SP's Land Forces 2/2022

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April-May 2022

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Military 2020 – Yearbook

Volume 19 No. 2

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SP’S MILITARY YEARBOOK 2020-2021 CONTENTS HEREWITH

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ROUNDUP

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The ONLY magazine in Asia-Pacific dedicated to Land Forces

>> Lead Story

In This Issue Page 3 Synergy, Indigenisation, Operational Preparedness: COAS General Manoj Pande

Photograph: adgpi / Twitter

General Manoj Pande (left) takes over as the 29th COAS of Indian Army from General M.M. Naravane (right)

General Manoj Pande takes over the reins of the Indian Army at a time when the world is facing many uncertainties domestically and globally. He has the leadership qualities of teamwork, open-mindedness, integrity, persistence, social intelligence, fairness and broad perspective necessary to take the bull by the horn.

On assuming the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande was presented with a Guard of Honour at South Block on May 1, 2022 Ayushee Chaudhary Page 4 ‘Atmanirbharta’ in Defence Manufacturing: We are on Fast Track The Launch of seven new DPSUs by Prime Minister Modi recently, can play a vital role in augmenting indigenous defence manufacturing to establish regional and global supremacy of the nation.

Ravi Kant, Chairman & Managing Director, Munitions India Limited; Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, Government of India Page 6 Trends in Munitions

Most of the major countries have been spending significantly on the procurement of smart munitions and precision guided weapons, which in turn has driven the demand for associated ammunition.

Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd) Page 7 Forging the Future with a Wearable Robot Neetu Dhulia Page 8 Pakistan Support to Taliban Backfires Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group also known as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP has launched more than 124 terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Pakistan from bases in Afghanistan.

Lt General J.K. Sharma (Retd) Plus K9 Vajra shows the way for Atmanirbharta Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)

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Airborne Exercises Along Northern Borders Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Serial Production Cleared Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

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Spike ATGMs and Sig Sauer Rifles Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

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News in Brief / Appointments

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The New Army Chief & His Challenges  Major General Atanu K. Pattanaik (Retd)

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he ascendency of General Manoj Pande as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) symbolises both continuity and change.

Continuity not the least because a ‘Manoj’ will continue to occupy the coveted position of the Chief of the 1.3-million-strong, third largest army on the planet as another ‘Manoj’ exits after an eventful tenure. Continuity also because like his illustrious predecessor, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the new Chief is softspoken, self-effacing, understated, humble, open-minded and a thorough gentleman.

Change because General Pande comes from a completely different background, having

the distinction of becoming the very first COAS from the Corps of Engineers unlike all other Army Chiefs since independence who came from either Infantry, Artillery or Armoured Corps.

Almost a decade and half back, in 2006-07, we were neighbours occupying the two first floor apartments of Block 100 in the Army War College campus, attending the Higher Command Course-35. We spent many a quite evenings together sharing our thoughts over a drink in the drawing rooms and terraces of our apartments.

What always stuck me most about him was his unpretentious, modest demeanour even while diving deep into weighty subjects under discussion. Coming from a family of educationists with his father Dr C.G. Pande having been the head of the Psy-

chology department of Nagpur University, the unsatiated quest for knowledge and scholarship was imbued in him. His late mother Prema was a popular announcer and host with the All India Radio. Off and on, his better half, the charming and gracious Archana, a gold medallist Dental Surgeon, would join him in Mhow, forced as she was to stay away due to their son Akshaya’s education. The latter is now an officer in the Indian Air Force. Accompanied by our wives, we would travel together to Singapore and Malaysia for a ten-days foreign study tour, sharing many memorable moments. It is such a privilege to write about him today.

Commissioned into the Corps of Engineers, The Bombay Sappers in 1982, General Pande attended the prestigious Staff

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E D I T O R I A L

>> Lead Story

General Manoj Pande took over as the new Chief of the Army Staff on May 1, 2022. We, at SP Guide Publications, congratulate General Pande on his appointment as the COAS and wish him all the success in his new role. Under his leadership, the Indian Army seems poised for glorious days ahead.

The new Chief is softspoken, self-effacing, understated, humble, open-minded and a thorough

gentleman and has the distinction of becoming the very first COAS from the Corps of Engineers. The lead article in this issue of the magazine is on the new COAS, written by Major General Atanu Pattanaik (Retd), a course mate of the new Chief. It gives an insight on General Pande’s personality, demeanour, leadership qualities and the challenges that he will face. The prime contributors to this challenging negative environment are an expansionist China, unsettled neighbourhood in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, COVID pandemic & the raging war in Ukraine with no end in sight, with other issues like the creation of theatre commands and integrating the Army’s modernisation plans with the Government’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

With his calm and composed em-

pathetic persona, General Pande is just the right person to take on these challenges.

