Indian Army Discussion

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 14 Apr 2009 19:40

Avalanche Kills Seven Indian Troops In Kashmir

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 14 Apr 2009 19:50

Indian army marks 25th anniversary of taking world highest battlefield in Kashmir.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 14 Apr 2009 22:14

BEFORE LEAVING PAKISTAN, I heard quite a few remarks about Narinder "Bull" Kumar, a legendary Indian military man and mountaineer, and none of them were complimentary. "Colonel Kumar is the man who started all this," Major Tahir had fumed. "I have no wish to meet him—that ********."

ksmahesh · Post by **ksmahesh** » 14 Apr 2009 23:24

30 Armymen fight to retain plots govt awarded them in Pune

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumb ... 397440.cms

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 15 Apr 2009 01:46

Gerard wrote:The Coldest War
BEFORE LEAVING PAKISTAN, I heard quite a few remarks about Narinder "Bull" Kumar, a legendary Indian military man and mountaineer, and none of them were complimentary. "Colonel Kumar is the man who started all this," Major Tahir had fumed. "I have no wish to meet him—that ********."

Excellent article. I had the pleasure of meeting Col. Kumar thru his Mercury Travels business. Also had the pleasure of getting to know his mother, who despite being of an advanced age was actually camping in a tent! Col. Kumar does like his beer...in fact within 5 mins of meeting my father, he asked him what was his poison (at 2:00pm in the afternoon!)

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 15 Apr 2009 02:55

Gerard wrote:The Coldest War
BEFORE LEAVING PAKISTAN, I heard quite a few remarks about Narinder "Bull" Kumar, a legendary Indian military man and mountaineer, and none of them were complimentary. "Colonel Kumar is the man who started all this," Major Tahir had fumed. "I have no wish to meet him—that ********."

from the above article

Pakistani gear that I saw seemed to be generally low-quality stuff; most of it carried the brand name Technoworld, which no one I spoke to in the outdoor industry had ever heard of. In contrast, Indian soldiers get state-of-the-art gear from a wide range of highly specialized Western firms like Koflach, Asolo, and Black Diamond.

p_saggu · Post by **p_saggu** » 15 Apr 2009 03:55

22 CISF men hold 200 Naxals for 10 hours, save 150 lives

22 CISF men hold 200 Naxals for 10 hours, save 150 lives
14 Apr 2009, 0524 hrs IST, Satyanarayan Pattnaik, TNN

The CISF lost 10 of their own and are believed to have inflicted heavy damage on the attackers. Bodies of four Maoists, including a woman, were recovered. Blood trails suggest the Maoists dragged many more bodies away. But the guerrillas did manage to get their hands on a cache of explosives. Two critically wounded jawans were air-lifted to Vizag, while seven others have been admitted to Damanjodi hospital.

My most humble salute to the bravery of the CISF Jawans.

rkhanna · Post by **rkhanna** » 15 Apr 2009 04:35

dont know if this should go here..but

Open Letter by Indian Army Officer to Pak Army Chief General Kiyani

Col Harish Puri

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=172290

Pragadeesh · Post by **Pragadeesh** » 15 Apr 2009 04:40

Nitesh wrote: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 398160.cms

22 CISF men hold 200 Naxals for 10 hours, save 150 lives
14 Apr 2009, 0524 hrs IST, Satyanarayan Pattnaik, TNN

DAMANJODI (KORAPUT): For 10 hours, a band of 22 CISF jawans battled more than 200 heavily armed Maoists, without back-up or reinforcements, and saved the lives of 150 Nalco staff who were held hostage by the guerrillas in Orissa's Damanjodi since Sunday night. The nightlong encounter took place in the largest bauxite mine in Asia.
The CISF lost 10 of their own and are believed to have inflicted heavy damage on the attackers.

The survivors among the saviours — the three that escaped unhurt and the nine injured — had a dazed look but they still clutched their rifles, ready to fight.

My humble salute to the Jawans who decided to guard the motherland with courage and never hesistated to shed their life for us.May the soul of those 10 Jawans rest in peace. May God bless their family with abduant courage and strength to over come the invaluable loss.

JaiS · Post by **JaiS** » 15 Apr 2009 04:42

Red Fort barracks restored, rediscovered

No Taliban infiltration in India: Army

http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/ ... enDocument

Nikhil T · Post by **Nikhil T** » 15 Apr 2009 06:58

rkhanna wrote:dont know if this should go here..but

Open Letter by Indian Army Officer to Pak Army Chief General Kiyani

Col Harish Puri

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=172290

I'm quite surprised how it could be published in Jang, a Paki newspaper!

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 15 Apr 2009 07:30

Wah. New TV series on JnK counterinsurgency on DD.

http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Homepage/Prog ... ogram5.htm

FAUJJI…THE IRON MAN

Doordarshan is gong to telecast a New Serial titled “Faujji…The Iron Man”
from 21ST March, 2009. The Serial will be telecast on Saturday and Sunday
at 8.30 P.M. on the National Channel of Doordarshan.

The serial has been produced by Reena Thakar & directed by Kishore Dang.
music by Pryanjal Singh Bawa & cinematography by Ramesh Nautiyal. Amit
Kumar Kaushik, Aakash Dhaiya, Vilas Rajput, Sakshi, Ankita Sharma, Poonam
Mathur, Dinesh Verma, Sachin Arora and Pramod Kumar as (Aaka) are in the
main cast.

