IKB-DEF-MAR 21, 15 - Indicia Research & Advisory

Indicia Knowledge Brief
A Daily Assessment on Indian Defence and Internal/Homeland Security
March 21, 2015.
Primary aims of Indicia Daily Brief are two-fold. First, it distills infinite information into a
capsule form, thus saving precious time of its clients. Second, it tries to link micro-events
to larger strategic canvas through its analyses, thus providing support knowledge for
better understanding and decision-making.
Indicia Analysis of the Day
In an important move likely to impact on India’s Act East Policy, India is
exploring a joint production and development venture in defence with
Thailand. The developments during the visit of the high-level defence
delegation from Thailand led by its Permanent Secretary for Defence to
New Delhi next week to explore joint production and development, will
be crucial.
The upcomig Defence Acquisition Council will meet next week during
which the issue of the USD 2.5 billion Avro replacement programme is
likely to be discussed among others.
The government’s clarification that the production plan for indigenouslybuilt Light Combat Helicopters have been made from 2017-18 onwards,
and that they are not a replacement for the ageing fleets of Chetak and
Cheetah helicopters is welcome as the latter need a more immediate
replacement.
I. National Defence and Security:
Government explores joint venture in defence production with Thailand:
India is exploring a joint production and development venture in defence with
Thailand. A high-level defence delegation from Thailand led by its Permanent
Secretary for Defence will visit New Delhi next week to explore joint production
and development, besides sourcing of arms, diplomatic sources told ET. The
Indian side is keen to assist Thailand in setting up a defence industry and had
proposed a visit to Indian facilities for the Thai side. While major platforms and
systems will not be discussed now, a start can be made on systems that the
ordnance factories manufacture - from explosives to small arms and defensive
equipment, sources said. "Thailand is offering India an upgraded defence
relationship. It is a strategically-placed neighbour with whom we share common
cultural linkages," an official pointed out. India's joint defence production has so
far been confined to Russia, France, the US andIsrael. An upgraded Indo-Thai
defence cooperation is also significant amid China's growing ambitions and
defence manures in the region, say experts. The Defence Ministry has been keen
on engaging with Thailand. The first initiative was made in 2013 during a visit by
then Defence Minister AK Antony in which he raised the matter of joint
production with his Thai counterpart, Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat.
This initiative is now getting the push, sources pointed out. Officials said that
while detailed discussions to narrow down areas of cooperation will now take
place, there has been a keen interest by the Thai side to engage with Indian
scientists as well as learning from the experience.....
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/government-explores-jointventure-in-defence-production-with-thailand/articleshow/46628513.cms
*
Monohar Parrikar to chair Defence Acquisition Council meet
next week:
The Defence Acquisition Council will meet next week during which the issue of
the USD 2.5 billion Avro replacement programme is likely to be discussed among
others. Defence sources said that the DAC will meet either on March 27 or 28,
just ahead of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's maiden foreign visit to Japan
on March 30. One of the main issues that is likely to be discussed is the lone bid
of Airbus-TATA consortium to replace IAF's ageing fleet of 56 Avro aircraft with
C-295 transport carriers. A final decision was anticipated in November but
Parrikar had sought more information about the necessity of the aircraft and the
bidding process. Accordingly, a special committee is looking into the details and
procedures of the bid since only one consortium responded to the Request for
Proposal (RFP). "There is no problem. All issues are being looked into since we
have a single vendor situation," sources said. Under the current defence
procurement policy, single- vendor situation is not entertained unless cleared by
the DAC. One of the options, besides selecting the consortium, is to go in for retendering in which the Indian companies become the main player rather than the
foreign ones. Another option is putting the project on hold and go ahead with the
joint development and production of 'Multi-role Transport Aircraft' with Russia,
defence analysts said.....
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-monohar-parrikar-to-chair-defence-acquisition-councilmeet-next-week-2070568
*
Plans to build Light Combat Helicopters indigenously from
2017-2018 onwards:
The production plan for indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopters have been
made from 2017-18 onwards, the government said, adding that they are not a
replacement for the ageing fleets of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. Minister of
State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply
that the light combat helicopters are being developed by HAL to fulfill the
requirement of the army and the air force for a combat helicopter. "The
production plan for LCH has been made from 2017-18 onwards subject to firm
order from IAF for limited series production," Singh said. He said the LCH is not a
replacement for ageing fleets of Cheetah and Chetak utility helicopters as the
combat helicopter is a 5.5 tonne class twin engine armed aircraft. On the other
hand, the Cheetah and Chetak come in the sub-three tonne single engine utility
helicopter category. Singh said a LCH prototype has successfully cleared cold we
....
