'Is Indian Army more powerful than America's?' asks Imran Khan

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan led a massive gathering of his supporters in Lahore on Sunday as he sought to galvanise his fledgling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party by raking up the issue of the rights of Kashmiris and seeking withdrawal of Indian troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

The rally near the Minar-e-Pakistan monument, which was attended by over 100,000 people, was aimed at projecting Mr Khan as a serious contender in Pakistan's political arena ahead of the 2013 general election.

Over the past few months, Khan's party has sought to enlarge its support base in Punjab, the country's most populous province.

Mr Khan's nearly 50-minute speech largely focussed on the problems and challenges facing Pakistan, including corruption and crippling power outages, but he used the occasion to take up several populist issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

"I want to tell Hindustan that the 700,000 troops you have kept among the Kashmiris no army has been able to solve any country's problems at any time," he said to cheers from his supporters.

"Did the Americans succeed in Afghanistan? Is the Indian Army more powerful than the US Army? When the Americans couldn't succeed, how can you succeed with 700,000 troops that are involved in excesses?" he alleged.

Mr Khan, whose party did not participate in the last general election and fared poorly in previous polls, called on India to give "Kashmiris their rights and call back the troops".

He said his party would "stand with the Kashmiri brothers and speak for their rights at all forums".

He said the rally marked the culmination of a movement begun 15 years ago by the Pakistan Tehrik to tackle the country's problems, including corruption, inflation, rising prices, lack of education, unemployment and an energy crisis.

Courtesy: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/is-indian-army-more-powerful-than-americas-asks-imran-khan-145375

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Vice Adm Chopra takes over as chief of Eastern Naval Command

Vice admiral Anil Chopra, currently director general of the Indian Coast Guard, takes over as chief of the Vishakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command tomorrow. Adm Chopra remained in command of the ICG for a period of 35 months.

He assumed command of the ICG post 26/11 Mumbai-attack which created circumstances ''which necessitated a much larger mandate for the coast guard," defence ministry officials were quoted as saying here.

With various acquisition proposals maturing over the last three years, the ICG is looking forward to operating with 150 ships, 100 aircraft, 42 coastal stations and 15 air units by 2018.

Officials also said at the current pace of recruitment ICG's personnel strength is likely to reach 20,000 by the end of the decade.

Two long-cherished objectives of the Coast Guard namely, the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) and establishment of a Coast Guard Academy have also fructified during Chopra's tenure, they said.

The Eastern Naval Command, one of the two operational commands of the Indian Navy, has jurisdiction over the Bay of Bengal as well as a large part of the Indian Ocean.

This command is also experiencing enhancement of capability and infrastructure needed to meet growing demands of maritime security on the eastern seaboard.

Earlier, Adm Chopra also served as flag officer commanding of the Western Fleet.

Courtesy: http://www.domain-b.com/people/in_the_news/20111031_adm_chopra.html

IAF task force locates MIG 29 wreckage after 8 days

After eight day long operation Indian air force received a partial success when ground team was able to locate debris of the combat plane MIG –29 that wrecked in high mountains beyond Chokang village in Lahaul area. Search teams are clueless about the missing pilot squadron leader D.S Tomar

Indian Air force Task force Commander, group Captain Capt P K Sharma- coordinating the search for the missing MiG-29 aircraft on Thursday confirmed locating crash site at 15000’ above ‘Chokhang’ village in ‘Lahaul’ area’ said Wing Commander Gerard Galway spokesman of Indian Airforce in New Delhi.

During the aerial recce , pilot spotted debris, the ground search team camping at an 15000 feet at “ Chokang” dugged the snow to recover components of aeroplane. Infdian airforce choopers had dropped eight expert mountaineers including three from Army They spent the night on the ledge with just basic survival gear ‘ said the spokesman. The Indian Airforce had brought team sherpa from Darejeelinmg, who have expertise in the carrying rescue and ground search in high himalaya’s that assisted the army mountaineers.

The recovered parts will be brought down at the base camp, where the aeronautical experts would verify them. “ These are being brought down to base camp for proper identification. Indian airfoce had pressed into service remotely Piloted Aircraft and other aircraft which conducted the photo reconnaissance of the area” said the spokesman.