India's exposure to the ravages of terrorism for over two decades and the
loss of thousands of lives have only strengthened our resolve to fight
this global menace. In a religious school called the "Haqqania Madrasa"
Osama Bin Laden is a hero, the Taliban's leaders are the famous products
and the next generation of "Mujahedeen" is being militantly groomed.

The picturisation of this character (Osama) has been conveyed in a new
T.V. serial - Faujji…The iron Man through one Shahabudin Shah Alam (Aaka).
Aaka's sole purpose of life is to destroy Indian economy and its people
and spread the deadly disease of terrorism. his anti-Indian tirade is a
manifestation of Pakistan's support to international terrorism. A
terrorist believes the threat or use of violence is the best way to create
fear, gain publicity and notoriety and increase support for their causes.

Aaka's trained boys are no match for India's brave sacrificing and skilled
soldiers as our armed forces are among the best in the world. Their
training skills are sought after by the defence forces of all countries.

Faujji…The Iron Man plunges immediately into a world that crackles with
characters and incidents.

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 15 Apr 2009 08:39

Iran, India may join US war in Afghanistan
By Anwar Iqbal/dawn news
Friday, 27 Mar, 2009 | 12:37 AM PST |

WASHINGTON: A key US senator said on Thursday that the United States and Iran might begin their cooperation for stabilising Afghanistan after a meeting between officials of the two countries in The Hague next week.

‘We also need to reach out to Afghanistan’s other neighbours, including India, China, and Iran,’ Senator John Kerry told the confirmation hearing for the new US ambassador to Afghanistan.

The former Democratic presidential candidate, who now heads the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noted that in 2001 and 2002, Iran helped to stabilise Afghanistan. ‘And the Obama administration is right to explore how our interests might coincide again on this issue, beginning at the Hague Conference next week,’ he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Hasan Qashqavi, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Tehran that Iran would join the United States at two international conferences on Afghanistan, including the one at The Hague which begins on March 31.

‘The level of participation is yet to be determined,’ he added. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially invited Iran to the Hague conference.

The US move is seen in Tehran as a moral victory for the Iranian government, which was castigated by the Bush administration as part of an ‘Axis of Evil’.

Although the US still plays a leading role in the campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, the US decision to involve it in its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan enhances the stature of the Iranian government.

Both the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are expected to attend. Other attendees will include foreign ministers from countries in the region, countries that are part of the International Security Assistance Force and other countries and organisations that are contributing to reconstruction in Afghanistan.

At the confirmation hearing, Senator Kerry outlined some of the salient features of a new US strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is expected to be announced on Friday.

The new strategy also seeks to triple US economic assistance to Pakistan and a greater engagement with the Afghans.

‘I will soon be re-introducing with Senator Lugar the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act, which seeks to triple non-military aid to the people of Pakistan,’ Senator Kerry said.

The proposed legislation will also hold Pakistan’s ‘security forces more accountable for assistance provided in their fight against the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda,’ he added.

Senator Richard Lugar, a ranking Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which authorises US foreign aid, also has pledged to support the bill.

‘We can all agree that today Afghanistan, along with its neighbour Pakistan, represents the central front in our global campaign against terrorism,’ Senator Kerry told the confirmation hearing.

Referring to the new strategy, Senator Kerry stressed the need for a regional approach for bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. ‘Our strategy must also reflect the interconnectedness of the region’s challenges,’ he said.

‘This requires redoubling our efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s civilian government and support its activities against militants in the tribal belt.’ That’s why, he said, he was seeking to triple US assistance to Pakistan.

Senator Kerry noted that President Barak Obama has pledged to recommit to Afghanistan, beginning with the deployment of 17,000 additional US troops and a significant effort to increase the size and capacity of Afghan security forces. He said while he supported this move, he also believed that ‘troops alone will not bring victory.’

The Indian Troops To Afghanistan Story

Mandeep Singh Bajwa says this story is an effort by India to gauge US reaction to a potential offer of troops for Afghanistan. India is talking at several back channels level with the US. We weren't meant to get the story, but once we got it, the Indian Army, at least, wasn't uncomfortable with that. Given we are read by perhaps 4000 people a day and have a reputation in many circles of being a fringe blog, the Indian Army doesn't even have to bother denying the story, its easy enough to say "off source" that's its our wild imagination.
So we wildly imagine the following possible offer to the United States:

