An ultra-modern fully air-conditioned, ‘Rapid Action Mobile Medical Hospital’ was inducted into Indian Air Force by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal PK Barbora, at the IAF’s Hindon airbase near Ghaziabad, today. Air Marshal P Madhusoodanan, Director General Medical Services (Air) who conceptualized the need for such a setup was also present during the induction ceremony.
The mobile medical Hospital, the first-of-its-kind in the country is field/disaster area deployable 25-bedded hospital with a full complement of Operation theatre, oxygen generating system and other sub-systems that would aid the military and civilians in both disaster areas and operational grounds. The system is air/road transportable and will serve as a key force multiplier to the expert disaster medical management teams on ground who have till now been working under serious constraints of facility. More such units will be inducted and positioned in each command zone after evaluation so that the entire geographic spread of the country is duly covered, informed DGMS (Air
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
The ABC of N-subs
A LARGE number of "experts" have written numerous articles after India's strategic nuclear submarine, Arihant, was launched on July 26, 2009 by Mrs Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Also, nuclear scientists proudly unveiled the "half boat", or the shore-based miniaturised nuclear reactor, at Kalpakkam on July 29, 2009.
Earlier, in February 2008, the Defence Research and Development Organisation made an unprecedented announcement in the press about the testing of an SLBM (submarine launched ballastic missile).
In my opinion, the unnecessary publicity given to these three events should have been avoided.
Unfortunately, in a hurry to get individual achievements lauded, a lot of premature and needless publicity was given. Hopefully, this project will fructify as planned, without the recent "fizzle" controversy surrounding our 1998 thermonuclear test.
Let us begin with the miniaturised reactor (known as PWR or pressurised water reactor, similar to the light water reactors, being imported for civilian power plants after the Indo-US nuclear deal of 2008).
Common sense dictates that a submarine crew living, eating and working within 20 to 50 metres of the submarine reactor needs to be "safe" from radioactive materials, that is, alpha and beta particles and gamma radiation. Hence, the submarine reactor must be safe, simple, rugged and capable of operating in all situations that a nuclear submarine encounters on surface and underwater.
Secondly, it must be silent. This stealth is achieved by ensuring that the number of pumps, specially the PHT pumps (primary heat transfer pumps), that re-circulate the "closed" first loop radioactive water between the reactor core and the steam boilers, are reduced to a minimum or, in some cases, not used at low submarine speeds by having a "convection system" which does the work of the PHT pumps.
Till the '70s, nuclear submarines used two reactors, each with steam boilers and PHT pumps for redundancy though these added to the radiated noise.
But once reactor reliability was established, most advanced nations now use a single reactor for more silent operations. Theoretically, a single reliable PWR reactor, with a single steam boiler and a single PHT pump, would produce the least noise.
The second issue mentioned by "experts" is the reactor life and how the Americans have been operating their ninth generation submarine reactors with 25-year life spans, as compared to the rest of the world. Our "experts" should remember that the world's first nuclear submarine, the American USS Nautilius, had a reactor core life of only two years. There is no doubt that the Americans are 50 years ahead of India in this regard, but we must understand that a safe submarine reactor requires a combination of metallurgy and enriched Uranium-235 (U-235) to achieve longer reactor life. And this data is a closely-guarded secret for obvious reasons.
Some articles in the Indian media, about using 80 to 93 per cent enriched U-235 in a submarine reactor core, are incorrect.
The third issue mentioned by the "experts" is the reactor power and why we need an SSBN to have higher reactor power to transit at a speed of 30 knots.
Reactor power, as indicated, is thermal and not electrical (eg 100 MW is 100 megawatts of thermal power). Most SSBNs need a transit speed of below 20 knots since their task is to avoid contact with enemy warships and submarines and launch their SLBMs when ordered in a second strike.
Given our geographical location vis-à-vis our two nuclear-armed adversaries, an SSBN with a speed of 20 to 24 knots, but with SLBMs of about 5,000-km range, should suffice. It should be noted that SSNs (or tactical nuclear attack submarines), which are required to search and sink enemy warships and submarines, would need higher speeds (over 30 knots, which, depending on the SSN size, would require a single reactor of 160 to 200 MW or two reactors, each of about 80 to 100 MW).
There are a few other factors which decide submarine stealth -- improved shock mounts, "rafting" (where the reactor and machinery are not in direct contact with the pressure hull), hydrodynamic hull shape, skewed propellers or the new pump jet propulsion system, "static" electrical machinery, anechoic tiling, silent weapon and garbage discharge systems among others). Similarly, greater diving depths are a combination of metallurgy, pressure hull thickness and frame spacing (steel frames are the inner skeletons which, along with the keel, provide support to the pressure hull.
Also, in the case of two "similar" steel-hulled submarines, the one with a thicker pressure hull and "closer, thicker frame spacing" would dive deeper, but would pay a penalty in loss of some speed.
Diving depths of submarines are a closely guarded secret, as are noise figures and weapon-firing depths. A nuclear submarine also needs a system to generate oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and other gases to enable human beings to live and operate in demanding conditions underwater. Production of drinkable sea water and the ability to get rid of garbage (food and human waste) are equally important and technologically demanding.
Our scientists and the Navy personnel involved in work on the Arihant have indeed achieved a major milestone. However, much more needs to be done, and I hope it is done without any unwise and unnecessary publicity.
In addition, India now also needs to begin work on a faster, deeper-diving SSN (tactical nuclear attack submarine) to provide its Navy with a major sea denial capability in the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean.
This SSN will require a single 160 to 200 MW reactor and improved stealth and complex metallurgy. We are beginners in the field of nuclear submarines and have a lot of catching up to do before we start celebrating. VICE-ADMIRAL ARUN KUMAR SINGH retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam
Earlier, in February 2008, the Defence Research and Development Organisation made an unprecedented announcement in the press about the testing of an SLBM (submarine launched ballastic missile).
In my opinion, the unnecessary publicity given to these three events should have been avoided.
The nation -- in keeping with worldwide practice -- should have announced only the commissioning, post-successful sea and weapon trials of the Arihant, which is the first in its class.
Unfortunately, in a hurry to get individual achievements lauded, a lot of premature and needless publicity was given. Hopefully, this project will fructify as planned, without the recent "fizzle" controversy surrounding our 1998 thermonuclear test.
