Monthly Archives: August 2018

Although originally intended for desert use, the long-range self-propelled guns were deployed in eastern Ladakh at the height of tensions in 2020, prompting the Army to optimise them for use in the mountains
The K-9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer built by L&T with technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defence based on its K-9 Thunder
The Defence Ministry has started the process for the procurement of 100 more K-9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers which are built in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defence.
“The Defence Ministry issued the Request For Proposal to L&T in November. Once they respond to it, the contract negotiations will begin,” a defence official confirmed.
At the height of tensions in eastern Ladakh in 2020, the Army deployed one regiment of K-9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers there to augment its long-range fire power in the backdrop of a massive build-up of forces by China across the Line of Actual Control. Buoyed by their performance, the Army is looking at eventually procuring 200 additional guns. The induction of Dhanush, K-9 Vajra and M777 Ultra Light Howitzers has enhanced the reach of artillery firepower on the northern borders, as reported by The Hindu earlier.
The repeat order could not be more than the volume of the original order, so the number was fixed at 100 howitzers, the official explained.
The K-9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer built by L&T with technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defence based on its K-9 Thunder. The 100th gun was delivered to the Army in February 2021, the contract for which was signed in May 2017. The contract also involved maintenance transfer of technology to an Army base workshop to support the howitzers throughout their operational life cycle.
The K-9 Vajra was mainly bought for use in deserts, but the standoff prompted them to be deployed in the mountains as well, officials had stated earlier. To ensure that these systems performed optimally in the extreme cold weather conditions of the mountains, the Army also procured winterisation kits for the regiment deployed. There are nine items including batteries, oils and lubricants which need to be insulated from extreme temperatures and don’t freeze at -20 degrees celsius, which the kits cater for.
Since the standoff, the Army has deployed its entire range of medium artillery guns and long-range rockets in the region to augment its long-range fire power as part of the reorientation towards the northern borders.

Nicosia: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that the world appreciates the role of Indian peacekeepers serving under the UN Flag.
He said this during his visit to Cyprus while walking along a street in Larnaca dedicated to General K S Thimayya, who is regarded as one of the most distinguished combat officers of the Indian Army.
“So nice to see the street in Larnaca named after General K S Thimayya,” tweeted Jaishankar on his official Twitter handle @DrSJaishankar on Friday.
“Indian Peacekeepers serving under the UN flag are appreciated around the world,” he wrote sharing a picture of himself under the street signage.
General Thimayya was India’s Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961. He is regarded as one of the most distinguished combat officers of the Indian Army. He is the only Indian to command an Infantry brigade in battle during the Second World War.
During Jaishankar’s three-day visit to Cyprus, he also met the country’s former Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
Jaishankar in a tweet on Friday wrote, “Good to catch up with an old friend, former Foreign Minister @Christodulides.”
Jaishankar while addressing a business community event in Limassol, Cyprus on Friday, thanked the country’s Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and Deputy Shipping Minister Vassilios Demetriades for joining the event.
At the event, he spoke about expanding the India-Cyprus bilateral economic relationship. He thanked Cyprus for supporting India’s EU engagement.
Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides on Friday said that his country supported the momentum of negotiations on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement.
Speaking at a business event in Cyprus, Kasoulides said, “There is recognition of the great scope for further cooperation to relations between the European Union and India. In this respect, we support the momentum of the negotiations of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. Cyprus is a strong voice within the EU, and there is a need to strengthen tangibly EU-India relations.”
S Jaishankar and his Cyprus counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides signed an MoU on Defence and Military Cooperation, in Nicosia on Thursday.
“We have signed a number of important agreements today. One is the MoU on Defence and Military Cooperation between our two countries,” Jaishankar said during a press conference alongside Kasoulide.
This agreement was signed during Jaishankar’s first visit to the country. The two sides also inked the Letter of Intent on the Migration and Mobility Partnership.
He said this deal will help provide a common framework of arrangement and cooperation to facilitate the mobility of students, business people and professionals. “It will also help in combatting irregular migration,” he said.
Jaishankar also welcomed signing the framework agreement on the signing of the International solar alliance by Cyprus.
“I believe, our cooperation in the field of renewable energy will gain as a result,” he added.