“Though the inputs were correct, however, since the crashed aircraft had disintegrated into small pieces and the debris was spread across the slopes on either side of the ridge it could not be conclusively identified” said. After the crash pradhan of Thirot Panchyat Jagdish Sharma along with villagemen had trekked the high mountains and brought burnt pieces if the plans that was scattered across the snow.

However the intermittent spell of snow in the high mountains had removed the traces of the debris detected during aerial recce.

The IAF search teams were dropped on the ledge 200m above the suspected crash site at an elevation of 15000 feet high in the avalanche prone area.

After the the MIG 29 went missaing on the October 19 search continued to located the pilot and the wreckage of the plane. About 55 personnel in all including expert mountaineers from the IAF, Army and some hired mountaineers are involved in the search of the pilot & debris of the missing aircraft.

A total of 149 sorties have been flown toward toward the search and rescue effort till 25 Oct 2011.AOC-in-C WAC, Air Marshal D C Kumaria, “the search would continue till we reach to the bottom of case and arrive at definite conclusions”.

Courtesy: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/JAndK/IAF-task-force-locates-MIG-29-wreckage-after-8-days/Article1-761881.aspx

Omar Abdullah denies undermining Indian army

The chief of the disputed state of Indian-administered Kashmir has moved to reassure the Indian army over plans to withdraw tough laws that shield security forces fighting insurgents.

Omar Abdullah announced last week that emergency laws imposed in 1990 allowing troops to act with near-impunity are to be partially withdrawn as security improves in the region.

The reviled Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was introduced to give the army and paramilitary forces — who number 500,000 in Indian-administered Kashmir today — sweeping powers to detain people, use deadly force and destroy property.

Army and paramilitary officers are opposed to revoking the act, saying it is an important part of efforts to tackle the 20-year insurgency against New Delhi’s rule over the Muslim-majority region.

“The removal of AFSPA is in no way an effort to undermine the role of the army which essentially is playing a major role in the anti-militancy operations in the state,” Abdullah said in a statement released late Wednesday.

“The process of removal of AFSPA from certain areas of the state is being done in close consultation with the army,” the chief minister said.

Most commercial districts, schools and offices in the Kashmir valley were shut on Thursday in annual protest against the presence of Indian soldiers in the region.

Indian soldiers arrived in Kashmir on October 27, 1947 after the Himalayan region’s Hindu ruler requested help to fend off an invasion by Pakistan-backed tribesmen.

Maharaja Hari Singh initially held out for independence for Kashmir when Britain withdrew from the Indian subcontinent in August 1947.

Since Abdullah’s AFSPA announcement on Friday, there have been a series of grenade attacks aimed at security posts.

Five civilians and policemen have been injured.

Militant violence has dropped sharply in Kashmir since India and Pakistan, which each hold the region in part but claim it in full, started a peace process in 2004.

Courtesy: http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/27/omar-abdullah-denies-undermining-indian-army.html

MiG 29 crashes in Himachal, Indian Air Force begins search

A MiG 29 crashed in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul Valley, police said on Wednesday. Two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters began a search operation to locate the wreckage of the aircraft in the treacherous mountain terrain.

There is no official confirmation about the number of people on board the aircraft that crashed during a night flying exercise in Lahaul and Spiti district Tuesday.

"Two small choppers have arrived from the IAF base in Udhampur (in Jammu and Kashmir) and started recce. Still no aircraft fuselage has been reported," Deputy Superintendent of Police Khajana Ram told reporters.

He said a team of rescue workers, comprising police personnel, had also been rushed to the hilltop spot to start the search operation. The accident spot is quite treacherous and inaccessible.

Superintendent of Police Bimal Gupta said a communication was received from the IAF at around 8.30 p.m. Tuesday that a MiG 29 has crashed.

"A team of rescue workers has reached Chokhang village from where they have started trudging up the mountain to reach the accident spot. By evening the team is likely to reach the spot," he said.

The hilltop is totally devoid of forest and there are chances that the wreckage could be located easily, Gupta said.

Chokhang village on the Keylong-Udaipur highway is about 40 km from the district headquarters of Keylong and 450 km from here.

"We have no information about the number of people on board the aircraft," Deputy Commissioner Rajeev Shankar said.

Eyewitnesses told police that they noticed a fireball in the sky and heard a loud sound on Tuesday night.

