News Analysis India

Tag: Indian Army

  • Russia starts delivery of S-400 missile systems to India: Official

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Russia has begun the delivery of S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India, according to a senior Russian official.

    Russia’s Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik news agency that the deliveries are going on as planned.

    The development comes as both sides prepare for a visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 6 for a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule,” Shugaev said There was no official comment by the Indian Air Force on the deliveries.

    It is learnt that deliveries of some components of the missile systems have started and all key parts are yet to reach India.

    In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.

    The Biden administration has not yet clarified whether it will impose sanctions on India under the provisions of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for procuring the S-400 missile systems.

    The CAATSA, which was brought in 2017, provides for punitive actions against any country engaged in transactions with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

    The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

    The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

    Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.

    US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman during a visit to India last month said that any country deciding to use the S-400 missiles is “dangerous” and not in anybody’s security interest.

    At the same time, she hoped that the US and India will be able to resolve differences over the procurement.

    It is learnt that the matter is being discussed between India and the US.

    Russia has been one of India’s key major suppliers of arms and ammunition.

    It is learnt that India and Russia are going to firm up a number of agreements in the areas of defence, trade and investment, and science and technology at the summit between Modi and Putin.

    A framework for military-technical cooperation is also set to be renewed for the next decade at the summit.

    India and Russia have also reached the final phase of negotiation for a logistics support agreement and it is likely to be signed soon, it is learnt.

  • Army colonel, wife and son among seven killed in Manipur ambush by militants

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: An Army colonel, his wife and their son were among seven people killed by militants in an ambush in Manipur on Saturday.

    The attack was carried out at Behiang in the state’s Churachandpur district at around 10 am. The slain colonel was serving as the commanding officer of an Assam Rifles unit in the district on deputation.

    Apart from him and his family members, the four others killed were Assam Rifles personnel. A source from an intelligence agency said three to four other personnel were also injured.

    The Army officer was either going on leave or returning to the unit after leave, the source said.

    So far, no militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack. The police and security forces launched a massive operation in search of the militants.

    Manipur has over 40 insurgent groups, a large majority of them lying low following their signing of separate suspension of operation agreements with the government.

  • Ladakh War Memorial dedicated to martyrs of  1962 and 2020, to be inaugurated by Rajnath Singh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Indian Army has constructed a War Memorial in Chushul, which will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh next week, on the 59th anniversary of the famous battle of Rezangla.

    “The defence minister will inaugurate the Rezangla War Memorial on November 18,” said a source. He will be accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat. The new War Memorial will be on the tourist map of Ladakh.

    In addition to the names of 114 of the 120 soldiers of the 13th Kumaon Battalion who lost their lives fighting but defeated many waves of the Chinese army in 1962, this War Memorial will also have the names of the 20 soldiers who died in Galwan last year in a clash with the Chinese soldiers.

    This will be the second Memorial after the Galwan War Memorial in Chushul of Eastern Ladakh.

    The Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh has been a site of tense stand-offs with the PLA since May 2020. Although there have been disengagement of troops from Galwan, Gogra and North and South Banks of the Pangong Lake, confrontations continue in Hotspring, Depsang and Demchok.

    There are close to 60,000 soldiers of each side of the LAC.

    Indian Army is prepared for every eventuality, said the Army Chief recently, expressing concern over the increased deployment of forces on the Chinese Side. Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said, “Yes, it is a matter of concern that largescale build-up has occurred and continues to be in place, and to sustain that kind of a build-up, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side.”

  • Indian Army agrees to grant permanent commission to eligible women officers after SC warning

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: After warning from the Supreme Court, the Army on Friday agreed to grant permanent commission (PC) to 11 women officers within 10 days, in accordance with its judgment, and also those women officers, who haven’t moved before the top court but meet the criteria.

    A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna, noted in the order, “The 11 women officers will be granted PC within a period of 10 days. The ASG (additional solicitor general) states that officers, who are not before the Supreme Court in contempt proceedings, but meet the criteria will be granted PC within the period of three weeks.”

    Earlier during the day, the bench had told the Army that it will hold it guilty of contempt for not granting PC to women officers, in accordance with its order. The Army’s counsel had said the decision regarding the remaining women officers will be taken speedily and sought some time to take instructions in the matter.

    As the bench started dictating the order in the matter, the counsel representing the Army told the court that it was ready to grant PC to 11 officers who had moved the top court. The bench noted that the Army may be supreme in its authority, but the constitutional court is also supreme.

    The bench said, “We have given you a long rope…. The remarks we had made in the judgement allowing you to file an affidavit on the consideration taken was to ensure that you say what you are doing.”

