Aboard the INS Vikramaditya, September 29

The threat of terror incidents along the Indian coastline remains and a neighbouring country is involved in “nefarious” actions to destabilise India, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

Singh was speaking to reporters on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya which is currently sailing along India’s western coastline.

Asked about terror threats along the country’s coastline, the defence minister said, “Any country in the world should have adequate security for itself. We cannot rule out any possibilities (of terror threats).”

“When the question of our neighbouring country comes, you know very well that to destabilise and to break India up, it keeps taking nefarious actions (napak har katein),” Singh said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

During his overnight stay on the INS Vikramaditya, Singh witnessed various military exercises involving submarines, frigates and the carrier.

“I can say this with complete belief that our Indian Navy has a solid and attentive presence here for maritime security. There is not an iota of doubt,” Singh said, adding that a Mumbai-like incident cannot be allowed to recur.

“We cannot forget what happened on 26/11/2008 (the Mumbai attack). If some mistake has happened once, it must not be repeated again at any cost. Therefore, our Indian Navy and Coast Guard always remain vigilant,” he said.

On the Army Chief’s statement that terrorists have again come into play in Pulwama, Singh said,”No one needs to tell what will happen to the terrorists who have come into existence.”

Not only in India, the whole world knows what will happen to terrorists, the Defence Minister said.

Singh, after a yoga session on the aircraft carrier early Sunday morning, said yoga has been accepted not only in India but across the world.

“It has got international recognition, and the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

“He presented this resolution (on yoga) at the United Nations and it received the support of 177 countries. In almost all the countries, there is a substantial population, which practices yoga,” the Defence Minister said. PTI

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indigenously developed Thermal Imaging and Day Sight equipment to arm the tanks in Indian Army’s inventory with a sharper night vision, ThePrint has learnt. The night vision equipment, to be installed in the T-72 and T-90 tanks, is meant for a clearer night vision even in pitch darkness. It will have a higher range of sight as compared to the existing technology, said a DRDO official. It can be used for both day and night operations, and also boasts of superior image processing features at any given time of the day. Further, it will serve the same purpose on both varieties of tanks, only the mechanics would be different, added the official who didn’t wish to be named. Out of an order of about 1,000 units of the night vision equipment for the T-72 tanks, nearly 300 have already been delivered to the Army, said the official. For these tanks, the  equipment will have a 3-km range for tank targets. The night vision equipment being developed for the T-90 tanks will have a range of around 4 km and will help in “battlefield surveillance, acquisition and firing on targets” and provide a “hunter-killer” capability to tank commander, said the DRDO official. The equipment units for the T-90 tanks are yet to be delivered. The night vision equipment has been developed by DRDO’s Instruments Research and Development Establishment, and is being jointly produced by Bharat Electronics Limited, Machilipatnam, and Ordnance Factory, Dehradun. Upgraded technology The DRDO official told ThePrint, “So far, image intensive tubes were used for night sight in the tanks which had a range of 150-200 metres and also required some amount of light to process a clear image. This was an old technology. Now, it will be replaced with the new equipment developed by us.” There are over 5,000 tanks in the Indian Army’s inventory. A senior Army officer told ThePrint that the latest equipment will provide better vision at night as it is a technology upgrade for the tanks over the existing one. “The project started around 2011-2012 and it has been a collaborative effort between the DRDO and the Army. “The equipment is working well for the T-72 tanks, but there have been some issues with the ones for T-90 tanks. We are working on it and hopefully they should be sorted out soon,” said the officer, who did not want to be named.

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website https://idrw.org/indian-army-tanks-now-have-sharper-night-vision-equipment-developed-by-drdo/ .

United Nations, September 27

The US has asked Pakistan why it is only bothered about    the human rights of Muslims in Kashmir and is not highlighting the “horrific conditions” that continue to exist for the members of the community throughout China.

Alice Wells, US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, during a special briefing at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for not speaking out against China, which has detained an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in Xinjiang province.

China is an all-weather ally of Pakistan. Beijing has often come to the rescue of Islamabad by trying to scuttle global efforts to impose sanctions against Pakistan-based terrorists like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. 

China has been providing financial help to cash-strapped Pakistan to overcome its economic woes.

“I would like to see the same level of concern expressed also about Muslims who are being detained in Western China, literally in concentration-like conditions.

