April-May 2011 Volume 8 No 2 R `100.00 (India-based Buyer Only) SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION
WWW.SPSLANDFORCES.NET ROUNDUP IN THIS ISSUE The ONLY journal in Asia dedicated to Land Forces
PAGE 4 >> COVER STORY Future Trends To be successful in a full spectrum conflict, there is a need to modernise, have a balanced profile and upgrade our defence ‘Modernisation would depend on industry to achieve a reasonable degree of indigenisation thereby enhancing our capabilities in a two-front war. the pace of acquisition of guns and Major General P.K. Chakravorty PAGE 6 financial outlays provided for induction’ Safe, Secure & Reliable The project for TCS for the Indian Army has PHOTOGRAPHS : SP Guide Pubns been undertaken under the “Make Procedure” category. TCS is expected to become operational by 2014.
Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor
PAGE 7 Defence Allocation Up, GDP Share Down This year’s defence budget allocation represents an 11.59 per cent growth over the previous year’s budget. It is only 1.83 per cent of the GDP, while last year, the defence budget was 2.12 per cent of the GDP.
Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor
PAGE 8 China’s Rising Defence Budget Cause for Alarm At a time when China’s ambition for power projection has considerably increased, a double-digit growth in China’s defence budget promises to impact adversely the regional security dynamics.
Sanjay Kumar
PAGE 10 Making Every Mission Possible A common platform for a light armoured vehicle (wheeled) which could fulfill the role Artillery constitutes a major war-winning component of the Indian Army and of all the functions required to be carried out in conventional and asymmetric conflicts has performed brilliantly in every conflict fought by the Indian Army since would be desirable. independence. In an interview with SP’s Land Forces team comprising Editor-in-
Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor Chief Jayant Baranwal and Editor Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor , the Director General, Artillery, Lt General Vinod Nayanar , spoke about Artillery’s future PAGE 12 concepts and roles, modernisation plans, equipment profile and training. For Strategic Tasking We need to integrate our Special Forces and optimise their potential to face the 21st SP’s Land Forces (SP’s): Conceptually shells and lower terminal velocity could l Integrated and synergised utilisation of century challenges in requisite manner. within Artillery you now speak of degrada - only neutralise and destroy the targets to firepower and surveillance and target tion and destruction rather than neutralisa - a limited extent. The shift, thus, is due to acquisition resources through auto - Lt General (Retd) P.C. Katoch tion. What are the reasons for this change the planned modernisation of Artillery. mated systems i.e. Artillery combat com - in concept? mand and control system (ACCCS) and PLUS Lt General Vinod Nayanar (DG) : The shift SP’s: What are the other modernisation battlefield surveillance system (BSS). in concept from neutralisation to degrada - plans of Artillery which are likely to fructify Vulnerabilities Manifold 9 tion and destruction has come about with in the near future or in the long run? What is SP’s: What is the new equipment being Interview with General Peter Chiarelli, 14 the enhanced capability of the Artillery in likely to be the ratio of guns, rockets and inducted in the field of surveillance and tar - Vice Chief of Staff, US Army terms of delivery of larger calibre and missiles in the Artillery? get acquisition (SATA)? more lethal munitions, enhanced precision DG : The modernisation plans of Artillery DG : In the field of SATA, in addition to the Interview with Major General Alan 15 systems as also greater battlefield trans - envisages the following: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), battlefield Howard, Deputy Commander, parency in depth. With the above enhance - l Mediumisation of all guns to 155mm surveillance radar (BFSR) and long-range Canadian Army ments, Artillery will be able to strike deep calibre. reconnaissance and observation system Employ Skillfully 16 with precision and thus will be able to l Enhanced battlefield transparency by (LORROS), new equipment being inducted First / Tecknow 18 degrade and destroy the targets effectively. introduction of cutting edge ground include the electronic theodolite, inertial Our earlier weapon systems with lighter based, aerial and space based sensors. navigation system, sound ranging system News in Brief 19
2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 1 >> COVER STORY
The security threats and challenges facing India pulled back. Senior military officers often express mation of the Army into a network-centric force. L have increased enormously. While the old adver - their opinion that State to State all-out wars are a Will our current level of budgeting suffice? sarial threats due to unresolved borders remain, phenomenon of the past and are least likely to Our planners need to seriously re-examine and
A new threats and challenges like terrorism and occur, yet our planning reflects that we are still review the entire issue in light of the delays which insurgencies have been added to the old inventory. stuck in the quagmire of conceiving and war-gam - keep occurring with tiresome regularity in our pro - I Thus, Indian military stresses the need to prepare ing scenarios of conventional wars as was done in curement system. Moreover, the delay in procure - itself for the full spectrum of warfare. The dilemma the past. The only difference is that we now call ments will keep increasing the backlog when future
R is only regarding the extent of emphasis that such conventional conflicts as “limited wars”. But requirements come up for consideration thus cre - should be laid to acquiring each type of capability. the reality is that all the wars that India has fought ating a catch-22 situation.
O Unfortunately, the Indian military also contin - till date since independence were limited wars and This issue of SP’s Land Forces is focused on ues to be besieged by a mindset regarding the via - therefore our thinking and our concepts have not Artillery, Special Forces, India and China’s defence
T bility of conventional wars in the future despite the really changed. budgets, apart from certain miscellaneous issues. Kargil experience in mid-1999 wherein they did not Additional capabilities to cater for current and
I even cross the line of control in Jammu and Kash - future challenges, including an out of area reach, mir for fear of escalating the conflict. Later on, con - require induction of new technologies and force
D sequent to the December 13, 2001 attack on the multipliers which are highly cost intensive proposi - Indian Parliament, Operation Parakram was tions. For example, what would be the cost of a launched wherein the entire Indian military got network-centric force like an infantry division? A E deployed and postured for a possible conflict on Stryker brigade (fully networked) costs $1.5 billion the Western front against Pakistan. However, after in the US Army. Even if our ambitions are much Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor remaining at the borders for 10 months, the forces lower, it would be worthwhile costing the transfor -
and indigenous weapon locating radar training to enable multi-tasking. We are also (WLR) system. working on training the trainers. This is the essence of training in the Artillery. Artillery SP’s: What is the philosophy for induction has to be dynamic and vibrant to meet of UAVs? enhanced future requirements. Therefore, DG : The importance of UAVs in the world over we are incorporating modern methods of is immense in terms of its potential for opera - training including enhanced use of simula - tional surveillance in conventional operations tors that will go a long way in meeting our as also in counter-insurgency/ counter-ter - training requirements. rorism operations. It is also of importance in disaster management roles. Our philosophy SP’s: Why has the Defence Research and towards this is to have a credible capability of Development Organisation (DRDO) not been various UAV systems to ensure battlefield able to design a new gun for the Artillery? Do transparency across the frontage. we have the capability in our country to design and manufacture modern guns? Has SP’s: Is the Army interested in inducting any the private sector shown any interest in unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAVs)? this field? DG : The standoff capability to carry out sur - DG : DRDO has been successful in developing gical strikes in depth has been demonstrated the Pinaka Rocket System in collaboration effectively in various conflicts across the with partners from the private sector. I do globe. The induction of UCAVs will be carried believe that the DRDO and the private sector out in the best interest of national security. have the ability to design and manufacture modern guns too and they are showing con - SP’s: What are the basic parameters for the siderable interest. modernisation of Artillery? DG : The basic parameters for modernisation SP’s: Has the concept of Artillery Divisions of Artillery are enhanced surveillance capa - been successful? What are the advantages bility, increased range, precision, mobility of grouping Artillery in a division level and lethality of firepower assets. Modernisa - organisation? tion, however, would depend on the pace of DG : The concept of Artillery Divisions acquisition of guns and financial outlays evolved essentially from the requirement of provided for induction. Indigenous produc - optimal utilisation of the plethora of tion capability is another important param - weapon systems and upgraded surveillance eter for sustained modernisation. systems that we have now and plan to have in our inventory. An organisation was SP’s: Artillery technology is undergoing needed for command and control, coordi - transformation rapidly. What changes do you nation, logistics and communication func - propose in the existing plans to conform to tions for these. It is a significant value the latest trends in technology? Which are addition in the ‘strike corps scenario’. The the new technologies in which the Artillery Artillery Division effectively coordinates the is interested? degradation battle and synergy of all avail - DG : Development in technology is an able fire resources. The concept has been ongoing process. Acquisition plans for the successful and it is visualised that in the three Services ensure that they keep pace future there may be a need to have Artillery with the latest technologies available in Division in each theatre. the world market. Every acquisition plan has a built-in system to ensure any new SP’s: How popular is the selection of Artillery additions based on emerging technologies. officers for the General Cadre? Do all the offi - The latest technologies in precision such DG : For the present, the BMS is planned to be and Regiment Centres, for sustained train - cers selected, opt for this option without as sensor fuzed munitions, enhanced done at the battery level. This may, however, ing. For this, timelines for various courses reservations or do they prefer to serve in their range such as the VLAP, sensors of the change with the induction of autonomous based on equipment induction schedule own corps? How many officers are selected for future including nano technology, and loi - weapon systems. have been identified and accordingly course General Cadre in every course, and what is the tering missile system are the fields of inter - structures are being modified. Similarly, policy in this regard? est of Artillery. SP’s: Based on the new technologies being emphasis is on enhancement of technical DG : Ours being a command oriented Army, inducted in the Artillery, how is the training levels as well as personality development in selection to the General Cadre is a matter of SP’s: What has been the result of fielding the being modified to enable the soldiery to grasp recruits. We are laying focus on dual trade professional pride for any ‘other arms offi - ACCCS in the field formations? the new technologies? cer’, and as such is highly popular in the DG : The ACCCS equipment is being fielded in DG : Keeping the rapid modernisation of Artillery as well. Thus a large proportion of the Artillery in three phases. The first phase Artillery involving large number of new officers do opt for General Cadre, depending t We are incorporating e has been completed and the second phase is generation equipment like missiles, rockets upon their personal choice and the stage of n . s going on. The fielding of ACCCS equipment and surveillance and target acquisition sys - career at which this is offered to the officer. e modern methods of c
r has been quite satisfactory. tems, there is definitely a requirement to The process and policy for selection of other o f modify training to enable soldiers to grasp arms officers to General Cadre is well estab - d training including n SP’s: As part of the battlefield management the new technologies. Keeping this in mind, lished and depends on merit and experience a l s system (BMS), is every artillery weapon plat - specialist courses/cadres for soldiers are enhanced use of of the officer. Selection of officers for General p s
. form going to be a ‘situational awareness being planned based on new equipment Cadre is not vacancy based, though a rea - w platform’ or is this going to be done at the being inducted. The expertise to train is simulators sonable percentage of officers are offered w
w battery level? being developed in the School of Artillery General Cadre every year.
