In This Issue Since 1909 BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Interview | Army Day 4 (Initially published as FAUJI AKHBAR) Vol. 63 q No 2 25 Pausha – 10 Magha, 1937 (Saka) 16-31 January 2016 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 Vice President Hasibur Rahman President Outlines the 8 16 Senior Editor Editor need for… Inaugurates… Ruby T Sharma Ehsan Khusro Coordination Business Manager Sekhar Babu Madduri Dharam Pal Goswami Our Correspondents DELHI: Dhananjay Mohanty; Capt DK Sharma; Manoj Tuli; Nampibou Marinmai; Wg Cdr Rochelle D’Silva; Col Rohan Anand; Ved Pal; ALLAHABAD: Gp Capt BB Pande; BENGALURU: Dr MS Patil; CHANDIGARH: Parvesh Sharma; CHENNAI: T Shanmugam; GANDHINAGAR: Wg Cdr Abhishek Matiman; GUWAHATI: Lt Col Suneet Newton; IMPHAL: Lt Col Ajay Kumar Sharma; JALANDHAR: Naresh Vijay Vig; JAMMU: Lt Col Manish Mehta; JODHPUR: Lt Col Manish Ojha; KOCHI: Cdr Sridhar E Warrier ; KOHIMA: Lt Col E Musavi; KOLKATA: Wg Cdr SS Birdi; 7 Platinum Jubilee Celebration of… Dipannita Dhar; LUCKNOW: Ms Gargi Malik Sinha; MUMBAI: Cdr Rahul Sinha; 10 Army Displays Fire Power at… Defence Minister Narendra Vispute; NAGPUR: Wg Cdr Samir S Gangakhedkar; PALAM: Gp Capt SK 12 General Om Prakash Malhotra… Dedicates Atal… 20 Mehta; PUNE: Mahesh Iyengar; SECUNDERABAD: MA Khan Shakeel; SHILLONG: Gp Capt Amit Mahajan; SRINAGAR: Col NN Joshi; TEZPUR: Lt Col Sombith Ghosh; 14 Joint Indo-French Exercise… THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suresh Shreedharan; UDHAMPUR: Col SD Goswami; 18 “Spreading Smiles” Nation Wide VISAKHAPATNAM: Cdr CG Raju. 24 Patient Care: AWWA Initiatives Published by: Nitin D Wakankar 30 Commissioning of INS Kadmatt Director (Media & Communication) Directorate of Public Relations, South Block, Regulars Ministry of Defence, New Delhi-110011 22 Photo Features: Army Conducts Follow us on: A Gala ‘Raahgiri’ 33 Armed Forces Panorama www.facebook.com/DefenceMinIndia https://twitter.com/spokespersonMoD 26 Editorial Office: National War Memorial At Last L-1 Block, Church Road, New Delhi-110001, Telefax : 23094668 Telephone : 23092768 Email : [email protected] E-in-C: ASCON-32078 [email protected] For subscriptions contact : Business Manager, Sainik Samachar, Telephone : 23092768 Subscription Rates: Inland (Ordinary): One Year Rs 100.00, Overseas (Surface Mail): Rs 450.00 Concessional (per year): Rs 20.00 (Applicable for dependants of service personnel & ex-Servicemen.) For all correspondence subscribers must quote their subscription number For more details visit our website: http://sainiksamachar.nic.in On front cover: COAS Gen Dalbir Singh Interview | Army Day hief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh in an interview with Sainik Samachar’s Editor-in-Chief Mr Hasibur CRahman about Army’s achievements and various initiatives taken at enhancing the capability of the Indian Army on the occasion of Army Day. On completing one and a half years tenure at the helm of the Indian Army, could you enumerate the areas where you have translated your vision into action? At the outset, I wish to state that in the face of emerging threats and challenges, the Indian Army remains fully committed towards realising the vision of a secure, stronger and powerful India and continues to fulfill its role as a vital pillar of national security. The achievements in the last one and a half years are attributed to collective efforts of all ranks of the Army. Positive response of the government towards sensitive defence related issues has further improved our capability and prowess. Indian Army’s contribution reasoned and thought out strategies. modernisation is being carried towards ameliorating various My operational focus has been out by speeding up long pending disaster situations are already known concentrated on key vital areas projects to channelise our efforts. to you. On the operational front, we to include force modernization, Towards this, we have prioritised our have maintained moral ascendancy making up critical deficiencies and requirements into critical, important on all our borders guided by well- infrastructure development. Force and essential areas. The cases are being pursued accordingly. Efforts are also being put for ensuring that critical deficiencies in our equipment and ammunition are made up at the earliest. Concurrent with this, we are focusing on infrastructure development, which is the key to our operational preparedness. What are the major Operational Achievements of the Army during your tenure as COAS till now? On the operational front, we have maintained moral ascendancy on all our borders through proactive and dynamic tactical operations guided by well-reasoned and thought out strategies. 