SP's Land Forces Feb-Mar 2009

LandForcesSP’s A N S P G U I D E P U B L I C A T I O N

LT GENERAL (RETD) PRAN PAHWAEDITOR

1/2009 SP’S LAND FORCES 1

I n T h i s I s s u e T h e O N LY j o u r n a l i n A s i a d e d i c a t e d t o L a n d F o r c e s

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On March 3, 12 heavily armed terror-ists attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in an up market commercial area in Lahore. At the end of the 27-

minute gun battle, eight persons including six policemen were dead and 10 wounded. Among those injured were seven Sri Lankan cricketers.

The incident shocked the world, highlighting the systemic chaos that the State of Pakistan is rapidly descending into. Pakistan presents a strange paradox. As a systemic entity, it suffers from serious fault lines and ethnic cleavages that are threatening to tear it apart. The State has eroded the very basis of its corporate exis-

tence by heavily weaponising society. There are over 250,000 armed jihadis in Pakistan and over three million motivated madrasa students fed on a diet of hate and victimhood.

The main line of the educational system was thoroughly Islamised by General Zia-ul-Haq and transformed into what Dr Pervez

I n T h i s I s s u e T h e O N LY j o u r n a l i n A s i a d e d i c a t e d t o L a n d F o r c e s Use of airpower in the battlefield has made the task of ground forces somewhat easier. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has demonstrated how airpower can become the ‘silver bullet’ in achieving victory in the immediate battle.

LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND6

Security threats and chal-lenges constitute the major impediments to a nation’s endeavours at development and prosperity. If such dan-gers arise from the neigh-bourhood, they become more complicated and burdensome

because of the proximity that affords greater impact. The heightened sense of insecurity tends to keep security forces on the edge, thereby escalating violence. India’s immediate neighbourhood seems to be falling apart.

Pakistan is on the verge of collapse. The reasons could be one or more of the fol-lowing: political instability, Talibanisation of the provinces, sectarian strife generated by ethnically or religiously motivated violence; Kashmir-based extremists or economic bank-ruptcy. President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he fears a Taliban takeover and that Pakistan is fighting for its survival. The latest move to further arm the population in Peshawar and Quetta to withstand the onslaught of the Taliban spells the recipe for a civil war, ingre-dients for which exist in Pakistan.

On February 26, Bangladesh experienced a brutal mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), their border guarding troops. Many of those killed were stripped, mutilated, bayoneted and shot. The Director General of the BDR, Major General Shakil Ahmed, was killed in cold blood and even his wife was not spared. The whole nation has been numbed by the sheer scale of brutality. The mutiny has come at a time when the newly elect-ed government, enjoying overwhelming majority in the Parliament, was getting ready for the task of governance, hence pointing to a larger and deeper conspiracy. The matter is being investi-gated by national and foreign agencies.

Sri Lanka, after a prolonged struggle has managed to subdue and defang the LTTE but the remnants are unlikely to give in easily as evidenced by the suicide attack during Muslim religious festival, Milad-un-Nabi. The explo-sion on March 10 rocked the southern town of Matara, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30, including Post and Telecommunication Minister Mahinda Wijesekara.

India’s neighbourhood on the sub-continent is seething with militancy and terrorism. This aspect analysed together with the existing economic slow down and the Parliamentary elections in April and May 2009, suggests that India needs to remain calm, plug weaknesses, and prepare its security apparatus for acquiring timely information and rapid reaction to pre-empt any attack from snowballing into a crisis.

Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor

Left wing extremism is perceived as a one of the biggest threat to internal security. The PLGA of the CPI (Maoists) is no longer a poorly trained militia but a highly equipped force trained on the lines of a regular army.

AMIT KUMAR SINGH94

The Indian Army’s modernisation plans have created a $20 billion (Rs 1,00,800 crore) opportunity, propelling the country to the centre stage of all big arms manufacturing establishments.

LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

Editor ial

Pakistan is paying a steep price for destabilising the entire region and indiscriminately employing non-state actors to spread the virus of chaos

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P A K I S T A N Collapse of a Nation

MAJOR GENERAL (RETD) G.D. BAKSHI

Neighbourhood Watch

2 SP’S LAND FORCES 1/2009

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Hoodhboy describes as a “blue print for a religious–Fascist State”. The US and the West today are desperately trying to prevent Pakistan from becoming a nuclear armed Somalia with even larger doses of military and economic aid. However, an objective analysis indicates that, as a systemic entity, Pakistan is no longer a viable concept. It has gone too far down the road and has become seriously dysfunctional.

Economic collapseIt is noteworthy that in the last 10 years the State of Pakistan has twice come to the brink of economic collapse.

• 1998: Post the nuclear tests, economic sanctions imposed on Pakistan saw the country’s economy teetering on the brink of collapse. Islamabad was left with just $1 billion (Rs 5,170 crore) in its Forex reserves. The country’s foreign debt had risen from $10 billion (Rs 51,700 crore) in 1980 to over $40 billion (Rs 2,06,800 crore) by the year 2000 and debt repay-ments were already 103 per cent of its GDP. Pakistan had thus become a rentier state. Executing a neat U-turn, Islamabad signed on to the US-led Global War on Terror, thereby receiving a generous assis-tance of nearly $11 billion (Rs 56,900 crore). Instead of rationalising its economy, Pakistan spent $6 billion (Rs 31,000 crore) on expensive Swedish Airborne Warning and Control System, US Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft, German Air Independent Propulsion Submarines and Chinese fight-ers and frigates—ostensibly to fight terror.

• 2008: Not surprisingly, by 2008 Pakistan’s economy was once again on the verge of collapse. Its Forex reserves had come down from $16 billion (Rs 82,820 crore) to just $3.5 billion (Rs 18,120 crore); simply put, less than one month’s import bill. Hat in hand, the country’s elite attended the Friends of Pakistan meeting to seek a bailout package of $10 billion to $15 bil-lion (Rs 51,760 crore to Rs 77,665 crore). The global financial meltdown caused its patrons to quail. After much Pakistani pleading, General David Petraeus of the US Central Command intervened with officials of the International Monetary Fund to get Islamabad a loan of some $7.5 billion (Rs 38,000 crore) to tide over its immediate financial crisis. The loan comes with stiff conditionalities (stoppage of subsidies) which will only add to the levels of economic pain in Pakistan. Pakistan’s debt burden has now crossed $47.5 billion (Rs 2,40,610 crore). Inflation in Pakistan stands at a staggering 25 per cent and there are serious food and fuel shortages.

Deep systemic flawsSultan Bashir, a Pakistani economist, has highlighted the basic structural flaw in the Pakistani economy. It is in a “Low Equilibrium Trap”. This stems from its abys-

mally low rate of domestic savings. It is just 12.7 per cent of the GDP (for most developing countries this is around 20 per cent of the GDP). Low savings lead to low growth rates of GDP. This further lowers the rate of domes-tic savings and makes Pakistan hostage to for-eign doles and bail outs. It is this vicious cycle or negative spiral which constitutes the “Low Equilibrium Trap” in the Pakistani economy.

The poverty trapPakistan is one of the few countries in the world where the levels of poverty have actually risen. In 1987-88, poverty levels in Pakistan were around 17.3 per cent. By 2001, these had gone up to 35 per cent. These are estimated to be well over 50 per cent today. In fact, more than 74 per cent of the population of Pakistan lives on less than $2 (Rs 103) a day. It is this poverty trap which compels Pakistani families to push their children into the madrasas for two square meals a day. The madrasas thus form an infor-mal social security net in Pakistan.

The madrasa trapAt the time of partition, the number of madrasas was just 245. By 2000, there were 11,882 registered madrasas in Pakistan. If the number of unregistered madrasas is added, the total number of madrasas in Pakistan goes over 45,000. Unfortunately, during the CIA sponsored Afghan jihad, these madrasas had been turned into fac-tories for producing fanatical and moti-vated Mujahideen for the jihad not just in Afghanistan but also in Jammu and Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya and Xinjiang. It is this abrasive complex of jihad that spells a dan-ger now not just to the state of Pakistan but equally for the entire region and the globe.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently underlined the fact that most ter-rorist strikes in the world have their origins in the Af-Pak region. It is these madrasas which spawned the Taliban and the ideol-ogy of jihad. General Zia-ul-Haq had made Abdul Ala Maududi’s book Al Jihad–e-Islami into his Mein kamph! This book divides the whole world into two conflicting ideological spaces—“Dar ul Islam” (where the pious rule) and the rest clubbed as Dar ul Harb, or the land of war which must be put to the fire and sword (and nuclear weapons once available). The Maududi thesis questions the very notion of state sovereignty. The only sovereignty that the jihadis recognised is “Hakumate-Illahi” or the “Sovereignty of Allah”. The jihadis, therefore, have no sanctity for state frontiers. This is an anti-nation state and anti-modern ideology that questions the very basis of a territory centered nation state.

