India China Border Skirmishes

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HAL LCA Tejas Vs. French Dassault Rafale | MMRCA Deal Analysis

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To Counter Pakista's Nasr SRBM India Successfully Test Fires Prithvi-II Tactical SRBM (with video)

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Prithvi-I was a short-range class surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a maximum warhead capacity of 1,000 kg, ranges 150 km. It's CEP is 10-50 metres and can be launched from Transporter erector launchers. This class of Prithvi missile was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994.

Prithvi-II is also a single stage liquid-fuelled SRBM having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 500 kg, but it's range extended to 250 kilometres. It was developed with the Indian Air Force being the primary user. It was first test-fired on January 27, 1996 and the development stages were completed in 2004. This variant has been inducted in to the Army as well. In a recent test, the Missile tested with an extended range of 350 kilometres and improved Aided Inertial Navigation system. 

After a failed test on 24 September 2010 two more missiles were launched on December 22, 2010 which proved to be partially successful. A test firing on 9 June 2011 at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur was successful with the missile reaching an accuracy of better than 10 meters.

Prithvi-III (codenamed Dhanush meaning Bow) is a two-stage ship-to-surface missile. The first stage is solid fuelled with a 16 metric ton force (157 kN) thrust motor. The second stage is liquid fuelled. The missile can carry a 1,000 kg warhead to a distance of 350 km and a 500 kg warhead to a distance of 600 kilometres and a 250 kilogram warhead up to a distance of 750 kilometres. Dhanush is a system consisting of a stabilization platform (Bow) and the Missile (Arrow). 

Supposedly it is a customised version of the Prithvi and that the additional customizations in missile configuration is to certify it for sea worthiness. Dhanush has to be launched from a hydraulically stabilized launch pad. Its low range acts against it and thus it is seen a weapons either to be used to destroy an aircraft carrier or an enemy port. The missile has been tested from the surface ships many times.

Prithvi III was first tested in 2000 from INS Subhadra, 

a Sukanya class patrol craft. The missile was launched from an updated, reinforced helicopter deck of the vessel. The first flight test of the 250 km variant was 

only partially successful. The full operational testing was completed in 2004. The following year in December an enhanced 350 km version of the missile was tested from the INS Rajput and successfully hit a land based target. The missile was again successfully tested-fired from INS Subhadra anchored about 35 km offshore from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur on December 13, 2009. It was the sixth test of the missile. Up to now this missile has not been deployed largely for logistical deficiencies. 

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Indian Supersonic Interceptor Missile Test Successful | Wheeler Island on May 15, 2016

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India, In its effort to have a full fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system, on Sunday successfully test-fired its supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile, from a integrated test range Wheeler Island, off Odisha coast. This project still in developmental phases and the test named "AAD-06".

"The test conducted to validate various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode has been successful," DRDO sources said.

Interceptor missiles are designed to take over and collide with the incoming Ballistic Missiles of hostile power through ballistic trajectory, and ultimately explode up in the atmosphere before reaching its intended targets.

Pakistan, the arch rival of India, paid grave concerns over the test. And vows to take this issue in the global forums.

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10 Killed in Indian BSF Plane Crash

Ten personnel of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) were killed as a small plane crashed near the Delhi airport on Tuesday morning, soon after take-off, Indian media reported. All on board, including three BSF officers and seven technicians were killed. The plane, a Super King aircraft, was flying to Ranchi. Reports suggest it was trying to return after a technical snag was noticed five minutes after take-off.

The crash took place at around 9.50 am, moments after technicians lost contact with ground control. The plane hit a wall and landed in a sewage treatment plant. The aircraft burst into flames and was almost completely wrecked. A part of it was submerged.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma has said that an investigation has been ordered. Talks in Dhaka between the BSF and its Bangladesh counterpart have been put off because of the crash. These aircraft are often used by top officials and ministers. The plane that crashed had senior technicians who were flying to Ranchi to repair a helicopter.

