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Tag: Bipin Rawat

  • Danger to stability in South Asia due to China’s ambitions, Sino-Pak nexus ‘anti-Indian’: CDS General Bipin Rawat

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said that China’s ambitions and aspirations to global power presented an “omnipresent danger” to stability in South Asia.

    China is making “huge” inroads in South Asia and in the Indian Ocean region to strengthen its position as an emerging global power he said, while delivering the first Ravi Kant Singh Memorial Lecture here.

    “Of late, we are witnessing a geo-strategic competition and huge investment by China in the region to create a favourable posture to provide sufficient security to its interests,” he said.

    Bangladesh and Myanmar have been the largest recipients of Chinese military aid in the recent past, along with significant investments in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives “to gain strategic foothold (in the region),” he said.

    ALSO READ: China’s tech advances in cyber, space domains most worrisome, says CDS General Bipin Rawat

    He added that China’s foray into Myanmar and Bangladesh are not in India’s national interest as these are attempts to ‘engulf India’.

    The lecture was organised in memory of Ravi Kant Singh, a young IPS officer who was killed by ULFA terrorists in Tinsukia in Assam in the late 1990s.

    “There exists an omnipresent danger of regional strategic instability,” Rawat said, adding that it has the potential of ‘threatening India’s territorial integrity and strategic importance’.

    The General also said Pakistan’s state sponsored terrorism as well as by non-state actors against India is a stumbling block to peace process between the two countries.

    ALSO READ: Procuring advanced surveillance systems is Indian armed forces’ topmost priority: CDS Bipin Rawat

    He described the ‘partnership’ between Pakistan and China on a range of issues, from China providing military hardware to Pakistan and supporting it in international fora, as an ‘anti-India nexus’.

    Later addressing a press conference, the chief of defence staff said border issues with China has to be viewed in its totality, and not as issues pertaining to the Ladakh sector or North Eastern states.

    “In 2020, there was a little bit of problem (between India and China). Issues are being resolved with talks at different levels, from military to political level,” he said.

    Rawat also said such issues have copped up in the past too between the two neighbours, but have been resolved.

    ALSO READ: India’s armed forces are ready to deal with any security challenge, says CDS Bipin Rawat

    “There are suspicions between the two countries, and hence, it takes time to resolve the issues. The people must have faith and confidence in the system and the armed forces,” he added.

    He said as a measure to counter China’s influence in the region, India has to step up its engagement in neighbouring countries.

    He said, “Chinese have a habit of using money power to gain popularity in a country (they are trying to influence). But as our prime minister has given a clarion call, we believe in security and growth for all.”

    “We have to tell our neighbours that we are here as permanent friends and engage with them on equal terms and we consider all neighbours as equal partners in development,” he added.

    Rawat also emphasized on the need to exploit cultural linkages with the neighbouring countries to strengthen ties.

    On the country’s defence preparedness, Rawat said, “We are standing strong.”

    He said there is adequate defence and arms systems at India’s disposal, and the government has allowed the armed forces to procure needed armaments by invoking emergency powers.

    “No questions are being asked (by the government) as long as our security mechanism improves,” he added.

    Commenting on the recent violence against security forces as well as civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, Rawat said, “Our western adversary (Pakistan) is indulging in a proxy war with us. They will do anything to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.”

    He also said the killings in Jammu & Kashmir were an attempt by the neighbouring country to spread fear among the people.

    “We should not fear them or fall prey to such traps,” he said, adding that any possible exodus of people from J&K should be stopped.

    To counter Pakistan’s designs, the chief of defence staff said the intelligence network is being strengthened.

    Rawat added that the freedom of movement that people in Jammu & Kashmir were starting to enjoy in recent times may be disrupted due to the current situation and urged for people’s cooperation in tackling the situation.

  • China’s tech advances in cyber, space domains most worrisome: CDS General Bipin Rawat

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Friday said India faces a myriad of external security challenges and most worrisome are China’s technological advances in the cyber and space domains.