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SagemSagem ggivesives yyourour aartilleryrtillery systemssystems tthehe latestlatest ssensorensor toto shootershooter ccapabilities,apabilities, fromfrom optronicoptronic targettarget designationdesignation toto re re controlcontrol andand inertialinertial navigationnavigation systems.systems. OOurur ssolutionsolutions tturnurn youryour artilleryartillery intointo precisionprecision weaponsweapons combiningcombining highhigh e ciency,e ciency, quickquick operationoperation andand eeasease ofof uuse.se. MMoreore thanthan ttwentywenty armiesarmies hhaveave alreadyalready ooptedpted fforor thesethese solutions,solutions, asas eithereither originaloriginal equipmentequipment oror upgrades.upgrades. WhenWhen youyou cchoosehoose Sagem’sSagem’s sspecializedpecialized solutions,solutions, youyou maximizemaximize youryour repower. repower. wwww.sagem-ds.comww.sagem-ds.com >> ARTILLERY Future Trends To be successful in a full spectrum conflict, there is a need to modernise, have a balanced profile and upgrade our defence industry to achieve a reasonable degree of indigenisation thereby enhancing our capabilities in a two-front war
PHOTOGRAPH : US Army n MAJOR GENERAL P.K. CHAKRAVORTY (WLR), sound ranging system and long-range Nexter’s Caesar offers enhanced firepower through quicker reconnaissance and observation system ODERn TEChnOLOGICAL response, longer range and (LORROS). In addition, we would need mod - ADVAnCEMEnT AnD revo - improved accuracy. ern survey equipment which would comprise lution in military affairs has electronic theodolites, inertial navigation sys - necessitated a transformation tems (InS), differential global positioning sys - in strategic thinking with a tems (DGPS) and laser range finders (LRF). Mparadigm shift in conduct of operations. As a Induction of modern technology with suit - consequence, military doctrines, force struc - able equipment profile would meet our oper - tures and weapon systems are also under con - ational needs. stant review. Accordingly, the vision of the Indian Army for the 21st century has been to Weapon Profile have a well-equipped and optimally struc - The Artillery equipment needs to be correctly tured force, enabling it to respond effectively profiled in accordance with terrain and oper - to varied situations and demands while con - ational role of the concerned formation to tinually adapting to meet future challenges. which it is affiliated. According to the current In the current battlefield environment, technical and operational needs, Indian artillery plays a predominant role by provid - Army has decided that 155mm would be the ing firepower in a combined arms battle. The basic calibre for their Artillery. Variants such present milieu focuses on accurate standoff as self propelled (SP) (track), SP (wheeled), strikes in a network-centric arena against a mounted gun systems (MGS), ultra-light nuclear backdrop. howitzer (ULh) and mortars would be inducted in formations based on their roles Requirement of New Generation and the terrain conditions in which they are Weapon Systems required to function. While all these gun sys - The Artillery needs to be well-equipped and tems would serve as close support weapons, optimally structured to meet the challenges ity of long-range rockets will result in viable tion capability will have a huge impact in there would be a need to reinforce them with of future battlefield. The requirement of new degradation in-depth areas, which would future conduct of operations. Thus dedicated rockets and missiles. generation weapon systems in our context assist in reducing enemy combat potential. surveillance (svl) resources for each fmn are emerges from the following: Consequently, the enemy’s comb power dur - desirable to assist the decision support sys - Force Multipliers l Potential target areas and fieldworks ing contact battle would be proportionately tem of the formation commanders. Each Our force multipliers in the field of SATA are heavily reinforced with concrete reduced. formation such as a division or corps has devices have been optimised. We have sta - fortifications. Enhance lethality : heavier weight of shell therefore a requirement of a tailor-made bilised our UAV platforms comprising of l Expansion of mechanised forces under - will improve lethality. Enemy defences which unit with the correct mix of SATA resources. heron and Searchers which are playing a scores the need for large calibre self-pro - hitherto fore could not be destroyed by These resources need to be scaled as per their stellar role in the field of spot surveillance. pelled artillery systems with higher rates smaller calibre shells which will now be operational roles i.e. mountains, plains, Our BFSRs and long-range reconnaissance of fire. tackled more effectively. holding, strike and so on. Resources like and observation system (LORROS) are oper - l Development of better roads and tracks Logistics capability : A standard calibre weapon locating radars (WLR) and sound ationalised. For our SATA regiment, we shall in mountains will enable employment of would result in standardised ammunition ranging systems are primarily employed for also require intermediate-range and long- towed artillery. system for all guns. Our operational logistics locating targets which are to be engaged by range sensors. This will include weapon l The Artillery will also be needed to cater will be simplified. Moreover, the 155mm guns. Other sensors like UAVs, battlefield locating radars (WLR), sound ranging sys - to airborne /helicopter-borne operations family of ammunition is also available in a surveillance radars (BFSR) and LORROS are tems, aerostats and UAVs for which procure - and out of area contingencies. palletised form. also used for target acquisition. however, ment process has been initiated. These l Upgraded acquisition capability is Flexibility in engagement : Increased range these sensors essentially provide inputs for systems will also require some other support required for detection, identification and due to larger calibre will enhance flexibility to battlefield transparency. To that extent, it equipment like electronic theodolites, iner - location of a target so as to indicate the engage targets by concentrated fires. can be said that SATA units are not only per - tial navigation system, etc, the procurement best suited weapon coupled with the most Mortars: In future, though major portion forming artillery related tasks but are also of which is also in the pipeline. effective means for target destruction. of artillery will be based on 155mm guns. employed to provide surveillance for the Operationally, we are always trying to l Domination and degradation of enemy however, it is desirable to retain mortars in entire formation. A major qualitative achieve first salvo effectiveness. An accurate in depth with beyond the horizon kill the inventory due to their high angle capa - upgrade is being undertaken for purposes of meteorological (Met) system is an essential capability of long-range rockets and mis - bility, ability to engage targets on reverse improving battlefield transparency. ingredient of the same. Our digicora Met sys - sile systems assumes importance. slopes and flexibility of deployment, espe - tems have been provided with SATA units to l Standardisation of calibre is important cially in the mountains and in other difficult Future Technological Challenges ensure that accurate Met data is available to to ensure ammunition compatibility and terrain conditions. They can also be trans - Technological challenges for modernisation ensure that the first round lands on the tar - reduce logistic complexities. ported on mules and by helicopters. In order relate to platforms, munitions and SATA get. The biggest force multiplication which to make them more effective, it would be equipment. Weapon platforms are concerned has commenced in recent past has been the Future Gun Systems worthwhile to have long-range mortars with with characteristics such as enhanced range, introduction of Artillery combat command In view of the above, 155mm gun systems versatile ammunition. autonomous capability, high rate of fire, auto - and control system (ACCCS) which has auto - should meet our requirements. however, it matic laying system, the ability to shoot and mated the computation and passage of data is essential to have a judicious mix within Missile and Rocket Systems scoot as also the capabilility for firing tactical from the observation post officer to the com - the calibres to suit diverse terrain conditions, BrahMos missile, Smerch and Pinaka rocket nuclear munitions. The scope for ammuni - mand posts up to the Corps level. operational requirements and to cut down system have been introduced recently in our tion is to reach a maximum range of about 40 dependence on a single source. hence, cer - equipment. BrahMos is a supersonic and a km and have a greater variety of munitions. Destroying Opponent tain variants of 155mm guns have been highly accurate missile. This offers the advan - In addition, we need ammunition which has Artillery is the primary provider of fire - planned for induction to suit local terrain tage of virtually no collateral damage, a high degree of precision; which could be power and needs to have state-of-the-art conditions. Earlier the 155mm calibre was thereby obviating any negative repercussions. trajectory corrected, terminally guided (or guns, rockets and missiles to deter our referred to as a medium gun, but now it is The rocket systems introduced have very high designated) and sensor fuzed munitions. adversaries from undertaking any mis- planned to have this as the standard calibre. accuracy and low dispersion when equipped While guns could cover ranges of about 30 to adventure. Further, our SATA equipment Mediumisation of artillery will improve with special ammunition. Smerch is a long- 40 km, which would be in the tactical space, must provide us surveillance, reconnais - the overall firepower qualitatively. The vari - range and accurate, multi-barrel rocket sys - we would need rockets to cover the opera - sance and target acquisition to destroy the ous aspects of qualitative improvement are tem which is ideal for engagement of targets tional battle space between 40 and 120 km opponent’s war waging capabilities. Induc - t e discussed below: in the intermediate zone which are beyond and missiles to cover the strategic space from tion of variants of 155mm gun system and n . s Increase in gun densities : Longer ranges the capability of conventional artillery. Its 90 to 300 km. Thus there is a need for SATA new generation surveillance systems will e c
r are a derivative of mediumisation and this long-range and lethality, effectively covers the equipment to provide surveillance for these add to the capabilities of artillery. If modern o f will also improve the gun densities. It will tactical and operational depth of the tactical ranges. In this we could consider unmanned technology is inducted quickly and suitably, d n also enable regiments to be deployed in a battle area. aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aerostats for long- the lethality of artillery fire will change the a l s concentrated manner and yet cover the range surveillance which at some point of dynamics of warfare. p s Battlefield Transparency . required frontage and depth. time could be supplemented with low earth The writer is currently the Additional Director w Depth and degradation capability : Mediu - Ensuring battlefield transparency and hav - orbiting satellites. For the contact battle we General of Artillery at the Integrated Headquar - w
w misations of artillery coupled with availabil - ing effective surveillance and target acquisi - would need BFSRs, weapons locating radars ters of the MoD (Army)
4 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE.
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PHOTOGRAPH : SP Guide Pubns n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR plier of software defined high capacity radios. Based in Montreal, Quebec, the n MILITARy COMMUnICATIOnS, A company is a Division of Ultra Electron - tactical communications system (TCS) ics Canada Defence Inc. and specialises is generally employed within or in direct in the provision of area communication support of tactical forces. It is designed systems, transmission subsystems and to meet the requirements of changing LOS radio products for tactical military tIactical situations and varying environmental deployment. conditions, and provides secure communica - l Tacticom, USA has been designing, tions, such as voice, data, and video, among manufacturing and supplying military mobile/static users to facilitate command and ground tactical communications control within, and in support of tactical equipment to government and indus - forces. It usually requires short installation try since 1981. They specialise in the times, in order to meet the requirements of supply of accessories, components and frequent relocation. connectors related to military man - pack radios, vehicular radios, and tele - TCS in the Indian Army phone equip ment. In the Indian Army, TCS is planned to l BAE Systems develops and produces a replace Army radio engineering network range of tactical communications sys - (AREn) system currently being used. The tems. Under Joint Vision 2020, the com - current AREn system uses radio relay manders must be able to exploit real-time equipment (commonly referred to as RR voice, data and video communications in equipment) to connect Brigade level head - a network with highly extended forces. quarters to Division and Corps level head - BAE mobile networks make this possible quarters on the battlefield. Based on the now. This technology, which needs no type of mobility required, the RR equipment fixed-field infrastructure, provides a of offensive formations, of Strike Corps, highly flexible, mobile, wireless, high- whose missions invariably lie across the bor - throughput, real-time voice and data der is generally mounted on high mobility radio extension. Their tactical radios, wheeled or tracked vehicles while those of forces can exchange data, voice, and defensive formations are based on normal video in real time over an extended wheeled lorries. Rear of the Corps head - range, making them more flexible, more quarters, up to the Regional Commands and mobile, and less vulnerable to enemy to Army headquarters, the communica - interruption. tions acquire a more static configuration, l harris Corporation at Rochester, new relying more on fibre optics and satellite york, is an international communica - links and less on radio. Mobile Base tions and information technology com - TCS being designed now will cover the Transceiver Station pany, providing secure interoperable entire communication system from Corps networked communications to both headquarters down to Battalion/Regiment armed forces and law enforcement for level in the Army and hence it is the most erability will be the essence for the different should be scalable to ensure its availability safety and security missions. vital communication project for the Indian C4I2 systems of the three services (Army, to all elements and range from being man- l Media reports indicate that Rolta and Army. The new radio relay (RR) equipment navy and the Air Force). C4I2 system portable to being fitted in combat vehicles. Selex Communications, a Finmeccanica envisaged in the TCS system will be of much together with the tactical communication company, have signed a strategic part - higher capacity as compared to the old RR system will allow network enabled warfare, Status of the TCS Project nership teaming agreement for the sets. The new RR sets will have a capacity connecting sensors, shooters and decision- The project for tactical communication sys - Indian tactical communication system of about 34 Mb/s as compared to about 1 makers at all levels. tem for the Indian Army has been under - (TCS) programme, in the frame of which Mb in the old sets. The RR communications taken under the “Make Procedure” category. the companies will collaborate to provide will comprise of mobile cellular communi - Battle Management System (BMS) Integrated Project Management Team comprehensive tactical military commu - cations for each entity at the corps, division, and F-INSAS (IPMT) was instituted a few years ago, which nications solutions to Indian Army. brigade and at the battalion/regiment level. This system is being planned at is likely to complete its work by the end of Under this agreement, Selex Communi - The entire communication will be mobile, battalion/regiment and forward of it to com - April 2011. The choice of vendor will be left cations will undertake transfer of its achieved through base transmitting sta - panies, platoons, sections and forward of to the Defence Production Board after study - state-of the-art technology for radio tions (BTS) which would be mobile. At the that would be the future infantry soldier as ing the report submitted by the IPMT. After relay systems, switching systems and unit level, high capacity Internet protocol a system (F-InSAS) which would take the completion of vendor selection, the Expres - field wireless systems, etc to address the radios (IP radios) are planned to be given communications down to the individual sion of Interest (EOI) is likely to be issued and TCS programme needs. which would be capable of both data and infantry soldier. These systems would be the development agencies will be identified l US defence major Raytheon Company voice communications. In the final stage, applicable for all arms and services of the and selected for production of the prototype has inked a pack with Precision Electron - software defined radios (SDRs) would Army. The communications at this level will and for testbed evaluation. After this stage ics Limited (PEL), an Indian firm, in replace the IP radios. be based on IP radios currently, and later one of them will get selected for the manu - March 2010, to forge strategic align - In the rear of the Corps headquarters, software defined radios (SDR) and the system facture and development work. This process ments to jointly develop and provide the backbone communication will be pro - will comprise of a tactical hand-held com - is expected to galvanise the foreign manufac - superior communications technology for vided by the Army Static Communication puter with individual soldiers and tactical turers for forming joint ventures (JVs) with India’s military forces. nodes (ASCOn). Currently, Phase 3 of the computers at Battle Group headquarters Indian companies. TCS is expected to l The Boeing Company and Argon ST have ASCOn project is functional. When ASCOn and combat vehicles. Computers will be inte - become operational by 2014. In the first announced that they have entered into Phase 4 combined with fibre optics laid grated employing application and database instances, it is likely to be established in the an agreement for Boeing’s acquisition of countrywide becomes operational, there servers connected on a data enabled com - Strike Corps and later with the Pivot (hold - Argon ST. The agreement to acquire would be enough capacity for all types of munication network. The system will enable ing) Corps. Argon ST, a leading developer of com - communication required by the network generation of common operational picture mand, control, communications, com - centricity planned by the Army and within by integrating inputs from all relevant Some Global Manufacturers of TCS, puters, intelligence, surveillance, and the three Services. sources within a battle group by integrated C4ISR and Associated Equipment reconnaissance (C4ISR) and combat sys - t e use of geographic information system (GIS) Some of the global enterprises dealing with tems, advances Boeing’s growth strategy n . s Network Enabled Warfare Capability and global positioning system (GPS). The the TCS systems are as follows: and expands the company’s capabilities e c
r The advances in the field of communica - BMS will be a highly mobile system which is l Bharat Electronics Ltd, India, based in to address the C4ISR, cyber and intelli - o f tions, computers, command and control, able to network itself by integration of com - Bangalore is a customer focused, globally gence markets. d n information and interoperability [C4I2] have ponents and provide high data rate. The competitive company, in defence elec - l AT Electronic and Communication Inter - a l s provided military capabilities to view the bat - communications systems will optimally tronics and in other chosen areas of pro - national is a global wholesale manufac - p s
. tlespace as one composite whole and thus be utilise the bandwidth available for military fessional electronics, through quality, turer and distributor of communication w tackled jointly or singly by any weapon of communications involving voice and data technology and innovation. equipment including tactical trans - w
w any service which is within range. Interop - including video streaming and imageries. It l Ultra Electronics TCS is a world class sup - ceivers and rugged C3I systems.
6 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 UNION BUDGET << Defence Allocation Up, GDP Share Down The defence budget over the last three decades has generally varied between two to three per cent of the GDP, which corresponds to 13-17 per cent of the Central Government expenditure. This year’s allocation represents an 11.59 per cent growth over the previous year’s budget. It is only 1.83 per cent of the GDP, while last year (FY 2010-11), the defence budget was 2.12 per cent of the GDP.
