December 2011 -January 2012 Volume 8 No 6 R `100.00 (India-based Buyer Only) SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION indian aRMY special TREASURE /6<:, Turn to page 17 WWW.SPSLANDFORCES.NET ROUNDUP IN THIS ISSUE The ONLY journal in Asia dedicated to Land Forces PAGE 6 Pick Up the Pace Minister of Defence The emerging threats and challenges man - India date that India should be prepared to fight hybrid wars in the future. I am glad to know that SP Guide Publications, New Delhi is bringing out special editions separately for Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Indian Army. Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor Since Shri Sukhdeo Prasad Baranwal founded SP Guide Publications in 1964, it has come a PAGE 9 long way in publishing monthly journals and magazines of repute on defence and strategic matters. In this context, its flagship publication SP’s Military Yearbook deserves a special mention. Raging Debate on AFSPA Act in J&K I send my best wishes for the successful publication of these special editions on Indian Armed Forces. A.K. Antony >> INDO-PAK WAR 1971 PHOTOGRAPH : Indian Army General (Retd) V.P. Malik PAGE 11 Offensive in the Mountains The decision on the Mountain Strike Corps (MSC) is not only about the capability and the implications. It is also about the mes - sage that India is, by its raisings, sending to China. The message is one of deterrence and resolve. It is not an aggressive one, but the second prong of India’s strategy. Colonel (Retd) Ali Ahmed PAGE 13 Exercise Sudarshan Shakti The exercise aims to test and confirm fresh concepts, manoeuvres and structures that will finally allow one of the world’s largest land forces to fight its next war more nimbly, with drastically less response time and much greater lethality. Special Correspondent Lest We Forget PLUS On the 40th anniversary of India’s victory in the Indo-Pak War 1971, First 10 Lt General (Retd) J.F.R. Jacob , the author, who was then the Chief of Staff Indo-Afghan Strategic Alliance 14 in the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, narrates how thorough planning, Harmony in Asia-Pacific Region 15 coordination and bold execution led to the surrender of the Pak Army. Geospatial Intelligence and C4I2 17 News in Brief 18 6/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 1 >> INDO-PAK WAR 1971 PHOTOGRAPHS : Indian Army N DeceMBer 16, the 40th the towns and territory. We therefore anniversary of the uncondi - adopted the following strategy: tional public surrender of Lt l Dhaka, the centre of gravity of east Pak - General A.A.K. Niazi and istan, was to be the final objective. 93,000 military men of l Fortified towns to be bypassed. Othe Pakistan eastern command, let us pay l thrust lines were to be along subsidiary tribute to all those in Bangladesh and tracks. India who gave up their lives in the struggle l Subsidiary objectives were to be commu - for the liberation of Bangladesh. A special nication, command and control centres. tribute must be paid to the people of l the Pak Army was to be drawn to the Bangladesh who rose against the Pakistani border areas by operations of the Mukti oppressors and resisted them most gal - Bahini. lantly. Let us also not forget the tremendous We made our outline plans accordingly contributions of the freedom fighters of and sent them to the Army headquarters. Bangladesh and the east Bengal Logistics was of paramount impor - battalions who fought along with the Indian tance. We developed the infrastructure and armed forces. built up logistical cover. About 30,000 On the midnight of March 26, 1971, Lt tonnes were moved to tripura for a corps. General Yahya Khan ordered the Pakistan Large tonnages were moved to tura, North Army to crack down on Dhaka University Bengal and West Bengal. this we did during and other areas. Sheikh Mujibur the monsoon before the receipt of any orders. rehman, the hero of the freedom struggle When the war started, troops did not have and leader of the struggle for the liberation of to look back, as everything was in place. Bangladesh, was arrested. the brave people creating logistical backing was critical to of Bangladesh led by rehman, later AD gunners in action our success. deservedly recognised as the father of the regrettably, the bridges were only nation, rose up and resisted the Pakistan At the surrender ceremony released in mid-August and were old World Army. the east Bengal battalions moved into War II repairable pontoon bridges. We were India and the refugees streamed into India. able to repair these in time. the maps we had Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to were about 50 years old. courtesy Mukti help the freedom struggle and gave a verbal Bahini, we were able to get the