This article tries to explain, in simple terms, the unclassified, but misunderstood mysteries of a nuclear submarine.
Let us begin with the miniaturised reactor (known as PWR or pressurised water reactor, similar to the light water reactors, being imported for civilian power plants after the Indo-US nuclear deal of 2008).
Common sense dictates that a submarine crew living, eating and working within 20 to 50 metres of the submarine reactor needs to be "safe" from radioactive materials, that is, alpha and beta particles and gamma radiation. Hence, the submarine reactor must be safe, simple, rugged and capable of operating in all situations that a nuclear submarine encounters on surface and underwater.
Secondly, it must be silent. This stealth is achieved by ensuring that the number of pumps, specially the PHT pumps (primary heat transfer pumps), that re-circulate the "closed" first loop radioactive water between the reactor core and the steam boilers, are reduced to a minimum or, in some cases, not used at low submarine speeds by having a "convection system" which does the work of the PHT pumps.
Till the '70s, nuclear submarines used two reactors, each with steam boilers and PHT pumps for redundancy though these added to the radiated noise.
But once reactor reliability was established, most advanced nations now use a single reactor for more silent operations. Theoretically, a single reliable PWR reactor, with a single steam boiler and a single PHT pump, would produce the least noise.
The second issue mentioned by "experts" is the reactor life and how the Americans have been operating their ninth generation submarine reactors with 25-year life spans, as compared to the rest of the world. Our "experts" should remember that the world's first nuclear submarine, the American USS Nautilius, had a reactor core life of only two years. There is no doubt that the Americans are 50 years ahead of India in this regard, but we must understand that a safe submarine reactor requires a combination of metallurgy and enriched Uranium-235 (U-235) to achieve longer reactor life. And this data is a closely-guarded secret for obvious reasons.
Some articles in the Indian media, about using 80 to 93 per cent enriched U-235 in a submarine reactor core, are incorrect.
This use of weapon grade U-235, may, under some emergent situations, "convert" a reactor into a fission bomb by making the transition from "critical" to "super critical" stage during operations.
We should be happy that our scientists have made a submarine reactor (irrespective of whether it is a few generations behind the Americans and Russians). The important thing here is to see how the reactor operates in harbour and sea trials. Based on this initial experience, improvements can be made to the life and stealth qualities of this reactor.
The third issue mentioned by the "experts" is the reactor power and why we need an SSBN to have higher reactor power to transit at a speed of 30 knots.
Reactor power, as indicated, is thermal and not electrical (eg 100 MW is 100 megawatts of thermal power). Most SSBNs need a transit speed of below 20 knots since their task is to avoid contact with enemy warships and submarines and launch their SLBMs when ordered in a second strike.
Given our geographical location vis-à-vis our two nuclear-armed adversaries, an SSBN with a speed of 20 to 24 knots, but with SLBMs of about 5,000-km range, should suffice. It should be noted that SSNs (or tactical nuclear attack submarines), which are required to search and sink enemy warships and submarines, would need higher speeds (over 30 knots, which, depending on the SSN size, would require a single reactor of 160 to 200 MW or two reactors, each of about 80 to 100 MW).
There are a few other factors which decide submarine stealth -- improved shock mounts, "rafting" (where the reactor and machinery are not in direct contact with the pressure hull), hydrodynamic hull shape, skewed propellers or the new pump jet propulsion system, "static" electrical machinery, anechoic tiling, silent weapon and garbage discharge systems among others). Similarly, greater diving depths are a combination of metallurgy, pressure hull thickness and frame spacing (steel frames are the inner skeletons which, along with the keel, provide support to the pressure hull.
For example, an expensive titanium-hulled submarine can dive to twice the depth of a modern steel-hulled submarine.
Also, in the case of two "similar" steel-hulled submarines, the one with a thicker pressure hull and "closer, thicker frame spacing" would dive deeper, but would pay a penalty in loss of some speed.
Diving depths of submarines are a closely guarded secret, as are noise figures and weapon-firing depths. A nuclear submarine also needs a system to generate oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and other gases to enable human beings to live and operate in demanding conditions underwater. Production of drinkable sea water and the ability to get rid of garbage (food and human waste) are equally important and technologically demanding.
Our scientists and the Navy personnel involved in work on the Arihant have indeed achieved a major milestone. However, much more needs to be done, and I hope it is done without any unwise and unnecessary publicity.
In addition, India now also needs to begin work on a faster, deeper-diving SSN (tactical nuclear attack submarine) to provide its Navy with a major sea denial capability in the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean.
This SSN will require a single 160 to 200 MW reactor and improved stealth and complex metallurgy. We are beginners in the field of nuclear submarines and have a lot of catching up to do before we start celebrating. VICE-ADMIRAL ARUN KUMAR SINGH retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
India Paramilitary Forces
A soldier of India's elite Assam Rifles stands guard at the India Gate, New Delhi.)
In addition to the regular armed forces, India also has paramilitary forces. These forces have grown dramatically since independence. There are twelve paramilitary organizations, which have an authorized strength of around 1.3 million personnel. In 1994, their reported actual strength was 692,500. These organizations include the Coast Guard Organisation and the Defence Security Force, which are subordinate to the Ministry of Defence. Paramilitary forces subordinate to the Ministry of Home Affairs include the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and the Rashtriya Rifles (National Rifles). The National Security Guards, a joint antiterrorist contingency force, are charged with protection of high-level persons (the so-called very very important persons--VVIPs) and are subordinate to the Office of the Prime Minister (also sometimes known as the Prime Minister's Secretariat.) The guards are composed of elements of the armed forces, the Central Reserve Police Force, and the Border Security Force. The Special Frontier Force also is subordinate to the Office of the Prime Minister. The Railway Protection Force is subordinate to the Ministry of Railways. At the local level, there is the Provincial Armed Constabulary, which is controlled by the governments of the states and territories (see State and Other Police Services, this ch.).During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, local police forces could not deal with the mounting array of sectarian, ethnic, and regional conflicts, and paramilitary forces were increasingly called on for assistance. In addition to security and guard duties, paramilitary organizations assist local and state-level police forces in maintaining public order and shield the army from excessive use in "aid-to-the-civil-power" operations. These operations essentially involve quelling public disorder when local police forces prove inadequate to the task.
