Soldiers deployed abroad have reportedly already arrived at a training area, including from Belarus, China and India…reports Asian Lite News
More than 50,000 soldiers will take part in a large-scale Russian military manoeuvre this week, the Defence Ministry said in Moscow on Monday.
The exercise, dubbed “Vostok 2022”, will include the deployment of 5,000 weapons and pieces of military equipment, as well as 140 aircraft and 60 warships and other vessels, dpa news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.
The manoeuvre, which will begin on Thursday and end on September 7, is to take place on military training grounds in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, as well as in the Sea of Japan.
Soldiers deployed abroad have reportedly already arrived at a training area, including from Belarus, China and India.
The exercise, which takes place some six months into Russia’s war in Ukraine, is about ensuring the military security of Moscow and its allies, the Ministry said.
In October last year, then-prime minister Imran Khan had revealed that talks were under way with the TTP…reports Asian Lite News
A parliamentary committee has authorised the military leadership to hold talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said.
He said the military leadership would inform the committee about any progress in the talks and the matter would then be debated in the parliament, Dawn reported.
The minister said that talks would be held only under the Constitution of Pakistan, adding that neither anything over and above the Constitution would be negotiated nor would any such agreement be reached.
On June 22, the military had reassured the political leadership that no extra-constitutional concessions would be given to the banned TTP in the ongoing dialogue and any deal made with the terrorist group would be subject to parliamentary approval.
The assurance was given by the military leadership at a meeting held with the political leaders at the Prime Minister House.
This was the first meeting between the national political leadership and the military, which has been negotiating with the TTP in Afghanistan with the help of the Afghan Taliban. The meeting was arranged after Pakistan Peoples Party, a major partner in the ruling coalition, lodged a protest for not being taken on board about the talks.
In October last year, then-prime minister Imran Khan had revealed that talks were under way with the TTP.
He said the talks with the militants were taking place in Afghanistan and the new Taliban rulers were helping in the process.
Parties woo the voters with solemn oaths to provide corruption-free and efficient governance; they promise to rescue agriculture and revive the villages; they commit to attracting industry and creating jobsā¦writes Inderjit Singh Jaijee and Dona Suri
The average man, particularly the average young man, or woman, may have trouble articulating their situation, but they know what they are experiencing: stagnant economy, deep trouble in agriculture, symptomised by an appalling number of rural suicides every year, collapse of industry, no jobs and no hope of jobs, a state government that in fact has no money and falls deeper into debt with every passing year.
[A] report by Common Cause points towards an ingrained distrust of the police and by extension, the government. Some people may be able to identify a year or a period when this distrust took root; for others, it is just a ‘given’ that they grew up with.
Militancy itself was a symptom of a long-standing sense of alienation. The state’s response drove that alienation deeper. Ruthless measures employed to crush it perverted the administrative culture, particularly police culture. The courts were paralysed for 20 years.
Industry was always denied to Punjab on the pretext that the state was vulnerable to attack, and, in recent years, tax-holiday packages granted to neighbouring states have drained away industry and jobs. Traditionally, Punjab has been an agricultural state; but, if any hope remained in agriculture, then farmers and farm labourers would not be committing suicide.
Successive state governments have come in on big talk but, either because of indifference or inability, all the indicators show the state on a downward path. Parties woo the voters with solemn oaths to provide corruption-free and efficient governance; they promise to rescue agriculture and revive the villages; they commit to attracting industry and creating jobs.
If the claims are to be believed, would lakhs of young people and their parents make such a heroic effort to get out of Punjab, get out of India? It must also be pointed out that the politicians of Punjab send their own children abroad, which strongly suggests that they do not believe what they say either.
‘It Can’t be Worse There’
The motivations of those desperate to leave Punjab are largely economic, but not only economic. Another thing that drives them to risk everything to get out of Punjab is the belief that there is absolutely nothing that they can do to change a corrupt administration, a rapacious police force, and a selfish, static, unresponsive political culture.
A story in ‘The Indian Express’ of March 3, 2018, quotes a youngster from a village in Gurdaspur district:
He has studied up to Class 10 and wants to “get out of here”. He says, “I don’t believe Greece can be worse than Punjab. The agent has told me that there is always work for those who are willing to work hard. I am. At least I can go out and see the world.”
Within a decade or two, most of the generation that witnessed events of the 1980s and 1990s will be gone.
Some of that generation were sufficiently alienated from the government to get into a war with it. They were not alienated from home and faith, so fighting still seemed worthwhile. Very few of their children and grandchildren have much awareness of, or interest in, the traumas suffered by the preceding generation. They see so little hope in their homeland that fighting does not seem worthwhile; they simply leave.
If militancy was a symptom of alienation, then the present generation is even more alienated than their elders were. Legacies do not always have to be recognised or articulated to endure.