    In the post lunch hearing, the bench noted that it has been clarified that those officers, who do not have disciplinary and vigilance proceedings, will also be eligible for grant of PC in accordance with its judgment. It further added that two Lt. Colonel Akansha Shrivastava and Himalini Pant would also be duly considered for PC, as per the criteria laid down, within one month.

    ASG Sanjay Jain and senior advocate colonel R. Balasubramanian, appeared for the Centre and Ministry of Defence in the matter. They submitted before the top court that the Army is also keen for this matter to achieve finality.

    The bench noted that out of 72 officers, one had applied for premature release, 39 have been granted PC and a letter has been issued on October 29, 2021 in compliance with its verdict.

    A total of 36 officers were not considered for PC. After a review, 21 out of the 36 officers were granted PC and the case of one is under consideration. And, out of the remaining 14 officers, three are considered medically unfit.

    In March this year, the top court, in a judgment, had invalidated certain terms in the evaluation criteria adopted by the Indian Army for grant of PC to women officers as “arbitrary and irrational”.

    The top court had held that the evaluation criteria perpetuated gender stereotypes based on patriarchal notions and amounted to “systemic discrimination”. The top court verdict came on a batch of petitions filed by women officers challenging the rejection of their applications seeking PC in the Indian Army.

  • If Army can’t move its missile launchers upto Indo-China border, how will it fight war: Centre to SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that if the Army cannot move its missile launchers, heavy machinery upto the northern Indo-China border, then how will it defend it and fight a war, if it breaks out.

    Trying to allay the concerns of landslides in Himalayan regions due to the construction of the wider Chardham highway project, the government said all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate the disaster and added that landslides have happened in various parts of the country and not specifically due to road construction.

    The strategic 900-km-long Chardham project worth Rs 12,000 crore aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath — in Uttarakhand.

    A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath which reserved its verdict on a plea of the Ministry of Defence to modify its earlier order and plea of an NGO ‘Citizens for Green Doon’ against the widening of the road asked them to file written submissions on the steps taken and to be taken to mitigate landslides in the region.

    Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for Centre, said “These are inhospitable terrains where Army needs to move heavy vehicles, machineries, weapons, missiles, tanks, troops and food supplies. Our Brahmos missile is 42 feet long and needs large vehicles to carry its launchers. If the Army cannot move its missile launchers and machineries upto the northern China border, then how will it fight a war, if it breaks out”.

    He said, “God forbid if the war breaks out then how will the Army deal with it if it does not have its weapons. We have to be careful and on guard. We are to remain prepared. Our Defence Minister attended Indian Road Congress and had said that the Army needs disaster-resilient roads”.

    Venugopal said that appropriate studies have been undertaken including geological surveys, morphology, and human activities in the vulnerable areas and steps like slope stabilisation, afforestation, scientific muck disposal have been undertaken.

    “Landslides can happen anywhere in the country even where there is no road activity but mitigation steps which are necessary are undertaken. Our roads need to be disaster resilient. There are specialised protection measures undertaken in the vulnerable areas, where frequent landslides occur and heavy snowfall blocks the road,” he said.

    The top law officer said that the Indian Road Congress (IRC) has recommended an additional 1.5-meter width in snow-bound areas so that vehicles can move in those areas.

    “The build-up on the other side of the border can only be accessed through passes in these mountains. The High Powered Committee (HPC) supervising the Chardham project in its report did not address these concerns of the Army. The HPC report is far cry from the needs of the Army,” he said.

    He said today there is a situation where the country needs to be protected and all the available resources and forces need to be combined to protect the country.

    “We need to ensure that all the facilities which are needed by the Army are provided.We cannot raise our hands and say that our roads are of 5.5-meter width and therefore our Brahmos launchers cannot go up the hill. There are huge Tatra trucks, tanks, and other smerch multiple rocket launchers which need to go up the hill,” he said.

    Venugopal said that the Army has to undertake a stupendous task to reach upto the China border through the mountain passes come whatever may like landslides or snowfall.

    “Can the Army say that it will not take these mountain roads as landslides happen and hence it cannot protect the borders? There are no alternatives. We have to live with landslides. We have to deal with it through mitigating steps. Landslides have happened in Karnataka, North Eastern States, West Bengal, and other parts of the country. It has not spared anybody. It has to be accepted that Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand witness more landslides”, he said.

    Venugopal said that the HPC report focuses on totally different aspects and did not consider the situations of the Army which it has to undertake.

    Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves, appearing for the NGO, said that the road widening project has to be stopped.

    It will endanger the lives of soldiers and people as the Himalayas don’t need any such thing to happen.