Today, this jihad centered ideology of Talibanism is threatening to take over the whole of Pakistan. It is radiating outward from the tribal areas of NWFP and FATA to the major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The Pakistan Army and the

Pakistani State simply lack the will to stop the Taliban juggernaut. They just tamely surrendered to it in the Swat valley. Nizam-e-Adl (Religious Code of Justice) has just been imposed in the Malakand Division comprising of seven districts, including Dir, Swat, Chitral and Khoistan. This marks a major retreat of the Pakistani State. Islamabad sealed the deal with Maulana Sufi Mohammad who had earlier led tribal Lashkars to aid the Taliban against the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001. Pakistan’s unwillingness to fight the Taliban can be traced to the simple fact that 28 per cent of its troops are of Pashtun origin.

Collapse of over-militarised statesNo other country quite fits Paul Kennedy’s thesis of the collapse of over- militarised states as Pakistan. For 33 years out of 62, the Pakistani Army has directly ruled the state. Even in periods of civilian rule, it has never been a normal state where the army obeys the civilian government. Fact is, in Pakistan, the army formulates and runs the security/foreign policies and has its finger on the nuclear trig-ger. The real power in Pakistan is the military-ISI nexus. For decades it ensured that in spite of the lavish foreign aid and funding, Pakistan was spending some 6 to 9 per cent of its GDP on defence. In contrast, expenditure on educa-tion has been just 1.7 per cent of GDP, while health was allotted barely 0.4 per cent.

The Pakistani security state is obsessed about competing with India militarily. A nuclear armed state, by simply threatening to collapse it holds a pistol to its own head. It has arm-twisted its foreign patrons not just into keeping the bankrupt state economically afloat but also duped them into bank rolling its conventional and nuclear arms race with India for over six decades. India is a country five times the size of Pakistan and has 10 times its economic resources. India must cater for deterring a much larger China. Yet, the Pakistani military elite has been aiming for not just parity but even trying to gain an edge in nuclear and conventional terms.

Bane of asymmetric warfareKey cause for the systemic collapse that is now threatening the State of Pakistan is the heavy

investment its military has made in asym-metric warfare. In seeking military parity with India, it has time and again rented out terri-tory to extra regional powers in return for lib-eral grants of military aid and equipment. To support the CIAs jihad against Soviet troops in Afghanistan it indiscriminately weaponised the tribes in the Af-Pak border.

What was alarming was not just the scale but the sophistication of weaponisation which included shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and air defence guns, and heavy caliber rockets. Around 80,000 mujahideen were armed and sent into Afghanistan. The border madrasas were turned into a jihad factory. The ISI raised some 40 Islamist organisations bent upon promoting jihad in all corners of the world. Once the Afghan war was over, the ISI turned its full covert potential to wage a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. The ideology of jihad was used to fuel these asymmetric wars in its neighbourhood to seize the head waters of the Pakistani rivers in Jammu and Kashmir and gain strategic depth in Afghanistan. Hussain Haqqani observes: “Unfortunately in the process of the tactical use of ideol-ogy to further short term agendas and narrow political and personal objectives, the very character and chemistry of the Pakistani state changed forever.” Vali Nasr, a Malaysian Islamic scholar, wrote, “Zia-ul-Haq’s use of ideology subverted the very character and nature of the Pakistani State.” Dr Ayesha Siddiqui highlighted: “Pakistan tried to minimise the cost of defence and increase its strategic depth by employing non-state actors. This is not a viable option anymore. The general perception is that these groups can be used and discarded as required. In other words, they are control-lable or their use is unlikely to change the character of a society and State.”

Today, Pakistan is paying a steep price for destabilising the entire region and indiscrimi-nately employing non-state actors to spread the virus of chaos. This has led to the indis-criminate weaponisation of its own society to an extent that has made the state completely dysfunctional. A modern nation state is char-acterised by its sole monopoly of violence. It has to consciously disarm and de-weaponise its citizenry. Pakistan did the opposite and has now to come to terms with the stark conse-quences. Its asymmetric warfare assets are spinning out of control and seriously threat-ening the stability of not just the state but the entire region. Problem is, Pakistan is a nuclear armed state. If it spins out of control or disintegrates under the weight of its own self- contradictions, it could place weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors with a suicidal mindset. That would be a catastrophe for the world in general.

Is it already too late to save the nation state in Pakistan from its own asymmetric warfare assets? Unfortunately, the time for short term solutions and quick fixes in Pakistan is now over. An objective and dispassionate analy-sis of Pakistan as a systemic entity clearly indicates that it has become dysfunctional. Economically it can not be sustained. Periodic injections of $10 billion to $15 billion (Rs 51,375 crore to Rs 77,060 crore) cannot cor-rect the structural flaws in its economy. Such doles will be used by the military elite to buy more expensive weapons that may one day be put to use to haunt the very people who financed them. The world may soon have to come to terms with consequences of State fail-ure and collapse in Pakistan.

Even as the State careens into col-lapse mode in Pakistan, China is building three more reactors to produce plutonium to enlarge the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. Paradoxically, even in its death throes, Pakistan’s patrons are supplying it with more sophisticated weapons and nukes for the Taliban to use tomorrow. The world must now be made starkly aware of this great dan-ger to the global order. SP

The writer is a strategic analyst and former Senior Directing Staff at the

National Defence College.

Pakistan is a nuclear armed state. If it spins out of control or disintegrates under the weight of its own self- contradictions, it could place weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors with a suicidal mindset.

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One of the important highlights of the interim budget is the compara-tively higher allocation for defence comprising the three services

and a host of other departments and agen-cies of the Ministry of Defence, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the ordnance factories. Elaborating on the government’s decision to increase the defence expen-diture to Rs 1,41,703 crore this year, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Mumbai attacks had given a new dimension to cross-border terrorism.

Over the last three decades, India’s Defence Budget has varied between 2 and 3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), corresponding to between 13 and 17 per cent of central government expenditure. Annual increase has varied from as low as 3 per cent to a high of 26 per cent. This time, it has been pegged at 2.35 per cent of the GDP. Historically, the resource allocation strategy of the government has appeared to be incremental, driven by the need to replace obsolescent equipment and hardware of each service. This time around an additional factor was introduced, namely, substantial increase in the revenue expenditure due to the enhanced pay and allowances for all central government employees in accordance with the Sixth Pay Commission’s report. As far as building a military capability is con-cerned, despite all the rhetoric endorsing the need for capability-based defence budgeting to ensure a secure future, in practice India is still employing the same old methods with an element of superficial sophistication infused by the Integrated Defence Staff.

Building military capability is a long term exercise which depends not only on the level of expenditure but on a holistic plan that delineates stage wise milestones of capability development. Thus, defence expenditure is linked to longer term planned expenditure, based on emerging challenges and threats, trends in warfare, induction of new technologies and new method of warfighting which is dependent on the nature of future conflicts. Hence, military expenditure for capability build-ing is associated to a wide range of issues. Other factors that impinge on building a military capability include the voids in the inventory of equipment and munitions of each service, the revenue to capital ratios, indigenous research and development and manufacturing capabilities, import con-tent, the technology and performance of acquired weapon systems, their lifetime support, interoperability with other systems in use within the three services, and the efficiency of the equipment in local geo-graphical environment.

Budget in detailFor 2009-10, the defence budget at 2.35 per cent of the GDP has increased by 34.19 per cent over the previous year’s budget estimate (BE) of Rs 1,05,600 crore. However, at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage of 2008-09, the budget stood Rs 1,14,600 crore, scaled upward by Rs 9,000 crore (8.52 per cent). Thus, the increase in the budget is 23.65 per cent over the RE stage.

Towards revenue expenditure of the three services, Rs 86,879 crore has been allocated,

while capital budget, which caters for mod-ernisation and military capability building, has been pegged at Rs 54,824 crore. Thereby, rev-enue expenditure has been increased by 50.85 per cent (Rs 29,286 crore) while the capital expenditure has declined as compared to last year. The defence budget as a percentage ratio of revenue expenditure to capital expenditure now stands at 61.31 to 54.54. Capital expen-diture has gone down by nearly 7 percentage points as per figures shown below.

2008-09 2009-10

Defence Budget (Rs in crore)

1,05,600 1,41,703

Growth of Defence Budget (%)

10 34.19

Revenue Expenditure (Rs in crore)

57,593 86,879

Share of Revenue Expenditure in Defence Budget (%)

54.54 61.31

Growth of Revenue Expenditure (%)

6.50 50.85

Capital Expenditure (Rs in crore)

48,007 54,824

Share of Capital Expenditure in Defence Budget (%)

45.46 38.69

Growth of Capital Expenditure (%)

14.51 14.20

The relatively large increase of revenue expenditure is primarily due to the increase in pay and allowances flowing from the imple-mentation of Sixth Central Pay Commission. To put the figure in perspective, total bud-geted pay and allowances debited from the services’ budgets has more than doubled from Rs 21,891.67 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 44,500.69 crore in 2009-10. Service-wise, the army accounts for the largest share of the 2009-10 budget with an approximate allocation of Rs 76,680 crore, followed by the air force (Rs 34,432 crore) and the navy (Rs 20,604 crore). While the Ordnance Factories (OF) have a budget of Rs 1,505.45 crore, the DRDO’s budget is Rs 8,481.54 crore.