    He was speaking at the three-day Indian Air Force Conclave, that was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Yelahanka Air Force Station here, to commemorate 50-years of victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which is being celebrated this year as ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’.

    “India faces a myriad of external security challenges with deep regional interlinkages, marred by legacy of unresolved boundary disputes, culture of competition, and challenge to undermining India’s strategic space,” Rawat said.

    ALSO READ: Procuring advanced surveillance systems is Indian armed forces’ topmost priority: CDS Bipin Rawat

    He said, India is also witnessing geo-strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, including race for strategic bases in the Indian Ocean region, and increasing militarisation of Belt and Road outposts in the region by northern adversary China.

    “Most worrisome are China’s technological advances in the spheres of cyber and space domain, which often transcend beyond the military, to include critical national infrastructure as well,” he said, adding that the recent incidents on the northern borders along with aggressive posturing will remain a cornerstone of China’s expansionist foreign policy of which India has to always be wary about.

    On Pakistan, the CDS said that its continued sponsoring of cross border terrorism, a vicious anti-India rhetoric on social media, and efforts to create social disharmony within India, makes the trust gap between India and that county appear to be “unbridgeable”.

    Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, and Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka, among others, were present at the event.

    ALSO READ: India’s armed forces are ready to deal with any security challenge, says CDS Bipin Rawat

    Pointing at how things have changed in the world since 1971, Ajay Kumar stressed the need to be prepared “manyfold more”, to face today’s security scenario.

    Noting that the situation in Galwan was effectively controlled by prompt and effective action by India’s armed forces, he, however, said the position on the LAC continues to be tense, and the fact that India’s adversary continues to ramp up both infrastructure and assets across the border remains a matter of concern.

    “We continue to see increased activities of China and disputes which it is unilaterally claiming to be its own in the South China sea,” he said, as he also spoke about cross border proxy war and facilitation of terrorism, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, by Pakistan, and the situation in Afghanistan having potential for new challenges which could happen at any point of time.

    Kumar, also highlighting that China has moved towards jointness and theatre commands, said, it has spelt out in its operational doctrine that it wants to be “no more a regional power, but a world class military power.”

    China has aimed for itself to complete military modernisation by 2035 and to be a world class military by 2049, he said.

    Pointing out at the changes in the way war is fought with new technologies by influencing cyber and space, he said, “today we have non-conventional ways of fighting war and we need to be prepared for it.”

    The Defence Secretary also said “Air Force has been taking up modernisation in the last 4-5 years. In the last 5 years Rs 2. 5 Lakh crores has been spent on modernisation of the Indian Air Force.”

  • Procuring advanced surveillance systems is Indian armed forces’ topmost priority: CDS Bipin Rawat

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Procuring advanced surveillance systems that can help India keep an eye on its land borders and oceans is the topmost priority of the armed forces right now, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat said on Thursday.

    He also said that after surveillance capabilities, India needs to focus on boosting its cyber capabilities.

    “Our first and foremost priority is surveillance. We need anything that can help is in maintaining surveillance on our land borders and on our oceans. This is our fist priority,” he said at a defence conclave here when asked what are Indian armed forces’ requirements that should be the focus of private industry.

    “We want to jump the cyber from lower priority to higher priority because we find that our adversary is developing cyber capabilities at a very fast pace,” he also said.

    If you are not able to match the adversary, then no matter how good or sophisticated your systems are, if they are going to be affected through cyber attacks, they will be no use to us, he asserted.

    Gen Rawat said a very rapid transformation is taking place in the international domain.

    “And accordingly, our own region is also undergoing rapid changes and we can see the way the dynamics of international relations in our own vicinity is taking shape,” he added.

    “It is both a major advantage to us in the manner in which there is collaboration taking place amongst like-minded nations, and it will also pose a big challenge in the future,” he said.

