Operational Preparedness

Northern Borders. As part of diplomatic and military efforts concerning ongoing standoff along the LAC, 20 rounds of Corps Commander Level Meetings and 14 related Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meetings were held with the Chinese.  Both sides agreed to maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. Indian Army has exercised the established border mechanisms to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC in all sectors.

LoC & Counter-Terrorist Ops. After the understanding of February 2021, between the Directorate Generals Military Operation of India and Pakistan, the situation along the Line of Control improved significantly compared to pre-understanding violence levels. Relentless operations conducted in synergy with other agencies resulted in successful and incident-free conduct of international and national level events such as G-20 meetings and Amarnath Yatra with 4.45 Lakh yatris visiting the shrine. Synergised counter-terrorist operations also resulted in elimination of 34 terrorists and apprehension of four terrorists in the hinterland. 18 infiltration bids were eliminated on LC in which 36 terrorists were killed besides recovery of large war-like stores.

North East. The balanced posture of firm and compassionate outlook by the Indian Army & Assam Rifles in militancy affected North Eastern part of the country is evident through both tangible & intangible outcomes. This is reflected by results in operations against militant groups, mainstreaming of militants and the critical decision of the Government of India to reduce areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA-1958). Since 1 January 2023, synergised efforts by Army, Assam Rifles and State Police resulted in neutralisation of three cadres, apprehension of 233 cadres, surrender by 186 cadres of various militant groups and recovery of 271 weapons of different types. Security Forces also continued with the earnest endeavour to reduce the drug menace in the region. Indian Army along with Assam Rifles, Police & Civil administration, successfully recovered narcotics & contraband worth Rs 1,567.55 crore during the year in the hinterland as well as India-Myanmar Border.

Manipur. Indian Army and Assam Rifles have played a key role in controlling the internal security situation in Manipur and saving precious lives, property and evacuating approximately 35,000 internally displaced population to safety. Security Forces have been assisting the civil administration and other security agencies with a neutral and transparent approach to restore peace and normalcy in the State.

ALSO READ: JOINT OPERATIONS – Tri-Services Joint Exercise AMPHEX 2021

Year of Transformation

2023 was the Year of Transformation for the Indian Army. The process of transformation hinges on the five pillars- ‘Force Structuring & Optimisation’, ‘Modernisation & Technology Infusion’, ‘Systems, Processes & Functions’, ‘Human Resource Management’ and ‘Jointness & Integration’.

Force Restructuring & Optimisation. Efforts towards jointness and integration preceding Theaterisation are being made with renewed impetus.

Reorganisation of Early Warfare (EW) and Electronic Intelligence units under EW Brigades has been formalised. Raising of additional EW Battalions is under progress.

Reorganisation of Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) units is underway.

Outsourcing of Non-Core Services is under progress to realign combat manpower for core tasks.

Modernisation & Technology Infusion. A roadmap has been put in place for Upgrades, New Acquisitions & infusion of Niche technology. The right balance between ‘Conventional’ and ‘New’ capabilities is being maintained. A focussed approach is being followed to ensure timely & pragmatic trials.

Conclusion of 85 Capital Contracts. A total of 85 Capital Contracts worth Rs 12,343 crore have been concluded in current Financial Year. This will boost the Capability of Indian Army in the domain of mobilisation, firepower, communication/non communication, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) & Drone/Counter-Drone Systems.

Induction of Niche Technology through iDEX. Four Projects worth Rs 70 crore have been contracted this year, thereby paving the way for the induction of Niche Tech in communication, ISR & stealth Technology. It is also a step towards providing impetus in developments favourable to defence eco system.

Exploiting 5G/6G and Artificial Intelligence. Indian Army has collaborated with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to develop advanced electronics and infrastructure, aligning with Digital India and Make in India initiatives. 5G laboratories have been established at various locations including Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE). In addition, Military grade 5G and 6G laboratories are being established at various locations. MCTE has been developed as a key Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence.

Emergency Procurements. The EP were utilised to augment capability along the Northern and Western Front besides catering for training aggregates. The equipment procured under the EP are being fully exploited by field formations to refine their operational philosophy, TTPs and maintenance support requirements. In Financial Years 2020-22, 68 projects, worth Rs 6,592 crore were procured while 73 projects, worth Rs 11,000 crore have been procured in the Financial Years 2022-24.

System, Processes & Functions. The following has been achieved under the pillar of System, Processes & Functions:

Right-sizing and Ease of Doing Business. Digital initiatives have been undertaken in a major way to effect improved efficiencies in domains of Operational Enablement.

