An Army personnel was injured in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district after being hit by suspected sniper fire from across the Line of Control (LoC) early Wednesday. The soldier was manning a forward post in the Kalsiyan area when…

An Army personnel was injured in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district after being hit by suspected sniper fire from across the Line of Control (LoC) early Wednesday. The soldier was manning a forward post in the Kalsiyan area when he was struck by a bullet from across the border.

Although there has been no official confirmation from the Army, sources indicated that the sniper fire targeted the soldier at a forward post in the Nowshera sector. He was immediately evacuated to the Army hospital in Udhampur, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

It remains unclear whether the shot was fired by the Pakistan Army or terrorists, as the incident occurred suddenly. Due to the area’s dense vegetation, maintaining a clear line of sight on all activities is challenging. Additionally, snipers across the LoC use long-range rifles, allowing them to fire without approaching the border fence.

Following the incident, a search operation was launched, as security forces suspected that terrorists might attempt to infiltrate the area after diverting the troops’ attention.

Former J&K Governor NN Vohra is repeatedly warning the establishment to reform and build deterrence.

Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

N N Vohra, a passionate advocate of defence and national security, has held important positions such as Defence Secretary and Principal Secretary to the PM. India’s National Security Challenges is the Vohra-edited seminal collection of essays which he has discussed at the India International Centre with both Chiefs of Defence Staff, the late Gen Bipin Rawat and Gen Anil Chauhan, and held several public debates.

In the latest discussion on February 28, he emphasised two issues: the absence of a national security policy; and lack of transparency in the national security discourse. He listed the litany of woes: single service approach, inadequate higher defence management, lack of cross-domain connects and failure to integrate internal security with external security challenges. He has advocated a separate ministry for internal security. Along with former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, he recalled that three national security policy drafts were prepared, one endorsed by NSA Shiv Shankar Menon, but none saw the light of day due to fear of accountability by the political leadership. A fourth draft is likely lying with NSA Ajit Doval, collecting dust.

During his one-on-one with General Chauhan last year, Vohra got him to admit that a national security doctrine was indeed required and “something was being written.” However, earlier, on May 29, 2024, during the release of Lt Col Gautam Das’(retd) book Indian Art of War for Future Challenges, when asked about the national security policy, General Chauhan had replied: “A written policy is not needed….We have fought wars for the last 70 years and have managed well….” Elsewhere, later that year, one of General Chauhan’s acolytes, a cerebral General, concurred with him on not codifying the doctrine, saying: “It is in our head.”

Modern statecraft is managing and safeguarding national interest predicated on written plans and contingencies for execution by different instruments of state. The security strategy should emanate from a holistic strategic defence and security review, that would lead to defence and security planning, resource allocation as a percentage of GDP, higher defence organisation and capability creation with inherent flexibility in an era of uncertainties and massive disruptions. Deterrence, diplomacy and development have to adapt to changes.

US President Trump has set the cat among the pigeons over his plan to end the Ukraine conflict. Suddenly, Europe and NATO, likely to be decoupled from the US, are scrambling to enhance defence budgets not just to 2 per cent, but 5 per cent. Russia is the enemy, but apparently not for the US. In 1991, after the dissolution of the USSR, CDS Field Marshal Lord Bramall told me that the UK no longer had an enemy. “We’re looking for one,” he said. They have found one.

Lack of long-term defence planning has led to frightening operational situations. Among many, the one staring India in the face for two decades has now exploded: IAF fighter squadrons depleting to less than 31 squadrons, when 42 squadrons are authorised. In an unprecedented admonition of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently said that HAL had failed to provide LCA at the promised rate of supply, adding: “I am not confident of HAL. It is not in mission mode.” While the IAF requires 35-40 jets every year, HAL has promised 24 LCA MK1A in 2025. The rest, Singh says, can be provided by the private sector. With the AON for 114 MRCA out of sight and no mention of GE414 engine in the Trump-Modi joint statement last month, the IAF will face a daunting situation that, one former IAF C-in-C told me last week, would render the IAF unable to support a two-front situation. He recalled that during his time (1986-2002), the IAF held 39 and a half squadrons, with defence spending being 3-4 per cent of the GDP.

Christopher Clary, international affairs and security expert, currently with the University of Albany, has reported that between 2014 and 2024, while China and Pakistan added 435 and 31 jets, respectively, India’s inventory depleted by 151 jets (International Institute for Strategic Studies figures).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes this is not an era of war and describes India as a land of Buddha, not yuddha. That is why his reliance on Agniveer. Deterrence and capacity-building cannot be developed on the assumption that there would be no war and with just 1.9 per cent of GDP for defence.

