भारत सरकार सेना को लद्धाख मे नियुक्त करने की सोच रही है

पहले एलएसी पर आक्रामकता और अब तिब्बत में चीनी सेना द्वारा निर्माण. इंटेल रिपोर्ट के अनुसार पीएलए के अनेक अनन्य निर्माण का पता चला है . रिपोर्ट है की चीन का सबसे अच्छा लड़ाकू विमान गॉंगखा एयरबेस पर देखा गया है.

शायद भारत सरकार ने चीन से उत्पन्न होने वाले ख़तरे को भाँप लिया है . तथा उन्हे आशंका है की बहुत जल्दी ही चीन कुछ असाधारण कदम उठा सकती है इसीलिये समाचार यह है की सरकार भारत चीन सीमा पर ITBP के स्थान पर सेना को नियुक्त करने की सोच रही है .

अभी चूमार मे घटित झड़प के बाद यह सोच और प्रबल हुई है .सेना ने जिस गति से 1500 जवानो को चीनी सेना के सामने तैनात किया और दुर्गम परिस्थिति मे पीछे हटने से मना कर दिया उसको देखते हुए सरकार ITBP के स्थान पर सेना को लद्दाख सीमा का भार देने का मन बना रही है .

मेरा अपना यह विचार है की ITBP की कमान सेना को हस्तांतरित कर देना उचित होगा.   गृह मंत्रालय किसी भी ऐसे बल को संभालने मे असमर्थ है जो सीमा पर चीन जैसे दुश्मन के सामने हो. और चीन अर्द्धसैनिक बल का प्रयोग नही कर रही है हमारे सामने चीन की सेना PLA तैनात है.

असम ट्रिब्यून से बातचीत में डॉ सांगे ने बताया की चीन ने जबरदस्ती तिब्बत पर कब्जा करने के बाद और हाल के दिनों में देश को एक सैनिक छावनी मे प्रिवर्तित कर दिया है. उनके अनुसार चीन ने तिब्बत मे अपने ठिकानों का विस्तार करने की कोशिश कर रहा है. उन्होंने कहा कि सैन्य कस्बों की एक संख्या अचानक से बहुत बाद गयी है . हमे याद रखना चाहिए की तिब्बत का भारत के साथ एक लंबी सीमा है.

पांच प्रमुख सैन्य हवाई अड्डों का निर्माण किया गया है कि और छठवाँ निर्माणाधीन है.कॉंगपो सैन्य हवाई क्षेत्र सिर्फ 50 किलोमीटर की दूरी पर है अरुणाचल प्रदेश में अंतरराष्ट्रीय सीमा से.

चीन ने ल्हासा तक निर्मित रेलवे लाइन द्वारा अपने ZBD-03 बख्तरबंद गाड़ियों को लाने का भी अभ्यास किया है जो की बहुत महत्वपूर्ण साबित होगा किसी भी युद्ध मे  .

इसके अलावा , लगातार दूसरे वर्ष के लिए , पीएलए सेना और प्लाफ ने पिछले साल 5,000 से अधिक मीटर की ऊंचाई पर क़िंघई- तिब्बत पठार पर , ब्रिगेड स्तर के युद्ध अभ्यास का आयोजन किया था

रक्षा अधिग्रहण परिषद के निर्णयों का विश्लेषण

सबसे पहेले ४०० हेलिकॉप्टर की बात करते हैं . यह हेलिकॉप्टर चेतक और चीता की जगह लेंगे क्यूंकी यह दोनो पुराने हो चुके है. हेलिकॉप्टर का काम उचाई पर हमारे ठिकानो को रसद, वीक्षण, हताहत निकासी और सेना के जवानो को पहुचाने का है . HAL नेअभी तक कोई भी हेलिकॉप्टर इसके लिए निर्माण नही किया है . उसकी योजना अनुसार LUC नामका एक हेलिकॉप्टर बनेगा . उसका कोई भी उड़ता हुया मॉडेल नही है . अत: ४-५ वर्ष लग जाएँगे इसको आने मे . तब तक हमारी सेना उचे पहाड़ो पर क्या करेगी उसका अनुमान आप लगा सकते है. 

इन ४०० मे से HAL को २०० हेलिकॉप्टर का अनुबंध प्राप्त होना लगभग तय है और अगर कोई निजी कंपनी कोई और हेलिकॉप्टर नही लाती है तो पूरे ४०० हेलिकॉप्टर HAL को मिल जाएँगे.

इसका फायेदा यह होगा की हमारी बहुत बचत होगी और हम किसी के भरोसे नही रहेंगे (एंजिन और कुछ एवियानिक्स के अलावा) किंतु HAL की कार्य प्रणाली बहुत ही घटिया है उनके द्वारा निर्मित अधिकतर आयुध 3rd क्लास होते है तथा १ साल का काम वो ४ साल मे करते है .
अतः मेरी इच्छा है की टाटा, अशोक Leyland इत्यादि अगर हेलिकॉप्टर का निर्माण करे तो बेहतर होगा .

