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 The External Affairs Minister of Australia, Mr Alexander Downer with defence MInister Mr Pranab Mukherjee at South Block. He headed a five-member delegation which visited New Delhi recently |
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 The women expedition team which scaled Mt Everest recently with Chief of Army Staff, Gen JJ Singh |
Intially published as FAUJI AKHBAR |
| The journal of India's Armed Forces published every f/ortnight on behalf ofa Ministry of Defence. It is not necessarily an organ for the expression of the Government's defence policy. The published items represent the views of respective writers and correspondents. |
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PRIME MINISTER AT SIACHEN
Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh desired that Siachen, the highest battlefield on earth, be converted into a ‘mountain of peace’. “Living is very difficult here. How long shall we allow such conditions to prevail (in Siachen)… time has come for us to make efforts to convert this battlefield into peace mountain”, said the Prime Minister while addressing the troops deployed here. However, Dr Manmohan made it clear that the existing boundaries in Jammu and Kashmir would not be changed to meet this aim. Dr Manmohan Singh was the first Prime Minister to visit Siachen. He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff, Gen JJ Singh. |
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Noting that the government was concerned about the well-being of the forces, the Prime Minister said he had decided to visit Siachen to see for himself the condition of troops here. Hailing the contribution of the soldiers towards unity and integrity of the country, Dr Singh assured the soldiers in this inhospitable sector that all their needs would be met. Besides a CT scan facility which would be made available here, the Prime Minister said that two home theatres would also be provided to the soldiers for entertainment.
Emphasising that India wanted peaceful relations with Pakistan, PM, however, asserted that in pursuit of this “we are not ready to accept any changes in the drawn and established boundaries of the country. We feel, these boundaries are important not only for our security but also relates to the country’s honour”.
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Leh and dedicated the Leh airport to the nation. He renamed the airport as Kushok Bakula Airport at a simple but impressive ceremony. Kushok Bakula is a household name here as the architect of modern Ladakh. Present on this occasion were Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Mufti Mohammd Sayeed, Governor, Lt Gen SK Sinha (Retd) and a host of state ministers and councilors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Sindhu Darshan festival here. |
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-Suprasanthi Devi
We are in an era which witnesses unprecedented growth of technology in all its dimensions. These technologies arrive with a lightning speed allowing us to share information across the world and, then, they get outdated with almost the same speed. To remain at the forefront in this technological race, calls for extraordinary skills. Today, the winning edge of any organisation is information. While this capability empowers the organisation, as well as nations, it also has its flipside. Information is at a risk today, as never before. Alongwith the change in the methods of information exchange, the need to protect and secure information has also to go through an evolutionary transformation. |
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Information and communication technology has created a significant impact on the planning and conduct of military operations. Recent events like 9/11, the war in Iraq and tsunami disaster have reinforced beyond doubt the importance of real-time availability of assured information. Unlike the post-second World War era and even upto the early 80s, defence sector, all over the world, is no longer the main driver in the field of information and communication technology. Modern armies are increasingly using commercial off-the shelf (COTS) hardware and software. At the same time, the military and government decision-making machinery, organisations, society and critical industries will in future become exceedingly inter-networked for essential functions of the state. They will rely heavily upon globally converged, enmeshed and often public infrastructures, most of which are controlled by complex information and technology systems. In essence, both military and government infrastructure will become abundantly dependent on information infrastructures.
Not so long ago, cyberspace-based warfare, automated shooters, smart munitions and high energy power- guns existed only in science fictions and movies. Nowadays, information warfare has changed from conceptual thinking to a reality. On the one hand, information warfare has become a hot topic, both for the military and government; on the other hand, hackers, activists, spies, ideological or cultural adversaries and anti-state elements are discovering new ways to gather information and to attack the infostructures of the target organisations. Therefore, as I had just mentioned, due to over dependence of the nations on information networks, society as a whole needs to be prepared in order to manage these new threats to national security. This can only be achieved if our networks are robust and the users are educated about the vulnerabilities of the information infrastructure in their respective organisations.
Information assurance is as important for defence force as to banking, agriculture or, for that matter, any other sector or organisation. It encompasses all civil information assets and infrastructures that are critical to a nation or to an economic entity. Information assurance has to be a national endeavour as the information highway crosses many boundaries and borders. Hence, there is a need to work out a “National Information Assurance Strategy” which will ensure that risks to the national information infrastructure are appropriately managed. We need to have security policies in place, need to handle risks and vulnerabilities in our infrastructure. Besides, we must have our disaster recovery plans worked out and rehearsed. Towards this aim, the unstinted and sustained support of the industry is a prerequisite. I am sure they will rise to the challenge and provide us the required solutions.
(Excerpted from the speech of Defence Minister at the seminar on “Information Assurance and Risk Management” in New Delhi.)
From Bofors to Dennel, Indian people have witnessed a number of allegations and counter allegations regarding corruption in defence procurements. One of the main reasons for the controversies is lack of transparency in defence deals. To address this issue, the Defence Ministry has come out with a manual for capital defence procurements. The manual, titled “Defence Procurement Procedure-2005 (Capital Procurements)”, was releasing by the Defence Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on June 9 last. It would serve as a reference document for contracting and purchasing in the Defence Ministry. |
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Defence expenditure alone accounts for over one-eighths of total government expenditure and Defence Procurements account for more than half of the revenue expenditure in the ministry. Obviously, this involves spending huge amounts of public funds and in a democracy, it is essential that every rupee is properly accounted for and that the deals are transparent. In 2005-06, the non-plan capital expenditure budgeted in for Defence in the Union Budget is Rs. 34,375 crore. Another important matter is that the defence procurements deal with the lives of our brave soldiers fighting for the nation and as such, there should be no doubt about any underhand dealings or procurement of sub-standard material or equipment compromising the security of the nation.
| “Offset clause would leverage India’s high purchasing power to benefit the domestic industry” : Defence Minister. |
Under the manual, effort has been made to eliminate the role of any agents or brokers in defence deals. The buyers would have to sign an integrity pact to ensure that no unfair and unethical means were employed for winning the deals. In fact, under the standard contract document provided in the manual, sellers would have to give a declaration that they have neither engaged any agent or broker for the defence deal nor have they paid any commission for this purpose. Any breach of this undertaking on the part of the seller would empower the buyer to cancel the contract.
Another major change that has been brought out in the manual is that it aims at benefiting domestic industry. A defence ministry release said that one of the highlights of the manual is “Provision of upto 30% direct offsets for procurement values of more than Rs 300 crore. This is in line with the Kelkar Committee’s recommendations and will help the Indian Defence Industry.” Speaking at the time of releasing the manual, Mr Pranab Mukherjee said that offset clause would leverage India’s high purchasing power to benefit the domestic industry.
In addition, the manual provides for uniformity in interpretation of various contracting clauses and issues and clear time-frame for all stages of procurements. This would reduce procurement time and provide protection from cost escalations. The manual also includes guidelines of the Central Vigilance Commission and banking instruments.
Besides transparency, the manual also lays down procedures that emphasize competition, cutting down of delays and elimination of discretion in government purchases.
Last month, the Defence Ministry has brought out a manual for Revenue Acquisitions with the same objective of improving transparency and cutting delays.
