News Analysis India

Tag: Indian Army

  • Over 5 lakh AK-203 rifles to be made in Amethi, deal may be signed during Putin’s visit

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a big boost to self-reliance in defence manufacturing in India, the Indo-Russian ordnance factory at Korwa in Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh is set to manufacture over five lakh AK-203 assault rifles. They will be produced by a joint Indo-Russian venture, approved by the Centre. The first 70,000 will include Russian-made components as technology transfers and the Army will receive these in 32 months after the manufacturing process begins.

    Signifying the robust defence ties between the two countries, India and Russia are likely to ink the Rs 6,000-crore deal for manufacturing AK-203 rifles at Korwa during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi. Over five lakh AK series rifles will be manufactured over a ten-year period time. These rifles are an advanced version of the AK-47.

    Korwa ordnance factory will manufacture the rifles for the military in the first phase followed by a bulk order for the paramilitary forces and police force of the country. A Major General is in charge of the plant.

    According to official sources, the proposed project will be executed in partnership with Russia. It will open up business opportunities for various MSMEs and other defence industries for supply of raw material and components, which will leadto generation of new employment opportunities.

    The 7.62 x 39mm caliber AK-203 rifles will replace the in-service INSAS rifles inducted over three decades back. AK-203 assault rifles, with an effective range of 300 metres, are lightweight, robust and easy to use with proven technology that will enhance the combat potential of soldiers to adequately meet present and envisaged operational challenges.

    They will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army in counter insurgency/counter terrorism operations.

    The project is significant as it would make UP a key contributor in the defence manufacturing hub of India given the upcoming 6-node defence corridor from Agra to Jhansi.

    The project will be implemented by a special purpose Joint Venture called Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL). It has been created with erstwhile OFB, now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), and Munitions India Limited (MIL) of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and Kalashnikov of Russia.

  • 11 fully-vaccinated Army officers test COVID positive in MP

    Express News Service

    BHOPAL: As many as 11 fully-vaccinated Indian Army officers, who were pursuing a certificate course in business management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-Indore) in Madhya Pradesh, have tested COVID positive in the last four days.

    All these asymptomatic COVID-positive army officers have been isolated at the Military Hospital in the cantonment town Mhow in Indore district only. As many as 65 contacts of these infected officers have been traced and their samples were taken for testing.

    While confirming the development, the Indore District COVID-19 Nodal Officer, Dr Amit Malakar told The New Indian Express that two of these officers had tested COVID positive three days back, while nine others tested positive for the same viral disease in the last 24 hours.

    In total, 13 people tested COVID positive in the entire Indore district over the last 24 hours, out of which nine were Army officers, who were pursuing the short term certificate course in business management for the defence officers at IIM-Indore.

    “Just after two of these officers tested COVID positive three days back, the IIM-Indore turned offline classes of that short term course into online mode. All their points of contact at the IIM-Indore have been found COVID negative,” Dr Malakar added.

    In total 60 Army Officers from across the country were pursuing the six-months certificate course in business management for defence officers (CCBMDO) at IIM-I. This course is helpful for professional resettlement of short service commissioned Army officers post-retirement.

    The Army officers were pursuing the course for the last two and half months and were staying at a secure facility in Rau town of Indore district.

    In September, 30 Indian Army officers at the Army War College in cantonment town Mhow of Indore had tested positive for COVID-19. All of them also were fully vaccinated and asymptomatic for COVID.

  • SC asks Army to look into updated ACRs of women officers for grant of Permanent Commission

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Army to have a re-look into the case of Women Short Service Commission Officers, who were denied Permanent Commission (PC) as they failed to get threshold 60 per cent marks after being assessed on the basis of UAC based evaluation system.

    A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna asked Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain and senior advocate R Balasubramanian, appearing for Centre and the Army, to take into account the updated Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of the officers beyond the fifth and tenth year of their service.

    The top court was hearing a plea of nearly half a dozen women officers, who have claimed that they have been denied a permanent commission as they were assessed on the basis of a faulty UAC system.