दूसरा बड़ा फ़ैसला और मेरे हिसाब से बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण फ़ैसला Active Towed Array Sonar के संदर्भ मे लिया गया है जिसके लिए मैं बहुत प्रसन्न हूँ . आप यकीन नही करेंगे किंतु हमारे नये यूधपोत इस सोनार के ना होने के कारण पनडुब्बी के लिए आसान शिकार हैं और चीन का पनडुब्बी बेड़ा बेहद खतरनाक और विशाल है .
DRDO ने कई वर्षों तक हमारी नौसेना को मूर्ख बनाया और अंत मे हाथ खड़े कर लिए.

तीसरा फ़ैसला भी बहुत अच्छा है ४० अर्जुन tank पर आधारित catapult artillery सिस्टम खरीदने के लिए एक प्रस्ताव को मंजूरी दे दी. आप शायद भीम नामकself-propelled howitzer के बारे मे जानते होंगे कुछ वर्ष पूर्व T-७२ tank के उपर Denel कंपनी का तोप लगा कर एक बहुत ही शक्तिशाली self-propelled howitzer बिल्कुल तैयार था किंतु Denel के विरुद्ध कुछ मामले सामने आए और यह प्रॉजेक्ट धरा का धरा रह गया .

चौथा और बहुत ही बड़ा फ़ैसला chinook और अपाचे हिलिकॉप्टेर के विषय मे है, chinook एक बहुत विशाल हेलिकॉप्टर है जिसका विश्व मे कोई सानी नही है mi-26, रूस द्वारा निर्मित हेलिकॉप्टर का सर्विस रेकॉर्ड बहुत घटिया है . तथा यह फ़ैसला भारत के महामात्य के अमरीका दौरे को ध्यान मे रखते हुए किया गया है.
Apache मेरे हिसाब से दुनिया का बेहतरीन लड़ाकू हेलिकॉप्टर है जिसने अनेक यूधभूमि पर आपना लोहा मनवाया है


एक और फ़ैसले से मै बहुत प्रसन्न हूँ इंडियन आर्मी ने स्पाइक anti-tank guided missiles की खरीद पर ज़ोर दिया था किन्तु अमरीका ने अपने बहुत की ख़तरनाक javeline missile ka साथ मे निर्माण करने का प्रस्ताव रखा है यह हमारे लिए बहुत लाभदायक हो सकता है अत: स्पाइक की खरीद अभी स्थगित कर दी गयी है .

किलो क्लास पन्नडूबी के मध्य जीवन उन्नयन का निर्णय भी नौसेना के लिए लाभदायक सिद्ध होगा.हमारी नौसेना के पन्नडूबी गिनती मे बहुत कम और पुराने हो चुके है जो किसी भी प्रकार चीन का मुकाबला करने मे और हमारे विशाल सागर क्षेत्र और तट रेखा की सुरक्षा के लिए परिपूर्ण नही है. रक्षा मंत्री ने कुछ दिन पूर्व स्कॉर्पीन पन्नडूबी को जल्द से जल्द सेवा मे लाने का भी आदेश दिया था , इन फ्रांसीसी पनडुब्बियों को  4-5 साल पहले ही सेवा मे आ जानी चाहिए थी किंतु हमरे लचर रक्षा उत्पादन उद्योग के चलते वह आज भी निर्माण चरण मे ही अटकी हुई है.

तेजपुर स्थित 4 कोर ,3 कोर दीमापुर आधारित और 14 कोर लेह आधारित के तहत चीन सीमा पर तैनात सेना के जवानों के लिए मोबाइल संचार प्रणाली का नेटवर्क स्थापित किया जाएगा . युद्ध और शांति के दौरान बिना संचार व्यवस्था के सेना की कार्य क्षमता नगण्य हो जाती है. तथा दुश्मन सबसे पहले हमारी स्थिर संचार व्यवस्था को निशाना बनाएगी.  

अंत मे 118 अर्जुन MK2 Tanks की खरीद का है DRDO की मंशा यह थी की अर्जुन कम से  कम 300-500 के बीच मे हो ताकि आपूर्ति लाइन ठीक से काम करे और मुनाफ़ा भी दे . हो सकता है की सरकार और सेना पहले इन Tanks को उपयोग करके देखना चाहती हो फिर और नये अर्जुन MK2 ख़रीदेगी. हो सकता है की इस समय अर्जुन पूरी तरह  से परिपक्व नही हुया हो किंतु हम अगर इसको उपयोग मे नही लाएँगे तो कैसे पता चलेगा इसकी क्या कमियाँ है और अगले संस्करण मे कैसे उसे और सुधारा जाए. कोई भी Tank पहले संस्करण से बिल्कुल सही नही बनता है. आप  किसी का भी उधारण देख सकते है चाहे वो इज़्रेली मेरकावा हो या फिर जर्मन लेपर्ड.
हर देश ने धीरे धीरे घर मे निर्मित वस्तु को सुधारा है. अगर कल रूस हमे टी-90 देने मे असमर्थ भी हो फिर भी हमारे पास अपने घर मे बना अर्जुन होगा तथा टी-90 के मुक़ाबले यह सस्ता भी होगा आगे चलकर . 