- Mohan Chandak
The welfare of men-in-uniform has always been priority of the government which desires that the troops who sacrifice their lives for the security of the nation are well taken care of. Towards this aim, the Ministry of Defence accorded approval for setting up an office of Director General Married Accommodation Project (DG MAP) on May 31, 2002 to construct 1,98,881 dwelling units for the three Services at an approximate cost of Rs 17,358 crore. The project has been planned in four phases. In Phase-I, 60,582 dwelling units are planned. This includes 50,406 for Army, 2879 for Navy and 7297 dwelling units for Air Force to be completed by 2006-07. This mega project is headed by Maj Gen YK Jain with Headquarters in New Delhi under the aegis of Lt Gen Ranjit Singh, Engineer-in-Chief. So far, 45 station projects have been approved for construction by the Apex Steering Committee chaired by the Defence Secretary, resulting in commencement of construction activities at 25 stations. Construction works in another 20 stations will begin soon. |
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Mahipalpur is one of the fourteen pockets where MAP works are planned in Delhi. Here, the government has approved construction of 5340 dwelling units to ease the acute shortfall of married accommodation in the capital. Other thirteen pockets where these dwelling units are planned include area opposite Western Air Command, Basantar Range, Shankar Vihar-I & II, Rangpuri, RR Hospital, Anand Parbat, Urban Village, Basantar Lines, Kingsway Camp, Kabul Lines, Dwarka and Todapur. |
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The MAP Phase-I for Air Force in Delhi is planned at four stations namely Palam, Rajokri, Aya Nagar and Subroto Park. Altogether, 992 dwelling units are planned to be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 80 crore.
At Mahipalpur, 100 dwelling units for JCOs and 685 for jawans will be taken up at the cost of Rs 60.26 crore. The cost includes expenditure on development of infrastructure, ground water recharge, landscaping and arboriculture.
A ‘Defence Exhibition’ was put up at Gag near Jalandhar on May 9 last. The exhibits included tanks, Bofors guns, infantry combat vehicles, latest communication and surveillance equipment and satellite imagery. |
input : DS Rawat
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-Lt Gen Birender Singh Dhanoa
Auftragstaktik, a German word for mission-tactics, or what we call Directive Style of Command, is a decentralised leadership and command philosophy that demands decisions and actions at the lowest level of command where there is an intimate knowledge of the situation and the commander’s intention in the beginning of an operation. Today most modern armies espouse the concept of auftragstaktik as opposed to befehlstaktik, which is a rather centralised and restrictive form of command and control. Auftragstaktik is often couched under different names such as ‘Mission Command’ by Australian and British armies and ‘Directive Control and Battle Command’ by the US army. All modern armies, in the past few decades, have either adopted the Directive Style of Command or are in the process of doing so.
Auftragstaktik was crucial in many German land campaigns, particularly on the western front, and in North Africa during the second World War, often allowing German units to fight outnumbered and win. Guderian, Kesselring and Rommel were its active exponents. The US Army General, George S Patton Jr was the leading proponent of directive control among US generals during the second World War. His trademark phrase was, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
Directive Style of Command requires the commander to outline his intention in terms of what is to be achieved, then to allocate tasks to subordinate commanders and the resources that they have to carry them out, and any constraints on their freedom of action to achieve their tasks. The basic premise of this style of command is a belief in the ability of an individual’s creative action to solve a problem without recourse to higher authority; the mission order is merely a technique that is used to implement and execute the Directive Style of Command.
Indian Army traces its roots to the British regimental system that was suitably modified in its structure and recruiting patterns to fit the needs of a colonial army. This provides us a sound building block for engendering trust wherein a thorough knowledge of the subordinates by the superior and continuity of key appointments, essential prerequisites for a Directive Style of Command, are already in place. We need to look at improving the trust and openness between the regimental/battalion commander, his officers and JCOs/NCOs in the unit.
From adherence to strict rules of conduct in their daily interaction at all levels, commanding officers must adopt a slightly informal approach, without breaking the chain of command that encourages junior leaders to relax in their presence and not offer programmed responses. Senior leaders have to realign their beliefs, from a paternalistic to a more equal, honest and yet caring attitude that brings out similar honest and frank responses from their subordinates without fear of rebuke or castigation from their peers or immediate superiors.
Auftragstaktik creates a climate in which the subordinate leader knows his chief is committed to his success, will not abandon him on the battlefield, and will support his efforts to care for himself. Such leaders can only be developed through a superior education system that does not simply test their rote knowledge of principles of war and doctrinal precis but encourages them to gain insights into military thought and psychology. This can only be brought about through the reading and analysis of military history and promoting a supportive higher military education system that lays greater stress on independent thought, leadership, ethics and morality.
With modern armies moving away from attrition to a manoeuvre warfare or indirect approach, Auftragstaktik is possibly the most suited to conducting such warfare by Indian Army as well. Our mechanised forces have already been following the rudiments of this concept and it must become an all-inclusive methodology for conduct of future war by them. We have our limitations in the structure and ethos of our field formations and units passed down through two centuries. However, they are built on the bedrock of a regimental system that has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability and it should be able to embrace the philosophy of decentralised command and control without loosening its moorings. Our system has to first accept the Directive Style of Command as its premier command and control principle. What is eventually required is a comprehensive shift in the mindset of our leaders and subordinates from the top to the grassroots level.
(Excerpted from the essay that won first prize in Chief of Army Staff Gold Medal Essay Writing Competition 2003-04).
The aim of defence expenditure is to secure enviornment for the benefit of citizens and state and catlyse development. Therefore, the allocation for defence has been increased by about eight per cent, from Rs 77,000 crore to Rs 83,000 crore including an allocation of Rs 34,375 crore for capital expenditure, Rs 2,541.86 crore for research and development and Rs 1,364 crore for Married Accommodation Project. |
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The enhancement in budget allocation shows the common minimum programme of the government is committed to the modernisation of Armed Forces.The DRDO test-fired the supersonic missile BrahMos on April,15 last. The third flight-test of Agni II missile took place on August 29,last year. This met all the mission objects including high accuracy in guiding the pay load to the designated target at 1200 km. A modified version of surface- to- surface missile, Prithvi –III, has a range of 300 km. It has also been test-fired on October 27, 2004. DRDO has manufactured the main battle tank (MBT) Arjun and inducted in the Army. A computer controlled integrated fire control system incorporating day-cum-night stabilised sighting system will now be the mainstay of the Indian Army. The first indigenously built Sukhoi MK I was inducted into the Air Force in March this year. This has been the result of a joint venture with Russia. Assembled by Hindustan Aeronauticals Limited Sukhoi MK I has a twin engine and twin seater. As a multi-role fighter, it can be operated as an intercepter, bomber and trainer.
The construction of the first aircraft carrier known as Air Defence Ship formally started with the steel cutting ceremony at Kochi shipyard on April11 and it is expected to enter into service by 2012. A new Coast Guard station at Jakhau, Gujarat was commissioned in February this year. This station will provide the much needed assistance to Indian fisherman operating in the vicinity of maritime boundary with Pakistan. Two hovercrafts have been based for operation in swallow water and creeks. The Indian Army also created on April18 this year a new command known as South Western Command with its HQ at Jaipur. Lt Gen K Nagraj became its first GOC-in-C. |
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An IAF Cheetal helicopter set a new record on November 2 last year by landing at an altitue of 25,150 ft at Sarekangri near Leh. Indian Air Force (IAF) recorded the lowest accident rate as compared to other Air Forces of the world during the last 35 years. Signifying the increasing role of women in the Air Force, Padmavathy Bandopadhya became the first lady Air Marshal in October 2004.
