Indian Army News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

[ashthor]

American Stryker among options we’re looking at to bolster northern front, says Army chief Gen Dwivedi
https://theprint.in/defence/american-st ... i/2825713/
13 Jan 2026

Either PM and DM have given up on the Defence forces embracing atmanirbhar as the corruption is everywhere in MOD and forces or they are letting the armed forces a free run like a spoilt child. All this talk of R&D from the govt now looks like farce. Late Manohar ji is being very much missed.

[chetak]

American Stryker among options we’re looking at to bolster northern front, says Army chief Gen Dwivedi
https://theprint.in/defence/american-st ... i/2825713/
13 Jan 2026

Either PM and DM have given up on the Defence forces embracing atmanirbhar as the corruption is everywhere in MOD and forces or they are letting the armed forces a free run like a spoilt child. All this talk of R&D from the govt now looks like farce. Late Manohar ji is being very much missed.

ashthor ji,

no MRAP type vehicle made in India would/could survive a naxal type ambush complete with IED. These SOBs, where required, use tons of it to construct one IED, bury it in the ground and wait for weeks, months to trigger it when the opportunity presents itself.

The pakis, cheen and the beedis have far better explosives to play with, than just plain ammonium nitrate based IEDs

the stryker may just be a few percentage points ahead in the survivability stakes but one wouldn't bet on it.

try riding in one, heading into harms way before you so disparagingly talk down to the guys guarding the borders

These guys have only recently got their BPJs. The previous govts didn't think of the BPJs as a mandatory part of their gear and all grievous events were simply covered up using two words: shaheed or martyr

Before that they went in without protection. Would you or your kind have done so?

you rush to get home in the evening to the bosom of your family, sadly, these guys don't have such cushy options.

A lot of them don't return from such assignments. Their families are, at the very least, as important as yours or mine, to say the very least

everyone has the right to his/her opinion, but no one has to listen to such snide presumptions.

The country didn't bother to look after the faujis in the field, where it would have mattered most of all and it looks like the trend continues with posters like you, who seem entirely out of touch with ground reality...........

why grudge them a bit of protection when they are out there and using phraseology out of a dirt bag commie's lurid imagination to condemn an entire ecosystem that is vital to national security

and dude, how many spoilt children do you personally know who would unquestioningly put their lives on the line, almost on a daily basis, and that too for people whom they have never seen or met

[ashthor]

Sirji where did i say i am disparagingly talking about the guys guarding the borders. Would i have joined this forum if i did?
Just said what we are seeing and hearing both in this forum and outside. Just because we criticise a few doesnt mean we look
down on them all. Tutu meme happens everywhere and it should happen, it is what keeps each others in check otherwise it will only be
meme just like our neighbors.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2011785487389004015
@VinodDX9
No foreign platform is coming in these sections: 8×8 WhAP, MGS and ALTGS.

[Prem Kumar]

Says who?

Our Army Chief went on record 2 days back that we will explore alternatives to Stryker *if local option was available*

Has he been living under a rock? Hasn't he heard of WhAP or Morocco order? Doesn't inspire confidence when a Chief talks like this

[VinodTK]

Anveshak - Pioneers in Uniform

On India’s highest frontiers, building infrastructure can be as challenging as defending it. Traditional construction methods struggle under thin air, extreme cold, limited manpower, and hostile observation. In these conditions, time becomes vulnerability. After years of operational engineering across conflict-prone and high-altitude regions, Lieutenant Colonel Arun Krishnan of the Indian Army concluded that the problem wasn’t materials, it was methodology. What if bunkers, shelters, and tunnels could be built faster, with fewer people, directly at the site of deployment? By bringing additive manufacturing into the heart of military engineering, he helped shift infrastructure from a logistical burden to a strategic advantage.

[uddu]

"Lt Gen Hooda was fooled..." Lt Gen Shukla (Retd) on Military making open-source operating system
"Lt Gen Hooda was fooled..." Lt Gen Shukla (Retd) on Military making open-source operating system

[Rakesh]

Indian Army’s new battle blueprint takes shape
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/land ... kes-shape/
23 Jan 2026

Most of the article is behind a paywell. Summary below.

https://x.com/AjayshreeSamby3/status/20 ... 25552?s=20 ---> Informative article from @neelammathews

The Indian Army is planning its largest drone induction with nearly 600 logistics drones and 250-300 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and search and rescue (SAR) platforms moving into procurement stage.