Afghanistan 'Poised To Acquire' Military Helicopters From India

India has delivered its first major offensive military platform to Kabul, with a Mi 25 attack helicopter reaching Afghanistan earlier this month. The first of the four Russian origin choppers that have been gifted to the neighbouring nation has arrived in Afghanistan, with three more on the way, senior officials have told ET.The attack helicopters, designed to take on fortified enemy positions and flying in troops to locations prone to heavy ground fire, will join the Afghanistan Air Force that already operates three of the Indian built Cheetal light helicopters.

The delivery marks the first time India has gifted offensive combat capability to Afghanistan, a sensitive topic in the past due to strong objections by Pakistan. Under the agreement, which has the approval of Russia which is the original manufacturer, India will also train Afghan defence personnel on operations.In the past, India has transferred non-lethal equipment, including vehicles, transport choppers, communication equipment and medical supplies to Afghanistan. However India is a major training partner with Kabul sending across cadets for various courses as well as basic officers training programs.

India is currently in the process of retiring its Mi 25 chopper fleet that are being replaced with newer generation Apache choppers that have already been contracted from the US this year under a government-to-government deal.The Mi 25 transfer is the second helicopter dispatch to take place this year. In April, India delivered three military choppers to Kabul weeks ahead of the first visit by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. The three Cheetal utility helicopters were manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL) with Afghan pilots and technicians trained to operate them.

India Buying Five S-400 Triumf and Could Sign Deal For Building Ka-226T in India

In late November, the Indian Foreign Ministry told the media that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Moscow on December 24-25.

Russian advanced S-400 Triumf air defense system.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, breakthrough deals in the military-technical sphere could be expected from Modi’s visit. The total package of contracts is estimated to be worth more than $7 billion.

Russian Armed Forces Ka-226T multirole helicopter. 

A source close to the Indian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti last week that an agreement on joint Russian-Indian production of Ka-226T helicopters was likely to be signed either during or after Modi’s visit. An ambassadorial source told the media outlet that India’s arms purchase committee had approved the purchase of five S-400 air defense systems which could be worth around $5.8 billion.

Source: Sputnik News

Pakistan Successfully Test Fired Shaheen-I A Ballistic Missile Today

Pakistan Today Successfully Test Fired Shaheen-1A Ballistic Missile. Shaheen1A is capable of delivering different types of warheads to a range of 900 kilometers.

Indian Last of All Nishant Drones Crashed

The Nishant was supposed to be the Indian Army’s premier, domestically-produced surveillance drone. But now it can’t be because all of them, every single one, crashed.

A Nishant Drone while flying.

The product of a development program dating to 1995 from India’s state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization, the Nishant was meant to be a medium-altitude drone in a similar class to the Israeli Heron, which India also operates.

The difference being that India would produce the Nishant itself, freeing the country from its dependence on foreign unmanned vehicles, just as China and Pakistan race ahead producing drones of their own.

During its brief lifespan, the catapult-launched Nishant could stay in the air for four-and-a-half hours. The drone carried no weapons. Returning to base, the Nishant would not land like an airplane, but deploy a parachute and float to earth.

It could not carry weapons, as it functioned strictly in a reconnaissance role — spotting for artillery, snooping on enemy troops and hoovering up electronic and signal information from the battlefield. Or at least, that was the plan.

Had Nishant worked out, the Indian Army would have bought a total of twelve and sent them to disputed Kashmir region and to track Maoist rebels in India’s interior.

But it was not to be. The four prototype Nishants entered service in 2011, and then started falling — not floating — out of the sky. The first two went down near the Pakistani border in April 2015. The third Nishant crashed in Rajasthan in early November.

There was only one left … and that crashed on Nov. 19.

Nishant drones, one of them crashed with what appears to be an undeployed parachute. Photos via Indian defense forums
The cause of the last crash appeared to be a parachute which failed to properly deploy.

“In the past DRDO has blamed poor handling by the Army for the loss of at least two systems,” the Economic Times reported. “However, the Army has contended that the system has failed to perform and has technical problemsduring the recovery phase that have not been sorted out.”