National Logistics Policy & PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. The Indian Army has been an important partner in the Prime Minister Gati Shakti National Master Plan and formulation of NLP. Efforts have been made to align initiatives undertaken by the Indian Army to the national vision. 180 Officers have been trained on Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform and additional training with BISAG-N is being planned. A Tri- Services Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Infrastructure Portal akin to PM Gati Shakti is being created under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.

The post DEFENCE REVIEW 2023 – Army’s Operations and Transformation Milestones appeared first on IMR.

Make Scheme

IN is pursuing a total of 38 Make projects under Chapter III of DAP 2020. Presently, 26 projects are being steered under Make-II category, 10 projects under Make I category and two projects under Make III Category. In addition, Eight Make II joint projects are being steered with IA and IAF as lead services. Under Make II, AoN has been accorded for 12 projects. Prototype development contracts have been concluded for nine projects (for a cost of Rs 400.84 Cr) and 03 project are at EoI stage. Remaining 14 projects are under various stages of feasibility study/ AIP stage. Under Make I, AoN has been accorded for 02 projects, remaining 08 projects are under various stages of feasibility study/ AIP stage. Under Make III, there are two projects and presently both are at feasibility study stage.

Technology Development Fund

In order to introduce cutting edge technology on board IN platforms, 25 projects are being pursued under the ‘Technology Development Fund’ scheme. Contract has been concluded for 10 projects at a cost of Rs 34.92 Cr. One project is at CNC stage, EOI evaluation is in progress for eight projects, and six projects are at pre-AoN stage.

Joint iDEX Challenges

Exchange of various iDEX proposals by both India and US startups under ‘India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)’ initiative was commenced in July 2023. Two proposals pertaining to maritime domain were launched by   Raksha Mantri in presence of US Ambassador to India Mr Eric Garcetti during the NIIO Seminar.

iDEX Scheme: IN is progressing 41 problem statements under Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) and Open Challenge (OC) categories through 59 startups.

Induction of Niche Technologies

A wide range of niche technologies are being inducted to enhance long range precision attack capabilities. Loitering Munitions in land and sea based versions are being inducted to enhance the targeting capabilities. Additionally, containerised missile systems are being inducted to enhance the operational capability and to augment flexibility in operations.

‘Swavlamban 2023’

Swavlamban 23 seminar was scheduled at Bharat Mandapa, Pragati Maidan from October 04 to 05, 2023.  Day 2 of the seminar focused on interactive session on indigenisation and armament. A dedicated interaction session was scheduled in Session II on the theme, ‘Discussion on Swavlamban 2.0 – Indian Navy’s Indigenisation Roadmap’. The target audience was primarily manufacturer/ import/ export/ service industry in Defence sector. Nearly 300 industry partners participated in the aforementioned session.

Indigenisation

Navy has transformed from a ‘Buyers Navy’ into a ‘Builders Navy’, with aircraft carrier, destroyers, stealth frigates, corvettes, submarines and other war vessels being constructed in our country. Today, of the 66 ships under construction 64 are being built in India. Further, AoN has been accorded for 24 ships and submarines that are all planned to be constructed in Indian Shipyards. At present, IN has achieved approximately 90% indigenisation in the Float segment, 60% in the Move segment, and 50% in the Fight segment. Indian Navy is committed to becoming a fully  Aatmanirbhar Navy by 2047. As on date, we are on track towards this goal, and 80% of the IN Capital Budget in CFY 2023-24 has been earmarked for domestic procurements in support of GoI vision of ‘ Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

New Shipbuilding contracts in 2023

Five shipbuilding contracts at a total value of Rs 41,742.37 Cr have been concluded with Indian shipyards. Conclusion of five shipbuilding contracts within span of six months is testimony to the importance being accorded to the Indian Navy by the Govt of India. Construction of 25 ships will generate a total employment of 346.30 lakh man-days over the next one decade and engage numerous MSMEs in the shipbuilding activity.

Commissioning/ Delivery of Ships

The ships/submarines which have been commissioned this year, as also the status of shipbuilding projects underway are highlighted below:-

INS Vagir, fifth Submarine of Kalvari class, was commissioned on 23 January 2023.

Maldivian CG Ship Huravee, a Trinkat Class Fast Attack Craft was returned to India by Maldives post handing over INS Tarmugli to Govt. of Maldives in May 2023. The ship, post refit, was re-commissioned into Indian Navy as INS Tarmugli on 14 December 2023.

INS Imphal, the third Ship of Project-15B successfully completed her sea trials followed by Final machinery trials on 25 August 2023. The ship was delivered to the Indian Navy on 20 October 2023 by MDL, Mumbai. The ship is planned to be commissioned on 26 December 2023.

Sandhayak (Yard 3025), the first of the four Survey Vessel (Large) ships was delivered to Indian Navy by GRSE on 4 December 2023. The ship would be commissioned in January 2024.