Courtesy:http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mig-29-crashes-in-himachal-indian-air-force-begins-search-142474

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Navy completes three-day exercise off Vizag coast

Indian Navy on Friday completed a three-day exercise off the coast of Vishakhapatnam to plug any possible loopholes in its coastal-security network in the post 26/11 scenario.


"The exercise has further strengthened our coastal security preparedness. The basic purpose of the exercise was to check on-ground coordination between all the stake holders of maritime and coastal security network," Navy officials said here.

During the exercise, naval vessels conducted manoeuvres and drills to coordinate efforts of agencies involved in maritime security to keep an eye over maritime routes and suspicious fishing vessels.

These vessels also practised their response to any 26/11 type attack on coastal cities. The exercise was coordinated by the Joint Operations Centre headed by the Navy there.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister A K Antony while addressing the Naval Commanders Conference here, had asked the Navy to conduct regular drills and exercises to plug all the loopholes in maritime and coastal security network.

"Several security exercises and awareness drives have been conducted by the Navy, Coast Guard, Marine police of coastal states to sensitise the fishing community about threats from the sea. Such exercises must be replicated as frequently as possible," Antony had said.

Meanwhile, addressing the conference today, Admiral Nirmal Verma highlighted the role of Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

"Navy has continued to maintain and sustain a high operational tempo while dealing with a large number of tasks and missions, including anti-piracy and coastal security operations," he said.

Verma said these responsibilities are in addition to the traditional missions and tasks performed by the Navy which includes overseas deployments and bilateral exercises-cum- surveillance missions in the IOR.

He told the Naval commanders that the primary challenge confronting the Navy was to balance its resources, build human capital and a requisite strategy so as to be responsive to the full spectrum of operations.

Courtesy:http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/navy-completes-three-day-exercise-off-vizag-coast_736628.html

Mohanlal under Indian Army scanner

Two years after feting him with honorary Lieutenant Colonel's rank, the Territorial Army has taken serious note of reports that Malayalam movie star Mohanlal had allegedly misused his uniform for commercial purposes in Kerala government advertisements to promote tourism. The actor has denied the allegation.

Officers at the Army Headquarters here said they have received reports that Mohanlal, considered to be one of Kerala's topmost film actor, had passed off as a war hero in a television advertisement aired in December 2010 and January 2011 during the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival promoted by the state's tourism department.

Courtesy: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-11/news-interviews/30266213_1_honorary-rank-malayalam-movie-star-mohanlal-territorial-army

All IAF helicopters in UN mission withdrawn: Air Chief

Indian Air Force has withdrawn all of its Mi-17 and Mi-35 attack helicopters deployed in the UN missions in Congo and Sudan to provide support for anti-naxal and other humanitarian operations in the country. "We had our detachments operating in Congo and Sudan but based on our own requirements, the UN requirements have been taken back. All our people who were operating these Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters are now back with us," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said here. The IAF had deployed around 20 Mi-17s and over 10 Mi-35 helicopters in the UN operations which were providing close air support to the ground troops operating in the two trouble torn countries. The IAF had last year decided to withdraw all its aerial assets from the UN operations in view of the requirements in supporting Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in anti-naxal operations in Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand. The IAF Chief said the Mi-35 choppers have been deployed in the desert sector along Pakistan border in Suratgarh whereas the Mi-17s have been provided to units deployed in Eastern and Central commands of the force. It has also deployed two additional Mi-17 helicopters in Ranchi for supporting anti-naxal operations in Jharkhand. The IAF has plans of procuring over 230 helicopters including heavy, medium and light utility and attack choppers in the near future from different sources.
Courtesy: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/all-iaf-helicopters-in-un-mission-withdrawn-air-chief/861685.html

IAF to procure bird radars, reduce accident risks

The Indian Air Force is planning to procure and deploy bird detection radars at its various airfields to reduce the risk of accidents caused due to bird hits. "The Defence Ministry intends to procure Bird Detection and Monitoring Radar System to reduce the risk of bird strike in air operations at various airfields," the IAF said in a Request for Information (RFI) document released on its website. The RFI for the acquisition will be issued by the service after it gets response from the manufacturers across the world.