    “These activities cannot be allowed by the Himalayas. These are god-given restrictions. If you forcefully try to do it, the mountains will reclaim it. There were some mitigation steps taken but they were all washed out”, he said.

    On Wednesday, the top court had asked the Centre and an NGO to suggest additional safeguards which it could impose on implementing agencies of the ambitious Chardham project if it allows the multi-thousand crore project to go on considering the huge ramification of the country’s defence needs.

    The court was hearing the Centre’s plea seeking modification of the September 8, 2020 order, which had asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to follow the 2018 circular stipulating carriageway width of 5.5 metre on the ambitious Chardham highway project, which goes up to the China border.

    In its application, the MoD had said it seeks modification of the order and directions that the national highways from Rishikesh to Mana, from Rishikesh to Gangotri, and from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh may be developed to two-lane configuration.

  • J&K: Army scales down hunt for hiding militants, may focus on plugging gaps

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  The Army has scaled down its month-long search operation against militants in the dense forest areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu and Kashmir as no fresh contact has been established with the militants.

    The well-armed and well-trained militants have been engaging soldiers in multiple gunfights in the forests in which nine army men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), have lost their lives.

    An army official told this newspaper that the scale of operation against the militants in the forest areas has been scaled down.

    “Some sort of cordon is still there. A few army parties are still there. However, the strength of troops that was there during the initial phase of operation is not there now,” said the official.

    The ongoing operation against militants is one of the longest against militants in the restive Union Territory.

    The official said no body of militant or weapons have been recovered during the search operations.

    The Army used drones, helicopters and also pressed para commandos into service to track down the militants, whose exact number is not known. Retired Army brigadier Anil Gupta said counter-insurgency grid had been disturbed and the security forces would have learnt the lesson from the operation.

    “Now after the Poonch operation, security forces would take measures to plug those gaps to give no space to militants,” he said.

    Gupta said there is apprehension that some militants, who might have infiltrated across the border, may have reached south Kashmir by passing through the dense forests without being detected.

    Former J&K police chief Kuldip Khoda said since nine soldiers have been killed in gunfights with militants, it means the militant group is bigger and well-armed.  

    According to security officials, the dense forest area and the caves in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri can lead a person to Bafliaz in Poonch and there from Shopian in south Kashmir. 

    Two Militants killed in separate gunfights 

    SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in two separate gunfights with security forces in Kulgam and Srinagar on Thursday.

    An unidentified militant was killed in encounter when security forces launched a search operation in Kulgam.

    The second encounter erupted in Bemina area of uptown Srinagar in the evening, leading to death of another militant.

  • President confers honorary rank of ‘General of the Indian Army’ to Nepal Army Chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: In continuation of a tradition that started in 1950, Nepal Army Chief Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma was conferred with the honorary rank of ‘General of the Indian Army’ by President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday.

    Gen Sharma is on a four-day visit to India to explore ways to expand bilateral defence cooperation.

    “President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Indian Army on General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army at a special Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

    Nepal conferred the honorary rank of ‘General of Nepal Army’ to Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane during his visit to Kathmandu in November last year.

    Gen Sharma also called on Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday and discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral defence cooperation, officials said.

    On Tuesday, Gen Naravane held extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart focusing on ways to various aspects of bilateral military cooperation.

    Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship.

    Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

    Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

  • Indian Army orders inquiry into alleged harassment of serving woman officer

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A case of alleged harassment of a serving woman officer of the Indian Army has been reported in one of the military stations in Punjab on Tuesday and an inquiry has been ordered into it, people familiar with the development said Sources in the South Western Command of the Army said on Wednesday that investigation into the case as per due procedure is in progress.

    “A case of alleged harassment of a serving women officer has been reported in one of the military stations in Punjab,” a source said.

    “Investigations as per due procedure mandated by guidelines listed in various laws enacted by the Parliament as well as the Supreme Court to prevent sexual harassment of women soldiers are in progress,” it said.

    The sources said the Indian Army is committed to providing a safe and secure working environment to all ranks.

    “It is reiterated that the Army practices zero tolerance towards violation of established guidelines wherein all such allegations are promptly investigated and taken to a logical conclusion,” the source said.

  • 500 more troops in J&K, security upped amid targeted killings of civilians and forces

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The Central government has ordered ramping up of security measures in Jammu and Kashmir to avert an October like situation which recorded a spate of targeted killings particularly of civilians and security personnel, top officials said on Tuesday.

    The measures include deployment of five new companies comprising around 500 troops of Central Reserve Police Force in the valley, establishment of more bunkers to monitor movement of terrorists, increased frisking and checking of vehicles.

    A senior CRPF official said that an odd 15,000 people and 8,000 vehicles are being checked daily.