During Tsunami disaster, a rescue operation was carried out jointly by Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard for the affected people. A number of aircraft, helicopters and sea vessels were pressed into service. Tonnes of relief material including food, clothing, medicines, tentage and water was airlifted to the affected areas. The Indian Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and paramilitary forces played a heroic role in providing immediate relief not just to our people but also to the affected people in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand. Army and Air Force also carried out a massive relief and rescue operation during heavy snow avalance in Jammu and Kashmir last winter. |
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The fifth international aerospace exhibition, Aero India 2005, was held at Bangalore in February this year. Thirty countries including USA, Russia, UK, France, Israel, Italy, Germany and Poland showcased their aircraft and aerospace products to make this display a major aerospace event in this part of the world. The Air Force carried out a joint exercise with the air forces of South Africa and Singapore. It also participated in the multilateral exercise, Cope Thunder, at Alaska in USA. A ten-day long joint Indo–UK command post planning exercise, Emerald Mercury, was held in March last at Hyderabad in which about 58 Indian and 48 British military officers took part.India and Russia reaffirmed their willingness to further strengthen their military and strategic partnership during the fourth meeting of Indo-Russia Inter Governmental Commission (IRIGC) on Military Technical Co-operation in New Delhi. A new chapter was added to history with the opening of Srinagar –Muzafarabad bus service on April, 7 this year as a confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan.
The Government of India has ordered to implement the Phase I of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee recommendations involving restructuring of the officers cadre, reduction in qualifying service for promotion in non-select ranks and a package of peel-off measures to mitigate stagnation. This will help in achieving optimum combat effectiveness by brining down the age profile of battalion/brigade commanders.
The creation of Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare exemplifies the government’s commitment to the welfare of ex-servicemen. A Group of Ministers was constituted to look into the long standing demand of ‘one-rank-one-pension’ of ex-servicemen. The Kelkar Committee was set up to examine the acquisition procedure and the nature of participation of private sector in Defence productions. The committee submitted the first part of its report on April, 5 last which takes into account the increased capabilities of Indian industries and growing globalisation of Defence industry.
- Sub Maj N Harinath
Buddha ‘smiled’ and India took its first step towards becoming a nuclear weapon state. The first nuclear test in Pokhran in 1974 laid the foundation stone for India becoming a nuclear weapon state over two decades later. The country drew a lot of international flak for the first test whose success was communicated to the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi with the coded message, Buddha Smiles. Mrs Gandhi remained firm, braving all attacks. It led to Pakistan following suit with its own test. |
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The second series of tests under operation Shakti was conducted again in Pokhran in May 1998. The then Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee announced that this was “India’s due, the right of one sixth of humankind”. After the second innings at Pokhran, India officially staked its claim to join the nuclear club and attracted widespread hostility from peaceniks at home and abroad and was slapped with economic sanctions by the industrial powers including the United States and Britain. The two countries also clamped down on sale of technology and equipment to India, which could be useful for nuclear purposes.
In 1999, India announced its nuclear doctrine laying down the broad principles for the development, deployment and use of its nuclear forces. The salient features of the doctrine are as follows:
The doctrine vests the authority to sanction the use of nuclear weapons at the highest political level. Only the Prime Minister or those designated by him are to authorise their use. A Nuclear Command Authority (NCA), set up in 2003, manages the country’s nuclear arsenal. The NCA comprises a Political Council chaired by the Prime Minister and an Executive Council. The Political Council alone has the power to authorise a nuclear strike. The Executive Council, headed by the National Security Adviser, is to provide inputs for decision making by the Political Council and to execute its directives. A post of Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Nuclear Command has also been created for administration of the nuclear forces. The C-in-C will report to the Chairman, the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
| Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, categorically said that India has no desire to engage in any arms race, as that would divert vitally needed resources away from the basic developmental purposes.While presenting DRDO awards on the occasion of Technology Day, the Prime Minister said, “In defence field and nuclear field, our strategic programmes are indigeneous and not dependent on external sources of support.” |
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of the Ministry of Defence has dedicated resources to the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. This programme has developed two classes of missile capable of delivering nuclear weapons. They include Prithvi I, II and III versions and Agni I and II. India also has fighter aircraft that could potentially deliver nuclear weapons to their targets. Strategic analysts are of the opinion that India may rely more on air power than its missiles for delivering nuclear weapons if there is a need. Some of the aircraft which fall in this category are MiG-29, MiG-27, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Jaguars and Mirage-2000s which can be made nuclear capable.
India’s nuclear doctrine has, however, given rise to many questions. What would happen if the command chain is broken and, God forbid, New Delhi is nuked in a surprise attack? Who then gives the orders for a retaliatory strike? In such a case, can the head of the Strategic Command act on his own initiative? Though there have been hints of alternative chains of command, the government has not come out clearly on the issue.
As far as the “No First Use” (NFU) principle is concerned, the doctrine is silent on the possibility of pre-emptive strikes. What if there is absolutely reliable intelligence information that a hostile power is planning to launch a nuclear attack on India? Will NFU be jettisoned in favour of a pre-emptive nuclear strike? This point has not been clarified so far.
The draft nuclear doctrine released by the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) in August 1999 describes the “retaliation only policy” as a dynamic concept related to the strategic environment, technological imperatives and the needs of national security. The actual size, components, deployment and employment of nuclear forces will be decided in the light of these factors. But does “employment” cover pre-emptive strikes? Is the NFU concept “dynamic” enough to include it?
When it comes to biological and chemical attacks, it is much easier for maverick terrorists operating on their own to lay their hands on them than getting hold of nuclear weapons. In case terrorist groups launch a biological or chemical attacks, do we target countries from where they operate because they failed to check such groups either out of tacit complicity or just incompetence? Despite the question marks hovering over the doctrine, a credible nuclear deterrence could actually go a long way to reduce tension and pave the way for lasting peace in South Asia, specially between India and Pakistan.
The deterrence could drive the two nuclear powers in the region to go an extra mile forward to resolve their outstanding disputes politically realising that there are no winners in a nuclear war and a nuclear strike would invite a “punitive retaliation with nuclear weapons to inflict damage unacceptable to the aggressor” as the draft of the Nuclear Doctrine says.
(The writer is an acclaimed journalist)
Civil-Military Liaison ConferenceAcivil-military liaison conference was held at the Headquarters, Western Command in Chandimandir Cantonment.