(Excerpted with permission from SAGE Publications India from the book The Legacy of Militancy in Punjab: Long Road to ‘Normalcy’ by Inderjit Singh Jaijee and Dona Suri)
Defence Acquisition Council okays 8 new warships for Navy, special vehicles for Army and next generation corvettes as part of Indian Navyās ongoing plan to have a 175-ship Navy…reports Asian Lite News
In a significant move, the defence ministry approved the procurement of military equipment and platforms worth Rs 76,390 crore from domestic industries.
The procurement proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the ministry said.
For the Indian Navy, the DAC accorded approval for the procurement of next generation corvettes (NGCs) at an estimated cost of around Rs 36,000 crore, it said.
These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles namely surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, search and attack and coastal defence.
The NGCs would be constructed based on a new in-house design of the Indian Navy, using latest technology of ship building, the ministry said in a statement.
The DAC also approved a proposal for the manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with a focus on enhancing indigenisation.
For the Indian Army, the DAC accorded a fresh approval for the procurement of Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs), Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) through domestic sources, with an emphasis on indigenous design and development.
“In pursuance of the government’s vision for digital transformation in defence, ‘Digital Coast Guard’ project under ‘Buy’ (Indian) category has been approved by the DAC,” the ministry said.
“Under this project, a pan-India secure network for digitising of various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard will be established,” it added.
āThis will provide substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry and reduce foreign spending significantly,ā a Defence Ministry statement said. āFor the Army, the DAC accorded fresh Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of rough terrain fork lift trucks, bridge laying tanks, wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank guided missiles and weapon locating radars through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development,ā it stated.
These NGCs would be constructed based on new in-house design of the Navy using latest technology of ship building and would contribute to further the Governmentās initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region), it noted.
The DAC also accorded AoNs for manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with focus on enhancing indigenisation particularly in indigenising aero-engine material.
Further, a āDigital Coast Guardā project under āBuy (Indian) Category has also been approved by the DAC. Under this project, a pan India secure network for digitising of various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and human resources processes in Coast Guard will be established, the statement added.
Gunaratne said that acts of violence are continuing throughout the country, ignoring the state of Emergency and curfew imposed by the President…reports Susitha Fernando
With escalating violence in Sri Lanka, including torching of houses belonging to ruling party politicians and family members of President Gotabaya Rajapksa, armed forces have been given orders to open fire at anyone causing personal harm, or damaging/looting the properties of others.
Eight people, including a politician from the ruling party, a police officer and civilians, have been killed since violence broke out on Monday, while as many as 219 injured persons are undergoing treatments at government hospitals.
Secretary in the Defence Ministry, Kamal Gunaratne, said that 60 vehicles, including buses and jeeps, have been torched and over 40 vehicles have been damaged since Monday.
“While peaceful protest is being conducted, there are sections of the society who have resorted to violence and looting. We are going to strictly impose the law against anyone violating it,” the Defence Secretary said.
Amid the spread of violence, President Rajapaksa has extended the curfew from Wednesday to Thursday.
Gunaratne said that acts of violence are continuing throughout the country, ignoring the state of Emergency and curfew imposed by the President.
Going through its worst economic crisis, Sri Lanka on Monday was engulfed with violence after supporters of resigned Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked the peaceful protesters, who are on the streets for more than a month now, raising their voice against the severe economic crisis the country is going through.
The protesters have demanded resignation of the President and his Cabinet.
Condemning the attacks on peaceful protesters, trade unions have declared immediate strike while the public started attacking ruling party politicians and damaging their properties.
The angry mob attacked the houses of ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa on Tuesday, while properties of many ministers, MPs and local politicians of the ruling party were torched.
The mob also destroyed a museum built in the memory of the President’s parents.
Sri Lanka, which is reeling under severe economic crisis, is now going through a political catastrophe as well.
Responding to the crisis, including the violent attacks, India said on Tuesday, “As a close neighbour of Sri Lanka with historical ties, India is fully supportive of its (Sri Lanka’s) democracy, stability and economic recovery.”
In response to media queries on developments in Sri Lanka, the official spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi, “India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes.”
India also noted that it has assisted her southern neighbor with over $3.5 billion financial assistance for mitigating the shortages of essential items such as food, medicines etc.
South Korea and the US will begin their combined springtime military training this week to further solidify the allies’ defense posture, Seoul officials said on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News
The nine-day command post training using a computer simulation is scheduled to kick off on Monday and it does not include any field troop maneuvers, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The exercise comes amid renewed tensions by the North’s weekend test of a purported new tactical guided weapon and concerns that it could engage in provocative acts around the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army on April 25.
“The training this time is aimed at enhancing the combined operational capabilities of South Korean and US troops and will serve as an opportunity to further solidify the allies’ combined defense posture,” the JCS said in a statement.
Based on the allies’ contingency plans, the computerized training program involves a series of wartime operational procedures, including defending against potential invaders and fighting back.