PHOTOGRAPH : SP Guide Pubns
T-90 tank
n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR helicopter and advanced light helicopters for Key Statistics of Defence Budget 2010-11 and 2011-12 the Army and the IAF, 145 ultra light how - UILDInG A MILITARy CAPABIL - 2010-11 2011-12 itzers for the Army and patrol vessels for ITy is a long-term exercise. In the navy; are some of the items that are likely to Indian context, it involves formu - Defence Budget ( ` in crore) 1,47,344 1,64,415.49 be finalised this year. lation of the 15-year long-term Growth of Defence Budget (%) 3.98 11.59 notwithstanding the above, the fact integrated perspective plan remains that we are way behind in our mod - Revenue Expenditure ( in crore) 87,344 95,216.68 (BLTIPP) by headquarters Integrated Defence ` ernisation and procurement process. More - Staff in consultation with the Service head - Growth of Revenue Expenditure (%) 0.57 9.01 over, merely allocating the budgetary quarters (Indian Army, Indian navy, and Share of Revenue Expenditure in Defence Budget (%) 59.28 57.91 resources will not make any difference as Indian Air Force (IAF)). The five years capital long as we continue with our archaic, Capital Expenditure ( in crore) 60,000 69,198.81 acquisition plan and the annual acquisition ` lengthy, bureaucratic procurement proce - plans are derived from the LTIPP and form the Growth of Capital Expenditure (%) 9.44 15.33 dures which are neither transparent nor effi - basis of working out the capital budget for all Share of Capital Expenditure in Defence Budget (%) 40.72 42.09 cient. There are more brakes than major procurements during a year. The capi - accelerators in our procurement procedure. tal budget requirement of each service added Share of Defence Budget in GDP (%) 2.12 1.83 Given the size of Indian armed forces, no to the revenue budget constitutes their overall Share of Defence Budget in Central Government 13.29 13.07 country in the world can provide India’s budget demand during the year. Expenditure (%) requirements at a short notice, while our The security threats and challenges fac - indigenous production agencies and our ing India have increased enormously. While Source: IDSA Defence Research and Development Organi - the old adversarial threats due to unresolved sation (DRDO) cannot cater to our needs borders remain, new threats and challenges currently. At a time when the IAF does not like terrorism and insurgencies have been per cent as witnessed in Fy 2009-10. This additional requirement for the security of the have adequate number of fighter aircraft; added to the old inventory. Thus India needs was due to the substantial increase in the rev - nation will be provided for.” the Indian navy does not have a credible car - to prepare itself for the full spectrum of war - enue expenditure to cater to the enhanced The increase in the defence budget has rier borne task force or an effective subma - fare ranging from low intensity conflict pay and allowances sanctioned in the Sixth resulted in an additional allocation of rine force; and the Indian Army does not involving counter-insurgency and counter- Pay Commission report. This year’s allocation `17,071.49 crore over the previous budget of have modern artillery, is night blind, and terrorist operations to conventional conflicts represents an 11.59 per cent growth over the which `7,872.68 crore increase is in the rev - does not even possess modern weaponry for under the nuclear shadow on two widely previous year’s budget. This year’s defence enue expenditure and the balance `9,198.81 the infantry, the above assurances by the separated fronts on its western and eastern budget is only 1.83 per cent of the GDP, while for capital expenditure. Thus revenue expen - Finance Minister are mere conciliatory flanks. The dilemma is only regarding the last year (Fy 2010-11) the defence budget diture has grown by 9.01 per cent to noises. Thus 1.83 per cent of GDP may be extent of emphasis that should be laid to was 2.12 per cent of the GDP. The defence `95,216.68 and the capital expenditure by considered adequate by some. however, our acquiring each type of capability. Thus the budget was accompanied by the usual 15.33 per cent to `69,198.81 crore. From view is that unless our buy and make proce - requirements of the services are vast and remarks from the Finance Minister that “any this capital outlay, the Army has got `18,986 dures are radically streamlined and faster, wide-ranging. crore, navy `5,688 crore, naval Fleet `7,320 and induction of new equipment and new The defence budget over the last three crore and Air Force `30,699 crore. Assuming technologies is ensured, the armed forces decades has generally varied between two to The Union Budget 2011- that 60 per cent of the capital acquisition will not be ready to face their adversaries in three per cent of the GDP, which corresponds 12 shows increased budget goes for committed liabilities, the Min - future conflicts. no one is impressed by our to 13-17 per cent of the Central Government istry of Defence (MoD) will have around claim of being a rising military power any - expenditure. The Union Budget 2011-12, defence allocation of up `27,680 crore ($ 6.15 billion) to pay for new more and hence our adversaries are getting presented to the Parliament on February 28, acquisitions. bolder by the day. Asymmetric wars waged 2011, shows increased defence allocation of to `1,64,415.49 crore This year, the ‘big-ticket’ items include the against the nation are a result of the lack of up to `1,64,415.49 crore ($36.50 billion). medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) military deterrence against such wars. We The annual increase in the budget has varied ($36.50 billion) for the IAF, strategic lift transport aircraft like neither have the hardware nor the software, from as low as three per cent to a high of 34 C-17 Globemaster for IAF, light observation or indeed the political will to deter.
2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 7 >> BUDGET China’s Rising Defence Budget Cause for Alarm At a time when China’s ambition for power projection has considerably increased, a double-digit growth in China’s defence budget promises to impact adversely the regional security dynamics. The growing asymmetry between the defence budgets of China and India is alarming, especially in view of the flawed relationship between Asia’s two rising powers.
n SANJAY KUMAR allocation for defence. India’s defence budgets Defence Budget (2000-09): China and India thus suffer from several procedural lacunas n RECEnT yEARS, DEFEnCE budget of Figures in billions USD, constant for the calendar year directly or indirectly. The Ministry of Defence, no other country has been discussed, 98.8 however needs to be complimented for debated and speculated as widely as the China exhausting its budget thoroughly last year. defence budget of the People’s Republic India 86.2 The budgetary allocation at $36.6 billion for of China. China’s official defence 77.9 India’s military in 2011-12, an increase of Ibudget which stood at $14.6 billion 11.5 per cent over last year, does not stand (`65,700 crore) in 2000 has risen by well 68.8 testimony to the establishment’s view of over 500 per cent to reach the staggering fig - 59 future two-front war scenario, especially in ure of $91.5 billion ( `4,11,750 crore) in 53.1 view of the glaring holes that exist in the 2011. At the present rate of growth, China 48.5 defence budget of India. will cross over the psychological barrier of 44.4 China has significantly increased its mil - $100 billion ( `4,50,000 crore) defence 38.4 36.6 itary power over the years, her efforts largely budget the next year. By contrast, India’s 31.2 32.3 supplemented by the weakening US appetite 26.7 28.2 28.4 28.8 defence budget has grown meagerly by 129 21.8 22.6 22.5 23 to retain its stronghold in the region. Scaling per cent over the same period, from $15.9 bil - down of important modernisation pro - lion ( `71,550 crore) in 2000 to $36.6 billion 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 grammes by the US military over budgetary in 2011. It is significant to mention here that Source: SIPRI constraints would indirectly help China in China and India have both managed to reducing parity with the US military. China, achieve impressive GDP growth over the past largely perceived as a red flag in a region that China’s official defence budget does not however, is reaching out to new heights in decade, averaging 12.8 and 7.7 per cent which is fast gaining in notoriety due account for expenditures incurred by the military power year upon year. Flight-testing respectively (IMF estimates). While China’s to increased muscle flexing by major pow - second Artillery (nuclear forces), foreign of a stealth fighter (prototype) carried out defence budget has grown consistently well ers with their eyes on the region’s vast acquisitions, military’s space programmes, recently by the PLA, many years ahead of over the country’s GDP average over the past natural resources, share of markets and key asymmetric warfare, and research and devel - schedule, has surprised many Western ana - two decades, India’s defence budget has trading routes. opment. Defence budget to GDP ratio at 1.4 lysts. Pentagon fears that China has already hardly kept pace with the GDP growth. The China, however, cannot escape the per cent, as reiterated by the Chinese acquired capabilities to strike at key US mili - growing asymmetry between the defence responsibility for fuelling militarisation in a spokesman is again a gross understatement. tary installations in South Korea and Japan. budgets of China and India is alarming, espe - region which is relatively low in terms of The western estimates of China’s defence The anti-ship ballistic missile developed by cially in view of the flawed relationship human development. The unwarranted budget in terms of GDP ranges from three to China can become a game-changer and pose between Asia’s two rising powers. growth of China’s military power (China five times the official estimates. By some esti - serious challenges to the US and other navies. China’s defence budget for 2011-12, faces no threats to her sovereignty, real or per - mates, China’s defence budget is already one Beijing has running territorial disputes announced on March 4, 2011, shows again a ceived) is however leading other countries, quarter of the US defence budget and the gap with a number of countries in the region remarkable increase of 12.6 per cent over last especially India, to take away much needed is narrowing down further, especially with including India. China views that a military year’s budget. Announcing the defence budget, resources required for social spending on Washington mulling to reduce its defence victory against a major country in the Chinese spokesman Li Zhaoxing echoed Bei - health, education and poverty-related pro - budget over the next five years. however, it is region will give her legitimacy to claim jing’s previous assertions that the increase was grammes, etc, towards procurement of the growing asymmetry between the defence global power status. It is increasingly evident justified, and China posed no threat to anyone. expensive weapon systems which cost billions budgets of China and India which has caused from Beijing’s recent coercive postures in her Li further stated that China’s defence spending in terms of foreign currency. Incidentally, considerable concern in India’s strategic cir - dealings with neighbours that she is run - is relatively low by world standards. however, China and India both figure in the medium cles in recent years. ning out of patience to stake that claim. Cou - Beijing’s stereotype defence of its defence category of countries listed on the human Adding a further edge to China’s military pled with that, there is a growing world view budget does not cut much ice with the interna - Development Index (UnDP 2010), and are build-up is the fact that China has succeeded that Beijing could be urged by its own inter - tional community. It is widely accepted that ranked 69 and 119 respectively, in a list of considerably in reducing its dependence on nal dynamics to engage in conflicts with her China’s spiraling defence budgets go well 169 countries. China has allocated a stagger - foreign weapons over the years, especially neighbours, possibly as a means to deflect beyond its claims that such level of spending is ing 22.5 per cent of its planned Central Gov - with maturing of its local industry. So far as the attention of local population from rising needed for territorial defence. Scaling new ernment expenditure for 2011-12 on security China’s indigenous arms production is con - political dissent, inflation, growing rich and heights every year, China’s defence budgets, alone which includes 10.7 for national cerned, availability of cheap labour gives the poor divide, and corruption at the official lev - however, lead to cascading effects on defence defence and 11.5 per cent planned central PLA an added advantage vis-à-vis defence els within the country. expenditures by other countries, especially expenditure for police, state security, armed budgets. In other words, China manages to At a time when China’s ambition for those countries which share adverse relation - civil militia, courts and jails. Incidentally, get more bangs for every buck it spends when power projection has considerably increased, ships with Beijing. internal security budget is pegged higher than compared to a country like India which a double-digit growth in China’s defence The burgeoning defence budget of China national defence in China’s latest budget. imports hardware to the tune of 70 per cent budget promises to impact adversely the needs to be viewed not only in terms of It is, however, believed that official esti - of military’s total arms requirements, paying regional security dynamics, and especially increased capabilities but also from the per - mates of China’s defence budgets are gener - hard-earned foreign currency through its India’s. Against the backdrop of Beijing’s spective of Beijing’s recent assertiveness ally fudged so as to avoid international nose. India’s inadequate defence budget for increased assertiveness in recent times, the with regard to territories contested by China censure, making the defence budgets appear modernisation thus does not go far enough. massive military infrastructure put up by the with her neighbours. Last year, China’s more palatable to the Western audience. Lack Revenue expenditure which constitutes 60 Chinese all along the Line of Actual Control Defence Minister Liang Guanglie said the of transparency in China’s defence budget per cent of the defence budget does not auger (LAC) is quite worrisome. Sustained flow of country was preparing for conflict “in every has often led to speculative estimates, drawn well the military which is striving hard to funds remains the prerequisite for military direction” and would use its rapidly growing up by different agencies. It is widely perceived transform itself into a technology driven modernisation in India, keeping in view espe - economy and technological capabilities to force. Defence procurement procedures in cially the growing Chinese threat on India’s speed up military modernisation. Countries India, which are at times too cumbersome, borders. India’s economy which is projected to lying at China’s periphery that are already Lack of transparency result often in military paying extra bucks for grow well over nine per cent in the medium- facing heat from her recent assertiveness equipment/projects which generally tend to term does, however, provide necessary cush - t e have a reason to feel concerned over the lat - in China’s defence fall short of delivery schedules. Added to this ion against benchmarking higher committed n . s est increase in China’s defence budget. Bei - complex are the defence deals, struck usually allocation over a longer period for better e budget has often led to c
r jing is unlikely to keep its defence budget towards the end of financial years due to strategic planning. India possibly needs to take o f trimmed down for any considerable length bureaucratic sluggishness, resulting at times a cue from Australia in this regard which has d speculative estimates, n of years, specifically in view of a number of in military not getting exactly the same equip - effectively integrated defence budgeting with a l s modernisation programmes which are cur - drawn up by different ment it would have preferred. In addition, long-term planning. p s
. rently under way for China’s military. defence budget in India gets rarely utilised to w The exponential growth of China’s agencies the last buck, considered by many a cardinal The writer is a senior researcher and military w
w defence budget over the past two decades is sin especially in view of the meager budgetary analyst
8 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 TECHNOLOGY <<