Bird hits are the reason behind at least nine per cent of the aircraft mishaps in the country as several cities and towns have come up close to IAF airfields such as Hindon, Jodhpur, Lohegaon and Agra. The IAF has been taking various steps to reduce the risk of bird hits.

Under former Director General (Air Safety) Air Marshal V K Verma, the force had started various practices across major air bases to check birds getting close to airfields. As per the data released by a Parliamentary panel, the IAF has lost 999 aircraft between 1970 and August this year and human error and technical defects were the main causes behind these crashes. "In 39.5 per cent of the cases, technical defect is the cause and in 39 per cent of the cases, human error has been found to be responsible," the report had said.

courtesy: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_iaf-to-procure-bird-radars-reduce-accident-risks_1599649

India test fires surface to surface ballistic missile

India Saturday successfully test-fired its surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shourya from a test range in Orissa, eastern India, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.

The news service quoted Indian defence ministry sources as saying the 600-km-range supersonic missile was launched at 14:.30 p.m. from a canister in a ground launch mode at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in the coastal district of Balasore in Orissa.

“The launch of the missile was perfect like in text book and followed the path exactly to the pre-defined target in the Bay of Bengal,” S.P. Dash, director of the test range, was quoted as saying.”

The missile, which is meant to give the Indian Army a credible second-strike capability, was first tested from the same defence base on Nov. 12, 2008, according to the report.—NNI

Courtsy: /pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp

India, UK agree to work in defence technology

India and Britain have signed an agreement to pool their science and engineering expertise to work on various projects such as unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced explosives.

A Letter of Arrangement was singed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and its British counterpart Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in London on September 16.

The agreement was signed by DRDO chief V K Saraswat and British chief scientific adviser (CSA) Sir Mark Welland.

Under the agreement, the two countries will explore ways to defend chemical and biological threats through protection, decontamination and medical counter-measures, a British High Commission release said here.

Praising the new agreement, British Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff said, "Science and technology is one of the foundations of our bilateral relationship with India. The signing of this agreement further demonstrates the strength of our long-standing alliance.

"I am delighted that scientists from both countries will be able to share their impressive expertise in this field and have no doubt it will lead to even greater innovation in defence and security technology, benefiting both our nations."

Expressing confidence that the agreement will strengthen technical collaboration between the two countries, UK MOD's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Sir Mark Welland said the event marks an important milestone in technical collaboration between the two countries.

"I have seen the exceptional dedication, expertise and skill in the DRDO. I know that the UK can look forward to a productive and valuable co-operation with our great allies in India for many years to come," Welland said.

Courtesy:- zeenews.india.com/news/nation/india-uk-agree-to-work-in-defence-technology_733234.html

India, Sri Lanka conduct naval exercises

The Indian Navy gained from the Sri Lankan experience with low intensity conflict, while the Sri Lankan Navy learnt to operate more effectively in a multi-force environment on the conclusion of the biggest-ever exercise between the two Navies.

The exercises, “SLINEX II,” which commenced on September 19 and ended on Friday, were aimed at enhancing interoperability.

Involving 6 Indian state-of-the-art vessels of the Eastern Command, and over 1,200 Indian naval personnel, and 11 Sri Lankan vessels and an almost equal complement of personnel, the exercises were keenly watched by the international community and the diplomatic corps stationed in Colombo.

“The Sri Lankan Navy has gained a lot of experience in asymmetric warfare, basically handling attack by small boats,” Rear Admiral H.C.S. Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Indian Navy, who commanded the Indian ships, told The Hindu. “We learnt from them how they handle these attacks,” he added.

This manoeuvre was displayed to the press on Friday. A plethora of small attack craft from the Sri Lankan Navy “attacked” the Indian indigenous multi-role frigate with stealth features, INS Shivalik. The frigate first did zig-zag manoeuvres in a bid to throw the small boats off balance with its huge wake. When this did not happen, Shivalik relied on its awesome firepower to “silence” the small boats. Ideally a combination of small arms fire and manoeuvres work well: but that is as long as the small boats do not blow themselves up.

The Sri Lankan Navy said the drill was expected to provide the opportunity for the neighbouring navies to rehearse the concept of joint naval operations and enhance their skills.

The decision to increase mutual defence cooperation and to hold joint naval exercises was taken during the visit of Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar to Sri Lanka in December 2010.