  • CDS Bipin Rawat attends SCO military exercise in Russia

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has witnessed a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia’s Orenburg region that has been organised under the aegis of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

    India has sent a team of 200 personnel for the nearly two-week-long “Exercise Peaceful Mission” that began on September 13.

    Gen.Rawat is on a two-day visit to Russia and he attended the conference of the Chiefs of General Staff of the SCO member states in Orenburg.

    “General Bipin Rawat #CDS witnessed the final validation exercise of Multi Nation Exercise #PeacefulMission2021 of #SCO Nations at Orenburg,” the Army said in a tweet.

    The exercise provided an opportunity to the armed forces of the SCO nations to train in counter-terrorism operations in an urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment, officials said.

    The scope of the exercise included professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills and procedures, establishment of joint command-and-control structures and elimination of terrorist threats, they added.

    The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

    India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

    The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

    India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

  • India’s armed forces are ready to deal with any security challenge: CDS Bipin Rawat

    Gen Bipin Rawat said India is a peace-loving nation but it had to train its forces for war considering the kind of challenges it has been facing.

  • Military reform process demands cohesion

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Difference of opinion on the biggest military reform in the country turned into a public spat on Friday, when Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria were caught in a debate over the role of the Air Force. Experts this newspaper spoke to felt airing differences in public has created an unhealthy situation. They think it also means not enough consultation has taken place.

    Longtime advocate of higher defence management reforms, Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) said: “Other nations attempting national security reform faced similar situations opposition to change and infighting over air power issues. However, they were forced by their governments to sit down and resolve differences.” The world’s most powerful US military took four years before a bill in the parliament was forced upon the military commanders. Even the UK faced similar problems, with services on divergent paths having tussles, arguments and counter arguments.

    There had been two prominent instances when the Indian armed forces were seen lacking cohesiveness. When the Indian Peace Keeping Force was formed, a joint command was tried and it did not succeed, leading to confusion, said an expert who did not wish to be named. In Kargil also, a similar scenario appeared, added the source. Resolution of these matters took time. Without going into details of the CDS-Air Chief spat, Admiral Prakash said: “It is too important an issue to rush through with half-baked solutions. They have to find consensus even if it takes time.”

    Major Gen SB Asthana (Retd), Defence Expert, said in the US, lawmakers played an important role by initiating a highly educated debate to change the structure. “India may have to wait before such erudite debates take place on complex matters.” Sources said since the beginning, IAF has been flagging the issue of dilution of the powers of the Chief of Air Staff. Today, India is facing two threats it is in a standoff with the largest military in the world, while the other adversary is devising new ways to disturb peace through drones/terror attacks.

    Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd) says discussions are for solutions. “Air power, within a hundred years of the first manned heavier-than-air flight, has graduated to pole position in war execution. With it’s virtual presence far from where it is positioned, air power can coerce and dissuade adversaries. In India’s case, the situation is similar and the IAF would carry the war deep into adversary territory. It is imperative that the government ensures the IAF’s bite does not get blunted due lack of resources. The IAF would be a major player in the joint application of power in any future conflict.”

    Modern war is swift and will need a joint approach. The present system of the 17 commands of the Army, Air Force and Navy spread out geographically may not work. With the aim of restructuring, the present government went in for the biggest post-Independence military reform. General Rawat was made CDS in January, 2020. The brief for him was “Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint/theatre commands.”

    Theatre commands are to strengthen cohesion, pool in resources, cut duplication and redundancies. Seamless integration among the land, sea and air forces is expected to lead to better coordination and response. Also, this reform will clear the chain of command for better response in case of any exigency. Three services, under the new arrangement, will plan, train and practice joint warfare. The command of all the resources under one theatre will lie with one Commander, cutting time lag.

    India, as explained by the CDS, is planning to have five theatre Commands — Air Defence Theatre, Maritime Theatre, Eastern Theatre (China will be under it), Western Theatre (Pakistan) and Northern Theatre (Line of Control and Line of Actual Control together with counter-terror operations). Across the world, most militarily powerful nations have theaterised their armed forces. These include the US, UK, France, Russia and China. Even Pakistan is moving to reconfigure into this format. 