Vohra’s focus on opacity is illustrated by the wide disparity between the Chinese and Indian readouts after the October 2024 disengagement agreement in east Ladakh. The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India–China Border Affairs (WMCC) statement of December 5, 2024, saying that all issues that emerged from 2020 had been resolved contradicted Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament on December 3: “We will be discussing de-escalation (de-induction) as well as effective management of our activities in the border areas.” There is no transparency on patrolling rights, grazing and future of buffer zones. Both former Army Chiefs — General Naravane and General Pande — and COAS General Dwivedi have called for the restoration of status quo ante (May 2020), a pipedream.In January this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared 2025 as the year of reforms, though the political elite has failed to appreciate the strength of military power.

Marc Faber, military historian, has said: “India continues to be ambivalent about power; has failed to coin a strategic roadmap (national security policy) commensurate with its growing economic wealth and use military instruments in support of national interests.”

India’s complacency stems from the illusion that it is in a sweet spot. It is lack of political will that fails the government in documenting a security policy and implementing reforms that ensure there is no deterrence failure, as in Kargil, attacks on Parliament, Mumbai and Galwan. Vohra is repeatedly warning the establishment to reform and build deterrence.

The clashes mark a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took authority after removing Assad from power

The death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, including nearly 750 civilians, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that in addition to 745 civilians, 125 members of the government security forces and 148 militants with armed groups affiliated with deposed President Bashar Assad were killed.

The observatory also said that electricity and drinking water were cut off in large areas around the coastal city of Latakia and many bakeries shut down.

The clashes, which erupted on Thursday, marked a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after insurgents took authority after removing Assad from power.

The government has said that they were responding to attacks from remnants of Assad’s forces and blamed “individual actions” for the rampant violence.

The revenge killings that started on Friday by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government against members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect are a major blow to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction that led the overthrow of the former government. Alawites made up a large part of Assad’s support base for decades.

Residents of Alawite villages and towns spoke to The Associated Press about killings during which gunmen shot Alawites, the majority of them men, in the streets or at the gates of their homes. Many homes of Alawites were looted and then set on fire in different areas, two residents of Syria’s coastal region told the AP from their hideouts.

They asked that their names not be made public out of fear of being killed by gunmen, adding that thousands of people have fled to nearby mountains for safety.

Residents of Baniyas, one of the towns worst hit by the violence, said bodies were strewn on the streets or left unburied in homes and on the roofs of buildings, and nobody was able to collect them. One resident said that the gunmen prevented residents for hours from removing the bodies of five of their neighbors killed Friday at close range.

Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of Baniyas who fled with his family and neighbors hours after the violence broke out Friday, said that at least 20 of his neighbors and colleagues in one neighborhood of Baniyas where Alawites lived, were killed, some of them in their shops, or in their homes.

Sheha called the attacks “revenge killings” of the Alawite minority for the crimes committed by Assad’s government. Other residents said the gunmen included foreign fighters, and militants from neighboring villages and towns.

“It was very very bad. Bodies were on the streets,” as he was fleeing, Sheha said, speaking by phone from nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the city. He said the gunmen were gathering less than 100 meters from his apartment building, firing randomly at homes and residents and in at least one incident he knows of, asked residents for their IDs to check their religion and their sect before killing them. He said the gunmen also burned some homes and stole cars and robbed homes.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said that 428 Alawites have been killed in revenge attacks in addition to 120 pro-Assad fighters and 89 from security forces. The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said that revenge killings stopped early Saturday.

“This was one of the biggest massacres during the Syrian conflict,” Abdurrahman said about the killings of Alawite civilians.

The previous figure given by the group was more than 200 dead. No official figures have been released.

A funeral was held Saturday afternoon for four Syrian security force members in the northwestern village of Al-Janoudiya after they were killed in the clashes along Syria’s coast. Scores of people attended the funeral.

Syria’s state news agency quoted an unnamed Defense Ministry official as saying that government forces have regained control of much of the areas from Assad loyalists. It added that authorities have closed all roads leading to the coastal region “to prevent violations and gradually restore stability.”

On Saturday morning, the bodies of 31 people killed in revenge attacks the day before in the central village of Tuwaym were laid to rest in a mass grave, residents said. Those killed included nine children and four women, the residents said.

The most recent clashes started when government forces tried to detain a wanted person near the coastal city of Jableh, and were ambushed by Assad loyalists, according to the Observatory.

