In defence of optimisation December 30, 2013 at 10:11PM

SOURCE: THE HINDU The year 2013 was an eventful one for the Indian defence sector in terms of witnessing substantial policy amendments with the use of the new defence procurement procedure (DPP) which aims to balance the competing requirements of expediting capital procurement, developing a robust indigenous defence sector, and promoting transparency and accountability. The […]



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IAF has made significant gains in capability, Air chief says http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/57276-iaf-has-made-significant-gains-capability-air-chief-says.html

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has made significant gains in its capability enhancement plans, its chief NAK Browne said on Monday.



Air Chief Marshal Browne said streamlined induction and speedy operation of new assets had afforded the force "unprecedented response capabilities".



Browne, who is retiring from service Tuesday, said IAF's prompt and cohesive response after the Uttarakhand floods helped save many lives and the achievement must serve as a matter of pride and inspiration for all its personnel.



The IAF chief said he was relinquishing command of IAF with an "immense sense of pride and satisfaction".



"More than 41 years of memorable association with the finest set of professional air warriors in the world has indeed been a matter of singular honour for me and a unique experience which I shall forever cherish," Browne said.



He said the IAF had collectively overcome many multi-dimensional transformational challenges over the past 29 months.



"Our organisational resilience, strong team work and pride in the service were the prime determinants of our remarkable progress. Operationally, we have made significant gains in our capability enhancement plans.



"The streamlined induction and speedy operationalisation of our new assets like Mi-17 v5, C-130J, Pilatus PC-7 and C-17 aircraft have afforded us unprecedented response capabilities," he said.



Browne said the IAF had demonstrated its newly acquired capabilities during two major exercises — Iron Fist and Live Wire.



He said competent handling of major maintenance and training challenges and progress made in areas like infrastructure have already started yielding positive dividends.



"Our progress so far has been hard earned, hence it mandates us to relentlessly maintain the tempo and continue raising the bar even further," he said.



"The enormous trust and respect which our countrymen have for the men and women in blue places additional responsibilities on us. I am proud of your collective achievements and am confident that as important stakeholders in IAF's growth story, you will continue to resolutely steer the course," he said.



Browne said professional and personal growth of IAF personnel had always remained at the very heart of all his plans.



"The sense of ownership and pride which was so evident during all my interactions with you gives me a keen sense of reassurance in our future ahead. Continue the good work with pride, integrity and a sense of belonging and stay grounded in our core values," Browne said.

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IAF has made significant gains in capability, Air chief says - The Times of India

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why not su-47 berkut?? http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/57269-why-not-su-47-berkut.html

Now guys russia made 4 prototypes of su-47 ,13-14 years ago but unfortunately it did not become a reality.I believe it should have been a reality.It had a smaller weapons bay compared to pakfa with a plan of 3-4 air to air missiles i think.



But the plan could have been modified for more missiles to fit instead of going for pakfa which i don't think is stealthy enough.



here have a look and tell me what do u ppl think??

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Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 6

	Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 6 Mon - Thur 9.30 pm IST kij.amritatv.com kij.amritatv.com/ml Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman.	From: amritatv Views: 15 0 ratings
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US AirSea Battle concept may be useless against PLA: Russian analyst December 30, 2013 at 03:39PM

SOURCE: WANT CHINA TIMES The United States will not be able to constrain China with its current “AirSea Battle” concept, according to Vassily Kashin, a senior research fellow at the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, in a recent article written for the website of the Voice of Russia. In the article, Kashin […]



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Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 5

	Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 5 Mon - Thur 9.30 pm IST kij.amritatv.com kij.amritatv.com/ml Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman.	From: amritatv Views: 0 0 ratings
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Visions of War: Inside Combat Rescue / Part 1

	Visions of War: Inside Combat Rescue / Part 1 The elite Combat Rescue members of the U.S. Air Force, Pararescuemen, or PJs, have one mission: rescue American or Allied forces in extreme danger. Whether their targets are shot down or isolated...	From: ScienceDocumentaryHD Views: 0 0 ratings
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Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 4

	Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman Clip 4 Mon - Thur 9.30 pm IST kij.amritatv.com kij.amritatv.com/ml Kathayallithu Jeevitham - Sunitha Soman.	From: amritatv Views: 6 0 ratings
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Visions of War: Inside Combat Rescue / Part 1

	Visions of War: Inside Combat Rescue / Part 1 The elite Combat Rescue members of the U.S. Air Force, Pararescuemen, or PJs, have one mission: rescue American or Allied forces in extreme danger. Whether their targets are shot down or isolated...	From: DailyDocumentary Views: 0 0 ratings
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Tonight @ 9.30PM on Kathayallithu Jeevitham

	Tonight @ 9.30PM on Kathayallithu Jeevitham Mon - Thur 9.30 pm IST kij.amritatv.com kij.amritatv.com/ml.	From: amritatv Views: 4 0 ratings
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Govt clears proposal for buying 15 Heron UAV from Israel http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/57260-govt-clears-proposal-buying-15-heron-uav-israel.html

Govt clears proposal for buying 15 UAVs from Israel

Boosting surveillance capabilities of the army along the borders with China and Pakistan, the government has cleared the procurement of around 15 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Israel at a cost of around Rs 1,200 crore.



A proposal to procure these Heron UAVs was approved by the Cabinet committee on security headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at its recent meeting, sources told PTI here.



The around Rs 1,200-proposal for procuring the UAVs will bolster the Israeli-origin Heron and Searcher fleet of the force which deploys them on both the eastern and western sectors, they said.



The force has a fleet of more than 40 such vehicles, which are expected to undergo upgrades in the near future.



The IAF flies the Israeli-made Searcher II and Heron UAVs for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and about 100 Searchers are in operation on Indian borders in western, northern and eastern regions.



After the upgrades, the air force would be capable of operating these aircraft from far-off distances and control them through satellite communication system.



The Army also operates a sizable number of UAVs and has deployed them in borders along the western and eastern fronts.



The Army was the first to induct UAVs in the 90s starting with Searcher Mark I and Searcher Mark II which could operate at an altitude of 15,000 feet and finally the Heron, which can operate at 30,000 feet.



Army's Northern Command had recently issued a global tender for procuring latest miniature unmanned aerial vehicles for gathering intelligence and carrying out reconnaissance of areas along line of control (LoC) with Pakistan and China-India border.



The Navy has also three operational squadrons of the Israeli UAVs deployed along both the eastern and the western seaboards.



Govt clears proposal for buying 15 UAVs from Israel - The Times of India

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Chief of army staff breaks trend, appoints No. 2 http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/57255-chief-army-staff-breaks-trend-appoints-no-2-a.html

The Indian Army will ring in the New Year with changes in its top hierarchy, with senior generals taking up key assignments on December 31 and setting the stage for a change of guard next year.



General Bikram Singh has reversed the recent trend of army chiefs shying away from appointing their likely successors as vice-chiefs ostensibly due to the force’s "internal politics," with lieutenant general Dalbir Singh set to take over as the chief’s number two general at Army headquarters on Tuesday.



General Dalbir Singh, who is tipped to replace the current chief on July 31, is currently heading the crucial Kolkata-based Eastern Command, responsible for guarding India’s border with China in the eastern sector.



His appointment as vice-chief could be the harbinger of a smooth transition at the top, a senior government official said.







The tense relationship between General Bikram Singh and his predecessor General VK Singh played out in public, much to the embarrassment of the force and the government.



A now disbanded spy unit, controlled directly by VK Singh, was accused of diverting money to compromise Bikram Singh’s chances of taking over as army chief.



VK Singh had bypassed Bikram Singh for the post of vice-chief, despite the latter being the front-runner to become the army chief. VK Singh too had been overlooked for the vice-chief’s post by his predecessor, General Deepak Kapoor.



