Indian Army News and Discussion

[aaaditya]

hey guys check out this news article ,soon indian army soldiers will get indigenously designed clothing for protection against chemical warfare.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1838428,000900040003.htm

Soon Indian soldiers are likely to get indigenously-developed clothing, which has been designed by Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA) and Indian Defence Laboratory, to fight a chemical warfare.
"The Defence Laboratory, Gwalior, and ATIRA have developed the clothing that can protect our soldiers from effects of chemical weapons," in-charge of chemistry division of ATIRA Dr MS Rahman said.
So far, India has been importing clothing of soldiers that can be used during chemical warfares, the cost of which is very high, Rahman said.
He said the Defence Laboratory of Gwalior was working on this project for the last 15 years and developed active material which is like powder and can absorb toxic gases.

"Five years ago, they approached ATIRA with an aim to convert the active material into fabric. ATIRA accepted the challenge as a part of its efforts to develop `technical textiles'," Rahman said.
In chemical warfare, extremely harmful gases like sulphur and mustard are used against the enemy. They enter the body through skin and affect bones of a person who eventually dies.

"After much research, we decided to develop two-layered clothing for soldiers," he added.

 

[Scorpius]

hello.Aaditay,how does this LORROS work?

I am tired of BSF troops infiltrating into our territory(Bangladesh territory) and shootng farmers.

Can they ,LORROS system,identify the target whether its carrying arms or stuff like that?

 

[Archer]

LORROS= Long Range Thermal Imager, and TV Camera, stabilized on a platform with gyros, and a rotating head. Its a very capable system. You can see people/objects from a long distance, upto 10-20 km & the like.

 

[Scorpius]

oh thanks.
sounds highly effective and capable.If the BSF uses it corectly it may check the infiltration,etc.

can someone fill me in about Operation Parakram?I went to wiki but there's nothing about it.

 

[aaaditya]

LORROS= Long Range Thermal Imager, and TV Camera, stabilized on a platform with gyros, and a rotating head. Its a very capable system. You can see people/objects from a long distance, upto 10-20 km & the like.

lorros is claimed to detect men and material to a distance of 40 kms in good weather conditions.

 

[vedang]

hello.Aaditay,how does this LORROS work?

I am tired of BSF troops infiltrating into our territory(Bangladesh territory) and shootng farmers.

nfloorl:
I dont quite agree with that..actually its suppos 2 be the other way round..in the recent indo-bangladesh, they even denied having the ULFA head in their territory even when they were shown the proof of it..

 

[Scorpius]

uh well the Indian and Bangladeshi media posts different stuff I guess.I have seen the Indian reports.Its how all Bangladeshi BDR personnel are supporting terrorists,smugglers etc.
On the other hand ,our media is saying that the victims of BSF firings are cattle traders(BSF calls them smugglers) and farmers who farm their lands quite near the border.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/02/d61102014227.htm
^ an example.

But I guess this is kind of off-topic.

I dont quite agree with that..actually its suppos 2 be the other way round..in the recent indo-bangladesh, they even denied having the ULFA head in their territory even when they were shown the proof of it..

okay,can you give me some links to hear your side of the story?

and about Operation Parakram,why did it happen?

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,it seems that the indian army is not interested in giving up its posistions in the siachen glacier.

and i fully support them,there is no point in giving up a hard earned advantage.

here check out this link and article:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/405333.cms

SIACHEN BASE CAMP: The Indian Army is in no hurry to pull back from its commanding heights on the Siachen glacier, the world's coldest and highest battlefield, saying Pakistan must first accept "ground realities".

"Pakistan has absolutely no claims over Siachen. Our troops are stationed at least 20-30 km west of the glacier. The Pakistanis cannot even get a look in, let alone lay claim to the glacier," said Brigadier Om Prakash, commander of the Indian Army formation responsible for guarding the area.

He was talking to journalists flown in from New Delhi for a briefing on the situation on the glacier, where temperatures plummet to -30 degrees Celsius.

Om Prakash's statement assumes significance in view of the Nov 13-15 foreign secretary level talks between the two countries in New Delhi where Siachen will be one of the key subjects.

The Indian government has spoken broadly about demilitarising the glacier, where Indian and Pakistani troops have been involved in a bitter conflict since 1984 but where a truce has been holding since 2003.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri set the cat among the pigeons last week by stating that the Siachen row was close to resolution, something the Indian government immediately rubbished.

"We have conveyed our views to the government on demilitarisation. We are sure this will be kept in mind while addressing the issue," Brig Om Prakash contended.

He would not say what these "views" are, indicating he did not want to get into a diplomatic duel.

However, other army officers said demilitarisation can take place only after the actual ground position line (AGPL) between Indian and Pakistani troops has been delineated and India gets guarantees that Pakistan will respect these.

