E, under ACMMajor has prepai.c i:seli n ell to exploit itscapabilities tirl'r. l:.rg .lace cell in the AirHeadquarters ha. c-o.e coordination withISRO, and o\ er 1(.ri, :-l iorce personnel havealreadl'been irair:ec bv ISRO in technicalaspects of daiil if .:nsier. handling of imagesand interpreiario::.

Erren as I rriir. :bout I.\F's operationsand acquisitio:s :l:i r have got unflinchingsupport from iirsi: cl:iei. I need to mentionone morale boosi.::s ilitiaiive. There havebeen cases nl:er ':e:.or-tr-rel belorv officerrank took loans i:onr::re bar-rk and the indi-vidual n-rei an -ir::i:-lrelv death. In whatcould be a cioulrle .ri:qedr', the onus ofrepa\-ment oi iire ,car-r used to fa11 on thefamilr. Under -{C\i \lajcrr, the iAF has setup a fund corplrs Lrv each indir,idual con-tributing a pitir-rcr- ioii ilrds it to insure theloans. 1r-r case oi a nced. ihe insurance,instead of ihe rggriei ed family, rvouldrepav the loan.

Air Chiel \lar.iral FH. \lajor started withtl're adr-aniage oi lo\\ e\pectations.Hon'ever. aiier 1is ion'-ker', non-controver-sial. br.n higir on subsiirnce tenure, he has

ensured a -snrooiir .-<ail lbr ]ris successor. a

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-----/-

il,$}lJJWE#gJ&JSJ-YJSUAI;rANM&-

The technology of yesterday's dogfights will not win in the modern battlespace. The Super Hornet gives lndiathe advanced capabilities required to prevail for decades to come. lt's the only aircraft available today witha proven, fully integrated suite of networked radar, sensors, avionics and weapons systems-enabling theSuper Hornet to engage potential threats beyond visual range like nothing else. To engage, fight and win.

NOR TI{R OP GR L''I1II'ANf,afieon B2TE IYE

RNI REGN No. DELENG/2003/12712

f'lver a period of time, FORCE magazine has emerged in the forefront of defence journalism and has

Lf consistently provided quality, thought-provoking adicles on issues of national security which one can

ill-afford to ignore. The critical, in-depth and informative analyses on matters defence bear a stamp of

high professionalism and deep commitment. I commend the editorialteam fortheir sustained efforts and

wish them success in transforming into a 'Force to reckon with' in the days ahead. o

Admiral Sureesh Mehta PVSM, AVSM, ADC

Ghairman Chiefs of Stalf Committee and lndian Ghief ol Naval Staff

E 0RCE has decidedly established itself amongst the leading magazines on security issues in the

I country. lts approach is professional and its perspectives analytical, refreshing and balanced. ltscontent enc0mpasses all aspects of national and international security and not merely limited to news

and description of inventories. I find it topical, insightful and useful. My compliments to the F0RCE team

on what they have achieved and wish them all success in future. r

Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC

lndian Chief of Air Stalf

ORCE magazine has contributed significantly by enhancing awareness of services' related aspects

and critical analysis of national security issues. To military professionals in particular, F0RCE

magazine provides incisive and useful insights. I am sure that FORCE magazine will continue to striveand achieve greater heights of success. o

General Deepak Kapoor PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC

lndian Chief of Army Staff

FORCE magazine, has gradually emerged as a compendium of matters and developments concerningthenational/international security issues. The articles are replete with emerging trends and perhaps today itis one of the few magazines dedicated to security related feature writings. Another significant profile of

the magazine is the contribution of articles by wide range of security experts. I am sure that FORCE

magazine reaches greater heights and success in its endeavour.) o

M.L. Kumawat,

DG, Border Security Force

force represents a most exciting development in lndian defence journalism. By focussing equally on strategy, equipment,I operations and doctrine, it provides readers with balanced coverage of the critical issues facing lndian defence policy.

Despite being in existence for only a few vears. F0RCE has already made a national contribution through the superb quality

of its analysis. o

Ashley J. Tellis, Senior Associate,

Garnegie Endowment for lnternational Peace, US

/\ monthly glossy magazine on national securrty panerneo arter the internationally respected Jane Defence Weekly, F0RCE,

/.lcombines in depth reportingwith criticalanalyses, ararity in lndian defence reportage. FORCE is aimed, not justatthe soldier

or the scholar, but also the diplomat and the arms merchants. The articles are exhaustive, and some have archival value whichportends well for such a magazine. o

The Hindustan Times (lndia's leading English daily newspaper)

packaged as a full colour consumer magazine, the FORCE publication demonstrates how foreign policy and security concerns

I are becoming more mainstream topics of discussion. F0RCE's broad approach to security is an improvement on the alarmisttone often struck in lndian newspapers and magazines. At more than a dollar per issue, FORCE costs roughly half of what Time

and Newsweek cost on lndian newsstands. o

Foreign Policy Journal, Washington DC

m MRPso/-

"niliinrfiiiifiifiiuFORCE

E ORCE covers a broad range of issues, from higher defence management to military news and features, p

I military aviation, naval affairs, border management, diplomacy, and Pakistani and lndian perspectives

to package news and views like the reputed British publication, Jane's Defence series. o

|iil.80.00 tltc 3202

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Deccan Herald (Newspaper)