FIRST OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES TOWARDS A CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY Vulnerabilities Manifold It may be said that vulnerabilities to cyber attacks in India is no different from the rest of the world. What makes us more vulnerable is the fact that despite our technological and knowledge prowess including in the field of software development, we continue to import bulk hardware and critical software and have no facilities to check malware and embedded vulnerabilities. n LT GENERAL (RETD) P.C. KATOCH range from attack on critical infrastructure to work security is vital both in a civilian and ties to protect India from cyber attacks. In subvert the supply chain, hit power distribu - military context especially with cyberspace respect of cyber war, defence by itself is a dead yBER ATTACKS ARE A common tion, railways, air traffic, manipulate radio having become essential to our way of life. issue. Offence has to be part of the cyber secu - phenomenon today but have signals, and use radio frequency transmission Cyberspace is an area where hostile states, rity strategy if we want our cyber defence to become more and more complex. to disrupt unprotected electronics and the terrorists and criminals can equally threaten be credible. Additionally, we must cash on the Erstwhile cyber mischief gener - like. Objectives of some attacks could purely us. The TF/PMG on cyber security will need importance of public-private partnership and ally centred on hackers attacking be information gathering –military, economic, to mull over the organisation needed at var - awareness-raising with respect to cyber secu - Ce-mails, wiping out contact lists and data, industrial. Many options exist for mischief ious levels to cope with cyber threats. Besides rity. Due emphasis must be accorded to con - engineering hoax messages and the like. hackers as well as terrorists albeit the attack - layered national structures, private industry trol the risk to information technology (IT), They either established a link to the web to ers too get exposed in the process. The Inter - would need to be mobilised against cyber particularly in protecting critical infrastruc - deliver malicious payload or used an net and broadband have increased the attackers, on lines of ‘civil defence’. Veteran ture and to develop technology paced with IT infected attachment. however, the web has vulnerabilities manifold. experts and hackers would need to be syner - developments like cloud computing, mobile changed all that. Today, the web is a It may be said that vulnerabilities to cyber gised into the effort. Cyber security organi - devices security and the like. At the govern - hacker’s paradise providing a wide-range of attacks in India is no different from the rest of sations of foreign countries, including ment level, efforts are already under way to options and has become the ideal vector for the world. What makes us more vulnerable is China, would need to be examined, analysed join hands with like-minded nations and cyber attack. A host of vulnerabilities exist the fact that despite our technological and and deductions drawn for what will suit us. allies to collectively address cyber security, in web browsers and browser add-ons that knowledge prowess including in the field of Absolute cyber defence being a misnomer, regulating use of cyberspace, building collec - provide back doors enabling systems to be software development, we continue to import there is no other way to defeat cyber attacks tive safeguards and counter-intelligence oper - infected with key loggers, password-stealing bulk hardware and critical software and have and ensure strategic defence other than build - ations against hackers, need to be accelerated trojans and other forms of malware. Adver - no facilities to check malware and embedded ing adequate deterrence through developing and strengthened. tisements can be designed to exploit vulner - vulnerabilities. We appear to be impervious to offensive cyber warfare capabilities. If we abilities in web browsers and browser Symantec figures of ‘bot’ infected computers want to deter adversaries from attacking us in Develop Foolproof Mechanisms add-ons and distributed via advertising net - in India that are multiplying every year at an cyberspace then we must have following abil - Without doubt cyberspace will occupy works across numerous websites. Internet alarming rate. neither have we defined a ities with respect to our adversaries/potential prime space in future battlegrounds. Tar - Explorer itself has had scores of vulnerabil - cyber security strategy/policy, adopting an adversaries –stop them from accessing and gets of cyber war will include critical infra - ities in recent years. no website can be con - ostrich approach instead to avoid facing the using our critical information, systems and structure, equipment and weapon system sidered truly safe. Even popular, established gigantic task of cyber security, wishing that services; ability to stealthily extract informa - disruptions, web vandalism, penetrative and generally trusted websites can be com - all should continue to be well. This is despite tion from their networks and computers data gathering, cyber espionage, distributed promised and used as malware delivery almost daily attacks on our networks (both including vulnerabilities, plans and pro - denial-of-service attacks, compromised vehicles without knowledge of the site military and civil) including serious ones like grammes of cyber attack/war, forethought counterfeit hardware and the like, aimed at owner. During the last three years, thou - the Stuxnet attack on InSAT 4B. If we permit and prior assessment being vital since it only gaining information superiority and sands of websites including over a hundred extension, our unenviable label of ‘soft state’ takes 300 milliseconds for a keystroke to supremacy over adversaries. A current top global websites were found either com - to cyberspace, we will multiply our cyber vul - objective of our adversaries in all probabil - promised or contained links to other mali - nerability and encourage our adversaries to ity is ‘web mapping’-to gather information cious websites. Embassies, Fortune 500 and mount more and more cyber attacks. Defining a cyber security and test vulnerabilities of our networks and Fortune 1000 companies, celebrities, infrastructure in order to identify cyber defence and security agencies were all tar - Towards a Required Strategy strategy at the national warfare targets and refine attack tech - geted, compromised and used to steal data The first thing that needs to be done is to niques for use at opportune time to paralyse by unsuspecting visitors. bring together the knowledge that different level is an urgent and our critical infrastructure. The power to Automation and digitisation in the infor - parts/organisations of the government, the take control/interfere with the adversary’s mation age has revolutionalised both warfare research and development (R&D) of both vital requirement networks not only affects the latter’s and industry. Organisation in distribution of defence and civil, the industry and academia defence potential but can actually cripple a correct information in exact scale and timing who are dealing with cyber and network nation, bringing almost everything to a is essential. security. This will ensure availability of the travel halfway around the world; ability to standstill. We must be able to prevent cyber best technical experts while we set course to penetrate their networks undetected and attacks and if these happen, contain them Cyber Threats India Faces cope with intricacies of cyberspace by pro - stealthy insertion of dormant codes, to be and effect swift recovery. Malware embed - Cyber threats are multidisciplinary particu - viding strategic advice and technological activated at opportune time for thwarting ded in both software and hardware includ - larly since there are endless vulnerabilities. expertise to ensure the integrity of systems cyber attack; ability to manipulate and doctor ing at manufacturing stage can prove grave The attacker has the advantage as there are and secure transfer of data. It may be pru - radio transmissions; ability to destroy their risks to national security. We must develop no limitations and boundaries. he has many dent to establish a Task Force (TF) or a Proj - computer networks, if and when necessary; foolproof mechanisms to check our system tools for attack and can practically achieve ect Management Group (PMG) on cyber ability to manipulate their perceptions, which for malware, a capability that is non-exis - most of his goals. The instantaneous nature security that could be directly under the should be achievable considering the ongoing tent in the country today. of cyber attacks makes defence against them national Security Advisor (nSA), having global research on the issue. Evolving a cyber security strategy should very difficult. Once the attacker discovers vul - parallel links with the Ministry of Telecom - The cyber security strategy should cater essentially begin with threat assessment and nerability and wants to exploit it, there is very munications, Cyber Society of India and to ‘hardening’ our critical infrastructure and having defined and understood the threats, little that can be done. The ratio of tools avail - organisations like the national Talent establishing active cyber security measures arrive at a strategy to mitigate those threats. able for cyber attacks compared to vulnerabil - Research Organisation (nTRO). This incrementally pan India, duly prioritised. The assessment of threats should include ities heavily favours the former. Worms and TF/PMG should take into account the cyber Concurrently, we would need to develop both the military and civil domain and cover trojans can do endless damage. Attacks can threats that we face/are likely to face in ‘stealthy’ offensive cyber security capabilities the short, medium- and long-term threat be sudden and horrific and such tools can be holistic manner, based on which the cyber to establish credible cyber deterrence, which scenarios. These will need to be periodically injected, made to lie dormant and activated at security strategy should be evolved. Such though meant for covert use, may have to be reviewed since fast paced technological the critical time. Automated tools like Internet strategic planning should also define selectively demonstrated in order to establish developments are unpredictable. We need to worms exploit vulnerabilities and can con - required Indian responses when subjected to capability. An important adjunct would be rapidly harden our critical infrastructure tinue replicating themselves endlessly from cyber attack, plus addressing the difficult the incorporation of deception measures to plus networks across the board systemati - systems to systems. issue of building requisite intelligence in lead the adversaries/hackers effectively down cally. Coupled with pro-active defensive Originators of cyber attacks could be order to understand where the cyber threat the garden path. We not only need to contin - measures we need offensive cyber capabili - states or their arms (like intelligence agen - are emanating from and what are the uously monitor cyberspace, more impor - ties to have the required deterrence in cyber - cies –both military and civil), defence forces or motives for such attacks. Counter-intelli - tantly, our cyber security strategy should space. As a nation, we must accord due hackers employed as information and cyber gence operations against hackers (including ensure the government, military, economy, strategic importance to cyberspace. Defin - warfare actors/warriors to inflict disruption, State-sponsored ones) will need to be industry, business and citizenry enjoys full ing a cyber security strategy at the national map adversary’s capabilities and assess own addressed. Integrating early warnings, pos - benefits of a safe, secure and resilient cyber level is an urgent and vital requirement. capacity to attack whenever conflict situa - sible indicators, periodic net assessment in space. We must accord requisite national pri - Creation of a national level Task Force/Pro - tions arise. Besides industrial espionage in short-, medium- and long-term of likely ority to cyber security and leverage our man - ject Management Organisation for Cyber cyber space that has been ongoing for several cyber threats will need to be thought of. A power resources in building adequate cyber Security should be an essential first step. decades, cyber attacks can also be politically decision support system perhaps will need to security set up to enable India progress effec - Creation of a national Cyber Command to motivated. Cyber attacks can be of many be developed to arrive at the required tively. We need a proactive cyber security include a Tri-Service Cyber Command types with different objectives. These could response –what type of counter strike? net - strategy with fair share of offensive capabili - would be a natural follow up.
2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 9 >> PROCUREMENT Making Every Mission Possible A common platform for a light armoured vehicle (wheeled) which could fulfill the role of all the functions required to be carried out in conventional and asymmetric conflicts would be desirable
n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR commanders and staff officers for radio l Carriage of forward observation officers communications and for liaison duties. and their communication equipment. “The Indian Army nE OF ThE MAJOR weaknesses l Reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles l Air portability for airborne and helicop - is looking at the of the Indian Army is the lack which may be fitted with various types of ter-borne operations. of availability of a suitable sensors for route, terrain and enemy Considering the above tasks, the major procurement of light light armoured vehicle reconnaissance and surveillance. characteristics of such vehicles are safety, (wheeled) in its equipment pro - l Weapon carriers fitted with light and endurance, firepower, reliability, and adapt - armoured vehicles Ofile for a plethora of vital functions to be medium machine guns, up to 30mm ability to terrain and the role to be performed. performed on the battlefield. At present, cannons and anti-tank missiles. designed to meet the these functions are performed by unar - l Mortar carriers. Design moured light vehicles which have an open l Ambulance vehicles. The design should be such that they have a requirements of the configuration and a canvas covering. They l Carriage of Special Forces/infantry/ compact profile, to the extent possible, and offer no protection even against small fire- engineer reconnaissance teams are transportable by aircraft, helicopter, reconnaissance troops arms. The current vehicles do not have the l Could be employed as an air defence and truck and by rail for rapid deployment. and platoons of requisite mobility, firepower or protection to vehicle by fitting a turret for firing air Their body armour should be so designed survive on the battlefield in any type of ter - defence missiles or guns. that it enables rapid exit of the crew when armoured regiments and rain. Some anti-mine vehicles have been l Carrier of small arms ammunition. required. Amphibious capability would procured for formations and units includ - l Could be modified as a light recovery be desirable. mechanised infantry ing Rashtriya Rifles functioning in insur - vehicle. gency areas. however, these vehicles do not Optional Equipment battalions.” cover all types of tasks and missions that Depending upon the role and tasks envis - Lt General D.S. Siddhu, have to be performed in conventional con - One of the major aged, optional equipment may include elec - flicts or in low intensity conflicts like the trical self-recovery winch, nuclear, chemical Director General Mechanised Forces counter-insurgency environment existing weaknesses of the and biological (nCB) protection kit, infrared in Jammu and Kashmir and in the north - driving lamps, smoke grenade dischargers, east. hence a common platform for a light Indian Army is the lack of night-vision-goggle-compatible (nVG) glaz - armoured vehicle (wheeled) which could ing, fire suppression system, night-vision Self-protection fulfill the role of all the functions required availability of a suitable periscopes for driver and commander The structure of the hull should be so opti - to be carried out in conventional and asym - and daytime periscopes for driver and mised that the vehicle has a low silhouette metric conflicts would be desirable. light armoured vehicle commander. and optimised for increased survivability. Run-flat tyres are a standard feature, Expected Missions/Tasks (wheeled) in its Armament allowing the vehicle to continue its mis - All formations and units would be inter - equipment profile for a Depending upon the roles and tasks, vari - sion with deflated tyres. The hull should ested in a common platform of light ous types of weapon stations and turrets provide all-round protection against small armoured vehicle (wheeled) which could plethora of vital func - incorporating 7.62mm or 12.7mm arms fire and artillery shell splinters. The fulfill most of their missions/tasks. Some of machine guns, 40mm automatic grenade vehicle should also provide protection these tasks are: tions to be performed launcher or cannons up to 30mm calibre against anti-personnel and anti-tank l Command and control vehicles which can be adapted to such vehicles. Sight sys - mines and indigenous explosive devices would be fitted with radio sets and high on the battlefield tems with night vision capability or thermal (IEDs). Add-on armour kits and additional power antennas and would be used by imaging could also be made available. composite flooring can be provided, if
Two US Army Stryker infantry carrier vehicles drive into a C-5 Galaxy aircraft t e n . s e c r o f d n a l s
p AM General’s Humvee is a high s
. mobility multipurpose wheeled w 4WD vehicle for military use w w
10 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 PROCUREMENT <<
The Global Market - Some Examples of LAVs
The LAV-25 is an eight-wheeled amphibious reconnais - General Dynamics Land Systems Canada sance vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps. It was built LAV-25 is an eight-wheeled built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada and is amphibious reconnaissance vehicle used based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha I 8x8 family of by the US Marine Corps armoured fighting vehicles. Stryker is a family of eight-wheel drive combat vehicles, transportable in a C-130 aircraft, being built for the US Army by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS)-Canada (for - merly General Motors Defense) and General Dynamics Land Systems Division of USA. Stryker is based on the GDLS Canada LAV III 8-8 light armoured vehicle, in service since early 2001. The LAV III is itself a version of the Piranha III built by Mowag of Switzerland, now part of GDLS, Europe. The Australian light armoured vehicle (ASLAV) is a highly mobile, amphibious eight-wheeled armoured vehicle that is ideally suited to conduct reconnaissance and surveil - lance operations. General Dynamics Canada worked with General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada (GDLS-C) to supply the Canadian Army with light armoured reconnaissance vehicles (LAV Recce). This vehicle, designated by the Army as the “Coyote”, is the first to be fitted with such an inte - grated surveillance system and is regarded as the baseline capability against which modern armed forces will evalu - ate their requirements for future armoured reconnais - sance vehicles. Oshkosh Defense and General Dynamics Land Systems- Canada teamed for the TAPV programme, which will to nine. The Tiger is ballistic and mine blast protected, with utmost mobility and survivability. replace the 4_4 RG-31 mine protected armoured patrol various add-on armour options and is designed with a spa - The Cobra family of light armoured vehicles is manu - vehicle (APV) and the light armoured vehicle LAV-2 6_6 cious, versatile cabin and large payload capacity allows the factured by Otokar Otobus Karoseri Sanayi in Turkey. The Coyote reconnaissance vehicle. Tiger to be tailored to many missions. Cobra designs incorporate the mechanical components of Textron Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of The Oshkosh mine-resistant ambush-protected the hMMWV vehicle from AM General of the USA. Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company, and MDT Armor (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle (M-ATV) is an armoured vehi - The high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle Corporation, a division of Arotech Corporation have cle with improved mobility. In June 2009, Oshkosh Cor - (hMMWV or humvee) is a military 4WD motor vehicle announced a teaming agreement to market, design and poration received an initial order to deliver 2,900 M-ATVs created by AM General. Primarily used by the United manufacture the Tiger light protected vehicle. Based on a to the US Armed Forces for deployment in Afghanistan. States Armed Forces, it is also used by numerous other commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Dodge RAM 5500 platform, The M-ATV is based on the Oshkosh medium tactical vehi - countries and organisations and even in civilian adapta - the Tiger is a cost effective, light protected class all terrain cle replacement (MTVR) platform and is fitted with tions. The hummer series was also inspired by the vehicle with proven, highly reliable armour for a crew of six patented TAK-4 independent suspension system for hMMWVs. required, to increase the protection cross country performance. A four-six-wheel should be in excess of 400 km across country using the same platform for a turreted vehicle of crews. design with automatic transmission and elec - and more than 700 km by road. for 12.7mm machine gun, 30mm cannon, tronically controlled, would be an advantage. and anti-tank guided missiles or surface-to- Propulsion Such vehicles, depending upon the terrain, Common Platform air missiles. There is an urgent need to Such vehicles should be powered by turbo could have a maximum road speed of 100 The vehicle should form a common platform, finalise a suitable platform for the Army so diesel engines which have power to weight kmh and a cross-country speed of 40 to 50 which can be adapted for various roles and that a family of vehicles can be developed to ratio in excess of 30 to give the vehicle a good kph. The maximum range without refueling missions. In addition, we could also think of fullfil all the requirements of the Army.