Violence after roads blocked over Centre’s bid to restore free movement in state

One person was killed and 40 others, including women, injured in clashes between protesters and security personnel as tensions escalated across Manipur on Saturday, the first day of the opening of roads and highways as directed by the Centre.

Home Minister Amit Shah had at a security review meeting on March 1 issued instructions to ensure free movement for people on all roads in the state from March 8 and deal sternly with those trying to create obstructions.

The protesters, mainly led by Kuki groups that have been opposing the Centre’s move and seeking a separate union territory status in tribal-majority areas, started blocking roads and highways in tribal-dominated Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on Saturday morning, leading to violent skirmishes with security personnel, who fired multiple rounds of teargas shells to disperse them.

Several state transport buses were blocked across Manipur by protesters, who were seen in videos raising “Meitei go back!” slogans and singing the national anthem to deter security personnel. The police and security personnel resorted to lathicharge on protesters, who included women.

Kuki-Zo Council calls for shutdown

The Kuki-Zo Council, the apex body of tribal communities in Manipur, announced an indefinite shutdown in all tribal-dominated areas from midnight of March 8. Kuki groups are seeking a separate UT status in all tribal dominated areas, but the Centre has made it clear that any such demand is non-negotiable.

One person was reportedly killed due to a bullet injury at Keithenmanbi village in Senapati district after security personnel resorted to firing during a skirmish with protesters there.

Tensions also escalated in Kangpokpi district as security forces fired multiple rounds of teargas shells to disperse protesters blocking the highway.

The demonstration, led by anti-free movement groups, disrupted traffic along the crucial National Highway-2 route.

The unrest was triggered after a mob pelted a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus with stones in Kangpokpi district’s Gamgiphai. The incident occurred shortly after inter-district bus services resumed from Imphal to the hill districts, marking the first such attempt since the ethnic violence erupted two years ago.

In December 2024, a similar effort by the state government to restart public transport services had failed when no passengers showed up at the MST station in Imphal’s Moirangkhom.

Meitei peace march stopped

A peace march by a Meitei body was stopped in Imphal West district on Saturday as it coincided with the Centre’s initiative to restore free movement of people, police said. Security forces stopped the procession by the Federation of Civil Society Organisations at Sekmai and asked the organisers to join the initiative.

With heavy security deployment, including an Assam Rifles convoy escorting MST buses, authorities were on high alert to prevent further disruptions.

The 73-year-old complained of uneasiness and chest pain

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has been admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi in the wee hours on Sunday after he complained of uneasiness and chest pain, said sources.

The 73-year-old was taken to the hospital around 2 am.

Dhankhar is admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) under Dr Rajiv Narang, Head of Department of Cardiology at AIIMS.

He is stable and under observation, a source said, adding that a group of doctors is monitoring his condition.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda visited AIIMS to enquire about Dhankhar’s condition.

The remains of the ill-fated aircraft fall in a hilly area near Raipur Rani in Panchkula district

A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed due to a technical defect during a routine training sortie on Friday. The pilot, a Flight Lieutenant, ejected safely and was later evacuated by the IAF.

The remains of the ill-fated aircraft fell in a hilly forest area near Raipur Rani in Panchkula district, close to the Haryana-Himachal Pradesh border. The aircraft had taken off from the Ambala airbase.

Local villagers gathered around the spot and assisted the pilot in freeing himself from his parachute harness.

“A Jaguar aircraft of the IAF crashed at Ambala during a routine training sortie today, after encountering a system malfunction. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft away from any habitation on ground before ejecting safely. An inquiry has been ordered by the IAF to ascertain the cause of the accident,” an official statement by the IAF said.

The Ambala airbase in Haryana houses squadrons of Jaguar and the newly inducted Rafale aircraft, besides other ancillary units. It is the IAF’s oldest airbase.

There have been incidents involving the Jaguar in the past, with IAF sources saying that the fleet has suffered over 50 major and minor incidents in its 45-year service with the IAF, some of which have been fatal.

At present, the IAF operates around 120 twin-engine Jaguars, equipping six squadrons—Nos 5, 6, 14, 16, 27 and 224, based at Ambala, Jamnagar and Gorakhpur, forming a crucial element of its strike capability and tactical reconnaissance. Some Jaguars have also been modified for the maritime role with anti-ship missiles.

In 1979, 40 aircraft were imported from the UK, followed by licence manufacture of 150 aircraft by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, with aircraft rolling off the assembly lines as late as 2007. India is the sole remaining Jaguar operator, with other users—France, UK, Oman, Nigeria and Ecuador—having retired them.