In his welcome address, Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman GOC-in-C, Western Command thanked the Chief Minister for a very positive response on various issues taken up with the state government. He expressed his gratitude for the perfect coordination and support from the people and Government of Punjab during the just concluded exercise Vajrashakti in the Western Sector. Appreciating the Punjab Government’s welfare measure for ex-servicemen, the GOC-in-C said that the Army would be glad to undertake any responsibility to train the youth of Punjab who were desirous of enrolment in Army. Lt Gen Pattabhiraman informed that the Army has completed demining operations in all the areas where mines were laid during operation Parakram and that out of 79 cases of mine casualties, 73 have been paid due compensation. -DS Rawat |
Peacekeeping in Congo
The Indian Brigade, since its deployment in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for peacekeeping operations, has been facing the challenge of ensuring peace in the North Kivu to bring brassage (integration) process on rails. Brassage aims to integrate all the factions of loosely knit militias. This integrated force then is expected to work in close coordination with the civil administration. Needless to say, the brassage process has been the target for all inimical forces which do not want peace and politico -military stability to return to DRC. |
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The plan for brassage was evolved after deliberations between Brig Vikram Puri, Commander, Indian Brigade, North Kivu and Brig Gen Gabriel Amisi, Commander, 8th Military Region. Despite initial apprehension about the functioning of brassage, Indian troops took proactive efforts and the first Brassage Camp was established with the aim of breaking the monoethnic characteristics of the militias and integrating them into the multi-ethnic force which could bring stability in the province. Under the guidance of Brig Vikram Puri, all the teething problems were ironed out and the process was set in motion.
The brassage process involved not only working out the modalities of movement of troops from various parts of Kivu, but also the provision of security during the movement and at the camp site. The Indian Brigade escorted numerous convoys from all over the province. The result was that the entire process went off without any untoward incident and more than 10,000 soldiers of various militia groups were peacefully gathered at two centres within the province. The process involved disarming these soldiers which was a sensitive and risky job. Approximately 8000 weapons were collected and kept under security. Thus, the professional skill of the Indian Army was at the helm, once again. |
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-Lt Col BMR Mehta
During the Indo-Pak war in 1965, Indian Air Force was called upon to undertake reconnaissance and rescue missions in the inhospitable terrains of Jammu and Kashmir. Otter was the natural choice for this task. This single engine transport aircraft was manufactured by De Haviland, Canada in 1954 and was inducted into IAF in 1956. |
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On receiving an SOS from Army on September 22, an Otter aircraft, named Hawk, was launched from Sarsawa airbase for a rescue mission. While undertaking the assigned mission, the aircraft came under heavy ground fire from Pakistani artillery and the pilot had no option but to ground the aircraft on a mountainous terrain peak near Poonch. The 93 Infantry Brigade, stationed at Poonch, reached the crash site and retrieved the badly damaged aircraft from the hilltop. The brigade was proudly displaying this bullet-ridden war machine as a war relic since then. The nose portion of the fuselage and one undercarriage of the aircraft were missing whilst wings and tail portions were practically non-existent due to heavy damage.
In November last year, 93 Infantry Brigade approached HQ, Western Air Command with a request to restore this aircraft to its original shape. On receiving the permission, Structural Engineering Specialist Unit, 41 R&SU, stationed at Ambala, carried out an on-site survey of the aircraft. Later, the aircraft was shifted to Ambala. The restoration team of the unit managed to collect photographs of the original Otter from IAF archive cell and other technical details from various aviation magazines to develop a graphical design. The structural designs with aerofoil shapes of all major and minor structures were calculated before commencement of restoration work. |
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Reconstruction of missing structures was a chase in time for the air warriors. The unmatched spirit of the team, however, succeeded in rebuilding the front fuselage, cockpit, wings, rudder undercarriage and propeller. After putting in hard work for nearly four months, history took shape and the Hawk was back on its wheels in its original shape and glory. The bullet holes, however, have been left untouched so as to retain this part of the history in its accurate dimensions. Air warriors led by Wg Cdr PK Shrivastava completed this daunting task. Air Cmde LK Malhotra, AOC, Air Force station, Ambala ceremoniously handed over the aircraft to the Army unit on May 9 last.
-Wg Cdr Sanjeev Sharma
Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantt has been making a mark in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. With the state-of-the-art facilities for the treatment of burns, birth defects, craniofacial defects and damaged nerves, the hospital has been providing advanced care to troops and their families. Its plastic surgery department’s aim is to ensure that the troops are given the best treatment in this field. In addition to performing surgeries for congenital defects, Army surgeons reconstruct the parts lost during war and civil accidents. |
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Due to a high rate of success of surgeries performed here, the reputation of the department has spread all over India and abroad and troops from Nepal and Royal Bhutan Army and their dependents also come to take specialised treatment here. Such an equipped department not only boosts up the morale of the troops, it also enhances the faith of soldiers that they have the best of the healers at their doorstep.
-Maj SK Mishra
Here is a good news for the physically challenged persons from the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME). Four young turks who have just completed their engineering at Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Secunderabad fabricated a motorised wheel-chair to enable disabled persons go for a drive on their own. Majors Manish Gulia, Rahul Kumar Gupta, Harsh V Srivastava and Manoj K Jamwal completed this marvelous feat as a part of their project which was adjudged the best project in mechanical as well as electronics streams in the engineering course. The wheel chair is equipped with a controller key-board that facilitates forward and reverse movement and speed variation and makes seat-belt and brakes halt midway on a steep slope. Maintenance-free rechargeable batteries have been provided to this novel device which has a maximum speed of seven km per hour. The enterprising engineers developed this device at a cost of Rs 1.20 lakh under the guidance of Lt Col Atul Apte. Similar gadget costs about Rs 5 lakh in the open market. |
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The young officers demonstrated the functioning of the wheel-chair at the MCEME Auditorium and received appreciation from the Army officials who were present on the occasion. At present, MCEME has been negotiating with defence organisations for the mass production of this wheel-chair.
-PJ Sudhakar
To Lt Ashwani Sudyal, 22, a resident of Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, his father, an Army man, was his role-model since childhood. As he grew seeing his father serving the nation in ‘olive green’ uniform, Ashwani decided to step into the shoes of his father. His goal was not just to become an Army man, but to join the Dogra Regiment of Indian Army, the regiment served by his father. After completing BA (Hons) from JNU, Delhi, Ashwani got selected for NDA where he performed extremely well both in academics and co-curricular activities. Later, at Indian Military Academy, he topped his batch and clinched the honour of commanding the passing-out parade that was held at IMA on June 11. What made the occasion an event to celebrate was that Ashwani was commissioned into his father’s regiment. “He has made it,’’ beams his father, Sub Maj (Hony Capt) Surendra Singh who retired from Dogra Regiment last year. |
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Lt Ashwani was one among the many newly commissioned officers who desired to join Indian Army after drawing inspiration from their family members. Some of them were so obsessed that they aspired to join only those regiments which were served by their elders. Lt Aashray Trivedi also followed his father’s footsteps. His father has been with the Corps of Signals. So Lt Aashray opted for the same. A proud father, Col Prem Nair, serving in the National Cadet Corps, Secunderabad says gleefully that his son, Lt Sarath Nair has been commissioned into 228 Medium Regiment of Artillery, the first unit served by him in service. While Lts Ashwani, Aashray and Sarath were privileged to join the regiments served by their fathers, Lt Rahul Singh has been commissioned into 22 Punjab Regiment whereas his father, Sub R K Singh serves the 7/8 Gorkha Rifles.
What inspired these young turks continue the family tradition of military service? Why did not they opt a career in the corporate world where there are better dividends and tension-free life? “Since childhood I used to admire my father for contributing his services for the security of motherland. I also wanted to be like him when I grew up”, says Lt Rahul Singh. He is the third generation in military service from his family. Similarly, Lt Manraj Saingh who won silver medal in Technical Entry Scheme-05 also hails from Army family. The milieu in which these young leaders grew up made them passionate about a career in Army. These newly commissioned officers set an example for those who seek fast bucks and cosy living.