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/engineering/plans-to-build-lightcombat-helicopters-indigenously-from-2017-2018-onwards/articleshow/46633219.cms
*
No decision on purchase of Japanese amphibious aircraft: Govt:
No decision has been taken to buy long-range amphibian aircraft from Japan,
government said in the Lok Sabha on March 20. "No decision has been taken by
the government for the procurement of US 2i amphibian aircraft from Japan,"
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the lower house in a written reply. The
US 2i was developed by ShinMaywa Industries and has a range of 4,700 km and
can land in seas with waves of up to three metres. It has long-range civilian and
military applications.
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/no-decision-on-purchase-of-japanese-amphibious-aircraftgovt_1564755.html
*
'India's well-timed diversification of Army helped
democracy':
India's well-timed decision post independence to control and diversify its Army
helped preserve its democracy, or it could have ended up like Pakistan which has
seen three Army coups post independence. Yale University professor Steven I
Wilkinson, in his book "Army and Nation: How India's Founders Made its Army
Safe for Democracy" - writes that while the Indian Army at the time of
independence was dominated by few martial groups, diversification and
modifications in its structure helped the country. "If you inherit an imbalanced
Army, chances of a coup are high," Wilkinson said speaking about his book at the
India International Center on March 19 evening. The author said in 1929, the
Army had overwhelmingly warriors from Sikh and Gorkha communities, both
martial groups. "In 1947, the Army was still dominated by certain martial groups
who made 95 percent of the troops. It was still an imbalanced Army, as the
British recruited troops from martial roots. These officers were also a closely
knit community creating more trouble for politicians," he said.....
Source:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/indias-well-timed-diversification-of-army-helpeddemocracy_1564729.html
*
Government may shelve Indian Air Force's $2 billion Avro
replacement project:
The $2-billion pilot involving the private sector for manufacture of a new fleet of
transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force is floundering and could be shelved by
the Defence Ministry that is reviewing the requirement as well as the bidding
process. The government plan to involve only the private sector in the
replacement programme to create an alternate aviation industry besides stateowned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had not garnered much response last
year when only one bidder emerged for the Avro replacement project - an
Airbus-Tata consortium offering the C295 medium transport airlifter. The
defence ministry has now set up a specialised committee to review the
programme and to evaluate why other private players did not come up with bids
for what was considered as the largest project given entirely to Indian players.
Preliminary indicators do not look positive for the Airbus-Tata alliance with a
strong view that the tender has to be rebid with a. ..
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46628534.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_me
dium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
*
Armed forces face shortage of over 52,000 personnel: Manohar
Parrikar:
Indian armed forces are faced with a shortage of over 52,000 personnel,
including 11,000 officers, as measures like improved pay structure were being
put in place to check attrition, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. Army is
grappling with the maximum shortage of 33,998 personnel, including 9,642
officers. There are 24,356 vacancies in other ranks (ORs) of the Army, excluding
those in the medical and dental research, he told the Lok Sabha during Question
Hour. However, he noted that 66,502 people were undergoing training as against
shortages in the ORs, as on January 1. Parrikar said the Navy had a shortage of
1,322 officers and 11,257 sailors as on January 31. In the case of Air Force, there
were 152 vacancies as on February 1 and shortage of 5,540 airmen at the end of
March 1. Currently, 6,159 recruits for airmen posts were being trained, Parrikar
said. The number of officer-level vacancies in the Army rose to 9,642 as 2,000
fresh positions were created. Efforts are being made since 2012 to fill up the
shortage in Army, he said.....
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/armed-forces-face-shortage-ofover-52000-personnel-manohar-parrikar/articleshow/46634022.cms
*
Parrikar working on ” Plan B ” for MMRCA?