Modernisation plans Modernisation of the armed forces is not keeping pace with the changing security environment of India’s immediate and stra-tegic neighbourhood. New challenges have already emerged while the old threats from traditional adversaries remain. Hence India needs to prepare itself for the full spectrum of warfare ranging from low intensity conflict involving counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations to conventional conflicts under the nuclear shadow. The dilemma is of how much emphasis should be laid to acquir-ing each type of capability. That notwith-standing, the requirements of the Services

are vast and wide ranging. Some require-ments of the three Services are given in the succeeding paragraphs.

The Indian Army needs to acquire field guns of 155 mm calibre for its fighting for-mations in the plains, deserts and in the mountains. India has floated a global tender for the purchase of 400 155 mm towed artillery guns for the army, to be followed by indigenous manufacture of another 1,100 howitzers, in a project worth a whopping Rs 8,000 crore. In January 2008, the MoD floated an RFP for 140 pieces of ultra-light 39 calibre 155 mm towed howitzers for use by the Indian Army’s mountain formations which will cost approximately Rs 3,000 crore. India has also decided to acquire another 347 T-90S tanks from Russia and assemble them within the country. Another area of inadequacy is the air defence (AD) of field for-mations. Nearly all equipment in the Indian Army’s AD inventory needs replacement, most of the equipment is between 30 to 40 years old. Simultaneously there is a need for equipping our infantry and Special Forces with modern surveillance and soft ware driven communication equipment. Tactical communications need to be upgraded for field formations because that will form the back-bone structure for the C4ISR system when it is established. Hence, there is no dearth of proj-ects in the Army which need to be funded.

The Indian Air Force is in dire need of multi-role combat aircraft to fill the existing vacuum. Reduced to around 30 squadrons from its earlier strength of 39-and-half squadrons, the IAF is also in urgent need of radars to cover the gaps existing in the west-ern and northern borders and air defence missiles. The percentage of precision muni-tions is also inadequate for the anticipated conflicts of the future.

The Indian Navy requires: • long range air defence and anti missile

defence capability• long range anti-surface warfare capability

using precision guided weapons, including those with a credible land attack capability

• anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability to counter the potential submarine threat both conventional and nuclear through provision of a balanced mix of ASW capa-bility both for deep waters as also the more challenging littorals

• amphibious capability for provision of security to island territories as also for a possible power projection role, and

• mine warfare through augmentation of minesweeping and mine hunting capability.All three services need to develop Network

Centric Warfare.

Availability of capital budgetAssuming that nearly 80 per cent of the capi-tal budget is meant for capital acquisitions, with 60 per cent of committed liabilities and 40 per cent for new schemes, then the main sub-divisions of the capital budget could be as under:

• Total Capital Budget : Rs 54,824 crore • Capital Acquisition : Rs 43,859 crore• Committed Liabilities : Rs 26,316 crore• New Schemes : Rs 17,544 crore

In view of the above, a substantial amount will be available for capital procurement. Nearly Rs 17,500 crore (30 per cent of the capital budget) will be available for new

weapons systems planned for induction. While this is an optimistic view it will depend on how much resources are actually made available and the method adopted for spend-ing the amounts made available.

Budgeting Process: The loopholesThe budgeting process for the ensuing financial year (FY) starts with the Forecast Estimates (FE), which are submitted to the Ministry of Defence by each Service HQ in the month of November of the previous year. FE is an indicative projection of requirement of funds by the services for the forthcom-ing FY. The FE is followed by the Budget Estimates (BE) in December. This is a more fine-tuned estimate of requirement of funds for the ensuing FY. Meanwhile, a number of proposals submitted by Service HQ remain pending with the government. There are no clear indications from the ministry about the final outcome of these proposals and the related cash out go in the current FY. Since the requirement of funds for the ensuing FY also depends on the proposals cleared in the current FY, Service HQ are not in a position to project the BE accurately.

Additionally, the government is also known to surprise the Services at the RE stage (around mid-February) by withdrawing sizeable amount of funds from the initial allocations. The blame game between the services and the government continues. The services harbour the opinion that the government deliberately goes slow and withdraws funds from defence allocations due to political considerations or to balance the account books at the end of the FY. This surrender of funds is a matter of serious concern, since the money is from the capital account of the budget, needless to say that the modernisation programme of the services are delayed and much needed equipment is not available to the troops in actual combat. The cascading effect of this delay in procurement can never be made up, because of the sheer numbers and size of requirement.

Thus, even if adequate funds are allocated, equipment may not be available in adequate numbers as also the time required to absorb technology will militate against mass pro-curement. There are a host of other reasons for surrender of funds, such as lacklustre pursual of procurement cases based on inac-curate and inadequate framework, bureau-cratic delays, delays in price negotiation committee, single vendor situations, long tri-als, no or late release of payments to vendors and so on. Surrender of funds has been hotly debated in Parliament and invited adverse comments of successive Defence Committees.

Utilisation of fundsThe defence budget for 2009-10 represents 14.87 per cent of total central government expenditure, and 2.35 per cent of GDP. The growth of over 34 per cent in this year’s defence budget is a high figure. During the past few years, the defence budgets had been subjected to criticism in view of their declining share of total central government expenditure and GDP. In fact, last year the defence budget had decreased to below two per cent of GDP. The corresponding figures for 2008-09 are 14.06 per cent and 1.95 per cent respectively.

However, the problem of under utilisation of resources under the capital head persists. As the latest budget reveals, the budgeted capi-tal expenditure for 2008-09 has decreased by Rs 7,007 crore (15 per cent) from Rs 48, 007 crore to Rs 41,000 crore at the RE stage. Its implication is also seen in the wide variation in the growth of the capital budget. If the entire 2008-09 capital budget had been spent, the 2009-10 capital expenditure would have seen only 14.2 per cent growth instead of 33.72 per cent rise (Rs 13,824 crore). Recurring under utilisation of resources is serious enough to mandate a complete overhaul of the acquisition system to ensure that funds are utilised in a timely manner and for the purpose for which they are allocated. SP

Defence Budget

Money Sparsely SpentThe problem of under utilisation of resources under the capital head persists even as India’s Defence Budget 2009-10 represents 14.87 per cent of total central government expenditure and 2.35 per cent of the GDP



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The Indian Army’s modernisation plans have created a $20 billion (Rs 1,00,800 crore) opportunity, propel-ling the country to the centre stage of

all big arms manufacturing establishments. The key features of the plan and the steps already taken towards the acquisition of equipment are discussed below.Armour: The army has already received 14 out of the 124 Arjun Main Battle Tanks (MBT) it had ordered. These are undergoing sub-unit trials before further induction of the entire lot. As many as 310 T-90S tanks had been ordered from Russia. Of these, 124 fully assembled tanks were directly imported from Russia and 186 kits were imported for assembly in India. The first indigenously assembled T-90S rolled out from the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi on January 7, 2004. These tanks have now been operationalised. Defect in the fire con-trol systems of the T-90S tanks, caused due to excessive heating of the turrets during the sum-mers, is being remedied by air-conditioning the interior. An additional 347 T-90S tanks have been negotiated for induction into the service, bringing the total figure to 647.

A programme has simultaneously been launched to modernise the T-72M1 Ajeya MBTs. Around 1,700 T-72M1s have been man-ufactured under licence at HVF, Avadi. The T-72M1 modernisation programme under Project Rhino will extend the service life of the MBT by 20 years, enhance their accuracy with the new Drawa-T Fire Control System (FCS) which, inte-grated with a thermal imager, will afford night fighting capability. The tanks are additionally being equipped with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) for better protection, along with a laser warning system and new, frequency hopping, tank radios sets from Tadiran for more secure communications. A new power pack is also under consideration to further enhance mobil-ity, especially with the heavy ERA packages that are being strapped on. However, modernisation of the T-72 is way behind schedule due to com-plicated procurement procedures exacerbated by delayed decision making. The T-90 and the improved T-72M1 tanks will constitute the armour might of India in the future till a new MBT is chosen or designed indigenously.Mechanised Infantry: The mechanised infantry is equipped with the BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV), christened Sarath. Over 1,000 of these have been manufactured since 1987. A new variant is the 81 mm Carrier Mortar Tracked based on the chassis of the Sarath ICV and has been indigenously devel-oped to enhance the integral firepower available to mechanised infantry battalions. Other vari-

ants include a command post, an ambulance, armoured dozer and engineer and reconnais-sance vehicles. The ICVs are being equipped with thermal imaging sights and image intensi-fiers. The army had ordered 198 Carrier Mortar Tracked, which have since been delivered. Artillery: In keeping with the policy that 15 mm will be the standard calibre for the artil-lery, Israeli firm Soltam was given the contract for upgunning 180 of the M-46 130 mm guns acquired from Russia. After some initial hitches, all 180 guns have been successfully upgraded and operationalised. This will extend the range of the erstwhile 130 mm guns from 28 to 40 km with extended range ammunition.

Two regiments of Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL) have been procured from Russia, through Rosboronexport. This will enhance the reach of the artillery considerably, thus giving commanders multiple options for offensive operations in enemy’s depth. Extended range rockets are also expected to boost the range of Grad BM-21 rockets from 22 km to about 40 km. The indigenously developed Pinaka MBRL has been accepted for induction into service. Two private sector companies are taking part in the production of Pinaka.