    “We are not saying ignore the Unit Assessment Card (UAC) system but please have a look into the updated ACRs. If they have outstanding ACRs, then dispensing them will be a disservice to the Army and the nation”, the bench said.

    The UAC system prevailed in the Army from 1999 to 2005 and was abolished by the Army in 2005.

    It was replaced with an ACR-based evaluation system for grant of the Permanent Commission (PC).

    Jain said that he and senior advocate Balasubramanian will look into each of the cases and sought time to seek instructions from the concerned officers.

    The bench said, “Probably, this may be the last leg of officers, who have been left out of permanent commission. We need to iron out some creases and put a lid on the entire issue. Look into their case. If they still don’t cross the 60 per cent criteria, then they are out but have a look into all the aspects. If considering ACR, they cross the 60 per cent mark, then nothing remains in UAC”.

    The top court said that it is not finding fault with the UAC system and every department has its own evaluation system and it is impressed with the way the Army has handled this issue.

    During the hearing, Jain said that the Army has followed what the top court has said in its judgement that the candidate should have 60 per cent marks and in the case of these women officers, they have not got 60 per cent criteria.

    He said that even the Delhi High Court has refused to accept their plea on the ground that 60 per cent criteria fixed by the Supreme Court are not met by these officers.

    Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for some women officers, said that most of them have not crossed 60 per cent criteria as they have been assessed by faulty UAC system, and if the Army only takes into account their ACRs, then they will cross 60 per cent marks.

    He said that when Army has found the earlier UAC system as faulty and replaced it with a new system, then how can they assess these officers based on the faulty system.

    The bench said that it is granting time till December 10 to the ASG Jain and senior advocate Balasubramanian and they will have a re-look into the issue.

    On November 12, the top court had threatened the Army with contempt action against it and its Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane over non-compliance with its earlier orders after which the defence force had agreed to grant PC to all of its eligible women officers.

    The Army had initially said that out of the 36 Women Short Service Commission Officers (WSSCO) in the force, who have filed the contempt petition, it has granted PC to 22 officers while 14 were not considered fit including three on medical ground.

    The top court had said that all the individual cases will be dealt with in accordance with law and did not proceed with initiating the contempt action against the Indian Army and its Chief.

    With the direction of the top court, 68 out of the total 71 WSSCOs who were earlier denied PC were granted the permanent commission.

    Initially, 72 officers were denied the PC but later one officer had opted to quit.

    Three officers have been found medically unfit.

    On October 8, the top court had directed the Centre to issue orders granting PC to 39 such officers in seven working days and furnish the details of 25 officers with reasons, who were not considered.

    On October 1, the top court had restrained the Army from discharging the 72 WSSCOs, who were not considered for PC, till further orders and had sought a reply within a week on why they were not considered for the service.

    The women officers have alleged that the top court’s March 25 ruling was not considered by the Army and all 72 of them were rejected from consideration for the PC at one go.

    In its March 25 verdict, the Army was directed by the top court to consider granting PC to the WSSCOs subject to their obtaining 60 per cent marks in the assessment subjects, being found fit on medical criteria as per the August 1, 2020 order of the Army and having received disciplinary and vigilance clearances.

    On February 17 last year, in a landmark verdict, the top court had directed that women officers in the Army be granted a permanent commission, rejecting the Centre’s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on “sex stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”.

    The apex court had directed that within three months, all serving SSC women officers have to be considered for PCs irrespective of them having crossed 14 years or, as the case may be, 20 years of service.

  • Amid border tensions with China, mega multi-agency military exercise conducted in Kutch

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s combat capability and readiness to confront any multi-dimensional security threat was elaborately tested at a four-day mega military exercise conducted in the Creek sector of the Kutch peninsula that concluded on Monday, military officials said.

    The Sagar Shakti exercise, held from November 19 to 22, witnessed participation of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, Border Security Force, Gujarat Police and the Marine Police, they said.

    The high-intensity exercise was organised by the Indian Army’s Southern Command and its primary aim was to test the combat readiness of the agencies in a real-time scenario, the officials said.