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Parliamentarians recently that ”
“The ball is in France’s court, and Dassault have to confirm if they agree to our
terms since India will Stick to RFP Clauses and have refused to compromise on
terms and conditions . While Indian Air force repeatedly has told Ministry of
Defence and Defense minister that they have “No Plan B ” if MMRCA deal
collapses, without Such backup plans given by IAF, Parrikar is already working
on his own Plan B according to officials. Parrikar wants to get FGFA ahead of
schedule and wants an early agreement with Russians on this , India and Russia
are working together to draft Final contract so that work can start on FGFA and
India might also agree to buy first lot of Pak-Fa Single seater Russian variant if
MMRCA deal is not finalised. While IAF is not in favour of additional Sukhoi-30
over Rafale, Parrikar is left with two choice said Defence expert Vinayak Shetty,
One is to open Second Production line for Tejas MK-II 2020 onwards so that at
least 24 aircrafts are produced each year, IAF is also in favour of Second
production line for Tejas MK-II which can produce 8 aircrafts from second line so
that 24 aircrafts can be produced each year , but IAF is not able to convince
Private players for second production line since IAF still cannot commit orders
for Second production line. If we are looking at replacing Migs in 1 to 1 ratio then
IAF will require close to 400 MK-II aircrafts said Vinayak Shetty, even with two
production line it will take a decade just to produce 240 aircrafts, then there is
always chance that technology will be outdated midway in production, IAF have
to put final figure for MK-II or commit higher aircrafts for second production line
with scope for developing MK-3 variants. Second option which Parrikar has
already talked about is to increase orders for Su-30 which is already produced in
India with ” Super 30 upgrade package ” so that IAF too is on-board such
arrangement which will provide improvements in Avionics and radar to keep
technology and aircraft relevant for next few decades to come till FGFA takes
over in numbers .
Source: http://idrw.org/archives/60266
*
Anil Ambani wants to make military choppers. Here’s how:
Anil Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Group, is keen on making a big-bang entry
in the fastest growing defence sector of the country. If news reports are to be
believed, the Indian armed forces would require more military choppers over a
period of time and the Mumbai-based conglomerate is hoping to make he most of
this untapped opportunity. According to The Economic Times, Reliance
Infrastructure is set to bid for two major military chopper contracts worth more
than $ 3 billion. Reliance Infrastructure, a subsidiary of the Anil Dhirubhai
Ambani Group (ADAG) has recently picked up a controlling stake in Pipavav
Defence, a private shipyard based in Gujarat. The leading business daily
reported that Anil Ambani met top executives from chopper manufacturers like
Bell, AgustaWestland and Airbus over the past few weeks. It also quoted sources
saying that Reliance Infrastructure has collaborated with a European
manufacturer through one of its subsidiaries and has responded to a request for
information (RFI) by the Indian Navy, which needs more than 100 Naval Utility
Helicopters. Apart from Indian Navy, Anil Ambani is also prepping to respond to
the demand for 197 light helicopters of the Indian Army as well as Indian Air
force (IAF), in a bid to help the forces maintain troops in high altitude areas,
glitch-free, the ET said.
Source:
http://www.businessinsider.in/Anil-Ambani-wants-to-make-military-choppers-Hereshow/articleshow/46620375.cms
*
Indo-Israel Co-Operation in Defence Sector:
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has several defence R&D
programmes with the Directorate of Defence Research and Development
(DDR&D) (MAFAT), Israel Ministry of Defence. Under the joint programme,
Israel shares technology information, know-how, know-why, joint R&D,
collaborative research projects. Defence R&D technology cooperation, DRDO and
DDR&D, Israel Ministry of Defence meets annually under the aegis of Indo-Israel
Management Council (IIMC) to pursue and discuss defence R&D activities.
Defence procurements from various countries are carried out by following
transparent procedures laid down in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and
Defence Procurement Manual (DPM). This information was given by Minister of
state for Defence Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri Shrirangappa
Barne and others in Lok Sabha on March 20.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/indo-israel-co-operationin-defence-sector-115032000842_1.html
*
Government, telecom, defence sectors most attacked by
cybercriminals:
Cybercriminals are increasingly targetting sensitive information from sectors
including government, utilities and defence to access public data and other
critical information, a government official said. "With increasing number of
devices, the sophistication of attacks is also going up. Government is the most
attacked sector, followed by telecom, banking, energy and defence," CERT-In
Director General and Group Coordinator of E-Security and Cyber Law Division
Gulshan Rai said at an event. Stating that even as cybercriminals continually try
to scan data and plant malware, he said: "The government is resilient and has
been improving security." As per information reported to and tracked by the
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), a total of 21,699,
27,605, 28,481 and 32,323 websites were hacked by various hacker groups
spread across the world during the year 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014,
respectively.
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/government-telecom-defencesectors-most-attacked-by-cybercriminals/articleshow/46635755.cms
*
India, US have mutual desire for naval, maritime ties, say top
Pentagon commanders:
With the convergence of strategic interest in the Indian Ocean there is a mutual
desire for a deeper naval and maritime co-operation between India and the US,
top Pentagon commanders have said. "The convergence of strategic maritime
interests in the Indian Ocean region to include the security of critical energy and
trade routes, the denial of free passage to terrorists and weapons proliferators,
and the need for effective responses to natural disasters have led to a greater
mutual desire for deeper naval and maritime cooperation between India and the
US," Navy Rear Adm Kevin M Donegan, acting deputy chief of Naval Operations
for Operations, Plans and Strategy, said. Appearing before the Senate Armed
Commitee, Donegan along with other naval leadership in a joint testimony said
that the relationship with India is among the top 21st century priorities for the
US.....