The Chief is well aware of all these challenges & immediately after taking over gave out his priorities especially with regard to operational preparedness; capability development & force modernisation dove tailed through the process of indigenisation and Atmanirbharta; to enhance inter service cooperation & synergy and to look after the well-being and welfare of our brave soldiers as well as ex-servicemen. All this is covered in this issue in an article by Ayushee Chaudhary.

We are extremely pleased to include in this issue, an article on how the country is moving towards ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence manufacturing, written by Ravi Kant, Chairman & Managing

Director, Munitions India Limited and Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, Government of India. We welcome such initiative from India’s policy makers and industry leaders sharing their thoughts and expertise. As a glowing example of ‘Atmanirbharta’, the production of K9 Vajra Artillery guns in India by L&T is documented in an article by Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd).

There are a couple of technology articles in this issue. Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd) talks about the trends in Munitions covering latest technologies like Precision Guided Munitions and Loitering Munitions while Neetu Dhulia covers the ‘Exoskeleton’, a wearable Robot that enables soldiers with improved strength.

Pakistan is in a state of tur-

moil with continuous political tug-of-war and relentless terror attacks by the TTP Pakistan which is supported by the Taliban Government in Afghanistan. This has led to a serious deterioration in Pakistan’s relations with the Taliban. Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) gives a very interesting insight in an article in this issue.

As usual, there are other article of interest in this issue which ends with the News Digest.

We wish joyful reading to you all discerning readers!

Jayant Baranwal Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

www.spslandforces.com

Photograph: adgpi / Twitter

College, Camberley in the UK and later served in the United Nations Mission as Chief Engineer in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He assumed command of the 117 Engineer Regiment along the Line of Control at the time of Operation Parakram in the Pallanwala Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. After command of an Engineer Brigade as part of a Strike Corps in the western theatre, he attended course at the National Defence College, New Delhi and then was posted as BGS Ops at HQ Eastern Command. Promoted to Major General, he commanded 8 Mountain Division in the Kargil sector which he had earlier served as Col Q. The General then tenanted the position of ADG MO in the Directorate General of Military Operations at Army HQs. Promoted to the rank of Lt General, he served as the Chief of Staff of HQ Southern Command before taking over command of IV Corps at Tezpur and then appointed DG DC&W. General Pande was elevated as the Commander-inChief of the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) from June 2020 to May 2021 before taking over the reins of the Eastern Command in June 2021. Seven months later he was appointed as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on February 1, 2022.

General Pande takes over the reins of the Indian Army at a time when the world is facing many uncertainties with first the COVID pandemic having seriously disrupted the way we lived and did business and then the raging war in Ukraine now proving to be far more seismic that initially estimated. There is a major churning that’s taking place in the world order that prevailed since the end of WW II as a ‘cancel culture’ takes over, unparalleled and unseen even during the great wars. It is no more about taking sides diplomatically and militarily as called out by President George Bush after 9/11 when he launched his Global War on Terror (GWOT), “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” The war in Ukraine has heralded the decoupling of the world, encompassing economic and trade sanctions, banking ruptures, exclusions in the field of infotech and social media platforms, fine arts, Paralympics, Wimbledon, opera artists and even the revered Orchestra tenors. India is in the spotlight because of its unique position of having a long serving reliable partnership with Russia and also having close ties with the US and Europe.

Pressures are being mounted on a daily basis for India to take sides. In such a situation, the Indian Armed Forces have a huge challenge on its hands as they rework and recalibrate their strategies.

India’s neighbourhood is in financial turmoil even as the threats from a belliger-

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On taking over as the Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande laid a wreath at the National War Memorial & paid tributes to the Bravehearts

ent, rising China and a decapacitated terror driven Pakistan necessitates that we keep our powder dry. The ghosts of Galwan lurk around even as rounds and rounds of futile border talks yield little in terms of arriving at a settlement. While China is hobbled by COVID, disturbances in Hong Kong, strident calls for asserting independence by Taiwan and disruptions in trade triggered during the Trump era, India needs to be fully geared to face any misadventures from the North. The internal turmoil in Pakistan, with overthrow of Imran Khan, is likely to give the Pakistan deep state comprising its Army and the terror networks upper hand which means a long hot summer ahead.

Financial difficulties on the verge of bankruptcies in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan and Nepal can trigger serious internal dis-

General Pande having been the CINCAN comes with valuable tri-service experience and can greatly infuse the necessary thrust to this urgent creation of integrated tri-services theatre commands

turbances which can spill-over into India.

Thus, many contingencies including our role in the QUAD will have to be analysed thoroughly and plans put in place.

The armed forces are themselves at the throes of large-scale structural changes with the long-pending creation of integrated triservices theatre commands being topmost in the agenda. The nature of warfare having undergone cataclysmic changes in the past seven decades since WW II, single service command structures are no more viable to conduct wars efficiently and effectively.

Despite several prodding by the political executive, the three services have not been able to overcome their serious differences creating stumbling blocks. General Pande having been the CINCAN comes with valuable triservice experience and can greatly infuse the necessary thrust to this urgent project.