    “It is difficult to  control civilian killings but we are taking additional measures to stop such  incidents. Visibility of forces, especially at nights has been increased. More surprise checkpoints and flash checkpoints have been set up in past month,” the official said.

    The measures follow a three day visit by union home minister Amit Shah to the valley in October which alone recorded 13 civilian killings. The announcement also comes a day after another civilian Mohd Ibrahim Khan was was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar. At a press briefing on Tuesday, a CRPF spokesperson said that the force has taken additional measures to counter terrorism in the valley after a spate of targeted killings in the past few months.

    The spokesperson added that the new deployment is in addition to about 5,000 CAPF troops deployed in October just around Shah’s visit to the union territory. 

    The security forces and the National Investigation Agency have intensified the search for active militants in the valley, the spokesperson said.

    As of November 9, 112 terrorists have been killed this year while the number of terrorists apprehended so far this year is 135, he said.

    The spokesperson also spoke about the measures taken by CRPF in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas to counter Naxalism.

    As many as 486 Maoists have surrendered this year and 603 have been apprehended as of date, the spokesperson said, adding that security forces also neutralied 13 Maoists. 

    Meanwhile, state BJP president Ravinder Raina on Tuesday said the targeted killing of innocent civilians by terrorists in the valley is a conspiracy of Pakistan to disturb peace in the Union Territory.

    He said Pakistan is the biggest enemy of Kashmiri Muslims and Islam.

    Condemning the killing of a salesman, Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, at Bohri Kadal locality of downtown Srinagar on Monday evening, Raina said Pakistani cowards have committed another grave sin by shedding the blood of an innocent who was out to earn a livelihood for his family.

    “The killing of civilians shows the frustration of Pakistan which is a murderer of Kashmiri Muslims and enemy of Islam. Pakistani terrorists are frustrated by the successful counter-insurgency operations by our police, paramilitary forces and army and have hence resorted to the killings of unarmed civilians under the cover of darkness to disturb the peaceful atmosphere,” Raina said.

    He said the Pakistani terrorists have killed thousands of innocents over the past 30 years but “our forces are determined to finish them along with their supporters and sympathisers”.

    Raina said even the creator would not forgive them for their misdeeds.

    Meanwhile, dozens of activists of the Shiv Sena Dogra Front staged a protest at Rani Park here against the civilian killings in the valley.

    The protesters led by their president Ashok Gupta chanted slogans against Pakistan and terrorists and later dispersed peacefully, officials said.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Defence capability development is national need due to border issues: Army chief General MM Naravane

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane on Tuesday said capability development of the armed forces remains a national imperative given the country’s active and disputed borders with two neighbours and observed that disruptive technologies are fast transforming the character of the modern world.

    Addressing the event of the signing of MoUs between Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) and the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N) virtually, General Naravane said that academic vigour needs to be enriched with operational understanding to meet the challenges of modern warfare.

    The event was held at the RRU campus in Gandhinagar. “Disruptive technologies are transforming the character of the modern world, faster than ever before. We have seen the decisive impact of these technologies in recent conflicts around the world. Given our active and disputed borders in the north and the east with our two neighbours, capability development of Armed Forces remains a national imperative,” General Naravane said.

    Rashtriya Raksha University is a national security educational university located in Gandhinagar.

    Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics is a state-level agency by the government of Gujarat to facilitate to provide services and solutions in implementing map-based Geospatial Information Systems.

    The Army chief further said that dependence on niche technologies with other countries creates “significant vulnerabilities especially in times of conflict”, and collaboration of the Indian Army with BISAG-N -will go a long way to address these challenges through an “in-house” solution.

    The COAS said the collaboration of the Indian Army with BISAG-N and RRU aligns with the government’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) and will pave the way for a greater “civil-military fusion” in defence capability development.

    The areas of collaboration between the two (civil and military) are in the fields of emerging technology, development of GIS and IT-based software systems, training content and telecasting of audio-visual contents, the Army chief said.

    He said that professional military education has always been a critical part of the training curriculum of a military professional, and it continues to play a pivotal role in the evaluation of military officers and soldiers. “Academic vigour needs to be enriched with operational understanding to meet the challenges of modern warfare,” General Naravane said.

    He said MoUs signed by the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) with RRU and BISAG-N “will synergise the expertise and potential of both the institutions”. General Naravane said this collaboration will offer the Army a “customised and tailormade training as well as a learning solution”.

    The event was presided over by Lt Gen Raj Shukla, GOC-in-C of ARTRAC. RRU vice-chancellor Bimal Patel and BISAG-C Director-General TP Singh exchanged the MoUs.