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46620704.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_me
dium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
*
India will not hesitate to use Naval Power to protect economic
interest in South China Sea:
India has warned that it is prepared to use force to secure its economic interest
in the South China Sea. India has placed allegations that Beijing had deliberately
hampered its rivals Oil and Gas exploration efforts. As China and India rise
economically, their military muscle is growing as well. Both need energy to keep
that kind of growth going and that may be putting the two Asian giants on a
collision course. Joseph Cheng, a professor at the City University of Hong Kong
said, “Because of renewed domestic Nationalism, the Indian government cannot
afford to be seen to be weak when dealing with China. Obviously a higher profile
will make the Modi led government popular amongst the population”. Over 200
billion barrels of Oil and large amounts of natural Gas, which is more than what
the vast majority of the world’s energy rich nations have is all hidden in the
South China Sea. This is probably the main reason why China is so aggressively
defending its claim over the vast area. China claims most of the territory for itself
but India has also managed to get access to it by buying a stake in a Vietnamese
Gas Field. Shortly after Hanoi accused Chinese boats of sabotaging oil
explorations efforts, India warned China that it is ready to use force to defend its
interest. Hopefully it should not lead into a long term conflict but it’s in a way
inevitable because both India and China have large ambitions of becoming Global
Military Powers and dominate their respective backyards. Both China and India
have been pumping billions of U.S. dollars in their armies and navies and holding
military drills on a regular basis to maintain military readiness. Beijing has also
announced that its naval police will soon start to board and inspect foreign
commercial and military vessels entering the South China Sea, something that
the Indian Navy will not allow. Surely the vast Oil reserves in the South China sea
are too big a cash for neither India or China to pass up. But is it really worth a
conflict for two heavy-weight economies to head towards an all-out war because
it looks like a game that neither can win. Both India and China cannot afford any
weaknesses and make it easier for other countries to take a bite of the vast
resources. The United States have slowly and steadily been stepping up its
economicand military presence in the South China Sea and has also committed a
large chunk of its Naval fleet to protect smaller countries in the region. The West
is trying to depict the expansion of India and China in terms of a clash. For both
India and China, the last thing that they want is a military conflict that will send
their economies decades behind.....
Source:
https://www.ibcworldnews.com/2015/03/20/india-will-not-hesitate-to-use-naval-power-toprotect-economic-interest-in-south-china-sea/
II
Homeland Security
*
New Gurgaon hi-tech maritime surveillance centre watches over
nation’s 7,000 km coast:
Maintaining strict vigilance on the 7,000-odd km long coastline of India would
have normally required enormous manpower, ultra-modern vessels,
sophisticated aircrafts and equipments like high-definition cameras, however,
the modern technology has brought down the exercise at the level of the click of
a mouse, allowing the Indian Navy to keep track of the movement of all vessels,
including fishing boats and barges plying in Indian waters, from a nerve centre. A
visit by the Goan media persons to the Naval Command Centre – Information
Management Analysis Centre (IMAC) – set up in Gurgaon on the outskirts of
Delhi revealed the amazing ‘at the tip of the fingers’ mechanism, created to
protect the country by way of advanced maritime surveillance, from the antinational forces approaching the country through the surrounding waters.
Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Communication, Space and Network-centric
Operations, Rear Admiral Kishan K Pandey told the Goan media persons that the
IMAC, which was recently inaugurated by the Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar is a joint initiative of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat
Electronics Ltd to improve coastal surveillance. “In fact, the Centre was
conceived to provide coastal security after the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai,”
he added, pointing out that the project was cleared by the Defence Acquisition
Council. Supported by a dedicated satellite service and connectivity with huge
bandwidth, the IMAC has a National Command Control Communication and
Intelligence System (NC3I) network in place, which links all 51 monitoring
stations of which 20 are Naval and 31 are Coast Guard, so as to generate a
seamless real-time picture of the entire Indian coastline, and further track
30,000 to 40,000 ships on a daily basis. At present, the system comprises of 46
radars, while 30 additional radars are planned to fill all the gaps in the coastline
security....