Two missile groups of Prithvi surface-to-surface short range ballistic missile and one of Agni have reportedly been raised. Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile has been successfully test-fired and is undergoing further trials. These missiles may be placed under the Strategic Forces Command. The army version of BrahMos cruise missile, developed jointly by India and Russia, has been successfully tested and inducted into service. Twelve AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radars have been received from the US. Additional radars of the same class are planned to be acquired through indigenous development.

The Heron UAV—a medium-altitude, long endurance UAV from Israel—has been acquired in addition to the Searcher I and II UAVs. Medium range battlefield surveillance radars have been introduced into the inventory of the army’s surveillance and target acquisition units for enhancing the medium range ground sur-veillance capability of the army. The long-range observation system (LORROS) provides day and night surveillance capability up to a range of about 11 to 13 km. It is performing well, especially in counter-infiltration operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Most of these sensors are currently functioning in a stand-alone mode as there are no arrangements to link them togeth-er on a networked surveillance grid.

Development of the Nishant remotely piloted vehicle, designed by the Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO) to under-take battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance, real time engagement of targets by artillery fire and laser designation has been successfully completed. It has been approved for induction through limited series production. The Artillery Combat Command and Control System has been successfully developed and is under pro-duction. Trial evaluation of Terminal Guided Munitions, Trajectory Guided Munitions, Velocity Enhanced Long Range Artillery Projectiles and Anti-Radiation Ammunition is also in progress. Air Defence Artillery: The Corps of Army Air Defence holds a large variety of guns and missile systems. It has the 40 mm L/70, Zu-23-2 Twin gun, ZSU-23-4 Schilka and Tangushka in its inventory. The 40 mm L/70, which is about four decades old, needs immedi-ate replacement. Considering the high costs of new weapon systems, the army is going in for

weapon upgrades for L-70, ZU-23-2 Twin gun, and ZSU-23-4 Schilka.

Meanwhile, the army is also looking for suc-cessors to L-70 and the ZU-23-2. A successor to Schilka (ZSU-23-4) already exists in the form of Tangushka, but in limited numbers. In missile systems, Kvadrat (medium range) and OSA–AK (short range) have reached the end of their life-cycle. These were to be replaced by Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles, but since these DRDO projects have been inordinately delayed, replacements from abroad may have to be acquired. One major weakness in the overall air defence matrix is the lack of a battlefield man-agement system, which is also linked with the national air defence network. Infantry: The combat potential of the infan-try, particularly in the areas of firepower and surveillance for counter-insurgency and conventional operations, is being significantly enhanced. Some of the systems introduced recently include the 20 mm and 14.5 mm Anti-Material Rifle, Automatic Grenade Launcher-

30, Multiple Grenade Launcher, 84 mm Rocket Launcher Mk II and Kornet-E ATGM with ther-mal imaging night sights. Surveillance equip-ment includes Battlefield Surveillance Radars, Hand Held Thermal Imagers and various types of Unattended Ground Sensors. Engineers: Equipment has been procured to assist in de-mining operations. Equipment is also being procured to better equip army engineers to participate in disaster management. Protective equipment, to enhance the fighting capability of the army in the nuclear, biological and chemical scenario has been procured. Protection against Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations is also being enhanced through procurement of a sophisticated range of equipment.Communications: A country-wide, secured, value-added backbone for data and voice trans-mission in a networked architecture is being established to connect the army’s important formation headquarters. Strategic broadband satellite network, the first of its kind connect-ing 22 locations, has recently been commis-sioned under a project titled Mercury Flash. On February 24, 2006, the erstwhile President of India, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, dedicated the Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) to the nation. The AWAN is designed to connect all field and peace-time formations, training estab-lishments and logistics installations in the coun-try. As regards electronic warfare, the Defence Acquisition Council of the MoD has approved the acquisition of electronic warfare equipment worth Rs 1,500 crore ($333 million). Information Systems: A new organization, the Director General Information Systems, has been established in the army under the Deputy Chief (Policy and Systems). The objective is to vigor-ously pursue the establishment of the Command Information Decision Support System for the army to link together all other automated com-munication and information systems such as the Battlefield Surveillance System, the Artillery Combat Command and Control System, the Air Defence Control and Reporting System, and Battle Management System in an effort to pres-ent a holistic picture to a commander and his senior staff officers to ease the decision making process. This will also link the communication system at strategic, operational and tactical levels and enable the army to fight ‘network enabled warfare’ in the future. Developments in these fields are slow but steady and the army report-edly expects to achieve the first stage of network enabled capability in a decade or so. SP

Full article in SP’s Military Yearbook 2008-2009.

Reinforcing POWERA synopsis of the proposed and acquired systems that promise to enhance the army’s capabilities LT GENERAL (RETD) V.K. KAPOOR

The Indian Army

The T-90 and the improved T-72M1 tanks will constitute the armour might of India in the future till a new MBT is chosen or designed indigenously

The T-72

The Agni III missile model

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Accurate intelligence is a vital ele-ment of planning for any success-ful military operation. The process of gathering intelligence starts

with the systematic collection of information by all types of sensors—soldiers, electronics and optics, to name a few. Information is also accrued by reconnaissance and target acqui-sition. This information is then converted into intelligence to assist the commander and his staff formulate battle plans for execution.

Technology can assist in providing bet-ter sensors, faster passage of information and conversion of mass information into intelligence with the help of computers. Integrating the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems with bet-ter communications, faster computers and command and control systems helps to cre-ate a complete battle command and control system. Intelligence received by the military forces must:

• be in a format that enables the defence forces to swiftly defeat an adversary

• enable the commanders to act quickly, secretly, and effectively

• allow anticipation of the adversary’s actions and the needs of own command-ers and warfighters

• provide predictive intelligence that stays ahead of the battle, and

• extend to the post-conflict, security and stabilisation phase of a campaign as well.

Major ISR systemsImagery Intelligence: IMINT uses all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electro opti-cal/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), moving target indicator and so on. The UAVs range from Global Hawk and Predator to the smaller tactical versions, like the US Army’s SHADOW 200 and Elbit’s Skylark which pro-vide flexibility and adaptability to meet the immediate needs of battlefield commanders. The US also has the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and other similar systems. Measurement and Signals Intelligence: MASINT includes unattended ground sen-sors (UGSs) and so on.Signals Intelligence: SIGINT, as the name suggests, involves intelligence gathering by intercepting signals. Communications Intelligence (COMINT) refers to information gleaned from exchanges between people, while Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) signifies signals intercepted between machines, includ-ing radars. As sensitive information is often encrypted, signals intelligence often involves the use of cryptanalysis. However, traffic anal-ysis can also produce valuable information. In fact, order of battle (ORBAT) can be built step by step through SIGINT. Various systems pro-viding COMINT and SIGINT are available and can be used to enhance intelligence or jam the adversaries systems.Human Intelligence: HUMINT is a vital com-ponent of ISR and can be obtained by covert or

overt means, including special forces.Future Combat System Platforms: This is especially applicable to the US and other countries which have developed and fielded systems for their soldiers for providing bet-ter situational awareness, faster exchange of orders, better fire power, improved com-munications and protection. India is also developing a similar system called “Soldier as a System”. All the sensors used in these systems are integrated with the overall ISR system to provide a better intelligence picture.

ISR in the Indian ArmyA great source of intelligence during peace and war, SIGINT has been widely used in the Indian Army (IA). Also in the frame are the ELINT systems which have various types of radar signatures in the database and, after comparing with intercepted signals, can issue electronic order of battle from which ORBAT can be inferred. The other source is battlefield surveillance radar developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited. UAVs, like the Israeli-made Searcher and Heron, have also become part of the inventory.

Improved ISR packages are available, which include the SAR. Then again, BAE Systems’ AURORA Generation IV spectral ISR system combines hyperspectral imaging technology with high-resolution electro-optic

and infrared sensors with an airborne pro-cessing system that fuses spectral and imag-ery data in real time and has been provided to the US Army. IA is reportedly on the look-out for micro UAVs directly or through the DRDO route. The border management has been through a mix of HUMINT, battlefield surveillance radars, electro-optical devices, UAVs and even electrified fencing which is manufactured by Tata. But certain portions of the border with Bangladesh or the desert area in Rajasthan is still porous and needs better means for surveillance.

To fight insurgency like that unleashed by the Naxalites, systems specially designed for urban areas need to be acquired. Among the systems fielded are the Eyeball-1 and Gate Keeper, remotely controlled video sur-veillance devices from ODF Optronics Ltd of Israel. Eyeball-1 enables troops to gather valuable intelligence by viewing images and listening to voices in a target area prior to an assault into a room or entering subterra-nean spaces. Gate Keeper uses covert cam-eras, triggered by passive infrared signals, to secure access routes, or a building, room or floor, validating that it has not been recaptured by hostile elements. A minia-ture UGS, developed by Seraphim, provides covert visual surveillance of a target. The choices are varied and to keep pace with the future operational challenges, India needs to upgrade ISR systems. SP

Close CombatShort range and very short range air defence systems are effective in countering low altitude attacksLT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Use of airpower in the battlefield has made the task of ground forces somewhat easier. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has demon-

strated how airpower can become the ‘silver bullet’ in achieving victory in the immediate battle but ground troops have to finally slog to win the war. This is the time when they are most vulnerable to enemy airpower and would need air defence (AD) by own air force as well as ground based systems.

