See page 16 August-September 2015 Volume 12 No. 4 `100.00 (India-Based Buyer Only) SP’s AN SP GUIDE P UBLICATION SINCE 1965 43rd isSUE From 51 Years Old Media House www.spsmilitaryyearbook.com WWW.SPSLANDFORCES.COM ROU NDUP Ear panel 2015-16.indd 1 07/09/15 10:35 AMTHE ONLY MAGAZINE IN ASIA-PACIFIC DEDICATED TO LAND FORCES IN THIS ISSUE >> COVER STORY PHoTogrAPH: InDIAn Army PAGE 5 CaptureC of Haji Pir – crowning Glory of 1965 War The capture of Haji Pir by 1 Para (now Special Forces) during the 1965 Indo-Pak War was a great setback to Pakistan’s morale, particularly her army. Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) PAGE 6 EquippingE Infantry and SF Units – Current Weaknesses For our policy planners, an essential basic that must be kept in mind is the level of sophistication that the terrorists and insurgents have achieved and likely to advance to in times to come. Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) PAGE 8 Drone Terrorism Today’s conflict situations are more and more at the sub-conventional level witnessing more and more employment of irregular forces, and consequent use of drones against such forces. Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) PAGE 9 China’sC White Paper on National Military Strategy Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri flanked by Lt General Dunn and Major General Sparrow on a tank in the Sialkot sector At the global level China is concerned about the US which is carrying on its ‘rebalancing’ strategy and is enhancing its military presence and its military alliances in this region. Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd) An Overview of 1965 PAGE 10 DSEID 2015 – continued Focus on Air, Land, Naval and Security DSEI is acknowledged internationally as the market leading exhibition for land, sea and air applications of defence and security Indo-Pak Conflict products, technology and services. R. Chandrakanth PLUS OneO Rank One Pension Imbroglio Strategic and 11 Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd)( The Manipur Ambush – and Beyond 14 Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) News in Brief 15 Operational Insights Indian Prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri wanted to ensure that the world understood that the conflict was started by Pakistan and wanted a ceasefire without conditions APPLIED FOR 4/2015 SP’s LAND FORCES 1 >> COVER STORY understand their national mili- growing strength as leverage tary concepts and intentions. An by the government recently, will tary strategy one has to look at to increase dependency on the article explaining the essentials be undertaken under the Buy their economic development part of potential rivals and neu- of their White Paper on National & Make (Indian) category with from the global economic per- trals, present China s arrival on Military Strategy is included in transfer of technology (ToT). spective. From this perspective the global stage as a develop- this issue of SP’s Land Forces. However while some positives China s rise has brought both ing great power to forge friendly The past two months have are discernible, action is pend- opportunities and challenges. relations with far-flung states, also been full of activity in the ing in virtually every arm of the But from the military perspective secure stable access to natural defence procurement/moderni- army for replacements of out- China s rise is seen by Asian na- resources critical to its uninter- sation field, though a very late dated and obsolescent weapons tions as well as major powers of rupted growth, export Chinese response to an area which was and equipment. the world as potential challenge culture to show its legitimacy so badly neglected by the UPA Coinciding with the Golden / threat. This has resulted in and Ô soft powerÕ , and express I and II regimes that it will take Jubilee of 1965 war, the cover Till recently there was no public conceptualising China s Threat willingness to appease the many years to undo the harm story of this issue is An Over- document which articulated Chi- which has led the Chinese lead- reigning hegemony, the United done by the previous regime. view of 1965 Indo-Pak Conflict’ na s Grand Strategy or national ership to re-evaluate its strategy States, until she can cope with Some of the issues which have providing an overview of the strategy though China s military and modify its geopolitical ap- American power independently. picked up pace include the fitting strategic and operational objec- strategists define grand/national proach to achieving its aim of The doctrine of Peaceful of integrated fire control systems tives of India during the war. EDITORIAL strategy as the overall strategy Ô comprehensive national power Rise advanced by China since in the T-72 tanks, the accep- We also have a special feature of a nation or an alliance of na- in order to recover its longed for 2003 asserts that as compared tance of the procurement of 145 on the Capture of Haji Pir Pass, tions in which they use