The first exercises were held about six years ago, said the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ashok K.Kantha. In 2005, two Indian vessels participated in an exercise.

But since the Eelam War IV intensified since 2006, the exercises, which were to be held annually, were put off.

The one vessel that generated a lot of interest was Shivalik, which was commissioned in April 2010. It is a product of indigenous design, U.S. engines and a mix of Russian and Indian weaponry. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles are also part of its armoury. The frigate is part of the Eastern Fleet.

The other naval ships which took part were Ranvijay, Gharial, Khanjar, Cheriyam and Coradiv, along with integral helicopters and a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka travelled from Colombo to Trincomalee to convey his wishes to the Indian and Sri Lankan Navy personnel, onboard the INS Shivalik on Thursday.

Courtesy:- www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2478888.ece

IAF works to seal 126 fighter jet deal

The commercial bids for a $ 10-billion contract to buy 126 multi-role combat jets will be opened after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) clears pending issues in October, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief NAK Browne said on Thursday.Courtesy

The contest has narrowed down to two European contenders - Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon. The opening of the commercial bids has been delayed, causing anxiety among the contestants.

The air chief has now clarified that the DAC, chaired by defence minister A. K. Antony, will meet on October 7 to sort out pending issues.

The ministry hopes to seal the deal at the earliest - by the year end - as it wants the new aircraft to refurbish its dwindling fleet. The combat jet squadron strength has touched a critical low. The IAF hopes to turn even by 2016 when the new aircraft is expected to start arriving.

Browne supports a wider role for private industry in military aviation. Speaking at a seminar on aerospace industry, he talked about the need to check overdependence on foreign buyers. At the moment, the private Indian participation in India's military aviation is nil.

The IAF has a Rs 97,000-crore acquisition plan for maintaining the momentum of modernisation. It hopes that by 2014-15, it will be able to turn the corner. Under the modernisation drive, several new platforms are being added.

The IAF has received C-130 Hercules, a new transport aircraft; C-17 Globemasters have also been ordered.

Courtesy: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/iaf-plans-to-seal-combat-aircraft-deal-by-december/1/152363.html

Indian defence companies become new target of cyber criminals:Report

Indian defence companies are increasingly becoming target of cyber criminals as they are vulnerable to breaches of cyber security, according to a report by Trend Micro.

The attacks by criminals in the cyber space are aimed to infect the e-mail addresses as well as the systems.

The report said that cyber criminals send out emails with PDF attachments to companies. Once infected it is very difficult to remove the malicious content from the systems or to detect on what amount of data is being used under such circumstances.

It further said that attack is being done on the Indian defence firms from the past few weeks and was started in the month of July this year.

Apart from India, defence firms in the USA, Japan, Israel have also fallen victim to criminals operating in cyber space.

According to an estimate, cyber crime is an underground economy that is estimated at over USD 100 billion (annually) worldwide.

"In total, the attackers compromised 32 computers; however, there were multiple compromises at several locations. This network has been active since July, 2011 and is continuing to send out malicious documents in an attempt to compromise additional targets.

"While this network has managed to compromise a relatively small number of victims, there is a high concentration of defence industry companies among the victims. Moreover, the fact that specific malware components are created for specific victims indicates a level of intentionality among the attackers,"SAARC Amit Nath Country Manager India and SAARC Amit Nath said.

courtesy: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/indian-defence-companies-become-new-target-of-cyber-criminalsreport/articleshow/10067534.cms

Accused extradition in Naval War Room leak on track: CBI

The CBI today claimed that a UK-based cyber expert has “wrongly considered” the creation time of email, which the investigating agency presented in a London court in the Naval War Room leak case, involving main accused Ravi Shankaran.

The agency said there was “no setback” to it in the case and it will present its views before the Westminster Court on 10 October.

Sources in the CBI said the matter of extradition of Ravi Shankaran, accused in the Naval war room case was heard by the court on 19 September where report by a “forensic expert hired by the defence” placed a report.

“It was claimed (in the report) that an email cannot be created, documents attached and sent within two seconds. CBI will present its argument that the expert has wrongly considered creation time of the ‘Temporary’ internet file, related to email in question; which is actually an automatic
process in the computer system to cache open files, which can be recovered in case of any crash” a senior CBI official said.