The Coast Guard Organisation was constituted as an Armed Force of the Union in 1978 under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence (although it is funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs), following its 1977 establishment as a temporary navy element. Its principal mission is to protect the country's maritime assets, particularly India's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and the marine resources contained in the area, which comprises nearly 2.8 million square kilometers. The coast guard is also responsible for the prevention of poaching and smuggling, the control of marine pollution, and carrying out search-and-rescue missions. Under the command of a director general, the coast guard is organized into three national maritime zones: the Western Maritime Zone, headquartered at Bombay; the Eastern Maritime Zone, headquartered at Madras; and the Andaman and Nicobar Maritime Zone, headquartered at Port Blair. The zones are further subdivided into district headquarters, one each for the eight maritime states on the mainland and two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In times of emergency, the coast guard is expected to work with the navy. In the late 1980s, coast guard units from the eastern zone supported Indian peacekeeping efforts in Sri Lanka. The coast guard's equipment includes about fifty ships, nine helicopters, and thirteen fixed-wing aircraft (see table 38, Appendix).
Another Ministry of Defence paramilitary organization has a security mission. The Defence Security Force guards Ministry of Defence facilities throughout India.
The Border Security Force was established in the closing days of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani conflict. Its principal mission involves guarding the Indo-Pakistani line of actual control in Jammu and Kashmir as well as borders with Bangladesh and Burma. It works in internal security and counterinsurgency operations in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab. The border force has also been used to deal with communal rioting.
Another Ministry of Homes Affairs paramilitary force deployed in Jammu and Kashmir is the Rashtriya Rifles. In 1994 it had 5,000 troops, all of whom served in Jammu and Kashmir. Some observers expected the force to grow to thirty battalions, with around 25,000 personnel. In March 1995, Indian television referred to the Delta Force of the "fledgling" Rashtriya Rifles. It was reported that the force was operating against "terrorists" and "foreign mercenaries" in Doda District in south-central Jammu and Kashmir.
Founded in 1939, the Central Reserve Police Force is the country's oldest paramilitary organization. It maintains internal order when local and state-level forces prove inadequate to the task. The Central Reserve Police Force in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab has worked in counterinsurgency operations. This force also was dispatched to Sri Lanka during India's 1987-90 involvement there. The Ministry of Defence's weekly armed forces magazine, Sainik Samachar , reported that the Mahila Battalion (Women's Battalion) of the Central Reserve Police Force had "proved its mettle in hot warlike conditions in Sri Lanka," and had established women as "a force to reckon with" in the paramilitary.
Another significant paramilitary organization is the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the war with China. It is primarily responsible for the security of the border with China.
The Special Frontier Force, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the war with China, is less well publicized by the government. Apparently it is an elite, parachute-qualified commando unit, nominally subordinate to the army and deployed along sensitive areas of the border with China, and recruited partially from among border-area hill tribes and Tibetan refugees. The Special Frontier Force also appears to have a domestic security role; members of the force were involved in the Golden Temple siege in 1984. In 1994 its reported strength was 3,000, making it one of the smallest paramilitary forces.
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Sunday, September 13, 2009
What's the difference between a bomb, a missile, and a rocket?
A Bomb is unpowered (though they can be guided)
A Rocket is powered, but unguided.
A Missile is powered and guided.
There are exceptions to these definitions in that they only hold true for modern weapons of war.
An arrow is also termed a missile, though it is unpowered and unguided (after it has left the bow).
Space borne rockets are both powered and guided (unless they are ICBMs in which case they are modern weapons of war and termed missiles).
A Rocket is powered, but unguided.
A Missile is powered and guided.
There are exceptions to these definitions in that they only hold true for modern weapons of war.
An arrow is also termed a missile, though it is unpowered and unguided (after it has left the bow).
Space borne rockets are both powered and guided (unless they are ICBMs in which case they are modern weapons of war and termed missiles).
Saturday, September 12, 2009
News Watch (military) 12/9/09
BSF retaliates to rocket attack from Pakistan, villagers protest (Fourth Lead)
AMRITSAR - Three rockets fired in quick succession from Pakistan exploded near a village in India’s Amritsar district, triggering retaliatory gunfire by Indian border guards, officials said Saturday as angry villagers from the region held protests.
Officials: 7 killed in attacks, battles in Russia’s North Caucasus, suicide bombing injures 3
GROZNY, Russia — Russian authorities say seven people have been killed in attacks and gunbattles in the North Caucasus region, most of them alleged militants.
2 US troops among 50 killed in spate of Afghan violence; 20 civilians killed by roadside bombs
KABUL — Nearly 50 Afghan civilians, security forces and militants were killed in a spate of attacks around the war-torn country, including an overnight military raid targeting insurgents in the increasingly violent north, officials said Saturday. A roadside bomb killed two U.S. troops in the east.
Somalia shelling kills 15, most at home for disabled former army officers
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Mortars slammed into Somalia’s capital, killing three civilians and at least 12 men at a home for disabled veterans, an official said Saturday. Nearly a dozen other former soldiers were wounded in the attack.
One soldier, eight militants killed in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - At least one soldier and eight militants were killed in clashes in Pakistan’s northwestern region, the army said Saturday.
Pakistan says troops kill 22 militants in Khyber tribal region
ISLAMABAD — Hundreds of tribal police in the northwestern Khyber region have quit their jobs because of militant threats, even as Pakistani forces reported killing 22 insurgents in an ongoing military operation there, officials said Saturday.
48 civilians, security forces, insurgents killed in rash of attacks in war-torn Afghanistan
KABUL — Some 48 Afghan civilians, security forces and militants were killed in a spate of attacks around the war-torn country, including an overnight military raid targeting insurgents in the increasingly violent north, officials said Saturday.
12 police injured in clashes in German city of Hamburg following far-right rally
HAMBURG — Police say 12 officers have been injured in clashes with left-wing demonstrators in the German city of Hamburg following a far-right rally.
