'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