That's the sticky point. Pakistan says Indian troops must withdraw to the positions they held in 1972, at the time of the signing of the Simla Agreement in the wake of the 1971 war between the two countries.

The AGPL relates not only to the 76-km of the Siachen glacier but for another 34 km to a place called point NJ59842, where it abruptly stops. From here, India maintains the line follows the Saltoro Ridge northwards, meaning the entire glacier falls within its territory.

Pakistan, however, has been citing a US map published in the mid-1970s showing the AGPL veering northeast up and down a series of mountain ridges to the Karakoram Pass and says the glacier runs within its territory.

"This is ridiculous," Brig Om Prakash countered. "Boundaries run along ridges, not up and down mountains."

It was renowned mountaineer Narendra Kumar, who retired from the Indian Army as a colonel, who first uncovered Pakistani intentions in the area while leading an expedition to the upper reaches of the glacier in 1978. He found evidence of forays by foreign teams with the active connivance of the Pakistan Army.

Three more expeditions were sent to the area before the Indian government decided to act in 1984 lest Pakistan get a toehold. The first detachments of Indian troops landed at the 16,000-feet Bilafond La on the Saltoro Ridge April 13 of that year and at the slightly higher Sia La four days later.

It's not just the heights India commands. Siachen serves as a strategic wedge between Pakistani and Chinese troops deployed on their borders with India. Military analysts warn that any Indian pullback - without guarantees - would enable the two armies to link up and threaten the Ladakh Valley to the south and even the Kargil region.

Given this scenario, and given the fact that the Indian Army has made it amply clear it cannot retake the heights if it pulls back without guarantees, not much progress can be expected at the foreign secretaries' talks, military analysts said.

The Siachen standoff is one of eight issues covered under the composite dialogue process India and Pakistan have initiated to resolve bilateral issues, including Kashmir. The two sides had held six rounds of unsuccessful talks on Siachen before the issue was included in the composite dialogue process in 1998.

The process then stalled and was revived in 2004. There was another hiccup after the July 11 Mumbai train blasts. The process received fresh impetus after a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Havana in September.

Over 600 Indian soldiers have died in Siachen during the past 20 years, most of them victims of extreme weather conditions.

 

[mysterious]

... and i fully support them,there is no point in giving up a hard earned advantage.

Hard 'earned'??

History does repeats itself after all. Just like Nehru took up an 'imperious' attitude towards Jinnah and the Muslim League after the 1937 elections, here too, we see the 'imperious' attitude prevailing.

If you actually take a look at the title of the story on BBC, it says 'India bullish on disputed glacier'. Enough said.

 

[kams]

hey guys,it seems that the indian army is not interested in giving up its posistions in the siachen glacier.

and i fully support them,there is no point in giving up a hard earned advantage.

De-militarization of Siachen is unlikely at this point. There too much of dis-trust b/w India and Pakistan at this point. Its gonna take time to build up the trust and before we see substantial progress made in peace talks. Its crucial that both sides keep up the dialog.

Hard 'earned'??

History does repeats itself after all. Just like Nehru took up an 'imperious' attitude towards Jinnah and the Muslim League after the 1937 elections, here too, we see the 'imperious' attitude prevailing.

If you actually take a look at the title of the story on BBC, it says 'India bullish on disputed glacier'. Enough said.

BBC is not the policy maker in India. It is hard earned in the sense that IA values its soldiers. IA controls the glacier and organized these press expeditions because they don't want politicians to squander away all the gains.

 

[mysterious]

BBC is not the policy maker in India. It is hard earned in the sense that IA values its soldiers. IA controls the glacier and organized these press expeditions because they don't want politicians to squander away all the gains.

Of course the BBC is not the policy maker in India but certainly gives an indication how the western press looks at the Indian stance as it is.

It cannot be termed 'earned' in any sense. It was a tactical 'gain'.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys ,another dimension has been added to the war against terror by the indian armed forces in the north east by the use of heliopters for casualty evacuation,counter insurgency and recconaisance and observation roles.

here check out this link and article:
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=7684

For the first-time ever, helicopters of the Indian Army and IAF (Indian Air Force) could be pressed into service for the counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern state of Assam.

This news comes even as for the second day running, suspected ULFA militants in Assam blew up an oil pipeline in Upper Assam. Police had recently warned of increasing attacks on infrastructure and civilian places by militants. More details were awaited at the time of filing this report.

Aftermath of blasts Post Sunday twin terror blasts in Guwahati, the Union home ministry has flashed the green light to the Army to go ahead with its offensive Counter Insurgency (CI) strategy to take the battle against ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) and other militants into their own strongholds.

A senior Army official at 4 Corps HQs at Tezpur in Assam – the corps responsible for counter insurgency operations in Assam – said that employing copters “would give a cutting edge to the security forces in its operation against militants” holed up deep inside remote jungles of the state.