The Oshkosh mine-resistant ambush- protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle (M-ATV) is an armoured vehicle with improved mobility s p r o C
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2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 11 >> SPECIAL FORCES For Strategic Tasking Special Forces have a major role to play in coping with asymmetric and non-traditional threats. We need to integrate our Special Forces and optimise their potential to face the 21st century challenges in requisite manner. Initiatives in this regard need to be taken both by the government and the military.
PHOTOGRAPHS : SP Guide Pubns, Indian Army n LT GENERAL (RETD) P.C. KATOCH Force (SFF). The SAGs and SGs are manned completely by army personnel on deputa - nDIAn SPECIAL FORCES ARE over tion. Ignoring the four globally acknowl - three decades old. however, their trans- edged Special Forces truths (humans are border employment awaits outbreak of more important than hardware, quality is a conventional war. This is an archaic better than quantity, Special Forces cannot concept, ill suited to present-day non- be mass produced and competent Special tIraditional challenges especially when both Forces cannot be created after emergencies China and Pakistan are subjecting us to seri - arise), we have gone in for rapid expansion ous asymmetric threats. We have a large diluting their combat potential including number of Special Forces that need to be manning, equipping and training. non-Spe - integrated and their combat potential opti - cial Forces Colonel of the Parachute Regi - mally utilised by using them proactively. This ment in the past have managed to prevail will also require defining a national policy upon Service Chief’s to convert more and for employing Special Forces and providing more Parachute units into Special Forces them the highest command and control units –in one case four units worth Special framework for strategic tasking. Forces were created within a span of just three years. Post-26/11, the nSG has Nature of Conflict expanded many times albeit with much less Recent years have witnessed a paradigm contribution from the Army, particularly shift in the nature of conflict, irregular and against enormous demand of provisioning asymmetric forces having emerged with additional officers. In contrast, the expan - greater strategic value over conventional sion has been very deliberate in case of for - and even nuclear forces, with geographical eign Special Forces. Post-9/11, the US boundaries rendered irrelevant. Sub-con - expanded its Special Forces only by 750. UK ventional conflicts characterised by intra- went in only for an addition of a 650-strong state strife, have gained ascendency over “Special Forces Support Group”. Pakistan traditional conflicts, which used to be mostly has added a fourth SSG unit only recently. conventional inter-state wars. The transna - Even during peak period of Special Forces tional nature of these threats and the deployment in Iraq, only 90 x Operation increasing involvement of state actors in Detachments Alpha (ODAs) were actually using sub-conventional conflicts have used (each ODA is 10-12 strong). Inciden - increased their complexity. non-state actors tally, SOCOM is only 13,000 strong of which have added a new dimension to low intensity Psychological Operations Teams and Civil conflicts and they are increasingly acquiring Affairs Teams are not fighting men. conventional capabilities that were earlier A peculiar situation exists in our Army, exclusive preserve of nation states. Technol - wherein, the Parachute (Special Forces) units ogy empowers the terrorist to cause severe and regular parachute units are clubbed into damage through cyber, financial and kinetic the same regiment. This aberration at times attacks. Likelihood of them acquiring leads to senior Paratrooper officers, who have weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a never served in Special Forces, holding major concern. The spectrum of conflict appointments dealing with Special Forces could, therefore, range from conflicts issues. They merely concentrate to somehow between states to conflict with non-state establish parity between the tasking of Special actors and proxies. Conventional conflict having advised Pakistan more than half agement and maritime security, demo - Forces and normal Parachute units, example could either be preceded in conjunction or a century back to raise a militia force to fight graphic assault from failed/failing states being the current efforts to assign Parachute succeeded by a period of irregular conflict, India, China now provides tacit support to aside from conventional and nuclear threats, units role of independent small team actions, which would require low intensity conflict Pakistan in its jihadi strategy including India is already amidst asymmetric wars guerrilla warfare, sub-conventional opera - and stabilisation operations. direct protection at Un as part of her own waged by our adversaries. There is an urgent tions in unconventional scenario and hostage strategic ambitions to keep India in check. need to address these non-traditional chal - rescue, significantly discarding their primary Threats & Challenges Chinese strategic footprints in Pakistan lenges. The scope of these scenarios is large role of ground holding. Such pseudo special - India borders the Afghanistan-Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), support, training with limitless employment possibilities for isation efforts leads to Parachute units clam - region in the seat of global terror where ideo - and arming of insurgent groups in India’s Special Forces. In our case, conventional ouring for the Special Forces allowances and logical fuel and wholly religious motivating north-east (ULFA and nSCn(IM) in particu - wars will overlap ongoing asymmetric wars. insignia rather than concentrate on their own platform for extremism is centred. There is lar), claims to Arunachal Pradesh and Though windows of conventional conflict primary task. The Special Forces Concept rel - increasing evidence of radicalisation in Pak - increased belligerence coupled with the remain under the nuclear backdrop, conven - evant to Special Forces gets sidetracked. The istan. Circumstances of assassinations of unholy China-Pakistan nuclear nexus bodes tional wars will be subject to intense global fact that Parachute units, which are Infantry Governor Salman Taseer, Minister Shahbaz more evil. Their increasingly discernable pressure for early termination fearing units with airborne capability, must continue Bhatti and the aftermath provide further efforts to establish links with the Maoist nuclear breakout. Both the attack on the to be mandated with tasks that are in support proof. Feeble calls within Pakistan to insurgency in India through Maoists of Indian Parliament and 26/11 Mumbai ter - of a formation in their ground holding role strengthen democracy indicate the strangle - nepal, insurgents in north-east and radicals ror attacks indicated that India is at distinct strangely gets obfuscated periodically. hold of the ISI-Military combine in governing in Kerala are a cause for worry. nepal’s disadvantage, relying merely on conven - Pakistan, which is unlikely to loosen. Maoist insurgency having been spawned by tional response coupled with politico-diplo - Employment Patterns Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) being the covert arm China, what future turn it takes requires matic manoeuverings rather than creating historically, Indian Special Forces have been of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), its nexus monitoring. nepal and Myanmar have taken requisite deterrence to asymmetric threats. used for direct action type of roles during with Al-Qaeda is significant. Wikileaks rein - a turn for the better in recent months but conventional wars. The hierarchal under - force Pakistan’s duplicity and unwillingness continue to be unpredictable. Assumption of Our Special Forces standing of trans-border employment of to act against Pakistani terrorist organisa - power by Maoists in nepal can have direct Indian Special Forces came into being from Special Forces in India is short distanced tions operating into Afghanistan and India. bearing on the Maoist insurgency in India. year 1965 but there is considerable confu - physical or direct type of actions executed on Focus of the US, EU, nATO and the world in Bangladesh is clamping down on terror but sion in some cross sections including in the a unit/sub-unit basis to achieve battlefield general on Al-Qaeda, Taliban and not on Pak - the JeI, the JMB and the harkat-ul-Jihad-al- military between ‘Special Forces’ and ‘Spe - victories. There is no concept of their being t e istan per se encourages Pakistan to continue Islami Bangladesh, currently dormant, need cial Operations Forces’. Wikipedia lists out used abroad other than conventional war. n . s a devious policy including covert support to watching. The LTTE in Sri Lanka may be some 20 odd Special Operations Forces in While globally Special Forces are employed e c
r Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Erstwhile Afghan defeated but is not dead. Within India, there India, all of whom get generally categorised to nip asymmetric threats at the source, we o f refugee camps along the international high - are some 30-odd terrorist organisations, the as Special Forces by the media. Indian Spe - are content to use this strategic force domes - d n way have been converted to terror havens hit - Maoist insurgency having developed into the cial Forces actually comprise Special Forces tically for counter-insurgency and counter- a l s ting nATO supply lines. Future US thinning largest fault line with our adversaries’ intent of the three Services (Army being the major terrorism only, roles that can well be accom - p s
. out in Afghanistan embolden Pakistan more. on exploiting all of them. contributor), Special Action Groups (SAGs) plished by regular infantry as well. Other w A stronger Taliban will look further into Faced with multifarious threats and of the national Security Guard (nSG) and than limited trans-border employment dur - w
w Afghanistan, CIS countries and India. challenges related to terrorism, border man - Special Groups (SGs) of the Special Frontier ing conventional war the only overseas
12 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 SPECIAL FORCES <<
www.amgeneral.com
employment other than Un missions was of cial Forces. Ideal response to asymmetric existence of Special Forces in the country, no dried up human intelligence (hUMInT) the then three Special Forces units being threats is adoption of a proactive strategy integrated Special Forces set up, little joint completely. Whether we fight China or Pak - employed with the IPKF in Sri Lanka. Talk - ensuring prevention of an attack. Asymmet - training and no institutionalised network for istan individually or together, we will defi - ing of Un missions, India is perhaps the only ric war is dirty war, to which conventional real time national intelligence. More signifi - nitely be combating asymmetric forces country that sends whole Special Forces response is inadequate. Special Forces have cant is the question of national/political will concurrently. hence, the importance to units on Un missions rather than deploying wide application across the entire spectrum and military will as well, voids of which have muster national will to go for proactive Spe - these forces abroad for strategic surveillance. of conflict, more so as a controlled response led to the failure of defining a national Secu - cial Forces employment. It should be a mat - What a shame that New York Times has to tell along the escalatory ladder in the emerging rity Strategy and national Security Objec - ter of grave national concern to us that the us that 11,000 Chinese are working on 14 strategic environment. tives even 64 years after independence. organisations like LeT and JeM conduct open projects in PoK. Special Forces should actu - Flawed policies of total reliance on technical meetings with complete state support in ally be central to our asymmetric response, Concept of Employment intelligence (TEChInT) over the years have Pakistan, that individuals like hafiz Syed which does not imply operating in units/sub- The concept of Employment of Special (LeT) and Masood Azhar (JeM) continue to units. In fact, such response through Forces in the Indian Army instituted in 2001 be at large after causing tremendous damage employment of Special Forces does not auto - says that “Special Forces should be employed We have a large number in our country, that China is fuelling dissent matically imply physical attack. A physical to continuously ‘shape the battlefield from in our north-east and in the Maoists with attack is only the extreme and potentially conventional wars in nuclear backdrop to of Special Forces that apparent intentions of preparing grounds most dangerous expression of asymmetric asymmetric and fourth generation wars. for a full-fledged fourth generation war in warfare. The key lies in achieving strategic Their employment should be theatre-specific need to be integrated the Indian heartland. objectives through application of modest and as force multipliers to complement tasks resources with the essential psychological performed by conventional forces, entailing and their combat Optimising Potential component. Pakistan’s SSG has been operat - high risk, and high gain missions having Lack of integration of Indian Special Forces ing in Jammu & Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq, minimum visibility with desired effect”. potential optimally has not permitted optimisation of their nepal and Bangladesh. They understand Shaping the battlefield is a continuous utilised by using them potent combat capabilities including in cre - that Special Forces do not create resistance process covering the entire spectrum of con - ating a deterrent against irregular/asym - movements but advice, train and assist flict including asymmetric war that implies proactively. This will metric warfare. Belonging to different resistance movements already in existence. shaping in peace time as well and virtually organisations with different chains of com - What the Chinese Special Forces are up to is every conceivable task is possible under also require defining a mand, there is little commonality by way of anybody’s guess but considering that Chi - ‘covert operations’, ‘special missions’ and ethos, training, equipping and capabilities. nese use the PLA for development projects ‘special operations’. Our Special Forces are national policy for Our areas of strategic interests need to be like road construction and PLA is spearhead - potent tools that possess the ‘strategic kept under surveillance including through ing the massive cyber warfare programme of punch’ to achieve our security objectives. employing Special hUMInT, to which Special Forces can be China, covert presence of Chinese Special They must primarily look beyond our bor - major contributors. The fact is that there is Forces including by proxy in PoK, nepal, ders (with exception of the nSG) to nip Forces and providing an urgent need to establish an Integrated Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and even asymmetric threats in the bud and to control them the highest Special Forces Command (ISFC). Options are India should not be ruled out. Apprehension the fault lines of our adversaries. Such a con - to either establish the ISFC under the CDS of Chinese nationals with fake Indian pan cept can well suit all Indian Special Forces command and control (COSC in the interim) with a Strategic Spe - cards may actually be the tip of the iceberg. but the million-dollar question is why the cial Forces Cell (SSFC) in the Prime Minis - If China aims to stir up the nSCn(IM), ULFA Army has not implemented it? The reasons framework for strategic ter’s Office (PMO) or establish it directly and Maoist insurgencies and claims are many, ranging from absence of a under the existing Tri-Service Strategic Arunachal, how can one rule out involve - national doctrine or philosophy for employ - tasking. ment of their intelligence agencies and Spe - ment of Special Forces despite 36 years of Continued on page18
2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 13 >> INTERVIEW ‘We still need a force that can be very kinetic when required’ The US Army has evolved to become one of the world’s most experienced practitioners in modern counter-insurgency. According to General Peter Chiarelli , Vice Chief of Staff, US Army, after nearly a decade of military intervention in the Middle East and Central Asia, many hard-earned lessons have been learnt and applied in relation to tactics, operations, transformation, training, coalition interoperability and modernisation.