To the Army’s credit, it already operates dozens of Israeli drones with no apparent troubles. Retired Lt. Gen. P.C. Katoch, who led the Indian Army’s information systems directorate, blasted the DRDO for a “gross lack of accountability,” producing “schoolboy level” inventions and then bragging about its accomplishments with “false propaganda.”

“For their part, the DRDO in its usual manner has blamed the user for poor handling of the system, a point categorically denied by the Army,” Katoch wrote at SP’s Aviation magazine. “The irony is that this game has been [going] on for decades with no one held accountable in the DRDO.”

“The irony here is that while this monolith of DRDO cannot produce a worthwhile drone in 20 years, Pakistan has already developed and deployed its own armed drone.” Kaotch was referring to the Burraq drone, which Islamabad developed from the Chinese CH-3.

Nishant, however, is dead. With no more left and an obvious lack of faith in the drone, the Indian Army canceled the project for good.

Source: http://defence.pk/threads/every-one-of-india%E2%80%99s-nishant-drones-has-crashed.412783/#ixzz3uOIJs0GF

India Threatening Sri Lanka Not to Buy JF-17 Thunders from Pakistan

Sri Lankan Government is facing mounting pressure from its powerful neighbour India over a defence deal Sri Lanka is to enter into with Pakistan. According to highly placed sources in the diplomatic circles, India has expressed its strong opposition to a deal the SL Government entered into with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to purchase 10 JF-17 combat aircraft.

Photo: PAF Wallpapers.com

The deal was entered into apparently when former Air Force Commander Jayalath Weerakkody was serving as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Pakistan.

It is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. The JF-17 can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. Its designation 'JF-17' by Pakistan is short for 'Joint Fighter-17'

The JF-17 was primarily developed to meet the PAF's requirement for an affordable, modern, multi-role combat aircraft as a replacement for its large fleet of Dassault Mirage III/5 fighters, Nanchang A-5 bombers, and Chengdu F-7 interceptors, with a cost of US$ 500 million, divided equally between China and Pakistan. The aircraft was also intended to have export potential as a cost-effective and competitive alternative to more expensive Western fighters. The development of this aircraft was headed by Yang Wei (aircraft designer), who is considered China's 'ace designer'. Wei also designed the Chengdu J-20.

By 1989, because of economic sanctions by the US, Pakistan had abandoned Project Sabre II, a design study involving US aircraft manufacturer Grumman and China, and had decided to redesign and upgrade the Chengdu F-7. In the same year, China and Grumman started a new design study to develop the Super 7, another redesigned Chengdu F-7. Grumman left the project when sanctions were placed on China following the political fallout from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. After Grumman left the Chengdu Super 7 project, the Fighter China project was launched in 1991. In 1995, Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint design and development of a new fighter and over the next few years worked out the project details. In June 1995, Mikoyan had joined the project to provide 'design support', this also involved the secondment of several engineers by CAC. (Source-Wikipedia)

According to sources, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had personally expressed India's concerns on the deal to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Doval who telephoned both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had told them outright that New Delhi is against the deal.

He warned that Sri Lanka will have to face serious repercussions if Sri Lanka was to seal the deal with Pakistan.

Sri Lanka on the other hand had offered to purchase three naval ships from India. This, however, was not favoured by India and New Delhi was firm on its stance.

To give in, Sri Lankan Defence Ministry had asked for 10 JF-17 aircraft or a similar craft. India came up with a counter deal where it offered a credit line to SL Government to purchase combat aircraft. The condition is that the government could buy the aircraft from any country other than Pakistan.

Pakistan, as things developed, renewed their offer by stating they would give 10 F-7 combat craft free, if we are going for an outright purchase. Pakistan also plans to announce the deal during Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff's imminent visit to Colombo in January 2016.

However, India - Pakistan relationship will reach a breaking point with Sri Lanka's final decision on the aircraft deal.

Meanwhile, the government seems to have thought of maximizing this situation, as it indicated giving the nod to the Colombo Port City Project.

The EIA was finalized and the investor published the 1,000-page report. However, contrary to normal procedure of making the report available on line for the public to give their views and comments on the project, the Chinese investor had opted to a different path.