Driven by a passion to don the uniform, some cadets like Lt Aakash Kumar were not keen on taking admission in professional courses like engineering. Lt Aakash who hails from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh turned down the admission in the engineering college that is located next to his door at his native place. Instead, he preferred to do BA (Hons) from NDA. Similarly, Lt Sarbjeet Singh and Lt Sarath Nair opted to join NDA despite getting admission into engineering and medicine courses respectively. “Our love for uniform brought us here”, say these jubilant young officers.” You tell me which service gives the privilege to wear these stars”? asks Lt Akash Kumar while displaying proudly the two stars piped to his uniform marking his entry into soldiering profession. Lt Akash Kumar who has been chosen for 19 Rajput wanted to be an Army man after seeing his father in uniform of the Army Medical Corps. “There is a charm in the uniform. Monetary benefits are not the ultimate thing”, asserts Lt Puneet Kumar, the new officer of 7 Jat. Lt Puneet is looking forward to his unit at Siachen. “Service in Army is full of challenges and adventures. I feel proud that my first posting is at Siachen. Who gets this opportunity to serve the nation at the world’s highest battlefield’’? asks Lt Puneet.
- Suprasanthi Devi
As the salubrious environ of Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehra Dun was echoing the spirit of patriotism on June 11 with the military bands playing tunes like kadam kadam badhyae ja, 593 Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) passed out from the portals of this prestigious institute to join the rank of officers in various formations of Indian Army. The passing-out parade held on the occasion was reviewed by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash. The newly commissioned officers included 426 GCs from 116 Regular Course, 104 GCs from 99 Technical Graduate Course and 10 foreign cadets.
After reviewing the parade that was held with utmost precision, the Naval Chief presented awards to GCs who excelled in academics and co-curicular activities. Academy Under Officer Ashwani Sudyal received Sword of Honour and for standing first in order of merit from Regular Course. Battalion Under Officer Gurucharan Bais and Academy Cadet Adjutant Himanshu Awasthi received silver and bronze medal respectively for securing second and third position in order of merit from Regular Course. While Junior Under Officer Gaurav Choudhary received silver medal for standing first in 99 Technical Graduate Course, Junior Under Officer Manraj Singh received silver mdeal for standing first in order of merit from Technical Entry scheme.
Complimenting the cadets for their excellent turn-out, Admiral Arun Prakash asked them to lead the men they command by example. "While the President's commission can be conferred upon you, the mark of leadership has to be earned by proving yourself to your men", he said. Later, the GCs took part in the oath-taking and pipping ceremonies. The smiling faces of the parents who were present on the occasion to see their sons joining one of the finest forces in teh world was indeed a memorable sight.
Earlier, speaking to mediapersons, Lt Gen KK Khana, Commandant, IMA, sait that the Academy at present, has been putting thrust on development of leadership qualities and acceptance of responsibilities among the cadets. The General opined that India leads other countries in imparting training in anti-terrorist activities.
- Suprasanthi Devi
from Dehra Dun
pix: Vijay Kumar
He has gun shot wounds in his abdomen. He attends to nature calls four to five times a day as his stomach is damaged. He cannot eat much. He has got a steel plate fixed in his stomach. Yet, he is a man full of life, dedication and commitment to the service. He is sub Susheel Kumar of 14 Grenediers, a hero of operation Rakshak. The JCO is at present serving with 213 Transit Camp. Sub Susheel Kumar was deployed in Pir Panjal area during operation Rakshak. In a cordon and search operation, he was injured severely in April 2000. His pelvis, back bone and stomach were badly wounded. He remained in hospital for eight months. But he fought back and was again on feet, ready to serve the nation. |
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What makes this JCO stand out from others? It is not his decoration alone. It is his zeal for life and dedication to his job despite his weak physical state. He is mentally so positive and strong that he left his pain behind and took life head on. The Commandant of 213 Transit Camp quotes his devotion to duty to all transients during central roll calls. The transients love his affable nature and smiling disposition. He can be seen on the move, looking after the administration of his formation transients day in, day out.
Brig AC Soneja, Commander, 71 Sub Area, met the JCO and commended him for his dedication and positive outlook. The gallant JCO has been awarded Shaurya Chakra for his bravery. Sub Susheel has a message: life is to live and not to grieve or crib.
- Lt Col RK Chhibber
Kamptee Cantonment is among the oldest cantonments in India established way back in 1820. The 149-bed Military Hospital, located in the cantonment boasts of having the biggest ward in Asia. In 1820, an 80-bed British Hospital was started on the banks of Kanhan river, shortly followed by an Indian Military Hospital close by. Both these medical hospitals were amalgamated as a combined military hospital. The general ward of the hospital was constructed the same year. It is considered to be the biggest ward in entire Asia. It is 264-ft long, 164.6 ft wide and accommodates 96 beds. Structurally designed to withstand the rigours of Nagpur summers, its high vaulted ceiling keeps the interior cool even during the peak summer. |
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- Wg Cdr Anil Ingley
Sainik School, Imphal was awarded the merit certificate by the Sainik School Society, Ministry of Defence for the best academic performance among Sainik Schools in the All India Senior Secondary School Examination for two consecutive years. The award was presented during the 35th All India Sainik School Principals’ Conference at Sainik School, Kazhakutam, Kerala. The certificate was presented by Minister of State for Defence, Mr BK Handique to Wg Cdr MS Bhandari, Principal, Sainik School, Imphal. |
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It may be mentioned that Imphal Sainik School has not achieved only cent per cent results in the Class XII CBSE examination held in March 2004 but also all the 63 students of the school passed in first division.
Maj Gen GG Dwivedi, GOC, 57 Mountain Division inaugurated a computer training centre at Leimakhong village and handed it over to the village authorities. The computer centre has been funded by Army under its military-civic action project for training the youth of Leimakhong and adjoining villages to provide them an opportunity to acquire IT skills. While speaking on the occasion, the GOC highlighted the importance of computer literacy in the 21st century. |
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Red Shield Adventure Awareness Camp was organised by the Youth Affairs and Sports Department, Government of Manipur under the aegis of the Red Shield Division at Leimakhong. Around 160 boys and girls took part from different parts of Manipur. The aim of the camp was to inculcate a spirit of adventure, camaraderie and community living among children and make them aware of opportunities. While addressing the participants during the closing ceremony, Maj Gen GG Dwivedi, GOC, 57 Mountain Division stressed the importance of adventure. A cultural programme was also held on the occasion. |
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Fourteen Mobile Field Veterinary Hospital (MFVH) of Spear Corps serves as a base hospital for all sick Army dogs deployed in the counter-insurgency operations. Considering the vast area, all Army dogs which need medical attention are being evacuated to 14 MFVH, and at times by helicopters.
Thus the need for a folding stretcher trolley to evacuate the sick dogs from helicopter to hospital or operation theatre was felt. The trolley was designed and fabricated at the hospital by Maj SP Anantrao, Officer Commanding. The trolley is having the attachments for holding intravenous infusion bottles and can be folded and kept in ambulance without any hassels.
The hospital is having other facilities like a well-equipped operation theatre, physiotherapy section and a laboratory for surveillance of animal diseases to prevent the spread of communicable and contagious infection among animals.