n SERGEI DESILVA-RANASINGHE strategies, which provided additional forces Coalition Interoperability for offensive operations and reconstruction A major aspect of the campaign in hE COnFLICT In IRAQ has been a related tasks. In addition, the increased troop Afghanistan has been the requirement to defining experience for the US strength has provided greater flexibility to manage coalition partners that have deployed Army, which has markedly trans - field commanders who are intend on accel - troop contingents in support of the US formed its approach to counter- erating the training and expansion of the alliance. In this context, the US Army also has insurgency war fighting. “Since the Afghan security forces,” he said. a key supporting role in mentoring and train - TIraq conflict we have totally reshaped the “In Iraq, the increasing capability of the ing multinational coalition forces. “For exam - force from a division centred force that was Iraqi Army was critical to the force reduc - ple, with IEDs, the US Army helps to prepare at the time built around a Divisional head - tions in coalition troops that we have seen coalition forces to come up against a threat quarters,” explained General Chiarelli. today. The ability of the Iraqi Army to pro - that they have never previously experienced. “I was one of the last Divisional Com - vide security for its people is much greater We also have helped them with tactics, tech - manders with the 1st Cavalry Division to than our ability. In Afghanistan the cam - niques and procedures, and with different deploy to Iraq with all my organic brigades. paign takes on a whole-of-government kinds of equipment and enablers,” said Gen - I had three Manoeuvre Brigades, an Artillery approach. One of those non-kinetic effects is eral Chiarelli. Brigade that we made into a Manoeuvre training the Afghan Army. In fact, there are “There have been times when those who Brigade (a fourth Manoeuvre Brigade). We huge contributions being made by Australia have joined in the alliance with us have also had an Aviation Brigade, an Engineer and other nations in training the Afghan asked for assistance. I remember, in Iraq, Brigade and separate battalions for Military Army and Police. We cannot separate both night vision was considered a key piece of Intelligence, Signals and even an Air Defence the increase in forces (actual boots on the equipment for many of our allies, which we Battalion. That is how we were constructed,” ground) from what we have done to build up often provided. Intelligence, surveillance, he said. “In contrast, today, the Brigade the Afghan Army. The major reason for the and reconnaissance (ISR) is another thing Combat Team is the centrepiece of the US success we are having today is our ability to where we have had a quantitative and possi - Army,” he added. Another example of the US train and deploy both the Afghan Army and bly qualitative edge for a while, and the prod - Army’s process of transformation has been Police. They are the two critical institutions uct of that ISR is something that we have the growing cooperation with the US Gov - that are going to help provide security for the provided to the alliance whenever possible. ernment agencies to achieve non-kinetic Afghan people,” he added. have gained. They are usually deployed for a however, there are huge interoperability objectives as demonstrated by the whole-of- total mobilisation of 12 months. But we are issues among coalition forces which we have government approach. The Importance of Reserves trying to get them to the point where they are identified and tried to address. Inside the “The whole-of-government approach is In order to augment troop strength for the five years at home before they are redeployed nATO framework there are conferences and absolutely critical today and that is a huge ‘surge’ strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan, again.” said the General. forums that allow us to address many of the lesson we have learnt from these conflicts. In much of the burden was shouldered by the US “We want to increase that to a ratio of interoperability issues. The real thing is to counter-insurgency, it is not just the armed Army, particularly its reserve units, which 1:5 which would be 60 months at home. We identify the issues and then agree to a forces that are needed. The whole govern - have made an important contribution. are trying to get the active component of the timetable to get them fixed,” he stated. ment needs to be involved with a team of “Key to our ability to increase troop force to a ratio of 1:3 and we will not call on “Too often they become lessons learnt, professionals who are available to an opera - strength has been our capacity to opera - them as much, but we still need their serv - which implies that those lessons are truly tional commander that goes in and looks at tionalise our reserve components. The US ices and special capabilities as we have going to be learnt and acted upon. One of the non-kinetic effects that can be applied. These Army has about 5,69,000 active component invested in many of those capabilities in the areas, at least from my experience, is in com - are critical to winning the trust and confi - soldiers, but this increases to over 1.1 million reserve components. A large majority of our mand and control. Unity of command is a dence of the people. I always say ‘trust and when we count our reserve components. If engineering forces are in the reserve compo - critical issue and the ability to share informa - confidence’ as opposed to ‘hearts and there is anything we have come to rely on it nents which makes a lot of sense because tion is essential in major conflicts,” he added. minds’. Trust and confidence is what we try is our operationalised reserve component, many of them undertake engineering type to gain,” he said. which we can turn to for enablers. I do not jobs in civilian life and bring those same Modernisation “however, we still need a force that can mean necessarily combat formations, skills to their formations,” he added. The US Army is at present engaged in a be very kinetic when required. The applica - although we have combat formations in the The General further affirmed, “As some - process of modernisation and transformation tion of combat power in any war is going to national Guard, the vast majority of our one who has been in the Army for 38 years, with the introduction of the revolutionary be constant. There are going to be times reserve component enablers are aviation, I never again want to see training levels to go concept known as ‘The network’, which when that is exactly what has to be done,” engineers and other specialities. back to where they were before because it streamlines and disseminates electronic intel - he added. “The reserve component training system allows quick and ready access when we need ligence from the tactical to the strategic level, he added, “We see that probably in a has been increased significantly because of them with very little time required for prepa - and vice versa, in real time. larger extent in Afghanistan today than even multiple deployments. It is not uncommon ration and additional training before they According to General Chiarelli, when we at the height of fighting that was witnessed now to find a reserve component soldier are deployed. Our force is amazingly speak of The network we are just not talking in Iraq. Combat power is always constant and either from the Army national Guard or the resilient. Basically, we have asked less than about the tactical and operational level of leaders always have a responsibility to make Army Reserve that has been deployed on one per cent of our population to fight two forces during combat. It will be a network sure their soldiers use force when required.” three or four tours or units that have deployed wars for 10 years. Today, our retention and that is not only found in theatre with indi - overseas more than once,” he explained. recruiting rates have gone right through the vidual soldiers, both at the tactical and oper - Strategy in Afghanistan “As a consequence, what we have is a roof. In fact, 99 per cent of the recruits we ational and even strategic level, but when In recent years, the US Army’s contribution much more highly trained force than we have in the US Army are high school gradu - they are training back home to be deployed. to Afghanistan has been increasingly signif - ever had before. Earlier there was only 39 ates. Wavers are very uncommon,” he said. “It is that complete network that would icant, playing a major role in expanding the days of training every year and a lot of that “Even though we are involved in a cam - allow a soldier at the national training cen - authority of the nATO-led International was spent on state missions. State missions paign overseas, support for the American tre to see a similar picture as the soldier who Security Assistance Force (ISAF), by escalat - are still important which is why the reserve military at least at home has never been is actually on the ground, involved in theatre ing operations against the Taliban in South - component still continue to play a key role higher. In my opinion, it is absolutely essen - operations and be able to see that real time ern Afghanistan. in their individual states particularly in dis - tial that we maintain the readiness that we and utilise that in training to prepare to “In the last six months, conditions have aster relief, but their contribution to the wars have gained over the last decade of conflict relieve that same soldier who is deployed. To improved in Afghanistan. The ‘surge’ of both in Iraq and Afghanistan remains signif - and ensure we have an operationalised me, this is the future,” he added. t e additional forces has played a role, which icant,” he added. reserve. We need to have the ability to call on “Everything revolves around that and n . s has allowed us to live with and protect the “Today when units deploy they have a very professional and well-trained force the capability it brings both to the individual e c
r population, and give the opportunity for upwards of 30 days additional training, and have ready access to that reserve com - soldier and the collective formation. In get - o f non-kinetic effects to take hold. That is an sometimes even more depending on the mis - ponent depending on wherever our national ting The network down to ‘The Edge’, to the d n important move in the right direction in sion. In fact, depending on the mission it can security interests may take us in the future. individual soldier, is really the centrepiece of a l s Afghanistan today. The capacity for the US be anywhere from 15 days to 60 days addi - Today we like to talk about it as the ‘One the Army’s modernisation,” he stated. p s
. Army to tap into and mobilise more troops, tional training. They are now an extremely Army’, which includes the reserve compo - The author is a senior analyst at Australian- w previously culminated in Iraq and now more well-trained force with the extra investment nents, national Guard, army reserve and the based strategic think tank Future Directions w
w recently in Afghanistan with the ‘surge’ in training, plus the combat experience they active component,” he added. International.
14 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 INTERVIEW <<
PHOTOGRAPH : US Army ‘Ultimately it is the Afghan people who have to defeat the Taliban’ After a sustained and difficult deployment which originally commenced in early 2002, the Canadian Army is now in the process of drawing down its military commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)- led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. According to Major General Alan Howard, Deputy Commander, Canadian Army, the de-escalation and handover to US troops by the end of this summer leaves in its wake a credible Canadian war effort.
n SERGEI DESILVA-RANASINGHE their presence,” the General explained and dian Forces will continue to operate in added, “We have learnt that in a counter- Afghanistan for the foreseeable future in a VER ThE yEARS ThE Cana - insurgency environment the key is to be mentoring and training role. dian Army’s approach to adaptable on a daily basis, because the Tal - however, sizeable troop numbers will counter-insurgency gradually iban have been very adaptable and have tried also be returning to Canada and focusing on developed through the hard many different things against us.” duties related to homeland security and fought campaigns against the The nATO-led counter-insurgency and other roles such as humanitarian relief, dis - OTaliban in the war-ravaged Kandahar exit strategy is heavily dependent on the sus - aster management and peacekeeping opera - Province, which killed 154 Canadian sol - tainment of viable proxy-Afghan security tions. According to Major General howard, diers and wounded close to 1,900. forces, such as the Afghan Army and Police “Taking care of things at home and priori - “When we first arrived in 2006, we were which are deployed in increasingly larger tising domestic crises are the key aspects on almost the only military force that was in the numbers against the Taliban. our list.” whole province. now there are literally thou - “Building capacity is the ultimate solu - he added, “The sovereignty of Canada is sands more. We have seen a large surge of tion here, and not deployment of more important, which is why we have adopted Americans into southern Afghanistan so nATO troops. What we want to see is more ‘Canada First’ as our strategy to make sure now there are more nATO soldiers serving Afghan security forces in Kandahar that our homeland defence is secure and that than ever before,” he said. province. We are seeing increasing capacity our sovereignty is maintained on all fronts.” “In Kandahar Province the new regional of the Afghan Army as it grows in size. Its “We have set up architecture—Canada Command headquarters is American. There position and respect among the Afghan pop - Command—that has a regional head-quar - is good synergies and agreed approach on ulation is quite high. There is a lot of work ters and the ability to respond. If someone how things are done. In a counter-insurgency being done to develop the Afghan Police as tells us to go up north, we need to be ready campaign, the principal aim is to win local well,” he said. to do that in a limited capacity. When natu - support and that can only be done by the sol - “Although the insurgents think that the ral disasters and humanitarian calamities diers on the ground. It is not so much about people are unhappy and that they can pro - overwhelm first responders, such as flood - fighting; rather it is more about creating the vide better solutions, we have to show them ing, we need to be able to respond. For exam - conditions for security and development and that the Afghan Government has better still work. During periods of reduced insur - ple, we recently had a hurricane and the for the Afghan people to take command. We solutions. In this context, the three pillars gent momentum, we take advantage to con - Army responded by building three bridges have learnt that as a military we need part - that work hand-in-hand are governance, solidate and intensify the training that we are and transporting drinking water.” ners, as we can only do so much of it. Special - development and security. The three are providing to the Afghan Army and Police. having developed capabilities for ists that have expertise in governance and interrelated in order to defeat an insurgency. This is a cyclical thing as we tend to have the medium-weight expeditionary operations, development are absolutely essential. If they After all, ultimately it is the Afghan people ability to do more work in training, develop - the Canadian Army, which has considerable are not there, we will be unable to progress on who have to defeat the Taliban,” he added. ment and governance over the winter experience in counter-insurgency opera - key issues,” the General added. Conversely, while counter-insurgency months. We are going to take advantage of tions, is emphatic about retaining its force he said, “The idea of winning over the operations are steadily intensifying in 2011, that before we leave to gain momentum by projection capacity. local population is very much shared Canada will commence a phased process of the end of the summer,” he said. “We need to look to the future to ensure between us. The willingness to share risks troop withdrawals, which by the end of this that our training and readiness levels, which and live among Afghan population is not summer will effectively end its expeditionary New Priorities will involve humanitarian, peacekeeping and embraced by all Western nations, but it is force commitment to the nATO-led war As Canadian troops gradually disengage combat operations are exactly what Canada embraced by Canada and the US.” effort in Afghanistan. from Kandahar, the Canadian Government requires,” stated Major General howard. “Canadian soldiers have earned a lot of “The Canadian Government have told us has also recently announced its intention to “We want to make sure that we preserve respect from the local population in Kanda - that Canadian troops will be withdrawing reinforce the nATO Training Mission— our capabilities and that we do not become har and have improved the security situation from Kandahar this year. however, at pres - Afghanistan to help in training the Afghan too specialised. For a small army that we are, in Kandahar Province. We are trying to ent, our focus is on current operations and Army and Police. In this capacity, a contin - this provides the greatest range of options for ensure that the Taliban do not re-establish we have a long winter period where we can gent of around 900 personnel of the Cana - the Canadian Government,” he affirmed.