latest Pak - order to the Indian Army to help the freedom istani maps which the Survey of India repro - fighters in east Pakistan. An official order duced. the reproduced maps were issued to came from her on April 29, 1971. our troops in November. Meanwhile in early April, many leaders In mid-August, Manekshaw and Major began arriving at Kolkata, prominent General K.K. Singh came to Fort William amongst them were tajuddin, Nazrul Islam, with their draft operation instructions. they Mansur Ali, Qamaruzzam, colonel Osmani spelt out the objectives to be the “entry and Group captain Khadkar. A government ports”of Khulna and chittagong. Dhaka was in exile was established in a bungalow at 8 not an objective. I pointed out that Dhaka theatre road, Kolkata. During my interaction was the centre of gravity and it was impera - with them, the leaders said that they wanted tive that we take Dhaka. Manekshaw sup - to have a meeting of the parliamenta- ported, but Lt General Jagjit Singh Aurora rians at Baidyanath tala to declare their inde - disagreed. he was adamant that it was pendence. I suggested that they should issue not necessary to capture Dhaka. Air chief a declaration as was done by charles de Marshal P.c. Lall in his book, My Years with Gaulle in World War II. tajuddin asked for a the IAF , confirms that Dhaka was never an draft declaration. I gave him a short draft, objective. he states that there was no coordi - which was expanded by legal experts. the nation between service headquarters and declaration was issued on April 17, at that once the limited objectives were agreed Baidyanath tala within east Pakis- to, each service did what it thought was best. tan. We arranged the defection of personnel We did not take either Khulna or chit - of the Pakistan Deputy high commission in tagong but won the war. We had to find Kolkata and they integrated the government troops to take to Dhaka. In November, we at 8 theatre road. moved down three brigades from the chi - the Government of India asked us to nese border. When Manekshaw got the infor - assist the freedom fighters. After my recon - mation, he ordered them back. naissance, we initially set up eight camps in In October, we planned the air drop of a the border areas and each camp had the battalion group at tangail to take part in the capacity to train 1,000 recruits. capture of Dhaka. the drop was planned to the Army headquarters spelt out three take place on D plus 7 and the link up 24 tasks: hours later. the drop and link up took place l to advise and guide the provisional gov - as planned. the operation order for the drop, ernment. issued in October, was signed by Air Vice l to organise and equip a guerrilla force of Marshal charandas Gurudas Devasher who 20.000 to be expanded to 1,00,000. was the SASO, eastern Air command; l to plan and conduct guerrilla operations Brigadier Matthew thomas of 50 Parachute in east Pakistan. Brigade and myself. We divided the area of operations for the In November, we sent captain Ghosh of freedom fighters into different sectors. Major Pakistani PoWs being 50 Parachute Brigade to tangail to mark the Ziaur rehman was to be responsible for the marched to captivity dropping zone and to inform Siddiqui that he chittagong sector. Major Khalid Musharraf was to advance with our troops to Dhaka, for comilla, Major Saifullah for Mymensingh, Pakistan Army by lowering their morale. Operations. Manekshaw read out my brief which Siddiqui did not do. Wing commander Khademul Bashar for Due credit must be given to them for and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi accepted In a master stroke, Prime Minsiter Indira rangpur, Lt colonel Quazi Nooruzaman their decisive contribution in the liberation that we could move in after November 15. Gandhi had the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty for rajshahi, Major Abu Osman chowdhury of Bangladesh. signed. this ensured that the chinese dared for Kushtia, and Major M.A. Jalil for Khulna. In early April, Field Marshal Sam hor - Our Strategy not intervene. the Soviets moved 40 divi - “tiger” Siddiqui was to operate from tangail musji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw called me We assessed that General Amir Abdullah sions to the Sinjiang border and seven to as did Sqaudron Leader Nurul Kadar. up to say that the government wants eastern Khan Niazi of Pakistan Army, would defend the Manchurian border. throughout the Group captain Khadkar played a command to move in immediately into east operations for the liberation of Bangladesh, pivotal role in overseeing the operations of Pakistan. I explained that we had mountain Indira Gandhi stood firm and determined. the freedom fighters, as General Muhammad divisions with no bridges or motor transport.