A second issue of import is the adoption of suitable equipment philosophy which is aligned with the government’s avowed goal of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. This will necessarily involve close scrutiny of current holding and their serviceability and maintenance and future acquisitions for modernisation.

Used to demanding the latest and best stateof-the-art weapon systems which invariably entailed huge imports and thus strategic vulnerabilities, the Indian Army has to rework its acquisition plans against constantly shrinking defence budgets and a nascent Indian defence industry in the private sector.

At the personnel level, the Army is at the cross-roads. Being the dominant service relying heavily on manpower not the least because of its protracted internal security

duties in the North-East and J&K, there is increasing pressure to reduce its strength in order to tame the ever-ballooning pension outgo. This will need careful balancing as fighting armies are easy to disband but quite difficult and time-consuming to raise. The experiences of large-scale shrinking of the army prior to the 1962 debacle cannot be so quickly forgotten even while investments in modernisation should result in reducing the bench strength. Concepts like ‘tour of duty’ being thrown about to reduce pension burden will need careful assessment before embracing them. The issue of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) is equally sensitive to the serving officers as the same has become applicable to CAPF officers through a Supreme Court ruling. There have been under-the-surface long-time grumblings about regimental affiliations overshadowing a merit-based selection system for higher commands as also grievances about some arms and services having lost disproportionately large number of higher ranks slots due to adoption of ‘command exit model’ and so on. These will need a fresh look as the first Chief from the Corps of Engineers goes about setting the house in order.

The Army Veterans are today a disaffected lot. A bruising court battle for OROP hasn’t exactly delivered the balm, a section of the veterans was seeking. This has pitted this section of the veterans at odds with other veteran associations and organisations and created unseemly fractures in the veteran community at large. The restrictions imposed in the CSD system has irritated many and it has become cumbersome to avail the CSD services by the old veterans who are not tech-savvy. The ECHS delivery is patchy at best and the COVID pandemic brought out many poignant instances of service hospitals turning away veterans who subsequently lost their battle with the virus. They will need a calming and soothing approach.

As the career graph of General Pande reveals, he is uniquely placed to chart a novel course to address and ameliorate these burning issues. There are great expectations from the new Chief. He has the leadership qualities of teamwork, open-mindedness, integrity, persistence, social intelligence, fairness and broad perspective necessary to take the bull by the horn. General Pande leads a very simple, uncomplicated almost monk-like personal life. With his remarkable professional exposure and experience and his calm and composed empathetic persona, the Indian Army may be poised for glorious days ahead. The collective prayers of the serving and the veteran community and the country at large will wish General Manoj Pande to succeed where no one has before him. SP

>> New COAS, Technology / Kasstech

Synergy, Indigenisation, Operational Preparedness: COAS General Manoj Pande On assuming the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande was presented with a Guard of Honour at South Block on May 1, 2022 Photograph: Ayushee Chaudhary / SP Guide Pubns

Kasstech Aerospace Introducing New Solutions in the World of Technology

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asstech Aerospace, a DPIIT registered company, has been actively involved in providing technical solutions to the aerospace industry since 2019. It offers unique integrations to solve some of the pressing problems of the industry and also undertakes maintenance and repairs of aircrafts and large UAVs. Kasstech has a CAR -145 certified MRO at Narnaul, Haryana, through which they provide maintenance services including repair of aircraft and engine overhaul.

Kasstech’s team of trained engineer not only repair and maintain airframe and engines, but also provide maintenance support to large UAVs.

ratio and extremely cost efficient with the lowest costs of operation in its class. There are austro engine variants developed for UAV application which are in operation with DRDO. With a redundant EECU system, these engines are failsafe.

Diamond is the leading global manufacturer of single and twin-engine aircraft in General Aviation. The DA62 MPP (MultiPurpose Platform) is a new special mission Diamond aircraft i.e highly innovative and efficient twin-engine plane, configured for coastal surveillance, border surveillance, land Geo survey mapping, disaster management, infrastructure and environmental monitoring missions. The DA62 MPP is also offered with special turnkey solu-

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar at the Guard of Honour ceremony for the new COAS General Manoj Pande. All three of them have trained together in the National Defence Academy (NDA) and are from the 61st NDA course.

 Ayushee Chaudhary

A “

ll three of us have trained together & have had the opportunity to work together in the past and now we are fortunate to have that chance again in the future.

This is a good indication of synergy & cooperation. All three of us will work together and take things forward,” said Army Chief General Manoj Pande on the presence of Air Force & Navy Chiefs during the Guard of Honour ceremony on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at the South Block Lawns. He further added that the Army along with its sister services will unitedly deal with national security challenges and conflict situations.

