cover-3_00_COVER_1.qxd 12/15/2015 5:49 PM Page 1 `100 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2015, VOL 8 ISSUE 2 www.salute.co.in INDIAN AIR FORCE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE 02-IFC_00_COVER_1.qxd 12/10/2015 9:59 AM Page 1 Yes! I want to subscribe to Salute to the Indian Soldier Name: ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Address: ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... Tel No: ................................................................. Email: ........................................................................................................................... Enclosed Cheque/ Draft No: favouring Flags Media Pvt. Ltd. drawn on bank: ....................................................................................................................................... Dated: ..................................... for amount Rs ...................................... (For outstation cheques please add Rs 50 as bank charges) Subscriber’s signature: .................................................................................. FLAGS MEDIA PVT. LTD. A-47, HAUZ KHAS (LGF), NEW DELHI, 110016 For more details please email us at [email protected] Website: https:// www.salute.co.in 03-Contents_03_EDIT.qxd 12/10/2015 9:21 AM Page 3 in this issue 04 DEFENCE PREPAREDNESS FINALLY LOOKING UP I Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch 05 NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL I Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma 06 THE STRATEGICALLY AGILE IAF IN THE NEXT GENERATION I Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji 10 THE TEJAS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE I Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar 14 PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY AIR FORCE (PLAAF) Vs. INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF) I Air Marshal V.K. Jimmy Bhatia 19 NEW TECHNOLOGY AND MILITARY I AVM A.K. Tiwari 22 TRAINING A SOLDIER PILOT: 5th GENERATION I AVM Amit Aneja 24 SMART PRISONS – AN ESSENTIAL NEED IN CHANGING TIMES I Parag Agarwal 25 AN APPRAISAL OF CIVIL MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE BACKDROP OF THE ’65 WAR I Gen Ved Malik and Professor 37 Gautam Sen RAISINA HILLS I Lt Col Anil Bhat 29 38 THE BATTLE OF SARAGARHI I Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch VETERANS ALERT I Hony Capt Baldev Singh 32 39 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT BOOK REVIEW I Lt Col Anil Bhat 34 40 News THAI RED CURRY I Aditi Pathak 31 41 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: The Untold Special Forces Story I THE ITALIAN CONNECTION I Col Vijay Gidh Col Subin Balakrishnan 42 34 BOOK REVIEW: THE MONSOON WAR News I Maroof Raza Authors aspiring to publish their articles in Salute may send by email to [email protected] along with pictures, if any [email protected] >> October-November 2015 >> SALUTE TO THE INDIAN SOLDIER 03 04-Edit-2_14_19_ BEING A FLY GIRL.qxd 12/15/2015 5:51 PM Page 1 EDITOR’S NOTE DEFENCE PREPAREDNESS Publisher Maroof Raza FINALLY LOOKING UP Editor MAJ GEN DHRUV C KATOCH Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch SM, VSM The festive season is upon us and it is time to es from the USA, and contract being awarded to celebrate. In the defence sector, there is finally Larsen and Toubro (L&T), an Indian conglomer- Associate Editor cause for jubilation. The last few months have ate, to supply up to 100 self propelled howitzers Lt Col Anil Bhat seen a steady improvement in India’s defence (SPHs) worth approximately USD 750 million to VSM (Retd) preparedness, which had hit alarming lows as a the Indian Army. In addition, the Army has given Design result of the lack of momentum over the past Bulk Production Clearance (BPC) to the UNEEDUS decade under the stewardship of the Congress Ordnance Factory Board for the supply of 144 led United Progressive Alliance. There has been Dhanush guns, production of which has started Publicity Manager a marked impetus in clearing essential defence at the Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur. The DRDO Hony Capt (Retd) Baldev Singh requirements for the armed forces, witnessed is also developing 155 mm/52 Calibre Advance since Mr Manohar Parrikar took over the Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) that will Board of Advisers defence portfolio. These pertain to many big upgrade the 155 mm/45 Calibre Dhanush in Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma ticket deals which had been languishing for future. PVSM, AVSM, YSM ,VSM( Retd) years, despite the operational necessity of For the Air Force, orders have finally been equipping the Forces to counter potential placed for the Tejas aircraft. In a break from the Printed published by threats. Thankfully, such dilly dallying is now a past, a long term view has been taken and the Flags Media Pvt Ltd A-47 Hauz Khas (LGF) thing of the past. government has decided to induct at least seven New Delhi 110016 Great progress has been made in procuring squadrons of the made-in-India Tejas Mark 1-A essential