Lt. General Bikram Singh as Force Commander (tentative)
HQ III Corps or HQ XXI Corps
4th Infantry Division
6th Mountain Division
23rd Infantry Division
36th RAPID Division
30+ Rashtriya Rifles CI battalions
2 Reconnaissance and Observation squadrons (Army Aviation)
1 Il-76 squadron
2 An-32 squadrons
4+ Mi-17 helicopter units
1 UAV squadron
2 fighter squadrons
Undetermined number of paramilitary security battalions
HQ III Corps is the counter-insurgency corps in Eastern Command, it is dual-tasked to the western front. In exercises and on operations it has functioned, on different occasions, in three different sectors. HQ XXI Corps is the third Indian strike corps, but is not as critical as the other two strike corps and is dual-tasked as India's intervention force corps. So there's good reasons to take either.
The infantry divisions include a tank battalion. 36th Division has one tank and two infantry brigades. All four divisions are part of strike corps and so are not deployed on the front, but India will give up its ability to sustain a major offensive against Pakistan if these divisions are overseas.
The only thing that needs explanation for our non-Indian readers is the Rashtriya Rifles. These are specialized for counter-insurgency and have six rifle companies vs the usual Indian infantry battalion's four. CI is, after all, a manpower intensive business. The troops are all regular Army and do a 3-year rotation with the RR from their affiliated regiments with the RR. Each Army regimental center has 3 or more RR battalions affiliated.
Because the Indians tend to bulk up their divisions with extra brigades and their brigades with extra infantry battalions when on CI, its probably reasonable to assume the four divisions will have 50 battalions with them (including corps independent brigades). With the RR, that's 380 rifle companies, or the equivalent of nine US divisions. (We count the US brigade as having 10 companies, because the cavalry squadron in the brigade is very manpower short. We're sure it's all well and fine in the type of high-tech/sensor dense environment for which it is designed, but we're talking CI here.
ORBAT.COM

Have a look at this porki forum,hw scared and paranoid they have become on reading this article of india sending troops into afghanistan

LINKING TO PAKISTANI FORA NOT ALLOWED

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 15 Apr 2009 08:43

Nikhil T wrote:
rkhanna wrote:dont know if this should go here..but

Open Letter by Indian Army Officer to Pak Army Chief General Kiyani

Col Harish Puri

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=172290

I'm quite surprised how it could be published in Jang, a Paki newspaper!

Well the porkis have understood the real meaning of TALIBAN now and are so scared that they want to tell the public that look an indian enemy is advising our army chief but the army chief has deaf ears.They are scared.

negi · Post by **negi** » 15 Apr 2009 09:33

I personally don't read much into that article Pakistan's failure and blunders not withstanding ; we too don't have much to brag about , the fact that naxalites, maoists attack at will and traitors form government in J&K is a blot on our country too.

I don't know why people suddenly get this urge for whatever reasons to give Pakistan and its army or Govt for that matter any piece of advise ; they should imo in first place bring their house in order .

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 15 Apr 2009 10:17

Well u are absolutely right but the fact of the matter is that people who think like us make just 5% or less of the electorate whilst the rest 95% vote for the a$$$ $$$$$ to ruin our country by spreading corruption,poverty and terror.look at the deal for missiles wid israel,600cr as commission,wow ,that will fund a party campaign for lok sabha n buy elected MP's to form a govt. ,in the press all i see is T20 or which politician badmouthed which.Has anyone ever given a damn as to how lower assam 's demography has changed in the past 10 yrs of congress rule???? the electorate is 85% muslim now and the population has jumped 300%.it would have been better if the parliament attack had cost us some politicians.Our armed forces are demolarised(coz we dnt do anything whn mumbai is attacked).Beaureaucrats have downgraded the chiefs of the armed forces in power,the beaureaucrats are better paid than the chiefs then i believe they should be sent to the CI ops or man the posts in kashmir or rajasthan or siachen.I knw a brigadier who personally told me hw many trips he made to the finance min. for their approval of increase of 600 colnels.CAN INDIAN POLITICIANS DO SOMETHING GOOD ????????OR JUST KEEP ON DEMOLARISING OUR FORCES?????

Ardeshir · Post by **Ardeshir** » 15 Apr 2009 10:22

Gents,
Is there a website documenting the Indian Army's service ribbons? I am looking for something on the lines of this website - Army Service Ribbons - which documents the US Army's service ribbons.
Rudimentary Google searches didn't reveal anything, and I was hoping to find some BR page at the top of the Google rankings.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 15 Apr 2009 10:42

http://jaganpvs.tripod.com/Militaria/index.html

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 15 Apr 2009 10:43

http://www.asianage.com/presentation/le ... -gear.aspx

Siachen troops await winter gear

Sridhar Kumaraswami

New Delhi

April 14: There has been a serious delay in procurement of 53,480 pieces of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) for Indian armed forces personnel posted in the Siachen Glacier — the world’s highest battlefield — where temperatures dip to minus 50 degrees Celsius in winters.

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 15 Apr 2009 11:43

chetak wrote:http://www.asianage.com/presentation/le ... -gear.aspx

Siachen troops await winter gear

Sridhar Kumaraswami

New Delhi

April 14: There has been a serious delay in procurement of 53,480 pieces of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS) for Indian armed forces personnel posted in the Siachen Glacier — the world’s highest battlefield — where temperatures dip to minus 50 degrees Celsius in winters.

I am sure the beaureaucrat who has to approve is waiting for his cut.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 15 Apr 2009 11:51

^^^
no need for such non sequiturs. if the urge is too much, use this.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 15 Apr 2009 12:48

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/200904 ... /book1.htm

Izzat: Historical Records and Iconography of Indian Cavalry Regiments 1750-2007
by Ashok Nath.
Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Services Institution of India, New Delhi.
Pages 828. Rs 6,000.

THE Indian Army has a proud history, its lineage dating back to Mughal times when princely regiments and irregulars were raised from 1750 onwards. The most renowned among these formations were the dreaded and daring cavalry. It is of this arm that Ashok Nath, a former Captain and cavalry officer, writes with a splendid array of illustrations of badges, emblems and insignia worn by these units as they evolved over time.

