Brahmos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile was successfully launched on November 22nd for the first time from Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal.
In the darkness of defeat in the east, just over a hundred soldiers of 13 Kumaon fought to the last man. Revisiting a poignant moment of courage on the western front.
Operation Blue Star was as much a story of incompetence as it was about incredible military courage. The Indian Army generals misread and miscalculated. As did Bhindranwale.
Unfortunately, there is now a build-up of the perception that the Army is no longer the last resort but is fast becoming the first one because other institutions have abdicated their responsibilities.
Exclusive satellite images accessed by ThePrint show that the Chinese has deployed 2,000 troops near Doklam. We bring perspectives if the Doklam issue has resolved or can flare up again.
Long range missiles, terrorism and information warfare put civilians at the centre of conflicts. Nations like India need to have a plan on how to deal with them.
While the commission didn’t mention provisions under which IndiGo's market domination would be examined, Competition Act 2002 prohibits abuse of dominant position by any enterprise.
It is argued that India-Israel ties are moving from buyer–seller dynamic to one focused on joint development & manufacturing partnership, a shift 'more durable' than traditional arms sales.
Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.
Well, If Government is honest, there should be no fears to take a call, If Government is corrupt, they will cover their tracks and trail like all previous Governments. We need to insure security of the nation and decisions must be taken
Dear Abhiman,
You are missing the point completely. Tejay is a short range interceptor and cannot carry deep penetration bombing of Mirage. You are right in the sense that AF wanted a better Mirage. Rafale is a better mirage, LCA is a better Mig 21. MMRCA translates to an aircraft category that is not as light as Mig 21( or LCA) and therefore can carry bombs for ground support and precision strike. MMRCA is also required to be lighter than Su30MKI, the ‘heavy’ fighter who will be in air a lot longer to provide air supremacy as Jaguar/Rafale do their job against ground.
All of them are multirole, but i am talking about principal usage here.As for inducting more Tejas, almost 180 additional Mig21/27 are retiring by 2025 – government replace them. The problem is that 110 odd extra jaguars are also out of way and MMRCA is required for that. And this is additional requirements from now which is already short by a total of 200 planes, with 100 odd in MMRCA catagory
Dear Shekhar,I think you have forgotten ULH which has been signed for the Artillery,so is the K9 Thunder, also for the Air Defence We have signed a Regt worth of the latest AD Missiles. You have painted a very dismal picture which may not be very accurate
Indeed a brilliant article. Mr Modi can do it and he must. This is the time of test, he must shed any fears whispered in by the bureaucracy and take bold steps, that is what he is known for too. In his natural self, he must create an atmosphere of dominance for rest of diplomacy to work.
Too true, Govts have neither the wisdom not dedication to go thru with strategic purchases, not the sense that DRDO is only fit to manufacture shoes, and bad ones at that.
Neither Pak nor China or counter insurgents would put their heads up if our defence forces and para militaries were run with common sense, not by political hacks with no credentials.
Fringe radicals, political goons and trash talking politicians along with MoD and DRDO babus must be sent to forefront of border skirmishes and counter terrorist ops.
Congress ruling had cripple the Indian Army. Army had to ask congress before putting a bullet in a rifle. Army moral and strength is their weapons. In order to defend, you need good arms and ammunition. He is trying to get both. As congress was deeply involved in a scam in the past, they are well informed have to fabricate scam. However, in Modi’s case, he had no sister Maria in Italy or no Swiss account. He is not flying to London to close the deal of scams. Rahul was given a role of Kejri. He has to point finger on a regular basis against Modi. If people believe him then they are stupid. Indian Army and Indian needs to be very strong to safe guard against terrorism from neighbors. Modi is and will take whatever challenge he has to face to strengthen the army. Congress will take last suggestions stated in this article because it leaves more money for them to rob.
With nuclear deterrence in place, there really is no existential threat to India’s tetritorial integrity. We should with the Chinese and the Pakistanis, not to give away Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir, of course, but to create a trialteral understanding that allows South Asia to prosper, like ASEAN next door. SAARC is completely dysfunctional. Invite China to join as a full fledged member, work out fair modalities for us to join BRI. Look at the state of our education and healthcare, the number of stunted children and anaemic women, reconsider the priorities that will make us a great nation, not a great power.
