Reply With QuoteHYDERABAD, INDIA : An armed security guard watches over the Australian nets session at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, (C) poses by the New Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 mascot 'Sera the Tiger' as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi (L) looks on in New Delhi
HYDERABAD, INDIA : An armed security guard watches over the Australian nets session at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
India 1998-2001: Neutralizing Its Military Power
By Bharat Verma
Issue: Vol. 13.1 Jan-Mar 1998
Crises of Command. Each year India sustains a gigantic military power. Continuous. Dedicated. And capable. But the leadership since Independence, in its ignorance, has been neutralizing it with equal ferocity. Unwittingly. Illogically. And without batting an eyelid. India should have been a surplus military power nation-state today but for the strategic illiteracy that prevailed within New Delhi’s power structure.
The Neutralizing Factor. Due to non-governance within the borders, the gigantic military machine of India loses a majority of its military muscle fighting its own people. Kashmir. North-East India. Punjab. And a few other flashpoints ready to explode. The list is long - the internal consumption of military power is colossal. Result: No matter how much military power we generate, it is never adequate. In turn, we are unable to extend our influence.
Societal Faults. Behind this loss is a society steeped in superstitions, illiteracy and poverty. Stuck from Monday to Sunday in rites and rituals, our focus remains either on our rich inheritance of the past or we are busy securing a berth in heaven for the future. Focus on the “present” is a rarity. Therefore, the rich ancient heritage of India has become a burden instead of a pleasure to bask in for the common man. The several layers of non-functional bureaucracy which disallow development of the society results in agitation. This results in a law and order problem. And ultimately in insurgency or wreckage from within. This weakness is exploited with finesse by outsiders. At this stage military power is sucked in to control the deteriorating internal situation, negating its cutting edge against external threats. Thus, societal energies have been effectively negated in the past fifty years due to shortcomings in the national leadership.
Changing the Mindset. India needs to resolve with dispatch the internal strife through a functional federal structure, speedy district-wise development, internal liberalization, and transparent administration. The enormous costs involved in keeping the strife within its borders in check nullifies the stamina of the armed forces. Modernization of the Indian mind through education in the long term and ensuring implementation of developmental schemes in the short term are a must. The urge in the Indian psyche to amass individual wealth is all-powerful - the government must harmonize its policies to unshackle this energy which has the potential to put this country on the fast track of development. In fact, channelizing this singular quality towards dynamic growth will give citizenry a stake in the system. Internal dissent will automatically lower its temperature to an acceptable level. This in turn will help to free military power from internal consumption considerably.
The Big Picture. Surrounded by a hostile and unstable neighborhood, India has been shrewdly kept busy by China through its surrogate, Pakistan. The latter has a single-point agenda - to destabilize India in its entirety. China, the emerging superpower, needs time to modernize its armed forces. Therefore, aiding Pakistan suits her. Intelligent moves by China have in fact caught even Americans unawares! Indians, wool-headed as ever, continue to indulge in Pakistan-bashing which is merely a strategic diversion. China is enveloping India gradually to limit its role and influence. This game of chess on the international board has been one-sided thus far. All moves are being made by the principal threat, that is, China, with the help of secondary threats, for example, Pakistan.
India has options. It can successfully counter such moves through diplomatic, economic and security jockeying. India, mainly through its inability to govern, has allowed outside influences to hold its territory hostage at will. Initially, proxy war was largely limited to the North Indian borders but now the enemy can successfully activate mechanisms to trigger bomb blasts deep within, in big towns like Delhi, Coimbatore and Mumbai. Such acts will tie up the military power in knots in the days to come.
The Way Out. India needs to refashion its entire system, and societal outlook. It needs to identify and prioritize its threat perceptions, extend its diplomatic influence with the help of its military power and the mechanism of regional adjustments. It needs to make an in-depth study of the linkages of the most secure and prosperous belt running from Australia through Western Europe and North America as a base model. The national security outlook needs comprehensive, innovative, ruthless and radical measures. So that, in the future, Indian territory is not held hostage, military is not allowed to lose its momentum within, and diplomacy has an economic and military back-up to sustain its efforts.
Don't know if it's a repost, its an old article but still much revelant even today.
Mig 35
Submarine Museum
SUBMARINE (EX-KURSURA) MUSEUM
INS Kursura was commissioned at Riga, erstwhile USSR, on 18 December 1969 under the command of Commander A Auditto. The submarine embarked on her maiden passage from Balrisk on 20th February 1970. The induction of INS Kursura show cased the augmentation of the 3rd dimension of the Indian Navy. She was the corner stone of foundation of Indian Naval Submarine Arm. During her 31 glorious year of service the submarine traversed 73,500 nautical miles participating in almost all type of Naval operations. INS Kursura played a vital role in the 1971 indo-Pak war. She was the pioneer submarine extending goodwill and harmony through visits and flag-showing missions to other nations. In her vast life span, INS Kursura changed hands 13 times, the last Commanding Officer being Cdr KM Sreedharan. INS Kursura was decommissioned on 27th February 2001.
After her decommissioning, Kursura has been converted into a submarine museum on RK Beach, Visakhapatanam. The museum was inaugurated by Mr Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Ministar of Andhara Pradesh on 09th August 2002 and opened for public on 24th August 2002.
'Vikramaditya's Combat Management System
The 'Lesorub-E' CMS is installed on the Indian 'Vikramaditya' carrier (former 'Admiral Gorshkov'), now refurbished in 'Sevmash'. It's the export variant of 'Lesorub' CMS for the Russian prospective carrier project. According to the developer, NPO 'Mars', the system is designed for combat control of a ship and a task force on basis of the weapon integration into one complex and for the automation of decision making concerning force and armament engagement.
Tech characteristics and technologies:
1)X-band wireless radio channel 0.95 Mbit/s;
2)Intel processors' based disposed computing system;
3)Local net - Ethernet 10/100/1000, RS-485;
4)Weapon integration standards Ethernet, MIL STD-1553B, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485;
5)Fusing of 4 information channels (radar, TV, map, targets) on each terminal;
6)Recording of all system information in real time.
A Rajput class Destroyer !!
A Delhi Class Destroyer !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWQ0eRGNpFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEzA7TdsVCg
Best Choreographed Border Flag Lowering Ceremony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAZZlV7jnwU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9y2qtaopbE
Official Indian Army Web portal
http://www.indianarmy.nic.in/Index.aspx
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