    They said the exercise involved the insertion of troops and complex manoeuvres by the forces in dealing with any possible security challenges in the domains of land, water and air simultaneously in an integrated manner.

    “Comprehensive coordination incorporating contemporary technology to include response mechanism in a multi-domain environment, real-time communication, and sharing of operational data to overcome emerging multi-dimensional threats were practised and honed,” a senior official said.

    The exercise was witnessed by the senior hierarchy of participating agencies.

    “This is the first time that an effective punch of a field training exercise has been packed in the response mechanism which functions under a robust Central Operation Room (COR) comprising troops of multiple forces,” the official said.

    “The integration and coordination achieved were apparent,” he added.

    The participating organisations deployed key assets in the exercise to simulate ways to combat various threats that India may face.

    The exercise comes at a time India has bolstered its maritime combat capability in view of evolving security scenarios in the Indian Ocean Region.

    The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical for India’s strategic interests.

    China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region.

    The Indian Navy has been ramping up its presence in the Indian Ocean to keep a hawk-eyed vigil over Chinese activities.

  • Fighting to rebuild a life and gift a future to her kids

    By Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Graduating from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) was the best gift Jyoti Nainwal, widow of Naik Deepak Nainwal, who died fighting terrorists in Kulgam, could give her children. Pecked on the cheek by nine-year-old daughter Lavanya, as seven-year-old son Reyansh watched during the event, the 33-year-old recalled her mother’s advice when her world collapsed following her husband’s death.

    “From now, your life should be a gift to your children. They will emulate you. How you want to steer your life is up to you,” newly-appointed officer Jyoti recalls her mother’s advice. Jyoti’s life changed on April 11, 2018 when her husband, serving in the 1 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, got a gunshot wound during a terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir under Operation Rakshak. Deepak breathed his last 40 days after suffering a spinal injury that left him bedridden. 

    Ever since she got married, Jyoti’s life was limited to the four walls of her home. But on hearing her mother’s advice after Deepak’s death, the homemaker from Dehradun got motivated to join the Army. She was unaware of the selection procedure and the Service Selection Board interview, but her eagerness to join the forces proved to be enough.

    Deepak’s parent company 1 Mahar Regiment’s Brigadier Cheema and Col MP Singh took up the responsibility of mentoring her. “My English was not that good, as I was only involved in household responsibilities all my life. They knew I needed to change a lot. Brigadier Cheema sent me English novels, gave me a deadline to read them, and later he asked questions about the books,” Jyoti recalls.

    Another woman who stole the limelight at the event was Lt Dimple Singh Bhati, who was conferred with the silver medal by Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, who reviewed the parade. Dimple was inspired by the war heroes in their Jodhpur family, such as Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, Param Veer Chakra and Col Megh Singh Rathore, Veer Chakra.

    More than 150 cadets graduate from OTA Chennai: As many as 124 men and 29 women cadets graduated from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) during the ceremonial passing out parade (POP) here on Saturday after 11 months of integrated training to transform  them into future leaders of the Indian Army. A total of 16 men and nine women from friendly foreign countries also completed their training. The Passing out Parade (POP) was reviewed by Lieutenant General CP Mohanty,  Vice Chief of Army Staff. He presented the Sword of Honour and OTA gold medal to cadet Siddhanth Sharma, silver medal to cadet Dimple Singh Bhati, and bronze medal to BCA Muneesh Kumar, a release stated. OTA Chennai had made arrangements for live streaming of the Passing  Out Parade and Pipping Ceremony, the release added

  • Army will stand up to all external and internal threats, asserts Vice Chief of staff

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Adversaries with ‘hegemonic’ designs try to alter status quo under false pretexts, but the Indian Army must and will stand up to all external and internal threats, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt General Chandi Prasad Mohanty said on Saturday.

    After reviewing a passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) here, Lt Gen Mohanty also hailed the “increasingly significant role” of women officers in the Indian Army and said they have proved their mettle despite the “trying nature” of the profession.

    A total of 178 men and women, including foreign ones, graduated on Saturday.