In the past year and a half, numerous requests for information have been issued for high‑altitude logistics drones, ISR quadcopters and fixed‑wing hybrids, seeking 5-40kg payloads, 45‑minute to three‑hour endurance, encrypted links and performance up to 18,000 ft.

The first logistics drone request for proposals (RfP) is to be issued in the next few months, followed by a separate bid for SAR‑configured platforms.

[uddu]

The Indian Army You Won’t Recognise Anymore - IBGs, Drones & Stand-Off War | Open Collar EP#2
In this episode of OPEN COLLAR, Major Gaurav Arya is joined by Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla (Retd.) to decode the Indian Army’s fastest and most consequential transformation to date. From Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) and Rudra Brigades to drones, stand-off warfare and missile forces, the discussion explains how lessons from Operation Sindoor and rising geopolitical pressure from China and Pakistan are reshaping India’s war doctrine. The conversation places these reforms within the shift towards Theatre Commands and explores how emerging technologies—culminating in the Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework—are preparing the Indian Army for faster, smarter and more decisive future wars.


Times Of India (TOI) Is The Largest Selling English Daily In The World.

Times Of India Videos Bring You Global News, Views And Sharp Analysis. We Track India's Global Rise, Her Increasing Engagement With The World, The Changing Geopolitical Landscape Amid Conflicts And Wars And The Emerging World Order.

[VinodTK]

^^^ Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla (Retd.) is a true military intellectual have been following his interviews/ blogs for a while always enlightening, hope he is picked as the next CDS (even though he is retired).

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Quebecbat/status/2019302856948641870?s=20 ---> Bodybuilding champions of Madras Sappers, Indian Army. Mr India Subedar M. Kamaraj (right), Mr World Havildar Anuj Yadav (centre) and Mr India Havildar Shankar Shiv (left).

[uddu]

Indian Army plans to acquire 30 advanced low-level lightweight radars for AkashTeer integration
https://zeenews.india.com/india/indian- ... 14391.html

India's Ministry of Defence issued an RFP on Friday for 30 upgraded Low-Level Lightweight Radars (LLLR-I) and two Classroom Variant Radars (CVRs) worth Rs 725 crore, to boost Army air surveillance via Akashteer integration across diverse terrains with 60% local content and rapid delivery.

[VinodTK]

Indian Troops Entered Bhutan &...': Former DGMO Details How India STOPPED China In Doklam

Former DG Military Operations Lt Gen A.K. Bhatt has revealed new details about the 2017 Doklam crisis, highlighting India’s bold response to Chinese attempts to change the status quo at the tri-junction. As Chinese troops advanced with bulldozers to build a road, Indian soldiers formed a human barrier, while Border Roads Organisation dozers directly confronted Chinese machines, halting construction. Bhatt emphasized the security stakes, noting that if China had completed the road, it could have given the Chinese access to the Jampheri Ridge that oversees the Siliguri Corridor. The move, executed with political clarity, involved Indian troops crossing into Bhutanese territory to physically block China, triggering a tense 72-day standoff. Former DGMO outlines this unconventional strategy and underscored India’s commitment to protecting its strategic interests and maintaining the established norms along the Doklam plateau.

[chetak]

3 PARA SF

>L3 Harris Falcon 3 handheld radio
>Armasen Tactical plate carrier
>Ops Core ballistic helmet
> PVS-31A nods
>Silynx Clarus PTT with headset attached to the SDR

A single man equipped with gear worth about 30 Lakh INR

Special forces are a costly business

[drnayar]

3 PARA SF

>L3 Harris Falcon 3 handheld radio
>Armasen Tactical plate carrier
>Ops Core ballistic helmet
> PVS-31A nods
>Silynx Clarus PTT with headset attached to the SDR

A single man equipped with gear worth about 30 Lakh INR

Special forces are a costly business

Compare that with an American or European fit out.. Indian SF might have more bang for the bucks.

[uddu]

https://x.com/adgpi/status/2024358578661024088
@adgpi
At the AI Impact Summit, the Indian Army’s panel on “Defence Perspective in AI” attracted a wide audience, bringing together military leadership, industry and academia for a focused dialogue on responsible AI in defence, duly moderated by Dr Subimal Bhattacharjee.

Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal, DCOAS (IS&T), outlined leadership challenges in the AI era, while Lieutenant General Harsh Chhibber, DGIS, emphasised human agency in the application of force. Major General Pawan Anand (Retd) highlighted ethical considerations and international humanitarian law.

Industry and academic insights were shared by Dr Vikram Jayaram on technological sovereignty, Prof Ganesh Ramakrishnan on India’s sovereign AI stacks, and Ms Madhumita Mohapatra on AI-driven logistics optimisation.

The session highlighted a shared approach to operational transformation, grounded in responsible and ethical AI.

[uddu]

Army Dog Tyson Shot in Kishtwar Encounter, Helps Kill Top JeM Commander Saifullah

In a dramatic anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, an Army sniffer dog named Tyson emerged as the unsung hero of a high-stakes encounter that neutralised two terrorists, including top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Saifullah.



'From dog to drone...': Integrated approach for Tirashi counter-insurgency op led to success

Major General APS Bal, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Counter-Insurgency Force (CIF) Delta, on Monday, emphasised that Operation Trashi-I was the perfect example of perseverance, clarity of thought, proper planning, vision, and the relentless efforts of Indian forces and all security agencies working to counter terror attacks. Addressing a press conference, Major General Bal said that the operation also demonstrated seamless coordination at all levels, from troops on the ground to co-commanders, ADGs, IGs, the DGP, and the Army Commander.

[uddu]

Kharga Shakti 2026: Speed, Strike, Superiority

Kharga Shakti 2026: India’s New War Playbook captures a large-scale integrated combat exercise by the Indian Army’s Western Command at Rajasthan’s Mahajan Field Firing Range. Simulating real battlefield conditions, the drill demonstrates seamless coordination between the Army and the Air Force. Apache helicopters secure aerial dominance and provide close support, while troops are inserted from the air. Drones — including long-range, tethered, and swarm systems — deliver surveillance and strike coordination. On the ground, T-90 tanks, BMP vehicles, artillery units, and new-generation armour execute live-fire manoeuvres. The exercise highlights India’s shift toward technology-driven, multi-domain, fully integrated modern warfare.

[Deans]

https://rpdeans.blogspot.com/2026/02/ch ... -book.html

I read the manuscript of Gen Naravane's as yet unpublished book - my take on the controversary in my latest blogpost.

[VinodTK]

In a first, 345 Indian Army officer-cadets equipped with cyber security certification

A total of 345 men and women officer-cadets of the Indian Army successfully completed their year-long ab-initio military training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The OTA’s passing out parade on Saturday (7th March) was a historic one, as the passing out officer-cadets had not just aced their basic military training, but had also earned their certification in Information Technology and Cyber Security. “We are the first such pre-commissioning training institution of the Indian Army to implement this certification in IT and Cyber Security,” said Lieutenant General Michael Fernandez, Commandant, OTA.
The OTA is a premier military institute that sculpts civilian youth (men and women) into officers of the Indian Army for the Short Service Commission. As part of India’s military diplomacy efforts, the OTA also trains personnel from India’s friendly foreign nations. Two officers each from Bhutan and Tanzania were trained in the latest batch.

The gruelling year-long course at the OTA imparts theoretical and practical training across disciplines, including international relations, military history, weapon training, map reading, field engineering, physical training, survival training, administration, etc.

In order to integrate technological competence with military training, the OTA partnered with the SRM Institute of Technology (SRMIST) to offer a Diploma in IT and Cyber Security to the budding Army officers. Curated specifically for the OTA officer-cadets, the one-year course delivered by SRMIST faculty focused on the fundamentals of IT, network security, secure systems design, cyber hygiene, incident response, and emerging areas such as cyber warfare, AI applications, and information assurance. The diploma course curriculum included classroom sessions, lab work, exercises, projects, and continuous assessments designed around realistic operational scenarios, officials said.

Addressing the passing out parade, Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Western Command, said that countries are increasingly relying on force to address their security concerns amid today’s fragmented and volatile world. The salience of military power is only increasing.

India is faced with its own set of security challenges. On the Northern front (with China), seemingly, there is an improvement, but the situation still remains fragile. On the Western front (with Pakistan), their military leadership, which is ruling the country, wants to continue a state of constant confrontation to maintain its own relevance.
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