The chiefs of crucial directorates such as military operations and military intelligence report to the vice-chief.



In some other top appointments, lieutenant general MMS Rai will replace Dalbir Singh at the Eastern Command on December 31, the same day lieutenant general Arun Kumar Sahni takes over as the chief of the Jaipur-based South Western Command.



Chief of army staff breaks trend, appoints No. 2 - Hindustan Times

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Weapons haul unearthed near LoC: Indian Army December 30, 2013 at 08:18AM

SOURCE: IANS The Indian Army Sunday said it had recovered a major haul of arms and ammunition from near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. “Based on a tip-off from reliable intelligence sources, a search operation was launched by the vigilant troops deployed along the LoC in the Farkian Gali […]



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China develops new ICBMs, adds to nuclear stockpile December 30, 2013 at 08:16AM

SOURCE: THE JAPAN NEWS China’s military is advancing the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile and increasing its stockpile of nuclear warheads, an ambitious step to block U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region by boosting not only its naval and air forces, but also its nuclear missile capabilities. The Chinese military conducted a second […]



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14 years on, IAF jet trainer still not ready http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/57253-14-years-iaf-jet-trainer-still-not-ready.html

NEW DELHI: Proper training of rookie IAF pilots remains under a cloud with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) still struggling to deliver its intermediate jet trainer (IJT), in the making for the last 14 years but yet to become fully-operational.



While HAL has now promised the initial operational clearance (IOC) for its Sitara IJT by June 2014, IAF remains skeptical given the trainer has missed deadlines at least five times since 2007.



Pilots are trained in three stages, first on a basic trainer aircraft (BTA), then on a IJT and finally on an advanced jet trainer (AJT) to learn the complex and inherently-dangerous art of combat flying.



IAF has for long been saddled with unsafe, obsolete training aircraft like HPT-32 and Kirans, with new pilots often being unable to handle highly-demanding fighters like MiG-21s. Almost 40% of the 1,050 crashes recorded by IAF since 1970, for instance, have been attributed to "human error (aircrew)".



IAF may be now breathing easy on the basic and advanced training fronts, with the ongoing induction of Swiss Pilatus PC-7 BTA and British Hawk AJTs, but the intermediate one remains a major problem.



For one, Sitara cannot as yet "stall and spin", which is a critical manoeuvre to train young cadets on how to handle emergencies, hold their nerve and retrieve their planes from a spin. HAL is now closer to resolving this with help of experts from BAE Systems, said sources.



But another major issue is the IJT's Russian AL-55I engine, which initially had a "time between overhauls (TBO)" of only 100 hours. After demanding more money, over the initial $350 million contract, Russia is now extending the TBO to 300 hours.



But IAF wants the TBO be about 1,200 hours. "A trainer aircraft flies six to eight sorties daily, clocking around 10 hours. If the TBO is just 100 hours, the engine will have to be replaced every 10 days. This will require more engines and overhauls, apart from the planes sitting on ground for longer periods," said a source.



Given all this, IAF has been forced to extend the operational life of its aging Kirans by another four years. It has refused to give more money to HAL for the IJT, over the Rs 4,500 crore already shelled out, till Sitara reaches "some verifiable milestone".



In all, with 240 new trainee pilots every year, IAF requires 181 BTA, 85 IJTs and 106 AJTs. India has already inducted a bulk of the 123 Hawk AJTs ordered for its air force and naval pilots in an overall project worth around Rs 16,000 crore.



The BTA issue, in turn, has been somewhat resolved with the Rs 2,896 crore deal for 75 Swiss Pilatus inked in May 2012. But IAF and HAL are still locked in a tussle over the additional requirement of 106 BTA, with the former asking the PSU to make the Swiss trainer under licensed production. But HAL is pushing its own under-development HTT-40 as the BTA. IAF contends it wants the IJT, and not two types of BTA.