Nath quotes a 19th-century cavalry officer being asked of what use the cavalry was in modern warfare. Came the reply: "It does lend a little style to what would otherwise merely be an ugly brawl!" To which he might have added that the cavalry also added a considerable punch in firepower together with speed and ample scope for manouvere following the transition from mounted cavalry to armoured vehicles post-First World War. Hitler’s panzer divisions cut through Europe and fierce tank battles were fought in Russia and North Africa.

The Mongols were no doubt great horsemen, but it was the invention of the stirrup that enabled them to use their bows and arrows at the gallop to sweep across the steppes to Central and South Asia and into Europe.

Nath notes that the East India Company believed the cavalry was an extravagance and initially preferred getting such units as were recruited on loan from native rulers such as the Nawab of Arcot and the Nawab of Awadh. French ascendancy caused it to change its mind. The three Presidency armies, starting with Madras and then Bengal and Bombay, raised their own cavalry regiments, with the Bengal lancers later becoming the Governor-General, now President’s, Bodyguard, the oldest regiment in the Indian Army.

Two systems were in vogue at the time: the paigah system, under which the horses and arms were owned by princes and the horsemen were hired by them, though the attachment was not as loose as might appear. The other was the khudaspa or silladar system, under which each horseman brought his own mount, arms and accoutrements. These units were generally commanded by the Indians.

After 1784, the Company began raising its own British-commanded cavalry units, often leaving the task to irregular or regular officers who gave their names to the units they raised. Thus, Skinner’s Horse, Hodson’s Horse, Probyn’s Horse, Gardner’s Horse and so on, though some bore territorial nomenclatures such as Central India Horse, Poona Horse, and the Deccan Horse, formerly of the Nizam’s forces. The Punjab units came last as British power expanded northwest, the Guides Cavalry being one of the earliest to be raised to scout the way forward. The Aden Troop was permanently stationed in Aden until it was disbanded in 1927. Fresh wars and conquests brought new units into being, some as a result of mergers and reorganisation.

The Great Uprising of 1857 brought about a major change. Many units that mutinied were disbanded. New raisings were made single-denomination and the tradition of mixed Hindu-Muslim regiments became a thing of the past. The First World War brought many more changes. The silladar system was finally given up with the existing 39 regiments being reorganised in 21 units. Further reorganisation saw the birth of the Indian Armoured Corps in 1937. By 1941, the old horse cavalry had been completely mechanised and new armoured units were raised and saw action on many fronts. However, 1947 saw the partitioning of the Indian Army between India and Pakistan. Of the 18 remaining armoured regiments, 12 came to India and six went to Pakistan. It was a sad parting, but Ashok Nath has carefully documented the fortunes of the units that went to the other side.

The volume narrates the history of each cavalry unit and traces its development from the first raising to its merger or disbandment. The basic genealogy is followed by notes on engagements fought, battle honours, its uniform, badges and emblems, motto, awards, ethnic composition and regimental march.

To the layman, the badges and emblems will be a perennial fascination. To those who served and their families, these are vignettes of personal history—of valour, courage and death, sometimes in a foreign land. The mottos tell the story: For Ashok Nath, " was a labour of love, a product of years of meticulous research in many places. The volume breaks new ground and will be treasured by both the military historians and those interested in regimental lore. The USOI has rendered a real service in sponsoring this volume and has done well to call upon the author to write a companion volume on India’s even more numerous infantry units.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 15 Apr 2009 14:30

A small correction wrt the articel posted from Orbat.Com. 6th Mountain Division does not form part of orbat of any of Indian Strike Corps. It is Army HQ reserve which is tasked for role on western and central front. It might very well be alloted to one of the 3 Strike Corps during operations but as such falls directly under AHQ.

Ardeshir · Post by **Ardeshir** » 15 Apr 2009 20:47

Rishi wrote:http://jaganpvs.tripod.com/Militaria/index.html

Thanks Rishi, though I wish the photographs were slightly larger so I could read them.

By the way, would anyone know if there's a way to access military service records of the British Indian Army? My grandfather served in the Gorkhas, but I have no further information regarding this, and would be interesting to dig up a bit.

Rishi · Post by **Rishi** » 15 Apr 2009 21:31

Prasant wrote:
Rishi wrote:http://jaganpvs.tripod.com/Militaria/index.html
Thanks Rishi, though I wish the photographs were slightly larger so I could read them.

By the way, would anyone know if there's a way to access military service records of the British Indian Army? My grandfather served in the Gorkhas, but I have no further information regarding this, and would be interesting to dig up a bit.

http://www.medals.lava.pl/bc/in2.htm Here you go

Ed Haynes has a wonderful site, but now it seems down. Anyone in touch with him? Mandeep? Jagan?

Ardeshir · Post by **Ardeshir** » 15 Apr 2009 21:34

Thanks a ton Rishi !

Jagan · Post by **Jagan** » 15 Apr 2009 21:36

Rishi wrote:[

Ed Haynes has a wonderful site, but now it seems down. Anyone in touch with him? Mandeep? Jagan?

Ed pulled it off as his book on Indian Medals got published recently. More than the book I think he got fedup of people lifting the material and not properly crediting him for it.

