Possible Indian Military Scenarios - XI

Sudhanshu · Post by **Sudhanshu** » 11 Jun 2008 03:31

is anyone from south africa here?

we urgently need to locate a high profile person.

asbchakri · Post by **asbchakri** » 11 Jun 2008 09:12

Sudhanshu wrote:is anyone from south africa here?

we urgently need to locate a high profile person.

I have already hired these 2 guys for that, they are on the job

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 11 Jun 2008 10:56

please deploy more men he is not high profile but VERY HIGH PROFILE person

Muralikrishna · Post by **Muralikrishna** » 11 Jun 2008 11:39

Hello Friends

I am murali krishna basically from Andhra Pradesh.
This is my first post on this forum.

Presently I live in Joburg, South Africa and working as a programmer. Please let me know if I can help any one.

andy B · Post by **andy B** » 11 Jun 2008 12:09

Hey guys sorry to post this on here....but are there any BRFites in Melbourne-OZ????? I have been in Melbourne for a while just wondering are there any other BRFites in Melbourne or Australia...????

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 11 Jun 2008 12:26

^^^(last two posts)
Ah, finally, it's OFFICIAL now !!

BRF covers ALL habitable continents !!

Sudhanshu · Post by **Sudhanshu** » 14 Jun 2008 05:02

Till "hunt" for shankar is on, in deep forests of SA. How about our Vivek keep us entertained/enthralled with his scenario?

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 14 Jun 2008 09:15

Sudhanshu bhai gr8 idea. Vivek sahab Tamu is supposed to be captured. Capture it asap

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 14 Jun 2008 12:21

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

She was savage and she was beautiful .The deep chest and tightly muscled shoulders .The trim waist and slender legs .She walked the land with the assurance of a born empress. Each step exactly following the other in an instinctive choreographs of sure death. From the curve of her neck to the blazing golden red eyes – she was power personified –naked and brutal. I stood transfixed as she walked towards me with all the time in the world .The night was dark and the canopy of stars far above strangely muted .Her figure ,her movements ,her looks ,the way she carried herself ,her arrogance and her strength ,were all unique .

The distance decreased and soon she was less than a meter from me. The scent of her body was overpowering. For me it was an experience of a life time .To be so close to death herself and strangely unafraid. Then she turned into me and the blazing eyes bored right into soul ,and then she roared.

Time stood still and the bush froze at the power of that awesome explosive burst of acoustic energy .In that one instant she let me know –who rules the bush.

(TO BE CONTINUED )

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 14 Jun 2008 12:36

Welcome back shankarda. It was a long wait

.

mikem · Post by **mikem** » 14 Jun 2008 12:54

Shankarbabu,
It was cryogenically cold on this board with you.
Welcome Back.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 14 Jun 2008 14:40

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

The south African A 340-200 took off Mumbai and straight into the oncoming south west monsoon .Some of the ladies onboard who might have enjoyed a late night dinner did the needful .Over Bombay high south before flying into the heart of thunderstorm which managed to shake the heavy 340 to the root of her wingtips . The weather cleared as we moved off the Indian coast keeping Lakswadeep to east and into the vastness of Indian Ocean. The sky cleared up too and dawn found us over Madagascar and into Mozambique Channel and into South African airspace onwards to Johannesburg. The immigration was quick and friendly and paperless which means you don’t have to fill in masses of arrival card .One good look by the lady immigration police official and I am into south African soil –no problem .

The first thing that strikes you in South Africa is its cleanliness and then its openness. Roads are very well maintained and well constructed (why just we cannot make our roads good?). Apartheid is gone but its shadow still lingers in the minds of both black and white South Africans. The whites have accepted black majority rule simply because there is not any other option. The economic difference between the black and white population is too stark to ignore and the deep rooted resentment of the economically oppressed majority often gets released through naked violence .Add to it the massive illegal immigration from Mozambique, high level of unemployment amongst unskilled labor and the net result is the violence and lawlessness we see today

Had a chance to talk to some black African business leaders both from south Africa and other African countries like Kenya and Tanzania .Avery senior policy makers told me bluntly “we do not like the white –they exploit us ,we would like to do business with you guys “ that about sums up the racial divide in African continent .

It is sad indeed – a country so mineral rich like south Africa and still so much poverty just because less than 10% of the population managed to corner her vast wealth of diamond, gold, platinum, fertile land almost everything else and pushed the native population to brink of starving existence, to make them live like animals in dirty shanties and in the dark depths of earth and the rest of the world allowed it to happen for so long.

It is still there today, albeit in a more subtle form. The whites drive around in BMW s and ultra powerful 1500 cc plus bikes while the poor blacks huddle up in street corners and look on. Only difference from past is some black leaders and businessmen are on the take now –for the rest of the population nothing has changed except may be the right to buy the opera and air tickets or to move around freely in the country for which in any case they don’t have the money .

The political apartheid have been replaced by a more subtle and effective economic apartheid. This is not a state of affair that can continue. The bloodbaths that will surely come to south Africa is not very far off .What we see today are the first rumblings of dormant volcano about to erupt. The high level of armed robbery in white neighborhood, the frequent muggings and rape are all but an indication of this black resentment against white economic domination and exploitation of a century seeking release.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 14 Jun 2008 17:24

Next year the Republic of South Africa will begin on-site construction of the first Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR)—a revolutionary nuclear power source which South Africa's Minister of Public Enterprises calls "the perfect nuclear technology for Africa and the developing countries."
With the PBMR, South Africa has taken the leading edge in fourth-generation nuclear technology, combining extraordinary simplicity, robustness, and "inherent safety" with the capability to produce high-temperature heat for the production of hydrogen-based fuels and other industrial processes, as well as cheap electricity.
The PBMR is a leading exemplar of the High Temperature Reactor (HTR) technology, which Lyndon LaRouche and his collaborators have long identified, in the context of development programs (for example, the Eurasian Land Bridge and the recent campaign for re-industrialization of the United States), as the key "workhorse" power system for global economic reconstruction and growth in the coming period.
The PBMR project builds upon a long historical development, which began in the 1950s, when the German nuclear physicist Prof. Rudolf Schulten began to think about creating a 100% "inherently safe" nuclear power source, which could be deployed all over the world, including in developing countries, as an efficient industrial heat source and for the generation of electricity. A key to Schulten's ingenious solution was to encapsulate small particles of fuel within ceramic materials that could withstand high temperatures, in such a way that the radioactive fission products remained permanently trapped in situ, where they are created.
At the same time, Schulten tailored the choice of fuel, helium coolant, and reactor construction, to ensure a uniquely favorable nuclear reaction behavior, which excludes the danger of a runaway chain reaction, and permits routine operation at temperatures up to 1,000 degrees. Schulten's concept was tried and proven in over 20 years' operation of the AVR 30-megawatt test reactor at the nuclear research center in Jülich, Germany.
A somewhat different reactor type, based on the same basic ceramic-coated particle principle, was pursued by General Atomics in the United States. The General Atomics' GT-MHR uses tiny fuel particles, but places them in small rods that are stacked into columns, not as loose pebbles.
Unfortunately, after brief operation of a larger, 300-MW HTR version, all work on Schulten's concept was dropped in Germany, as part of the politically motivated, virtual shutdown of that nation's once-proud nuclear sector. The U.S. HTR work did not fare much better, and it is only thanks to three countries, South Africa, China, and Japan, that this technology has been kept alive.
Today, HTR test reactors are operating in China and Japan—the first based on Schulten's essential design, the second closer to the U.S. design. China has recently announced that it will move to large-scale production of commercial HTR units as part of its nuclear energy program. General Atomics has a joint project with Russia to build a GT-MHR that will burn weapons plutonium. However, by far the most advanced project, one which promises to deliver a crucial, long-delayed breakthrough for Schulten's original concept of a univerally applicable nuclear energy, is South Africa's PBMR.
The first pilot PBMR will be completed in 2011, to be followed by commercial mass production of at least 30 commercial modules for domestic use and export. Eventually, hundreds could be produced. At present the approximate timetable looks something like this: First commercial units produced by 2014; production rising to 6 modules a year by 2015; at least 24 modules eventually to be delivered to the electric utility, Eskom. It could go even faster.
Key components of the technical infrastructure already being set up for the PBMR effort include a pilot fuel-element plant at Palindaba, the HTR helium test facility, and the HTTF, Heat Transfer Test Facility. These, Kriek emphasized, are world-class test facilities that will offer their services worldwide, in addition to supporting the PBMR program itself.
Kriek emphasized also PBMR's commitment to leverage the project toward creating new jobs in South Africa. Besides beefing up the country's high-value capital goods export potential, PBMR is encouraging international suppliers to the project to localize parts of the production in South Africa itself. Production of PBMR modules will have a local content of about 60%, while international partners will provide the remaining 40%.
The electricity-producing version of the PBMR already has a large customer in the South African power company, Eskom, which is committed to purchasing a total of at least 4,000 megawatts-electric of PBMR capacity, as the spearhead of its modernizing and expansion program for power production. However, in the future, the process-heat application may be even more interesting, not least of all for hydrogen production. PBMR is already planning to construct a second demonstration plant that will demonstrate the process-heat capability.
PBMR is classified as a "National Strategic Project," but at the same time it involves a remarkable international cooperation. The list of PBMR's international suppliers includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which will provide the crucial helium turbine systems for the PBMR direct-cycle electricity production, as well as British Nuclear Fuels/ Westinghouse, Germany's Nukem and Uhde, SGL Carbon, Spain's steel supplier ENSA, Canada's SNC-Lavalin, Murray Roberts, and many more.