Threat from the air will include fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, UAVs and cruise missiles. Generally, the attack profile will be at low altitudes, except that of the UAVs. Thus, the requirement will be of point AD where the fighters will be flying low and attack heli-copters will be flying nap of the Earth even as zooming cruise missiles hug its contours. However, with the development of standoff weapons, selected AD weapons will require longer ranges to destroy the attacking aircraft before it launches its weapon.

Indian PerspectiveUse of airpower was quite extensive during the 1965 and 1971 conflicts. As a conse-

quence, army AD was modernised especially to cater for the field army, including the mechanised forces.

Guns: The 40 mm L60 and L70 were in service and, later on, all the L60s were replaced by L70, but with its heavy weight and fire control radar, the latter proved unwieldy for the field army. Subsequently, ZU-23 mm twin barrel guns were acquired from Russia which, although very light and mobile, had to be manually operated and thus not effective during the night. The L70 is now obsolete and needs immediate replacement but options are few. At the forefront is the Skyshield of Rheinmetall Defence—a modern gun system with Ahead (advance hit efficien-cy and destruction technology) ammunition. Ahead contains 152 heavy tungsten metal, spin stabilised sub-projectiles that are ejected by a time fuse and is very effective against small targets. Schilka was acquired for the mechanised forces during the early 1970s but is now obsolete. Tangushka replaced Schilka, but for some reason a limited number were imported. There is a requirement to acquire either more Tangushkas or look for alterna-tives, like mounting Skyshield on a suitable

indigenous chassis or Pantsir S1 developed by KBP, as an upgrade of the Tangushka.

Short range missile systems: India had acquired the OSA-AK (SAM 8) which has a range of about 8 km and is a fully mobile system, but now needs to be replaced. Trishul was being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, but it was foreclosed as efforts hit a wall. At present, there are many systems available, like the Spyder which has been developed by Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries. It is a short range (15 km max range), low level (20-9,000 m altitude), integrated, all-weather air defence system, which consists of the Python 5 IR guided and Derby RF guided Beyond Visual Range missiles. The Indian Air Force has already acquired a few launchers of Spyder.

Raytheon’s SLAMRAAM is a mod-ern system which offers effective defence against the low-flying cruise missile and the unmanned aerial vehicle. Russia’s TOR-M1 surface-to-air missile system is a mobile, integrated air defence system, designed for operation at medium-, low- and very low altitudes, against fixed/rotary wing aircraft,

UAVs, guided missiles and precision weapon at a range of 12 km. Canada’s Air Defense Anti-Tank System (ADATS) is based on the M113A2. The ADATS is purportedly the most successful short range AD system in the world, with 85 per cent or better engage-ment success rate. Developed by Rheinmetall Air Defence, it has a range of 8 km for ground targets and 10 km for aerial targets.

Shoulder-fired AD missile systems: Indian defence forces have the Igla shoul-der-fired missile system of Russian origin which is a very good system. Russians are developing its successor, the Igla-S, which is effective against approaching targets. US short range AD systems are based around the FIM-92 Stinger missile and its mounted platforms, the M1097 Avenger and M6 Linebacker. It is effective against cruise mis-siles, UAVs, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Similar to most of the shoulder-fired AD systems, it is a fire-and-forget infrared guided missile. Another sys-tem is the Starstreak, with a range of 7 km, which is in service in UK and has been man-ufactured by Thales Air Defence Limited (formerly, Shorts Missile Systems). SP

Air Defence

Gateways to IntelligenceISR Systems facilitate accrual of information that can be converted into intelligence to assist in the formulation of battle plans. These systems help to create a complete battle command and control system.

LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Technology

The Pantsir S1 developed by KBP

The Shadow 200 UAV

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Power WheelsMahindra Defence Systems initially created the market for light bullet proof vehicles in India and soon became the leader in up-armoured vehiclesBY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Industr y

The Axe

Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) is a division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M). Supplying vehicles since 1947

to the army and security forces, M&M is also the main supplier of 4x4 light vehicles to the Indian armed forces, police and para-military forces. At present there are over 12,000 vehicles in the army and many times that number with the police and para-military forces.

MDS was formed in July 2000 as a single point contact for all M&M dealings with the Ministry of Defence and for special vehicles for the security forces. MDS initially created the market for light bullet proof vehicles in India and soon became the leader in up-armoured vehicles. Today there are in excess of 600 MDS up-armoured vehicles in service in the Indian Army and security/police forces as well as in the security forces of some foreign countries.

MDS is organised in three functional areas—Land Systems, Naval Systems and Defence C4I systems.

Land SystemsAfter modest beginnings with supply of M&M Jeep and its variants to Indian Army, Land Systems has developed into a large entity with its own Defence R&D and a manufacturing facility near Faridabad. Current competencies in land systems are up-armouring of light and medium vehicles, high mobility vehicles and special vehicles. In the light armoured vehicle category, MDS has a 80 per cent market share. Up-armoured and Specialist Vehicles: Currently, the range encompasses the fol-lowing up-armoured and specialist vehicles.Rakshak: This is a battle proven opera-tional vehicle of which there are over 450

in service. With ballistic protection up to 7.62 mm x 51 NATO ball and the ability to withstand the simultaneous explosion of two grenades below the belly, these vehicles have been tested in combat. Marksman: India’s only bulletproof vehicle based on a steel capsule, it offers ballistic protection against 7.62 mm x 51 NATO ball. It has the aggressive styling and engine power required for high intensity combat situations.Up-armoured Scorpio & Bolero: Discreet protection for VIPs and senior officers, there are over a hundred up-armoured Scorpios and Bolero in service. Various protection levels to suit user needs can be configured.Mine Protected Vehicle: This MPVi is being developed specifically for the require-ments of Indian armed and police forces. A highly powered operational vehicle, the MPVi will have modern fitments and weap-on mounts for its role. Apart from suitable ballistic protection, it will have protection against mines and IEDs containing upto 10 kg of explosive.Axe: A High mobility fast attack vehicle, it incorporates world class technologies for bespoke Indian Army requirements. Based on a space frame chassis with independent suspension on all four wheels, fitted with a 180 hp engine, the Axe is a consummate off-road military vehicle. It has a versatile design that can be adapted to various mili-tary uses.Light Strike Vehicle: The vehicle has a 3 tonne GVW with a payload of 950 kg and a power to weight ratio of above 30 kW /T. MDS is the only Indian vendor participating in the Global Tender by Indian Army for 138 such vehicles.Rapid Intervention Vehicle: The RIV is designed for riot control in urban areas by

police forces. It has many specialist fittings, including tear gas launchers and a dozer blade to clear obstacles. Cash in Transit Van: Designed for movement of valuable cargo, the CITV is a sheer proof light armoured vehicle that can be manufac-tured to any configuration required by the user.

Future CompetenciesIn order to expand its range of products, MDS plans to acquire the following addi-tional competencies, obtaining technology through joint ventures with international leaders in the field where required:

• Artillery Systems upgrades and integration.• Combat vehicles and advanced vehicle

armouring.• Remote controlled vehicles.

In keeping with our plans, and following approval from the Government of India’s Foreign Investment Promotions Board, a joint venture is being set up with BAE Systems focused on Land Systems for the Indian Defence Forces and export market.

Mahindra Special Military Vehicles

Facility: This modern facility is the first of its kind in India; spread over six acres in Faridabad, it is uniquely equipped to handle the manufacture of special military vehicles for various applications. Besides manufactur-ing, virtual designing, vehicle engineering and advanced prototyping of vehicles will also be undertaken at the facility. The facil-ity which started its operations in December last year is currently manufacturing up armoured light and medium vehicles.

Military ElectronicsIn conjunction with Tech Mahindra, the Defence IT Capability & Solutions Unit–Defence intends becoming a global provider of C4I Systems & Network Centric Warfare solutions to the armed forces & other secu-rity agencies. Tech Mahindra is today con-sidered the third largest systems integrator in the world, and it will bring this awesome capability to bear on defence solutions. This organisation has already leveraged its strong capabilities for various military C4I projects. SP

Naval System

Mahindra Naval Systems is a leading supplier of high technology marine underwater systems for defence applications. The company has a dedicated manufacturing facility at Pune with over 21,000 sq ft of covered space and a wide range of machinery for composite applications. It has been associated with the Naval Processor Based Ground Mine Mk 1, including significant improve-ments in the electronics of the mine. In conjunction with the NSTL, Visakhapatnam and BEL, Bangalore, it has manufactured the first indigenous Torpedo Decoy Launcher for fitment on board newly constructed warships. SP

Processor Based Ground Mine MK I Torpedo Decoy Launcher

The Rakshak The Marksman

Up-armoured Scorpio & Bolero Rapid Intervention Vehicle

Cash in Transit Van Mahindra Special Military Vehicles Facility

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Counter Ter ror ism

Rise of Left ExtremismLeft wing extremism is one of the biggest threat to internal security. The Maoist influence affects 40 per cent of India.