Ia this shekar gupta?? Well he hit it very hard.. but in this media savy world old Rajiv days are gone… It might take llong days to repreport during bofors time… but the audacity to milk that issue sill lingers and wins elections… but the same if you try doing now… very same day ooo moment there will be celebrations in opposition camps… cause PM itself makes his one way correspondence after every move or purchase he makes… so flow of backlash of a stupidity will be huge… well yes..protection or we call it outsourcing is your option he does have….
I think any government must focus on inducting indigenously made weapon systems. Unfortunately, this has not been happening because of one major factor : The armed forces clearly have an aversion to anything made in India, even when the indigenous alternative is technically superior to the imported one. A case in point is the Arjun, which beat the Russian T-90 in trails twice in ’08 and ’10. Yet, the Army sent DRDO on a wild-goose chase to incorporate 82 “improvements”. When, a few years later in 2015 or so, the Army came back with the Arjun Mark 2, the Army was still lackadaisical. A few days later, it has floated another global tender to import “next generation” tanks. DRDO, unfortunately is not a part of this project.
Similarly, the Tejas has clearly come of age now. Serving IAF pilots themselves have equated it with the Mirage-2000, which was what the IAF originally wanted in 126 numbers, post-Kargil (it had a stellar performance in bombing the peaks). But the IAF wants to float global tenders for new single engine fighters, on the premise that Tejas is small and light. The Swedish Gripen and the US F-16 are competing like mad for this tender. But the fact is that the Tejas Mark 1A, that will begin manufacturing next year, will be an improvement over the existing Tejas. After that, the HAL will begin manufacturing the Mark 2, which will be bigger and feature the same engine that the Swedish Gripen jet has. This will bring Tejas in the league of the foreign fighters that the IAF wants to purchase.
In any case, when the IAF plans to fly MiGs till 2025, what’s the harm in inducting more Tejas units ?
We all respect the soldier on the border, the pilot and the sailor. But the procurement departments of the Armed Forces have to be asked some very tough questions.
Dear Abhiman,
You are missing the point completely. Tejay is a short range interceptor and cannot carry deep penetration bombing of Mirage. Ypu are right in the sense that AF wanted a better Mirage. Rafale is a better mirage, LCA is a better Mig 21. MMRCA translates to an aircraft category that is not as light as Mig 21( or LCA) and therefore can carry bombs for ground support and precision strike. MMRCA is also required to be lighter than Su30MKI, the ‘heavy’ fighter who will be in air a lot longer to provide air supremacy as Jaguar/Rafale do their job against ground.
All of them are multirole, but i am talking about pricipal usage here.As for inducting more Teaj, almost 180 additional Mig21/27 are retiring by 2025 – government replace them. The problem is that 110 odd extra jaguars are also out of way and MMRCA is required for that. And this is additional requirements from now which is already short by a total of 200 planes, with 100 odd in MMRCA catagory
Well, If Government is honest, there should be no fears to take a call, If Government is corrupt, they will cover their tracks and trail like all previous Governments. We need to insure security of the nation and decisions must be taken
Dear Abhiman,
You are missing the point completely. Tejay is a short range interceptor and cannot carry deep penetration bombing of Mirage. You are right in the sense that AF wanted a better Mirage. Rafale is a better mirage, LCA is a better Mig 21. MMRCA translates to an aircraft category that is not as light as Mig 21( or LCA) and therefore can carry bombs for ground support and precision strike. MMRCA is also required to be lighter than Su30MKI, the ‘heavy’ fighter who will be in air a lot longer to provide air supremacy as Jaguar/Rafale do their job against ground.
All of them are multirole, but i am talking about principal usage here.As for inducting more Tejas, almost 180 additional Mig21/27 are retiring by 2025 – government replace them. The problem is that 110 odd extra jaguars are also out of way and MMRCA is required for that. And this is additional requirements from now which is already short by a total of 200 planes, with 100 odd in MMRCA catagory
Dear Shekhar,I think you have forgotten ULH which has been signed for the Artillery,so is the K9 Thunder, also for the Air Defence We have signed a Regt worth of the latest AD Missiles. You have painted a very dismal picture which may not be very accurate
Indeed a brilliant article. Mr Modi can do it and he must. This is the time of test, he must shed any fears whispered in by the bureaucracy and take bold steps, that is what he is known for too. In his natural self, he must create an atmosphere of dominance for rest of diplomacy to work.
Too true, Govts have neither the wisdom not dedication to go thru with strategic purchases, not the sense that DRDO is only fit to manufacture shoes, and bad ones at that.