kaangeya · Post by **kaangeya** » 14 Jun 2008 17:45

Shankarda, kothai jacho? For a moment I thought you were entering Nick Carter territory, with all that breathless prose about sleek, red eyes etc.,

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 15 Jun 2008 13:09

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

Nothing prepares you for the first encounter with a wild lion up close .An old African saying goes like this “ a real man is afraid only three times in life –first when he hears a lion roar –second when he see a lion up close and third when the lion charges .

For me fortunately the third phase did not happen but the first two was experience enough . It was a dark night and the canopy of stars brilliant as only in African skies. The lioness came out of the bush and started walking towards us right on the centre of the sand road and we were about 6 tourists in an open land rover. Strangely it was not fear that was the overriding emotion at that point of time. The beauty of the animal was mesmerizing. She came close, real close and me on the seat next to ranger was barely a meter maybe less from her and could have touched her, of course which would have meant sure death from the swipe of those mighty paws.

A few days back a lady tourist made that fatal mistake .Despite strict instructions not to get out of vehicle, she wanted a photograph a baby elephant and did not even notice her mother feeding in an adjoining bush .Elephants are indeed very protective and they will kill without hesitation .That what exactly happened this day. The lady was picked up and smashed against a tree trunk, death came quickly

The land that is now called Kruger national park has a history dating back to pre historic time’s .Stone artifacts, rock art and Iron Age relics prove beyond doubt human occupation continuously for last 300000 years. However till mid 19th century there was no permanent settlement of white people in the area because of diseases for which there were medicines like malaria and nagana transmitted by testes fly etc. Paul Kruger president of ZAR proclaimed the government game reserve in1898 .It extended from Crocodile River in the south to the Sabie river in the north and from Logies river in the west to Mozambique border in east. The original objective of the reserve was to provide a network of water holes for the huge animal population during draught

At the end of south African war the area including that between sabie and olifants river was named sabie game reserve and James Hamilton was appointed the first game warden. He was named by Tsonga people “Skukuza” one who sweeps clean because of his zero tolerance to poaching. Over the years the park boundaries have shifted as more land was brought under the reserve. In the early years tourists were not allowed but later on the board relented and from 1918 tourists were allowed to visit. South African railways soon ran a “round in nine” rail tour of the low veld along Selati railway which included an overnight stop at Sabie bridge .Tourists slept on the train and ranger accompanied tourists for short excursions in the bush.

Much later rondavels were built as overnight accommodation but without mattresses and bedding .In time they were equipped with two chairs ,a wash stand ,a bucket and basin. Toilets were pit latrines. Hot water was considered a luxury and so tourists had to endure cold water almost till 1938 when the park board decided to install hot showers for men and hot baths for ladies .Electric lights along with hot and cold water facilities came in much later -1951 to be exact .

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 18 Jun 2008 14:24

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

In the days of apartheid and southern Africa's anti-colonial wars Hoedspruit served as an advance air base at which Mirage jet fighters were stationed. After South Africa's political settlement in the early nineties, it started doubling as a civilian airport called Eastgate, resulting in passenger jets calling.
From the outset, warthogs were a frequent menace on the runways. But smaller antelope like impala were also a hazard to the aircraft. Animals wandering onto the runway while aircraft were landing or taking off could easily cause a disaster.
The air base is on a 4,900-acre (2,000-hectare) piece of land which, apart from landing strips and small buildings, remains wild bush country. It also has substantial numbers of game inside its fence. And making the problem worse is the preference of grazers like warthogs and impala for the short, mowed grass next to the runways, from where they can all too easily dart into the path of speeding aircraft.
Major Philip Oosthuizen, head of the base's environmental services, says the airport administration first tried to shoot the game. But this made the problem worse: "It proved impossible to exterminate them. The warthog simply hid in holes and the antelope in the bush where they kept breeding, and more kept coming into the base area through holes the warthog dug under the periphery fence.
"Rather than driving them off, the shooting succeeded only in scattering them and leaving those remaining skittish and even less manageable.
"When left alone, the warthog move about in groups and the impala in herds. This makes them easy to spot and to be driven away from the danger areas. With the hunting, they scattered and started dashing singly over the runways. It just made it all so much more dangerous," says Oosthuizen.
It was then that he came up with the idea of resorting to nature's way, by introducing cheetahs to keep the small-game numbers down without scattering the groupings in which they move about.
Capable of reaching speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113 kilometers per hour), the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest of the land mammals. The big cat typically preys on smaller antelope, warthogs, hares, and game birds—the very animals that range freely on the Hoedspruit property.
Oosthuizen first introduced a pair of female cheetahs to the air base—but this presented an unexpected new hazard.
Unlike the males, which move about in bachelor groups of two or three and who like to hunt together, female cheetahs move about and hunt singly. The trouble is that they are then unable to eat their whole catch by themselves, and the remains entice vultures, which are an even bigger threat to aircraft.
Mphonyane drowned some years later when he fell into an air-base swimming pool, possibly while chasing after a warthog. He was replaced with a new young cheetah male called Kleintjie (the Afrikaans word for "small one").
Mpho went on to reach the ripe old age of 14 years, considered extraordinary for a cheetah. He was about to be retired earlier this year to the cheetah breeding facility at the nearby Kapama private game reserve to spend his last days in protective comfort when he went missing.
Air Force personnel were concerned. They had a few days earlier noticed that he had separated from his younger hunting partner. They also once saw him driven off his warthog kill by baboons, a sure sign that he was weakening.
His radio collar was out of order, and by the time he was found he was so weak that local veterinarian Peter Rogers considered it better to put him down. He had baboon-bite marks, but the main cause of his weak condition proved to be kidney failure.
Rogers says cheetahs' high-protein diet tend eventually to cause this, though in the wilds they normally do not live long enough for it to become a problem. From about eight years they start weakening and often starve, or get killed by bigger predators, like lion.
Meanwhile the job of keeping the runways safe has to carry on. It means the remaining cheetah, Kleintjie, has to be joined by some new colleagues to do the job.
In early August, two young males were brought from a breeding station and placed in an enclosure next to another in which Kleintjie has been put. Major Oosthuizen says the idea is to allow a bonding process to develop before putting them together, and then setting them free to start their air-base patrol.
Leon Marshall is an environmental journalist who contributes regularly to National Geographic News. See links at the bottom of this page to more of his stories.
Nationalgeographic.com Resources on Big Cats

Had a chance to talk to some of the rangers of cheetah rehab center near Kapama game reserve on this unique program. If reports are to be believed after introduction of the cheetahs and Cara cal or lynx to keep the air port perimeter free from birds and small mammals . Maybe we too can use the caught leopards to keep unwanted visitors away in our airbases . Just a thought.