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 16 Apr 2009 09:11

caesar wrote: Iran, India may join US war in Afghanistan
By Anwar Iqbal/dawn news
Friday, 27 Mar, 2009 | 12:37 AM PST |

WASHINGTON: A key US senator said on Thursday that the United States and Iran might begin their cooperation for stabilising Afghanistan after a meeting between officials of the two countries in The Hague next week.

‘We also need to reach out to Afghanistan’s other neighbours, including India, China, and Iran,’ Senator John Kerry told the confirmation hearing for the new US ambassador to Afghanistan.

The former Democratic presidential candidate, who now heads the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noted that in 2001 and 2002, Iran helped to stabilise Afghanistan. ‘And the Obama administration is right to explore how our interests might coincide again on this issue, beginning at the Hague Conference next week,’ he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Hasan Qashqavi, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Tehran that Iran would join the United States at two international conferences on Afghanistan, including the one at The Hague which begins on March 31.

‘The level of participation is yet to be determined,’ he added. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially invited Iran to the Hague conference.

The US move is seen in Tehran as a moral victory for the Iranian government, which was castigated by the Bush administration as part of an ‘Axis of Evil’.

Although the US still plays a leading role in the campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, the US decision to involve it in its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan enhances the stature of the Iranian government.

Both the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are expected to attend. Other attendees will include foreign ministers from countries in the region, countries that are part of the International Security Assistance Force and other countries and organisations that are contributing to reconstruction in Afghanistan.

At the confirmation hearing, Senator Kerry outlined some of the salient features of a new US strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is expected to be announced on Friday.

The new strategy also seeks to triple US economic assistance to Pakistan and a greater engagement with the Afghans.

‘I will soon be re-introducing with Senator Lugar the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act, which seeks to triple non-military aid to the people of Pakistan,’ Senator Kerry said.

The proposed legislation will also hold Pakistan’s ‘security forces more accountable for assistance provided in their fight against the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda,’ he added.

Senator Richard Lugar, a ranking Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which authorises US foreign aid, also has pledged to support the bill.

‘We can all agree that today Afghanistan, along with its neighbour Pakistan, represents the central front in our global campaign against terrorism,’ Senator Kerry told the confirmation hearing.

Referring to the new strategy, Senator Kerry stressed the need for a regional approach for bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. ‘Our strategy must also reflect the interconnectedness of the region’s challenges,’ he said.

‘This requires redoubling our efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s civilian government and support its activities against militants in the tribal belt.’ That’s why, he said, he was seeking to triple US assistance to Pakistan.

Senator Kerry noted that President Barak Obama has pledged to recommit to Afghanistan, beginning with the deployment of 17,000 additional US troops and a significant effort to increase the size and capacity of Afghan security forces. He said while he supported this move, he also believed that ‘troops alone will not bring victory.’

The Indian Troops To Afghanistan Story

Mandeep Singh Bajwa says this story is an effort by India to gauge US reaction to a potential offer of troops for Afghanistan. India is talking at several back channels level with the US. We weren't meant to get the story, but once we got it, the Indian Army, at least, wasn't uncomfortable with that. Given we are read by perhaps 4000 people a day and have a reputation in many circles of being a fringe blog, the Indian Army doesn't even have to bother denying the story, its easy enough to say "off source" that's its our wild imagination.
So we wildly imagine the following possible offer to the United States:

Lt. General Bikram Singh as Force Commander (tentative)
HQ III Corps or HQ XXI Corps
4th Infantry Division
6th Mountain Division
23rd Infantry Division
36th RAPID Division
30+ Rashtriya Rifles CI battalions
2 Reconnaissance and Observation squadrons (Army Aviation)
1 Il-76 squadron
2 An-32 squadrons
4+ Mi-17 helicopter units
1 UAV squadron
2 fighter squadrons
Undetermined number of paramilitary security battalions
HQ III Corps is the counter-insurgency corps in Eastern Command, it is dual-tasked to the western front. In exercises and on operations it has functioned, on different occasions, in three different sectors. HQ XXI Corps is the third Indian strike corps, but is not as critical as the other two strike corps and is dual-tasked as India's intervention force corps. So there's good reasons to take either.
The infantry divisions include a tank battalion. 36th Division has one tank and two infantry brigades. All four divisions are part of strike corps and so are not deployed on the front, but India will give up its ability to sustain a major offensive against Pakistan if these divisions are overseas.
The only thing that needs explanation for our non-Indian readers is the Rashtriya Rifles. These are specialized for counter-insurgency and have six rifle companies vs the usual Indian infantry battalion's four. CI is, after all, a manpower intensive business. The troops are all regular Army and do a 3-year rotation with the RR from their affiliated regiments with the RR. Each Army regimental center has 3 or more RR battalions affiliated.
Because the Indians tend to bulk up their divisions with extra brigades and their brigades with extra infantry battalions when on CI, its probably reasonable to assume the four divisions will have 50 battalions with them (including corps independent brigades). With the RR, that's 380 rifle companies, or the equivalent of nine US divisions. (We count the US brigade as having 10 companies, because the cavalry squadron in the brigade is very manpower short. We're sure it's all well and fine in the type of high-tech/sensor dense environment for which it is designed, but we're talking CI here.
ORBAT.COM

Have a look at this porki forum,hw scared and paranoid they have become on reading this article of india sending troops into afghanistan