Iran wants talks, but won’t concede on nuclear drive
TEHRAN - Tehran Saturday said it was ready to resume diplomatic talks with the West on the basis of its latest proposals regarding global issues, but vowed to make no concessions in the nuclear dispute.
Cuba says ‘Commander of the Revolution’ Juan Almeida Bosque dead of heart attack at 82
HAVANA — Juan Almeida Bosque, a comrade-in-arms of Fidel Castro since the start of his guerrilla struggle more than a half-century ago, has died of a heart attack. The 82-year-old was one of several Cuban vice presidents and had been among only three surviving rebel leaders who still bore the honorary title “Commander of the Revolution.”
Bombs kill 3 near tomb of revered Shiite cleric in central Baghdad
BAGHDAD — Two bombs exploded moments apart near the tomb of a revered Shiite religious figure in central Baghdad on Saturday, killing three people and wounding 22, police and hospital officials said.
Russia disappointed by Iran proposals
MOSCOW - Russia expressed disappointment with the latest proposals by Iran in the row over Tehran’s nuclear programme, according to media reports Saturday.
Russian security forces kill four militants
MAKHACHKALA - Four militants were killed Saturday in a counter-terrorist operation on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the capital of Russias North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a police spokesman said.
Somalia shelling kills 15, most at a home ex-army officers who lost limbs
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Mortars slammed into a home for disabled veterans in Somalia’s capital, killing at least 12 disabled men and wounding nearly a dozen, officials said Saturday.
Violence kills 2 people in Iraq’s capital and violence-plagued northern city of Mosul
BAGHDAD — Iraqi police officials say two people were killed in incidents involving bombs in the capital and the violence-plagued northern city of Mosul.
State police chiefs to discuss security threats
NEW DELHI - Measures to tackle terror and Maoist threats, strengthening internal security and filling the gaping vacancies in the state police forces will be topmost on the agenda at the three-day annual conference of state police chiefs beginning here Monday.
45 civilians, security forces, insurgents killed in rash of attacks in war-torn Afghanistan
KABUL — Forty-five Afghan civilians, security forces and militants were killed in a spate of attacks around the war-torn country, including an overnight military raid targeting insurgents in the increasingly violent north, officials said Saturday.
Report: British special forces are giving counter-terrorism training to Libyan infantry
LONDON — Some of Britain’s most elite soldiers have been training Libyan forces in counterterrorism and surveillance for the past six months, a U.K. newspaper said Saturday.
BSF fires into Pakistan after rocket attack (Third Lead)
AMRITSAR - Three rockets fired in quick succession from Pakistan exploded near a village in India’s Amritsar district, triggering retaliatory gunfire by Indian border guards, officials said Saturday.
SKorea not opposed to dialogue between US and NKorea on resuming disarmament talks
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea would not oppose the United States holding direct talks with North Korea to persuade the communist regime to rejoin stalled international nuclear disarmament negotiations, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday.
Afghan scribe’s body abandoned to avoid more casualties: NATO
KABUL - NATO said Saturday its forces had to leave behind the dead body of an Afghan journalist to avoid “more casualties” after its airborne operation freed a Western journalist.
Space shuttle Discovery detours to California, astronauts prepare for homecoming in Houston
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — After diverting to California, astronauts from space shuttle Discovery prepared to reunite with their families and NASA managers in Texas on Saturday.
Questions and answers about the US role and future in the Afghanistan war
WASHINGTON — Eight years past the terror attacks that led to the war in Afghanistan, the connection between that country and al-Qaida has dimmed in memory, terror leader Osama bin Laden remains at large and the fighting grinds on.
Pakistan, India investigate overnight rocket blasts on Indian side of frontier
ISLAMABAD — India said that three rockets were fired into the country from Pakistan overnight, but Pakistani officials said Saturday they were launched from India. No one was injured in the blasts.
Despite prolonged quiet, Lebanese and Israelis fear renewed fighting
BEIRUT — Despite one of the quietest periods in decades along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, people on both sides of the border seem to fear that another eruption of violence is only a matter of time.
AP Interview: Russian envoy to Afghanistan advises NATO: more troops will hurt war on Taliban
KABUL — Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan has some advice for top NATO commanders fighting the Taliban based on the Soviet Union’s bitter experience battling Islamist insurgents here in the 1980s: Don’t bring more troops.
107 MM army-type rockets fired into India: BSF (Second Lead)
AMRITSAR - Even as the Pakistani authorities Saturday denied that any rockets were fired from its side into Indian territory, paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) officials here said they were fully equipped to retaliate against any provocation from the neighbouring country.
Emergency officials: Suicide bomb blast in Chechnya injures 3 police
GROZNY, Russia — An emergency official says a suicide bomber has wounded three police officers in the capital of Russia’s war-scarred Chechnya province.
Pakistan denies border firing
LAHORE/AMRITSAR - Tension prevailed at the Pakistan-India border after loud explosions were heard on the Indian side near the Attari-Wagah check post. However, Pakistan denied Saturday that its forces were responsible for the blasts.
1 person killed in amid clashes between police, protesters on anniversary of Chile’s 1973 coup
SANTIAGO, Chile — Police and hooded protesters clashed Friday in Chile’s capital on the anniversary of the 1973 military coup that toppled elected President Salvador Allende. State television reported one death amid the disturbances.
Friday, September 11, 2009
BSF women at Pak border from today
Sept. 10: At the crack of dawn on Friday, Border Security Force buglers at the Attari-Wagah India-Pakistan border will welcome India’s first women troopers, who will simultaneously take up position at observation posts along both the Punjab and West Bengal frontiers.
The first batch of 178 BSF women, all aged between 18 and 25, who were inducted after a grand passing-out parade at Kharkan camp near Hoshiarpur, have already reached their designated positions and will begin duty in the morning.
"Of the first batch, 60 girls have been posted to West Bengal and the rest (118 troopers) to Punjab," BSF DIG (G Branch) Jagir Singh said.
The women troopers’ arrival comes as major relief for women belonging to farming families in Punjab’s border villages who can now join the men in working on farms across the electrified security fence. These women had not been able to cross this fence since it was constructed in the early 1990s since the BSF had no arrangements to be able to frisk and search females.
This will mean substantial savings for many small farmers who were forced to hire labour to till their farms on the Pakistan side.