It was a rare yet reassuring sight to have both the other services’ chiefs at the ceremony. CAS Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, CNS Admiral R. Hari Kumar and General Manoj Pande have trained together in the National Defence Academy (NDA) and are from the 61st NDA course. The camaraderie among the three was evident and this gesture gave a significant hope of how the three services can work in cooperation and collaboration towards national security and development. General Pande, who served as the Vice Chief from February 1, became the first-ever officer from the Corps of Engineers to become the COAS. He was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982.

The new Chief of the Army Staff also talked about the fast-changing geopolitical situation and the several challenges that await ahead for which he aims to ensure very high standards of operational preparedness at all times, alongside modernisation and accelerated indigenisation. He continued to stress on the well-being of the defence staff while ensuring national security and development.

Laying out his intent for the armed forces during his tenure of two plus years, the Army Chief listed his top priorities: l Utmost and foremost priority would

be to ensure very high standards of operational preparedness to face current, contemporary and future security challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict. l Secondly, in terms of capability development & force modernisation, the effort would be to leverage new technology through the process of indigenisation and atmanirbharta. l Thirdly, would like to take forward the ongoing policies, restructuring and transformation so as to enhance the Indian Army’s operational and functional efficiency. l Fourthly, to enhance inter service cooperation and synergy. And to also actively engage with other agencies so as to positively contribute toward nation-building. l Lastly to look after the well-being and welfare of our brave soldiers as well as ex-servicemen. Army Chief Pande was sharing these statements after receiving his Guard of Honour post assuming the charge as the Chief on Saturday, April 30, 2022. He succeeds General M.M. Naravane who served as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for the last two years and four months.

“The Army has also contributed to nation building. I would like to assure through you that the Indian Army will be fully committed to the values of freedom, liberty and equality,” he said to the media. “It is a matter of immense pride and honour for me that I have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Army, which I accept with all humility. Indian Army is fully committed to the values of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” stated General Manoj Pande.

On taking over as the 29th COAS and reviewing the Ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns, he appreciated the Guard for an impeccable turnout and impressive parade. Following this he also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid tributes to the brave hearts who laid down their lives for the nation. SP

(Top) Diamond DA62 MPP (Multi-Purpose Platform) (Right) Teledyne FLIR Thermal Core: Boson +

Recently the company has also collaborated with Dynamic Solution Systems (DSS micro) as the distributors & service providers of dynamic microvib propeller balancer systems and is also the calibration centre for the same for all types of propellors of fixed wing aircraft as well as rotors on helicopters.

Kasstech Aerospace has a tie-up with FLIR — a US-based company manufacturing thermal imaging sensors, similar to cameralike devices that can pick up temperature differences by sensing heat emitted by objects.

By providing a visual depiction of the temperature differences, these systems can act like our sixth sense. The company’s R&D division has developed India-specific applications as well. The sensors range from large ‘gimbals’ which form part of aircraft avionics systems to small thermal cores which form the heart of various thermal imaging instruments being designed and manufactured in India by different large system integrators.

In India, several major system integrators use the FLIR-provided cameras for their weapon sights and drone systems as well as final products for the defence sector as part of the government’s push to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. Kasstech is also developing industry specific solutions based on this technology.

Austro Engine GmBH, whose products are distributed and maintained by Kasstech, are the world leading engines in their class with the best power to weight

tions. In the surveillance configuration the DA62 MPP can be configured with a high performance electro-optical system as well as maritime RADAR or SAR depending on whether the application is maritime surveillance or border surveillance. As a geo survey configuration, it collects laser-scanning and photogrammetry data together during the same flight. The aircraft can be configured to carry various LIDAR sensors as well as medium format camera payloads, all mounted in the dedicated nose pod using the German IGI Flight Management System. The MPP aircraft are provided in India with the support of Kasstech as their sales representative. SP — SP’s Correspondent

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>> Make in India

Ravi Kant Chairman & Managing Director, Munitions India Limited

The innumerable steps taken by the Ministry of Defence in the recent past, corroborate to India’s ability to attain the vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

The Launch of seven new DPSUs by Prime Minister Modi recently, can play a vital role in augmenting indigenous defence manufacturing to establish regional and global supremacy of the nation. Ministry of Defence has set a target of achieving a turnover of `1.75 lakh crore in aerospace and defence goods and services, including exports of `35,000 crore by 2025.

‘Atmanirbharta’ in Defence Manufacturing: We are on Fast Track

Vijay Mittal Joint Secretary, Government of India

Photographs: PIB, OFB

 Ravi Kant, Chairman & Managing Director, Munitions India Limited; Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, Government of india

Importance of Being Atmanirbhar

www.spslandforces.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched seven new DPSUs on the auspicious day of last Vijayadashami. In his virtual address Prime Minister Modi expressed the belief that these seven new companies would form a strong base for the military capability of the country in the future. Understandably, the new companies are a part of various resolutions which the country has been pursuing to build a new future for them and these would play an important role in import substitution, in line with the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Clarion call by the Prime Minister for ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, has led to emergence of renewed zeal and optimism amongst the Indian Defence industry to be important pillars in not only achieving self-reliance in Defence manufacturing but also appropriately tap the export market. Indian industry, specifically the defence industry, has grown substantially over the past decade, demonstrating its capability to support the Indian armed forces. Undoubtedly, the self-reliant Defence preparedness coupled with export is pivotal for the country to establish itself as a global, economic and military powerhouse.