Accordingly, those who want to comment on the EIA report will have to buy the report and write their comments manually and hand it over again.

India which was completely against the China Port City project, meanwhile, has loosened its grip on the matter and said they have no issue if the government and the Chinese company agree to certain amendments including the land ownership.

However, this much reluctant approval comes with a condition of Sri Lanka dropping the aircraft deal with Pakistan.

Barak 8 surface - to - air missile to be test - fired this month

The state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will series-produce the 70 km-range Barak-8, with 32 missiles to be initially fitted onto INS Kolkata. 

The missile had undergone a successful test in Israel last November. (Source: Reuters photo) India and Israel are likely to test fire this month the long-range surface-to-air Barak 8 missile, jointly developed by the two countries, which can act as a potent shield against incoming missiles, aircraft and drones. If the test to be done in Israel is successful, another would be conducted on board an Indian ship before September. This, according to defence sources, will pave the way for installation of Barak 8 missiles, an upgraded version of Barak systems both the countries use, on board Indian warships.

The missile had undergone a successful test in Israel last November. Though initially the missile was to be fired on board an Indian ship, defence sources said it would now be done on board an Israeli ship first. “Following the last test, the Indian Navy had recommended certain changes which have been incorporated. The coming test will check whether the changes are successful. Following this, a test would be done on board an Indian ship,” the sources said. The Indian ship likely to be used for testing is INS Kolkata.The launchers and radars to track the missile are already in place. The test will be conducted against an incoming missile by the Navy. The missile is being jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, India’s DRDO, Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies. The state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will series-produce the 70 km-range Barak-8, with 32 missiles to be initially fitted onto INS Kolkata. Barak 8 is being considered to be a major asset for Indian Navy because it would add a potent system designed to destroy any anti-ship missile launched by Pakistani or Chinese navy. Key to Barak 8’s ability to intercept incoming missiles is Israel-made MF-STAR radar system which is capable of simultaneously tracking hundreds of airborne targets to arange of more than 250 kilometers.

Afghanistan Acquiring Indian Light Choppers

A news report confirms that afgan authority going to acquire four light attack helicopters from India. These helicopters are developed in India by DRDO for Indian army but several failure along with the destruction of four of seven examples build for test purposes creates blur future for the project. While, after these crashes a Latin customer canceled their order for this helicopters from india. To save the project DRDO and Indian government find out a new customer afghanistan as this country is now a friend of India in the region. The part of the Ghani Administration in afghanistan led by CEO Abdulla Abdulla is the main strong body for India, sources said.

Russia, India May Conclude Up to $3Bln-Worth in New Arms Contracts

The value of a new package of contracts to supply Russian arms and military equipment to India may reach $3 billion, the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade said Friday.Earlier, India's Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said his country could sign an agreement with Russia next month for the delivery of Russian S-400 Triumf air defense systems. The two sides are also discussing the purchase of two Russian Kilo-class diesel-powered submarines.

India will acquire 48 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters and, on Thursday, the Indian Defense Ministry cleared a proposal to upgrade the country's fleet of Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes and Il-78 aerial tankers.

"The recent statements by the military leadership of India about large-scale purchases of Russian arms shows that India is still the most important partner of Russia in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. I believe that here we can talk about $1.5-2 billion-worth contracts, maybe even about $3 billion," a spokesman for the Moscow-based think tank said.

He added that the contracts could be executed in 3-5 years.

Since the Soviet era, Russia and India have enjoyed mutually beneficial strategic relations, especially in defense and military cooperation.

In 2014, the value of weapons and military hardware delivered by Russia to India reached some $4.7 billion, according to the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.

India Hopes to Buy Russian S-400 Air Defense Systems to Boost Security

Former Indian Wing Commander Prafulla Bakshi called Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system the "world's most successful defense system."

New Delhi intends to sign an agreement with Moscow on the delivery of Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to strengthen the country’s security, former Indian Wing Commander Prafulla Bakshi told Sputnik on Saturday.