The first ever free service campaign was conducted by Tata Motors under the aegis of Headquarters, 3 Corps EME Branch. The campaign was inaugurated by Maj Gen AK Samantaray, Chief of Staff, Spear Corps. Mr Ravi Sinha, Manager, Customer Support, Tata Motors and a team of 35 engineers and mechanics took part in the campaign. This was a pioneer event wherein an interactive session was held for the users, manufacturers and the maintenance agency. |
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Tata Motors also conducted a free service campaign at Tenga under the aegis of 605 EME Battalion. Maj Gen MKV Panicker, GOC, 5 Mountain Division was the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, the GOC said that the campaign would go a long way in strengthening the trust that Army has on Tata vehicles. During the campaign, around 150 vehicles were checked by the engineers. In addition, the engineers displayed genuine spare parts and explained the differences between fake and genuine spare parts.
Lt Gen Arvind Sharma, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command was on a three-day visit to Shillong. During his stay in the city, the Army Commander visited HQ 101 Area where he was briefed by Maj Gen AK Nanda, GOC, 101 Area.
Lt Gen Sharma also called upon the state Governor, Mr MM Jacob and the Chief Minister, Dr DD Lapang and visited Directorate General of Assam Rifles. The General Officer also inspected Assam Regimental Centre and 58 Gorkha Training Centre at Happy Valley.
inputs: Lt Col SD Goswami,
Lt Col SK Gautam, Wg Cdr Binoy
Chongtham and Lt Col MK Pal
Sainik Samachar is to start a column Hail Health to help our esteemed readers on their health worries. So, mail your queries to Editor-in-Chief, Sainik Samachar, L-1 Block, Church Road, New Delhi-110001 or e-mail at edit-ss@nic.in immediately to have expert advice from specialists of the Armed Forces Medical Services. The queries should be short and focussed. -Editor-in-Chief |
Tech Expo-2005, organised by Chief Engineer Udhampur Zone at Army Public School, Udhampur showcased the combined efforts of Indian Army and private sector in unleashing contemporary technologies at one forum. More than 30 corporate groups from across the country shared their expertise, displayed their products and services and participated in a series of deliberations aimed at strengthening the initiatives of the Indian Army in making the region a safe haven for the men-in-uniform as well as for the civil population. The event was inaugurated by Lt Gen Hari Prasad, GOC-in-C, Northern Command. |
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In his welcoming address, the Chief Engineer, Udhampur Zone underlined the objectives of the exposition. It goes a step forward in synergising the initiatives of the industry and the Army in serving the needs of the society better.
On the occasion, the Army Commander released a souvenir. A wide range of product displays and demonstration formed the part of the event. Prominent companies which participated included Titanor, SeaClor, Bajaj, Tata BP Solar, ABB and Schneider.
-Col RK Sen
In order to promote non-conventional energy system for preservation of Ladakh Biosphere, Indian Army took yet another step in this direction with the installation of a state-of-the-art solar steam generation and cooking system at one of the transit camps for transients at Leh. It was inaugurated by Lt Gen Hari Prasad, GOC-in-C, Northern Command. The system caters to 500 personnel everyday. A brainchild of Lt Gen ML Naidu, GOC of the corps in Ladakh, the system has been developed by an Engineer Regiment. |
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-Col RK Sen
To strengthen the tradition of improvements based on the feedback from our esteemed readres, please send your reactions to any of our editions in the form of short and pithy comments in English and address them to the Editor-in-Chief at the earliest. So what are you waiting for? Pick up your pen and share your views with the vast majority of our readers. What is more, a suitable reward also awaits the contribution that is selected as the “Letter of the Fortnight”. Other selected letters will be awarded one year subscription free. Editor-in-Chief |
National Hobie Class Association (NHCA), Artillery Centre, Hyderabad conducted the first National Hobie-16 Sailing Championship at Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam. The Association was entrusted by the Yachting Association of India to conduct the first nationals as also the selection trials for the Indian team for the Asian Sailing Championship at Doha, Qatar. The Association is indebted to Mr CS Pradipak, an Arjuna Award winner, for his able guidance. |
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Six teams from Indian Naval Sailing Association, Delhi, four teams from Army Yachting Node, Mumbai, one team each from Regiment of Artillery Sailing Association, Hyderabad, Colaba Sailing Club, Mumbai, EME Sailing Association, Secunderabad, Secunderabad Sailing Club, Secunderabad, Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre, Mumbai and Sea Cadet Corps, Visakhapatnam participated in the competition.
The training session was held for three days from May 6 to 8 for all the participants and other sailors to know and understand the characteristics and handling of the Hobie 16 boat which is also known as a resort boat due to the ease in handling, beach launching, speed and safety. The session was attended by 33 sailors and novices. The race management was conducted by Brig AP Singh. This was attended by 35 sailors and personnel who belonged to Artillery Centre, Hyderabad, Army Yachting Node, Navy, Coast Guard, NCC and the Sea Cadet Corps.
Sub Ram Kumar and Spr T Siva of Army Yachting Node, Mumbai won the first position while Capt US More and Hav PVS Raju bagged the second position. Naresh Yadav and BB Barik of Indian Naval Sailing Association, Delhi were placed at the third position.
The closing ceremony was performed by Rear Admiral RP Suthan, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam.
-Lt Col Nasser Husain
The Expert Committee on Flight Safety has submitted its report to Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee. The committee was constituted in December last year to identify causes of aircraft accidents in Air Force and to suggest remedial measures to reduce the accidents to a minimum. The committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Air Marshal PS Ahluwalia, DG, Flight Safety and Inspections. The members were nominated from IAF and other associated aviation agencies. |
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Tribute
While researching for my forthcoming book, Thimayya: An Amazing Life, I came across an interesting exchange of letters between Gen KS Thimayya, ex-Army Chief and Mr Sunil Dutt, the actor and politician, who died recently. They seemed to address each other as friends: for Sunil, Gen Thimayya was Timmy Sahib and to Timmy, he was an ‘adorable friend’. Sunil had, in fact, great respect for Timmy Sahib and in one of his letters he had written: “It is really a pleasure to have gone through your most affectionate letter. I am sorry I was not prompt in replying as I was out for some film shooting and just returned. I talked with Gen Chand Das, GOC, Bombay Area about our telephonic conversation and expressed to him my desire that how keen I was to meet you. He told me that most probably you will be coming down to Pune for a day or two and he will call you to Bombay just to ‘spend a day in your company’. But I presume that you didn’t come to Pune, as Gen Das did not inform me about it.” |
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The letter went on to read : “Yes, I was in the Army in the clerical staff then called MTCR Records, Lucknow Cantt. I was there only for a year and during this period I saw myself how a soldier commits himself to the cause of the country. It will be my pride if you will enlist me in your Ex-Services League. I think it will be a great honour to me. Please let me know if you have programme of visiting Bombay in the near future. It will be a pleasure meeting you.”
Gen Thimayya remained busy but two of his nieces, like all the adolescents, were too eager to call on the famous actor, without much success. Timmy then dropped a brief line to Dutt: “My two nieces kept waiting for you for full two days and nights and yet they couldn’t ‘tap’ you...Do not disappoint the young lasses.”
Mr Sunil Dutt and Gen Thimayya remained friends and although the premature and sudden death of Gen Thimayya as Force Commander of the UN Forces in Cyprus on December 18, 1965 cut short their personal friendship, he maintained contact with Mireille, the only daughter of the General.