Islamabad: A London-based rights group has expressed alarm over reports of mass arrests and the imposition of emergency law in Pakistan’s Gwadar amid large-scale protests against “illegal fishing through trawlers”.
“Amnesty International is alarmed by reports of mass arrests and the imposition of emergency law following protests in Gwadar. People have the right to express discontent peacefully and the state has an obligation to facilitate this right,” Amnesty International said in a statement posted on its twitter handle.
The group said putting a “blanket ban on all forms of public gatherings amounts to repression of the right to protest and sends a chilling message that there is no room for dissent.” “It is imperative that the Government of Pakistan upholds the human rights of everyone, including their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in the country,” the statement added.
A total of 100 people have been arrested in Gwadar as the provincial government struck with an iron fist at protesters and imposed an emergency law that prohibits gathering five or more people.
The arrests come after the provincial government imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Gwadar, the Dawn newspaper reported. “There will be a ban on all kinds of rallies, protests, sit-ins and gatherings of five or more people in the port city of Gwadar,” the Baluchistan home department said in a statement.
On Friday, The Express Tribune newspaper reported that cellular services and mobile networks have remained suspended in Gwadar for the fifth consecutive day as business centres and shops remained shut.
Security was tightened in and around Gwadar on Friday and policemen were deployed to maintain law and order in the city. According to the Pakistan newspaper, the Balochistan government has also imposed Section 144 on pillion riding and the display of weapons in Gwadar to maintain law and order.
Tensions continued to simmer in the Pakistan port city with protests continuing after clashes with supporters of the ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ (HDT). The clashes occurred this month between locals and security forces in Gwadar as protests against illegal fishing turned violent after some people were arrested.
The provincial government had contacted Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch to help restore normalcy and resolve the issues that have become a bone of contention between the government and the HDT, the Dawn reported citing sources.

Gilgit: Widespread protests against the Pakistan Army and ISI has been sweeping across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Gilgit Baltistan, with largescale demonstrations against the illegal land acquisition by Pakistani security agencies.
The Pakistan Army has been grabbing land from the locals for years, but this is the first time the locals have risen against the Army.
In Minawar village of Gilgit, the locals confronted the Gilgit Scouts and Pakistan Army personnel when they came to demolish the properties of the local residents.
They even raised slogans against the Pakistan Army and accused them of occupying their land. One of the protesters said that Pakistan Army “is forcefully occupying our houses and agricultural land”.
“If any untoward incident occurred, the Pakistan Army will be responsible. The Chief Secretary must come to resolve this issue; else we will take this matter in front of the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” the protestor added.
Local residents have accused the Pakistan Army of systematically suppressing the people of Gilgit Baltistan for profits through the illegal occupation of their land.
Another protester said, “Pakistan Army comes and attacks us. They acquire our property. We have already given 12,000 Kanal of land without any compensation. We are not ready to give them an inch more.”
The residents of Minawar have received overwhelming support from all residents across Gilgit Baltistan in confronting the Pakistan Army and stopping their forceful acquisition of land.
Several protestors said they were willing to take the bullet from the army but were not ready to give even an inch of their land. One of the protesters said, “This is our ancestral land. We will not give this land without any cost”.
The people of Gilgit Baltistan are facing several challenges due to meddling by Islamabad in their affairs. Anti-Pakistan sentiments are also mounting in the region due to illegal taxation, high inflation and rising unemployment.
Atrocities against the PoK residents are widespread in the region. The people in PoK are denied basic rights in the face of high inflation, and a lack of basic amenities. The demand for fundamental rights is met with the baton of Pakistan security agencies.
Earlier this week, Human rights activist and chairman of United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) Shaukat Ali Kashmiri raised concerns over the deprivation of basic rights in Gilgit Baltistan.
Taking a sharp dig at Pakistan, the rights activist said that Pakistan’s policy in Gilgit Baltistan is weaved in such a manner that deprives people of their fundamental rights. Pakistan is a country that always uses religious sentiments, he added.
“Gilgit Baltistan is part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and people are deprived of basic rights. It’s Pakistani policy and fashioned to deprive people and propagation against Indian involvement. Pakistani is a country that always used religious sentiments,” Shaukat Ali Kashmiri wrote on Twitter.

Chandigarh, January 1

A sainik sabha was organised at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police’s Basic Training Centre, Bhanu, near here today to mark the beginning of the new year. Addressing the personnel, Inspector General Ishwar Singh Duhan updated them on new orders and instructions issued by the headquarters of the force.

He urged the officers to maintain high professional standards and exemplary personal conduct at all times and keep themselves physically and mentally fit. Various issues pertaining to work and welfare of the personnel were also addressed.

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, December 30

To strengthen its security grid, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will deploy its women personnel for counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir.