Defence expenditure, especially for armament procured from indigenous sources, is an important sector in the Indian economy.

A strong and technologically advanced domestic defence industry supports the armed forces in its fights against external and internal threats of armed aggression.

The country in the past has mostly relied on imports to meet its defence needs and immediate requirements of defence systems whenever in need due to only limited and conventional options available indigenously.

India has traditionally been one of the top importers of defence goods. The SIPRI indicators for period 2008-2018 suggest that India, Saudi Arabia, China, Australia, Algeria, UAE, Pakistan, South Korea, Egypt and United States were the top ten defence importers.

Where are We Now? India has a thriving innovation ecosystem that became evident during the onset of the pandemic as scores of new age startups and young innovators — many mere college students — got into act to fulfil gaps in all fields through innovative options for Masks, Sanitizers, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, PPE kits, contactless payments, on line shopping, home deliveries and more. Now, this boom-

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Indigenous Technologies (Clockwise from top left): Arjun Main Battle Tank, Dhanush Artillery Gun, PINAKA Rocket System, Prithvi Missile

ing innovation space is focusing on another emerging challenge - preparing India for the evolving security landscape of the 21st century. The ongoing policy initiatives have established a growing private defence manufacturing sector in India, a space previously occupied solely by the central government.

India has the third largest defence budget in the world next to USA and China. As a matter of fact, India presently tops the list of countries that imported defence equipment over a decade (2008-2018). However, there has been a trend reversal in defence imports in the country leading to a shrinkage in market share of global defence imports from 7.6 per cent in 2008 to 5.6 per cent in 2018.

Over the years, Ministry of Defence has facilitated vide ranging indigenous production facilities through erstwhile OFB and DPSUs apart from issue of licenses to private sector companies starting from the year 2001. The premium research organisation in the field of Defence i.e., DRDO has also

been supporting Indian industry through development of state-of-the-art defence equipment and cutting edge defence technologies. Indigenous development and productionisation of some of the strategic platforms like Agni and Prithvi Missiles, Tejas (LCA), Strategic Submarines, Naval Ships, PINAKA, Arjun Tank, Dhanush Artillery Gun and wide range of radars and electronic war fare systems have given a quantum jump to nation’s military might and establishing regional and global dominance.

Many giant and engineering business houses have now joined the efforts of the government to establish a defence industry base in the country with more than 550 licenses issued by MOD apart from support to the bigger industry, from more than 8,000 MSMEs, joining the defence supply chain. The result of all the efforts made in the previous decade have seen contribution of domestic procurement in overall defence procurement rising from 30 per cent to approximately 60 per

cent at present with an outlay of approximately `80,000 crores (2019-20).

Strategic and Policy Initiatives The nation is continuously and consistently heading to become the leading country of the world in defence sector, Aerospace and Naval Ship Building sectors from design to production fulfilling twin objective of selfreliance and exports supported by innumerable strategic and policy initiatives. The initiatives have been wide ranging from procurement reforms, investment promotion, innovation and R&D to export promotion.

Defence manufacturing is unique and complex due to fast changing cutting-edge technologies. An easy to understand and welldefined acquisition procedure is prerequisite to give impetus to Defence manufacturing in India. There have been consistent efforts by MoD to streamline the procedure and make it pro indigenisation since the publication of the first DPP 2002 almost two decades back.

>> Make in India DAP 2020 is one of the landmark reforms in the process focussing on Self Reliance through the processes of Make, Design and Development and Strategic Partnership. It is acting as a catalyst for ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and encourage foreign OEMs to set up manufacturing establishments in the defence industrial corridors with an ultimate aim to develop India as a global defence manufacturing hub. Further to promote indigenous manufacturing, the priority of buying categories is Buy (Indian – Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM)) i.e.

Buy (Indian-IDDM), Buy (Indian), Buy and Make (Indian), Buy (Global - Manufacture in India) and Buy (Global) in decreasing order.

Enhancement in FDI through the direct route in the defence sector to 74 per cent, along with widespread government support, a Defence Expo and ambitions to become a defence manufacturing hub, has made India an attractive destination for global private defence manufacturers. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has set an ambitious defence exports target of `35,000 crore ($5 Billion) by 2025. The country’s defence exports push is strategic to become part of the global defence value chain and one of the leading countries in the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence in June 2021 announced a scheme worth `450 crore approx ($67 million) over the next five years to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), an executive arm of MoD responsible for creating an ecosystem to foster indigenous innovation and technology development in India’s defence and aerospace sectors by engaging with entities such as MSMEs, startups, innovators, academics, and R&D institutions among others. iDEX evaluates various technologies for scalability and works with all three wings of the Indian armed forces to enable their adoption.

