The ongoing Covid-19 crisis has caught the US Navy in its grip. The events surrounding the spread of coronavirus from three to more than 200 sailors onboard aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the sacking of its commanding officer ended with the resignation of acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly. The secretary had kicked up a storm after removing Captain Brett Crozier, who had leaked a letter seeking help from the US Navy to the media, calling the commanding officer “either too naive or too stupid”.

In my view the good captain had to go, not so much for the reasons cited by the acting Navy secretary, but for the failure of command. Under Crozier’s charge, the sailors onboard Roosevelt got infected probably through sailors on shore-leave in Da Nang, Vietnam, which the captain should have curtailed given that the Covid-19 precautionary measures had been ordered in the US Navy . A deployed strategic asset of the US Navy was rendered ineffective, a serious loss of reputation for the numero uno world power.

There is an unwritten norm in the armed forces across the world. Whether in peace or war, when things go wrong, particularly with respect to combat effectiveness for mission accomplishment, irrespective of the reasons or the circumstances, the commander on the spot has to go. The logic is that there is no second chance in war. Hence it is often said that apart from professional excellence, a commander has to be lucky about things beyond his control.

Also read: Indian Navy veterans slam ‘childish’ US response to Roosevelt ship incident

What happened

On 5 March, USS Theodore Roosevelt, the US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived in Da Nang for a five-day port visit commemorating the 25th anniversary of US-Vietnam relations, with 5,680 sailors, 90 aircraft/helicopters and an array of other weapon systems on board. At that time, the northern regions of Vietnam had reported 25 positive Covid-19 cases. The ship then proceeded on its mission of patrolling the South China Sea and the Pacific.

On 24 March, three sailors tested positive for Covid-19. Given that on board quarantine/isolation is not practical, the infection soon began to spread and the ship was docked at Guam Port on 27 March. By 30 March, about a hundred sailors had tested positive and were quarantined in the naval base at Guam.

On the same day, Captain Crozier emailed an unclassified letter to his superiors recommending that the ship be evacuated because it was not practical to observe quarantine or social distancing on board. By default, he was recommending mission abandonment since as per US defence strategy, a certain degree of readiness is maintained by the US forces in various theatres on land, sea and in the air. Copies of the email were marked to a number of addresses not in the chain of command.

On 31 March, the email was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published it. On 1 April, the US Navy ordered the ship to be evacuated leaving on board 400 personnel to maintain the nuclear reactor, weapons, fire fighting equipment and other essential services.

On 2 April, the acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly, a political appointee, relieved Captain Crozier of his command of the aircraft carrier for sending copies of his letter over a non-secure email to a “broad array of people” not in the chain of command and “allowed the complexity of the challenge of the COVID breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally”.

On 3 April, Captain Crozier left the ship to applauding sailors who chanted “Captain Crozier”. Later, the acting Navy secretary resigned on 7 April after being criticised for his profane remarks about Captain Crozier while addressing the sailors on board Theodore Roosevelt on 5 April.

Also read: We’re not at war. Sailors don’t need to die, captain of virus-hit US aircraft carrier pleads

Command failure, or punished for moral uprightness?

Was the action against Captain Crozier taken for raising his voice against superiors showing lack of urgency to ensure the safety of the sailors? Or was it a case of command failure wherein the Captain was overwhelmed by the situation and, by design or default, leaked the information about mission abandonment by an aircraft carrier — a major element of deployed deterrent sea power in the South China Sea and the Pacific?

Captain Crozier cannot be faulted for being concerned about the well-being of his sailors. In his view, the US was not in a state of war and the lives of sailors were more important than continuation of the mission. When he felt that his superiors were not accepting his recommendations or not showing the desired urgency, he took the decision to write the letter, probably fully aware of the consequences. He knew that the email would find its way to the press. He probably felt that this was the only way to “move” the US Navy and save his sailors. On this count, he will forever remain a hero for his sailors as well as the majority of the American public as is evident from the reactions coming out of the US.