AMIT KUMAR SINGH

Roots of Left wing extremism in India can be traced back to the colonial phase of the modern history. Leftist/communist political movements,

labour and agrarian unrests, revolutionary societies and tribal revolts that erupted dur-ing various phases of colonial rule in India sowed the seeds of Left movement in India. The revolutionary fervour these movements induced among the masses proliferated to the post-Independence period as well. The radi-cal Left political movement continued to gain popularity and support and ultimately crys-tallised into an organised armed movement in the aftermath of a police firing incident in Naxalbari village in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal on May 25, 1967. The incident was the beginning of the transformation of a primarily political and socio-economic agrar-ian movement into an armed struggle.

During this phase, radical Left move-ments erupted in various parts of the country. Ripples of the Naxalbari incident were felt in Tamil Nadu, Bihar (Muzaffarpur), Kerala (Wayanad and Tellicherri), parts of Orissa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam). But it remained largely scattered and uncoordinated. The movement could not withstand the repressive measures of the gov-ernment. West Bengal, for instance, launched a major offensive, Operation Steeple Chase, in which the military, paramilitary and the state forces participated jointly in the Naxal affected areas. The movement finally died out after the arrest and death of Charu Majumdar in July 1972. Thereafter, it re-emerged in the early 1980s, continued to gain base and has been expanding ever since. Charu’s death dealt a blow to Naxalites across the country even as the central authority of the movement collapsed. In the aftermath, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), or CPI (M-L), got disinte-grated into innumerable groups and sub-groups which were engaged in internecine squabbles.

Efforts to form a joint frontLate 1970 onwards, the centre of gravity of Naxalism gradually shifted from West Bengal to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. During this phase, some extremist groups, such as the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the People’s War Group (PWG), made dogged efforts to form a joint front. Despite similarities in ideology and

shared objectives, endeavours to the merger met with numerous obstacles, with territorial and leadership clashes giving rise to an internecine conflict. However, towards the end of the millen-nium, efforts to form a joint front bore partial fruit. The creation of Jharkhand State in November 2000 and anti-Maoist operations launched by the administration pushed the MCC and PWG into closer cooperation, and a truce was announced. Significantly, the PWG had earlier merged with the CPI (M-L) Party Unity of Bihar on August 11, 1998. The ideological differences have now been ironed over, with Maoism prevailing.

At the close of the millennium, the CPI (M-L) PWG, the Maoist Communist Centre-India (MCC-I) and the Janashakti emerged as the main Left Extremists Groups and efforts to amalgamate these groups were intensified. Besides, focus

was directed towards organising regular mili-tias. In December 2000, the PWG reorganised and rechristened its guerrilla force to form the People’s Guerrilla Army (PGA). Efforts to form a joint front resulted in the merger of the MCC-I with CPI (M-L) People’s War in September 2004 to form Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI-Maoist) which emerged as the most powerful Naxalite group in the country. The merger aug-mented the group’s support base and imparted it a pan-Indian revolutionary group character. The two guerrilla armies of the PWG and the MCC—the PGA and the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), respectively—also merged under the agreement. The new armed force reportedly operates under the name of PLGA since December 2, 2004.

Compact Revolutionary ZoneAs of today, there are around 38 to 40 Left Extremist Groups with their area of influence and operation extending across nearly 194 districts of the country. There was an attempt to bring CPI (M-L) Janashakti to the CPI-Maoist fold but the effort failed. The extremists aim to establish a Compact Revolutionary Zone (CRZ) from Nepal to Tamil Nadu. The merger had brought the Maoists closer to their objective of ‘liberating’ their proposed CRZ; its realisation would give them domination over the vital mineral and industrial areas of India as this area contains most of the country’s coal, iron and aluminium mines.

The ninth party Congress (2007) of the Left Extremists Groups was held after a gap of 36 years. Apart from emphasising on forming a joint front and expressing desire to take the movement to the next stage of the Maoist strategy, a decision was also taken to protest against Special Economic Zones and the setting up of industries by acquiring for-est and tribal land. It appealed to the groups to upgrade the PLGA’s to regular PLA, deepen mass base and wage a militant mass move-ment against the “neo liberal policies of glo-balisation, liberalisation and privatisation”.

Over the past several years, efforts have been multiplied towards gathering and mobilis-ing international public opinion to put pressure on government agencies. Available reports indi-cate that the CPI-Maoist is currently strength-ening the formations of the PLGA’s three forces—basic, secondary and main. Lately, an

increased presence of Naxalites in the urban areas and industrial belts has been observed. While pursuing the goal of enlisting broader mass support, the rebels are adopting latest information technologies to spread awareness about their ideology and goals besides estab-lishing one-to-one contacts and sponsoring cultural events, like folk songs, dances and drama, to convey their message.

A multi-faceted problemLeft wing extremism poses a unique, multi-dimensional and comprehensive challenge to the Indian state structure. The multi-faceted problem has social, ideological, security, cultur-al, economic, political and strategic dimensions. Flaunting the single largest armed group in the country, Left wing extremism is perceived as a one of the biggest threat to internal security. The sheer geographical expanse of the Maoist influence affects 40 per cent of India.

The Naxalite groups, particularly the CPI-Maoist, have been expanding and consolidating their influence much beyond traditional strong-holds (Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa) into certain new areas such as Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa. Naxal presence is also being felt in some of the promi-nent Indian cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Delhi which clearly signal their urban shift. Of all the Left-wing extremist groups, the CPI-

Maoist has the largest presence in different parts of the country. The CPI (M-L) Janashakti and the CPI (M-L) Liberation are also reported to have a sizeable presence and influence.

Naxalite groups have been making concerted efforts to militarise their cadres through formation of special guerrilla squads. The PLGA of the CPI (Maoists) is no longer a poorly trained militia but a highly equipped force trained on the lines of a regular army that has an elaborate command structure. The arsenal is a mix of hand-made agricultur-al tools, country made weapons and sophis-ticated weapons. Besides dedicated teams for repair and fabrication of weapons, they are said to have various R&D units as well.

Faced with the rapidly spreading influ-ence and power of the Naxalites, the foremost responsibility of the State, and the need of the hour, is to uphold the law of the land, provide security of life and property and a secure environment for development and economic growth in the areas deeply affected by the violence unleashed by these rebels. The formation of a special 10,000-personnel strong force Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) for the purpose is a step in that direction. The various development ini-tiatives undertaken by the Central and state governments would also, in the long run, help weed out the Naxal menace. SP

The writer is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

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The wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq have demonstrated how relatively smaller number of troops using precision weaponry and networked

digitised communications, together with integrative technologies (C4ISR), were able to wrap up military operations with preci-sion and speed. Many analysts point out that the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are still ongoing and though the new technologies may have greatly assisted the US forces in achieving a quick military victory initially, but they have not been able to secure peace despite increasing the troop strength from time to time. While this is true, nevertheless, these two wars and the ongoing, technology driven, rev-olution in military affairs (RMA) have spurred the military leadership all over the world to review their military doctrines, organisations, force structures and equipment in light of the changes observed in the method of waging conflicts by employing new technologies.

Types of violence/conflicts likely to affect security and stability in and around India, due to external and internal security prob-lems are: terrorism emanating from the neighbourhood in the west and in the east; ethnic and sectarian violence, insurgencies, narcotics/drug wars, illegal immigration, religious fundamentalism, territorial dis-putes over unsettled boundaries, conflicts in the neighbourhood, proliferation of nuclear weapons, WMD falling in the hands of ter-rorists, wars to secure resource areas, and piracy and terrorism at sea, land and in the air. The above challenges cover the entire spectrum of warfare and will place heavy demands on the military as well as the police forces doctrinally, and organisationally.

Terrorism and insurgencies are the more serious challenges facing the country today and will have to be fought in all types of ter-rain, including urban areas of India’s densely populated towns and cities which have a large number of vulnerable installations and landmarks, all of which cannot possibly be well guarded. Overcoming this challenge will demand extensive use of new and emerg-ing technologies among other doctrinal and organisational reform, in order to remain ahead of the adversary at all times.

Modern technologiesThere have been rapid advances in technol-ogy in recent times. Historically, there are countless examples to illustrate that technol-ogy is one of the principle factors that drives the change in the method of war fighting and India is facing an entirely new technology era, generated through advancements in the field of miniturisation, digitisation, material science, bio-technology, sensor technology, stealth, communications and information technology. India needs to integrate new technologies as warfighting systems.

The dominant technology trends that impact land forces are: Long Range Precision Firepower; Integrative technolo-gies, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); stealth technologies; communication technologies; lighter, more mobile strike vehicles with greater firepower for out of area contingencies and power pro-jection, and for urban combat. This article deals with Armoured and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (AFVs and IFVs) technologies for low intensity and urban combat.

Armoured Fighting VehiclesThe US and coalition troops have engaged in counter-insurgency operations in Iraq, and the Israelis in their low intensity conflict with the Palestinians. They have acquired ample experience in the employ-ment of AFVs in urban combat. Both advo-cate the employment of fully integrated combat teams in any urban warfighting

environment. Across the spectrum of combat action in urban warfare, a mutu-ally supporting combined arms (armour-infantry) tactical grouping can achieve success while keeping casualties, as well as collateral damage to a minimum. The nature of fighting in urban areas compels the use of smaller combined arms teams of armour and infantry led by experienced and audacious young officers. The rapid decentralisation makes command and con-trol difficult.

