2019 1-15 January Vol 66 No 1 ` 5 SAINIK Samachar Vijay Diwas Celebrations pic: DPR Photo Division pic: DPR Photo Division Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman meeting with Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Navy, Admiral Luechai Ruddit in South Block, New Delhi on December 19, 2018. pic: DPR Photo Division Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman releasing a booklet ‘Milestones 2018’ of Directorate GeneralThe President, of Defence Shri Estates Ram (DGDE) Nath Kovind at a function at the ‘At to Home’felicitate function, recipients organised of Raksha on theMantri’s occasion Award of for Excellence72nd Independence2018 for DGDE Day, establishments, at Rashtrapati in Bhavan,New Delhi in onNew December Delhi on 22, August 2018. 15, Also 2018. seen in the picture is Director General of Defence Estates, Smt Deepa Bajwa. Happy New Year to all SainiksIn This andIssue Readers Since 1909 Raksha Mantri Inaugurates 4 Information Fusion Centre – Indian… (Initially published as FAUJI AKHBAR) Vol. 66 q No 1 11 - 25 Pausha, 1940 (Saka) 1-15 January 2019 The journal of India’s Armed Forces published every fortnight in thirteen languages including Hindi & English on behalf of Ministry of Defence. It is not necessarily an organ for the expression of the Government’s defence policy. The published items represent the views of respective writers and correspondents. Editor-in-Chief Ruby Thinda Sharma Senior Editor Manoj Tuli President’s Commission 6 INDC Danteshwari 8 Editor Afaque Ahmad Ehsani to 139 Flight Cadets Commissioned by… Sub Editors Sub Maj KC Sahu & Sub Maj Baiju G Coordination Kunal Kumar Business Manager Rajpal Our Correspondents DELHI: Col Chiranjeet Konwer (Offg.); Capt DK Sharma VSM; Wg Cdr Anupam Banerjee; Divyanshu Kumar; Photo Editor: K Ramesh; BENGALURU: M Ponnein Selvan (Offg.); CHANDIGARH: Anil Gaur; CHENNAI: M Ponnein Selvan; GANDHINAGAR: Lt Col Sombit Ghosh (Offg.); GUWAHATI: Lt Col P Khongsai; IMPHAL: Lt Col M Vaishnava; JALANDHAR : Anil Gaur (Offg.); JAMMU: Lt Col Devender Anand; JAIPUR: Lt Col Sombit Ghosh; KOCHI: Cdr Sridhar E Warrier; KOHIMA: Col Chiranjeet Konwer; KOLKATA: Wg Cdr SS Birdi; Dipannita Dhar; 9 Japanese Navy Ship Visits Kochi LUCKNOW: Ms Gargi Malik Sinha; MUMBAI: Cdr Mehul Karnik, Narendra Kumar Vispute; NAGPUR: Gp Capt BB Pande; PALAM: Wg Cdr AR Giri; PRAYAGRAJ: Wg 10 Bangladesh Navy Delegation… Rapid Airlift Effort by Cdr Arvind Sinha; PUNE: Mahesh Iyengar; SECUNDERABAD: G Surendra Babu; 12 Afghan Women Officers'… Western Air… 11 SHILLONG; Wg Cdr Ratnakar Singh; SRINAGAR: Col Rajesh Kalia; TEZPUR: 13 Naval Pilots Passing Out… Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande; THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ms Dhanya Sanal K; 14 Naval and Coast Guard Officer… UDHAMPUR: Col Rajesh Kalia (Offg.); VISAKHAPATNAM: Capt CG Raju. 15 Another Arms and Ammunition… Published by: 17 Corps of EME Celebrates 10th… Col Aman Anand, Spokesperson, MoD 18 Indian Coast Guard Rescues… Nampibou Marinmai, Director, PR 19 Ceremonial Parade of MOBC… 20 Graduation Ceremony and… Directorate of Public Relations, South Block, 21 Orphans Receive the Greatest… Ministry of Defence, New Delhi-110011 22 Vijay Diwas Celebrations Editorial Office: L-1 Block, Church Road, New Delhi-110001, 24 MoU Signed Between Indian… Telefax : 23094668 Telephone : 23092768 25 Golden Jubilee Celebrations at… 26 DGMS (Army) Visits AMC… Email : [email protected] E-in-C: ASCON-32078 [email protected] 29 Chakravyuh For subscriptions contact : 30 Armed Forces Panorama Business Manager, Sainik Samachar, Telephone : 23092768 Year of Disabled Soldiers in Line of Subscription Rates: Inland (Ordinary): One Year Rs 100.00, Overseas 16 (Surface Mail): Rs 450.00 Concessional (per year): Rs 20.00 (Applicable for Duty Commemorated dependants of service personnel & ex-Servicemen.) For all correspondence subscribers must quote their subscription number On front cover: Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, CNS, Admiral Sunil Lanba, CAS, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and VCOAS, Lt General Devraj Anbu paying homage to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, in New Delhi December 16, 2018. pic: DPR Photo Division For more details visit our website: http://sainiksamachar.nic.in Follow us on: www.facebook.com/DefenceMinIndia https://twitter.com/spokespersonMoD https://www.instagram.com/prodefense/ Raksha Mantri Inaugurates Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region aksha Mantri, Mrs Nirmala RSitharaman launched the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) on December 22, 2018, at Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), Gurugram. Apart from representation by officials from the MoD, MEA, MHA, Ministry of Shipping and the NSCS, Ambassadors and Resident Defence Attaches of partner countries also