But his command mission was decided by his superiors and only they had the authority to abandon it. His superiors were probably equally conscious of the safety of the sailors. However, in their view, continuation of the mission and ensuring the effectiveness of the aircraft carrier was equally important. Maintaining the credibility of the deterrent is no different from being in war itself. Captain Crozier was in “command” and not taking part in a popularity contest. His resignation on moral grounds would have also achieved the aim of highlighting the issue.

The conduct of the acting Navy secretary itself is controversial. He took the unusual, if not unprecedented, step of personally relieving Captain Crozier of his command rather than leaving it to the competent authority in the US Navy. He also showed lack of grace by making it a personal issue when he passed unbecoming remarks about Captain Crozier while addressing the sailors. His conduct puts a question mark over the civil-military relationship in the US.

The jury is still out on the disciplinary aspect of Captain Crozier’s conduct with the entire matter being under investigation.

Also read: Not using Army during exodus of migrants was an error of judgement. Modi govt will rue it

Lesson for Indian military

I will just focus on one aspect — our approach to accountability for command failure. Indian military’s track record in this regard is rather poor, which can have serious repercussions for us in peace and wartime.

The most notable example, which is still fresh in the public mind, is how we approached the accountability for command failure during the Kargil War in May 1999. Only one battalion commander of Dras sub-sector was immediately posted out. The Brigade Commander was posted out after nearly a month.

The seriousness of the lapse required immediate change of command in respect of battalion, brigade and division commanders, and subsequent disciplinary action against the battalion commanders and the brigade commander for not keeping their area of responsibility under surveillance. No accountability was ever fixed for intelligence failure at the strategic level for which the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is responsible. No accountability was ever fixed for the lack of resolve shown at various levels of command for the first one month of the war.

In 1989, an aircraft hangar collapsed at Gwalior air base damaging a number of newly acquired Mirage 2000 aircraft. No heads rolled and no accountability was fixed. Little is ever known about the outcome of the numerous court of inquiries held to investigate crashes of aircraft during training. Again, we are running away from fixing accountability.

The Indian Navy fares no better. It has damaged or lost more ships and submarines in peace time than in the wars or during operations it has undertaken. That some of the serious mishaps took place at docks or in harbour raises the serious issue of command failure. In the Navy too, very little is ever heard of responsibility and accountability being fixed for command failure. The resignation of the Naval Chief in 2014 after a spate of accidents was a singular exception.

Since the political leadership in India has a detached approach to military-related matters, it is for the armed forces to fix the problem of lack of accountability for command failures from within.

Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (R) served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. Post retirement, he was Member of Armed Forces Tribunal. Views are personal.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews Armed Forces Medical Services’ preparedness to assist civilian authorities in battling the novel coronavirus.

New Delhi: At least 50 military hospitals across the country have been notified as either dedicated or mixed centres for Covid-19, while six viral testing labs have been set up by the armed forces to cater to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has also reached out to retired Army Medical Corps (AMC) officers and paramedical staff, who may be requested to volunteer at military hospitals at their current home stations in case the need arises. ThePrint had reported on 28 March that such a list is being created.

Forty-three officers and 990 paramedics have volunteered till date, AFMS Director-General Lt Gen. Anup Banerji said at a press briefing.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday reviewed the functioning of AFMS and its assistance to civilian authorities to contain the spread of Covid-19.

A statement by the defence ministry said on a request received from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, quarantine facilities for civilians were created and are currently functional at six stations, for civilian evacuees from Italy, Iran, China, Malaysia and Japan.

Standby quarantine facilities have also been created at other stations. Starting 1 February, these facilities have housed 1,738 individuals.

Also read: Indian Army has disinfectant drone, UV gun that kills virus in seconds in its Covid arsenal

Viral testing labs set up

Lt Gen. Banerji said six viral testing labs have already been established with the help of the Indian Council of Medical Research, and are functional at various AFMS hospitals.

He added that to cater for isolation and treatment (including ICU-based care) of coronavirus patients, orders have been issued notifying 50 AFMS facilities as dedicated and mixed Covid hospitals.