The third GRSE ship of Project P17A Frigates, Vindhyagiri (Yard 3024), was launched on Aug 17, 2023 at GRSE, Kolkata

The fourth ship of Survey Vessel Large, i.e. Sanshodhak (Yard 3028) was launched on 13 June 2023 at L&T Kattupalli.

Two ASW Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) namely Androth (Yard 3035) and Anjadip (Yard 3030) were launched on 21 March and 13 June 2023 respectively at GRSE, Kolkata.  Three more ASW SWC namely Mahe (Yard 523), Malvan (Yard 524) and Magrol (Yard 525) were concurrently launched on 30 November 2023 at CSL, Kochi.

The last of the seven P17A ships, i.e. Mahendragiri (Yard 12654) was launched on 1 Sep 2023 at MDL, Mumbai.

1st Diving Support Craft A-20 (Yard-325) was launched on 31 August 2023 at Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd, Kolkata.

The post DEFENCE REVIEW 2023 – Indian Navy Modernisation and Indigenisation appeared first on IMR.

Officials in the security establishment said the proposal to withdraw the Army from Kashmir hinterland has been under discussion for about two years and is at an “advanced stage” now with the involvement of the Union Ministry of Defence, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces and the J&K police. It is proposed that the CRPF would fill in for the army personnel removed from the Valley to meet the challenges of both law and order and counter-terror operations.

 “The matter is under serious discussion at inter-ministerial level and it is understood to be feasible. In a way, the decision has been taken and it is a matter of when it will be done. Ultimately, however, it will be a political call,” a senior security establishment officer said.

Texts and calls to the CRPF, J&K Police and the Army did not elicit a response till the time of going to press.

According to officials, the Army maintains a strength of around 1.3 lakh personnel in the entire J&K of which around 80,000 are deployed on the border. About 40,000-45,000 personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles have the mantle of conducting counter-terror operations in Kashmir’s hinterland.

The CRPF is said to have a strength of close to 60,000 personnel in J&K, of which more than 45,000 are deployed in Kashmir Valley. J&K Police is 83,000 strong. Apart from this, a few companies from other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) remain deployed in the Valley. The figures for CAPFs fluctuate depending on the security situation in the Valley.

The idea behind the deliberations is to not just claim normalcy in Kashmir but also make it visible. The government claims that terrorist violence incidents and killing of security personnel in J&K have reduced by almost 50 per cent since August 5, 2019, compared with the same period before it. “Since the August 5, 2019 decisions, violence in the Valley has steadily reduced. Stone pelting has almost vanished and the law-and-order situation is largely under control. However, a large presence of the Indian Army in the hinterland would sit oddly with claims of normalcy,” a Union home ministry official said.

Political call

Political parties in J&K as well as some wings of the government have been pushing for a complete withdrawal of the Army. This has gathered momentum in recent months with many in the government impressing upon the political leadership that the claims of normalcy may be followed with action such as the phased removal of Army from the Valley’s districts.

According to another government official, the ideal situation, as discussed during the deliberations, would be to hand over the mantle of counter-terror operations in the hinterland to Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“However, at the moment the Union Territory police force is not being viewed as fully prepared and having the wherewithal to replace the Army on its own. So, the idea is to have J&K Police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) fill in for the Army when it is withdrawn. They have also demonstrated over the years their capability in Srinagar where the Army is not present. The details of it, in terms of how many more CRPF personnel would be required for this and how the entire command structure will function, is being worked out,” the official said.

Sources in the security establishment said that in the discussions it was proposed that the Army be withdrawn in a phased manner. “May be the Army can be withdrawn first from a couple of districts such as Anantnag and Kulgam. Following this, the situation on the counter-terror front and the response of the people would be assessed. Depending upon the results, further steps towards more withdrawals would be taken. That’s how it was done when the Border Security Force (BSF) was withdrawn from hinterland Kashmir in the mid-2000s,” another official said.

The official said that one proposal discussed is to remove the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army in three phases and replace them with CRPF. The RR, set up in 1990, with a mandate to conduct counter-terror operations in the Valley hinterland, never had a permanent mandate, the official said.

Another official, privy to details of the discussions, said as of now the Army is only talking about decreasing the strength and not removing RR completely. The Army, according to defence sources, is already planning a resizing.

“They (RR) are affiliated to various infantry units. By continuing to deploy them for such long periods in internal security duties, you are bleeding the Army units. Army is meant for major tactics and battles. RR has been excellent in the Valley. But time has come to send it back to its core duties,” the official said.

The Army, defence sources said, is already working on resizing the Rashtriya Rifles. The plan is to reduce the 63 battalions of RR by two companies each (each RR has six companies now). It is being discussed if one force headquarters (five in all) and a few sector headquarters (total of 15) of RR can also be reduced, even as the drawdown plan is yet to be finalised. This could add up to over 15,000 troops.