Pyongyang has long criticized the training as a rehearsal for a war of invasion against it, though Seoul and Washington have stressed the regular training is defensive in nature.
During the upcoming exercise, the South and the US are unlikely to carry out a key assessment of the former’s capabilities to lead combined defense — a requirement for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington.
During their defense ministerial talks in December, the two sides agreed to conduct the full operational capability (FOC) assessment this year. They are expected to discuss the exact timing of the FOC assessment after the incoming government of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is launched next month.
The rise in militant attacks in Pakistan coincided with the Afghan Taliban’s military offensive, which started in May 2021 and reached its zenith when the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021…reports Asian Lite News.
After a consistent decline in militant attacks for the past six years, Pakistan witnessed a 56 per cent increase in the number of terror attacks in 2021, despite a one-month ceasefire with TTP, Friday Times reported.
In 2021, militants carried out 294 attacks, killing 388 people and wounding another 606, according to a report compiled by Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the report said.
The report details the rising frequency, lethality and geographic scope of terror attacks across Pakistan this year. The lethality of terror attacks rose by 46 per cent in 2021 with 388 total deaths of which 184 were civilians. The remaining 192 of those killed were security forces personnel, a 66 per cent increase in the casualties of Pakistani security forces from the year before. Over 600 people were injured in the terror attacks of 2021, including 389 civilians and 217 security forces personnel, the report said.
The rise in militant attacks in Pakistan coincided with the Afghan Taliban’s military offensive, which started in May 2021 and reached its zenith when the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021. That same month, 45 militant attacks were reported, the most attacks of any single month in 2021, according to PICSS. Despite a one-month ceasefire with TTP from November 10 to December 10, the overall number of militant attacks did not drop in either month.
Imran Khan
The report shows that the average number of militant attacks per month in Pakistan increased from 16 attacks per month in 2020 to 25 monthly attacks in 2021, the highest on record since 2017. Militant attacks have not been as deadly since 2018. In 2020, there were 188 militant attacks in which 266 people were killed and 595 injured, Friday Times reported.
Balochistan was the most turbulent province this year where the highest number of deaths (170) were recorded in 103 militant attacks. The highest number of injured were also reported in Balochistan, where over 50 per cent of all injuries from militant attacks in the country occurred (331), the PICSS Militancy Database shows.
The parties also reviewed the developments of a number of regional and international developments of common interest…reports Asian Lite News
Matar Salim Ali Al Dhaheri, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, received Thursday, Lieutenant General Vincent Guionie, Commander of the French Land Forces, and the accompanying delegation currently visiting the country.
UAE, France discuss military cooperation
The meeting dealt with friendship relations and cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the French Republic, especially concerning defence and military issues and ways to further develop them to serve the mutual interests of both sides.
During the meeting that took place at the Ministryās headquarters in Abu Dhabi, the parties also reviewed the developments of a number of regional and international developments of common interest.
Purchase of Rafale jets
Earlier in December, the UAE had signed a contract with France that includes purchasing 80 Rafale fighter jets to replace the UAE Air Force Mirage fleet in addition to training and maintenance purposes.
Commenting on this deal, Major General Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, UAE Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, said: “The UAE has been in a process of a thorough review of global markets for options. Based on our talks with our French counterparts, we came to a mutual agreement that the Rafale provide the best option for the UAE security and defense.”
Major General Al Alawi added, “The signed contract with France is not a substitute for the US F-35 ongoing discussions. It’s rather a complementary to our Air Force capabilities as we continue to develop our air defense systems and seek new products and advanced technologies as part of our overall National Security Strategy.”
Also, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and French President Emmanuel Macron attended the signing of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the UAE and France in many areas, helping to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries to serve their mutual interests.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Future Soldier is reinforced by the ambition outlined in the Defence Command Paper to transform the Army into a more agile, integrated, lethal, expeditionary force.”…reports Asian Lite News.
TheĀ United KingdomĀ is determined to step up it’sĀ in the world, according to a plan, released by the UK defence ministry on Thursday.
“More of the Army will be deployed across the globe, more of the time. Greater forward deployment will improve our ability to anticipate crises and be ready to compete beneath the threshold of open conflict. It will prevent conflict by reassuring allies and partners and deterring adversaries,” the “Future Soldier” modernization plan read. The UK defence ministry also announced an additional investment in military equipment, worth 8.6 billion pounds (USD 11.46 billion), during the next decade. This will raise the total investment to 41.3 billion pounds for the same period.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Future Soldier is reinforced by the ambition outlined in the Defence Command Paper to transform the Army into a more agile, integrated, lethal, expeditionary force.” “We have underpinned this generational work with an extra Ā£8.6bn for Army equipment, bringing the total investment to Ā£41.3bn,” he added. A total of over 100,000 soldiers will serve in the British Army by 2025, according to estimates of the ministry, as the UK regular army is expected to include 73,000 soldiers, and the number of reservists will stand at 30,000.