On the way out from Kruger ,also had a good look at the Hoedspruit airforce base which is just outside the national parks boundary .Now being used for civilian purpose as well . Very similar in layout to our bases and very very clean -no shanties no high rises .

Caracals, are in the Lynx family and have been classified in the same genus as lynx (Lynx) and also with the other small cats (Felis). Caracals are known and called by many names which come from their many subspecies such as the African Caracal, Asian Caracal, African Lynx, Persian Lynx, Caracal Lynx or Desert Lynx. Some other more widely recognized members of the Lynx family include the North American Bobcat, the Canadian Lynx and the larger Siberian Lynx. This handsome cat has dense short reddish-brown fur. Under parts of the chin and body are white in color and Caracals have a narrow black line which runs from the corner of the eye to the nose. Although closely related to the Lynx, it is smaller in stature and has a much longer tail. Caracal is a Turkish word meaning "black eared". They are capable of tremendous aerial acrobatic jumps. Caracals have the claim to fame of being the "fastest of all the small cats".

Like the other lynx species, the Caracal possess a very unique distinguishing physical feature. Its ears are long, narrow and tipped with long black tufts of black hair on top of each ear. These notorious long "ear tufts" can be as long as 3 inches and actually serve an important purpose which helps insure the Caracals survival. In most cases, everything in nature has a purpose. In this case, not only do the ear tufts help direct sound waves into the animals ears, but they also help reduce noise created when the animals head disturbs low lying branches. This allows the Caracal to approach very close to its prey when hunting by helping silent the Caracal's approach which maximizes the probability of catching prey. In the wild, they are notorious bird hunters. They are so good at hunting birds that some African airports have been known to keep a few Caracals on the grounds as living scarecrows. The mere sight of a Caracal is enough to keep birds away. In case some of you have no clue on why birds are dangerous to airports; it is because bird impacts can cause engine failures.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 21 Jun 2008 14:11

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

How can you think of South Africa without its still abundant wild life and how can you dream of South Africa without her load of gold and diamonds and platinum. The same gold and diamond which brought so called western civilization to African shores and also brought along so much misery and brutality and the shadow of that unchecked western greed still lingers on in form of corruption and violence in everyday life.

The first diamonds were picked up on the banks of orange river near its junction with Vaal river in 1867.A hunter named O Riley and a farmer noticed an attractive glittering stone amongst river pebbles with which some farmers children were playing Mrs Jacobz mother of the children gave it to van Niekerk who took it for analysis to Colesberg more than a hundred miles away.The chemist pronounced it worthless but van Niekerk was not satisfied and sent it to Dr Atherstone at Grahamstown who confirmed it to be a first class diamond .Two years later an African witch doctor for which to his astonishment Schalk van Niekerk gave him 500 sheep .This was the famous diamond “star of south Africa” which was sold for 11000 pounds and then resold for 25000 pounds within a few weeks.

And the diamond rush began

The first diamond bearing areas were alongside Vaal river about 100 miles on both side before it meets the orange river.Those were mainly alluvial diggings where free diamonds could be found in gravel and sand and was worked by individual diggers using primitive tools and equipment.The river diggings were soon exhausted but by 1870 1871 more diamonds were picked up twenty five miles east of the river at Dutoispan Bultfontein ,De Beers and most famous of all Colesberg Kopje which was soon to be called Kimberley after the secretary of state of colonies .At these dry diggings as they were called diamonds could be found on the surface too but soon it was found more diamonds were to be found under the surface than on it .Men came from all over the world to seek their fortune in this dry arid and very rich land. Boers from transval and free state (trans vaal meaning beyond Vaal) clerks from cape town ,stellenbosch, Australian and American prospectors, men from cities of Europe and British isles in tens of thousands. Africans came in too not for diamonds but to work for earning enough to buy more cattles and may be a gun. After the diggers came the shop keepers, traders, lawyers
Land speculators and estate agents ,financiers and diamond buyers in fancy clothes from London and Paris.They came on any mode of transport –on horse back from came town, on ox wagons which took about three month to complete from cape town and passage was about 40 pounds per person even in those days .They lived in wood and tin shanties .The lived and worked hard and also drank hard –wine whisky cape brandy and if some one made a lucky strike a champagne .The large majority of the diggers just made a living but were convinced the big strike was just around the corner .

Hari Sud · Post by **Hari Sud** » 21 Jun 2008 20:56

Shankar

We love your visit and details of South Africa.

But your previous scenario is hanging in the middle. It will be better to conclude that and then begin on South africa.

Thanks

Hari

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 22 Jun 2008 11:15

I know but again think south africa -india relationship will define in not so distant future the power projection of india in the african continent where chinese presence is substantial in all central african states and with hotels allowing only chinese tourists .The only country where indians are prefered and accepted is south africa .If we really want to control indian ocean region some day -south africa will be pivotal .

But again if others feel the same way I will stop my posts on south africa then again BR will have to spend lot of money to send another reporter for an exclussive report -Bye

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 22 Jun 2008 11:51

with hotels allowing only chinese tourists .The only country where indians are prefered and accepted is south africa .If we really want to control indian ocean region some day -south africa will be pivotal .

No shankarda, we are perfectly with you on this matter. Please continue what you are doing.

But is the situation really so difficult?

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 22 Jun 2008 15:51

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

By 1871 almost four years after the first diamond have been found there were more Europeans on the diamond fields in and around Kimberly than had taken part in great trek. From the river diggings alone diamonds worth 300000 pounds had been taken more than four times Transvaal’s national debt at that time. Kimberly became the second biggest town in south Africa next only to cape town. It being very far from farms any food product was very very costly. A dozen eggs or a pound of butter would cost pound in hard cash. The whole country shared the economic boom. Cape and Natal export and revenue rose sharply. On the diamond fields value soared like never before. Land sold by Boer farmers to land speculating companies for 6000 pounds were resold a few years later at more than 100000 pounds. This made funds available for building infrastructure like railway lines. In 1871 the total length of railway line in south Africa was 63 miles plus seven miles between Durban and Point. By 1873 however cape government had brought out the private company began extending the line from Port Elizabeth to east London .Along with railway development went the rapid expansion of telegraph, roads and bridges

For a short while after the diamonds were discovered it was still uncertain where the political control of this valuable asset would lie .No one really bothered about the poor agricultural land but everyone claimed a share once diamonds strted coming out of that land. The Griqua chief Waterboer claimed it as Griqua territory and President Brand claimed it for free state and sent a small police force to enforce his claim and maintain law and order. But neither the diggers nor Great Britain would recognize this claim and the small police force simply failed to maintain any order. President Pretorius claimed the land for Transvaal and in true Transvaal fashion gave three of his friends a monopoly to seek the diamonds. The diggers responded by declaring independent diggers republic and elected ex navy sea man Stafford Parker as president. The cape colony made no claim but urged Britain to annex the territory in the interest of law and order and of course increase cape revenue.