जैटली जी ने शुरआत अच्छी करी है आशा करता हूँ की उनके आदेशो पर तीव्रता के साथ अमल भी किया जाएगा .

Two Bangladeshi among five arrested in India

Five Chakma youths including two from Bangladesh have been apprehended with huge quantity of arms and ammunition in the Indian state of Mizoram.

A senior official of Border Security Force (BSF) in Agartala said the arrests were made on Thursday.

Their detention reinforces the assertions that Mizoram is being used as a corridor by gun runners, and insurgents of northeast India and Bangladesh for transporting arms and ammunition and drugs from Myanmar and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) inside Indian territory.

“Aizawl frontier BSF along with Mizoram police during search of a vehicle on the airport road apprehend five Chakma youths,” said BS Rawat, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of BSF.

He said five M-16 rifles, 5100 round of live cartridges of M-16 and AKs, 10 cell phones and Indian rupees 60,000 and documents were found on them.

For the complete story click here

What should we expect from PM Modi's visit to Japan

With PM Modi's visit to Japan, what should we expect???

1) Japan pressing for bullet train project.

2) Would Japanese lawmakers back Indian Civil Nuclear Deal???<Abe is one person>

3) With the Liability law proving a bridge too far for most companies, would Japanese shy away too???

4) Can the Japanese bring their manufacturing sector to India and make it a hub??

Japanese expect that strong Modi Government would expedite the process for ongoing big ticket projects such as Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor including smart community projects, Dedicated Freight Corridor (the new construction of railways dedicated for freight transportation) and Chennai Bangalore Industrial Corridor. Japan wants to see implementation of these major economic projects accelerated, as well as prompt resolution of investment-related concerns.

5) With huge Chinese army in an eyeball confrontation with our Army over a big land mass, how much room PM Modi has for maneuver .(No American Army Base here and Chinese def minister statement is categorical about use of army anytime)
6) Investment in Indian Infra is it lucrative enough?? (Over zealous courts and weird tax laws)
In 2003 only 250 Japanese companies were operating in India and now there are 1100, unfortunately Japanese see the chronic problem of Indian infrastructure as an impediment to rapid scaling up of investment.
7) Will the Japanese agree for joint production of US-2 aircrafts in India, if we agree to no sale to third party?
8) What is the strategic vision vis-a -vis China, is there a common ground to act upon or it is just castle in the air??

9) Japanese economy is slowing down again with an ageing population and draconian labor laws.
This an area where India can be of help by providing cheap labor and a huge population. Thus a company invested in India can make more profits even though Indian labor laws are not the best either.

Get Your Act Together, Says Anthony to HAL

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today asked the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to realign its business processes for strategic alliances and joint ventures, as also, to step up R&D efforts to remain globally competitive.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry, Shri Antony said HAL should partner with design laboratories like DRDO and CSIR for the development of indigenous aircraft, engines and systems. He said, what is more, HAL should adopt best practices followed by the global leaders in the field of project management, quality control systems, vendor deployment and supply chain management.

HAL, the leading Defence Public Sector Undertaking, has a turnover of over Rs.13,000 crores and is set for a quantum jump with the planned acquisition and production of Light Combat Aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter, Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft, Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, Multirole Transport Aircraft, Basic Trainer Aircraft in its assembly lines in the coming years.

Shri Antony said the opening of defence production to the private sector and the introduction of offset clause in defence procurements should provide the necessary fillip to the entry of several players from the private sector into the aircraft industry.

Keeping in mind the mammoth role that the HAL would assume in the coming years in the aerospace industry and the challenges that it would face, the government has set up an expert group under the chairmanship of Shri BK Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission to suggest measures to strengthen and restructure HAL.

The expert group has already met twice and is expected to submit its report soon. Among other things, the Group will suggest how best the spin offs from HAL order book can be earnest to ensure better involvement of the private industry in the defence sector. It will also suggest measures to enhance the synergies between HAL, the private defence sector and the civilian industry. The expert Group will assess the future technological and human resource requirements of HAL keeping in view the upcoming and emerging futuristic aeronautical technologies.

Taking part in the discussion the Members of Parliament appreciated the role played by HAL in the defence arena of the country over the years. They, however, pointed out certain shortcomings such as the delay in the induction of the Light Combat Aircraft in the Indian Air Force, delay in the development of Kaveri Engine, delay in phasing out of Mig-21 aircraft and lack of an aggressive strategy to export HAL products.

Replying to queries, Shri Antony said the government has taken a number of measures to acquire the most modern aircraft for the Indian Air Force in the coming years. Some of the aircraft have already been inducted into IAF and others are in pipeline. Shri Antony was optimistic that from 2020 onwards most of the airframes and platforms of the Indian Air Force would have incorporated new technology. Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju said HAL today faces multifarious challenges. He said while the organisation has evolved over the last 70 years by producing some of the finest human resources and products, in future, HAL would increasingly play the role of system integrator.

The Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Shri Manish Tewari, Shri Naveen Jindal, Shri Suresh Kalmadi, Shri Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Shri Kalkesh N Singh Deo, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Shri SS Ramasubbu, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Shri Balwant alias Bal Apte, Dr. Mahender Prasad, Shri HK Dua and Shri Ishwar Lal Jain.

Indian Republic Day Videos

This video shows the might and diversity of India as showcased in the Republic Day Parade of 26th Jan, 2012. Every Indian should bookmark this video for future reference. It will be great to see how Indian military might evolves over the next 10 years or so.

This video is courtesy of Ashish Divay. Please support the original author by visiting his blog at http://ashsworldonline.blogspot.in/

Nixon, Kissinger's And Their Personal Jehad Against India

US President Richard Nixon is on the phone with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, hours after Pakistan launched simultaneous attacks on six Indian airfields, a reckless act that prompted India to declare war.

Nixon: So West Pakistan giving trouble there.
Kissinger: If they lose half of their country without fighting they will be destroyed. They may also be destroyed this way but they will go down fighting.
Nixon: The Pakistan thing makes your heart sick. For them to be done so by the Indians and after we have warned the bitch (reference to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi). Tell them that when India talks about West Pakistan attacking them it's like Russia claiming to be attacked by Finland

China Has Deployed Advanced Next Generation Nuclear Missiles on Indian Border

China has deployed more advanced and survivable solid-fuel nuclear capable CSS-5 MRBM missiles against India as a 'deterrent posture', Pentagon has said warning that a high degree of mistrust continues to strain their bilateral ties.

The PLA has replaced liquid-fueled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 IRBMs with more advanced and survivable solid-fueled CSS-5 MRBM systems to strengthen its deterrent posture relative to India, the Pentagon has said in its annual report on Chinese military build up to the Congress.

Pentagon said that New Delhi remains concerned by China's close military ties with Pakistan and its growing footprints in the Indian Ocean, Central Asia and Africa.

The report noted that Pakistan continued to be China's primary customer for conventional weapons and sales to Islamabad included newly rolled out JF-17 fighters with production facilities, F-22P frigates with helicopters, early warning and control aircraft, tanks, K-8 trainers, F-7 fighters, air-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and missile technologies.

Country:	People's Republic of China
Alternate Name:	DF-21
Class:	MRBM
Basing:	Road mobile
Length:	10.70 m
Diameter:	1.40 m
Launch Weight:	14700 kg
Payload:	Single warhead, 600 kg
Warhead:	Nuclear 250 or 500kT, HE, submunitions, or chemical
Propulsion:	2-stage solid
Range:	2150 km
Status:	Operational

The CSS-5 is a tactical missile system, though it has a few strategic applications. While its payload and accuracy are sufficient to destroy civilian population centers, it lacks the range to reach key Russian or US cities. The CSS-5 can be effectively used as a deterrent against India, which is increasing its nuclear arsenal. It can also strike a number of key US bases and allies in the region. However, it is capable of being used against large targets such as airports, seaports, or key staging areas. It is reasonably effective against these targets even if not deployed with a nuclear warhead, making it an effective tactical system. In the case of an attack on Taiwan, CSS-5 missiles with conventional warheads will almost certainly be used to soften the island prior to an invasion by striking defensive forces.

China At It again, Chinese Spy Ships Collecting Data For Future War In Indian Ocean

Chinese spy ships in Indian waters trying to collect data for future battle group invasion into our water. Plus they are trying to collect data on our missiles so that they can develop counter measures.

Terrorist Are Planning To Hit India's Bhakra Dam

Intelligence inputs indicate terrorists are planning to target the Bhakra Nangal Dam in Himachal Pradesh.

Intelligence Bureau sources on Saturday said an advisory has been sent to the Himachal government to tighten the security at the dam.

It is believed that the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawah groups are likely to carry out the strike during the Monsoon, during which water level is very high in the dam.

Damage to the facility at that time could cause havoc in the areas downstream.

But we must remember it is not easy to blow up a dam though it might sound simple enough specifically dam of this size, it is not a small check dam. To blow it up you will need extreme amounts of explosives or some weapon which can penetrate the thick walls.

Prahar India's Answer To Pakistani Nasr

Prahaar, a new quick-reaction, short-range tactical missile, which will fill the gap for a battlefield weapon system in India’s missile arsenal, is all set to be flight-tested on Sunday. It had been under development for the last four years.

The gap that needs to be plugged is between 37.5km (the Pinaka MBRL's range) and the Smwerch-M's quoted range of 90km. And the only way to plug this gap is by procuring 155mm/52-cal self-propelled field artillery howitzers (motorised and tracked) firing rocket-assisted projectiles out to 61.4km, as demonsrated a decade ago by both the Bhim tracked SPH and the Caesar motorized SPH.