“And so being concerned about the human rights of Muslims does extend more broadly than Kashmir, and you’ve seen the administration very involved here during the UN General Assembly and trying to shine a light on the horrific conditions that continue to exist for Muslims throughout China,” Wells said. — PTI

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. File photo

Srinagar, September 26

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired a high-level meeting here on Thursday and directed security officials to intensify anti-militancy operations and work towards improving the life of common people in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Doval, who returned to the national capital after arriving here on Wednesday, held a series of meetings with security officials and bureaucrats during which he made it clear that common people should be able to exercise their daily routine without any fear from terrorist groups, they said.

This is his second visit after the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 in the state on August 5 and bifurcated it into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, which will come into being on October 31 with the swearing-in ceremony of first Lt Governors.

During the meeting, the National Security Advisor (NSA) reviewed the developmental schemes for people and asked officials for their speedy implementation, which includes providing best health care, shipment of apple boxes out of the Kashmir Valley, among other things.

The NSA also reviewed the security situation and directed the officials to intensify anti-militancy operations and target key terrorists operating in certain parts of the Valley, the officials said.

NEW DELHI – Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat threatens to take over Azad Kashmir with full force in a big warning to Pakistan.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday said that the Centre has to take a decision as regards what to do in Pakistani Kashmir, stressing that Army is ready for any scenario, Zee News has reported.

Armymen pay tribute to Gorkha Rifles soldier Rajib Thapa, who was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir, at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi on Saturday

While a final call is yet to be taken on ARTRAC’s new location, the proposed structural changes in the training command are currently being finalised.

New Delhi: The Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, is set to undergo several structural changes, including creation of two different training wings and a separate validation wing for approving training standards, besides a possible location change, ThePrint has learnt.

Set up on the lines of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, the ARTRAC is one of the seven commands of the Indian Army tasked with formulating training modules, disseminating doctrines of warfare in the “fields of strategy, operational art, tactics, logistics, training and human resource development”.

According to top Army sources, while a final call is yet to be taken on the new location of the ARTRAC, which is likely to be in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, the proposed structural changes in the training command are currently being finalised.

DGMT likely to be merged with ARTRAC

The proposed changes also feature merging the Directorate General of Military Training (DGMT) into the ARTRAC — as both have similar functions.

The DGMT, currently, is responsible for the execution of training plans for operations as well as for joint training.

The changes also involve creation of two separate training wings in ARTRAC, as against one that currently exists, a well-placed source told ThePrint.

The first training wing would be tasked with training officers after being commissioned into the Army such as joint training-related courses with foreign Armies or the ones with the Indian Air Force or the Navy. The second training wing, meanwhile, would be focused on pre-commission training and training of recruits in regimental centres and professional military education.

A new validation wing is also likely to be set up, which will advise General Officer Commanding in Chief of ARTRAC on validation of field formations, and Category A and Category B training institutions.

Category A training includes training conducted in Indian Military Academy, while Category B refers to those conducted in regimental centres, among others.

Two separate wings on coordination and administration also feature in the proposed restructuring plan of ARTRAC.

Other existing wings in ARTRAC such as the ones for studying and preparing various warfare doctrines, and for studies and research on foreign militaries and their training modules will continue to exist.

Also read: The 3 major reforms for Indian Army restructuring and what they will mean for the force

Greater synergy in ARTRAC

A separate vertical under ARTRAC will be located at Army headquarters for planning and approval of major proposals, while sports activities will be separated from training and put under under the deputy chief IS&T (Information Systems and Training).

Over 100 officers will be posted at the ARTRAC, a second source said, adding that the idea is to bring more synergy into the functioning of ARTRAC. Each vertical will be headed by a Major General-rank officer, including the new ones that are likely to come up.

Last month, confusion about the shifting of ARTRAC from Shimla had cropped up after Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik responded with a categorical “No, Sir” in the Rajya Sabha to a question on whether the government had decided on relocating ARTRAC from Shimla to Meerut.

The first senior Army official quoted above, however, said that the general consensus about ARTRAC’s new location is Meerut, even though the formal proposal is yet to be finalised.

ThePrint had earlier reported that the plan to shift ARTRAC out of Shimla was being opposed vehemently by politicians and retired army officers in Himachal Pradesh, who questioned the rationale of shifting ARTRAC out of Shimla.

In an opinion piece written for ThePrint earlier this month, retired Army officer Lt General HS Panag had even listed out the various problems that ATRAC is grappling with, including lack of research scholars, a need to place the Recruitment Directorate under the ARTRAC and a lack of validation of training standards and professional military education, among others.

The defence ministry had this week approved three major reforms for the Army headquarters.