The diamond fields were in fact situated in a kind of no mans land and no claim was clear cut.Waterboers claim was based on earlier occupation but no European was ready to submit to Griqua rule, the free state possibly had the best claim because when free state was ruled by British resident that rule extended to Vaal river and thus included the diamond fields of Kimberly. Transvaal claim was based on vague treaties with African tribal chiefs.

The lt governor of natal Keate was selected as arbitrator and in 1871 awarded the disputed diamond fields to Waterboer .Since Waterboer have previously asked to be taken over by the British Barkley annexed the whole area know as Griqualand west to cape colony. Two years later it became a separate crown colony but in 1880 again became part of cape colony.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 22 Jun 2008 16:17

Coming back to diamonds, a few of the fortune seekers who came to the diamond fields were destined to play major roles in the economic and political life of south Africa. One of them was Barnett Issacs better known as Barney Barnato.The son of a Jewish shopkeeper .Barney had grown up in Whitechapel and learnt to box early. It was his ambition to become an actor. He arrived in Kimberley in 1873 in the middle of a diamond and economic slump. The banks were crashing and stocks plummeting and no one had money to buy diamonds. Many diggers were packing up seeing no future in the diamond business. Barnato stayed on, doing anything that will let him survive. Trading in pocket knives, working as clown in circus or sometimes washing gravel and managing to pick up a few small diamonds which he sold promptly at whatever price market was offering. As the times improved he and a partner set up a small diamond dealer buying from diggers on spot and selling to merchants from London and Amsterdam .By 1876 he managed to collect a capital of 3000 pounds but then a new unforeseen danger threatened the diamond industry of south Africa. Everywhere else in the world the diamond that has been found had been alluvial and geologists and mining experts were unanimous in saying diamonds could not be found in any other way. If they were correct diamond digging in Kimberley would come to an end when the yellow ground were that were found was exhausted .By 1876 most of the diggers reached the blue ground that lay beneath the yellow ground. Only few experts thought there maybe diamonds in the “blue ground” One of them was an amateur geologist from Grahamstown Dr Atherstone who had recognized one of the first diamonds sent by Niekerk way back in 1867.Atherstone had a firm conviction that the geological pipes of blue ground deep into earth contain the real store of diamonds.

Barnato had no theoretical knowledge and very little practical experience. But he instinctively believed in the blue ground and he convinced his partner to invest all they had in buying up the claims which have reached blue ground and the diggers believed there were no more diamonds to be found.

Of Course Barnato and Atherstone was right.The blue ground contained the worlds greatest storehouse of diamond and by 1880 Barnato was making 1800 pounds week and investing his money in more and more claims .Within a few years he was a millionaire many times over and one of the key figures in diamond industry.

Closely associated with Barnato was Cecil Rhodes .He was the son of Vicar of Stortford and was sent to his brother Herbert ,on because of his bad health ,who had a cotton farm in Natal. In 1871 at the age of 18 Rhodes went to Kimberley and soon made enough money to enable him go to oxford leaving his claims to be worked by his friend Rudd. But his mind was never very far from the sunny Africa in 1881 took an ornary degree and divided his time between Kimberley and Oxford. A year later Rhodes was elected a member of Cape parliament.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 23 Jun 2008 13:17

With the discovery of diamonds in blue ground as it was called the shape of diamond industry began changing and the scene became chaotic .Alluvial diggings could be managed by individuals and required not much finance. But when diamonds have to be taken out from hundred of feet below ground level this was no longer feasible. On the four big mines near Kimberley there were more than 3000 claims some no bigger than seven square meters. As each claim owner tried sinking shaft holes deep into earth without regard for what is happening in the next claim, accident rate shot up to astronomical proportion. To overcome this problem limited liability companies were formed by joining claims .But just that was not enough .Modern machinery and skilled personnel were required which were beyond the capability of the small diggers group.

Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato seized the chance to combine the many small companies into four large companies one for each of the mines .As a young man at Oxford Rhodes once expressed his dream of extending the rule of Britain all across continental Africa but to carry out the dream he needed a lot of money. He also knew if he can control both the production and sale of diamonds from all the four mines then maybe his dream will be realized. His biggest obstacle in 1887 was Barney who had more money than he had. Both had different objectives in earning mega bucks .Barney loved money for its own sake, Rhodes liked money for the power it brings along.

After failing to defeat Barney by financial moves, Rhodes took a different route. He flattered Barneys vanity by getting him elected to Kimberley club and also persuaded to him to stand for parliament. In the end Barney agreed to merge his interest with those of Rhodes in exchange of cash and a share in the new venture.

Cecil Rhodes signed the historic cheque 5 33 8650 pounds and De Beers Consolidated mines was born. The world trade in diamond will never be same again and also with formation of De Beers the seeds of black misery in South Africa were sown.

Sudhanshu · Post by **Sudhanshu** » 23 Jun 2008 13:27

Shankar bhai, your report on SA is just awesome.... but if by any chance you feel like writing about the military scenario too, that would be really really great.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 23 Jun 2008 13:41

The final details of this historic deal were arranged at a meeting that was dramatic and full of significance for the future of south Africa and rest of the continent as well .Dr Jameson Rhodes friend was the host and Rhodes,Beit,Barnato and his nephew Woolf Joel were the guests .After the financial details were settled the real argument strted on the scope of business for the new company. Barnato said it was to did and sell diamonds .But Cecil Rhodes spoke about far grander objective ,about Bechuanland and the road to north ,about Mat abele and Mashona ,about great lakes and rivers and prople incentral Africa and he took out a map to show what he had in mind.He wanted De beers to finance these expeditions and more. Barney said these were dreams and dreams don’t pay dividends .Rhodes replied “they are not dreams they are plans” The meeting lasted 18 hours and at the end of the marathon session Rhodes got his way .Barnato said “some people fancy this some people fancy that but he had a fancy for making an empire so we must give it to you .And so at four o clock in the morning Rhodes got the means to go north and history was about to be made.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 23 Jun 2008 16:25

ON POPULAR DEMAND

AIR TRAFIC CONTROL CENTRE -NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –KOLKATA-0600 HRS

Amol Roy, senior supervisor air traffic control centre Kolkata airport scanned the master console. It was busy time for the Kolkata centre this time of the day ,particularly outbound traffic towards north eastern states were heavy .There were only two incomings .One was an Singapore Airlines flight from Honk Kong and the second an Air India flight about 9 0 minutes out still in the control area of Dhaka centre expected to enter Kolkata air defense identification zone anytime .

SINGAPORE AIRLINES FLIGHT 9123 -JESSORE -INDO BANGLADESH BORDER -0605 HRS

Captain Zhenning checked his radar plot .So far he has done very well exactly as per the specific directives of regional PLAAF authorities. Bunched tightly around his tail were 4 Su-30 MKM air superiority aircraft so far not detected on Indian long range search radars masked in the shadow of his giant A 380 and maintaining exactly the same speed. The military aircraft formation was maintaining total radio silence and he already rehearsed in his mind the cover story he would tell the Indian authorities about being forces to follow the trailing military aircrafts order for the safety of his passengers and aircraft. The truth was quite different. A secret meeting and a secret money transfer to his swiss bank account have made him transfer his loyalty from the airlines to P eople’s republic of China

- Kolkata centre – 9123 heavy – 80 miles east Kolkata – flight level 340 – request transition to bravo airspace
- 9123 heavy –Kolkata centre – you are entering Kolkata air defense identification zone – please confirm your intention and any military aircraft in the vicinity
- Negative Kolkata centre –we are a civilian aircraft from a neutral country –to land
- Copy that 9123 heavy – you are cleared to bravo airspace – contact approach when ready to land
- Roger Kolkata Center – shall contact Kolkata approach once in landing circuit –over
Captain Zhenning looked at his young fist officer and nodded as he reduced power to the four mighty engines .His first officer leaned forward and dialed in the new approach altitude to 15000 ft ,rate of descent a comfortable 2000 ft/min and indiacted airspeed slowly started bleeding off to 300 knots