MoD has also established a robust relationship with industry associations to conduct numerous seminars and webinars to explore opportunities for the export of defence equipment. Trade shows, like ‘Defexpo’ and ‘Aero India’ have gained international prominence.

More than 500 exhibitors participated in Aero India 2021, despite limitations imposed by the pandemic, and the show witnessed over 200 MoUs and product launches.

Setting up defence industrial corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu which are meant to ensure connectivity among the various defence industrial units and effectively utilise the existing potentialities of PSUs is a leap forward to promote indigenous defence production. This is also attracting private sector investments, which is much needed to support the present expansion programme.

In August 2020, the ‘First Positive Indigenisation’ List comprising 101 items was notified, in pursuance of Government’s endeavor of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and boost indigenisation in the defence sector. At that time, it was also highlighted that more such equipment would be identified progressively to facilitate and encourage defence manufacturing in the country. In pursuance of the same, MoD notified the ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items in May 2021 to give further boost to indigenisation with active participation of public and private sector for fulfilling the twin objectives of achieving self-reliance and promoting defence exports.

‘Third positive indigenisation list’ may also get published in the near future going by the trend. A positive indigenisation list comprising of 2,851 items (components/subassemblies) imported by Defence PSUs has also been notified on December 27, 2021 restricting their imports by DPSUs from mentioned dates.

outstanding demand of the private sector of level playing field in defence procurement.

The seven new companies are Munitions India Limited, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), Troop Comforts Limited (TCL), Yantra India Limited (YIL), India Optel Limited (IOL), and Gliders India Limited (GIL). These companies having come out of the many procedural limitations shall become competitive and explore new opportunities in the market to boost indigenous manufacturing through partnerships.

One major issue with defence industry, has been limited availability of information due to security constraints. Institutional data collection mechanism for land, Aerospace and Naval Ship Building industries in the country including production, export, import thus need to be further strengthened. The multiple stakeholders, viz. private players, both domestic and foreign, need to be apprised about the requirements of the Armed Forces so they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation. Export clearance process also need to be further upgraded to make it seemless and time bound to promote and execute export orders.

Enhancement in FDI through the direct route to 74 per cent, along with widespread government support, a Defence Expo and ambitions to become a defence manufacturing hub, has made India an attractive destination for global private defence manufacturers Though the country in the recent past has developed many new age defence equipment comprising of unique technologies and wide range of complex systems, further progress in these areas would accelerate the bridging of gaps in critical technologies and materials for new product development.

Futuristic technology development can be prioritised with government support especially in the field of cyber security infrastructure, secured communication systems, strategic materials, artificial intelligence & robotics, hypersonic missiles and highpower gas turbine engines etc. The efforts of pooling up of resources for meeting the growing requirements of the industry with respect to testing infrastructure need to be strengthened coupled with establishment of new simulation-based state of the art testing infrastructure. Days are not far when the steps taken would achieve the vision of making India a ‘Net Export Country’.

Defence exports of `10,500 crore have taken the country to the 23rd position as a global arms exporter as per SIPRI in the year 2020, certainly an achievement vis-avis its earlier status. The list of more than 40 nations that India is exporting defence products to, also includes big names such as the USA, Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, South Africa and Sweden.

The new formations are certainly poised to capture a significant share of India’s indigenous defence requirement as well as export.

Thus, the goal of ‘Net Export Country’ shall be reached sooner rather than later. SP

Way Forward The Cabinet in its meeting held on June 16, 2021 approved to convert the production units of erstwhile OFB into seven DPSUs with 41 Units. This has resolved the long

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>> Technology

Trends in Munitions Most of the major countries have been spending significantly on the procurement of smart munitions and precision guided weapons, which in turn has driven the demand for associated ammunition over the past few years. This trend is expected to continue in the next decade.

Photographs: US Army, BAE Systems, IAI, UVision

 Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). UVision of Israel was recently awarded a contract to supply its Hero-120 loitering weapon systems to the US Marine Corps. The system will be integrated with the LAV-M light vehicle, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, and the LRUSV, a future autonomous ship capability.

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he army uses small calibre ammunition for small arms; medium calibre ammunition for army air defence & mechanised infantry & large calibre ammunition for artillery & tanks. Apart from ammunition there are various types of grenades, explosives & mines. Ammunition technology is developing rapidly to improve the accuracy & lethality to achieve a bigger bang for the buck. As usual US has set the trend with Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) & hit to kill technology which is applied to Air Defence missiles like Patriot. Another technology is to provide hyper velocity to the munitions which will drastically reduce the time to target & will be more destructive due to the hyper velocity.