2/2011 SP’s LAND FORCES 15 >> SEMINAR Employ Skillfully At the two-day seminar on “Special Forces: Challenges and Opportunities,” organised by SP Guide Publications and CENJOWS on March 10 and 11, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik underlined the urgency of strengthening the Special Forces in the country as asymmetric warfare by transnational elements is on the rise.
PHOTOGRAPHS : SP Guide Pubns n LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal P.V. naik underlined the urgency of strengthen - hE TERM SPECIAL FORCES (SF) ing the Special Forces in the country as has been explained in the Army asymmetric warfare by transnational ele - Training Command Manual of ments is on the rise. he said that it was not a “Fundamentals, Doctrines and question of giving a licence to kill but more Concepts of Indian Army”. The about the capability to kill. Realities in eTxplanation reads, “SF is a body of highly today’s context were more threatening and trained specialised troops, suitably equipped required special assets for specialised mis - with a capacity to operate across all levels of sions. Special Forces fell into this category of conflict. These troops are selected, trained, being able to achieve disproportionately equipped and organised to operate in hostile large outcomes with relatively much smaller territory, isolated from the main combat forces thus fulfilling the tenets of fourth gen - forces. They can be inserted by land, sea and eration warfare. he stressed the need to pre - air and operate in hostile environment to serve autonomy of such forces and ensure accomplish the assigned special missions. their unconventional use as that was the They may act discretely at strategic level, but essence of their employment. he felt that more often operate in concert with other Indian armed forces had to plan to face the forces and agencies at the operational and full spectrum of challenges. It implied a full tactical levels.” range of capabilities to fight conventional The manual goes on to explain that wars under the nuclear shadow on the one when Special Forces operate with the main hand to low intensity conflict including combat forces, they are best employed in counter-terrorism on the other. Thus Indian support of the main effort either to enable armed forces had to have the ability to swing main forces to achieve a decision or to extend dynamically between the two ends and this the capability of these forces and hence SF is where highly trained Special Forces could should be considered as a force multiplier be employed skillfully. Inaugurating the sem - rather than a decisive force in itself. inar, he said both the political and military Operations by SF are invariably joint leadership have to understand that there operations, with the involvement of the Air would be “fewer wars and more conflicts” Force and the navy, in specific forces. Joint and only a well-trained and thinking force activity expands the scope and complexity of could deal with such threats. he said that operations. today’s warfare blurs the line between war The SF of the Indian Army with their and politics, military and civilian targets, present organisational structure, training, peace and conflict, battlefield activity and equipment, are designed to carry out a lim - fratricide and hence the military is facing a ited number of roles and tasks. In essence, big challenge because special operations they are being employed as ‘elite infantry’ or require integration between a large number ‘super-infantry’ units. While their ability to of agencies of the government. The Air Chief conduct direct action, attrition oriented called for a national vision with regard to offensive operations such as raids, ambushes deploying the 10,000 plus Special Forces in and surprise assaults is admirable as well as the country. Calling for integrated joint oper - trustworthy, they are neither organised nor Jayant Baranwal with Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman COSC, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik (Top) and with ations base of the three Services, the Air trained nor equipped for a variety of other Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Chief opined that once decided there has to tasks assigned in special operations, which be extensive training. “Special Forces capa - they may be required to undertake in future. Another option for improving their effective - different, by virtue of the scale, sensitiv - bilities cannot be built overnight, political This may include partisan warfare, espi - ness and efficiency is to organise all SF of the ity and potentially decisive nature of the will can be,” he said. onage, special reconnaissance, sabotage, Army, navy and the IAF under a Special mission and the specialised nature of the Vice Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, psychological operations, civil affairs, Operations Command, headed by a Com - assigned forces. Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff to the counter nuclear proliferation and terrorists mander-in-Chief (Army Commander status) l Special operations are usually covert or Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, said with weapons of mass destruction (WMD), for equipping, training, preparing and clandestine. To ensure that they remain that the overriding requirement of Special sensitive politico-military operations and launching special operations. Such a struc - so, they are frequently small scale and Forces would be interoperability and fitness other strategic and operational level tasks ture would increase India’s strategic flexibility limited in objective. Economy of force is and coordination of individual components. which require a wide range of skills and a and options for dealing with future settings. the operative principle. he advocated a Special Operations Com - different organisational pattern with equip - l Successful special operations are charac - mand structured to serve the Indian needs. ment and skilled personnel to complement Differences Between Special and terised by simplicity, enhanced by inno - he felt that it was important for the SF to the variety of additional tasks that they may Conventional Operations vation, imagination and subtlety. Some have a mindset to overcome overwhelming be required to undertake. A wider understanding of Special Forces may be direct but most follow the strat - odds. They have to have a “junoon” (fanati - Operations requires a person to understand egy of “indirect approach”. They rely on cal kind of mindset) to serve in the Special International Seminar the differences between special operations skill, speed, flexibility and deception. Forces. The force has to be “lean and hun - A two-day seminar on “Special Forces: Chal - and conventional operations. Some key dif - l They may involve use of violence but gry”, fleet-footed and above all dynamic. lenges and Opportunities” was organised ferences are as under: such use of violence is selective. Proposing the vote of thanks for the inau - jointly by SP Guide Publications and the l Special operations can be described as l Military or civil personnel may be gural session, the Publisher and Editor-in- Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CEnJOWS), para political. The ultimate objective is employed on special operations. They Chief of SP Guide Publications, Jayant a think tank of headquarters Integrated political and the political stakes and may come from the initiating country or Baranwal said that considering the unfolding Defence Staff of the Ministry of Defence, on risks are frequently very high. They will they may be recruited elsewhere. They threat scenario within the country, it was March 10 and 11 in new Delhi. generally not involve a declared state of may be acting legally, extra-legally or ille - imperative to draft a national policy at the The major outcome of the seminar was war. They represent diplomacy con - gally in the target country. earliest. There has to be a national prepared - that a national vision is imperative with ducted by other means and are subject l These operations require intelligence ness and hoped that the seminar would offer regard to the structuring, employment and to strict political or military control at assets and support of the highest quality. insights into strengthening internal security. deployment of the Special Forces in the the highest levels. Experts from the UK, Germany, France t e country and the Indian model had to be its l They are frequently described as Highlights of the Seminar and Israel gave insight into how the Special n . s own based on our strategic needs and the unorthodox or unconventional. how - Special Forces experts from the country and Forces operated in their countries, while all e c
r operational environment currently and in ever, the distinction between special and outside who participated in the seminar of them endorsed that India had to have its o f the future. conventional military operations were categorical that terror threats in India own model of Special Forces based on its d n Considering the number of roles they becomes less clear as the tempo of con - were on the rise and the model to deal with requirements. a l s would be required to perform in the future, flict approaches general war and the mil - such asymmetric threats had to be totally Lt General (Retd) Graeme Lamb, UK, p s
. some felt that the current strength would itary component of the conflict “home-grown” with learning from the expe - Colonel Commandant of the SAS, brought w have to be increased substantially and their increases. yet even in conventional war, riences of other countries. out that a significant paradigm shift had w
w skills upgraded to match the requirements. special operations remain qualitatively Setting the tone for the conference, the already occurred. The maxim “find, fix and
16 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 SEMINAR <<
Lt. General (Retd) Sir Graeme Lamb, Colonel Landicheff Philippe, Brigadier General Eyal Eizenberg Brig General (Retd) Hans-Christoph Ammon, British Field Army French Air Force Israel Defense Forces German Army Special Forces strike” had been completely turned on its disaffected and angry and hence the Colonel Landicheff Philiippe of the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff; Air Mar - head. In the 21st century all three aspects transnational and sub-national had French Air Force said that it was increasingly shal L.K. Malhotra, Deputy Chief of Inte - of the maxim had become inherently more increased substantially. he felt that now becoming difficult to control information as grated Defence Staff (Operations); Major complicated with terror groups capable of more than ever before, there is a need for the terrorists used different modes such as General (Retd) O.P. Sabharwal, former GOC, employing industrial level violence any - Special Forces comprising of “lean and SMS, Internet, satellite phones, etc. The use six Mountain Division, Indian Army; Air where they desired. he gave the example of hungry” soldiers with special skills, who of Special Forces, he said, was a politico-mil - Commodore Rajesh Isser, Principal Director, the Sarin attack on the Tokyo subway on could tackle unconventionally vastly differ - itary decision and the latter should impress Operations (helicopters), Indian Air Force; March 20, 1995, which was an act of ent threats and challenges. upon the political leadership the mode and Vice Admiral Shekar Sinha, Deputy Chief of domestic terrorism perpetrated by members Brigadier General Eyal Eizenberg, Com - manner of employment and deployment of Integrated Defence Staff; Commodore R.S. of Aum Shinrikyo. he said that so far we mander, Gaza Division, Israel Defence the Special Forces. Dhankhar, Principal Director of Special were familiar about attacks on land, sea Forces, said that the need to understand the Lt. General P.C. Katoch, former Director Operations and Diving, Indian navy, were and in the air, but now we would have to behavioural pattern of the enemy helped General Information Systems, Indian Army, among the speakers who underscored how contend with attacks in space, cyber and substantially in countering terrorism. The spoke about how cross-border terrorism Special Forces would play a key role in deter - communications also. he added that sui - Special Forces in Israel were trained in this. was state-sponsored and needed to be dealt mining fourth generation warfare. cide terrorism has added a new dimension however, he said that the difficulty in defin - with firmly. he also mentioned about the Lt. General Amarjit Singh Kalkat, Director to the power of an individual to inflict fear ing the enemy from the crowd had increased nexus between terrorists across the border, Emeritus, CEnJOWS and Major General and mayhem in the society. he emphasised and hence the need to have thinking force. the Somali pirates and the LTTE and their K.B. Kapoor, Director, CEnJOWS said that the that with a large number of failed and fail - nowadays, it was easy to buy arms without movements should not only be monitored recommendations from the seminar to ing states, the governments could not con - any difficulty and one of the routes has been but also curbed. strengthen the internal security environment trol the reactions of the people who were the Internet. Lt. General (Retd) h.S. Lidder, former would be submitted to the government.
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PHOTOGRAPH : US Army
FIRST dier and the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, weighs less than 700 grams. The idea is to strategically disperse the systems through - Swift Detection out small, dismounted units, to get maxi - The US Army in Afghanistan to get individual gunshot detector mum protective coverage for platoons, squads and other units on the move. According to US Army sources, over hE US ARMy WILL soon begin screen attached to body armour that shows the next 12 months, the Army plans to receiving the first of more than the distance and direction of incoming fire. field up to 1,500 IGDs per month. The US T13,000 gunshot detection systems The small sensor, about the size of a Army in the future plans to integrate this for the individual dismounted soldier in deck of cards, detects the supersonic technology with its Land Warrior and nett Afghanistan. sound waves generated by enemy gunfire Warrior systems. These are network-situa - The individual gunshot detector (IGD) and instantaneously alerts soldiers to tional-awareness systems for dismounted made by QinetiQ north America consists of the location and distance towards the units, complete with a helmet-mounted four small acoustic sensors worn by the hostile fire. display screen that uses GPS digital-map - individual soldier and a small display The IGD system, procured by PEO sol - ping-display technology.