    In his address, Mohanty said, “India’s comprehensive national power increases and it gets called upon to play an increasingly larger role in global geo-politics.”

    “Adversaries with hegemonic designs exploit opportunities to try and alter status quo on false pretexts,” he said without specifying anyone, but the remarks seemed to be an apparent reference to China.

    These multi-domain security challenges must be overcome in order to achieve peace, prosperity and growth.

    “We must and will stand up to all external and internal threats. The Armed forces are the strongest pillar of the country. We cannot afford to let our guard down.”

    “The country looks upon us to deliver, each and every time. Our responses would be integrated adopting not only a tri-service but a whole of nation approach,” Mohanty added.

    Referring to the passing out women cadets on Saturday, both from India and Bhutan, he said they reflect the “inclusive nature of our Armed forces.”

    Noting that women officers in the Indian Army have played increasingly significant role over the last few decades and have proved their mettle despite the trying nature of the profession, Mohanty said, “as a consequence, women are now being enrolled into other ranks as well, to overwhelming response.”

    “Professional challenges will remain; be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to meet the leadership attributes desired from an Army officer,” he added.

    He further said the need of the hour was “technologically adept” soldiers, congruent to the requirements of the modern battlefield.

    “Concurrently, the fundamentals of soldiering, leadership and moral integrity remain supreme to the fabric of a soldier,” he added.

    They need to be alert, mentally agile, tech-oriented and should enable themselves with technical knowledge of their equipment, the top officer added.

  • Operation Hercules: IAF, Indian Army conduct airlift exercise in Northern Sector

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force and Indian Army conducted a major joint airlift exercise on Wednesday with the aim of strengthening logistics supply in the Northern Sector, which includes the border with Pakistan and China. The exercise was named ‘Operation Hercules’.

    The Ministry of Defence in its statement said, “The effort was a real-time demonstration of the inherent heavy lift capability of the Indian Air Force, which has played a major role in ensuring the ability to quickly respond to any contingency during the past.”

    The platforms utilised for the airlift were C-17, IL-76 and An-32 aircraft, which took off from one of the forward bases of Western Air Command. This would augment winter stocking in operational areas as the region would get cut off for the next 4-5 months from the rest of the country due to winter and the forces would need ration and resources. The standoff in Eastern Ladakh continues since May 2020, with a major deployment of around 60,000 troops from both sides.

    New Corps Commander

    Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta is expected to take over as Leh-based Corps Commander by the end of this month. Lt Gen PGK Menon, the current Corps Commander, has completed his tenure. Lt Gen Sengupta will head the Corps Commanders talks with China.

  • Amid tension with China, Army and IAF hold joint drill to strengthen logistics supply at border

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force and Indian Army conducted a major drill on Wednesday with an aim to strengthen the logistics supply in the northern sector. The exercise was named ‘Operation Hercules’.

    The Ministry of Defence in its statement said, “The effort was a real-time demonstration of the inherent heavy-lift capability of the Indian Air Force, which has played a major role in ensuring the ability to quickly respond to any contingency during the past.”

    The platforms utilised for the airlift were C-17, IL-76 and An-32 aircraft, which took off from one of the forward bases of Western Air Command. This would augment winter stocking in the operational areas as the region would get cut off for the next 4-5 months from the rest of India and the forces would need adequate ration and resources.

    The joint drill also comes amid the ongoing standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh since May 2020 with the deployment of around 60,000 troops from both sides. The tanks, artillery, missiles and heavy equipment have been placed in the area.

    In October, the Corps Commanders of the two militaries held their 13th round of talks which ended inconclusively, thus becoming clear that the deployments will continue.

    In another development, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta is expected to take over as the new Leh-based Corps commander by the end of this month as Lt Gen PGK Menon, the current Corps Commander has completed his tenure. Lt Gen Sengupta will be heading the Corps Commanders talks with China soon to discuss the remaining issues pertaining to the border standoff.

  • India set to seal USD three billion Predator drone deal with US by current fiscal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India is set to seal a long-conceived proposal to procure 30 multi-mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over USD 3 billion (around Rs 22,000 crore), official sources said on Tuesday.