These hospitals have a combined bed capacity of 9,038, and used to augment state healthcare facilities be if there’s a surge of civilian Covid-19 cases.

Banerji said procurement of essential health equipment such as face masks, sanitisers, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and ventilators is going on smoothly and at a fast pace.

Training at military hospitals suspended

At this time, training activities have been suspended at AMC Centre & College, Lucknow, and Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune.

Approximately 650 medical officers undergoing post-graduate training at AFMC will be reverted to their units for provision of medical cover, depending on the evolving situation.

In addition, 100 medical officers from recruiting organisations are being detailed to work in hospitals where Covid-19 wards are being established.

Also read: US Navy was quick to fix responsibility for Covid-19 crisis. Indian military can take lessons

New Delhi: Drones that can disinfect large areas in minutes, an ultraviolet-light sanitiser that can kill viruses in seconds and a surgical mask developed by 3D printing — the Army has developed a range of products to aid India’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The products have been developed by the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), an arms and service branch of the Army responsible for the design, development, trial, inspection and refit of weapon systems and other equipment.

A senior Army officer told ThePrint that it was a routine practice for the corps to devise innovations from existing resources when a situation demanded critical engineering solutions.

“These current products are completely in-house designed and developed and have been user-validated,” the officer said. “We have some capacity to self-manufacture and are also open to industry collaboration for giving out wide-reach benefits to the nation,” the officer added.

Also Read: Not using Army during exodus of migrants was an error of judgement. Modi govt will rue it

Inactivating, killing viruses

The novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is known to spread through respiratory droplets, which can contaminate surfaces they come in contact with for varied amounts of time.

The surfaces can then constitute a transmission hazard but the virus, experts say, can be inactivated by chemical disinfectants.

The Army said the quadcopters — drones with four rotors — designed by the force were equipped with disinfectant sprays that can sanitise larger areas exposed to contamination in a short time.

The quadcopter can carry five litres of disinfectant at one time. With a spray height of 10 metres, it can cover an area the size of a football field in about five minutes, the officer added.

The drone is currently undergoing trials at the 505 Army Base Workshop in Delhi, the Army said.

The cost of each drone would be Rs 7.5 lakh and the Army can manufacture two in a week, but this depends on the availability of batteries, which has been limited because of the lockdown.

The UV-light sanitiser has been developed by the 509 Army Base Workshop in Agra. The sanitiser uses ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for disinfection.

According to the Army, the method uses short wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill viruses and bacteria by penetrating the thin wall of the microorganism and destroying its nuclei. To operate it, one has to direct the light towards the target surface from a height of around 6 inches. The surface will be fully sanitised in 20 seconds.

The Army said the sanitiser can kill 99.9 per cent of surface bacteria and viruses without any use of chemicals.

The cost of the sanitiser would be Rs 800, and the Army can turn out 10 pieces a day.

The third innovation is a 3D-printed mask priced at Rs 1,200 apiece. Other products being devised include thermal scanners and anti-aerosalination boxes to keep doctors safe. The boxes are made up of transparent acrylic sheets and kept over patients to protect doctors and other healthcare workers from infection. Holes cut into the box help medical staff administer treatment to the patient without coming into direct contact.

The Army is just one of several sections across Indian society that are trying to chip in for the country’s battle against coronavirus, from scientists who have banded together to bust myths to IITians churning out cost-effective and innovative solutions to ease the burden on the healthcare framework.

ThePrint had reported earlier this month that the Navy had developed an Air Evacuation Pod (AEP) to extract Covid-19 patients from remote locations.

The Naval Dockyard in Mumbai has also designed and developed its own low-cost handheld infrared-based temperature sensor for screening of personnel. The Visakhapatnam dockyard, meanwhile, has manufactured a portable system that can supply oxygen to six people at a time — a key innovation for healthcare services since Covid-19 affects the respiratory system and the conventional system only serves one patient at a time.