Behind him the four PLAAF sukhois did exactly the same without a word being exchanged over the R/T . At that moment no Indian AWAC was in the area ,all being rushed to duty over the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Thailand . Kolkata air defense area was vulnerable and that included Kolkata international airport

Sudhanshu · Post by **Sudhanshu** » 24 Jun 2008 09:56

Thanks you shankar, you are the man

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Jun 2008 01:07

Folks, a writer writes what his minds wants him to write. So lay-off Shankar and let him be. he will get to teh scenario when his mind takes him. BTW he has the gem of an idea about the importance of South Africa to India.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 25 Jun 2008 13:15

SOUTH AFRICA TODAY –SAVAGE AND BEAUTIFUL – A BR REPORT

Some how Mother Nature had been generous to Africa and more particularly to south Africa and so after diamond came gold. Even before diamonds were discovered it was widely known that there was gold in Transvaal and there were several minor rushes. But these were not in good payable quantity as the locals called it. In spite of Transvaal governments open offer of 5000 pounds to anyone finding payable gold it was only in 1884 that two brothers Struben, established that there was good quantity of Gold in Witwatersrand. The main gold bearing reef was discovered after to years and the god rush began .The gold rush of south Africa had the same basic features of earlier diamond rush in south Africa but on a much larger scale. If Kimberley attracted thousands of fortune hunters Johannesburg attracted in tens of thousands. They came from all over, from Britain, and Europe, from Cape and Natal, by foot by train by ox wagon. For every white there was at least 2 black who actually did the rough and heavy work. Those who have already made money at diamond fields of Kimberley sent agents to Johannesburg are to buy up lands wherever available. The first group to get rich quick was the service providers like transporters and the transportation business was real lucrative .So much so that they objected to the railway lines being built.

But there was one big difference. Unlike Kimberley there was no alluvial gold in Witwatersrand .The gold was in embedded in deep rock formations which had to be extracted and crushed and leached out to extract the gold. This made operation by individual digger’s impossible, right from the very start. Capital was prerequisite for any gold mining operation. .While the diamond millionaires from Kimberley had loads of money still it was not enough. Money had to be raised from the stock exchanges of London and New York to mine gold which was in those days considered even more precious than diamond since world still relied on gold standard for their currencies. It had taken Rhodes lot of persuasion to make Rothschild to invest millions in Kimberley diamond fields but no one had to be persuaded to invest in gold of Johannesburg or for that matter any industry r even remotely connected to it .The degree of technical knowledge and skill required for gold mining was always much higher than required for diamond mining .Shafts had to be sunk in hard ground almost 2 km deep and then a precise network of underground tunnels had to be constructed and then from such depth plain manpower was not enough to take out the gold bearing ore .South Africa once again was fortunate in having large deposits of good coal which was used in generating power and steam. But still only 60% of the gold available from the ores could be effectively removed .But then came the process of cyanide extraction which improved the yield up to 90%and started getting used in large scale from 1890s. The cost to the environment will be known much later. Initially there were about 450 companies at Witwatersrand and as expected there was much inefficiency till through a series of amalgamations and formation of Transvaal chamber of mines some degree of order was restored into the new born gold industry.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 25 Jun 2008 13:47

NSCB INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –KOLKATA -0605 HRS

Amol Roy looked at the radar plot of Singapore Airlines 9123 heavy with concern .The radar return appeared to be fragmenting and joining up as the A380 started loosing altitude and banking into runway approach. Even the pilots voice was somewhat strained. The aircraft have just entered Indian airspace over Bongaon and flight level 300 .He decided to check once again just to be sure but still he could not make up his mind about what was bothering him .So he decided to alert the air force liaison officer in the adjoining cubicle and hoped he can make meaning out of the radar clutter .
Never in his wildest dream, Amol could even conceive of the devious PLAAF strike plan .So the disaster about to follow was in fact unavoidable.
Wing commander Joshi joined him in 3 minutes .On deputation from Lohegaon air base ATC,he also had no experience in tracking super wide bodied double decker aircraft like A 380 . He went by the book and told Amol to issue a series of course change instructions to the A 380 and put it on a holding patter outside the approach path . As the instructions were relayed to the A 380 precious minutes were getting lost . The yet to be identified flight of PLAAF was less than 7 minutes flight time from Kolkata /kalaikunda airbase .

Kolkata Airport is located at approx 15 ms from the city. Kolkata airport, along with Guwahati, is the main hub for north-east bound flights. It serves 27 destinations within India, second only to Delhi (48) and Mumbai (46). As of 2006, 69% of its flights are domestic flights, compared to 43% in 2002.
Traffic:
Traffic statistics: 2006-07
Domestic International Total
Passenger million.nos. 5.2 0.81 5.99
Cargo thousand tonnes 47 37 84
Aircraft movements nos. 56,273 9,4141 65,687
Recent developments:
Some of the important upcoming infrastructure at Kolkata Airport will be an Integrated Passenger Terminal Building at an area measuring more than 180 thousand Sq.mt. with 104 Check-in counters, 22 immigration counters for Arrival and 22 for Departure, 25 Security Gates - 9 for international and 16 for domestic passengers, 5 conveyer belts and 15 Aerobridges.
The consultants appointed for the modernization of Kolkata Airport are: M/s. Sikka Architect and Associates with consortium partner RMJM (Hong Kong) and Virendra Khanna and Associates with consortium partners ADPI (Paris).
At present the Kolkata Airport has a passenger handling capacity of 0.73 million international passengers annually and 4.7 million domestic passengers annually which is likely to saturate by year 2008-09 and 2006-07 respectively. AAI has recently added cargo-handling capacity to the Airport, which is sufficient to cater to the demand up to 2015-16. In 2006-07 there were 65,687 aircraft movements of which 9,414 were international and 56,273 domestic. The passenger traffic in 2006-07 was 5,993,058 of which 805,191 were international (registering a growth of 12%) and 5187,867 was domestic (registering a growth of 20%).
In view of these facts, the decision has been taken to develop a modern Integrated Passenger Terminal Building to handle 20 million passengers, which will be sufficient to meet the demand up to 2015-16. Work is already in progress for 9 domestic bays. Three cargo bays and 11 additional parking bays will be constructed along with the new Integrated Terminal Building. Automation will be introduced in the CNS/ATM operation and a new control tower will be built.
All major air-routes over Indian landmass are Radar covered (24 Radar installations at 11 locations) alongwith VOR/DVOR coverage (72 installations) co-located with Distance Measuring Equipment (71 installations), 39 runways provided with ILS installations with Night Landing Facilities at 36 airprots and Automatic Message Switching System at 15 airports.
AAI's successful implementation of Automatic Dependence Surveillance system, using indigenous technology, at Calcutta and Chennai Air Traffic Control Centres, gave India the distinction of being the first country to use this advanced technology in the South East Asian region enabling effective Air Traffic Control over oceanic areas using satellite mode of communication. Use of remote controlled VHF coverage, alongwith satellite communication links, has given added strength to our Air Traffic Management System. Linking of 80 locations by V-Sat installations during 2005 shall vastly enhance Air Traffic Management and in turn safety of aircraft operations besides enabling administrative and operational control over our extensive airport network.

nits · Post by **nits** » 25 Jun 2008 15:44

Shankar scenarios is turning very interesting, it will be a delight to see how India replied back and how Singapore government reacts to it... too good.. keep it coming and keep it coming fast...