The Smerch-M is an area saturation weapon and although it can deliver guided sensor-fuzed munitions, it still does not count as a precision strike weapon. The Indian Army has since 2002 been asking for hypersonic missiles with depressed flight trajectories for high-accuracy (not pinpoint accuracy, mind you) strikes against hostile fixed static targets like POL storage areas (for Brigade- and Divisional-level formations), and transportation infrastructure nodes located along interior lines of communication (consequently making the Prahaar Pakistan-specific).

As such targets are plenty in number, only a limited inventory of 'Prahaars' will be required, like 80 missiles per missile group, which works out to 240 missiles for the three existing missile groups, plus three reload rounds, working out to 720 missiles. In terms of both the cost-benefit ratio and techno-economic matrix, the Prahaar will be extremely cost-effective as it will the free up the IAF's strike aircraft assets to launch strategic and tactical air interdiction sorties, instead of undertaking the extremely hazardous task of battlefield air interdiction. This in turn will dramatically reduce blue-on-blue engagements (which were plenty in the 1965 and 1971 wars) and also dramatically reduce the sensor-to-shooter time-gap that presently prevails as far as the Army's field artillery formations are concerned. In other words, the emphasis is on effects-based operations, and not on the tonnage of TNT dropped in and around the targeted areas.

It has greater accuracy as compared to other unguided missiles India has developed so far with a strike range of 150 km. Moreover, it can handle several targets at once and allow mixture of different kinds of missiles in just one launcher.This solid fueled missile can be launched within 2-3 minutes without any preparation providing significantly better reaction time than liquid fueled Prithvi ballistic missiles.

Terming ‘Prahaar’ as an excellent weapon, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DRDO Director- General VK Saraswat said it would be equipped with omni-directional warheads and initially handled by the Indian Army.

The missile appears to be India’s response to Pakistan’s Nasr, a 60-km range tactical nuclear missile which was tested on April 19.

Defence sources said preparation for the first test at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from here, has reached final stage. Weather permitting, the test will be conducted on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the defence authorities have initiated steps to temporarily shift people residing in the 2-km radius of the test range. A meeting in this regard will be convened with the district administration on Friday to decide the pay package for the people to be displaced for a day.

USD 1 billion for India's Homeland Security

India will be spending a whopping USD one billion on internal security modernisation, a senior government official today but the industry sought concrete budgetary figures in this regard.

"The government of India will be investing around USD 1 billion on the internal security modernising programmes," S Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary (Police Modernisation) in the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Speaking at the 5th International Conference and Exhibition on Internal Security: Integrating Technologies for Internal Security, he said security forces account for around 60-70 percent of the overall procurements of equipment and solutions for security.

M K Chhabra, IG (Modernisation), BPR&D observed that given the geographical diversity and multiplicity of threats, India is uniquely placed as far as its internal security requirements are concerned. "Therefore, we need customised security solutions as per the expectations and requirements of the Indian security forces."

Meanwhile, the industry requested the government to come out with concrete budgetary figures about the internal security requirements.

"The quantification would help the industry to make its business plans and enter into internal security market with unprecedented vigour," Rothin Bhattacharyya, chairman CII (Internal Security Committee) said.

Gurpal Singh, Deputy Director General and Head Defence, Aerospace and Security, CII said, SMEs are the real source of innovations and therefore, have remained the integral part of the security solutions.

With the defence offsets being extended to internal security and civil aviation, new areas of opportunities have been opened to the Indian industry and SMEs will be the biggest beneficiaries, he said.

Singh pointed out that over the past decade, India's internal security landscape has seen dramatic changes.

He said the need of the hour is effective and intelligent information management.

Effective information management enables security agencies to reduce costs by minimising waste and duplication and using information gathering resources more efficiently.

This, he said can remove unnecessary recording, enable security agencies to share services and systems, help create intelligence from disparate pieces of information, allow for better use of analytics to support decision-making and ensure specialist law enforcement skills are utilised effectively in the community.

"The best, actionable and prompt intelligence on internal security often comes from police stations. Information management also increases the effectiveness and performance of public safety services in a number of ways," he said.

(source PTI)

Chinese Influence On the Rise In the Indian Ocean, India Worried

China, seeking to gain influence in the Indian Ocean, has reportedly increased its aid to Sri Lanka dramatically since 2005, a US Congressional report has said.

“In the view of some analysts and observers, China is seeking to gain influence with the Sri Lankan government as part of a ‘string of pearls’ naval strategy to develop port access in the northern reaches of the Indian Ocean,” said the report by bi-partisan and Congressional Research Service.

Indian defence planners are reportedly particularly concerned with Chinese efforts to develop ports in the region, the eight-page rare report on Sri Lanka said. China is reportedly investing significantly in the development of a port in Hambantota in Sri Lanka on the country’s southeastern coast.

“China is also reportedly helping to develop port facilities in Gwadar, Pakistan; Chittagong, Bangladesh; and Sittwe, Burma. Colombo was also reportedly upset with Western calls for a truce in the lead up to their defeat of the LTTE in May 2009,” the report said.