New Delhi: The Indian Navy Saturday said it remains combat-ready, mission-capable and fully prepared to fight the pandemic even as 26 sailors at the INS Angre, a stone frigate under the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, tested positive for coronavirus.

The Navy said all its missions for coastal and offshore security will continue to operate as before and it was ready to provide support to “friendly neighbours” in the Indian Ocean Region.

Earlier in the day, 20 Navy personnel had tested positive for Covid-19.

“The 26 sailors who were placed in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 in Mumbai belong to INS Angre, a shore establishment,” the Navy said in a statement.

To allay any fear that this large breakout could affect the overall functioning of the force, the Navy said its resources continue to be mission-deployed in three dimensions, with all the networks and space assets functioning optimally.

Several Navy personnel are on maritime patrol deployment, from the Straits of Malacca in the East to Bab-el-Mandeb in the West. They also undertake ‘Op Sankalp’ to provide protection to Indian merchant vessels and anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.

Also read: 50 military hospitals prepared for Covid-19, 6 viral testing labs up and running

All sailors continue to remain asymptomatic

The Navy said that detection of the Covid-19 cases was a result of “meticulous contact tracing and aggressive screening/testing” carried out by the Western Naval Command after a sailor tested positive on 7 April.

“All these sailors continue to remain asymptomatic and are being monitored at INHS Asvini, under the care of the best medical professionals,” the statement added.

It also underlined that there has so far not been a single case of Covid-19 on board any ship, submarine or air station of the Indian Navy.

Drawing lessons from the coronavirus outbreak aboard the American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt last month, the Navy has decided to treat coronavirus cases on board ships as an emergency and to evacuate patients by air.

Operational units are being maintained in readiness by following a 14-day quarantine routine to meet immediate contingencies, including assistance to civil authorities and friendly maritime neighbours.

The force has also set up several quarantine facilities in naval premises at Mumbai, Goa, Kochi and Visakhapatnam for use by civilians, in case a need is felt by the government, and those evacuated from foreign countries.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

An Armyman has been missing since April 7 after he accidentally slipped and fell into the Satluj river, while he was on operational patrolling duty near the Line of Actual Control in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

He has been identified as Lance Havildar Prakash Ralla of Tripeak Brigade.

According to an official statement, search operations were immediately launched, initially by the patrol party and later by employing around 200 people of the unit.

The operations are being undertaken relentlessly in spite of the challenges of increasing water levels, high salt content, water current and presence of large boulders in the river.

Quadcopters, reconnaissance and observation helicopters, as well as specially trained divers from the Special Forces and engineer task forces, have also been pressed into service.

Coordination has been carried out with Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Border Roads Organisation and Karcham Dam authorities for requisite assistance.

An FIR for the missing individual has been lodged with the local police.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

Under the ongoing ‘Operation Namaste’ launched by the Indian Army to fight against the pandemic of COVID-19, one of the electronics and mechanical engineers’ workshop of the Rising Star Corps based at Yol in Himachal Pradesh has successfully manufactured a sanitiser which is alcohol and aloe vera based, thus contributing towards preventive measures for the troops.

The project has been executed by Major Rohit Rathee and wife Srishti Singh. Major Rathee is serving with a Field Workshop Company and his wife is a full-time research scholar pursuing her PhD in gel-based bio sensors solution at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, in Tamil Nadu.

The formulation of sanitiser is based on WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care. So far, 809 litres of sanitiser has been prepared. The cost of the product is Rs 320 per litre, which is less than 50 per cent of the market price.

The production capability at present is 100 litres a day, which can be scaled up depending on the availability and quality of various chemicals in the local market. This initiative is solely for the welfare of troops of the Army and is based on no profit no loss model.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 18

At least three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men were killed in a militant attack in north Kashmir’s Sopore sub-district on Saturday evening, officials said.

They said militants attacked a patrol party of CRPF and police at Sopore bypass, some 50 km from Srinagar in which several jawans were injured, who were immediately shifted to hospital.

“A CRPF vehicle came under militant attack, injuring many. Three injured CRPF men later succumbed to their injuries,” a senior CRPF officer said.