TEC KNOW Multipurpose Strike Hellfire II Romeo completes proof-of-principle flight tests
hE US ARMy JOInT Attack Munition short-range (2.5 kilometre) high-speed tion. The missile can be launched from Systems (JAMS) Project Office and impact shot penetrated the brick-over-block high or low altitudes due to its enhanced TLockheed Martin recently fired the target and successfully detonated with the guidance system and improved navigation multipurpose AGM114R hellfire II Romeo specified fuze delay. capabilities, optimising the missile’s impact missile with a live warhead and penetrated This was the final POP test for this next- angle for enhanced lethality. a brick-over-block target in its sixth proof- generation precision missile. The Romeo’s The hellfire II Romeo integrates with all of-principle (POP) test. advanced fuze technology and new war - hellfire II-compatible platforms, and can be The flight test, at Eglin Air Force Base, head design performed flawlessly in test launched autonomously or with remote Florida, demonstrated Romeo’s enhanced flights, proving reduced risk through sys - designation. The rotary-wing platforms software capability and superior perform - tem performance. Additionally, Lockheed include the Apache, Kiowa Warrior, Cobra ance in a military-operations-in-urban-ter - Martin’s joint-air-to-ground missile (JAGM) and Seahawk, as well as the Tiger Armed rain scenario. The new Romeo’s incorporates the same warhead technology Reconnaissance helicopter for Australia n i multipurpose warhead design enables the and fuze design that is present in the hell - and the Tiger helicoptere d’Appui Destruc - t r a
M missile, with a designator spot laser, to seek fire II Romeo. tion for France. The hellfire has also been
d e
e out and defeat hard, soft and enclosed tar - new design features on the hellfire II demonstrated on ground-based tripods, h k c gets with outstanding success. The initial Romeo include a three-axis inertial meas - ground vehicles and boats. o L
:
H fielding of the hellfire II Romeo is sched - urement unit, which enables properly With multi-mission and multi-target P A
R uled for late 2012. equipped launch platforms to engage tar - capability, hellfire is the primary air-to- G O
T Engineers ground-launched the single launch mode, simulating the missile being gets to the side and behind them without ground missile system for the US Armed O H
P hellfire II Romeo missile in a lock-on-after- fired from a rotary-wing platform. The having to manoeuver the aircraft into posi - Forces and many allied nations.
PHOTOGRAPH : Indian Navy Continued from page 13 While globally Special Forces Command with SSFCs in the PMO and Office of the nSA. yet another option is Forces are employed to to establish the ISFC directly under the PMO. nip asymmetric threats Establishment of a SSFC functioning as the ‘brain’ in PMO is vital. In the emerging at the source, we are explosive strategic environ-ment, the requirement is to develop both publicised content to use this overt capabilities and deniable covert capa - bilities in order to create necessary deter - strategic force rence against irregular/asymmetric, fourth domestically for counter- generation warfare launched by our adver - saries. Strategic deployment and strategic insurgency and counter- tasking of Special Forces will require the express sanction of the PM, akin to the Pres - terrorism only, roles ident’s sanction in countries like the US and that can well be Pakistan. The SSFC in PMO will also be cen - tral to evolving and implementing the accomplished by regular national Philosophy/Doctrine for Employ- ment of Special Forces. The main difficulty infantry as well in establishing the ISFC will be the reluc - Marcos in action tance of organisations and agencies cur - rently controlling them viz the Services, is no answer either and actually amounts to to covering up the lack of strategic thinking Coping Asymmetric Threats MhA, Cabinet Secretariat but this is an cowardice besides earning the label of a ‘soft especially since coping with non-traditional The security situation surrounding us is essential exercise, akin to ongoing effort to state’. We need a well thought out coordi - challenges does not equate automatically to volatile with complex non-traditional integrate our nine major intelligence agen - nated proactive approach. Develop-ment of physical attack. Special Forces provide us threats that can turn ugly at the drop of a cies. We need integration of our Special national will can perhaps also be assisted by the tools to address non-traditional chal - hat. not only do we need to monitor the Forces for better response to modern-day factors like appointing a CDS, setting up of lenges to our security by providing a silent areas of strategic interests, we also need to challenges. A central agency must oversee an institutionalised body within the Min - but effective medium. We need to develop develop deterrence against expanding their strategic tasking, capacity building, istry of Defence (MoD) for strategic think - the necessary political will to contend with asymmetric threats. In order to deter our manning, equipping, training, consolida - ing, appointing a national Security Advisor emerging strategic challenges. Their tasking opponents from exploiting our fault lines, t e tion, operations, intelligence inputs, inter- with Service background, true integration should include asymmetric warfare, uncon - we need to get hold of the fault lines of our n . s agency synergy and the like. Military of hQ IDS with MoD unless of course if the ventional/fourth generation warfare, spe - adversaries. Special Forces have a major e c
r Special Forces and the SFF must primarily hierarchy gets jolted with major enemy cial operations, strategic reconnaissance, role to play in coping with asymmetric and o f look across borders in response to transna - action/acceleration of asymmetric/ irregu - psychological operations and the like. We non-traditional threats. We need to inte - d n tional asymmetric/fourth generation lar war. Today’s asymmetric wars are laced need to get a handle on the fault lines of our grate our Special Forces and optimise their a l s threats and for strategic surveillance. Diplo - with unprecedented treachery, deceit and adversaries in order to achieve requisite potential to face the 21st century chal - p s
. macy and conventional capability by itself denial. On the question of proactive employ - deterrence. There is a need to go proactive lenges in requisite manner. Initiatives in w cannot contend with asymmetric wars of ment of Special Forces, the fear of being on the issue least we permit our economy this regard need to be taken both by the gov - w
w Pakistan and China. Fortressing one’s house labeled aggressor is fallacious and amounts and security to be weakened. ernment and the military.
18 SP’s LAND FORCES 2/2011 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal News in Brief Editor Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor Assistant Group Editor SOLDIER TEMPERATURE CONTROL munitions that can penetrate superior in the US security assistance. According to R. Chandrakanth armour, as well as a 7.62mm coaxial defence analysts, Israel spends about $17 Senior Technical Group Editor billion per year on defence, of which US mil - Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand itary assistance accounts for $3 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal . “Israel Contributing Editor Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia will have to accept the Obama Administra - tion proposal to resume US-mediated talks Sr. Copy Editor & Correspondent with Palestine in order to seek additional Sucheta Das Mohapatra military aid,” Barak added. Contributors India INDIA’S ARMED FORCES TRIBUNAL General (Retd) V.P. Malik, Lt General (Retd) Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has been estab - Vijay Oberoi, Lt General (Retd) R.S. Nagra, lished with its principal bench at Delhi and Lt General (Retd) S.R.R. Aiyengar, Air regional benches at seven locations, namely, Marshal (Retd) Vinod Patney, Major General (Retd) Ashok Mehta, Major General (Retd) Thermal management is an increasingly machine gun and a 12.7mm machine gun. Jaipur, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Guwahati, G.K. Nischol, Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet important issue for soldiers on the battle - The tank, powered by a single multi-fuel Kolkata, Chennai and Kochi. It has also been Kanwal, Brigadier (Retd) S. Mishra, field. Soldiers are increasingly required to diesel engine, will officially replace the exist - decided to set up another bench at Mumbai. Rohit Sharma carry more and more equipment, including ing Russian-made T55 main battle tanks. An The provision for circuit benches in the radio communications devices, electronic advanced variant of the Arjun main battle scheme of AFT is expected to take care of any Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal navigation and guidance systems, night tank, Arjun mkII, will begin serial produc - problems relating to accessibility of the Tri - vision sensors, laser target designators and tion in 2014 having undergone 90 upgrades. bunals to the Servicemen and Ex-servicemen. Administration & Coordination batteries. To minimise the strain of carrying Bharti Sharma, Survi Massey all this equipment it must be small and US ARMY TO PURCHASE ABRAMS IF HALL OF FAME Senior Art Director rugged and highly fuel efficient. Masking the VEHICLE FROM GD The Army War College honoured a distin - Anoop Kamath thermal management of a soldier is also a guished member of the Class of 2001 with an Design critical issue and new technologies are being induction into the International Fellows hall Vimlesh Kumar Yadav, Sonu Singh Bisht developed, many focusing on the materials of Fame on March 11. The Chief of Staff of Sales & Marketing soldiers wear or that equipment such as the Indian Army, General Vijay Kumar Singh Director Sales & Marketing : Neetu Dhulia backpacks are made from. became the 33rd International Fellow to Head Vertical Sales : Rajeev Chugh receive the honour. Singh was voted for Assistant Manager : Abhay Singh Thapa INDIAN ARMY DEPLOYS FIRST induction by the fellow members of his SP’s Website INDIGENOUS TANK USAWC class and the ceremony took place in Sr. Web Developer : Shailendra P. Ashish The Indian Army has deployed its first indige - front of the current USAWC class. Web Developer : Ugrashen Vishwakarma nous main battle tank (MBT), Arjun, with Published bimonthly by Jayant Baranwal on the Army’s 75 Armoured Regiment at DHANUSH & PRITHVI LAUNCHED behalf of SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd. All Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Indian Army’s General Ship launched Dhanush missile was success - rights reserved. No part of this publication Officer Commanding in Chief of Southern General Dynamics Land Systems has been fully test fired from the Indian naval Ship may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval Command Lt General A.K. Singh has said awarded a firm-fixed-price contract for the “InS Suvarna” off the coast of Orissa on system, or transmitted in any form or by any that the deployment of the new tanks would purchase of up to 21 Abrams M1A2 system March 11, 2011. Dhanush is a ship means, photocopying, recording, electronic, strengthen the Army’s desert operations enhancement package version two (M1A2 launched missile against surface and sea tar - or otherwise without the prior written capabilities. The Arjun features a 120 mm SEP V2) upgrade tanks. M1A2 SEP V2 is a gets. All the radars and electro optical systems permission of the publishers. main gun with indigenously developed technologically advanced digital tank that located along the coast have tracked the vehi - Printed in India features improved displays, sights, auxiliary cle and monitored all the parameters. by Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd >> SHOW CALENDAR power and a tank-infantry phone. The vehicle The surface-to-surface Prithvi (P-II) mis - © SP Guide Publications, 2011 is capable of accommodating future technol - sile was successfully flight tested at Interim Annual Subscription 17-20 April ogy improvements to ensure compatibility Test Range, Chandipur within one hour of Inland: `600 • Overseas: US$180 International Symposium on Air with the US Army future combat systems. Dhanush Missile test. The trajectory of the Email: [email protected] Defense 2020+ Work under the $59 million contract will be missile was also monitored by all the teleme - Letters to Editor Air Defense Forces Institute, Jeddah, carried out at the company’s facilities in Ohio, try, radars and electro optical systems all [email protected] Florida, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Michi - through the flight. Prithvi (P-II) reached the Saudi Arabia For Advertising Details, Contact: www.isad2020.org.sa gan, with an estimated completion date of designated target with accuracy of few [email protected] June 30, 2013. The US Army TACOM LCMC meters, which can be achieved by very few [email protected] 19-20 April Army Contracting Command will be the con - missiles in the world. [email protected] Counter Terror Expo tracting agency. Grand and national hall, Olympia, Lon - MTL Group awarded “V Hull” contract SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD don, England, UK TAIWAN TO SLASH TROOPS LEVEL for Foxhound vehicle POSTAL ADDRESS Post Box No 2525, New Delhi 110 005, India www.counterterrorexpo.com Taiwan is planning to reduce the number of MTL Group a major European Defence man - its troops by 9,200 this year, but the cut will ufacturing specialist has been awarded a sig - Corporate Office 26-29 April A 133 Arjun Nagar, Opp Defence Colony, be offset by more advanced weaponry, an offi - nificant contract from Force Protection SPIE Defense Security and Sensing New Delhi 110 003, India cial said. The reduction is part of a five-year Europe to supply a serial production run of Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Tel: +91(11) 24644693, 24644763, plan aimed at cutting the size of Taiwan’s fabricated armoured “V” hulls for the presti - Convention Center, Florida, USA 24620130 armed forces by 60,000 from the present level gious UK Foxhound project. MTL Group has http://spie.org/x6765.xml Fax: +91 (11) 24647093 of 2,75,000 troops, according to Agence also supported Force Protection Europe and Regd Office 10–13 May France Presse. Taiwan Defence Ministry act - Ricardo on this project though its Design for Fax: +91 (11) 23622942 IDEF’11 (International Defence ing spokesman Lo Shau-ho said the defence Manufacture service. This DFM service pro - Email: [email protected] Industry Fair) capability of the region would not be under - vided an opportunity to select the optimum Representative Offices Tuyap Fair, Convention and Congress mined as it seeks more high-tech and power - materials and influence the design for vol - ful weapons. “The era of maintaining a huge ume production. BENGALURU , INDIA Center in Istanbul/Turkey Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey www.idef11.com number of forces has gone. Defence capability FDI IN INDIA’S DEFENCE SECTOR 534, Jal Vayu Vihar, Kammanhalli Main Rd, is no longer determined by the number of Bangalore 560043, India. 30 - 31 May troops,” he added. The Department of Industrial Policy and Pro - Homeland Security Summit India Tel: +91 (80) 23682534 motion (DIPP) has circulated a discussion Le Méridien, new Delhi, India ISRAEL COULD BOOST MILITARY paper suggesting raising foreign direct invest - MOSCOW, RUSSIA LAGUK Co., Ltd, Yuri Laskin www.homelandsecurity-india.com SPENDING ment (FDI) cap in defence manufacturing sec - Krasnokholmskaya, Nab., 6-9 June Israel will need to boost its military spending tor to 74 per cent or more from the existing 11/15, app. 132, Moscow 115172, Russia. ArmorCon Military Armor Conference to manage future possible threats originat - 26 per cent. This issue is under inter-mini- Tel: +7 (495) 911 2762, Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, ing from the recent political upheavals in sterial consultations and a final decision will Fax: +7 (495) 912 1260 Middle East nations, Defence Minister Ehud be taken by Government thereafter. Govern - Vienna, USA www.spguidepublications.com Barak has said. “The issue of qualitative mil - ment has a policy of moving towards greater www.ArmorConExpo.com www.spslandforces.net itary aid for Israel becomes more essential for self- reliance in Defence Production. To this 7-10 June us. It might be wise to invest another $20 end, it seeks to encourage indigenous RNI Number: DELENG/2008/25818 Soldier Technology 2011 billion to upgrade the security of Israel for research, development and design of equip - Olympia Conference Centre, London, the next generation or so,” he added. The ment/weapons system within the country. UK minister also said that the country would This information was given by Minister of www.soldiertechnology.co have to increase its spending over the long- State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju in the term and may seek an additional $20 billion Lok Sabha.
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