However, sources say that unless the restructuring is approved in totality, it won’t be possible to implement the restructuring plan at all. The proposed restructuring of Army headquarters came on the recommendations of the Army itself.

The Indian Army recently – and after a considerable period of time – made use of Bofors artillery guns to unhinge the nefarious designs of Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT).

The guns were brought into use on July 31 and August 1 when the Indian forces hit back against BAT squads trying to infiltrate Indian territory. The attempts had been made in the Keran Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. It is reported that while at least five Pakistani soldiers were killed, the Bofors guns were also used to target BAT posts giving their personnel covering fire. As many as five attempts made by BAT teams to enter Indian territory were foiled.

Tensions along the Line of Control has increased in recent days with Pakistan violating the ceasefire repeatedly. Sources have revealed that while BAT commandos were attempting to cross into the Keran Sector in their attempts at possibly targeting Indian positions here, the return fire was unforgiving and such that the personnel from across the LoC had to beat a hasty retreat. It is suspected that among the Pakistani security personnel were also several terrorists. “Security forces will continue to respond to all nefarious activities along the LoC,” the Northern Command had said in a statement.

Pakistan’s most-recent attempts at disrupting peace and order in Jammu and Kashmir comes in the backdrop of the firm and affirmative action taken by Indian agencies to check terror as well as terror funding. Separatists in Jammu and Kashmir too have had it tough over the past several months and continue to remain under radar.

With such prevailing situations, Pakistan has resorted to violating ceasefire by indulging in unprovoked firing. Indian forces have retaliated severely and the use of Bofors artillery guns in the recent past points to the fact that the disruptive messages from across the LoC would only be met with an even more scorching response.

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 30

Two days after a short video clip to mark 20 years of the Kargil war was released, the Army is facing “pained” veterans, who have pointed out that the Eighth Battalion of the Sikh regiment was not given its “due” in the 8.55-minute video while describing the famous battle of Tiger Hill.

Lt Gen GS Shergill (retd), who was the Colonel Commandant of the Sikh regiment, in a Facebook post said, “A major issue overlooked by everyone (the filmmakers) was the contribution of the Eighth Battalion of the Sikh regiment in the capture of Tiger Hill. Only two battalions got battle honour for Tiger Hill and Eighth Sikh was one of those.” The other one is the 18 Grenadiers and is mentioned in the film.

Lt Gen Shergill, who retired in October 2015, told The Tribune, “We (the battalion) were the first to battle at Tiger Hill. You cannot refer to the battle without mentioning Eighth Sikh. I am pained that’s why I raised the matter and this is not against the organisation (Army).”

The Tribune sent a query to the Indian Army asking why Eight Sikh is not mentioned in the movie. The Army has responded saying, “The audio visual clip is a motivational documentary representative of the national effort, including that of all services.

The contribution of all units and formations, including that of Eighth Sikh, is well documented with theatre and battle honours. The valour and gallant actions of units, including Eighth Sikh, have been highlighted on the official Army social media platform during the Kargil’s Operation Vijay narration.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the Army headquarters contacted Lt Gen Shergill and spoke to him. The retired General, whose earlier Facebook post saw several veterans backing his cause, posted another message on his page saying, “They (Army headquarters) rang up and assured necessary amendments will be made and we will be informed immediately after the action.”

Meanwhile, the Army has corrected an error in the initial print of the movie. The mention of 1 Bihar was missing in capture of “Jubar top”, the same has been added, after a retired brigadier sent off a protest letter, saying the capture of the peak had been wrongly credited to 1/11 Gorkha Rifles.

Army assures amendment 

The Army headquarters rang up Lt Gen GS Shergill (retd) and assured him that necessary amendments would be made in the movie and he would be informed immediately after action

8 Sikh celebrates Tiger Hill victory

Jul 9, 2016,

Tribune News Service

Udhampur, July 8

There were two turning points in the Kargil war —capture of Tololing and Tiger Hill — the physical and psychological blow to the adversary after the latter was captured by 8 Sikh Regiment, which brought the war to an end in Kargil.

The regiment, colloquially referred to as “Chardhikala” regiment, celebrates its victory against all odds in a very solemn and pious manner to commemorate the contribution of those who made the supreme sacrifice on 6 July 1999. There were attacks, deception, blocks and beating back of number of repeated fierce counterattacks. The “Chardhikala” Battalion did all this with unparalleled determination till the feature had the Indian Tricolour flying proudly atop it. Success came with its own price. The battalion lost one officer, four junior commissioned officers and 30 jawans in the battle of Tiger Hill.