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 25 Jun 2008 16:15

NSCB INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –KOLKATA -0607 HRS

Early morning shift is usually the busiest time at Kolkata airport .It is the time when the first of the days many north east bound flights take off usally around 0545 to 0630 hrs .Today was no different . Air India 645 TO Port Blair have gates and entering taxiway so was the Jet airways 926 to Chennai and 924 to Port Blair . On the gates were a total of 8 flights bound for the north eastern states and having a diverse destination like Imphal, Guahati,Bagdogra,Dibrugarh,Agartala Jorhat . There were atleast four large fuel tankers serving the aircraft .In the distant “technical area” half a dozen Mig 21 Bisons were parked neatly having arrived the day before and on a ferry flight to Tezpur airbase as war reserve .None of them were armed except the ammo for the guns .ATC have put them on hold till the morning civilian rush is over and they were expecting clearance in one hours time .
Up in the tower Amol scanned the tarmac and his junior colleagues. The tension was building up as one after another the B 737 s and A C320 s completed loading and started moving out into the taxi ways or waited impatiently for the permission to enter taxi way
-tower - air india 645 to Port Blair – request permission to take off – in position on runway 27 left –over
- air india 645 – you are cleared for immediate take off –runway 27 left – fly runway heading –climb to flight level 50 –contact departure control –over
- jet airways 926 to Chennai – flight plan approved to Chennai- flight level 310-you are cleared to runway 27 left vide taxiway alpha zule delta Charlie –watch out for AI 645 on runway
-Kolkata ground –indigo 456 to Guahati- request permission to start motor
- Kolkata ground - decan 344 to Agartala –gate closed –request permission to start motor
- indigo 456- kolkata ground – you are cleared to start motor
- decan 456 –kolkata ground – stand by – indigo 456 is getting into taxiway alpha zulu –do not initiate push back
-Kolkata departure –air india 645 to port blair – altitude 5000 ft – request clearance to enter bravo airspace
All in all it was A normal day in the life of Kolkata airport except that fragmenting large blip on the radar screen which was now less than 5 minutes away from main runway

Around the perimeter of the runway the ZSU 23-4 shilka crews checked their ammo and checked their radar scope so far they have not detected anything other than the slow moving commercial airliners moving out and two “civilian “airliners about to make landing approach .They have not received ant alerts and the the ammo belts were still not loaded into the radar controlled gun system .The Igla crews on morning shifts have just started moving into position amidst the long grass fields. The airport did not yet receive the Akash batteries promised and was assured of full protection from nearby Kalaikunda airbase barely 100 km away and Barackpore .
In short no one expected an air strike and no one expected an air strike from east via Bangladesh.It appeared Eastern air command never learnt from Pearl Harbor.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 25 Jun 2008 16:30

IAF STATION KALAIKUNDA -0610 HRS

Group captain Banarjee did not like what he saw . 20 odd Hawks were parke in the open since the hard shelters have been taken over by the Mig 29s being deployed for Bay of Bengal opearations. The first CAP of the day was scheduled to go up by 0630 hrs and now getting fuelled up. The hawks were supposed to be redeployed to Bidar but the operation order for their release still not come in from command at Kolkata . He he hoped it will come by this afternoon when his pager blipped -it was Kolkata ATC .

T

he Air Force will keep additional Hawk fighter aircraft at its Kalaikunda base in West Midnapore district and develop its Panagarh base in Burdwan district for full-fledged air operations, Chief of Eastern Air Command (EAC), Air Marshal PK Barbora said.

"We intend to put about 40-odd Hawk aircraft at Kalaikunda. Panagarh will be developed as a full-scale base for operations with the addition of heavy fighter aircraft and force multipliers," he told reporters here.

Air Force Station Kalaikunda, which has been upgraded to international standards, has witnessed a series of bilateral air exercises, including those with the US and France.

The Panagarh base, once upgraded, would have Air-to-Air Refuellers, besides Light Combat Aircraft and Medium Range Combat Aircraft.

Pointing out that the EAC has begun induction of Sukhois, he said two squadrons of the aircraft would be inducted into the command within 2009.

Barobora, who had introduced night landing of aircraft in the northeast, said it would go a long way in helping quick troop movement during the night.

"This has been a great morale booster for our boys. Recently, we airlifted a patient from Kibitu (the highest Indian post bordering China in Arunachal Pradesh) and we could save his life. Besides, this is a dissuasive stand for those intending to attack us," he said.

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 28 Jun 2008 13:23

NSCB INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –KOLKATA -0611 HRS

Amol Roy took over direct controller role as the giant A380 of Singapore airlines entered the landing circuit. He wanted to give it a sharp glide scope which will make any smaller aircraft hiding in its shadow obviously visible

- Singapore 9123 heavy turn right 080 –make your altitude 5000 ft –confirm over
- Kolkata tower -9123 heavy –turning right 080 –descending to 5000 ft –over
As the A 380 started its final approach it was impossible for the PLAAF sukhois to keep close as the wake of the four giant engines of 380 washed all over them pushing them out into serious turbulence and as the A380 reduced power the Chinese flankers found it no longer possible to maintain control at rapidly decreasing altitude .

The time for stealth was over.

The PLAAF formation split up .The first group made a slight course change and engaged afterburner and headed straight for near by Kalaikunda air force station barely 90 km away and armed up their long range air to surface missiles .They had no intention of engaging the combat air patrol of Mig 29 s over the base at the moment .As their indicated airspeed crossed 1400 kms mark they switched on the surface search radar and distance to target was less than 50 km . The powerful surface search radar clearly showed the mass of parked aircraft, the air traffic control tower and hazy outlines of some what outdated SA3 missile batteries scattered around the air field . Between them they launched 8 air to surface missiles

USA Code Name AS - 17 Nato Code Name: Krypton Russian Designation: Kh 31 Range: 50 Km Fuel: Solid Booster Engine Liquid Ramjet Speed: Mach 3.5 Inservice: Russia & China Warhead 90 Kg Version Kh 31 A Active Radar - Anti Ship Version Kh 31 P ARM Version Kh 31 ARM - anti-AWACS Notes: The solid booster is mounted inside the liquid ramjet. once burnt out it falls out and the ram jet ignites

The KH-31s were all optimized for long range surface attack role the proximity fuse being replaced by impact and fixed altitude air burst type fuses as normally used in nuclear weapons triggered by a small and cheap radar altimeter . The warhead contained approximately 100 kg s of high explosive with hundreds of steel balls giving it a deadly punch against mass of parked aircraft and soft skinned vehicles and any human stupid enough to get in way

Once the missiles were launched the two PLAAF went off reheat and went back east of Kolkata airport giving a semblance of top cover to the remaining two Su 30 mkk now diving in for a ruthless high value target strike

The Shilka at the runway ends opened up half heartedly as the fast moving flankers spiraled in and released their load of 24 FAB 100 bombs from multiple racks ,laying down a furrow of high explosive signature along the fully loaded and fuelled civilian jets ,fuel tankers and the terminal building itself . The powerful ECM pods onboard the PLAAF flankers made the age old SA 3 almost useless . The small army teams carrying the SA7 Iglas tried hard but as expected could not even get a lock on the fast moving flankers who escaped in a blaze of smoke and flame .

The mig 29s Diverted from Kalaikunda reached the scene too late by that time all the PLAAF flankers have escaped into Bangladesh airspace and in any case 2 Mig 29 s would have been very effective against the Su 30mkk S .In a way they were lucky the confrontation did not take place .

About the same time the 8 Kh 31 s landed with remarkable precision all along the Kalaikundas runway, open parking ramp and the tower. Six of the hawks were a total loss and another 8 damaged beyond hope .The tower was badly damaged and it will take at least a month before it becomes fully operational.

Peoples republic of China have just upped the ante in the ongoing conflict .