On Friday, India's Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar arrived in Moscow to discuss military and technical cooperation within the framework of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) meeting on November 2.

"Indian air defense system is weak and the defense ministry is planning to strengthen it. Accordingly, Indian Air Force has chalked a plan to add four more regional headquarters apart from the present five. So the Russian S-400 Missile System will be very important for India. This missile system is the world's most successful defense system,” Bakshi said.

India and Russia have enjoyed good relations since the 1960s, underpinned by Russia's position as New Delhi’s foremost military supplier, particularly in the post-Cold War era.

IRIGC-MTC was established in 2000 to enhance bilateral cooperation in the military sphere. It is co-chaired by Parrikar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) is Russia's next-generation anti-aircraft system, carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at short-to-extremely long range.

Source: Sputnik News

India Has "Tactical Nuclear Weapons" (TNW) From The Very Beginning

Recently Pakistan complains that India possessed low-yield Tactical Nuclear Weapons from the very beginning and it tested the first TNW at Pokhran Ranges in 1998 test fire. This allegations come after India heavily complaining to the west against Pakistani TNWs and short-rangr battlefield Nasr (Vangeance-IX) missile systems.

Pakistani Authorities always claiming that they must use this battlefield nukes & Nasr missiles against any Indian aggression into its territories. After Modi's taking over of Delhi's power house Pakistan-India tensions are high and border-skirmishes increases in dangerous level.

Dissecting India's "Second Strike Capabilities": A Threat To The Ocean Ways

The Indian Ocean can be saved from becoming a zone of conflicts if India stops thinking it owns it. If the West encourages New Delhi to build a blue-water navy, it would only be a matter of time before it ends up becoming a nightmare for the West itself. The Indian Ocean ranks as the fifth largest ocean, covering 20 per cent of the water on Earth. It consists of 60 islands owned by different states and has four major waterways — the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el Mandeb and the Suez Canal.

 

A nuclear submarine (SSN, SSGN, SSBN) can go stealth for an infinite if there have enough supply and can be a nightmare for the foe ships & other targets.

 Interestingly, the Indian Ocean had never been nuclearised even during the Cold War. The shifting of Indian nuclear weapons capabilities from land to sea, in their deployment against Pakistan and China, could end up initiating a three-party nuclear competition. India is modernizing its navy at a rapid pace, and allocated it a budget of $4.8 billion in 2011. China, on the other hand, is not in a position right now to generate a stir in the contemporary strategic balance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). India dragged the IOR into an intense arms race by introducing a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, in 2014; it is also in the process of building two more Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear submarines. India now has two platforms, INS Subhadra and INS Suvarna, to launch Dhanush missiles. The Indian Navy also has the ability to launch BrahMos missile, a joint venture between Russia and India, which can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads. In short, India is playing a dangerous game in pursuit of prestige and international recognition in the IOR where confidence-building measures or institutionalized conflict-resolution seem to be totally absent.

In the backdrop of the traditional rivalries in this region, the addition of nuclear-capable submarines in the Indian naval fleet is a serious threat to Pakistan and China. This provocation could force Pakistan and other regional states to launch drives to acquire similar capability, thus initiating an arms race in South Asia. It is not surprising that China is willing to sell eight diesel-electric, and not nuclear, submarines to Pakistan. As stated earlier, South Asia has no institutional mechanism that can be used to deal with confrontational behaviour that regional states may indulge in the IOR. If India is resolute about taking the route of sea-based nuclear strike capability, then it is highly unlikely that any possible escalation could be controlled. Pakistan needs to work on sea-based deterrence as this can provide it with strategic advantages, which could serve many implicit opportunities. The most vulnerable part of the Indian defence is its coastal belt, which the Pakistan Navy can exploit through the element of surprise.

Connecting the "Silk Route" project through Gwadar Port of Pakistan.

During the Cold War, India was not happy about US presence in the IOR. However, China’s presence is the main factor that transformed the dynamic of Indian strategic thinking and today, Indian and US interests are congregating , which has generated a more favourable strategic environment for both countries against China. Regardless of Russian and Chinese opposition, India has offered a foothold to the US in the Indian Ocean by signing a new 10-year Defence Framework Agreement with it.