LINKING TO PAKISTANI FORA NOT ALLOWED

‘India willing to join terror fight in Af-Pak’
Gautam Adhikari | TNN 16/04/2009

New Delhi: If the international community wanted its involvement in fighting terror in the Af-Pak region, India would be willing to oblige, PM Manmohan Singh said.
In a conversation with members of the Editors’ Guild, the PM was asked what New Delhi would do in response to a US suggestion that India should involve itself in the new Af-Pak policy being developed by Washington. ‘‘We are worried about the growth of terrorist elements both in Afghanistan and Pakistan,’’ he replied. ‘‘If the international community and US work to eliminate terror, we are willing to cooperate with them.’’
Singh appeared very worried about Pakistan’s stability. ‘‘A strong, prosperous and democratic Pakistan is in India’s interest,’’ he said. What if terrorists gained control of nuclear weapons next door? ‘‘Not likely,’’ he said. He was confident that Pakistan’s nuclear assets are in particularly safe hands.

well i guess indians have made an offer to the US lets see in the comin days if its true.if it really is true then the porkis have had it.

Jamal K. Malik · Post by **Jamal K. Malik** » 18 Apr 2009 15:50

India resumes gorkha recruitment after gap of 2 years
It endorse our policy of recruitemt over the British army.More ever it is equility in our forces

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090418/87 ... t-aft.html

JaiS · Post by **JaiS** » 19 Apr 2009 03:16

Decision on troop reduction in Kashmir after summer: Army chief

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 20 Apr 2009 03:23

Two security men killed in JK gunbattle

sum · Post by **sum** » 21 Apr 2009 09:25

Indias first post-independence war memorial may come up in Bangalore soon.

Indias first post-independence war memorial may come up in Bangalore soon. Defence Minister A K Antony has agreed to extend necessary help to the State government in creating the Rashtriya Sainik Smarak (National Memorial for the Soldier).

Antony had earlier assured Chief Minister B S Yeddyruppa of help from the ministry as well as the three services, a Defence Ministry official told Deccan Herald.
The proposal was discussed at Army headquarters and would also be deliberated at the tri-service level to work out the modalities. ]Yeddyruppa had formally approached the ministry with the proposal on December 29, 2008.
Sources in the State government confirmed that a design for the memorial was ready with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and that the most likely site would be on P Chowdaih Road in front of Nehru Planetarium.
The monument would definitely not be as imposing as the majestic India Gate. But it would help the younger generation learn more about the sacrifices made by the martyrs for the country, the official said.
Though the Army wanted to build a similar memorial near the India Gate circle, the proposal is nowhere close to reality due to stiff opposition from the Central Vista Committee, which monitors the views overlooking the Rajpath and the India Gate.
A steering committee, headed by Rajeev Chandrashekhar MP, has been appointed to finalise the design and location for the memorial.
The other members of the committee are five war veterans, commissioners of BDA and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, chief architect of the State and the home secretary. The Chief Minister initially allocated Rs 4 crore for design and construction of the memorial. But it can go up depending on the requirements.
While details regarding the memorial are yet to be revealed, Army veterans consciously want to make it look different from the India Gate. It will definitely have a flag, insignia of the three forces, a water body and a garden where children can play. The war memorial will be the first in the country after independence to have been proposed and funded by a state government. It will be dedicated to those who upheld the Constitution as well as the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation.

Long overdue thing...
This is one reason i feel the BJP is a little better than other parties when it comes to defence...they are atleast doing something instead of shamelessly accepting the medals thrown by ex-servicemen as the present GoI is doing.

Prem Kumar · Post by **Prem Kumar** » 27 Apr 2009 05:15

40 infiltrators killed in Kupwara, Gurez: Army

http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/26/stories ... 190100.htm

Interesting - the #s seem to be higher than what was published earlier (even admitting that 6 pigs died in an avalanche). Great work by the IA, especially the SF.

Or perhaps this report & the press exposure of the arrested terrorist is to counter the (probable) negative Chicom inspired propaganda about how 100s of terrorists have sneaked. In either case, its good that the IA is doing a counter PR offensive (in their case, they need to talk the talk after they walk the walk !!)

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 01 May 2009 00:04

From Pioneer, 30 April, 2009

NATION | Thursday, April 30, 2009 | Email | Print |

Army redraws strategy for troop deployment along LoC

PNS | New Delhi

The Army has redrawn its strategy and deployment of troops all along the Line of Control (LoC) following reports that a large number of militants were waiting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir and disrupt the Lok Sabha poll. This came about after the security forces foiled two major intrusion bids last month.

Disclosing this here on Wednesday, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Noble Thamburaj said more terrorists were waiting at “launch pads” across the LoC for a chance to infiltrate and troops were ‘redeployed’ to thwart any such attempt.

He also said the Army along with the Navy and Coast Guard was maintaining vigil all along the southern coast line to prevent any possible infiltration by the LTTE cadre into the country from Sri Lanka. The Vice Chief, however, said there were no reports on any such bid so far.

As regards infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, March this year saw high levels of intrusion bids as compared to the corresponding in the last few years. The security forces were now gearing up for a renewed assault by the terrorists to sneak into the state and disrupt the peaceful conduct of the Lok Sabha poll.