“Events, as I see, have an uncanny habits of happening,” were the last words of Sunil Dutt when we spoke to each other barely two months back. I asked him if he would be able to read the manuscript and perhaps add a foreword. He advised me to get it from either the President or the Prime Minister or Field Marshal Maneckshaw, the people whom he thought truly entitled to ‘judge and write’ on dear Timmy Sahib. This shows Dutt’s humbleness and his premonition of the impending event.
-Brig Chandra B Khanduri
Tune to Sainiko Ke Liye on Delhi ‘B’, All India Radio between 1815 hrs and 1855 hrs every day on the frequencies : MW 450.5 Metre Band (666 KHz) and SW 61.73 Metre Band (107.1 MHz). In Store * On June 24 : ‘Aapne Poochha Tha’—Replies to listeners’ queries (Career Counseling). * On June 25 : ‘Sainiko Ki Ore Se’—Entertainment programme by troops. * On July 1 : ‘Aapne Poochha Tha’—Replies to listeners’ queries (Career Counseling). * On July 2 : ‘Sainiko Ki Ore Se’—Entertainment programme by troops. |
• The second major turn-over of Indian Armed Forces personnel serving with the International Commissions for Supervision and Control in the Indo-China State of Viet-Nam, Laos and Combodia started recently. The Government of India have chartered IAC Constellations and Super-Constellations to carry out this rotation in four phases, which will involve the movement of nearly 1,500 military personnel. The programme of airlift will be accomplished in a suitable number of sorties between Calcutta and Saigon, and the entire military personnel, both officers and men, in Indo-China will be replaced by the middle of August. |
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• Recently, ten Air Force Officers left Delhi by train for Bageshwar from where they will set out on a three-week treck over the Kumaon hills. Covering nearly 180 miles, this trek is the fifth organised by the IAF Trekking Society since its formation in 1952. Among those participating in this year’s trek are Group Captain MM Engineer, the Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Poona; wing commander BS Agnihotri and Wing Commander K Chand, the Secretary of the Trekking Society who will also be the leader of the party. The range chosen for the trek this year lies north of Almora district, adjoining the well-known Himalayan peaks of Nanda Devi, Trisul and Nandakot. From Bageshwar rail-head, the trekkers will proceed to the Pindari glacier and then cross over to the Western range and go as far as Wan.
After India attained independence in 1947, Indianisation of Armed Forces began but the question of full medical cover for ex-servicemen of the three services, somehow got overlooked. This resulted in the eligibility of ex-servicemen and their families for the medical cover limited to OPD treatment only in the military hospitals in the country. There has been a need for full medical cover for ex-servicemen on a par with civilian employees. Thanks to the sustained efforts of the authorities, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme [ECHS] came into being in April 2002, which is, undoubtedly, a boon for the ex-servicemen fraternity. -Lt Col PP Talwar (Retd) It gives me immense pleasure to read “Into EME’s Lap” in the issue dated April 16-30, 2005 which talks about samaritans in men-in-uniform. Armed Forces not only fight against enemy on the front but also for social justice. By adopting the orphans, Army showed concern for troops who are in need of a helping hand. I feel proud of Army’s high traditions. Sainik Samachar deserves special thanks for giving a wide publicity to the humanitarian activities of Armed Forces. - Nb Sub Nirwan (Retd), ‘One rank one pension’ issue, if comes into force, will benefit ex-servicemen considerably. It is a known fact that if the said policy is implemented, ex-servicemen who retired atleast 15 year ago will get a hike in their pension benefits as the pension they draw now is just half of the pension drawn by those retired very recently. I hope Sainik Samachar would draw the attention of the authorities concerned to extend monetary help to ex-servicemen retired earlier by implementing ‘one rank one pension’ at the earliest. -Warrant Officer H Dihingia (Retd), |
A ceremonial passing-out parade was held at Naval Academy, Goa. Capt NN Rao, Commandant, Naval Academy, received the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Joginder Jaswant Singh who took the salute and reviewed the parade comprising eight platoons, 50-men guard of honour and the Naval Band. The Academy Cadet Capt Thvvrn Sunil commanded the parade. The 197 trainees who passed out included cadets from the Executive, Education, Engineering, Electrical, Submarine and Technical Cadre, Coast Guard and eight trainees from the friendly foreign countries. |
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The COAS gave away the President’s Gold Medal to Academy Cadet Capt Thvvrn Sunil for qualifying as the best all-round cadet and the Chief of the Naval Staff Silver Medal to Squadron Cadet Capt Vikas Anand for standing first in order of merit in service and academic subjects.
Amongst those present on the occasion included senior officers from the three Services, Defence Attaches from Australia and Egypt and the proud parents of cadets who came from different parts of the country to witness their wards pass out.
At the valedictory function, the cadets put up a cultural programme. Mrs Anupama Singh gave away trophies to the cadets who excelled in academics, sports and service subjects. Kanhoji Squadron bagged the Champion’s Trophy for spring term-2005.
-Cdr M Nambiar
from Kochi
The Badge of Sacrifice and Certificate of Honour were presented to Mrs K Vanishree Tirupathi, wife of late Capt Veluswamy Tirupathi of Military Intelligence Corps who laid down his life during operation Orchid. The award and certificate were given away by Brig MKG Menon, Commander HQ Karnataka & Kerala Sub Area in Bangalore. Mrs MKG Menon presented a cash award also of Rs 10,000. The Badge of Sacrifice was instituted by Army in 1999 to honour the next of kin of all officers, JCOs and other ranks who laid down their lives in operations including counter-insurgency operations after August 15, 1947. |
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-MN Shankar
from Bangalore
The 42nd Raising Day anniversary of the Central Command was celebrated with great fervour at its Headquarters in Lucknow Cantonment. Lt Gen Ram Subramanyam, GOC-in-C, Central Command, laid a wreath at Smritika, the war memorial. |
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In his message, Lt Gen Subramanyam appreciated the hard work of all ranks and their civilian partners. He called upon the officers and men of the Central Command to work with unflinching zeal and selfless devotion to make the organisation more vibrant to achieve even greater glory in future.
-Dhirendra Ojha
from Lucknow
The two-day Formation Commanders conference of the Central Command concluded at Nainital, Uttaranchal. The conference was chaired by Lt Gen Ram Subramanyam, GOC-in-C, Central Command. In his concluding remarks, Lt Gen Subramanyam said that Army has always cherished high image and reputation of being secular and apolitical. “We must maintain this at all cost”, he added. The highlights of the event were the presentations on various operational, administration and information technological issues to update the commanders. |
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A meeting of AWWA was also held on the occasion. The meeting was presided over by Mrs Meera Subramanyam where she discussed the intricacies of the welfare activities for the ladies of the serving personnel.