overall geopolitical pre-eminence. to the warlike behaviour of pre- ultra light howitzers 155mm from considered to be the crowning national strength to achieve na- The new objective of its na- vious rising powers, China s as- US BAE Systems, in a govern- glory of 1965 war. tional political goals, especially tional strategy would be to en- cendancy will be entirely peace- ment-to-government deal; prog- those related to national security sure the continued growth of ful. It is an antidote to the fears ress by the Ordnance Factories and development . its power by affirming their per- of a China threat . Board to produce a 45-calibre For the first time China has manently peaceful intentions, We must read their well ar- 155mm howitzer called Dha- articulated its national military emphasise on good neighbourly ticulated white paper on national nush; the acquisition of 814 strategy in the White Paper pub- policies designed to wean states military strategy in this backdrop truck-mounted 155mm howit- lished in May 2015. However, to away from coalitions, use their to understand their overall mili- zers, which has been approved Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor PHoTogrAPHS: InDIAn Army LT GENERAL TEJINDER SINGH new equipment was far superior to Indian SHERGILL (RETD) artillery both in range and firepower.T he fire- power with Pakistani infantry was also much NDIA’s defEAT IN 1962 encour- greater than that in the Indian infantry unit. aged the Pakistani troika comprising In the air, the Pakistani F-104 Starfighter Field Marshal Ayub Khan, President and F-86 Sabre Jet outclassed Indian combat of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the aircraft. Pakistan by modernising its armed Foreign Minister and General Muham- forces had achieved technical and organisa- Imad Musa the Commander in Chief, to tional superiority and surprise. perceive that Indians were not fighters. Pakistan knew Indian military weak- Field Marshal Ayub Khan had stated that nesses and Bhutto who had visited China one Pakistani soldier was equal to three assured the President of Pakistan and its Indian soldiers. The troika were convinced Commander in Chief that in the event of a that once the new military hardware conflict in the subcontinent, China would was received from the United States as ensure that India would be unable to move members of SEATO and CENTO, and was forces from the eastern theatre. However, absorbed by its armed forces, Jammu and there was still a need to test the mettle of Kashmir could be wrested from India. They Indian Army and India’s will before moving also appreciated that in addition if an on to Kashmir and a wider contest of arms. important city like Amritsar were captured by the Pakistani Ar my, India would have Pakistan Launches Operation Desert to agree to the accession of Jammu and Hawk in Kutch Kashmir to Pakistan. Moreover Pakistan On April 9, 1965, Pakistani 51 Infantry Bri- saw China as an ally who could be counted gade with 24 Cavalry (Patton tanks), crossed upon for their devious plans against India. the international border in the Kutch area by From 1954 to 1963, Pakistan received a arrogantly claiming that India was in occu- variety of armament from the US for its army, pation of Pakistani territory! To the Pakistani navy and air force. The army received 650 higher command, the Indian reaction by its Patton, M 36B2 Tank Busters, Chaffee and Kilo Sector to the intrusion in Kutch seemed Walker Bulldog tanks, 200 M113 Armoured to prove that India was on the defensive. Air Protected Carriers (APCs), 105mm and (Clockwise from Top Left) Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan with jawans, Lt Col A.B. Tarapore, PVC, Chief Marshal Asghar Khan of Pakistan sur- 155mm artillery guns, anti-tank recoilless captured weapons in Lahore Sector, Patton tanks destroyed in battle of Asal Uttar prisingly called his counterpart in India, Air rifles (RCLs) and Cobra anti-tank missiles and Chief Marshal Arjan Singh and suggested a large quantity of small arms and machine guns of various types. The air force was account of itself in Ladakh and along the that air forces of the two countries should equipped with two B-57 bomber squadrons, Indo-Tibet border. The major weapon sys- not contribute to the escalation of the situa- The Pakistani troika one F-104 supersonic squadron, nine F-86 tems of India were mainly those that had tion. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was Sabre jet squadrons, one C-130 transport been employed during World War II. For the informed about the message from Pakistan were aware that with squadron, six other squadrons of various land battle the Pakistani M 47 and M 48 Pat- and on asking Arjan Singh his views, was aircraft, 30 helicopters, Falcon Sidewinder ton tanks completely outclassed our main told by the Chief of Air Staff that air forces modernised armed forces missiles and many types of bombs and rock- battle tank, the Centurion Mk VII, in mobility, of both countries should not be employed.