Mr Jagir Singh said the new recruits will also handle normal travellers and be on duty during the daily retreat ceremony, attended by nearly 20,000 spectators every evening. "Though all trained in weaponry, the girls for the moment will not be deployed in combat roles and will not be required to carry arms," he added. The officer expla-ined that of the 700 women recruited into the BSF, two batches had completed their training. The remaining batches will be inducted in the coming months after completing their compress-ed 38-week training course at the Kharkan camp.
BSF units in Punjab have constructed special facilities, including private living quarters, independent recreational areas and even was-hrooms reserved for the "la-dies" in every office block.
The first batch of 178 BSF women, all aged between 18 and 25, who were inducted after a grand passing-out parade at Kharkan camp near Hoshiarpur, have already reached their designated positions and will begin duty in the morning.
"Of the first batch, 60 girls have been posted to West Bengal and the rest (118 troopers) to Punjab," BSF DIG (G Branch) Jagir Singh said.
The women troopers’ arrival comes as major relief for women belonging to farming families in Punjab’s border villages who can now join the men in working on farms across the electrified security fence. These women had not been able to cross this fence since it was constructed in the early 1990s since the BSF had no arrangements to be able to frisk and search females.
This will mean substantial savings for many small farmers who were forced to hire labour to till their farms on the Pakistan side.
Mr Jagir Singh said the new recruits will also handle normal travellers and be on duty during the daily retreat ceremony, attended by nearly 20,000 spectators every evening. "Though all trained in weaponry, the girls for the moment will not be deployed in combat roles and will not be required to carry arms," he added. The officer expla-ined that of the 700 women recruited into the BSF, two batches had completed their training. The remaining batches will be inducted in the coming months after completing their compress-ed 38-week training course at the Kharkan camp.
BSF units in Punjab have constructed special facilities, including private living quarters, independent recreational areas and even was-hrooms reserved for the "la-dies" in every office block.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Have we options on AFSPA?
Dr. K.N. Pandita
Once again a row has been kicked up in the legislative assembly over the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA). Acrimony between the ruling and opposition MLAs on the issue showed that more or less both sides were pandering to subjective approach to the matter.
In bringing accusations and counter accusations against one another, the spirit and the purport of invoking the act gets submerged under trivialities. It is rather ludicrous for any political party to change stance on serious national issues when out of power.
The essential question is whether political parties seriously want to address the phenomenon of abnormal conditions created by militancy that have led to immense harm to the state, or are they just trying to politicise it for gaining some sort of political mileage.
What the representatives of the people in the assembly should have done was to initiate a serious debate on the ground situation in the state, the level of infiltration and subversion and the extent to which security forces have been able to restore normalcy. As a precursor, this kind of debate would have facilitated a sensible and pragmatic handling of the matter without acrimony or animus.
Mr. Muzaffar Baig, the PDP MLA initiated a serious debate on the subject by raising the point that since Sheikh Abdullah had not accepted the amendment of 1972 to the AFSPA of 1958 when he returned to power in 1975, therefore, neither the Act nor the amendment was applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
But instead of debating the constitutionality and the applicability of the Act, the house got embroiled in accusations and counter accusations leaving the contentious issue simmer for another flare up sometime later.
The roots of this Act, known as Armed Forces Special Power Act (Jammu and Kashmir) 1990 are to be found in the history of colonial rule, which had made enactment in 1942 to suppress Gandhi Ji’s Quit India movement. In 1958, it appeared in its present form when armed insurgency surfaced in Assam and Manipur. Later on the Union Government extended the reach of the Act to other North Eastern states where insurgency had spread.
When armed insurgency broke out in Kashmir in early 1990, it was the then Governor Jagmohan who declared Kashmir a disturbed area and imposed AFSPA.
Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states that if the Governor of a State or the Commissioner of a union territory is convinced that there is much disturbance in the state, law and order are threatened and normal administration is likely to be disrupted, he can declare the area as disturbed. The next action to follow is the implementation of the Act.
The purpose is to help restore civilian authority in the disturbed area as soon as possible and withdraw imposition of the Act
It is a fact that when Mufti Muhammad Saeed was the Union Home minister, the AFSPA was enforced in the valley on his recommendation to the Union Cabinet.
It is also a fact that during his party’s three-year term in the office, no attempt was made to raise the question of continuation or otherwise of the AFSPA.
This answers the point raised by Mr. Muzaffar Baig of PDP in the state assembly session.
The crux of the matter is whether the conditions that forced government to declare Kashmir a disturbed region in 1990 have been eradicated or not. If they no more persist then continuation of AFSPA has no justification to be in vogue. In other words, the focus has to be on the nature, viability and intensity of ground situation rather than the Act itself.
Who is to adjudge and pass a verdict on the ground situation in the valley: certainly not the armed forces. It is the people who have been bearing the brunt all these years, who will decide what they want. Since in our democratic dispensation they articulate through their elected representatives, therefore, the local mainstream political parties will have to debate and decide whether ground conditions have changed or not. Obviously, keeping in mind the response of the legislators, we find here is divergence of opinion on the question. As such a decision on the withdrawal of the Act becomes elusive for want of consensus of opinion. Agreeing that consensual politics is nothing less than a wishful thinking, nevertheless the elected representatives have to shun disagreement on the basic pre-requisites of a normal peaceful civilian life in the valley.
If we take the recent pronouncements of the Prime Minister into account, which he said were based on reliable input from various sources including the intelligence agencies, then the inference is that in terms of security the country cannot lower its guard.
Knowing the meticulous planning and extensive networking of terrorists operating in the region, and their avowed thrusts deep in the country, Kashmir situation cannot be dealt with in isolation. In most cases investigated by security agencies so far, Kashmir appears to have been converted into focal point of terrorist planning for strikes at different places in the country. Therefore application of AFSPA has to be viewed in broader perspective than just in the context of Kashmir.
Nevertheless, there are indications that militancy in the valley has come down in terms of internal subversion and suicide bombing. It is possible to move about much more freely in the cities and towns of the valley today. It is also true that ordinary people in the valley are not willing to give shelter to the militants aiming at selective strikes or subversion.
This could surely pass for improved security conditions. The credit has to go to the security forces including the state police. From that point of view AFSPA has been successful to a considerable extent in restoring normalcy in the valley.