The official said these files are created every few minutes and hence there is no set back for the prosecution.

The prosecutors had earlier presented secret evidence about an e-mail with attachments of Sir Creek sent by Commodore V Rana to a person called Vic Branson of Inmaty company in Belgium, which they said was owned by Shankaran.

These attachments they claimed had material, which compromised the intergrity of India, and hence Shankaran is punishable under Section 3 of Official Secrets Act 1923 which is titled Penalty for spying for the Enemy and carries a term of 14 years.

The judge noted that the alleged e-mail by Vic Branson to Commodore Rana, produced by the prosecution as the main evidence against Shankaran, had no date and time and an independent court approved expert has confirmed that it is not possible to create an email, type 11 words, attach eight documents and then save it all in two seconds only.

Cyber forensic expert Jason Coyne has, according to the judge, stated that such an e-mail could not have been sent based on the evidence produced by government of India.

Courtesy: http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/accused-extradition-in-naval-war-room-leak-on-track-cbi-88151.html

Russian Admiral dispelled the uncertainty

Vladimir Vysotsky the commander of Russian Navy said about Nerpa deal prospects.

The submarine will be transferred to Indian Navy this year. The Indian crew has completed its training. No big problem with the transfer exists. Now last tests are in progress before the transfer happens.

courtesy: http://igorrgroup.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html

Indian Border Forces Rescue More than 400 People

More than 400 people, including 26 tourists, have been rescued in the northeast Indian state of Sikkim after Sunday's 6.8 magnitude earthquake, the Indo-Asian News Service reported Monday.

The news service quoted Indian border troopers as saying that 400 villagers and 26 tourists around the Pengong area, which is the worst hit, have been rescued and have been lodged in the headquarters of the border forces, which have sent 700 men to join rescue operation in the Pengong area, which fortunately suffered no casualty.

Landslides have blocked several roads in the area, including National Highway 31-A, the only road link to the hilly northeastern state, although the military men are working hard to clear and re-open it hopefully by Monday night.

Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and a team of doctors were unable to reach quake-affected areas till Monday afternoon due to landslides.

So far at least 23 people were confirmed killed and more than 200 injured in the quake in Sikkim, while 12 people were killed in the neighboring states of West Bengal and Bihar, according to latest official figures.

India to test advanced, 3,000 km range, 'Agni-II Prime'

India is planning to test fire by next month 'Agni-2 Prime', an advanced nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a strike range of around 3,000 km.

"We are planning to test fire an advanced nuclear capable Agni-2 Prime missile by next month," Defence Ministry officials said here.

The new missile will be an advancement over the existing Agni-2, which has a strike range of 2,000 km.

The 'Agni-2 Prime' has been developed by making some changes in the Agni 2 missile and will have the same size of boosters which are there in the existing missile but will have an extended range of 1,000 km, they said. Powered by solid fuel propellants, the 'Prime' will also have a better navigational system and greater accuracy in comparison to the Agni-2 missile.

Newer technologies have also been incorporated in the missile to make it lighter and the weapon system has also been provided with greater thrust. India has developed a number of variants of the Agni missile series under the Integrated Missile Development Programme (IMDP) with different striking ranges since the 80's.

It is also planning to carry out the first test firing of the Agni-5 ballistic missile by the end of this year, the sources said.

Agni-5 will be able to strike targets in range of 5,000 km and will make India join the league of select nations with such capabilities.

India, United Kingdom sign defence research pact

India and the United Kingdom Friday signed a letter of arrangement (LOA) that will facilitate collaboration and cooperation in the field of defence research and development.

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General V.K. Saraswat signed the letter with United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Mark Welland in London.

The cooperation between India's DRDO and United Kingdom's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, will make the best use of respective research and technology development capability through joint projects, collaborative research and industry and academia participation, a DRDO release said here.

India, Sri Lanka joint naval combat exercise

India and Sri Lanka are all set to hold a major joint naval combat exercise off Trincomalee next week, as part of New Delhi’s continuing intensive diplomatic and military engagement with Colombo.

Defence ministry officials say the six-day exercise called “SLINEX”, which kicks off on Monday, will see the two navies deploying at least four warships each. “We have held naval exercises with Sri Lanka in the past but this one will be on a slightly larger scale,” said an official.