Neither Pak nor China or counter insurgents would put their heads up if our defence forces and para militaries were run with common sense, not by political hacks with no credentials.
Fringe radicals, political goons and trash talking politicians along with MoD and DRDO babus must be sent to forefront of border skirmishes and counter terrorist ops.
Congress ruling had cripple the Indian Army. Army had to ask congress before putting a bullet in a rifle. Army moral and strength is their weapons. In order to defend, you need good arms and ammunition. He is trying to get both. As congress was deeply involved in a scam in the past, they are well informed have to fabricate scam. However, in Modi’s case, he had no sister Maria in Italy or no Swiss account. He is not flying to London to close the deal of scams. Rahul was given a role of Kejri. He has to point finger on a regular basis against Modi. If people believe him then they are stupid. Indian Army and Indian needs to be very strong to safe guard against terrorism from neighbors. Modi is and will take whatever challenge he has to face to strengthen the army. Congress will take last suggestions stated in this article because it leaves more money for them to rob.
With nuclear deterrence in place, there really is no existential threat to India’s tetritorial integrity. We should with the Chinese and the Pakistanis, not to give away Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir, of course, but to create a trialteral understanding that allows South Asia to prosper, like ASEAN next door. SAARC is completely dysfunctional. Invite China to join as a full fledged member, work out fair modalities for us to join BRI. Look at the state of our education and healthcare, the number of stunted children and anaemic women, reconsider the priorities that will make us a great nation, not a great power.
Ia this shekar gupta?? Well he hit it very hard.. but in this media savy world old Rajiv days are gone… It might take llong days to repreport during bofors time… but the audacity to milk that issue sill lingers and wins elections… but the same if you try doing now… very same day ooo moment there will be celebrations in opposition camps… cause PM itself makes his one way correspondence after every move or purchase he makes… so flow of backlash of a stupidity will be huge… well yes..protection or we call it outsourcing is your option he does have….
I think any government must focus on inducting indigenously made weapon systems. Unfortunately, this has not been happening because of one major factor : The armed forces clearly have an aversion to anything made in India, even when the indigenous alternative is technically superior to the imported one. A case in point is the Arjun, which beat the Russian T-90 in trails twice in ’08 and ’10. Yet, the Army sent DRDO on a wild-goose chase to incorporate 82 “improvements”. When, a few years later in 2015 or so, the Army came back with the Arjun Mark 2, the Army was still lackadaisical. A few days later, it has floated another global tender to import “next generation” tanks. DRDO, unfortunately is not a part of this project.
Similarly, the Tejas has clearly come of age now. Serving IAF pilots themselves have equated it with the Mirage-2000, which was what the IAF originally wanted in 126 numbers, post-Kargil (it had a stellar performance in bombing the peaks). But the IAF wants to float global tenders for new single engine fighters, on the premise that Tejas is small and light. The Swedish Gripen and the US F-16 are competing like mad for this tender. But the fact is that the Tejas Mark 1A, that will begin manufacturing next year, will be an improvement over the existing Tejas. After that, the HAL will begin manufacturing the Mark 2, which will be bigger and feature the same engine that the Swedish Gripen jet has. This will bring Tejas in the league of the foreign fighters that the IAF wants to purchase.
In any case, when the IAF plans to fly MiGs till 2025, what’s the harm in inducting more Tejas units ?
We all respect the soldier on the border, the pilot and the sailor. But the procurement departments of the Armed Forces have to be asked some very tough questions.
Dear Abhiman,
You are missing the point completely. Tejay is a short range interceptor and cannot carry deep penetration bombing of Mirage. Ypu are right in the sense that AF wanted a better Mirage. Rafale is a better mirage, LCA is a better Mig 21. MMRCA translates to an aircraft category that is not as light as Mig 21( or LCA) and therefore can carry bombs for ground support and precision strike. MMRCA is also required to be lighter than Su30MKI, the ‘heavy’ fighter who will be in air a lot longer to provide air supremacy as Jaguar/Rafale do their job against ground.
All of them are multirole, but i am talking about pricipal usage here.As for inducting more Teaj, almost 180 additional Mig21/27 are retiring by 2025 – government replace them. The problem is that 110 odd extra jaguars are also out of way and MMRCA is required for that. And this is additional requirements from now which is already short by a total of 200 planes, with 100 odd in MMRCA catagory