The Inspector General (Srinagar sector) of the CRPF, Charu Sinha, said after successful experiments of deploying women in non-militancy operations, the CRPF would deploy them in counter-insurgency operations, considering the “sensitivities” of Kashmiri women.

In a telephonic conversation with The Tribune, Sinha said the CRPF wanted to make Kashmiri women comfortable during the counter-insurgency and cordon and search operations. “We believe that this is the best way to deal with local women during counter-insurgency operations,” she said.

The women personnel will be given training for at least six weeks in counter-insurgency and search operations before being sent to the field. “They will operate on a par with their male counterparts,” the IG added.

Vidhwansak is an indigenously developed anti-material sniper rifle. It is speculated that the South African Denel NTW-20 served as the inspiration for its design
by Joseph P Chacko
An indigenously developed anti-material sniper rifle known as the Vidhwansak is currently in limited service with the Indian Army. It is speculated that the South African Denel NTW-20 served as the inspiration for its design. “Destroyer” is what the name Vidhwansak means when translated from the ancient Sanskrit language.
On the battleground, the large and heavy firing system is intended to fulfil the role of supplemental equipment capable of dealing with light vehicles, structures, enemy defences, ammo disposal, and countersniper fire.
The Indian Army began using the rifle in 2007 to fulfil its requirements for a weapon system of this kind. It is believed that approximately one hundred copies are currently in operation.

At first, the Indian Army entered into negotiations with the South African defence business Denel to determine whether or not Denel could supply the Indian Army with a choice of weaponry whenever they needed them. One of the requirements included having an anti-material rifle from the Denel NTW-20 family. The contract called for the delivery of 398 000 rounds of ammunition, 700 NTW-20 anti-material guns, and knock-down kits for an additional 300 rifles. As soon as it was discovered that Denel had made illegal payments to the Indian government in order to acquire lucrative defence contracts, the company was immediately barred from supplying services to the Indian military. Before the ban was issued in 2005, the Army had inducted 400 guns into its inventory.
Because of this, the Indian Army was left with a variety of military deficiencies, the most serious of which was the need for a tried and tested anti-material weapon system.
As a result, the Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli (OFB) and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of New Delhi worked together to develop an indigenously conceived viable alternative.
By the end of 2005, a workable prototype had been built using South African NTW-20 as a basis for further development. The evaluation started in 2006 and went well enough to result in a contract for the supply of one hundred Vidhwansak to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). Beginning in February of 2007, the Vidhwansak series of weapons were developed, and the weapons weren’t handed over to the government until October 2008. The total number of such rifles with the BSF is not known. Another paramilitary, the Central reserve police force (CRPF), is also known to field these rifles. The Indian Army did not select the rifle due to weight issues. It weighs 25 kilogrammes, which reduces operating flexibility due to its portability.
The basic weapon system of the Vidhwansak is capable of accepting three different calibres with only minor modifications to the primary components – the barrel and bolt. In addition, the operator is allowed to install a proper optical system for the selected calibre and is required to provide a magazine of ammunition of the relevant calibre. The ability to shoot 12.7mm, 14.5mm and 20mm ammunition makes the Vidhwansak a highly versatile tactical weapon system.
The Vidhwansak, like other heavy rifles in its class, is a manually controlled bolt action rifle. The weapon is fuelled by a detachable box magazine placed into the left side of the receiver, regardless of the selected calibre.
The receiver incorporates a buffer breech to mitigate the excessive recoil common to such firearms. In addition, a muzzle brake has been installed at the end of the barrel to reduce recoil by around fifty percent. The barrel and receiver are contained within the receiver’s frame. The design of Vidhwansak allows it to be separated into two major components for transporting by two personnel.
The Vidhwansak weighs a respectable 55 pounds, measures 1700 millimetres in length, and has a barrel length of 1100 millimetres. A power-adjustable optical sight with 8×42 magnification comes as standard equipment. According to estimates, the velocity measured at the muzzle is approximately 3,411 feet per second. There is a maximum range of 2180 yards, with an effective range of 1961 yards.
The New DRDO AMR Rifle
In 2020, Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli released a brand new indigenous anti-material weapon, which is also called Vidhwansak.
The new AMR is a large calibre sniper rifle that comes in two different calibres: 14.5 millimetres and 20 millimetres. As an anti-material weapon, the rifle can be used to destroy enemy bunkers, lightly-armoured vehicles, radar systems, parked aircraft, and a fuel storage facility, among other targets.
The weapon has a range of 1,800 metres when using a calibre of 14.5 mm, and 1,300 metres when using a calibre of 20 mm. The AMR features a magazine that holds three rounds and can be removed. The advantage of this weapon is that it can be swiftly disassembled and transported in two portable man-packs, each of which weighs between 12 and 15 kilogrammes.
The weapon’s weight is significantly less when compared to the AMR manufactured in South Africa that is currently used by the Army. The latest Vidhwansak rifle is equipped with sophisticated optical telescoping sights.