However, it is generally believed that AFSPA is a ‘Draconian Law’ or a ‘Black Law’. As a commentator put it, the law makes the Armed Forces much more powerful than the powerful Supreme Court in the country. And when such vast powers are vested in an organization, it can misuse them; in many cases it has misused them leading to violation of human rights. Such wrongdoings cannot be pardoned. No government will be happy with these lapses when they take place.
Many Human Rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have protested against the Act as a license to violation of human rights of the victims. Not only that, even the Commissioner of the UN Human Rights Commission, Mr. Navnetham Pillay asked the Government of India to repeal the Act as it was “a legacy of the colonial rule.”
All these factors prompted Home Minster Chidambaram to remark during his recent visit to the valley that the Act needed to be revised.
India is a democracy and no government can keep the people disgruntled for one reason or the other. As such, it is in fitness of things, that the government re-visits the essential clauses of the Act and examines if a via media can be explored. More offensive and arbitrary clauses should be crippled or made partially ineffective. The objective is to revive peoples’ trust in security forces as guardians of life and property.
We know that the opposition parties made AFSPA an issue following the ugly and unfortunate incident in Shupian. Without condoning acts of highhandedness, if any, of armed forces, we now know that Shupian incident is unrelated to AFSPA. It is not at all in the interests of the people of the state if sporadic incidents happening in the valley are attributed to the armed forces only to incite pent up sentiments of the people. In most cases, enquiries instituted into incidents have revealed that the armed forces were not involved. And if they were, the army authorities have taken proper action.
It is also important to look at the other side of the coin. While the opposition has made AFSPA an issue to indirectly discredit the armed forces, why should not they think it necessary to denounce militancy and militancy related activities. Is it not the duty of political leadership to make peace and tranquilly, law and order as prime issues, which we in the state needs to address? The simple formula is this: if there is no militancy, there is no presence of the army and there is no application of AFSPA or any other ordinance. Militancy will not be prevented or discouraged by letting the security men become the sitting ducks.
In final analysis, we think both pro and anti – AFSPA need to debate the issue with a spirit of seeing that peace and tranquillity are restored in Kashmir. It is not to win mileage over the opponent. While proper and adequate amendment to the AFSPA should be welcome, the parties with smooth relations with separatists and secessionists too need to impress upon them the need to understand that they are gradually loosing the support of the masses. The interests of the people of the state have to be uppermost in handling sensitive issues like this.
(The writer is the former director of the Centre of Central Asian Studies, Kashmir University).
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Pokhran-II
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states. On 18 May 1974 India exploded its first nuclear device code named Smiling Buddha. After about a quarter century, on Buddha Jayanti, 11 May 1998, Operation Shakti was carried out. Shakti (शक्ति in Sanskrit meaning 'Strength'), is also the name of the Hindu Goddess of strength. Shakti was the codename for Pokhran-II.
Test team
The main technical personnel involved in the operation were:
Project Chief Coordinators
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (later, President of India), Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the DRDO.
- Dr. R. Chidambaram, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Atomic energy.
Development and test teams
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
- Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Director of BARC.
- Dr. Satinder Kumar Sikka, Director; Thermonuclear Weapon Development.
- Dr. M.S. Ramkumar, Director of Nuclear Fuel and Automation Manufacturing Group; Director, Nuclear Component Manufacture.
- Dr. D.D. Sood, Director of Radiochemistry and Isotope Group; Director, Nuclear Materials Acquisition.
- Dr. S.K. Gupta, Solid State Physics and Spectroscopy Group; Director, Device Design & Assessment.
- Dr. G. Govindraj, Associate Director of Electronic and Instrumentation Group; Director, Field Instrumentation.
Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO)
- Dr. K. Santhanam; Director, Test Site Preparations.
- Dr. M.Vasudev; Range Safety Officer.
A total of five nuclear weapons were detonated at Pokhran during Operation Shakti. They are:
Shakti I
A two stage thermonuclear device with a boosted fission primary, its yield was downgraded from 200 KT(theoretical) to 45 KT for test purposes. The thermonuclear device tested at Pokhran was not an actual warhead. It was a device that was designed mainly to produce data to analyze the performance of India's Hydrogen bomb technology for future computer simulations and actual weaponisation. Dr. K. Santhanam, has disputed the claimed yield of this test, by stating that the Hydrogen Bomb was a fizzle. This has lead to an uproar in Indian nuclear and defense circles with arguments and counterarguments in favor of a re-test series.
Shakti II
A pure fission device using the Plutonium implosion design with a yield of 15 KT. The device tested was an actual nuclear warhead that can be delivered by bombers or fighters and also mounted on a missile. The warhead was an improved, lightweight and miniaturized version of the device tested in 1974. Scientists at BARC had been working to improve the 1974 design for many years. Data from the 1974 test was used to carry out computer simulations using the indigenous Param supercomputer to improve the design. The 1998 test was intended to prove the validity of the improved designs.
Shakti III
An experimental boosted fission device that used reactor grade Plutonium for its primary with a yield of 0.3 KT. This test device was used to test only the primary stage. It did not contain any tritium required to boost the fission. This test was designed to study the possibility of using reactor grade plutonium in warheads and also to prove India's expertise in controlling and damping a nuclear explosion in order to achieve a low (sub-kiloton) yield.
Shakti IV
A 0.5 KT experimental device. The test's only purpose was to collect data about the explosion process and to study the performance of various bomb components.
Shakti V
A 0.2 KT experimental device that used U-233, an isotope of uranium not found in nature and produced in India's fast breeder reactors that consume Thorium. This device too was used to collect data.
Production and Preparation of Devices
Three laboratories of the DRDO were involved in designing, testing and producing components like advanced detonators, the implosion systems, high-voltage trigger systems. They were also responsible for weaponization, systems engineering, aerodynamics, safety interlocks and flight trials. The nuclear devices were moved from their vaults at the BARC complex in the early hours of 1 May, around 3 a.m., by four Indian Army trucks under the command of Col. Umang Kapur. They were transported to Mumbai airport and flown at dawn in an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport plane to the Jaisalmer military base. An Army convoy of four trucks transported the explosive devices to Pokhran. Three trips were required to complete the delivery of the devices and associated equipment. The devices were delivered directly to the device preparation building in the range which was designated as the 'Prayer Hall'.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
हमारे एयर फाॅर्स ने आज तक ये-ये किया है !!!