14 years on, IAF jet trainer still not ready - The Times of India

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FIR against six Army officers for harassing junior http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/57252-fir-against-six-army-officers-harassing-junior.html

NASIRABAD (AJMER): Acting on a court order, Rajasthan police have registered an FIR against six Army officers for harassing a junior officer and trying to prove him to be mentally ill after he raised his voice against the misappropriation of funds.



A court in Nasirabad, a cantonment town, ordered the FIR against two brigadiers, two colonels and two majors on December 18 on the complaint made by Lieutenant Colonel Arun Kumar of 374 Composite RT Brigade of Nasirabad cantonment.



Police registered the FIR on December 19, but the issue has come to light only now. The Army has also initiated an inquiry into the allegations.



The FIR has been filed against station commander Brigadier A K Ganguly, his deputy Colonel Lalit Agnihotri and against another officer, Colonel Rohit Jha. It also names medical officers Brigadier Sanjeev Vaspyan, Major S V Rekha, Major Gurmendra Singh and the administration registrar of the Nasirabad Army hospital.



In his complaint, Lt Col Kumar said when he discovered the misappropriation of funds and the misuse of the budget in the Army, he raised a voice against it. But senior officers disliked his attitude and conspired to declare him mental ill. "Brigadier Ganguly, Col Agnihotri and Col Jha conspired against me and on May 17 they issued a notice in Form 10 which states that I am mentally ill," said the complainant. Lt Col Kumar said he was harassed in Nasirabad hospital and all three officers threatened he would not able to continue his service in the Army.



The complainant was then referred to the Army hospital in Jodhpur for further check-up. "Even there, senior Army officers harassed me and I wrote to the commissioner of police (Jodhpur) to save me from the harassment on May 21," he said in the complaint.



After Lt Col Kumar pleaded his case before the chief of Army staff, he was sent to the Ahmedabad Army hospital, where he was found fit and sent back to resume duty in Nasirabad.



The court directed police to register a case on the charges that the senior officers manipulated the law, framed documents that are known to be incorrect, fabricated false evidences and criminally conspired against Lt Col Kumar.



"We registered the FIR on December 19 and are investigating the matter," said Ashok Meena, SHO of Nasirabad city police station. "We also called the complainant to verify the documents."



Defence spokesperson Col S D Goswami said: "The Army is taking up the issue and already a court of inquiry has been initiated." He said senior officers are looking into the case to restore discipline in the Army.



FIR against six Army officers for harassing junior - The Times of India

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HAL to build 8, then 12, Tejas fighters each year

By Ajai Shukla HAL, Bangalore Business Standard, 30th Dec 13 On December 20, the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) was cleared to enter operational service with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Now Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) faces the daunting transition from handcrafting Tejas prototypes into factory-assembling the 200-fighter Tejas fleet that Defence Minister AK Antony has



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Xi Jinping preparing the PLA for war: Xinhua commentary December 29, 2013 at 10:54PM

SOURCE: WANT CHINA TIMES The large-scale military exercise — dubbed “Mission Action 2013″ — involving 40,000 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in October was personally approved by Chinese president Xi Jinping to prepare his troops in the event of war, according to a strongly-worded commentary published Saturday on the website of China’s official […]



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Obl raid helicopter http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/57236-obl-raid-helicopter.html

160th SOAR Operated the 'Stealth Hawk' Helicopters utilized in the Osama raid as they are the most experienced when it comes to flying at the altitudes, and under the night raid conditions, required for the raid - of any helicopter flying military service or agency. The fact that you didn't see them on Campbell doesn't really mean much. A very small number (less than 10) according to reports have been modified to this specification.

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One BSF jawan dies, another untraceable after falling in gorge http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/57234-one-bsf-jawan-dies-another-untraceable-after-falling-gorge.html

Last Updated: Sunday, December 29, 2013, 14:06

One BSF jawan dies, another untraceable after falling in gorge



Jawans do made sacrifices so that people like us sleep in peace and such jawans should be always remembered .



RIP and salutes to you .

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