India over the last several years has trained thousands of Sri Lankan personnel at its military institutions ranging from the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte (Mizoram) to the School of Artillery at Devlali (Maharashtra), apart from providing specialised naval courses in gunnery, navigation, communication and anti-submarine warfare.

The strategy to provide arms and military training, coupled with intelligence sharing and `coordinated’ naval patrolling, undertaken even when the Sri Lankan forces were battling the LTTE, has been primarily aimed to counter China’s ever-growing strategic inroads into the island nation.

Though India trains soldiers from several countries, ranging from Maldives, Mauritius and Mongolia to Botswana, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the facilities extended to Sri Lanka are much more. The premier Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, for instance, has even run `special courses’ to train hundreds of “gentlemen cadets” from Sri Lanka.

With Defence Minister A. K. Antony unwilling to relent on enhancing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector, the Industry Ministry has written to the Cabinet Secretary accusing the Defence Ministry of refusing to recommend cases for issue of industrial licences for defence manufacturing despite repeated reminders. Both ministries have been at loggerheads over the issue of enhancing the FDI limit in the defence sector from the present 26 per cent to 74 per cent as recommended by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Despite repeated discussions and clarifications on the issue, the Defence Ministry has not responded favourably to the proposal. In its letter to Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, the DIPP has pointed out that the delay in recommending cases for industrial licences had led to a situation in which private sector companies were not able to get defence procurement orders besides they were not able to make investments in new capacity and India was missing out an opportunity for getting substantial FDI in the defence sector. In the September 8 letter, the DIPP has pointed out that out of the 49 cases that have faced delays; some have been pending since March, 2008. “It has been noticed that, of late, the Department of Defence Production has been refusing to recommend cases for industrial licence, citing reasons which prima facie do not seem justifiable,'' the letter states.

The Department of Defence Production is part of the Defence Ministry.

The DIPP said the Defence Ministry had declined to recommend cases on the plea that the investments in those cases were meagre or that the items should be manufactured by the public sector undertakings (PSUs) only.

SAAB offers air defence system to Indian Army

Swedish defence major Saab on Thursday said it is offering its RBS 70NG man-portable air defence system to the Indian Army for its requirements for shoulder fired missiles. "The RBS 70 NG is a contender for procurement of Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) manportable air defence(MANPAD) missile for Indian Army," Saab said in a release in New Delhi.

The Indian Army at present uses the Russian origin Igla missile systems and is looking for its replacements. It had recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) in this regard and is expected to issue a formal tender very soon.

"We believe the RBS 70NG meets requirements of Indian Army for a system that has multiple target seeking and tracking capabilities, multi-launcher capability, ability to deploy from high mobility vehicles and ship and submarine naval vessels and aerial target detection capability", Saab India head Inderjit Sial said.

Saab said the RBS 70NG has been equipped with "a new sighting system, improved precision and increased all-target capability." The company claims the RBS 70NG has an effective intercept range of 8 km, with altitude coverage in excess of 5 km.

Defence Ministry trying to speed up defence equipment modernisation: Antony

Defence Minister, A.K. Antony said that his ministry was undertaking attempts to speed up the process of upgradation of defence equipment of the country, though it required time.

"These things, you have to follow a procedure also. Even then, we are trying to speed up things," said Antony, while addressing the mediapersons here, where he was present along with Army Chief General V.K Singh to inaugurate a knowledge centre of excellence for soldiers.

He emphasised that there was no need for anyone to be worried about military and modernisation programmes of other countries.

Antony had earlier on Tuesday said that the armed forces would have to tackle an array of challenges, ranging from internal disturbances to militant attacks.

He emphasised on the need for a united stand on such issues, in order to deal with them in an effective manner.

IAF choppers carry out flood relief operations in flood-affected Orissa

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched flood relief operations in flood-affected parts of Orissa .

Towards this, the Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command has pressed into operation two MI-17 helicopters, which are presently operating from the Bhubaneswar airfield.

In a short span of two days, over 15 sorties have been flown by IAF helicopters and have helilifted 36 tonnes of food packets and dry rations.

The relief effort is presently concentrated around 100 km radius from Bhubaneswar, which is presently the worst flood-affected area. The helicopters are carrying out airdrop of the food packets.