ew Delhi: Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Thursday said that the Indian Army is fully committed and supportive of efforts towards evolving the integrated theatre commands.
During the address at the 4th Gen KV Krishna Rao memorial lecture, Gen Pande said, “From General Rao’s times while the legacy challenges of disputed and unresolved borders continue, the nature of threats both in the conventional as well as the non-conventional domain have undergone a change.”
“You have disruptive and dual-use technologies, which impact the character of warfare, making battle spaces more complex, contested, and more lethal,” he added.
The Army Chief said that Information Warfare has sharpened the potential of social media in conflict zones and we have been witness to this for some time now, making it an increasingly significant part of conflict prosecution.
“The grey zone aggression characterized by deniability caution quotient is emerging as a strategy of choice and our adversaries are constantly striving to widen this brand of resume grey zone in the conflict spectrum by employing both kinetic as well as non-kinetic means,” he said.
He further pointed out that India’s geopolitical influence in the international environment has expanded and grown manifold.
“Today, we are witness not only to the rising aspirations of our people, but also the expectations of the world community from our country and the vision for Amrit Kaal for the next 25 years that the honourable Prime Minister enunciated,” he said.
General Manoj Pande further mentioned that he will focus on four key aspects while mentioning the transformation of the Indian Army.
“The first one is on the aspect of human resource management, where you all are aware of the progressive and in fact, the path-breaking reform of the Agneepath scheme, which was taken about six months back. And we just have started the Agniveers joining the regimental centres – the first batch is of close to 25,000. We also have come up with an extremely transparent, robust, and credible Assessment and Selection system based on which the selected Agniveers will then form the core of our organization in the future,” he said.
He then highlighted the initiatives regarding the modernisation and infusion of technology.
“The second aspect of transformation that we’re looking at is of course, the modernization and infusion of technology through a focused roadmap especially in the context of induction of niche and disruptive technologies. In this regard, again, a number of initiatives and most of you would be aware, we have established Centers of Excellence, especially for AI and quantum key distribution of the MCTE. We also have with the leading academic institutions of the country, established what we are calling the Indian Army cells. This will form the basis of our subsequent major capital procurement project,” he said.
Emphasizing that it is the right size that matters in terms of rebalancing, force restructuring and optimization of our organizations.
“The third aspect of reforms is in terms of rebalancing, force restructuring and optimization of our organizations. As far as restructuring and reshaping the organization are concerned, I think it is more to I would say right size rather than reducing the size of an organization. It also has to do with improving or getting the teeth-to-tail ratio right. And this regard a number of legacy organizations, legacy units, and establishments, which we found have little or less relevance in today’s environment. We are either planning to completely do away with them or maybe rationalize the numbers or in fact, sort of combine some of these organizations in terms of focusing on only our core function, certain non-core activities is something which again, we’re looking at undertaking outsourcing in a big way,” he said.
The Army Chief also pointed out the importance of jointness and better integration.
“Lastly, and perhaps the most important one amongst all four is this aspect of jointness and better integration. And that is where I take the topic for today’s lecture on theorization which General Naravane will elaborate on. We are also looking at how best you can integrate it aggregate the capabilities of the three services both in terms of jointness, integration and finally in terms of achieving the integrated theatre command models,” he told.
“As these initiatives are underway, I am reminded of the famous quote of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who said “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” he added.
He said that Army Training Command is leading the effort in change management philosophy.
“To address the impact of these changes or transition, the cognitive domain is as important and in that context, we have come up with a change management philosophy where our Army Training Command is leading the effort. This not only applies to the senior or the middle-level military leaders but even to the junior leaders, which I think should be our guiding document in the near future,” he said.
Concurrently, he said that ensuring a good organisational climate breeds not only competence and in turn, leads to success.
“I’m confident that all these changes that I just alluded to, will bring in a new vigour and confidence in the Indian Army and make it stronger, more capable to be in strike with the future. In effect, all our efforts that I mentioned aim towards giving shape to a modern professional army,” he concluded.