The Jaguars were initially armed with the Matra R-550 Magic short-range air-to-air missile, employed in an unconventional position on over-the-wing pylons as a means of self-defence during strike missions.

A few years ago, the IAF began re-equipping the Jaguar with the DARIN-III advanced navigation and attack avionics suite, and earlier this year, initiated another project to re-equip the fleet with new generation close combat air-to-air missiles, transport platforms as well as cruise missiles and UAVs.

Recently, India procured 31 decommissioned Jaguar airframes from France and two each from the UK and Oman, along with several thousand aero-spares, to replace some aircraft lost due to attrition and ensure serviceability of the existing fleet.

The Soviet-origin T-72 is the mainstay of the Indian tank fleet

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

The Ministry of Defence on Friday signed a contract worth USD 248 million with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for the procurement of 1000 HP engines for the Indian Army’s T-72 tanks, boosting their battlefield mobility and offensive capability.

The T-72s, procured from the erstwhile Soviet Union from the late 1970s onwards, are powered by a 780 HP engine. The new engines will be procured in fully formed, completely knocked-down and semi-knocked-down conditions.The deal also includes transfer of technology (ToT) from the Russian firm to Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (Heavy Vehicle Factory), Avadi, near Chennai, for integration and subsequent licensed production of the engines.

The Soviet-origin T-72 is the mainstay of the Indian tank fleet and about 2,300 of these armoured vehicles are reported to be in service. Besides employment in the plains and deserts, the traditional operating terrain for armoured platforms, T-72s were also deployed to Jaffna in Sri Lanka with the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) as well as in high-altitude areas like Ladakh to counter the Chinese threat along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Over the years, the T-72s have also been upgraded to meet contemporary operational requirements. Retrofitting thermal sights, upgrading the fire control system and addition of fire detection and suppression systems are part of the process.

The T-72s have been supplemented by the more advanced T-90, of which about 1,200 have been inducted. A bit heavier than the T-72s, these were airlifted to Ladakh, along with other armoured vehicles, during the 2020 stand-off with China to beef up Indian combat capability. the newly developed Zorawar light tanks, is another development to enhance operational capabilities in high altitude.

The Army has also reportedly initiated a project, estimated to cost Rs 57,000 crore, to indigenously design and manufacture 1,770 Future-Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs) to eventually replace the T-72 tanks starting from 2030 onwards.

The FRCVs will have niche technologies such as artificial intelligence, drone integration, active protection system and a high degree of situational awareness in a network-centric operational environment.

According to military analysts, the introduction of new combat platforms like drones and smart munitions along with the changing nature of warfare and emergence of novel operational tactics notwithstanding, the relevance of tanks and heavy armoured vehicles that have now been around for about a century, continues.

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India and Australia have further strengthened their defence and security ties through a high-level meeting in Canberra. General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, met with Admiral David Johnston, Australia’s Chief of Defence Force, on March 5, 2025.

The meeting marked the first-ever visit by an Indian Chief of Defence Staff to Australia and underscored the deepening military and strategic partnership between the two nations. The discussions centred on advancing practical initiatives to enhance collective defence capabilities and promote regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

During his four-day visit from March 4 to 7, General Chauhan engaged in comprehensive discussions with senior officials from the Australian Department of Defence and the leadership of the Australian Defence Force.

Key engagements included meetings with Secretary of Defence Greg Moriarty and the Chiefs of the three services. These interactions aimed to strengthen bilateral defence ties and explore avenues for joint operations.

General Chauhan also visited the Force Command Headquarters to gain insights into Australia’s operational command structure and discuss potential joint operations. He interacted with the Australian Fleet Commander and the Joint Operations Commander to enhance maritime cooperation and address regional security challenges.

Additionally, he visited the Australian Defence College to address senior officers on strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific and chaired a round-table discussion at the Lowy Institute, focusing on regional security dynamics.

The visit highlighted the growing engagement between India and Australia under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which aims to foster greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Both nations have been steadily building their defence relationship since 2014, with recent collaborations including maritime exercises, service-to-service dialogues, and strategic dialogues.

Australia considers India a top-tier security partner, and their partnership is crucial for promoting regional stability and security.

Agencies

Said to be Asia’s largest, the Kumaramangalam Artillery Museum in Nashik is a big draw

Nashik, a five-hour drive from Mumbai, has secured a place on the tourist map as the ‘wine capital of India’. On the banks of the Godavari, Maharashtra Tourism’s Eco-Glamping Festival (underway till March 31) is also putting the spotlight on the city. The festival packs in activities such as a

Warli painting workshop by award-winning tribal artists and rural cooking sessions. Another big Nashik attraction is Asia’s largest artillery museum at the Artillery Centre.