At small-unit tactical levels (sections and platoon), light infantry forces without armour would face serious disadvantages. When moving exposed in an urban environ-ment, dismounted infantry troops may be subjected to intense hostile fire, thus pin-ning them down. It is here that AFVs come into action while the close-in protection of AFVs would be provided by the infantry. Normal infantry weapons lack adequate firepower for subduing well-protected enemy bunkers and carefully camouflaged positions in buildings. Decentralised tacti-cal movements through built-up areas pose severe difficulties in maintaining control and mutual identification. In such a situa-tion, the danger of fratricide casualties also

becomes acute. This weakness can be com-pensated for by using AFVs or IFVs like the ones available in mechanised infantry units, provided that the vehicles are adequately protected by add-on armour or other pro-tective suites capable of withstanding the fire of rocket propelled grenades from close quarters and heavy indigenous explosive devices (IEDs).

In Iraq, insurgents used innovative tac-tics during urban encounters against US armoured elements. The troops reported use of snipers, grenades and Molotov Cocktails from rooftops or upper floor windows, in an attempt to attack vehicle crews and command-ers through open hatches. Moreover AFVs and mechanised infantry units also face dangers in confined urban areas due to limited all-round observation and restricted manoeuvre capa-bility. This places the armour as well as the mechanised infantry at a severe disadvantage when operating alone. The tactics employed by the insurgents included simultaneous attacks on both flanks from alleys, allowing the insur-

Armoured Fighting VehiclesAFV and IFV technologies are among the most effective for low intensity and urban combat


Terrorism and insurgencies are the more serious challenges facing the country today and will have to be fought in all types of terrain, including urban areas of India’s densely populated towns and cities

Technology

MODERN IFVs & APCs

Fahd Fuchs VAB USMC LAV-25 Stryker ICV BTR-90

Weight 10.9 t (12.0 short tonnes)

18.3 t (20.2 short tonnes)





Primary armament

30 mm (1.2 in) 2A42 automatic cannon

Up to three 7.62 mm (0.300 in) Rheinmetall MG3 machine guns

7.62 mm (0.300 in) AA-52 machine gun

25 mm (0.98 in) M242 chain gun

0.50 in (13 mm) M2 Browning machine gun

30 mm (1.2 in) 2A42 automatic cannon

Secondary armament

7.62 mm (0.300 in) FN MAG machine gun

- - 7.62 mm (0.300 in) M240 machine gun

- 7.62 mm (0.300 in) PKT machine gun

Missile armament (Range)

AT-5 Spandrel (700-4000 meters)

MILAN (400-2000 meters)

- - - AT-5 Spandrel (700-4000 meters)

Road range 700 km (430 mi)

800 km (500 mi)

1,000 km (620 mi)

660 km (410 mi)

500 km (310 mi)

800 km (500 mi)

Maximum velocity (On road)

100 km/h (62 mph)

96 km/h (60 mph)

110 km/h (68 mph)

100 km/h (62 mph)

100 km/h (62 mph)

100 km/h (62 mph)

Capacity (Maximum)

3 crew + 10 passengers






Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle, Australia

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gents to fire RPGs from close range at the rela-tively weak areas of the tank’s armour. Since the urban scenario has no “frontline”, attacks can come not only from the front, where the tanks are heavily protected, but also from above, and from the flanks or the rear, aiming at the vehicle’s weak spots. Attacks by IEDs and mines can also come from below the sur-face. Thus, innovative methods of improving the armour protection on top and in the belly of the tank will help.

Although urban warfare is not exactly the tanker’s dream, a significant number of future battles will inevitably take place in this environment. The value of tank support cannot be underestimated in this high-risk environment, in which a commander wishes to use all available combat elements in order to reduce casualties. Modifications to tanks for use in urban combat conditions will con-tinue to make them indispensable partners in the future warfighting team.

Israeli experience Israeli Defence Force (IDF) have already mod-ified the Merkava main battle tanks so they can be employed in lieu of M113s armoured personnel carriers (APC), even though the tanks are much heavier and more difficult to manoeuvre in urban terrain. The Merkava is being increasingly deployed in low-intensity conflict. The IDF have adapted the tank to operate as an infantry carrier thus protect-ing the infantry throughout the approach to the objective area. Removing the ammu-nition from the back of the tank opens up enough space to fit five soldiers. The tank operators can scan and observe from inside the vehicle, with the hatch closed. Patrolling hostile urban areas in a tank can be danger-ous, because the AFVs cannot manoeuvre as easily as light armoured personnel carriers, and can be threatened by a range of weap-ons—from rocket-propelled grenades fired from tall buildings to trip wires and Molotov Cocktails. According to Israeli soldiers, the Muslim “casbah” is the most challenging environment for tanks.

Merkava has now been equipped with an underbelly charge plate, lightweight plows and mine rollers. A mine roller or mine trawl is a demining device mounted on a tank or APC, designed to detonate anti-tank mines. It allows engineers to clear a lane through a minefield which is protected by enemy fire. The IDF, additionally, is consider-ing equipping the tank with so-called “non-lethal weapons” for crowd control anti law enforcement type of operations.

For low-intensity missions, the Merkava is being upgraded with polycarbonate. A category of plastic materials used to make a myriad of products, including CDs and

CD-ROMs, sight shields, a rear-door firing peephole, and intake and exhaust shields to defend from Molotov Cocktails. The IDF has also fitted tanks with marking poles, which assist the commander and driver manoeu-vring in narrow streets. To protect against individuals planting explosive charge, wire meshes were added to close the openings and to shield the optic sights. A redesigned commander’s cupola was installed to improve the commander’s visibility at high-er elevation. A firing hatch and observa-tion window was opened in the rear access

door, where a sniper can operate from a sheltered position. The newest version of the Merkava eventually could get active protection systems, which defeat incoming rocket-propelled grenades or missiles by shooting them down with another rocket. That technology also is being considered for US armoured vehicles, but it poses a danger to friendly troops in the vicinity of the tank, who may be accidentally killed by their own vehicle’s defensive weapons. The IDF, meanwhile, has built a prototype Merkava that, is at least 15 tonnes lighter than the main battle tank, and would be employed exclusively as a personnel carrier for urban counter-insurgency operations.

Infantry Fighting Vehicles IFVs have gained prominence in asymmetric warfare and in urban combat zones where their importance is being once again highlight-ed. The IFV offers a viable compromise between mobility, protection, and firepower. They can be used in high and low intensity conflicts as well as peacekeeping operations. The latest vehicles have been designed with an emphasis on modularity that improves their ability to be repaired in the field. Some IFVs are amphibious and nearly all are air transportable.

Wheeled IFVs can travel great distances on their own without needing to be trans-ported by tank transporters and railway which is mandated by the tracked versions. The tracks themselves and the weight of the IFVs tend to ruin road surfaces, especially in large scale movements while the wheeled IFVs have the same impact as other wheeled vehicles. Consequently, wheeled IFVs have greater mobility.

Moreover, many wheeled IFVs can extract themselves from a battlefield even on flat tires, while an IFV with damaged tracks would require an armoured recov-ery vehicle to tow it out. However, tracks do offer greater cross country mobility and greater manoeuvrability than wheels. Stryker Mobile Gun System of US Army and Vehicule Blinde de Combat d’lnfanterie (VBCI) of the French Army are described briefly in the succeeding paragraphs.

Stryker Mobile Gun SystemThe Stryker Mobile Gun System is an eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicle mounting a 105 mm tank gun, based on the Canadian LAV III light-armoured vehicle, which in turn is based on the Mowag Piranha. It is in service with the United States and is also being considered for adoption by several

other countries, including Canada. Stryker is a family of eight-wheel-drive combat vehicles, transportable in a C-130 aircraft, being built for the US Army by General Dynamics Land Systems, Canada (formerly General Motors Defense) and General Dynamics Land Systems Division of the US. Fabrication and final assembly of the vehicles is being shared among plants at Anniston, Alabama; Lima, Ohio; and London, Ontario.

The Stryker brigade combat team com-bines the capacity for rapid deployment with survivability and tactical mobility. The Stryker vehicle enables the team to manoeu-vre in close and urban terrain, provide pro-tection in open terrain and transport infantry quickly to critical battlefield positions. The eight-wheeled Stryker is the first new military vehicle to enter service into the US Army since the Abrams tank in the 1980s.

Stryker variantsStryker variants include the M1126 infantry carrier vehicle (ICV) and the M1128 mobile gun system. There are eight configurations of the ICV include M1135 nuclear, bio-logical, chemical reconnaissance vehicle; M1134 anti-tank guided missile; M1133 medical evacuation vehicle; M1129 mortar carrier; M1132 engineer squad vehicle; M1130 command vehicle; M1131 fire sup-port vehicle; and the M1127 reconnaissance vehicle. These have parts commonality and self-recovery abilities, and are equipped with a central tire-inflation system.