World War II (1939-1945)
During World War II, the IAF played an instrumental role in blocking the advance of the Japanese army in Burma, where its first air strike was on the Japanese military base in Arakan. It also carried out strike missions against the Japanese airbases at Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.
During the war, the IAF went through a phase of steady expansion. New aircraft, including the U.S. built Vultee Vengeance and the British Hawker Hurricane and Westland Lysander, were added to its fleet.
In recognition of the services rendered by the IAF, King George VI conferred the prefix "Royal" in 1945. Thereafter the IAF was referred to as Royal Indian Air Force. In 1950, When India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted back to Indian Air Force.
Partition of India (1947)
With the partition of the Indian sub-continent into two separate nations, the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, the military forces were also partitioned. This gave a reduced Royal Indian Air Force and a new Royal Pakistan Air Force in 1947.
First Kashmir War 1947
In a bid to gain control of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pathan tribesmen poured into Kashmir on October 20, 1947, aided by the Pakistani Army. Incapable of withstanding the armed assault in his province, the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, asked India for help. The Government of India made its assistance conditional upon Kashmir's accession to India. The Instrument of accession was signed on October 26, 1947 and the next day Indian troops were airlifted into Srinagar. The agreement was later ratified by the British.
Taking off from Safdarjang, then known as Willingdon Airfield, the IAF landed Indian troops at Srinagar airfield at 09:30 hours IST on October 27. This was the most instrumental action of the war as the troops saved the city from the invaders. Apart from the airlifting operations and supplying essential commodities to the ground troops, the Indian Air Force had no other major role to play in the conflict. On December 31, 1948, both nations agreed to a UN mediated cease-fire proposal marking the end of hostilities. A Line of Control has since separated Indian-held Kashmir from Pakistani-held Kashmir.
Congo Crisis (1961)
Belgium's 75-year colonial rule of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo ended abruptly on June 30,1960. Unable to control the deteriorating situation in its former African colony, Belgium asked for UN assistance. In India, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was quick to respond to the initial appeal for help and sent IAF Canberra aircraft as a part of the UN-led mission in Congo.
[edit] Sino-Indian War (1962)
In 1962, border disputes escalated into full-scale war between India and China. Indian military and civilian leadership failed to organise and co-ordinate the air assaults efficiently and eventually the Indian Air Force was never used during the conflict apart from occasional supply missions.
Second Kashmir War 1965
Three years after the Sino-Indian conflict, India went to war with Pakistan again over Kashmir. Learning from the experiences of the Sino-Indian war, India decided to use its air force extensively during the war.[citation needed] This was the first time the IAF actively engaged an enemy air force.[2] However, instead of providing close air support to the Indian Army, the IAF carried out independent raid missions against Pakistani Air Force (PAF) bases.[3] These bases were situated deep inside the Pakistani territory, making IAF fighters vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.[4]conflict.[5]
On September 1, 1965, the IAF fighters intervened in an on-going battle between Indian and Pakistani forces in Chhamb.[6] However, it was inadequate in close air support role.[7] Initially, IAF had sent the obsolete Vampires and later Mystères to stop Pakistani advance.[7] But after incidents of friendly fire, they were not called again for close air support.[7] Two days later, IAF Folland Gnat fighters shot down a PAF F-86 Sabre over Chhamb area.[8] Despite being qualitatively inferior, the Gnats were extremely effective against the F-86, earning them the nickname Sabre Slayers.[9] According to one Western source, the Gnats accounted for at least 6 Sabre kills.[10]
During the course of the conflict, the PAF enjoyed qualitative superiority over the IAF because most of the jets in IAF's fleet were of World War II-vintage. Despite this, the IAF was able to prevent the PAF from gaining air superiority over conflict zones.[11] By the time the conflict had ended, Pakistan claimed to have shot down 113 IAF aircraft while the Indians claimed that 73 PAF aircraft were downed.[7] More than 60% of IAF's air combat losses took place during the disastrous battles over Kalaikunda and Pathankot.[12] However, the IAF lost most of its aircraft on ground and the attrition rate (losses per 100 sorties) of the IAF stood at 1.49 while PAF's attrition rate was 2.16, indicating that the IAF fared better in air-to-air combat.[3]
Bangladesh Liberation War 1971
After the 1965 War, the Indian Air Force went through an intense phase of modernisation and consolidation. With newly acquired HF-24, MiG-21 and Sukhoi Su-7BM aircraft, the IAF was able to measure up to the most powerful air forces in the world.
The professional standards, capability and flexibility were soon put to the test in December 1971 when India and Pakistan went to war over (then) East Pakistan. At the time, the IAF was under the command of Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal. On November 22, 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four PAF F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions near the Indo-Bangla border in the Battle of Garibpur. In what became the first ever Dogfight over East Pakistan skies (present day Bangladesh), three of the 4 PAF Sabres were shot down by IAF Gnats, and hostilities commenced. December 3 saw the formal declaration of war following massive, but failed preemptive strikes by the Pakistan Air Force against Indian Air Force installations in the west. The PAF targets were against Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur on the lines of Operation Focus. But the plan failed miserably as Indians had anticipated such a move and no major losses were suffered. The Indian response over Pakistan skies however produced severe blows to the PAF.