It also said that Sri Lanka offers a test case of how to respond to a brutal military victory over a violent ethnic nationalist separatist movement.

The report said that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a firm hold on government and popular support among the Sinhalese majority for his leadership in presiding over a military victory over the LTTE in 2009.

“The government’s reluctance to seriously entertain notions that the Sri Lanka army’s conduct was in any way suspect at the conclusion of the war raises questions about whether public international condemnations of what appear to be heinous war crimes can be effective,” it said.

It informed the lawmakers that the UN Security Council is unlikely to meet the demands of the human rights bodies and several countries about the need to set up an enquiry into war crime victims in Sri Lanka, because of the opposition from two veto wielding members.

“The Security Council would have to request the ICC (International Criminal Court) to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka. Russia and China, as permanent members, have veto power in the Security Council and are thought to oppose formal Security Council involvement in the matter,” it said.

At the same time the report noted that some have observed that a strong effort by the United Nations and the international community to force a criminal investigation into war crimes could be counter-productive as it would likely further bolster Rajapaksa’s popularity on the basis of Sinhalese nationalism.

PTI

Pakistan Military Using Militant Groups Like LeT Against USA And India

According to a top commander of militants Pakistan and its military establishment is actively training,arming and using proxies or militant groups to kill Americans in Afghanistan and carry out attacks on Indians soil. It has 12,000 to 14,000 trained kashmiri fighters spread all over Pakistan in various camp as backup for if and when war breaks out with India.

Notwithstanding its repeated refutal of links with terror groups, the Pakistan military continues to support a broad range of militants as part of its three-decade strategy of using proxies against its neighbours and US forces in Afghanistan, a former top militant commander has claimed.

Terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen and Hizbul Mujahedeen are run by religious leaders, with the Pakistani military providing training, strategic planning and protection, the militant leader said.

The former top militant commander, said he was supported by the Pakistani military for 15 years as a fighter, leader and trainer of insurgents until he quit a few years ago.

The commander is well known in militant circles, but accustomed to a covert existence, 'New York Times' reported publishing an interview, the paper claimed he gave on the condition that his name, location and personal details would not be revealed.

Times said, that the former commander's account belies years of assurance by Pakistan to American officials since September 11 2001 attacks that it has ceased supporting militant groups on its territory.

The militant commander said that Pakistan's military and intelligence establishments had not abandoned its policy of supporting militant groups as tools in Pakistan's dispute with India over Kashmir and in Afghanistan to drive out American and NATO forces.

"There are two bodies running these affairs: mullahs and retired generals," he said and named a number of former military officials involved in the programme, including former chiefs of the intelligence service and other former generals.

"These people have a very big role still," he said.

Maj Gen Zaheer ul-Islam Abbasi, a former intelligence officer who was convicted of attempting a coup against the government of Benazir Bhutto in 1995 and who is now dead, was one of the most active supporters of the militant groups in the years after Sept 11, the former commander said.

He said he saw General Abbasi several times: once at a meeting of Taliban and Pakistani militant leaders in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province as they planned how to confront the American military in Afghanistan; and twice in Mir Ali, which became the centre for foreign militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, including members of al Qaeda.

There were about 60 people at the Taliban meeting in late 2001, soon after the Taliban government fell, the former commander said.

Pakistani militant leaders were present, as were the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, and Muhammad Haqqani, a member of the Haqqani network.

Several retired officials of Pakistan's premier spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, were also there, he said, including a man known as Colonel Imam but who was actually Brig Sultan Amir, a well-known trainer and mentor of militants, and General Abbasi.

The militant groups divided Afghanistan into separate areas of operations and discussed how to "trip up America," he said.

The Pakistani military still supports the Afghan Taliban in their fight to force out American and NATO forces from Afghanistan, he said, adding that he thought they would be successful.

The ISI also still supports other Pakistani militant groups, even some of those that have turned against the government, because the military still wants to keep them as tools for use against its arch-rival, India, he said.

The military used a strategy of divide and rule, encouraging splits in the militant groups to weaken and control them, he said.

Although the military has lost control of many of the firebrand fighters, and has little influence over the foreign fighters in the tribal areas who belong to al Qaeda some of whom openly oppose the Pakistani government it was reluctant to move against them, he said.

Pakistan could easily kill the notoriously vicious militant leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, but chose not to, he said.

"If someone gave me 20,000 rupees, I would do it," he said, citing a price of about USD 235.

"The government is not interested in eliminating them permanently," he said.

"The Pakistani military establishment has become habituated to using proxies", he said adding that there were many sympathisers in the military who still supported the use of militants.

Yet, Pakistan has been losing the fight for Kashmir, and most Kashmiris now want independence and not to be part of Pakistan or India, he said.

Since Sept 11 2001, Pakistan has redirected much of its attention away from Kashmir to Afghanistan, and many Kashmiri fighters are not interested in that fight and have taken up India's offer of an amnesty to go home.

"The Taliban lost a whole government for one person," he said, again referring to Bin Laden.

