New Delhi: Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, who heads the Western Naval Command, has been appointed the next Navy Chief. He will replace Admiral RK Dhowan, who superannuates on May 31. Vice Admiral Lanba was commissioned in 1978 into the Executive Branch of the Navy. He served as Vice Chief, headed the Southern Naval command and the National Defence College. He has commanded minesweeper INS Kakinada, frigate INS Himgiri and has been the Executive Officer of INS Viraat. TNS
NEW DELHI: Vice-admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Command in g-in-Chief(FOCin-C) of Western Naval Command, has been appointed as the new Chief of Naval Staff and will assume charge on May 31.
INDIAN NAVY WEBSITESunil Lanba is also an alumnus of the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad, where he has served as a faculty.Lanba, 58, a specialist in Navigation and Direction, will have the full three-year tenure as the Navy Chief. He will succeed Admiral RK Dhowan who is retiring. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, he will be the 21st Indian to be the Navy Chief. The first two were British.
He will take over from Admiral Dhowan on the afternoon of May 31 and will be in office till May 31, 2019.
“The government has appointed Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, at present FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, as the next Chief of Naval Staff with effect from the afternoon of May 31,” a defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Coming in with rich operational and staff experience over a career spanning more than three decades, Lanba has served as Navigating Officer of corvette INS Sindhudurg and frigate INS Dunagiri.
He has commanded four frontline warships — INS Kakinada (minesweeper), INS Himgiri (frigate) and INS Ranvijay and INS Mumbai, both destroyers.
He is also an alumnus of the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad, where he has served as a faculty.
Lanba has also held key staf f assignments such as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet and the Chief of Staff, Southern and Eastern Naval Commands. He was also the Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area and Commandant, National Defence College.
He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command at Kochi, prior to being appointed to head the Western Naval Command. He took over as the Vice Chief on June 2, 2014.
Vice Admiral Lanb a is a recipient of the Par am Vishist Seva Medal and the Athi Vishist Seva Medal for distinguished service of an exceptionally high order.
BEIJING, May 5
China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, state media said on Thursday, after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defence system for the South to counter threats from North Korea.
North and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.
The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers last week urged Washington and Seoul to drop the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, following North Korea’s fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and subsequent missile tests.
The tests violate UN resolutions against North Korea backed by Russia and China. US and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the North could attempt a fifth nuclear test in a show of strength ahead of its Workers’ Party congress, which begins on Friday.
The China-Russia drill will be held this month at a Russian military research centre, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said, citing China’s defence ministry.
The paper gave few details, but cited experts saying the drill would help the two countries’ militaries familiarise themselves with their respective command structures and data transmission processes.
The White House has said it is still in talks with its close ally, South Korea, on the THAAD system and that it would not threaten other countries if installed.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the system threatens equilibrium on the Korean peninsula and damages China’s and Russia’s strategic security.
North Korea’s drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability has angered China, Pyongyang’s sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China.
President Xi Jinping has said Beijing would not allow war and chaos to break out on the Korean peninsula. — Reuter
New Delhi: High level appointments were announced on Friday in the Indian Navy, which is set to be headed by a new chief from May 31.
As Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba is set to take charge as new Indian Navy chief, Vice Admiral K.B. Singh will be the new Vice Chief of Naval Staff, and Vice Admiral G. Ashok Kumar will be the new Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.
Vice Admiral A.R. Karve will take over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command, and Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla will be the new Chief of Personnel.
Lanba will take over as the navy chief on May 31, as incumbent Admiral R.K. Dhowan retires.
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 28
As the Army continues to grapple with “huge” shortage of ammunition because of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) falling short of meeting its requirements and import of equipment being a long-drawn process, the private sector is being roped in to produce seven types of ammunition to help mitigate the situation.“The OFB itself is falling short of what the requirements are. The ammunition shortage is huge because the capacities are not there. There is a need to diversify beyond what we have,” a representative of the Ministry of Defence is quoted as saying in the latest report of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence that was tabled this month.State-run OFB consists of 41 manufacturing units located across the country, which produce a wide range of products including tanks, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, clothes and other war-fighting equipment. Out of these, 11 factories are engaged in producing ammunition and explosives. Last year, the Comptroller and Auditor General revealed that there was a shortage for 125 of the 170 types of ammunition used by the Army and even the war wastage reserve, required to maintain supplies for at least a 40-day war, had fallen to a 20-day supply.Expressing concern over the situation, the Defence Secretary also stated before the committee that “we have to depend on the OFB or import the materials”. “Import also takes its own time. The OFB is not able to fulfil the targets that are given to them. The only other option is to find a good alternative source of production in the country,” he said.“For key ammunitions, sometimes we need technology. So, technology issues are also involved. In order to make good the deficiencies, it has now been decided that we would selectively go in for private participation for production of ammunition,” he added.The Defence Secretary’s deposition states that after taking into account the existing production capacities, the capability to deliver and the gaps that exist, it has been decided that to begin with seven items will be put up for private participation. “This is something which we can achieve without much delay because there are a number of companies which are willing to enter the field,” he said.