participated in the event. The Indian Ocean Region is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations as more than 75 percent of the world’s maritime trade and 50 percent of global oil consumption activities in the region, so as to the IOR, is essential. Towards this, passes through the IOR. However, enable security agencies function the IFC-IOR aims to engage with maritime terrorism, piracy, human effectively. partner nations and multi-national and contraband trafficking, illegal However, the scale, scope and maritime constructs to develop and unregulated fishing, arms comprehensive maritime domain running and poaching pose myriad the multi-national nature of maritime challenges to maritime safety and activities, make it difficult for awareness and share information security in the region. Response to countries to address these challenges on vessels of interest. The intention these challenges requires enhanced individually. Hence, collaborative of this collaborative endeavour shall situational awareness of the maritime efforts between maritime nations in be to secure the global commons for 4 Sainik Samachar January 1-15, 2019 a peaceful, stable and prosperous work towards capability building in region towards the well-being of all. the region, coordination of incident In his address to the gathering, response and disaster relief, and in Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chief of the time, also share submarine safety Naval Staff said that the IFC–IOR information. shall be a collaborative construct During her address, the Raksha that will work with partners, countries Mantri said that the objective of as-well-as international agencies, having an IFC-IOR is more for to enhance maritime security and partners, equals to work towards safety. It would also aim to work keeping the global commons safe closely with the multi-national and democratically available for constructs and other information all of us. She further added that, in fusion centres, said the Admiral. He addition to utilising our collective further added that the IFC-IOR would wisdom and resources towards addressing the myriad challenges in our region, the IFC-IOR will help us interface and integrate, wherein, we would benefit from each other’s best practices and expertise. More significantly, the IFC-IOR will help foster bonds of trust, camaraderie and partnership; ingredients that are vital for relationships between nations to transcend from being merely transactional to ones that are transformational”. The information exchange at the IFC-IOR would be initially undertaken by virtual means, using telephone calls, faxes, emails and video conferencing over internet. Subsequently, to enable better interaction, quicker analysis of information and provide timely inputs, the IFC-IOR would host Liaison Officers from partner countries. Additionally, towards enhancing capability building, the IFC-IOR would undertake conduct of exercises and training capsules in maritime information collation and sharing. The IFC-IOR website is accessible through https://indiannavy.nic.in/ IFC-IOR/index.html and will be hosted as an independent portal in due course of time. - PRO Navy January 1-15, 2019 Sainik Samachar 5 President’s Commission to 139 Flight Cadets General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff presenting the Chief of Air Staff Sword of Honour to Flying Officer Sukhmandeep Singh General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff reviewing the Combined for standing first in overall merit in Pilot Course at Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal. Graduation Parade on December 15, 2018.. he amber sky dawned sagely over TAir Force Academy, Dundigal near Hyderabad, to witness the grand Combined Graduation Parade on December 15, 2018, which marked the momentous occasion of the passing out of 139 trainees as Flying Officers of the Indian Air Force which included 24 women officers. The ceremony also marked commissioning of another woman fighter pilot, Flying Spectacular movements of Air Warrior Drill Team at Combined Graduation Parade. Officer Priya Sharma, in the IAF. This solemn event was graced by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff. As the Reviewing Officer of the parade, he conferred the ‘President’s Commission’ to the graduating Flight Cadets who successfully completed their basic and professional training. The Reviewing Officer was received at the venue by Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command and Air Marshal AS Butola, Commandant Air Force Academy. The Reviewing Officer was accorded a ceremonial salute by the Sarang Helicopter team performing Aerobatics at Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy. Parade followed by an impressive march past. The highpoint of the Guest, the Air Officer Commanding- ‘Oath’ by the Commandant of the parade was the ‘Pipping