Acting on a SOS from CRPF, an IAF copter with night-vision capability recently carried out an audacious pre-dawn rescue mission of paramilitary CRPF personnel caught up in an ambush by militants, along a hostile stretch of Assam-Arunachal border.

While disclosing that for now helicopters are employed only in rescue operations, the official said the Army was contemplating using copters to air-drop troopers for launching precision strikes on militant targets like camps.

This move could be a precursor to a new offensive strategy of the security forces to take on the militants in their own turf (read inside jungles).

The Army had been pressing for such an offensive strategy fearing that militant groups like the ULFA could exploit chinks in the CI strategy, which was mellowed down after the peace process with ULFA, to launch attacks in populated areas.

 

[n21]

Of course the BBC is not the policy maker in India but certainly gives an indication how the western press looks at the Indian stance as it is.

It cannot be termed 'earned' in any sense. It was a tactical 'gain'.

Well I guess any sane army in the world would not want to throw away any tactical 'gain'.By the way it is more than a tactical gain.If it was not such a important feature why would PA invest so much resource in trying to capture it as well.Shouldn't they stop bothering about it, thinking it is just a "tactical gain" for the indians?

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys ,the indian army in its efforts to promote itself a green force(environmentally conscious) force has developed a new initiative for greenification of ladakh region,

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1842387,0008.htm

It is hard to spot a patch of green here. For miles, the only exception is base camp commander Colonel RC Patro’s green beret.
But the army has firmed up plans to transform this cold desert into a verdant landscape: it is now mandatory for every Siachen Brigade soldier to plant five saplings before he embarks on the arduous journey to an isolated post on Saltoro heights.
As part of a campaign — “Green Siachen, Clean Siachen” — the army is focusing on providing green cover to large swathes of this barren territory, at a height of over 12,000 feet, extending from the snout of the glacier to Nubra and Shyok Valleys.
The eco-drive, possible only because of the November 2003 ceasefire with Pakistan, involves planting “sia” or rose bushes and saplings of willow, poplar and a clutch of ornamental trees. “The objective is to reduce soil erosion, improve water conservation and oxygenate the rarefied atmosphere. We have over-achieved targets by planting 1.17 lakh saplings against the specified 1.02 lakh. After de-induction from the glacier, soldiers love to check out saplings planted by them,” says an officer.
The harsh climate and thin air are the toughest challenges on the green road, but the jawans’s ingenuity has managed to find a way out.
A jawan from the Rajput regiment explains, “We cover the tip of the saplings with mud wrapped in plastic to protect them from sub-zero conditions. Water from Nubra river is used for irrigation.”
The army’s initiatives are significant against the background of allegations by a section of environmentalists that military activity has sent tonnes of chemicals to the surface of the glacier and accelerated its retreat. “It is true that the glacier has receded 115 metres since 1984. But that is because of global warming, not military presence. Isn’t the Gangotri shrinking as well?” Brigadier Om Prakash, commander, Siachen Brigade, asks.

 

[mysterious]

...If it was not such a important feature why would PA invest so much resource in trying to capture it as well.Shouldn't they stop bothering about it, thinking it is just a "tactical gain" for the indians?

Invest so much? Lets see now, for starters, Pakistan has half the number of troops in the Siachen region whose main responsibility is to keep a check on the Indians. (Pakistani Troops, 3,500; Indian Troops, 7,000+)

The Pakistanis simply don't want to be caught off gaurd again as they were when the Indians moved in on the undefended Siachen glacier.

 

[kams]

Invest so much? Lets see now, for starters, Pakistan has half the number of troops in the Siachen region whose main responsibility is to keep a check on the Indians. (Pakistani Troops, 3,500; Indian Troops, 7,000+)

The Pakistanis simply don't want to be caught off gaurd again as they were when the Indians moved in on the undefended Siachen glacier.

and whats the area (Sq.Km) they are defending as opposed to India?

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys ,here is a new entrant into the indian artillery competition and it is slovakia.slovakia has now offered india its caterpillar type of wheeled and towed artillery guns.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0611132718184835.htm

Slovak Minister of Economy, L'ubomir Jahnatek on Monday called for sourcing more arms for the Indian Army's massive program of modernization of the artillery and offered armored and towed howitzers, caterpillar-wheeled and wheel-type armored howitzers.
Addressing the Indo-Slovak Business Forum under the aegis of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here, Jahnatek said: "The market potential of this product is of interest.
It is being manufactured for the Slovak military. Interest in the product has been evinced by India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greece and Columbia as well as by the Czech Republic, Finland and Norway.
"Customers from India, Malaysia and Indonesia have declared their interest more specifically by moving towards shooting tests." The Slovak minister said, thanks to its income tax rate of 19 percent, Slovakia now belongs to the countries with the lowest tax burden.
He said that an effective mechanism is in place to foster the influx of important foreign investment.
"The number of industrial zones is growing and SARIO, the Slovak agency for promoting inbound foreign investments is ready to help investors in their start-up stage, provide them with services free of charge and direct them with respect to their activities in the Slovak market," he concluded.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,check this out,this article contains a list of offsets offered by rolls royce and bell helicopters as part of their efforts to sell the indian army armed scout helicopters.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/11/14/210554/Indian+army+contest+nears+decision.html