Defence Minister AK Antony accompanied by Army chief General Deepak Kapoor and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh had visited Rajouri sector along the LOC on Monday to review the security situation. They also took stock of the scenario days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll.

Intelligence reports indicated that militants backed by the ISI and Pakistan Army were determined to disrupt peaceful conduct of polls by engineering acts of terrorism and increasing the levels of violence. Antony was given a detailed presentation in this regard by the operational commanders, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Army Vice Chief said the Army had neutralised most of the infiltrators during the two intrusion bids in Kupwara and Gurez. He also said the modified tactics included redeployment of troops, additional surveillance capabilities and enhanced patrolling even at the most difficult places in the rugged mountainous terrain.

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor had said on Tuesday about 55 terrorists had managed to infiltrate into the State.

Reports indicated that 50 to 60 camps training militants were active in Pakistan occupied Kashmir(PoK) and about 400 militants waiting to sneak into the State. Security forces anticipated a rise in the infiltration bids in the summer months as the militants found it easier to traverse the ingress routes blocked by snow in the winter months, sources said.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 02 May 2009 01:56

From Daily Pioneer, posting in full as it isn't archived...

Number of yrs for becoming full Col reduced to 15 yrs

Number of yrs for becoming full Col reduced to 15 yrs

PNS | New Delhi

The Government, in a far-reaching decision to improve the career prospects of armed forces officers, on Friday reduced the number of years needed to become a full colonel from 20 to 15. This would give the armed forces a younger age profile at the level of commanding officers needed to fight modern day warfare.

"The Government on Friday fixed 15 years of commissioned service as the minimum qualifying service for substantive promotion to the rank of Colonel in the Army, Captain in the Navy and Group Captain in the Air Force. The decision of the Government has been received at the Service headquarters," sources said here.

Until now, Lieutenant Colonels in the Army, Commanders in the Navy and Wing Commanders in the Air Force had to put in a cumulative qualifying service of 20 years after commissioning for promotion to substantive Colonel and equivalent ranks.

However, they became unit commanding officers even with just 16 years of service, as per the cadre management policies of the tri-services, but had to wait for another four years to be confirmed as substantive Colonels and to receive the salary of a Colonel. In effect, it would mean that there would be no more 'acting' ranks of Colonel, Captain and Group Captain in the services.

Sources, however, clarified that the ranks of acting Colonels, Captains and Group Captains would be picked up by officers only in exceptional and operational situations, such as war or counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North East.

Moreover, the Government decision would have no fresh financial implications as the posts of Colonel were approved posts, sources said.

Usually, armed forces officers picked up the Colonel rank when they crossed 40 years of age. But with the new Government decision, officers would become commanding officers when they are of 35 years. The Kargil Review Committee, set up in 1999, had recommended that the age profile of commanding officers of units be brought down to let younger lot of officers to assume command of fighting troops.

Also, the implementation of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC), which reviewed the career prospects and cadre restructuring in the armed forces, last year had resulted in a need to reduce the qualifying service for grant of substantive rank of Colonel. The AVSC proposals had aimed at lowering the age profile of battalion commanders.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 04 May 2009 03:27

Armed with information

Oren Barkai

In the civilian sector, a network failure may cause inconvenience and monetary loss in most cases. In the case of the military and defence corps, the slightest system downtime may translate into a national security threat - an intolerable reality..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communication infrastructure that can keep the troops talking and moving is the key to victory.
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K. Pichumani

Information as ammunition.

On the night of November 26, 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists reached Mumbai's shores and carried out coordinated attacks in India's financial capital, leaving nearly 200 people dead, stunning the nation, and spurring the country to further spruce up its defence infrastructure.

Although India has emerged as a Civilian IT power, this power is yet to be fully exploited for national security and defence.

Defence forces today face difficulties that jeopardise military operations due to the vast amount of voice, data and video that must be transported and shared, to give troops a complete picture of any particular battle.

In the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, India has realised the importance of communication infrastructure as an integral component of military strength.

India now has the opportunity to look to other countries, facing similar challenges, for insight into improving its military infrastructure.

Every military faces the painful reality that it is cheaper, easier and faster to bring down an army's communication network than it is to fight it.

"An army that cannot talk cannot move. An army that cannot move cannot fight."

Own your networks

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), as well as many other leading military forces globally, have, therefore, opted to own and operate their own communication networks rather than depend on civilian operators' infrastructure.

These militaries are able to design, plan and protect their infrastructure to handle the capacity, flexibility and security key to their defence operations.

The army's communication capabilities have become crucial to a successful military agenda, which leads governments to apply a network-centric warfare (NCW) doctrine as an integral part of their military might.

The IDF went a long way in building its own cellular network (known as "Mountain Rose") and WiMax network (known as "Broad Channel").

Network-Centric Warfare

With the ability to provide real-time evaluation of the battlefield, NCW infrastructure is built to handle a rapid move from routine communication activities to wartime operations.

A case in point was the Second Lebanon War, in July 2006, when the IDF had to rapidly transport and gather troops to the country's northern border.

It became clear that rapid and effective communication was a top priority, with two main requirements: high bandwidth and redundancy. The army's communication network had to be upgraded quickly while under constant artillery attack.

Within hours, mobile communication units - operating in exactly the same way as fixed sites - were moved to the required areas and received instant connectivity based on "point-and-click" allocations.