Indian Perspective

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Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) A PGM can be artillery shell, bomb or a missile which has a terminal guidance system based on electronics that guides it in the last phase of the trajectory. The terminal guidance unit is designed to receive emitted or reflected electromagnetic radiation, from the target, within its field of view to home onto to the target. PGMs are precise, lethal, reduce collateral damage & are cost effective due to reduced requirement of acquiring the target as well as lesser number of rounds required to destroy the target. During the First Gulf War, guided munitions accounted for only nine per cent of weapons fired, but accounted for 75 per cent of all successful hits. PGMs are difficult to jam & can defeat swarm targets.

PGM require sophisticated target acquisition systems using the electronic spectrum like radar, TV guidance, forward-looking IR sensor display, laser guidance & satellite. PGMS are used by the Army, Navy & the Air Force.

PGMs shot into prominence in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 when Lockheed Martin’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) was employed by the US Army. It is a GPS-guided 227mm rocket that was jointly developed by the US, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. GMLRS is capable of being launched from the M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

GMLRS has a 200-pound unitary warhead and a maximum range of 70 km.

Radar, infrared, IR imaging and electrooptical guided weapons were employed for PGMs; an example of which is Raytheon’s Maverick heavy anti-tank missile that has various marks guidance systems such as electro-optical (AGM-65A), imaging infra-red (AGM-65D), and laser homing (AGM-65E).

BAE Systems employs leading technologies on PGMs to improve their effectiveness like smaller size, less weight, less power and programmable micro electronics; Semiautonomous electro-optical/infrared (EO/ IR) navigation; Multi-function radio frequency arrays; GPS-enabled targeting; Command guidance fire control & AntiJamming Capabilities. Future trends could be Modelling and simulation; Adaptive processing and signals intelligence, & Visual guidance (scene/target matching).

Some examples of PGMs are: l APKWS laser-guidance kit: A mid-body guidance section that transforms a standard unguided 2.75-inch (70 mm) rocket into a precision laser-guided rocket. l BONUS: Artillery-launched ammunition containing two sensor-fused sub-muni-

6

SP’s Land Forces 2 /2022

Precision Guided Munitions: (Top left) M982 Excalibur 155mm; (Top Right) APKWS laser-guided rocket; Loitering Munition: (Above left) UVision Hero-120; (Above Right) IAI Harop

tions for defeating armoured vehicles including self-propelled artillery. l Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP): Capable of executing multiple missions, provides lethality and performance enhancements to land and naval gun systems.

M982 Excalibur is a 155mm extended range guided artillery shell which was developed and/or manufactured by prime contractor Raytheon Missiles & Defense, BAE Systems AB and other sub contractors. It is a GPS and inertial-guided munition capable of being used in close support situations where the friendly troops are 75–150 m from the target. India has acquired this ammunition for M777 Howitzer & later on may take up the challenge of indigenous manufacture.

Army snipers face the greatest challenge when they are acquiring a moving target in difficult conditions like high winds and dusty terrain with current technology. The Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) round and optical sighting technology combines a manoeuvrable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight to compensate for any unexpected factors that may effect its trajectory. An experienced shooter using the technology demonstration system can repeatedly hit moving and evading targets.

Precision-guided small arms prototypes have been developed which use a laser designator to guide an electronically actuated bullet to a target. Another system under development uses a laser range finder to trigger an explosive small arms shell in proximity to a target.

DARPA and the US Army have developed Brilliant Anti-Tank Munition (BAT), a terminally guided anti-armour munition with design features like dual seekers to minimize spoofing and a novel acoustic sensor that could cue on the sound of running tank engines. A decade after the programme began, more than 1,100 pre-production and low-production units had been built.

The importance of PGMs is highlighted by their deployment in Ukraine of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which have precision-guided munitions and a longer range. President Biden said that, “we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine.”

Loitering Munitions A loitering munition is an aerial weapon system category in which the munition loiters (waits passively) around the target area for some time and attacks only once a target is located. Loitering munitions fit in the niche between cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), sharing characteristics with both. They differ from cruise missiles in that they are designed to loiter for a relatively long time around the target area, and from UCAVs in that a loitering munition is intended to be expended in an attack and has a built-in warhead.

China has a decent number of domestically produced loitering munitions, such as the CH-901, CH-817, as well as the WS-43—which are being evaluated by the Chinese Military. Designs of these have evolved in recent years to feature two sets of wings (front and rear) like the designs of other popular loitering munitions, such as Aerovironment’s Switchblade.

China conducted many tests of loitering munitions in 2020 and 2021, building off the back of swarm technology tests in September 2020, which involved 200 loitering munitions being utilised at once. Increasing use of this technology by China vindicates the US decision to increase investment in swarm technology and loitering munitions.

Israeli-made loitering weapon systems were used extensively during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The main such system used by Azerbaijan was the Harop, made by

Ministry of Home Affairs revised the Arms Rules 1962 to allow Indian companies to manufacture and proof test of small arms.