One of the most substantial innovations is a new Ranger Regiment, which will start operating from December 1, 2021. As a part of the Army Special Operations Brigade, the regiment “will be routinely deployed alongside partner forces around the world to counter extremist organisations and hostile state threats.” “Our Army will operate across the globe, equipped with the capabilities to face down a myriad of threats from cyber warfare through to battlefield conflict,” Wallace said. (ANI)
The Indian defence industry has the potential to develop quality and cost-effective equipment, the Defence Minister said, reports Asian Lite News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday emphasised the need for continuous modernisation of armed forces in the rapidly changing global security environment and said that the public and private sectors, academia and research and development organisations provide solutions to these problems.
He said this while inaugurating the first operationalized private sector defence manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) in Lucknow.
āThe Indian defence industry has the potential to develop quality and cost-effective equipment which will not only bolster national security, but export the military hardware to the world. Companies like PTC Industries Limited can play an important role in this,ā he said.
The facility, run by Aerolloy Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of PTC industries, will manufacture parts for Aircraft Engines, Helicopter Engines, Structural parts for aircrafts, Drones and UAV, Submarines, Ultra-Light Artillery Guns, Space Launch Vehicles and Strategy Systems.
The Defence Minister also laid the foundation stone for an integrated metal manufacturing facility under PTC industries that will produce key raw materials in Titanium and other exotic alloys for aerospace applications.
This plant will significantly reduce the countryās dependence on imports for all platforms which require Titanium and Nickel Super Alloys and help in building a strong and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh applauded PTC Industries Limited as an example of how in todayās competitive environment a company can be successful through adoption of technology and said that the two units will prove to be major milestones in the path of self-reliance in defence in the times to come.
He added that UPDIC and the units are a result of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
He appreciated the fact that PTC supplies products to renowned companies in India and abroad, contributing to the Governmentās vision of transforming India into a net defence exporter.
On PTC obtaining the clearance certificate of critical On-line Fittings (OLFs) for defence applications from the Ministry of Defence recently, Rajnath Singh said, the clearance will prove to be a big step in ‘Make in India’ and achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Terming the inauguration of the unit as a shining example of the strong public-private partnership, he asserted that the Government is taking forward the vision of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee who believed in the continuous & increased private sector participation for the development of the nation.
Reaffirming the Governmentās resolve of ‘Make in India and Make for the World’, Rajnath Singh listed out a series of measures undertaken to achieve self-reliance in defence, including earmarking around 64 per cent of its modernisation funds under capital acquisition budget for 2021-22 for procurement from domestic companies; notifying two positive lists of over 200 items to increase exports and Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in UP and Tamil Nadu; free Transfer of Technology of DRDO and Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.
The Defence Minister added that all efforts are being made to provide a suitable growth environment to the private sector.
āWe have opened up opportunities to build a Mega Defence Programme, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks and submarines through a strategic partnership model which will help our private companies grow in stature and become global giants in the times to come.
Recently, Rs 22,000 crore contract was signed for transport plane ‘C-295 and most of these planes will be made in India in collaboration with the countryās industry, the Defence Minister said
He said as the nation is currently celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, this is an opportunity to give a fresh impetus to our resolve to Make in India and Make for the world.
He noted that the Armed Forces have also supported the drive for Aatmanirbharta in Defence.
Rajnath Singh stated that all these initiatives by the government have resulted in an increase in the number of contracts being awarded to the indigenous defence industry.
This includes the recent LCA Tejas contract of about Rs 50,000 crore given to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
He stressed that from prioritising procurement from Indian-IDMM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) categories to supporting R&D, the Government is striving to harness technology through active engagement with industry, academia, technology providers, equipment manufacturers and quality controllers.
The Defence Minister underlined that the steps undertaken by the Government have started to bear fruit.
āIn the last seven years, our defence exports have crossed the mark of Rs 38,000 crore and more than 10,000 SMEs have joined in the defence sector. Research and development, startup, innovation and employment have also increased as a result of these policies,ā he added.
Underscoring the importance of learning from the past and working on the present for an empowered future, Rajnath Singh exhorted the private industry to carry out in-house R&D or with academia, making full use of the Governmentās policies and stay ahead in the race of development of state-of-the-art technology.
Inaugurated the first operationalised private sector defence sector defence manufacturing facility in UP Defence Corridor.
He also urged them to make the local community a partner in their success by adopting local ITI, apprenticeship programme, schools and hospitals. This will be a true contribution to society and the country, he said.
The Defence Minister expressed confidence in increased investments by private companies in the near future and hoped that the city of Lucknow and the state of Uttar Pradesh will make a mark in the manufacturing domain of defence and aerospace sector. (India News Network)
