SEE PAge 8 June-July 2017 Volume 14 No. 3 `100.00 (India-Based Buyer Only) EDITION Now Available NEW SP’s AN SP GUIDE P UBLICATION Reserve Your Own Copies, Now! [email protected] www.spsmilitaryyearbook.com WWW.SPSLANDFORCES.COM ROUNDUP Ear panel 2016-17.indd 1 08/02/17 9:40 AMTHE ONLY MAGAZINE IN ASIA-PACIFIC DEDICATED TO LAND FORCES IN THIS ISSUE >> LEAD STORY PAGE 4 PhOTOgraPh: PIB SikkimS Standoff — china’s Dilemma? China has resolved its borders with all its neighbours less India and Bhutan because of its expansionist aims towards the Indian Ocean Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) PAGE 6 Theatre Commands — long Overdue “The functioning of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) has, to date, revealed serious weaknesses in its ability to provide single point military advice to the government, and resolve substantive inter-Service doctrinal, planning, policy and operational issues adequately. This institution needs to be appropriately revamped to discharge its responsibilities efficiently and effectively, including the facilitation of “jointness” and synergy among the Defence Services.” —GoM Report post Kargil Crisis of 1999 Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) PLPLUS Full Financial Powers to Vice-Chief Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi of the Army Staff to Maintain Combat-Readiness 5 NDA’s Achievements in Defence Sector in Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd) Indian Army Team with T90 Tanks Participate in Tank Biathlon 2017 in Russia 5 Three Years India adopted the current dispensation of defence acquisition organisation, structures and procedures in 2002 LT GENERAL V.K. KAPOOR (RETD) ance’s (NDA) governance. This analysis won a landmark victory in the country’s aims to highlight some of the important general elections. But Prime Minister Nar- News in Brief 7 HE MODI GOVERNMENT WHICH steps taken by the government while not- endra Modi inherited from the outgoing completes three years on May 26, ing the challenges facing us in the defence United Progressive Alliance (UPA) govern- 2017, is planning to celebrate sector and is by no means a comprehensive ment a defence ministry besieged by scan- their achievements by putting coverage of the subject. dal and Armed Forces desperately short of out a report card giving out sta- critical assets. The situation was such that Ttistics of their achievements in the last Defence Sector Reforms: Backdrop as per media reports even ammunition three years of National Democratic Alli- India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party of tanks and artillery guns was in short APPLIED FOR 3/2017 SP’s LAND FORCES 1 >> LEAD STORY fication to hold public office pro- Indian security forces on July Eastern theatre, in the area of The only solution to the Chi- nounced by the Pakistan Supreme 8, 2016, started a new phase of tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan nese pressure tactics is that Court due to his alleged involve- restlessness of the youth in the and China another situation was Indian stands firm on the principle ment in Panama Papers case. Kashmir valley. Stone pelting developing. On June 20, 2017, that the only viable solution is The real power in Pakistan lies became a way of life in the val- Bhutan served a demarche to simultaneous withdrawal from the with the military and democracy ley where the youth took to pelt- China against the Chinese arbi- standoff region. is really a fa ade as the Kashmir ing stones at the security forces, trary action of constructing a road This issue of SP’s Land policy is dictated by the military. without any provocation and quite in the Doklam Plateau, which is Forces contains informative Pakistan has adopted the strategy often to provide an escape route property of the King of Bhutan. articles on NDAs achievements of bleeding India through a thou- for the terrorists being hunted by They have asked China to stop in the Defence Sector in three sand cuts ; waging a proxy war the security forces. The stone road constructions and refrain years, Sikkim Stand-off and The- which indeed takes a heavy toll on pelting by the youth in the val- from changing the status quo. atre Commands. a defensive India. ley became a new phenomenon The Chinese have long nib- As India strives to emerge as a From July 2015 to September which had to be countered by the bled at Bhutan s borders without Corrigendum strong regional power it faces for- 18, 2016, when the terrorists con- police and security forces without India doing too much about it in In the previous issue of SP’s midable security challenges. The ducted the Uri attack, five major use of lethal force, which in itself the past. At the Dokalam plateau Land Forces (2/2017), the illus- most formidable of these stems terror attacks took place. These proved to be a unique challenge. the Chinese army has been mak- tration showing China Pakistan EDITORIAL from terrorism, in both its external attacks prompted the