4 Sainik Samachar January 16-31, 2016 in Kashmir and later in Chennai, as well as, during earthquake in Nepal, are well known to you. What is the update on network centricity? How much has been achieved? Indian Army’s efforts to develop indigenous net centric capability begins with the soldier on the ground and goes on to advanced terrestrial and space based elements. We have a well defined road map to make our Armed forces net centric by 2020. To achieve this, a large number of communication networks and application development projects are at different stages of execution. Project Network for Spectrum (NFS), the next generation high capacity network with Central Data Centers (CDC) will provide the communication backbone integrating the sensors and the shooters. Applications like Command Informational and Decision In disturbed areas of Jammu & Kashmir, we have kept up the tempo of operations against terrorists through credible intelligence and ground level synergy with state police and Para Military Force, disallowing operating space to them. Similarly, in disturbed areas of North East, synergised intelligence based ops have contained the perpetrators of violence to a large extent despite the abrogation of ceasefire by NSCN (K) and subsequent violent activities. While we have carried out our operations with diligence we have dedicated enough efforts to engage with locals of disturbed areas through Operations Sadbhavna and Samaritan. Our successful conduct of flood rescue and relief operations January 16-31, 2016 Sainik Samachar 5 Support System, Artillery Combat capabilities of the Army to secure the Training Academies. Command and Control System, desired national security objectives. Information Technology Battlefield Surveillance System, Strategically important road Laboratories and Computer Training Operational Informational System infrastructural requirements along Laboratories (CTLs) have been and Management Information the LAC are being developed in a established in training centres as System are at advanced stages of phased manner. well as in all formations. implementation. These will empower India is considered an Information Further, 40% of strength of the the commanders at all levels to have Technology Superpower. However, Army is being trained in Middle Level information dominance and thereby the services have neither absorbed Information Technology Courses per enabling them to make quick and the Information Technology year and additional 25% of strength holistically nor are they capable accurate decisions as well as correct is being trained per year in Advanced application of force. of meeting the emerging cyber threats. What is being done in this Information Technology Courses What is the update on border regard? including Information Technology Project Management, Advanced roads along the Line of Actual It would be incorrect to state Computing and Advanced Cyber Control (LAC)? that there is poor absorption of Security Techniques. There has been rapid Information Technology in the infrastructural development in Tibet Army. Penetration of Information As regards Cyber Security, we Autonomous Region and in areas Technology and Information have adopted holistic measures along the India-China border. Technology enabled functions and to defeat any cyber threat to our Integrated HQ of MoD (Army) is services in the Army, is of high order. systems and networks. An Army Cyber Group is already functional seized of the security needs of the To ensure high level of which deals with all cyber related country. Necessary steps as required, Information Technology absorption threats & conducts cyber audit of the have been initiated for ensuring by new inductees, we have ensured entire Indian Army. that national security concerns are Basic and Advance levels of adequately addressed through Information Technology training Gen Dalbir Singh, thank you for development of infrastructure, as part of syllabi for Basic Military speaking to us. Your views would including roads and forward air Training at Recruitment Training be disseminated to the rank and fields, as well as operational Centres as well as in Officers file of Indian Army through ‘Sainik Samachar’. Finally, Sir you are well known for rigorous physical training that you undergo on a daily basis. Have your commitments as COAS come in the way of your physical fitness schedule? Physical fitness is an integral and most essential component of soldiering. It instills pride as well as enhances battle proficiency. Though my commitments leave me with little personal time, I believe, where there is a will, there is a way. I personally maintain