Srinagar: After failing to send infiltrators into Jammu and Kashmir due to heightened vigil along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan is using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to drop weapons and narcotics into Indian territory.
Data collected by the various security agencies have revealed that there has been a threefold increase in drone sighting incidents along the India-Pakistan border.
Of 492 UAVs or drones observed on the India-Pakistan border from January 1, 2020, to December 23, 2022, 311 were sighted this year. In 2021, 104 drones were sighted and 77 were seen in 2020.
The UAVs have emerged as a major source of smuggling arms and ammunition, as well as drugs into India. The drones were sighted in different areas in Punjab and were within a range of 2-10 km of the International Border.
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel shot down over 22 such drones and seized nearly 45 kg of heroin and a cache of arms and ammunition, including seven grenades, two magazines, 60 ammunition, and other firearms.
In June 2021, two explosions rocked the high-security technical area of Indian Air Force (IAF) Station Jammu. Low-flying drones were used to drop two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
It was the first drone attack on any defence establishment in the country. One blast caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. There was no damage to any equipment.
After the drone attack on the Jammu Air Force Station, the security agencies went into a huddle and the anti-drone technology was put in place around the sensitive locations within no time.
As of date, all the important security installations have been provided with the latest equipment to counter any misadventure by Pakistan and the terrorist handlers operating from the neighbouring country.
In 2022, the Border Security Force shot down 16 drones as the anti-drone system and in-depth patrolling to tackle the menace helped the force to neutralize the threat posed by the UAVs.
The anti-drone systems that have been installed at some specific locations along the India-Pakistan border and Line of Control (LoC) are also coming in handy in detecting and neutralising the drone threat. More such systems are being put in place to defeat the machinations of the terror bosses sitting across the border.
The BSF has also started three-four km of in-depth patrolling so that the person trying to pick up the items dropped by these drones can be caught.
Soldiers who shoot down these drones are being provided with special incentives. The steps that have been taken to counter drone terrorism are proving effective to thwart the nefarious designs of the terrorists.
Women BSF personnel shot down a Hexacopter drone weighing nearly 18 kgs at Chaharpur village in Amritsar Punjab while it was entering Indian territory from Pakistan. The drone was carrying 3.110 kg of narcotics.
Several cases have been reported where drones coming from Pakistan side dropped consignments of drugs, guns and money in J-K and Punjab.
In November this year, Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered a consignment of weapons and Indian currency that were dropped by a Pakistani drone in Jammu’s Samba district.
The recoveries included one steel Improvised Explosive Device (IED), two pistols, 4 magazines, several batteries, and a watch. Police also recovered around Rs 5 lakh cash from the package. The movement of a drone was spotted in the Vijayapur area, which lies opposite the Sialkot-Pakistan border.
Pakistan Army and other agencies are facilitating the entry of UAVs into Indian territory. Promoting terrorism through UAVs is allegedly a nefarious ploy of the deep state in the neighbouring country and the terrorist bosses.
Security agencies are analysing the chips of the drones that were shot down in the recent past. Analyzing the chips would help experts are ascertain the details of the routes taken by the drones and their flying zone, as well as their origin.
The Army has deployed trained kites to prey on enemy drones. They are pressed into service along with trained dogs for military operations.
Such capability can help the security forces tackle the menace of drones coming from across the border. The dog alerts soldiers after hearing the sound of a drone while the kites help locate the enemy drone.
A new technology is also being used to detect these drones. Police in frontier states like Punjab and J&K are being roped in to track the local contacts of the terrorists, who collect the consignments and act as conduits.
Drone terrorism is emerging as yet another challenge for the security forces as Pakistan-sponsored terrorists are using the machines to prolong the 32-year-long proxy war, which till the abrogation of J-K’s special status on August 5, 2019, was fought through militants, who were provided arms training and were pushed into Jammu and Kashmir.
However, during the past three years, the situation has changed. The government has broken the back of terrorism by blocking its Hawala funding channels and by setting up a robust counter-infiltration grid along the Line of Control and the International Border. The steps that have been taken have pushed the terrorists, their handlers and supporters on the back foot.
Alert soldiers along the LoC are not allowing the terrorists to sneak into J-K, while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and State Investigation Agency (SIA) are ensuring that terror sympathisers and supporters are identified and taken to task.
Terror sponsors have realised that they can no longer fight the proxy war through humans and are, hence, using drones as their best bet.
However, in 2022, security forces shot down many UAVs and surveillance has been heightened.
The adversary is not being provided with any opportunity to push terror into the Valley again.