Vehicule Blinde de Combat d’lnfanterieIn the early 1990s, the French government started the Véhicule Blindé Modulaire, or Modular Armoured Vehicle, as a replacement for its older Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Soon, Germany and UK joined the project. However, in 1999, the programme was discontinued but France decided to follow on its own. On November 6, 2000, the French government ordered 700 vehicles. In 2003-2004, the programme reached some major milestones: The mobility/agility tests, the armour tests and the electronic systems tests were all suc-cessful. From 2004 to 2005, the first five pro-totypes—four VCIs and one VPC—were tested in real conditions. These tests proved some crucial design mistakes on the DRAGAR tur-ret, which had to be redesigned. The two-year delay in the programme is the consequence of this design flaw.

As the programme reaches completion, other versions are being studied. A mortar version and a vehicle using the MILAN Missile have been considered by the develop-er. In June 2007, VBCI was being considered for the British FRES programme.

On October 2007, the DGA ordered 117 VBCIs, bringing the total ordered so far to 182 out of a total requirement for 700; the first vehicle for the French Army was assembled two months later. The first unit to be equipped with the new infantry fighting vehicle was the 35th Infantry Regiment in Belfort. The DGA ordered an additional 117 vehicles on December 2008, bringing the total ordered to 298. SP

The eight-wheeled Stryker is the first new military vehicle to enter service into the US Army since the Abrams tank in the 1980s

The Merkava Mk4 The new BTR-90 builds on the success of the BTR-80

The French Army has selected the VBCI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle as a successor to the AMX10P

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.NET

Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefJayant Baranwal

Editor Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor

Assistant Editor Arundhati Das

Senior Technical Group Editor Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand

Contributing EditorAir Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

Sub-Editor Bipasha Roy

ContributorsIndia General (Retd) V.P. MalikLt General (Retd) Vijay OberoiLt General (Retd) R.S. NagraLt General (Retd) S.R.R. AiyengarAir Marshal (Retd) Vinod PatneyMajor General (Retd) Ashok MehtaMajor General (Retd) G.K. NischolBrigadier (Retd) Gurmeet KanwalBrigadier (Retd) S. MishraRohit Sharma

Europe Andrew Brookes (UK)

USA & Canada Lon Nordeen (USA)Anil R. Pustam (West Indies)

South Africa Helmoed R. Heitman

Chairman & Managing DirectorJayant Baranwal

Admin & CoordinationBharti Sharma

DesignAssociate Art Director: Ratan SonalGraphic Designer: Rajkumar Sharma, Vimlesh Kumar Yadav

Published bimonthly by Jayant Baranwal on behalf of SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.

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News in BriefUS considers arms sales to LibyaThe US is ready to consider arms deals with Libya, a former foe, that could include trans-port aircraft and systems for coastal and border security. “We will consider Libyan requests for defence equipment that enables them to build capabilities in areas that serve our mutual interest,” said Lt Col. Elizabeth Hibner of the army, a spokeswoman for the US Defense Department. As examples, she referred to sys-tems used for border and coastal security as well as ‘theatre airlift’, by implication aircraft such as Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules that can ferry forces and equipment.

Libya entered a new era with the US mili-tary in January with the signing of what the Pentagon calls a ‘non-binding statement of intent’ aimed at developing bilateral military ties. Relations had warmed after Libya gave up banned weapons programmes in 2003, and again after settlement of compensation claims for attacks including the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, for which Libya has accepted responsibility. Charles Taylor, a spokesman for the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said Libya already had requested approval to buy Humvees, the rugged light trucks that are the vehicular backbone of US forces worldwide. As a prelude to any such sale, US and Libyan officials were working to mesh certain aspects of their acquisi-tion systems, he said, without providing details.

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Composite armour solution against EFP roadside bombsTenCate Advanced Armour has developed an armour protection solution against improvised

explosive devices (IED) with explosives formed projectiles (EFP), often used by insurgents. The product, made with TenCate Armourtex BM, is lightweight composite vehicle armour, minimis-ing the added weight to the vehicle. In recent years military peace-keeping operations have become increasingly haz-ardous for soldiers due

to a shift in the methods of military engagement and the use of roadside bombs. The company claims that the roadside bomb armour will be ideal for the protection of armoured personnel carriers for the latest threat requirements giving protection against armour piercing projectiles as well as the more complex threats of EFP and IED.

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France orders 800 SIT V1 BMS for the armyThe French Defence Procurement Agency has placed an order on Nexter for 800 SIT V1 Battle Management Systems (BMS) in order

to equip 400 Infantry Combat Vehicles. This contract includes a new version of the software which increases the interoperability of the SIT V1 with the other information systems in use by forces through the “SIC TERRE” joint opera-tions. This contract also includes technical con-trol and maintaining in operational condition of the SIT V1 systems for 10 years.

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China arms spend prompts South Korea to issue a warning South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak has warned of the danger of a North Asia arms race after China announced another double-digit rise in annual military spending. Lee, speaking dur-ing a visit to Australia, said a near 15 per cent hike in China’s military spending this year could influence the defensive strategies of other coun-tries, like Japan and South Korea. “In Northeast Asia, it is not desirable to have countries engaged in a race for military build-up, or increasing their military spending,” Lee said. China has announced the official military budget for 2009 would rise from last year’s 62.5 billion yuan ($9.13 billion; Rs 46,015 crore) to 480.7 bil-lion yuan ($70.24 billion; Rs 3,54,010 crore).

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Boost to India’s Ballistic Missile Defence programme

India inched forward in its endeavour to put in place its own home-grown Ballistic Missile Defence System as it successfully carried out the third Interceptor test on March 6 at 1624 hours from Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Wheeler Island in Orissa. The mission control room burst into raptures as the radar display indicated the interception and destruction of the decoy enemy missile by the interceptor. The

test achieved all the mission objectives. The two-stage Interceptor Missile, fitted with advanced systems, hit the target enemy missile at 75 km altitude. To mimic the incoming enemy’s bal-listic missile trajectory, Dhanush missile went to an altitude of 120 km and was launched from a ship about 100 km away from the Orissa coast. The Interceptor missile was launched from a mobile launcher located on Wheeler Island Launch Complex. The third consecutive inter-ception of ballistic missiles once again demon-strated the robustness of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence system. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have already conducted two interception trials, first in exo-atmospheric region at 48 km altitude on November 27, 2006 and second in endo-atmospheric region at 15 km using Advanced Air Defence missile on December 6, 2007. The missile interception trial was witnessed by DRDO chief M. Natarajan and Air Defence Programme Director Dr V.K. Saraswat, among others. Defence Minister A.K. Antony extended his good wishes to DRDO’s scientific community for the third consecutive success in this field.

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Elbit Systems Introduces the ORCWS-M

Elbit Systems has introduced the new Overhead Remote Controlled Weapons Station-Multi (ORCWS-M) as an additional family member of Elbit Systems’ ORCWS product line, includ-ing the 7.62 mm, 40 mm AGL and both the unmanned turrets, UT-25 mm and the UT-30 mm. The common denominator in all of Elbit’s remote weapon systems is the ability to fully function the weapon while under cover and with hatches closed. Survivability is further increased by the optic sensors package installed in every weapon station, as well as the compli-menting 360 degrees, situational awareness, laser detection systems and other sensors.

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Lt General Vinay Sharma has taken over as the Master General of Ordnance (NGO) of the Indian Army.

Appointment

THAAD missile defence successfully tested in the USThe Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency and US Army soldiers from the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Bliss, Texas, completed a successful intercept of a ballistic missile target during a test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mis-sile defence element of the nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System.

Conducted on March 17, at approximately 2.30 pm Hawaii time (8.30 pm EDT), at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the island of Kauai in Hawaii, preliminary indications are that planned flight test objectives were achieved. THAAD is a mobile system now in development designed to intercept short to medium range ballistic missiles.

Soldiers of the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade conducted launcher, fire control and radar operations, using tactics, techniques and procedures developed by the US Army Air Defense School. The THAAD programme is managed by the Missile Defense Agency in Washington, D.C., and executed by the THAAD Project Office in Huntsville, Ala. SP

Mahindra Defence Systems opens manufacturing hub in FaridabadMahindra Defence Systems, one of India’s lead-ing providers of special light military vehicles, on March 17 inaugurated the Mahindra Special Military Vehicles (MSMV) facility at Prithla in Faridabad, NCR. Spread across six acres, this mod-ern plant has facilities for specific military manu-facturing applications.

“I am delighted to inaugurate this state-of-the-art facility, the first of its kind in the private sector. Today, the defence space is growing at an exponential rate, creating opportunities for

manufacture of world class products. With its technologically advanced manufacturing capability, MSMV will help Mahindra Defence Systems harness the potential in this space,” said Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.

The MSMV facility will manufacture specialised vehicles for the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police, and is also designed to undertake vehicle development, armouring and conversions. Different lines have been established for different products, ensuring the highest level of quality control and processes. “Aside from manufacturing, the plant also has an advanced facility for R&D, product development, design and prototyping of special vehicles to meet specific customer requirements, which is another first in the private sector,” said Brigadier Khutub Hai, Chief Executive, Mahindra Defence Systems. SP

Anand Mahindra and Brigadier Khutub Hai flank the marksman at the inauguration

Documents

SP's Land Forces Feb-Mar 2009