The use of the fixed COTS-based wireless networks was done in the same way. This capability contributed greatly to the army's field superiority throughout the 34-day conflict.

Implementing NCW

India needs to adopt NCW, but this move will require flexibility, scalability and redundancy.

The first priority in implementing NCW is connectivity, or bandwidth.

A robust NCW communication infrastructure must be able to support and transport the vast amounts of voice, data and video-based services to enable decision makers to gain a complete picture of the battlefield in real-time.

Second, there is redundancy. In the civilian sector, a network failure may cause inconvenience and monetary loss in most cases.

In the case of the military and defence corps, the slightest system downtime may translate into a national security threat - an intolerable reality. The industry benchmark of "five nines" for network reliability, which is usually acceptable for non-military service providers, is not reliable enough for an organisation that demands "always up and running" systems.

Flexibility is another necessity, as the information transmitted must keep up with the rapidly changing battle realities and manoeuvring forces.

Wireless is not the only issue in this case, as Wireline flexibility is mandatory to allow the information flows to the stationary bases.

One may argue that flexibility is also important in civilian telecom scenarios. However, no operator has ever prepared itself for a scenario in which an entire city moves from one side of the country to the other. The level of flexibility demanded in the defence sector is significantly higher.

Another important aspect is cost-effectiveness. The task of building a converged infrastructure for communication applications is not a new practice.

The first converged infrastructures were based on several distinct platforms.

The idea of building a converged infrastructure has arisen from the capital expenses fiascos of building multiple infrastructures per service and then struggling to keep them alive and working together, in order to utilise them for newer, more advanced services.

To become an advanced military power, both in terms of strength as well as technologically advanced machinery, communication and networking infrastructure (both wireline and wireless) will become a top priority.

India will have to look to telecommunications companies with vast experience in worldwide military operations to build NCW infrastructure.

These companies must be capable of developing solutions with an overall approach to building NCW architecture that guarantees the high-level of expertise necessary for the provision of optimal infrastructure.

The foundation of this architecture rests not only on telecom vendor platforms but also on third-party best-of-breed interoperable products that come together to form an ideal NCW infrastructure solution.

Only then will militaries and, indeed, countries, be able to operate at maximum efficiency to protect their citizens from attack.

The author is Director, Government and Defence Solutions, at ECI Telecom. He can be reached at Oren.barkai@ecitele.com.

k prasad · Post by **k prasad** » 04 May 2009 10:32

^^ That is a clear sales pitch for his company, but interesting nonetheless....

However, haven't the Army and paras been using their own CDMA network in J&K for these type of ops. What about the NCWs and full scale networks being developed by the Signals Corps along with DRDO - I guess we are further ahead than the author gives us credit for.

vishal · Post by **vishal** » 04 May 2009 11:06

[quote="
However, haven't the Army and paras been using their own CDMA network in J&K for these type of ops. What about the NCWs and full scale networks being developed by the Signals Corps along with DRDO - I guess we are further ahead than the author gives us credit for.[/quote]

They do/have? Does it have mobile base stations with gensets which can then be transported to the area of operations or is it like a 'regular' cellular network with 'fixed' base stations? It would be a big benefit in large-scale operations like Sarp Vinash.

Motorola and others make the former for establishing communications in disaster-struck areas.

SivaVijay · Post by **SivaVijay** » 04 May 2009 12:52

What is the 'Samyuktha' exactly? Doesn't it cover Communication too...?

And for situation like Mumbai...the reqs are quite different from a battlefield and dont know how a military battlefield comm network apply to this...?

I may be wrong....correct me if so.

A Sharma · Post by **A Sharma** » 04 May 2009 17:26

From PIB

The Indian Army begins its major training exercise, aimed at validating and enhancing operational effectiveness of its premier corps, the KHARGA Corps. Codenamed Exercise HIND SHAKTI, it commenced yesterday in Punjab. The Exercise is being conducted as a two- sided exercise to practice the elite KHARGA Corps in their operational task. Army aims to validate its doctrine of proactive strategy through the Exercise.

Various formations of KHARGA Corps are being exercised both as BLUE LAND forces and with some representative depiction as RED LAND forces, the exercise is based on Blue land launching an offensive deep within enemy territory. The Exercise commenced in the afternoon with massed mechanised manoeuvres undertaken as part of offensive operations in the plains of Punjab. A large No of tanks, BMPs, artillery guns and specialist vehicles continued these manoeuvres by day and night under near war like conditions. A parachute drop by airborne troops and other heliborne operations were also undertaken to supplement the offensive by the mechanised forces.

As part of the Army’s modernization programme, a wide variety of State of the Art equipment has been inducted into the KHARGA Corps and has been fielded in the exercise. The KHARGA Corps, exploiting the new age technology available to it including commercially available off-the-shelf technology in the field of IT, has developed a concept of Networked Operations which exploit real time surveillance means like Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellite imagery, ground –based surveillance resources and mission reports from Air Force / Attack Helicopters. This allows for rapid decision making at the Corps Headquarters and and its lower Headquarters.

Special efforts have been made by the Army to minimize inconvenience to the public during this Exercise in close cooperation with the civil administration, which has been appreciated by the general public. The Army tanks, Paratroopers and the Heliborne operations were a big draw for the general public and the youth in particular.