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 28 Jun 2008 17:08

NSCB INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT –KOLKATA -0614 HRS

Amol came out of dazed and shocked state and what he saw was anything but pleasant. Apart from him there were no survivors in the air traffic control tower. Two of the FAB 100s have made a direct hit .One passing thru the high strength glass windows and exploding within the confines of the control room. The mass of high explosive fused for impact ignition killed almost everyone instantly and the glass and metal shrapnel’s did the rest very effectively. The scene outside in the civilian terminal was even worse. He could see at least six wide aircraft burning furiously on the parking apron and on the taxiway. The airport fire service was trying to do an impossible job and as expected not having much success .The stench of burnt flesh was everywhere .It felt more like a crematorium than a busy international airport. A apart of the terminal building have caved in, trapping maybe a thousand passengers in its ambit. All the phone lines were down and so were the approach control radars .Surprising his mobile phone was working and he made the first call to director general of civil aviation followed by Kolkata Fire service and then Police control room .

He touched his stomach and was surprised to feel the slippery movement of his own intestine. A glass piece have cut open the abdomen and part of his small intestine was trying to wiggle out of the hole ,which he pushed back in and wrapped his shirt tightly around the wound . As tried to move out of the tower, he found no more strength to do so. The loss of consciousness and death when it came was a welcome relief.

The first of the relief helicopters came in from nearby coastguard station followed by more from eastern command headquarters at Fort William. As troops secured the perimeter and went on rescue mode the magnitude of the PLAAF strike started getting known. Truck after truck of dead bodies were carted out to cities morgues and then cremated en mass as in most cases identification was impossible particularly those that were inside the aircraft getting ready for take off or caught in the open apron by the exploding bombs .

It was a deadly strike carried out with great precision. As the news of the strike spread like wild bushfire the Government came under severe public pressure to take “appropriate action “ and simultaneous pressure from so called international community to exercise restraint in face of great provocation .

The world waited with batted bait to see how India will come out in this moment of crisis .

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 28 Jun 2008 17:20

IAF STATION KALAIKUNDA -0625 HRS

Group Captain Banarjee came out of the shallow irrigation ditch into which he has dived reflexively as the first missile exploded right by the side of the neat rows of Hawks about to be transported. Most of the hawks were now a clear right off along with two Mig 29s which were getting ready for next round of combat air patrol . One of the ATF tanks was burning furiously and the one next to it may go any instant. The runways were a mass of debris but have escaped serious damage and should be available for operation by the end of the day .Surprisingly casualties were light . Only 3 deaths that he could make out mainly the ground crew who were doing the preflight check on the hawks in the open.

As he briskly made his way to the control room most of the senior staff was already there ,a look of in comprehension written largely on their face . He knew it was for him to take effective command right then and there as the red phone started blipping .The air chief was on line . In the distance he could already see the earth movers of air force moving in to clear the debris and firemen busy dousing the still burning airframes .

And the day has just begun

Hari Sud · Post by **Hari Sud** » 28 Jun 2008 17:25

I have a passage below by a Chinese military watcher in Hongkong, who also edits a magazine about possible scenario of India-China confrontation in Tibet.

You can find the full version of this paper at:

http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Security/2 ... ibet/6507/

The military value of the Qinghai-Tibet railway has thus been demonstrated in the rapid reaction of the PLA armed forces to the Lhasa riots.

Should China-India relations deteriorate to the verge of military confrontation and the riots in Tibet spread extensively, the first combat units of the PLA to be called to action would be the No. 52 and No. 53 Mountain Brigades under the Tibet Military Region.

The No. 52 Brigade, stationed at Linzhi, is highly mechanized and armed with T-92 wheeled armored vehicles and HJ-8/9 anti-tank missiles. National highway 318 directly connects Linzhi and Lhasa; thus it is logical to conclude that the T-92 wheeled armored vehicles on the streets of Lhasa were from this brigade. The No. 52 Mountain Brigade is stationed at Milin and is also the PLA combat unit stationed closest to the city of Lhasa.

National highway 318 is in fact the southern route of the Sichuan-Tibet highway. In the event of war or future large-scale riots in Tibet, the highway will be the key passageway for combat troops from the Chengdu Military Region to enter Tibet.

However, this key highway runs across the Minjiang River and the Daduhe River in a region with an average altitude of 4,250 meters (around 14,000 feet) above sea level, and thus is very susceptible to attack by the Indian Air Force or assault by organized rioters. Most of the highways within the Tibet region will be within striking range of the Su-30MKI fighters soon to be deployed in the No. 30 Squadron of the Indian Air Force at Tezpur.

If the T-90/89 armored personnel carriers used in Lhasa were indeed from the 149th Mechanized Rapid Reaction Division of the Chengdu Military Region, they were most likely transported first from Chongqing to Xining, then to Golmud to connect to the Qinghai-Tibet railway and continue on to Lhasa. The whole journey would take about 48 hours.

Such troop movements would be much faster and cheaper than before. Calculated on the basis of being able to transport most of the heavy equipment of a whole mechanized division within 48 hours – it is unlikely that all the division’s equipment would be moved – the PLA would be able to transport approximately 10 light mechanized divisions and some heavy mechanized divisions through the railroad to Tibet from the Lanzhou and Chengdu Military Regions within 30 days.

Of course, should there be a military conflict between China and India, the Qinghai-Tibet railway would be a prime target for air strikes by the Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force’s No. 30 Fighter Squadron, the MiG-27 fighters of the No. 22 Squadron at Hashimara and the “Jaguar” attackers of the No. 5 Squadron at Ambala.

The only obstacle to this mass movement of regular armed troops and equipment would be the capacity of Qinghai-Tibet railway and the number of available trains. China once claimed that the annual transport capacity of the railway was 5 million tons, an average of 13,888 tons per day.

The average load capacity of one Chinese train car is normally 60 tons, with about 20 cars in each cargo train. This would mean that each train could transport 1,200 tons, and thus 11 trains traveling both ways would be enough for each day. In time of war, the actual number of trains running on the railroad could double to roughly 20 trains both ways each day.

Suppose the total weight of the equipment and combat material needed for one rapid reaction division of the Chinese army was around 15,000 tons, the Qinghai-Tibet railway could transport a whole rapid reaction division on one average day. In other words, within every one-and-a-half to two days, China could move one rapid reaction division from the Chengdu Military Region or one rapid reaction division from the Lanzhou Military Region to Tibet.

China’s air transport capability also needs to be taken into consideration. Additional airborne troops, rapid reaction troops and armed police could be directly delivered to Lhasa from the air. Since airdrop operations would take place in the Tibet region, there would be no need for ground-based air defense firepower. Thus, the No. 15 Airborne Division could be airdropped to Tibet, and equipment such as airborne fighting vehicles could be put to use.

In recent years, China has made great effort to revamp the Qinghai-Tibet highway and the Sichuan-Tibet highway. National highways 214, 317 and 109 – the shortest routes into Tibet by land – are now all asphalted. If China were to have a military confrontation with India, highway transport could be more reliable should the Qinghai-Tibet railway be damaged.

The railway would allow the 61st Plateau Rapid Reaction Motorized Division of No. 21 Group Army under the Lanzhou Military Region and the 149th Rapid Reaction Motorized Division of the Chengdu Military Region to quickly enter Tibet.

Because of the presence of U.S. military troops in Afghanistan and the escalating independence activities in the southern part of Xinjiang – northwest China’s primarily Muslim Uyghur ethnic region – the Xinjiang Military Region and the Lanzhou Military Region are now the key forces to guard against internal riots in that part of the country. This is why the forces of the Chengdu Military Region were the first to be deployed in Tibet.

In addition, the riots in Tibet quickly spread to Gansu province, which borders Xinjiang; therefore the Xinjiang and Lanzhou Military Regions may face the new mission of cracking down on Tibetan independence movements as well as Muslim riots and the traditional Uyghur independence activities.