govern- This resulted in a changed strat- ing motorable paths, and convert- Economic Corridor inadvertently and internal dimensions the ment to become more proactive egy by security forces. ing them into roads and slowly reflected incorrect international transnational and home-grown, and aggressive in their approach The government, in the mean- encroaching on the Bhutanese boundary between India and against which India has long to terrorism emanating from Paki- while, has tasked the National claim area. The Indian military are Pakistan. The error is deeply waged a relentless fight. Despite stan. On night September 27/28 Investigation Agency to probe the quite clear this plateau matters to regretted! efforts from the Indian side to the Army s Special Forces carried huge amounts of money trans- them. If China were to take it over, ensure peace and tranquility out surgical strikes across the ferred to various groups of sepa- the tri-junction of the India-China- through dialogue and negotiations, Line of Control to eliminate seven ratists in Kashmir. Pakistani intelli- Bhutanese border would actually the democratically elected govern- terror launch pads and caused gence agency ISI has established move southward several kilome- ment of Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan considerable casualities to the a network of donors in foreign ters and thus be a threat to the has not been able to deliver. In terrorists and the Pakistan army countries who donate money for territory of India. Much of Beijing’s the meanwhile on July 28, 2017, personnel involved. Kashmir insurgency to feed the outrage is its surprise that, India Nawaz Sharif was asked to step Killing of the young militant unrest in the Valley. has unilaterally changed the rules down on the verdict of disquali- Burhan Wani in Kashmir by the In the meanwhile, in the of the game. Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd) supply affecting training of personnel and An expert committee under Dhirendra long-term strategic partnerships with OROP as ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) operational preparedness of units and for- Singh was constituted on May 1, 2015. qualified Indian industry majors through implies that uniform pension be paid to mations for war. The Committee was tasked to evolve a a transparent and competitive process the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the A few years prior to the present NDA policy framework to facilitate ‘Make in wherein the Indian industry partners would same rank with the same length of service regime taking over the reins of the govern- India’ in defence manufacturing and align tie up with global OEMs to seek technology irrespective of their date of retirement and ment, the country witnessed various scan- the policy evolved with DPP-2013; and to transfers and manufacturing know-how to any future enhancement in the rates of dals such as the Ordnance Factory Board suggest the requisite amendments in DPP- set up domestic manufacturing infrastruc- pension to be automatically passed on to scam, Tatra-BEML military vehicle procure- 2013. DPP-2016 was thus formulated ture and supply chains. The policy will give the past pensioners. Hence disgruntlement ment, VVIP choppers (AgustaWestland with the experience gained by the govern- a boost to the ‘Make in India’ policy in the still remains and the government will have Helicopters) and the the Rolls-Royce-HAL ment in the defence procurement process Defence sector and set Indian industry on to truthfully and sincerely look into the kickback scandal. As a result, nine OEMs and the recommendations of the Dhiren- the path to acquiring cutting-edge capabili- issue of ‘uniform pensions’ between the old including four major international compa- dra Singh Committee. It came into effect ties which will contribute to the building of and the new which has not been achieved nies were blacklisted by the government. from April 2016. self-reliance in the vital national security despite the fact that the NDA Government Since then through various procurements Most of the deals signed recently sector. The policy is expected to be imple- has done more in this field than any other including import of some categories of such as the 145, M777 155mm howit- mented in a few selected segments to begin government in the past. ammunition and missiles and streamlin- zers, Kamov Ka-226 helicopters, Apache with, namely, fighter aircraft, submarines ing the indigenous manufacture of certain (attack helicopters) AH ID, and Airbus and armoured vehicles. In future, addi- Chief of Defence Staff/Permanent categories of ammunition, the situation has C295 transport aircraft, are under the cat- tional segments may be added. Appropriate Chairman COSC been stabilised. egory ‘Buy and Make’ which means initial institutional mechanisms will be set in place The CDS is vital not only for providing As far back as June 2014 according to procurement of limited quantity in fully to implement the policy.