Within the first two weeks, the IAF had carried out more than 4,000 sorties in East Pakistan and provided successful air cover for the advancing Indian army in East Pakistan. IAF also assisted the Indian Navy in sinking several Pakistani naval vessels in the Bay of Bengal. In the west, the airforce demolished scores of tanks and armoured vehicles in a single battle - the Battle of Longewala. The IAF pursued strategic bombing by destroying oil installations in Karachi, the Mangla Dam and gas plant in Sindh. As the IAF achieved complete air superiority over the eastern wing of Pakistan within a few days,[13] the ordnance factories, runways, and other vital areas in East Pakistan were severely crippled. In the end, the IAF played a pivotal role in the victory for the Allied Forces leading to the liberation of Bangladesh. In addition to the overall strategic victory, the IAF had also claimed 94 [14] Pakistani aircraft destroyed, with some 45 of their own aircraft admitted lost. The IAF had however, flown over 7000 combat sorties on both East and West fronts and its overall sortie rate numbered over 15000. Comparatively the PAF was flowing fewer sorties by the day fearing loss of planes. Towards the end of the war, IAF's transport planes dropped leaflets over Dhaka urging the Pak forces to surrender; East Pakistani sources note that as the leaflets floated down, the morale of the Pakistani troops sunk.[15]
Operation Meghdoot 1984
Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the preemptive strike launched by the Indian Military to capture most of the Siachen Glacier, in the disputed Kashmir region. Launched on April 13, 1984, this military operation was unique as it was the first assault launched in the world's highest battlefield. The military action was quite successful as Indian troops managed to gain two-thirds of the glacier with the rest remaining under Pakistani control.
Kargil 1999
During the Kargil War with Pakistan, the Indian Air Force is said to have proved the decisive force in accelerating the end of the conflict. It successfully provided considerable air-cover for Indian troops fighting against Pakistani soldiers and also carried out air assaults against enemy forces in Kashmir. Most notable were the IAF's Mirage 2000 aircraft[17], which carried out surgical operations to assist ground troops in securing the strategically crucial Tiger Hill from its Pakistani captors. The IAF also carried out several operations to provide essential supplies to the ground troops. During the conflict, one IAF MiG-27 and an IAF MiG-21 were claimed shot down by Pakistani air defence missiles However the Indian Air Force had stated that the MiG-27 had an engine flameout in the initial stages of attacking the mountain top targets with its cannon. This is confirmed by an Unofficial Pakistan Air Force Website - PAF Combat.com, maintained by a serving Air Commodore of the PAF. The MiG-21M was on a search operation to find the MiG-27s crash site, when it was shot down. Later, a Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by a shoulder-held missile with the loss of all its crew.
Atlantique Incident
On August 10, 1999, a Pakistan Navy French-built naval Breguet Atlantic was flying over the Rann of Kutch area and was shot down by two IAF MiG-21 jets killing all 16 aboard.
क्या पता है आपका डिफेन्स के बारे में
Your Answer: Germany India's tank arsenal, some of it inherited from the British World War 2 stock post-Independence, has included tanks from the above countries, except Germany. While British and French tanks, such as the Centurion and AMX-13, plus a few vintage Shermans, formed the pride of Indian armour in the 50's and 60's, Soviet tanks such as the T-55, T-62, T-72 (in large numbers) and most recently the T-90, have formed the majority of India's armoured corps since the 70's.
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The correct answer was Vijayanta. After the success of the British Centurion tanks against the much-touted M-48 Pattons of the Pakistani Army, in the fields of Punjab in the 1965 Indo-Pak War, the Indian Army decided to go for British made Mark 1 Vickers' MBT, which was locally renamed as the "Vijayanta" (Victorious tank). Although this tank is in the process of being phased out, there are still 700-800 in inventory, although they are unlikely to be in active use for long. The other options are T-72 (Ajeya), T-90 (Bheeshma) and BMP-2 (Sharath)
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The correct answer was Nag. "Nag is a third- generation "fire and forget" anti-tank guided missile with a range of 4 to 6 kilometers. Nag can be mounted on an infantry combat vehicle and helicopter launched version of Nag is also available.
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The correct answer was False. India has never imposed the draft since Independence despite having been involved in three and half declared wars with Pakistan, one with China and numerous insurgencies in the North East and Kashmir. It is an all volunteer force of nearly a million men.
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The correct answer was Brigade of the Guards. "The Brigade of the Guards has been accorded the senior position in the infantry and takes rank first in the arm. Punjab, Grenadiers, Rajputana Rifles and Rajput Regiments provided the battalions that started the Guards. Succeeding battalions were raised by direct recruitment. It's battalions have formed part of United Nations forces in Gaza (Middle East) and Angola. In addition to the 19 infantry battalions, the Regiment also has two Territorial Army battalions and one Rashtriya Rifles battalion.
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The Punjab regiment is one named after a REGION, the rest are based on CASTE. Among the other regiments based on a region are: Assam Regiment, Rajputana Rifles, Bihar Regiment, etc.
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The correct answer was Grenadiers Regiment. The Grenadiers Regiment, one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army, has had three PVC awardees in its ranks. Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, 4th Grenadiers was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (Posthumous) for the Regiment in 1965 and the second recipient to get the Param Vir Chakra was Major Hoshiar Singh, 3rd Grenadiers in 1971. Hoshiar Singh retired as a Colonel from the Army and passed away in 1998. The third recipient of this coveted medal, but certainly not the last, was Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, 18th Grenadiers in 1999.
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Your Answer: Bofors guns The Bofors gun purchase was shrouded in a huge controversy after the discovery of certain incriminating documents, which purported that Rajiv Gandhi had received kickbacks for making the deal come through. Also implicated, in a trial currently underway, are the British-Asian businessmen, the Hinduja brothers. However, the Kargil saw the effectiveness of the gun proved tremendously, and a tentative order has been placed for more.
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The correct answer was President's Bodyguards. The President's Bodyguard (PBG), as it is known today, was raised in 1773 at Benares, by then Governor General Warren Hastings, with a strength of 50 picked troopers and horses. This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50, provided by Raja Chet Singh of Benares, bringing the overall strength of the Bodyguard up to 100 horses and men by the end of that year. The establishment of the Regiment varied through the years, being augmented in times of war and it attained its maximum strength of 1929 all ranks, in the Army List of 1845, just prior to the First Sikh War. The PBG continued to be a select cavalry unit, primarily for the personal and battlefield security of the Governor General.
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The correct answer was Joginder Jaswant Singh. "General Joginder Jaswant Singh assumed charge of the Indian Army, as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff, on 31 January 2005. Hailing from a family of warriors, he is a third generation soldier. His grandfather served in the 1/67 Punjab Regiment during the Second World War and his father, Colonel J.S. Marwah served in the Indian Army from 1943 to 1973 and is also a veteran of the Second World War. Born on 17 September 1945 in Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan), he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the 9 Maratha Light Infantry on 02 August 1964" |
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