    The proposal to acquire the MQ-9B long-endurance drones, armed with air-to-ground missiles, is likely to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in the next few weeks following which it will be placed before the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security, they said.

    The sources said various key aspects of the procurement including the cost component and weapons package have already been finalised and the mega-deal is set to be sealed with the US by the current fiscal.

    The procurement proposal has been moved by the Indian Navy and all three services are likely to get 10 drones each.

    Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade said the proposal will be placed before the DAC in a “short while”.

    “The whole effort of the procurement process is that we take a very balanced decision and therefore inputs of all stakeholders are taken. The process is on and we have progressed quite a bit on this process. This will move to DAC in a short while,” he told reporters at an event.

    India’s procurement of the drones is likely to figure at the upcoming India-US two-plus-two defence and foreign ministerial meeting that is set to take place in Washington next month.

    The remotely piloted drones, manufactured by US defence major General Atomics, are capable of remaining airborne for around 35 hours and can be deployed on a range of missions including surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and destroying enemy targets.

    The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Predator-B drone is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.

    The sources said the government has managed to bring down the cost of the procurement following lengthy negotiations with the supplier.

    It is known to be a highly modular and easily configured platform capable of carrying a variety of payloads to meet mission requirements.

    Indian armed forces have been focusing on procuring unmanned platforms including armed drones following the eastern Ladakh standoff with China and a drone strike on the Jammu airbase.

    Explosives-laden drones were used to carry out the attack on the Jammu Air Force station in June in the first such instance of suspected Pakistan-based terrorists deploying unmanned aerial vehicles to strike at vital military installations in India.

    In 2019, the US approved the sale of armed drones to India and even offered integrated air and missile defence systems.

    The Indian Navy has been strongly pushing for the procurement to boost its overall surveillance over the Indian Ocean, a region that has witnessed increasing forays by Chinese ships and submarines in the last few years.

    Last year, the Indian Navy received two Predator drones on lease from the US, primarily for surveillance over the Indian Ocean.

    The two non-weaponised MQ-9B drones were leased for one year with the option of extending the period by another year.

    In February last year, India sealed a USD 2.6 billion deal with the US for procurement of 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from American aerospace major Lockheed Martin for the Indian Navy.

    The delivery of the helicopters has already begun.

    Following the eastern Ladakh standoff, India has significantly cranked up its day and night surveillance over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) using a fleet of remotely piloted aircraft.

    The armed forces are looking at further bolstering the surveillance mechanism in view of evolving security scenario in the region.

  • Defence Ministry to take up Rs 20,000 crore Predator drones acquisition matter on Monday

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: In a big step towards strengthening military ties with the US, the Indian Defence Ministry is going to take up the case for the acquisition of 30 Predator drones for the three defence forces at a high-level meeting scheduled to be held on Monday.

    A high-level meeting would be taking up the case for acquisition of these drones worth over Rs 20,000 crore at the meeting to be headed by the Defence Secretary on Monday, government sources said here.

    If the acquisition is cleared in this meeting, it would be forwarded to the Defence Acquisition Council for final approval by the defence ministry and then it would be for the Cabinet Committee on Security to give its final nod before the contract is signed.

    India and the US have been negotiating the deal for more than two years and it is now in the final stages of getting cleared by the government, the sources said.

    The Indian Navy is the lead service for this acquisition case and it is jointly putting it up for clearance from the government.

    Once approved, all the three services would be getting 10 drones each which would be used for surveillance as well striking targets when required.

    ANI first reported that the Predator drones have been inducted into Indian defence services on lease as they were taken by the Indian Navy under emergency procurement powers given to the services by the government.

    Indian Navy has been flying these drones in the Indian Ocean Region and with their over 30 hours of endurance, they are enhancing the domain awareness of the force in the area where the Chinese Navy warships and submarines along with merchant vessels are frequently passing through.

    India is also getting drones from Israel which are helping them to get coverage in high altitude areas and have been equipped with the latest surveillance gadgets.