requirements for the forces, which has Light Combat Aircraft or LCA into the Indian Air Printed at improved defences preparedness considerably. Force, to make up for a shortage of fighters. A JK Offset Graphics (P) Ltd While improvement is reflected across the board, product of the Defence Research and C-21,DDA Shed, three issues serve to highlight the changed envi- Development Organisation (DRDO) and Okhla Phase -1 ronment. The first is the deal signed to make the defence public sector unit Hindustan New Delhi -110020 Tatra vehicle indigenously in India. The contract Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Tejas has been has been awarded to Tata’s at a cost that is Rs 20 more than 30 years in the making, but its induc- RNI Registration lac lower than the next competitor. The savings tion will send a strong signal to the environment DELENG/2008/26923 to the exchequer are substantial, given the fact of the government’s commitment to the ‘make Certified that the views that over a thousand vehicles are being pro- in India’ thrust. For the first time, bulk orders expressed and suggestions cured. The spin off effect on India’s defence have been placed for the aircraft, which gives sta- made in the articles are made industrial base will also no doubt be substantial. bility to the production lines, instead of piece- by authors in their personal The second bit of heartening news is the meal orders, as hitherto fore. The downside to capacity and do not have any progress being made on the acquisition of the orders placed on HAL is that the earlier track official endorsement artillery guns. Ever since the Bofors scam broke record of this DPSU has not been very encourag- out in the eighties, further acquisition of guns ing. This factor needs to be monitored and HAL was put on hold, leading to serious voids in held accountable, both for quality control and defence preparedness. The artillery modernisa- for deliveries on schedule. tion plan of 1999, projected a requirement of 814 In essence, forward movement in the mounted guns, 1580 towed guns, 100 tracked self Ministry of Defence reflects better decision mak- Cover Photograph: propelled guns,180 wheeled self propelled guns ing at the apex level. This perhaps is the most Rafale fighter and 145 ultra light howitzers. While financially it important signal emanating from the govern- is unviable to procure the entire requirement of ment, which should also give a fillip to the estab- the Army in one go, there is great forward move- lishment of a defence industrial base in the ment in making up the voids, with G2G purchas- country. Happy Diwali and Happy Reading. 04 SALUTE TO THE INDIAN SOLDIER << October-November 2015 << [email protected] 05-General_14_19_ BEING A FLY GIRL.qxd 12/10/2015 9:33 AM Page 1 GENERAL SPEAK NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma below. ‘Oh, that is the custom in Russia. The In the hype and inflamed passions wedding takes place normally on a of OROP, the Government’s Saturday or a Sunday. Irrespective of the announcement of the setting up of a season, after signing the register at the National War Memorial and National marriage office, the married couple War Museum at Princess Park, New must visit the important national Delhi, did not get the jubilation or the monuments near by. Every boy in this attention it so richly deserved. This is a country has to serve in the military for a bit sad, as the issue of a war memorial couple of years at least. Regardless of has been as emotive a long standing his position, he must wear his service demand of the veterans as has been uniform for the wedding. This is a mark OROP. It would have been nice if this of gratitude. Our forefathers have given too had been fought for with as much their lives in various wars Russia has righteous angst as has been the dogged fought. Some of them we won, and struggle for OROP. Notwithstanding some we lost, but their sacrifice was that, the announcement by the union always for the country. The newly cabinet to set right this anomaly is married couple needs to remember indeed welcome. The notification states they are living in a peaceful, that the memorial will honour all independent Russia because of their martyrs after independence in 1947. A ancestors’ sacrifices. They must ask for budgetary allocation of Rs 500 crore their blessings. Love for the country is and a time period of 5 years has been after the first Great War, where the more important than wedding planned for the construction of the horrendously large casualties shook celebrations. We elders insist on memorial. The location finally chosen is many nations to the core. Russia continuing with this tradition whether significant as it is a very prime location possibly lost the largest number of its it be in Moscow, St.Petersburg or any on Rajpath and adjoining the iconic men and women. It therefore has some other part of Russia. On the wedding India Gate. As of last count, nearly of the most artistic, somber and well day they have to visit the nearest war 22,500 brave men had laid down their kept memorials. memorial.’ lives in the service of the nation.