"And Pakistan went to war just for a few generals and now for President Zardari," he said, referring to Asif Ali Zardari.

"Many of the thousands of trained Pakistani fighters turned against the military because it treated them so carelessly", he said.

"Pakistan used them and then, like a paper tissue, threw them away," he said.

Indeed, he was first trained for a year by the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba at a camp in Kunar Province, in Afghanistan, in the early 1990s.

The war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan was over, and Pakistan turned to training fighters for an insurgency in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

He became skilled at firing Russian-made rocket-propelled grenades, and he was sent to fight, and train others, in Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya and Afghanistan.

Over the years he worked with different militant groups, and he estimated that he personally trained up to 4,000 fighters.

The entire enterprise was supported by the Pakistani military and executed by Pakistani militant groups, he said.

(source PTI)

India To Fly Its Own 90-Seater Aircraft In 5 Years

India hopes to test fly its first indigenously-developed 90 seater regional transport aircraft in the next five years, a top official has said.

The 90-seater RTA will be developed as a team India initiative led by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), which could also see some global participation, CSIR director general Samir Brahmachari said here today.

A committee headed by former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair submitted a feasibility study to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) recently in this regard.

The Committee, which had top bureaucrats and aerospace scientists as members, has suggested a two-pronged approach -- Design Development and Production Unit -- to realise the objective.

"The Committee has come to a conclusion that the RTA should be a narrow body turbo fan aircraft with a seating capacity for 70-90 persons and stretchable to 80-100 persons," Brahmachari said.

The total project cost is estimated at Rs 7,700 crore -- Rs 4,500 for the design and development stage and Rs 3,200 for the production unit, he said.

The Nair Committee has also suggested that the government pick up the entire tab for the design and development state and has favoured a joint venture route for setting up the production facility.

The panel has set a target of six-eight years for completion of the development and production stage of the project.

"We hope to have the prototype ready in the next five years assuming that the project takes off in 2012," Brahmachari said.

CSIR has recruited 85 engineers in Bangalore-based NAL for the design and development of the RTA, Brahmachari said, adding that there would be an additional requirement of at least 300 more engineers for the project.

He said discussions were still taking place on whether to involve the private sector at the design stage itself.

Discussions had also taken place with the Israel Aerospace Agency and a Swedish company while preparing the feasibility report for the project.

The report has also been submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has called for further consultations on the matter.

Brahmachari said the designing of the aircraft will be linked to small and medium enterprises sector which is already manufacturing some components for the aircraft industry.

"Such an approach would help reduce costs and will also help further develop the MSME sector," he said.

As per aviation market projections, the country will require about 500-600 regional aircraft, while the global market is estimated to be about 10-fold.

The aircraft will be capable of take-offs and landings on smaller runways making it fit for use on 85 per cent of the country's airports.

The aircraft will also have a low carbon footprint and capable of travelling 2,500 km in one go, Brahmachari said.

(source PTI)

India Invited By Vietnam To Increase Its Naval Presence in South China Sea

Small piece of news which might irritate the evil red Chinese dragon is that Vietnam has given India the permission to drop anchor at Nha Trang port during naval exercises and goodwill visit.

Why is this so important? Because uptill now most foreign countries including India was only allowed into Halong Bay near Hanoi.While Nha Trang port is only few kilometers away from mainland China and bang in the middle of South China Sea. This will give India an opportunity to create a permanent presence in that area which is essentially Chinese backyard.

We all know that Vietnam is embroiled into a bloody war with China over some of the islands and the actual demarcation in South China Sea. This move by India will be surely seen as aggressive posturing by the Chinese, who have used the same tactics against India by propping up Pakistan.

India, too, is set to offer naval facilities for training and capacity-building to Vietnam. The Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Navy, Vice-Admi-ral and deputy minister Nguyen Van Hien, is scheduled to visit New Delhi, Mumbai and Visakhapat-nam during his visit starting Monday to witness Indian naval capabilities.

“India could also offer its experience in ship-building to Vietnam, which currently has a small Navy,” said a government source.


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Israel India Relationship Was Better Under BJP : ISRAEL

Lamenting the lack of high-level visits from India under the UPA government, senior officials at the Israeli foreign ministry told US diplomats that it was "better under the Bhartiya Janata Party government", according to a classified US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.

Despite burgeoning defence and trade ties, "Israel is concerned about the lack of high-level visits and other exchanges with India. The last visit by an Indian Foreign Minister was in 2000, with a November 2007 visit called off at the last minute," deputy Director general for Asia and Pacific at Israel's foreign ministry Ruth Kahanoff told US diplomats.

"Kahanoff believes that India is restrained in the relationship (with Israel) by its large Muslim population, their concern about relations with the Arab world, and lingering elements of the Non-Aligned Movement/Nehru ideology," the US embassy cable revealed by WikiLeaks said.

Giora Bacher, Director at Israel's foreign ministry Asia and Pacific Desk, also attending the meeting, added that the "visits were actually better under the Bharatiya Janata Party government".