The Indian approach, which projects China as a potential threat in the IOR, is an exaggerated one. China is more focused in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, with trade security its only interest in the IOR. It is still behind India and the US in gaining geographical advantages and maritime power in the IOR. The imaginary Chinese ‘string of pearls strategy’ is playing with the minds of Indian strategists. Last year, in November 2014, after a patrolling Chinese submarine docked in Sri Lanka, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a cabinet committee to clear an $8billion warships project to counter the Chinese Navy. The US, on the other hand, wants to encircle China via agreements with regional states. Pakistan provides China the best way out to reach the Indian Ocean, near the Persian Gulf.

Under construction Gwader port.

There are chances of a naval arms race emerging if we consider historical Indo-Russian naval cooperation and the current increased exchange of naval collaboration between the US and India. It is up to the global players, especially the US and Russia, to either promote global peace by denying India the acquisition of deadly war munitions like Akula-II or, to sell their weaponry and jeapordise global security.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2015.

Pakistan's counter against Indian Civil Nuclear deal with US

Islamabad: Pakistan and the US officials will meet on Monday for discussing nuclear issues as a part of the strategic dialogue between the two countries. 

The Pakistani delegation led by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has already arrived in Washington.Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalillullah confirmed to Online on Sunday that the Pakistani delegation for nuclear talks with the US left Saturday night for Washington. He however, declined to go into keen details of the talks between the two countries over the key issue. Nevertheless, diplomatic sources on condition of anonymity told Online that the focus of the talks are no doubt non-proliferation but informal and off the media talks on civil-nuclear assistance are to be held aiming to convince the US to ink a deal similar to the one Washington signed with India.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry is leading senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Strategic Plans Division at the talks. While the US side is being led by RoseEileneGottemoeller, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. State Department has already rejected media suggestions that Saudi and Pakistani officials had met recently to discuss nuclear cooperation.

“I’m not sure I would presume that was the topic of discussion, and I don’t think we have concern about it,” the State Department spokesperson told reporters two weeks ago while responding to a question. The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit held in the Hague on March 24 and 25, also witnessed praising of Pakistan nuclear safety by international community including the US state department and President Obama himself.

In 2013, the world started praising the steps Pakistan was taking to make its nuclear program safer.
The sources said that as the safety issue about Pakistan is no more doubted in the world, quite sure of the extraordinary steps taken by Islamabad for safeguarding its nuclear program as a responsible state, so it is right time to address the civil-nuclear deal with a country like US which also fully understand the energy crises of the country. “So in this sense it could be comprehensive talks,” they added.

The talks are part of the strategic dialogue process, which includes six working groups for economy and trade, energy, counter-terrorism and law-enforcement, defense and nuclear non-proliferation, and education, science and technology. The strategic dialogue was delayed due to Salala incident and episode of Osama bin Laden in 2011. Nevertheless, the two countries managed to get back on track and improve the bilateral ties. “Immediate result in connection to civil nuclear cooperation is not expected but this could be a step forward,” said an officialwho was not authorized to talk to media. 

 

From, The Nation

Again IAF’s Sukhoi 30-MKI Crashes, This Time In Assam

Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi 30-MKI fighter jet crashed near Nagaon district of Assam on Tuesday. Pilots of the jet ejected safely and a court of enquiry was ordered to investigate the reason behind the accident.

According to primary reports, the fighter aircraft took-off from Tezpur base of the IAF and crashed just 35 kilometres away from the airstrip.

The Eastern Air Command confirmed that both the pilot and navigator ejected safely.

India and Israel's Secret Love Affair

The Indo-Israeli defense relationship is once again in focus following Benjamin Netanyahu's "sky is the limit" comment after meeting Narendra Modi in New York back in September—and especially after the signing of the long-delayed $144 million deal on Barak I missiles in October. Another milestone was crossed in November when New Delhi and Tel Aviv successfully tested the Barak 8 anti-missile system—a joint project developing an aerial defense system for naval vessels. Moreover, since Modi took power this summer, New Delhi has purchased a whopping $662 million worth of Israeli arms.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu & Indian PM Narendra Modi.