Established by the Regiment of the Artillery Association in 2005, it is dedicated to the former Chief of the Army Staff, the late Gen PP Kumaramangalam. Maintained by the Army, it was renovated last year. It is mandatory for civilians to carry a valid ID to enter.

As one steps within the sprawling open museum grounds, several intimidating weapons are on display: medieval brass cannons, battle tanks, aircrafts, sleek radar systems, and more. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Within the museum building lie stories of conquests and courage.

A permanent exhibit, titled ‘Evolution of Artillery’, takes one back to the Mughal era. Here lies a cannon used in 1526 by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat. For his acumen in this battle, Babur is often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian Artillery’. Rabindra Hazari, a lawyer and scholar of military history, offers context. He explains that in the Battle of Panipat, Babur was up against the much larger army of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi. “The Lodi army was estimated to be anywhere between 50,000 and 70,000 troops, along with 1,000 elephants. Babur, on the other hand, had about 15,000 troops, largely horse archers. Interestingly, he had about 30 cannons and a large number of matchlocks, which are a medieval version of the rifle.” Babur planned his moves carefully, combining artillery and cavalry. The Lodi army fell and India saw the rise of the Mughal Empire.

Within the museum also lies a model of the Azdaha Paikar cannon used by Aurangzeb in 1687. The original sits in Golconda Fort, Hyderabad.

On display is a 3-inch rocket projector dating back to World War II. It had a range of 8,000 yards, and nine men were required to operate this beast.

The museum houses other weapons as well. Behind a glass case lie swords in varying sizes. There are weapons of surveillance that pre-date the Internet era: the good old telescopes. Then, there are brass guns of the Sikh artillery from the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Hazari says, “In the Anglo-Sikh wars, British officers admitted that the skill of the Sikh gunners exceeded theirs.”

He reveals that “the British were so intimidated by the Indian gunners that after 1857, most Indian artillery regiments, including the Bombay and Bengal units which had been loyal to the British, were disbanded”. It was only around the 1930s that Indian officers were allowed into artillery regiments.

The museum also specifically features the artillery used by Tipu Sultan, tanks used in the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the 75/24 Mountain Gun which was India’s first indigenous artillery gun, as also the Bofors gun. You can’t miss the many gigantic aircraft and radar systems spread across the grounds.

Walking across the museum, one can find many paintings of battlefields, dioramas that recreate war scenes, down to the harsh topography. The museum also plays a film on the Kargil war.

A large hall is dedicated to those who laid down their lives for the nation. An eternal flame sits in the centre of the room, the walls of which bear the roll of honour consisting of the names of martyrs of the Regiment of the Artillery.

The Kumaramangalam Artillery Museum is not just a repository of artefacts, it is a living testament to the courage and commitment of the defence forces.

Infantry weapons, military equipment and models of fighter planes and ships were on display as Panjab University hosted its two-day annual fest Kavach-Ranneeti Ka Rangmanch. Organised by the department of defence and national security studies, the event took place from…

Infantry weapons, military equipment and models of fighter planes and ships were on display as Panjab University hosted its two-day annual fest Kavach-Ranneeti Ka Rangmanch. Organised by the department of defence and national security studies, the event took place from March 5 to 6 at the Student Centre of the university.

A valedictory session marked the closing ceremony. Maj Gen JS Cheema, ADG, NCC Directorate Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Chandigarh, was the chief guest. He encouraged the department to organise more such events and extended his support for future endeavours. PU Registrar Prof Yajvender Pal Verma delivered the valedictory remarks.

The event saw a footfall of more than 5,000 people over two days. It was attended by students of various colleges and schools, cadets of Chandigarh NCC army, air and naval wings, veterans, serving officers, research scholars, faculty and the general public.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the department’s establishment. A military equipment and weapon display was organised by the Western Command, Chandimandir. Infantry battalion weapons were showcased along with models of planes and ships presented by the 1 Chandigarh Air Squadron and 1 Chandigarh Naval Unit. 

An inter-college NCC drill, cultural dance and tug-of-war competitions were held. PG Government College, Sector 11, won the NCC drill competition, while the Panjab University campus NCC team secured first place in the cultural dance event. PG Government College, Sector 11, was declared the overall best institute. A blood donation camp was organised with assistance from PGI, Chandigarh. Open mic sessions, a military quiz and various fun and sports activities were also part of the event.