Kahanov also pointed out to US political counsellor Marc Sievers and others present during the December 2007 meeting that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited India in 2003, but no Indian Prime Minister has ever come to Israel.

He also complained about Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari giving a speech attacking Israel, which she saw "as a sign that India is still trying to find its place in the world".

Bacher told US officials that her country's current relationship with India is dominated by defence cooperation and other trade.

The Israeli official noted that initially 95 per cent of the bilateral trade between the two countries was in diamonds, but it is now down to 70 per cent, and there is significant investment in real estate and businesses on both sides as both the countries' economy continue to liberalise.

Kahanoff also stressed on the opening of a branch of the State Bank of India in Israel to support its investors.

(source PTI)

Insignificant And Marginalized European Parliament Passes A Resolution On Kashmir

(research Devashish Bajpai)


Now this is really hilarious, a parliament which has no real hold on anybody with no real powers has just passed a resolution on May 11th linking Trade relationship with India and Kashmir. Well this is the classic case of trying to burn brightly one last time before disappearing in oblivion.

A local daily in Srinagar reported that the para-33 of the resolution passed by the European Parliament on May 11, 2011, over the FTA between India and European Union states that human rights, democracy and security are essential elements of the relationship between EU and India.

“Therefore we call on both the sides to ensure that dialogue on open issues is stepped up with particular reference to Kashmir,” the resolution added.

The resolution for expediting the dialogue over the Kashmir dispute came in the wake of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s visit to the European Union headquarters at Brussels, last month, and the frequent trips of the EU Ambassadors to the occupied territory to meet different shades of opinion.

You may recall that in 2008 EU came up with another joke when its Parliament asked New Delhi to urgently ensure independent and impartial investigations into all suspected sites of mass graves in Kashmir and as an immediate first step to secure the grave sites in order to preserve the evidence.Earlier, the EU had termed Kashmir as world’s most beautiful prison. Does anybody know what came of it??

I will tell you what came of it .Just after that all the world powers made a bee-line for the Indian capital New Delhi, some of the EU and Western satraps who have visited us since then asking for our friendship are French President, German Chancellor, US President, Russian President, Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland, Mr. Horst Kohler, President of Germany, Mr. Abdullah Gul, President of Turkey,Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, Prime Minister of United Kingdom (State), Mr Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland. These are only few of them in just one year(not three years), I am not even considering other head of states.

So my friends did you get the answer, what happened was that after getting paid huge sum of money from Saudi Arabia and other terrorist countries these gentlemen/ladies decided to vote for Pakistan sponsored resolution, unfortunately for them the reality on the ground is something quite different. EU's member countries need business from India in various sectors to survive.

One small military move on our part will de-stabilize whole Af-Pak region and leaving the hapless Europeans to fend for themselves in Afghanistan without their vassal state of Pakistan and its military. Thus my little advice to Europeans is to look after their own state rather than poke their nose where it does not belong. Why don't they try by starting to produce something in UK rather than outsourcing everything to China, or making its own people go to work, because 50% of population or more claims one alms or the other from the state as beggars.

Some European nations have gone a step ahead and made their own people official drug-users and addicts. So EU parliament has more than its share of problem to solve. It will be more constructive to help its own members rather than towing Pakistani/Saudi line like morons.

Indian Security Forces Given Substandard Night Vision Device

Indian Security Forces bought 5,000 pieces of Night Vision Devices and guess what most of them are so bad that they cannot be used. The whole lot has been sourced from grey market and are substandard. Proper procedures laid out for testing before awarding the contract were not followed and at the end of it all, the security forces do not have any reliable Night Vision Devices. Worst part of the story is that these devices have been bought from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a prestigious public sector undertaking.

India And Russia Will Start Producing Equipment For Nuclear Power Plants Together

A Russian-Indian joint venture for the production of equipment for nuclear power plants (NPP) will be set up in India before the end of the year, Director General of the AtomEnergoMash Company Vladimir Kashchenko said on the sidelines of the International Atomexpo-2011 Forum that opened in Moscow.

In his words, the joint venture will be set by an Indian enterprise, which is ready to produce NPP equipment under Russia’s technologies.

“Currently, India has got several enterprises of rather high technological market, which may become participants in the Russian-Indian joint venture,” Kashchenko said.

“In addition, India is a very promising market of nuclear technological equipment for the entire Asian region,” he stressed.

The AtomEnergoMash director general is confident that the joint venture of the kind is “the prototype for the setting up of a regional structure for the production of atomic technological equipment, which may be exported to other countries of the region.”

“If the Asian market of nuclear technologies develops rather intensively, then the Russian-Indian joint ventures will be very interesting and promising project, which will be beneficial both for India and Russia,” Kashchenko said.

In his words, “the project of the joint venture has always been coordinated in full. It is expected that the first supply contracts will be ready this year.”

Touching upon the AtomEnergoMash’s economy, Kashchenko said that this year’s portfolio of orders is estimated at 80 billion roubles (USD 1 = RUB 27.77). as well as 50 percent of all orders are projects of the atomic industry.

(source Itar Tass)