Category: Indian armed forces

Forces must communicate better The Statesman 26 Dec 17

In recent times, there have been numerous contentious issues, dominating social media, concerning armed forces personnel, both serving and retired, for which the top hierarchy is blamed for inaction. Some issues being discussed include non-granting of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU), withdrawal of entitled rations, degrading military ranks as compared to civilian counterparts, denying them status of Group A services and non-implementation […]

Respecting the soldier is important – English version from Rakshak news 19 Dec 17

The soldier who places his life and limb at risk to ensure that the nation is safe and secure, has no demands, but respect and status. ‘God and soldiers are only remembered in times of trouble’ as an adage, had always been true for India. However, in recent times, there has been a slow but positive change towards respecting the […]

Cancelling Spike order a mistake The Statesman 28 Nov 17

The defence ministry has cancelled a negotiated USD $500 million deal with Israel for the Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) and has tasked the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to indigenously develop a man-portable version of a similar system. The Spike missile is a third generation, fire and forget, top attack ATGM. This implies, that once locked on, it […]

Rising military power of India The Excelsior 22 Nov 17

India is a growing military power, which is evident with the number of nations seeking to enhance military ties with it. The recent comment by President Trump that the world’s two greatest democracies should have the two strongest militaries and terming Asia-Pacific as Indo-Pacific, indicates the growing proximity and dependence of the US on Indian military power in the region. […]

Congress has no moral right to complain about Rafale The Statesman 21 Nov 17

A war of words has broken out between the Congress and the BJP on the Rafale aircraft deal, even sucking in the air force chief, who felt it essential to clear the air. It has led to press conferences from both sides, with each blaming the other for dragging their feet on defence procurements and kickbacks, including favouring Reliance Defence. […]

Growing Indian military soft power English Version from Amar Ujala 18 Nov 17

The Indian army is known across the globe for its professionalism, determination and conduct. It is respected for being the only apolitical military in a subcontinent, where the military is known to dominate governments. It has retained its responsible place in a democratic environment, despite all efforts of the government to degrade it. While the world respects it, its own […]

FOB job for army: beginning of a new trend ORF 06 Nov 17

Since the announcement of employing the army to construct three Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) in Mumbai, a discussion has been launched on whether the government decision was right or wrong. Opposition politicians including Captain Amarinder Singh and Omar Abdullah amongst others warned the government against employing the army meaninglessly in roles earmarked for others. The army chief in an interview […]

Inimical forces will attempt to jeopardize military modernization Bharat Shakti 31 Oct 17

India has over the decades only modernized its military by importing hardware. It has been the largest importer of military hardware, as its Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) maintained monopoly, preventing the private sector from entering the market and itself being a failure in almost all military technologies, less missiles and space. Thus, with dependency on imports, the military’s […]

More power to fire Force India Oct 17

With the arrival from the US of the first two M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers, the Bofors ghost has finally been laid to rest. The Indian Artillery had been crying hoarse for modernization over the decades, but the ghost kept raising its ugly head, the UPA government continued reacting and Anthony, as the defence minister, was compelled to turn down all proposals. […]

Cluttering the air space Salute India magazine Aug-Sep 17

Employment of air power for close air support missions in operations necessitated planning and coordination in air space management between various agencies. Air defence, artillery guns and rockets, attack and reconnaissance helicopters as also close air support aircraft operated simultaneously in the same limited air space, possibly with different height zones, however a risk of being shot by friendly fire […]