Bell and Rolls-Royce sign partnering deals with Hindustan Aeronautics ahead of light utility helicopter selection

Bell Helicopter and Rolls-Royce signed several deals in India last week under offset agreements linked to a forthcoming military helicopter tender, hinting that New Delhi could decide on the contract soon.
Bell, which is offering its 407 against Eurocopter's AS550C Fennec to meet a 197-aircraft light utility helicopter requirement for the Indian army, has announced plans for a $100 million maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) unit in India and a pilot training institute. It also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) for possible co-operation in the supply of airframe subassemblies and product support.
The US company says it will produce only 60 of the aircraft at its facilities, with the rest to be manufactured at HAL's plants, says chief executive Michael Redenbaugh. The Indian firm already manufactures tail rotor blades for the Bell 206.
R-R also signed an MoU with HAL last week, paving the way for the companies to collaborate on engine component design and manufacturing. The UK company is also partnering Bell in the army contest, because the 407s will be powered by its Model 250 engines. A large number of these will also be manufactured by HAL.
"The MoU could potentially involve a variety of work in India related to the design, manufacture and assembly of components for Rolls-Royce engines across aerospace segments," says the company. "Rolls-Royce will also open a supply chain office at HAL facilities."
HAL has supplied ring forgings for R-R's Trent family of commercial engines since 2003, and is also involved in the repair and overhaul of Adour, Avon, Dart and Gnome power plants and industrial gas turbines.
HAL also manufactures the Adour under licence for the Indian air force's Jaguar strike aircraft and will produce Adour 871s to power the service's Hawk 132Y advanced jet trainers from 2007.
EADS subsidiary Eurocopter said in June that it plans to invest more than $1 billion in India over the next two years in a local subsidiary, a training school and an MRO centre. It also submitted joint bids with HAL for the Indian navy's 10t helicopter requirement, and is bidding for VIP helicopter contracts with the Indian air force.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys ,great news ,indian army is to launch it own exclusive cellular communications system in the kashmir region.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/14/asia/AS_GEN_Kashmir_Army.php

NEW DELHI: India's army has launched its own exclusive cellular communication system in Kashmir, and officers said Tuesday the new set up should help soldiers battling Islamic insurgents in the Himalayan territory.
The new system, which should be fully online in a couple of months, should allow soldiers to more easily speak with each other when searching for and fighting militants, said an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
More than a dozen insurgent groups have been fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, and many are using mobile and satellite phones and other modern communications gadgets to plan attacks — a development that has caught the military off-guard.
The cell phone project is being handled by the army's Corps of Signals and a series of mobile towers and other infrastructure have already been set up in the region. Only the military would have access to the system, and outsiders would not be able to call phones working off the network.

Indian Ministry of Defense said in a note posted on its Web site that the cellular system was the first project of its kind to be undertaken by Indian Army.
"The project would allow the use of mobile phones down to platoon level thus changing the way a soldier communicates," the Web site said.
The Islamic militants have been fighting since 1989, and want to see India's two-thirds of Kashmir independent or merged with Pakistan's one-third of the region. Nearly 68,000 people, most of them civilians, have died in the conflict.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys ,here is a new entrant into the indian artillery competition and it is slovakia.slovakia has now offered india its caterpillar type of wheeled and towed artillery guns.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0611132718184835.htm

Slovak Minister of Economy, L'ubomir Jahnatek on Monday called for sourcing more arms for the Indian Army's massive program of modernization of the artillery and offered armored and towed howitzers, caterpillar-wheeled and wheel-type armored howitzers.
Addressing the Indo-Slovak Business Forum under the aegis of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here, Jahnatek said: "The market potential of this product is of interest.
It is being manufactured for the Slovak military. Interest in the product has been evinced by India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greece and Columbia as well as by the Czech Republic, Finland and Norway.
"Customers from India, Malaysia and Indonesia have declared their interest more specifically by moving towards shooting tests." The Slovak minister said, thanks to its income tax rate of 19 percent, Slovakia now belongs to the countries with the lowest tax burden.
He said that an effective mechanism is in place to foster the influx of important foreign investment.
"The number of industrial zones is growing and SARIO, the Slovak agency for promoting inbound foreign investments is ready to help investors in their start-up stage, provide them with services free of charge and direct them with respect to their activities in the Slovak market," he concluded.

hey guys here is the link ,containing information and images of the artillery guns,that slovakia is offering to india.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/dana.htm