Once the Uyghur separatist movement in Xinjiang and the independence activities in Gansu and Tibet intensify, the 61st Rapid Reaction Division stationed at Tianshui in Gansu province will be the first one to be called upon in the crackdown. In addition, the No. 12 Armored Division stationed at Zhangye in Gansu province may also be mobilized.

The 4th Motorized Infantry Division of Xinjiang Military Region was the first local combat unit to receive new equipment in the region, including the T-92 100-mm wheeled assault cannons. Obviously, this division is now transforming into a rapid reaction unit and will probably be used to deal with any riots in southern Xinjiang. Besides, this division is also quite close to the Afghanistan border.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 28 Jun 2008 17:29

Chinki attack on civilian assets?

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 30 Jun 2008 16:22

PRIME MINISTERS OFFICE –NEW DELHI -0900 HRS

The soft spoken prime minister looked at the first set of photographs of now devastated Kolkata airport and the seriousness of the conflict started sinking in . It could have been easily four nuclear weapons instead of conventional weapons used by the PLAAF. The consequences were to horrendous to even contemplate

At the same time he belonged to a warrior race that has never stood down in the face of an enemy and he was not likely to do so now. It was clearly the Chinese who have first struck at high value civilian target and a measured response was perhaps the best way out of the situation. If the Chinese get away then surely there will be many more repetitions all over eastern India and north east in particular.

He finished looking at the brief report from eastern command and then looked at the chief of air staff directly

Chief I want you to send a message .The Chinese should know this is not 1962. They also should know if they hit civilian targets we reserve the same in our own way .I want a decisive blow to their infrastructure in Tibet within 24 hours .You may select your own targets. Please report to me personally once the objective is attained. Till then you have full authority to use any means at your disposal with the exception of strategic weapons of course.

The Beijing-Lhasa train will run at a speed of 160 km per hour on the plain, but slows down at 120 km per hour when it reaches the Qinghai-Tibet section.

The line includes the Tanggula Pass, at 5,072 m above sea level the world's highest rail track. More than 960 km, or over 80% of the railway, is at an altitude of more than 4,000 m. There are 675 bridges, totaling 159.88 km, and over half the length of the railway is laid on permafrost.

Train T27 from Beijing to Lhasa takes 47 hours 28 minutes, covering 4,064 km (2,500 miles), departs at 21:30 from Beijing West, and arrives in Lhasa at 20:58 on the third day.

It is reported that the useful tips for plateau travel will be printed on the back of the ticket and passengers who want to go to Lhasa should fill in a "health registration card", which should be hand into the trainman when getting onto the train. Besides, no smoking is required on the train.

According to the stipulation of the Ministry of Railways, the Qingzang Railway (Qinghai-Tibet Railway) is not allowed to hold passengers over strength. All the trains to Lhasa require one ticket for one seat/berth. No standing-room-only ticket is on sale.

In addition to Beijing, some other Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, will also launch direct railway passenger transportation to Lhasa as of July 1 2007, Zhang said.

There are 45 stations along the 1972 km long Qinghai-Tibet railway from Xining to Lhasa and every station has unique scenery. To provide travelers better opportunity to enjoy the stunningly beautiful scenery on that way, nine scenery viewing platforms have been set up at nine stations. These include: Yuzhu Peak Station, Chumaer River. Tuotuo river, Buqiangge, Tanggula Mountain, Lake Namtso, Nagqu, Damshung, Yambajan. The platform is around 500-meter long and 1.25 meters high. On the platform, visitors can enjoy the views around that area and take photos. The authority has scheduled the trains so that passengers will be able to make use of the viewing platforms during daytime.

uzhu Peak Station is the first station along your train journey to Tibet. The station is 4159 meters above sea level.
At this station, travelers can capture a great view of the Yuzhu Peak of the Kunlun Mountains in the east and enjoy the KeKexili’s unique scenery in the west. Yuzhu Peak is one of the highest peaks in the Kunlun Mountains, the biggest mountains system in China.The snow-capped peak towers against the blue skya and is amazingly beautiful.

Chuma'er River Station
Chu’erma River Station is situated at a vital point on the route of the Tibet antelope migration path. The northern source of the Yangtze River, the Chu’ermahe River and the river built for the migration of the animal, the Hu’erma River Bridge can be viewed from this station. The bridge is 2,565 meters long with 78 bridge arches for the Tibet antelope to pass through. Flocks of pregnant antelopes trek from the east part of the Kunlun Mountains via this area and head further west to the hinterland of Kekexili to give birth to their offspring during June, July and August seasons.
Looking further west, travelers can even glimpse the Qingshuihe River Bridge and the Wubei Bridge, both prepared arches for animals. Qingshuihe Bridge, 11.7 kilometers long is the longest railway bridge in the world.
Elevation of this station: 4,495 meters
TuoTuo River Station
Tuotuo river is the source of China’s longest river, the Yangtze River. The turbulent Yangtze originates from this broad, gentle highland river and surges all the way to the East Sea. On the Tuotuo river scenery viewing platform, travelers can see the glittering wide river.

Elevation: 4,547 meters
Buqiangge Station
This area features vast meadow, prairie and snow-capped mountains. The vertical zoology natural feature is well presented in this area.
Elevation: 4,823 meters

Tanggula Station:
the highest station in the word
Tangula Pass is the highest point along the railway. The Geladandong Peak, the highest peak of the Tangula Mountain can be viewed rising high against the blue sky. For centuries Tanggula Mountain has been regarded as a dangerous place for mountaineers and a place closest to the heavens. The well designed trains will pass through it even without the passengers noticing any change.
Elevation:5,068 meters
CoNag Lake Station
Conag Lake is a holy lake respected by the locals. The alpine lake is 400 square kilometers. The lake like a glittering blue pearl among the vast grassland, reflects the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds. The great variety of fish in the lake has drawn many animal species including dark-necked crane, swans, wild duck and mandarin duck to inhabit the area.
Elevation:4,594 meters
Nagqu Station:
Nagqu Station is a good spot to view the endless fertile Changtang prairie. This vast highland contains blue sky, fluffy white clouds, crystal lakes, flocks of sheep, yak, vast green grassland and snow-capped mountains. Nagqu Prefecture, with an elevation of more than 4000 meters, is called the “ Roof of the Roof”. The annual Horse-racing festival of Nagqu region is held in August here on this grassland. Visitors can get a taste of the Tibetan customs and culture.
Elevation of this station: 4,513 meters.
Damxung Station
The beautiful grassland scenery stretches all the way from Nagqu to Damxung. The area around the station is dotted with grazing sheep and yaks. The railway runs parallel to the Qinghai-Tibet highway through the Damxung prefecture. Featured sight on this part is the mystical Eight Pagodas in North Tibet Pasture.
Elevation of this station: 4,293 meters.

Yambajan Station: 　
Do not miss the road side hot springs in this area

EASTERN AIR COMMAND –KOLKATA -1000 hrs

Vice air marshal looked at the map of Tibet and the newly worlds highest railway line was clearly marked, snaking its way through the valleys and permafrost and numerous tunnels and bridges . He knew this rail road will be vital importance if the land conflict breaks out along the line of actual control. He bent down and marked certain areas and told his executive assistant ,an young wing commander to get the latest satellite images of the region and also get the encrypted conference call going with air headquarters and other air officers commanding. He needed to borrow lot of resources from other commands if the mission on hand had to be completed effectively . He only had 24 hours and time was running out –fast .

Nitesh · Post by **Nitesh** » 30 Jun 2008 17:27

Shankar wrote:PRIME MINISTERS OFFICE –NEW DELHI -0900 HRS

It was clearly the Chinese who have first struck at high value civilian target and a measured response was perhaps the best way out of the situation. If the Chinese get away then surely there will be many more repetitions all over eastern India and north east in particular.

oops here the action begins boom boom