The nuclear-capable strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV on display at the Republic Day parade. File photo
Washington, May 28
In an apparent snub to Pakistan over its opposition to India’s bid to become a member of the elite NSG, the US has said it is not about an arms race, but about peaceful use of nuclear energy.
“This is not about an arms race and it’s not about nuclear weapons. This is about the peaceful civil use of nuclear energy, and so we would certainly hope that Pakistan understands that,” State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters on Friday.
He was responding to questions about India’s membership application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and opposition to it by Pakistan on the grounds that this would give pace to nuclear arms race in the region.
However, the US has fingers crossed, ahead of the crucial meeting of the 48-nation NSG.
“Look, all I can say is that during his visit to India in 2015, President (Barack) Obama did affirm the US view that India meets missile technology control regime requirements and is ready for membership. But it’s a consensus body, so we’ll wait and see how the vote goes,” Toner said.
“Deliberations about the prospects of new members joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group are an internal matter among the current members. I don’t have much to say beyond that other than that I think they meet regularly,” he said.
The upcoming NSG meeting has not been set up for this purpose, he said.
“This I not a specific meeting, I believe – not set up to particularly talk about this issue. They (Pakistan) have made public their interest, and certainly any country can submit its application for membership. We will consider based on a consensus decision,” Toner said. — PTI
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 27
Thirty years after the controversial Bofors artillery gun deal, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is on the verge of ordering an artillery gun for which a contract is in final stages.This will be the first-ever 155-mm artillery gun purchase since March 1986 when 400 pieces were purchased from Swedish company AB Bofors for Rs 1,500 crore. Under threat from the ‘Bofors controversy’, the purchase of artillery guns has been cancelled or withdrawn on six occasions in the past 15 years.In an interview to The Tribune, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday said: “The self-propelled artillery gun contract is near completion for placing an order, only minor modifications need to be done.”India is looking to buy 100 155-mm/52-caliber self-propelled howitzers at Rs 4,500 crore. The contract will have a clause for a follow-on order of 50 more such guns. Another artillery gun, the Dhanush, based on the Bofors design and transfer of technology, is also ready.
Ishfaq Tantry
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, May 26
Life in the Valley was affected today due a joint shutdown call given by various separatist organisations against the alleged government proposal to set up Sainik colonies and townships for migrant Kashmiri Pandits.The rare joint call was issued by the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Geelani and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik.Shops and other commercial establishments in Srinagar and other major towns across the Valley remained closed today in response to the shutdown. The day, however, passed off peacefully.Public transport remained off the roads, though private vehicles were seen plying on the city outskirts.Roads and commercial centres such as Lal Chowk in the city wore a deserted look.Most of the schools and banks in Srinagar and other towns remained closed.However, there was some movement in tourist areas such as the boulevard road along the Dal Lake in the morning as some tourists were seen departing or heading to other tourist destinations.Some vehicular movement was also seen on the main road leading to the secretariat and government vehicles were seen ferrying ministers and MLAs as the Assembly was in session today.There was less security on city roads today as compared to earlier shutdowns. The government had not imposed any restrictions, however, senior separatist leaders Geelani and Mirwaiz were put under house detention. JKLF chairman Yasin Malik was arrested from the Abi Guzar area of Srinagar on Wednesday.Even as the PDP-BJP government has already clarified its stand on the Sainik colonies and townships for migrant Pandits and also promised a review of the new industrial policy, the issues have united the separatists and brought them on a single platform against the state government. The separatist have vowed to oppose the proposal tooth and nail.Though the state government has said it was committed to the return of Kashmiri Pandits, separatists have opposed the establishment of separate townships in the Valley for their rehabilitation.While the government has said it has not identified any land for setting up Sainik colonies for retired soldiers of the state, separatists alleged the intention behind setting up Sainik colonies was to change the demography of the Valley.Moreover, the government has asserted that non-local ex-serviceman cannot become part of any Sainik colony in Kashmir as only permanent residents of the state can purchase land in such settlements.Tourists head to hill resortsMost of the tourists in Srinagar preferred to proceed to hill resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg due to a shutdown in city. Tourist cabs were on Thursday morning seen heading to hill resorts where the shutdowns usually have less effect. “I left for Pahalgam on Thursday morning. The tourist party is from Delhi. Since there was a strike in Srinagar, they decided to visit Pahalgam as they are on a short visit to the Valley,” said Ali Mohammad, a taxi driver from Srinagar.
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, May 26
The Army has ordered an inquiry into the death of a porter from Handwara accompanying them, who was found injured after the troops came under fire from suspected militants in a forest area early on Wednesday.“An inquiry has been instituted to establish in detail the possible circumstances leading to the death of Liaquat Ali. Since the deceased was working with the Army, we are committed to providing all possible assistance,” an Army spokesman said.The statement said a joint search operation was launched by the Army and J&K Police in the area of the Watsar forest on Tuesday night. Liaquat of Nagni Wadar Payeen village, who has been working as a porter with the Army, accompanied the search party.“After a brief exchange of fire, the area was searched during which Liaqat was found injured,” he added.