Counter-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley are carried out by the Indian Army with the support of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police. Since the onset of militancy in the Valley, the Army has had a primary role in not just stopping infiltration at the border but also thwarting terror attacks and eliminating militants inside Kashmir through the creation of Rashtriya Rifles in 1990. It did this with J&K Police and the BSF till 2004-05 and has been supported by the CRPF and local police since. Also, in Srinagar, all counter-terror operations since 2005 have been carried out by CRPF and J&K Police, with the RR being kept out.

The post Govt considers phased withdrawal of Army from Kashmir hinterland appeared first on IMR.

Most of the special forces across the world use .338 Sako TRG 42 sniping rifle and Indian Army has procured it.

“The latest sniper rifles have been inducted into the army. They are using it now,” an official told PTI.

The official further said that the Sako .338 TRG-42 sniper rifles have a better range, firepower, and telescopic sights than those possessed by the adversary.

Amid a change in operational dynamics along the LoC, the move is to make the snipers more lethal, the report added.

The Sako rifles have reportedly replaced the .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT by Beretta, and the .50 Calibre M95 by Barrett, which were inducted in the Indian army in 2019 and 2020.

These rifles – made in Italy and America – had replaced the ageing Russian Dragunov, the mainstay of Indian troops.

First procured in the 1990s, the Dragunovs have slowly fallen behind contemporary sniper rifles which offer improved sights and mounts, increased accuracy, and a strike range of over 1 kilometre.

The Sako TRG-42 sniper rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and developed by the Finnish gun maker SAKO.

The rifle is designed to fire powerful .338 Lapua Magnum-sized cartridges. and weighs at 6.55 kgs without ammunition. It has an effective range of 1,500 metres, the official said.

The rifle is considered one of the most accurate and trustworthy weapons gobally.

The official added that sniping has been a bigger challenge for the soldiers patrolling forward areas along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Between 2018 and 2019, there was a sudden increase in the number of sniping incidents along the LoC and IB prompting armed forces to induct better sniper rifles and train its snipers against such attacks.

The Indian Army has sanctioned a team of 10 snipers, selected from the Army’s units and regimental centres for the job.

The post Indian Army snipers get Finnish Sako TRG-42 rifles appeared first on IMR.

“Ballistic helmets with protection against 9mm bullets have been inducted in service in lieu of fiberglass helmets. With the threat of 7.62 x 39mm bullets to the troops, there is a need to induct ballistic helmets with higher protection parameters,” a request for proposal (RFP) issued by Army Headquarters this week states. “Existing threat along the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control and counter terrorist environment necessitates minimum protection against high-speed rifle bullets and blast fragments,” the RFP adds.

The army has projected a requirement for 80,000 helmets, which includes 3,600 helmets for troops deployed on anti-terrorist operations with the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir. The indigenous content should be at least 50 per cent.

The Army has specified that the helmets must provide protection from 7.62×39 mm mild steel core bullets at 10 meters as well as from high-speed blast fragments. These should also incorporate tactical rails for attachment of additional equipment such as night vision devices, face visor, torch and in-service radio communication sets.

In June 2020, the Army had issued a request for information to the industry for the procurement of one lakh ballistic helmets that were capable of providing protection against 7.62 mm bullets. Ballistic helmets are made of various composite materials and are lighter and stronger than traditional metallic headgear.

Army officers said that a 7.62 mm rifle bullet is much more lethal than a 9 mm bullet fired from a pistol or sub-machinegun, besides having a longer range. The muzzle velocity of the 7.62 mm AK-47 assault rifle is 2,350 feet per second as compared to 1,312 feet per second of the MP-5, a widely used sub-machinegun.

After phasing out the 7.62 mm Ishpore self loading rifles in the late 1990s, the Army used the INSAS 5.56 mm rifles and light machinegun, then in line with the global trend of using a smaller caliber for assault rifles. There is now a doctrinal shift to revert back to 7.62 mm caliber.

The Army’s recent inductions of the SIG Sauer 716 and AK-203 assault rifles to replace the INSAS have 7.62 mm caliber. Based upon its experiences in counter terrorist operations and asymmetric warfare, the Army is opting for higher caliber personal weapons with the objective of “shoot to kill” rather than the post world war western philosophy of “shoot to incapacitate” by using lighter bullets as wounded soldiers created additional administrative and logistical problems for the enemy. Army officers said that weapons with a higher kill probability are preferred in anti-terrorist operations, especially where a lone terrorist or a small group may be acting on their own.

The post Army seeks 80,000 ballistic helmets to protect troops against high velocity bullets appeared first on IMR.