-PIB (DW)
College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune awarded B Tech degree to 41 officers of 90 Engineer Officers Degree Engineering Course under the aegis of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Lt Gen BS Dhaliwal, Commandant, CME was the chief guest on the occassion. The chief guest, in his valedictory address, emphasised that as engineers in uniform, the graduating officers would face a greater challenge than their civilian counterparts. They would have to perform a dual role of being good engineers and equally good soldiers. The gold medals for standing first were awarded to Maj Vibhor Pant in civil engineering, Maj K Ravichandran in electrical engineering and Maj Prakash Krishnan in mechanical engineering. |
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input: Lt Col PKG Mishra
The 58th Raising Day of 5/11 Gorkha Rifles (GR) was celebrated somewhere in central sector. On this day in 1948 the Fifth Battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles was raised at Palampur. A special sainik sammelan was held on the occasion. Presiding over the sainik sammelan, the Commanding Officer, Col Atulya Solankey reminded all ranks about the glorious past and rich traditions of the battalion. He expressed full confidence that the men would stand tall in the face of any challenge that comes across their battalion. Presentation of the annual Championship Trophy to the best Company of the year was another highlight of the day. |
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-Dhirendra Ojha
from Lucknow
A US Army delegation, led by Maj Gen Janet E Hicks, Commandant, US Army Signals School, is on a visit to India. The delegation called on Lt Gen Davinder Kumar, Signal-Officer-in-Chief, Indian Army in Delhi. The delegation also visited the communication complex at Sena Bhawan and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering at Mhow where the members were briefed on the training facilities and various initiatives being undertaken by the Corps of Signals. |
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input: Col Ramphal Singh
Air Marshal AK Singh, AOC-in-C, Western Air Command visited 1 Air Formation Signal Regiment, Palam. During the visit, he addressed all ranks and complimented the efforts of the regiment in providing foolproof and responsive communication for Delhi Integrated Air Defence Control (DIADC). |
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-Wg Cdr Sanjeev Sharma
Maj Gen KS Sindhu, Director General Resettlement visited Zila Sainik Welfare Office, Udhampur. A large number of ex-servicemen and widows from far flung areas like Reasi, Ramnagar, Panehari and Chenani were present on the occasion. Col MS Jamwal, Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, Udhampur addressed the meeting. Director General Resettlement apprised the ex-servicemen and widows of the latest welfare schemes introduced for their welfare. |
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-Col RK Sen
from Jammu
Conventional metal bridge is an outdated concept of restoring the masticatory function. Matching looks can not be achieved by conventional bridge system. This disadvantage has now been overcome with the porcelain bridges which are popularly known as ceramic bridges. A new dental porcelain unit, manufactured by a German firm costing Rs 4.25 lakh, was inaugurated by Lt Gen PK Singh, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps at Vajra Corps Dental Unit. This latest dental equipment will go a long way to restore the matching smiles of the soldiers and their families. |
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-Naresh V Vig
from Jalandhar
Free eye care camp was conducted at Station Medicare Centre Thiruvananthapuram, Southern Air Command with the help of Helpage India, Sight Foundation and Chaitanya Eye Hospital. Dr (Mrs) Asha Savur, President, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional), Southern Air Command inaugurated the camp. About 200 patients including civilians were examined and free medicines were given. |
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-Cdr M Nambiar
from Thiruvananthapuram
The ‘Fleet Evening’, an annual event conducted by the Western Fleet, was held at Kohli Stadium, Navy Nagar. Trophies were given to ships that excelled in major naval combat disciplines such as gunnery, communications, anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare and a host of other activities. The Best Ship of the Fleet Trophy was awarded to INS Mysore while INS Himgiri was adjudged the ‘most spirited ship’. Amongst the smaller ships INS Shakti was adjudged the best ship. |
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-Capt AK Lambhate
from Mumbai
Army Unit, 71 Sub Area undertook a project for the development of Government Middle School, Magain, Udhampur. The project includes construction of boundary, additional room, furniture and a toilet with overhead tank. The work was undertaken by 5171 ASC Battalion (MT). The aim of the project under Sadbhavna is to provide much required facilities for security and other additional amenities. The project was inaugurated by Brig AC Soneja, Commander, 71 Sub Area. |
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-Col RK Sen
from Udhampur
The Indian Air Force team led by Sqn Ldr Ashish Kumar won the Desert Storm Car Rally at Jaipur. The rally was flagged off from National Stadium, New Delhi. The IAF rally team stood first in the category of the new-comer. Sqn Ldr Ashish Kumar was assisted by his Navigator, Sgt AK Singh. The support and technical team had Flt Lt Pravesh Gaur, Cpl Jay Kumar and Cpl PK Pathak as members. |
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The IAF team participated with Gypsy King. The route of the rally was National Stadium–Surajkund– National Stadium–Sikar–Pushkar–Jaipur.
-Wg Cdr Sanjeev Sharma
INS Brahmaputra conducted a motorbike-cum-trekking expedition christened the Trail of Shivaji. The expedition was flagged off by Rear Admiral PS Byce, FOC-in-C, Western Fleet. The team visited the Forts of Shivaji and other Maratha rulers in the Konkan region including Khanderi, Colaba, Janjira, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, Pratapgarh, Raigarh, Torna, Rajgarh, Purandar, Singharh, Shivneri, Lalkila, Lohagarh and Koregarh. |
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This expedition covered a distance of 2200 km including about 100 km of trek in Sahyadri Hills in ten days. The expedition team, led by Lt Cdr Aditya Raturi, comprised one officer and nine sailors. The team members were awe-struck by the strategic location of the forts and their architecture. They interacted with students enroute and generated awareness among them about Indian Navy.
input : SM Patole
from Mumbai
Air Marshal AK Singh took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command. Commissioned in June 1967 in the Flying Branch of Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Singh has had a very distinguished career. He has held various command and staff appointments in his illustrious career. |
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Rear Admiral Rustom F Contractor took over as the Fleet Commander of the Western Fleet. The Admiral was commissioned in July 1971. He has commanded the first of the offshore petrol vessel (OPV) class ship INS Sukanya, two destroyers INS Rajpur and INS Ranvijay and INS Viraat. |
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Rear Admiral Vijai Singh Chaudhari took over as the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at an impressive parade held at the Naval Base. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on April 1, 1974, he specialised in anti submarine warfare. He is an alumnus of Defence Service Staff College (Wellington), College of Naval Warfare (Mumbai) and National Defence College (New Delhi). |
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Rear Admiral Rajender Singh, a specialist in missile and gunnery, took over as the Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command. A postgraduate of the Defence Service Staff College, he is also an alumnus of the College of Naval Warfare and Naval War College, Newport, USA. He has held various afloat and ashore appointments. |
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Lt Gen Mandhata Singh took over the command of Vajra Corps. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the General Officer was commissioned from IMA, Dehradun on December 21, 1968 into the Fifth Battalion of the Ninth Gorkha Rifles. Lt Gen Singh has held important staff and instructional appointments. |
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Lt Gen PR Gangadharan took over the command of the Desert Corps from Lt Gen KS Jamwal. Lt Gen PR Gangadharan, an alumnus of National Defence Academy, was commissioned into the 4th Battalion of Maratha Light Infantry in December 1968. He is a graduate from Defence Service Staff College, Wellington and commanded 4 Maratha LI. The General Officer attended the Long Defence Management Course. The General Officer has a wide experience in various command, staff and instructional appointments. |
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inputs: Wg Cdr Sanjeev
Sharma, Wg Cdr Anil Ingley, Capt
AK Lambhate, Cdr M Nambiar
and Naresh V Vig
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source : Cmdt Vineet Sharma, Col Ramphal Singh,
Lt Col PKG Mishra and Lt Col NY Sawant