Source:
http://www.navhindtimes.in/new-gurgaon-hi-tech-maritime-surveillance-centre-watches-overnations-7000-km-coast/
*
LeT to shift operational focus on India post Afghan drawdown:
US:
Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, will shift their
operational focus on India after the scheduled complete drawdown of US troops
from Afghanistan by the end of next year, a top Pentagon commander has
warned. "Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan-based groups continue fighting in
Afghanistan, but they will likely shift some of their operational focus to the
Indian subcontinent in the next one to three years as Coalition forces
drawdown," Admiral Samuel J Locklear, commander of US Pacific Command told
lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. "Al Qaeda's increased rhetoric
focused on South Asia and the announcement of a new affiliate, Al Qaeda in the
Indian Subcontinent, suggest Al Qaeda will focus resources on uniting
established terrorist groups to engage in jihad in South Asia," Locklear said.
Noting that the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq attracts foreign fighters from
countries throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific, Locklear said current assessments
indicate that approximately 1,300 foreign personnel fighting alongside the
Islamic State are from the Indo-Asia-Pacific. "A small number of these combatexperienced fighters who return home could enhance the capability of regional
extremist networks within the most densely populated areas of the world," he
said. "In South Asia, partner nations maintain pressure on extremist networks
but face a persistent threat from transnational groups that continue adapting to
shifting geopolitical factors, competition among global extremist groups, and
counterterrorism actions by the US and its regional allies," he added. The US
recently said it would soon make an announcement on troop adjustment in
Afghanistan. Those remarks had come in the wake of repeated requests from
new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that the US should reconsider its decision on
complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016. During his
maiden trip to Afghanistan, new US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had said
that he would consider the pace of drawdown of troops from Afghanistan based
on conditions on the ground.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lashkar-e-taiba-to-shift-operational-focus-on-indiapost-afghan-drawdown-us/article1-1328518.aspx
*
Terror attack at police station in J&K, 6 killed; encounter ends:
A 'fidayeen' squad of militants in Army fatigues stormed a police station in
Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, killing four persons, including three
security personnel, and leaving 10 others injured in the wee hours on March 20.
Two militants were also killed in the subsequent encounter with security forces
that ended around noon. "Two militants have been gunned down by our security
forces," Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha. "A civilian
who was shot down by militant has our sympathies," Rajnath Singh said. This is
the first major militant attack in the state since the formation of the PDP-BJP
coalition government in the state on March 1. "It is a fidayeen attack," IGP Jammu
Danish Rana said. An injured CRPF constable Bharat Prabhu said the militants
wearing Army uniforms intercepted a jeep going from Jammu to Pathankot on
the pretext of checking the vehicle. The ultras then hijacked the jeep which had
three passengers on board and fled towards the Rajbagh Police Station where
they opened fire on a sentry and killed him. The militants then hurled grenades
at the police station and opened indiscriminate fire.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Terror-attack-at-police-station-in-JK-6-killed-encounterends/articleshow/46631760.cms
*
Reinvigorating our Intelligence outfits:
India does not display either a security culture or intelligence consciousness.
There are formidable challenges in the domains of land, sea, sky, cyber, nuclear
and space that have to be met. Whenever a nation or any institution of the state
gets surprised or is struck by a cataclysmic event like a security calamity or a
major breach in its functioning, the most convenient fallout is to apportion blame
to an intelligence failure! The real reasons may lie elsewhere -- be it a systemic
shortcoming, leadership failure, non-adoption of the Standard Operating
Procedures or non-adherence to simple prophylactic measures. Intelligence,
even in democracies, is hardly ever scrutinised or revisited for the cloak of
traditional secrecy masks all its strengths and shortcomings. Practitioners of
this vocation also, by and large, zealously endeavour to wrap their craft, and by
extension their failures, by employing the terms “cannot be disclosed in national
interest” or sophisticatedly as “privileged information”.
First line of defence
India is situated astride one of the most violent expanses in the world and
myriad threats to its well-being are continually escalating, both in the external
and internal dimensions. Thus it is imperative for the nation’s decision-makers
to accord the necessary priority to the sharpening of the intelligence organs of
the state for intelligence remains the first line of defence. Regrettably, India does
not display either a security culture or intelligence consciousness. India has been
surprised on numerous occasions, notably in 1962, preceding the India-Chinese
conflict, then again by Pakistan’s perfidy in Kargil in 1999, by the attack on
India’s Parliament in 2001, which nearly led to an Indo-Pak war, the tragic and
avoidable assassinations of Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi in 1984 and Rajiv
Gandhi in 1991. All these point to the moot question whether India has given
adequate importance to this specialised discipline for effective decision-making
and actions duly warranted by credible information. After the Kargil war and
the Pakistan ISI-engineered terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008, there have been
some much-desired accretions to and streamlining of our intelligence
architecture. ....
Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/reinvigorating-our-intelligence-outfits/55440.html
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