Soon after the attack, joint forces cordoned the area to trace the attackers.

The slain CRPF men have been identified as 42-year-old head constable Rajeev Sharma, a resident of Vaishali, Bihar; constable C.B. Bhakare (38) of Buldhana, Maharashtra and constable Parmar Stayapal Singh (28) of Sabarkantha, Gujarat.

Two CRPF men were also injured the attack.

The attack comes a day after militants fired at a Naka party of CRPF at Newa Pulwama in south Kashmir, in which a CRPF jawas was injured.

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, April 17

Army chief General MM Naravane on Friday impressed upon the commanders to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across.

On the second day of his two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley, General Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited the forward areas and reviewed the security situation along the LoC, which has seen an escalation of tension recently after a deadly gunfight in Keran sector of Kupwara.

The COAS accompanied by Northern Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi and Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen BS Raju visited the formations and units, wherein the local commanders briefed the COAS on the existing security situation and the measures instituted so that infiltration bids by terrorists are foiled.

“The Chief of Army Staff was briefed by the local commanders on the situation on the Line of Control, ceasefire violations, our retaliations, counter-infiltration operations and operational preparedness being maintained,” the Srinagar-based defence spokesman said.

During his interaction with the soldiers on snow-clad heights, he was appreciative of the sharp vigil and alertness along the Line of Control and high morale of the troops.

The COAS also impressed upon the commanders to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across and exhorted the soldiers to remain alert for any eventuality.

There has been an escalation of tension along the LoC after a recent fierce encounter in Keran Kupwara, in which five elite Para commandos and as many militants were killed.

Days later the Indian Army targeted militant launch pads and gun positions in Keran sector following a ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

Three civilians, including a seven-year-old child, were killed in cross-border shelling in Kupwra some days ago.

Chandigarh, April 18

Gurdev Kaur Dhaliwal, 98, wakes up early every day, offers prayers and then spends hours on her sewing machine, which is almost as old as her, stitching face masks for the poor who can’t afford them.

The resident of Moga district in Punjab has blurry vision in one eye, but that does not let her energy and vigour down, said her daughter-in-law Amarjit Kaur.

The nonagenarian, who takes help of a walker, wakes up early, offers prayers and then starts making masks on the machine which her in-laws got for her from Singapore over 100 years ago.   “Several vegetable sellers in our area were not wearing masks. We told them to wear it to protect themselves from coronavirus but they said they could not afford it. Then we decided to stitch masks and give it to them free of cost,” Amarjit told PTI over phone.

Now, many people have started coming to her house to get free face covers, she said.

Dhaliwal’s neighbours are coming forward to help her and many of them also giving clothes for making masks, Amarjit said.

The Punjab government has made wearing masks mandatory as at least 202 people have been infected with coronavirus in the state. PTI

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 18

Hitting out at Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for trying to “mislead” the people, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday categorically rejected her claims of Central relief being provided to the state for fighting Covid.

“Your information is absolutely incorrect,” said Capt Amarinder in response to Harsimrat’s series of tweets in which she claimed that “Punjab received funds and grains to deal with the Covid crisis”.

“The state has received absolutely no money from the Central government in its fight against Covid,” said the Chief Minister, terming Harsimrat’s remarks as another manifestation of “her compulsive habit of lying and being ill-informed” about even the basic facts relating to her own state.

Asking her to cross-check her facts, the Chief Minister said instead of using her office as a Central minister to help out her own state, Harsimrat was shamelessly indulging in petty politics.

“What are you doing sitting there if you can’t fight for Punjab and its people,” the Chief Minister asked Harsimrat, lashing out at her for trying to undermine the state government’s efforts instead of supporting it.

Nailing Harsimrat’s lies, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Rs2,366 crore referred to by her on the GST count was Punjab’s money, in lieu of the GST owed to the state against arrears. And even there, Rs4,400 crore of the state’s money was still pending with the government, he added.

“You couldn’t even get our own pending arrears released, leave alone get us the much-needed relief package to fight the Covid battle,” he quipped.