So is the Indo-Israeli strategic relationship likely to be fundamentally different now that Modi is in power?

Although Indo-Israeli ties are undoubtedly on the upswing, history suggests that Modi is not likely to have a fundamental impact on the substance of the bilateral relationship.

During the early part of the Cold War, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru briefly considered inviting Israel to the 1955 Bandung Conference, but eventually decided against doing so in order to appease Arab and Middle Eastern states. While this carved out India’s Cold War foreign policy of opposing Israel and siding with Palestine, New Delhi’s military ties with Tel Aviv, however modest, began by the 1960s. Not only did Israel provide military assistance to India in its wars in 1962, 1965 and 1971, but Tel Aviv was also one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh following India’s victory in its 1971 war against Pakistan. When the traditionally pro-Israel and Hindu, right-wing, Jan Sangh-led government was briefly in power from 1977 to 1979, Israeli foreign minister Moshe Dayan paid a secret visit to New Delhi in August 1977 to further expand bilateral ties.

While Prime Minister Indira Gandhi mostly maintained her father’s pro-Palestine position, her son and successor Rajiv Gandhi met his Israeli counterpart in September 1985 during the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting, which was the first such open meeting between the prime ministers of the two states. Indian concerns over the fast-advancing Pakistani nuclear program are believed to have facilitated these improved ties. However, it was not until 1992—after the end of the Cold War and India’s 1991 economic liberalization—that New Delhi formally established diplomatic relations with Israel. Nevertheless, it is important to note that even without formal diplomatic relations, Indo-Israeli military ties existed during the Cold War. These ties have certainly increased in volume since the 1990s.

However, a constant theme in the history of Indo-Israeli relations has been that their public visibility has been conditioned on which party holds powers in New Delhi. Specifically, each time a Hindu nationalist coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power in New Delhi, the visibility of the bilateral ties increases, but not the substance. On the other hand, the Congress Party has tended to downplay India’s ties to the Jewish state whenever it holds power.

In this sense, the Modi government’s proximity to Israel harkens back to the previous BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. In 2000, for instance, BJP leader L.K. Advani was the first senior Indian minister to visit Israel since the 1992 establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. An Indo-Israeli joint working group on terrorism was formed that year, and in 2003, then national security advisor Brajesh Mishra delivered a speech at the American Jewish Committee underlining the potential for cooperation among India, Israel and the United States in fighting Islamist extremism.

Once the Congress Party–led United Progressive Alliance government came to power in 2004, however, Indo-Israeli ties mostly disappeared from the headlines. This was by design; in 2010, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs refused to allow Congress Party MP Mani Shankar Aiyar to ask questions about the Indo-Israeli defense relationship in parliament on the grounds that it pertained to a “state secret.” At other points during the UPA’s tenure, Israel and India openly clashed. This was the case, for instance, when Indian president Pratibha Patil called on Israel to withdraw from Golan Heights as a primary condition for peace. Despite this public bickering, Indo-Israeli strategic ties remained rock solid. In fact, in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, India’s defense purchases from Israel increased so much that Tel Aviv briefly replaced Russia as New Delhi’s largest defense supplier in 2009.

In other words, the key difference between the secular Congress Party-led coalition and the one led by the Hindu nationalist BJP lies in their public-relations management of the bilateral relationship. The former publicly downplays strategic ties between India and Israel, while the latter loudly champions its defense and strategic cooperation with Tel Aviv. Beyond these semantics, however, the Congress Party and the BJP maintain largely similar ties with the Jewish state.

Not surprisingly, then, as Narendra Modi prepared to take office, think tanks in Washington and New Delhi predicted that Indo-Israeli relations would once again become more visible. After all, the Modi government’s anti-Islam, anti-Pakistan, anti-terrorism and pro-business positions are compatible with its public enunciation of deeper defense, strategic and economic ties with Tel Aviv. Furthermore, given his historic win and the weak and fractured nature of the opposition, Narendra Modi is nearly able to single-handedly coordinate the future direction of India’s foreign policy. This allows him and his government to magnify Indo-Israeli relations in public.