The helicopters for these operations have been drawn from IAF Station Kumbhigram in Assam.

IAF Wing Commander Pankaj Bajaj, who is leading the flood relief effort, said, “our boys are operating relentlessly and in a determined manner”.

“The low clouds, and rainfall are posing a challenge to the operations. Strong low-level winds are also making the task more challenging. We are carrying out the task despite these to provide relief to the affected people, by finding penetrable patches in the weather,” he said.

The Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong is ensuring that its assets are kept in a state of readiness, should the civil administration request for its assistance in carrying out relief and rescue ops.

Air Marshal Matheswaran, Senior Air Staff Officer of EAC has said: “We have kept our helicopters and transport aircraft in a state of readiness in the entire eastern sector. If theivil administration asks for our assistance we would be in a position to provide if at a short notice, in any State of Eastern India.”

The relief operations in Orissa are likely to continue for the next 24 hrs at least, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and civil admin officials.

Defence Minister inaugurates IGNOU Gyandeep Centre for Army

The Union Minister for Defence A.K. Antony inaugurated the 'Gyandeep Centre of Excellence' at the Ashoka Auditorium, Manekshaw Centre in the capital. The Centre will be established at the main campus of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which will function as a national-level coordinating body between the Army and IGNOU Community Colleges to promote educational facilities for the army personnel.

"The main objectives of the Centre shall be to promote job opportunities for the retiring army personnel, develop compatible curriculum and promote partnership with other universities / institutions. It will facilitate and encourage inter-disciplinary higher education and research facilities at IGNOU and affiliated universities/ institutions/ other centres of excellence," said V-C Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, in his address.

Over 3.5 lakh students have already enrolled in Gyandeep Project and nearly 1.5 lakh candidates have been awarded Certificates, Diplomas and Associate Degrees.

The Associate Degree holders are also admitted in the third year of IGNOU Degree programmes through vertical mobility. More than 300 officers have already been admitted for the MBA Programme designed specifically for the officers in the Indian Army.

For IGNOU, this centre means a phenomenal increase in the strength of students and the campuses. For the Army, it would be a great welfare measure and gainful use of resources. For soldiers, this programme has the potential to transform the post-retirement life by equipping them with a formal qualification and preparing them for competitive job avenues. And for the country, it means a boost in the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) as well as the Gross Graduation Ratio (GGR).

The Indian Army and IGNOU began its association in July 2009. In a short span of time, this association fructified into a path-breaking collaborative effort — in the form of Project Gyandeep, when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Army and IGNOU on September 4, 2009.

Gyandeep was dedicated to the nation by President Pratibha Patil on November 19, 2009. Since then, the association between the Indian Army and IGNOU has progressed in all spheres. Project Gyandeep, a visionary and revolutionary idea, has created an impact in the educational arena at both national and international levels.

Gen V.K. Singh, Chief of the Army Staff and Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal were present along with senior defence officers and academicians.

Dismissed IAF lady officer hangs self

More than six years after former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Anjali Gupta became the first woman to be court-martialled, she committed suicide at a family friend's residence in Bhopal. She was found hanging on Sunday.

According to police, Anjali was alone in the house of IAF Group Captain Amit Gupta when she allegedly took the extreme step. She had been working with a private company since her dismissal from the IAF.

The police said Anjali had arrived in Bhopal on September 7 from Bangalore, where she was employed. Group Captain Amit told the police that he had gone to Delhi for the engagement of his son on September 8. Though he asked Anjali to come along, the latter insisted on staying at his house.

"I told her to come with me to Delhi, but she said she had work in Bhopal. She showed no signs of any disturbance," Amit said.

When he returned home on Sunday morning and knocked at the door, there was no response. After several failed attempts, he informed the police. A police team broke open the door to find the 35-year-old former officer hanging from a ceiling fan.

The police team also found a 15 litre can and two bottles filled with petrol, at the spot where Anjali was found hanging. Amit pleaded ignorance about the fuel. Police now also suspect that she might have contemplated setting herself on fire before she decided upon hanging.

A police officer investigating the matter said, "Amit Gupta is a group captain with the air force. There was some guest at his place who, he is claiming, was a family friend. Anjali Gupta, who once worked with him, died by hanging. It is a case of suicide. We are still investigating why she came to his place to commit suicide."