  • Public spat as CDS calls Air Force a support arm, Air Chief says it is not

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Differences over the proposed integrated command system of defence forces came out in public view on Friday when Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat termed the Air Force just a supporting arm, while Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria said “it is not”. 

    Speaking at a defence summit on Friday, Gen Rawat said the “Air force is required to provide support to the ground forces. Do not forget, Air Force continues to remain a supporting arm to the armed forces just as the Artillery or Engineers support the Combatant Arms in the Army…. They have an adequate charter of supporting the ground forces in times of war,” the CDS added.

    Later, speaking at the same event, the Air Chief said, “Air power has a huge role to play in any of the integrated battle areas and it is not an issue of support alone.”Calling the formation of the theatre commands much more complex the Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said, “Air force is for the formation of theatre commands. But the issues we have raised is about how we should do it. It is the most important reform that has an impact on warfighting.”

    When asked about the charter of the Indian Air Force, Bhadauria said, “Every service has its own doctrine, the best knowledge of how to employ the capabilities and capacities to get the best results.”The 1.4 million Indian Armed Forces, Army, Navy and Air Force function to secure and defend the nation under 17 functional commands.

    The  formation of the Chief of Defence Staff in December 2019 was to integrate and synergise the armed forces to prepare them to meet the requirements of modern warfare. Theaterisation is one of the charters of the CDS. There are plans are to integrate the forces into five theatre commands – Air Defence, Maritime Theatre, Eastern Theatre, Western Theatre and Northern Theatre. 

  • Armed forces recall retired medical staff to work to battle Covid-19 pandemic in India

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took stock of the preparations made by the Indian armed forces to assist the civil administration in Covid management. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said retired medical professionals and those who had availed of pre-mature retirement from the forces in the past two years were being recalled to beef up the numbers.

    An official statement from the PMO said the forces had recalled the retired personnel “to work in Covid facilities within proximity of their present place of residence”. On Friday, the Defence ministry had announced it was extending the tenure of SSC doctors in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) to “ tide over the current surge in medical services”. This will augment the strength of AFMS by 238 more doctors.

    The CDS told the PM that nursing personnel were being employed in large numbers to complement the doctors at the hospitals. PM was also briefed that oxygen cylinders available with armed forces in various establishments would be released for hospitals and wherever possible, military medical infrastructure would be made available to civilians.

    Modi reviewed the operations undertaken by IAF to transport oxygen and other essentials in India and abroad.  Further, Kendriya and Rajya Sainik Welfare Boards, and officers posted in various headquarters in veterans’ cells might be instructed to coordinate the services to expand the reach to remote areas.

  • China capable of launching cyber attacks on India; focusing on cyber defence: CDS Bipin Rawat

    Gen Rawat said that a quot;capability differential quot; has come between the two countries over the years and that China has a quot;lead quot; over India on technology.

  • General Bipin Rawat reviews Project Seabird work in Karwar

    By Express News Service
    KARWAR: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat visited the naval base in Karwar on Monday, along with Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, FOC-in-C (West), to review the progress of ongoing work under Project Seabird. They were received by Real Admiral Mahesh Singh, FOK on arrival.

    During the visit, Gen Rawat was briefed on the progress of activities with respect to the development of Project Seabird in site ‘A’, including the modernisation of Naval Ship Repair Yard (Karwar) and also the capabilities of Maritime Operations Center (MOC), Kar and COMNETCEN (Kar). Gen Rawat was also taken around the Naval Base where he was given on-site briefings and he reviewed the ongoing marine works, including capability demonstration at the Shiplift facility.

    The visit also included a tour of the Naval Harbour towards assessment of marine works / infrastructure being developed as part of Project Seabird Phase II A. Later during the day, he interacted with officers and sailors of Karnataka Naval Area over Barakhana.