Which isn’t to say that Indo-Israeli ties aren’t currently expanding, as they are and are likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. New Delhi is currently Israel’s largest arms customer, and talks are underway for the conclusion of a free-trade agreement that would increase bilateral trade many times over.

In addition, Israel has hailed India as a strategic partner in Asia, while China as merely a trading partner. With Modi entrenched in power, and strategic interests aligned, we are poised to see India and Israel expand on their already-strong relationship.

Source: TNI

Mizoram Liberation Army Killed 3 Policeman In India

Three policemen were killed and four others injured when militants opened fire on a convoy accompanying a group of members of legislative assembly near Indian state of Mizoram’s northern border with Assam and Manipur.

 

MLAs RL Pianmawia, Lalawmpuii Chawngthu and Lalthanliana, all members of the committee on government assurances, were being accompanied by a team of police and several officials while they were visiting the area. Police suspect that the militants were members of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democrats) or HPCD, a group based in southern Manipur.

 

The area where the ambush took place has weak communications signals and more details were still being awaited, sources said. Sakawrdai sub-divisional police officer Zarzoliana was being airlifted to Aizawl for emergency operation.

 

According to the police, MLA RL Pianmawia put up his hands and called to the militants that they were surrendering. After this the militants stopped firing and rounded up all the policemen’s guns. Police, however, are unclear about the kind and number of guns taken.

 
Due to poor communication signals more details are awaited, said police sources. Emergency meeting of security personals with Home minister of Mizoram R Lalzirliana was underway at the moment.

Three policemen were killed and four others injured when militants opened fire on a convoy accompanying a group of members of legislative assembly near Indian state of Mizoram’s northern border with Assam and Manipur.
MLAs RL Pianmawia, Lalawmpuii Chawngthu and Lalthanliana, all members of the committee on government assurances, were being accompanied by a team of police and several officials while they were visiting the area.
Police suspect that the militants were members of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democrats) or HPCD, a group based in southern Manipur.
The area where the ambush took place has weak communications signals and more details were still being awaited, sources said.
Sakawrdai sub-divisional police officer Zarzoliana was being airlifted to Aizawl for emergency operation.
According to the police, MLA RL Pianmawia put up his hands and called to the militants that they were surrendering. After this the militants stopped firing and rounded up all the policemen’s guns. Police, however, are unclear about the kind and number of guns taken. .
Due to poor communication signals more details are awaited, said police sources.
Emergency meeting of security personals with Home minister of Mizoram R Lalzirliana was underway at the moment. - See more at: http://newagebd.net/106772/three-policemen-killed-in-militant-attack-in-mizoram/#sthash.1WmZVTCD.dpuf

Three policemen were killed and four others injured when militants opened fire on a convoy accompanying a group of members of legislative assembly near Indian state of Mizoram’s northern border with Assam and Manipur.
MLAs RL Pianmawia, Lalawmpuii Chawngthu and Lalthanliana, all members of the committee on government assurances, were being accompanied by a team of police and several officials while they were visiting the area.
Police suspect that the militants were members of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democrats) or HPCD, a group based in southern Manipur.
The area where the ambush took place has weak communications signals and more details were still being awaited, sources said.
Sakawrdai sub-divisional police officer Zarzoliana was being airlifted to Aizawl for emergency operation.
According to the police, MLA RL Pianmawia put up his hands and called to the militants that they were surrendering. After this the militants stopped firing and rounded up all the policemen’s guns. Police, however, are unclear about the kind and number of guns taken. .
Due to poor communication signals more details are awaited, said police sources.
Emergency meeting of security personals with Home minister of Mizoram R Lalzirliana was underway at the moment. - See more at: http://newagebd.net/106772/three-policemen-killed-in-militant-attack-in-mizoram/#sthash.1WmZVTCD.dpuf