The Arms act was again amended in 2017 to boost ‘Made in India’ & eight RFPs were issued to the private sector for 23mm air defence gun ammunition & 125mm FSAPDS for T-90/T-72 tanks.

Few notable private companies have sprung up and several small and mediumsized sector companies have begun investing into this sector with foreign collaboration.

Munitions India Limited is the reformed avatar of Indian Ordnance Factories’ Board which have been manufacturing ammunition & allied products for the Armed Forces & the Central Armed Police Forces. Munitions India Limited has twelve production units which have a proven integrated base for production of Small, Medium & High calibre ammunition, Mortars, Rockets, Hand Grenades etc with in-house manufacturing of Initiatory Compositions, Propellants and High Explosives for over 150 years. Some examples are -Small Calibre-Cartridge SA for 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm; Medium CalibreCartridge for 14.5mm, 23mm, 30mm and 40mm & Large Calibre-84mm TPT, SHELL 105mm IFG HE, Main Battle Tank Ammunition 120mm FSPADS/HESH, SHELL 155mm ILLUMINATING MIRA, Pinaka rocket by Munitions India Limited & Economic Explosives Limited & many more. Efforts are on to manufacture ammunition for new inductions like M777 Ultra Light Howitzer, Dhanush, Vajra & BMP-2.

R&D is being carried on since 2006 with the establishment of 13 Ordnance Development Centres (ODCs) supported by academic institutions. R&D projects include product development/upgrade; indigenisation; import substitution; process development.

Area which is being given special attention is the development of electronic fuzes.

From March 21 to March 23, 2022, three loitering munitions (two fixed wing variants and one hexacopter) developed by Economic Explosives Ltd in partnership with Bangalore-based start-up Zmotion Autonomous Systems Pvt Ltd were tested successfully in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh at an altitude of over 15,000 feet. The Army Design Bureau rating the performance and safety standards, facilitated the private firm and the start-up for designing and developing the first ever indigenous loitering munitions. Such munitions, are not only much cheaper to produce than armed drones but can cause disproportionate damage to conventional targets like ground-based bunkers, command centres, artillery and armoured formations.

One of the major challenges for the ammunition industry is the development of lightweight ammunition that does not compromise on combat performance and precision. The combined weight of weapons equipment and ammunition prevents personnel from being agile and effective. Hence, law enforcement agencies and defence forces are now focusing on acquiring lightweight ammunition. SP

>> Technology

Forging the Future with a Wearable Robot • Making of a super solider • Helping the Military accomplish its mission  Neetu Dhulia

B

ringing the iron man closer to home, Gavin Barnes, the lead engineer for Lockheed Martin’s exoskeleton technologies program, who was in Delhi recently demonstrated its strength to go the distance. Onyx Exoskeleton, is a wearable robot, assisting people perform jobs with improved strength, endurance and safety.

“Imagine a soldier marching up the side of a mountain, carrying heavy equipment, firefighter running up the stairs of a burning building, all the work that involves squatting down and picking up heavy objects,” said Barnes. “Onyx takes the burden off the user’s knees and the associated muscle groups, so they have more energy to do their job and do it safer because they’re not fatigued.”

Lockheed Martin’s new powered lowerbody exoskeleton is designed to improve the strength and endurance of its users.

Winner of the popular Science magazine’s Grand Award in the security category, the suit counteracts overstress on the lower back and legs. It supports leg capacity for the physically demanding tasks, which involves lifting heavy loads, repetitive squatting, crawling, scaling long distances

Key Features l Provides strength and endurance to carry heavy loads over distance and difficult terrains. l Enables better handling and support for heavy weapons. l Reduces cost of transport to improve endurance and reduce fatigue. l Reduces stress on the back and leg muscles. l Guides orthopedic alignment to help evenly distribute weight and maintain skeletal system alignment to avoid overstress and pressure injuries.

What’s in the Name?

The name Onyx was thoughtfully chosen by the project team, cuing an inspiration from the amulet that Roman soldiers wore for courage, and this one is for endurance though.

electro-mechanical actuators at the knees.

The exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extend.

This wearable technology has a negligible lag time for the Onyx to respond to a user’s movement, taking about 150 milliseconds.

The team is working towards reducing this time to half, the exoskeleton will not just predict what movements is the user making based on AI, but will also implement the next motor command while the user is in motion.

This technology is pegged to help soldiers and first responders go the extra mile while carrying mission-essential equipment, allowing them to do their regular job with better capabilities. More ammunition and heavier weapons, making the soldier more effective and reducing the strain and fatigue. SP

Photograph: SP Guide Pubns

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TIVRA (UZI PRO)

Sub-Machine Gun 9x19mm

ABHAY (TAVOR X95)

Sub-Machine Gun/Carbine 9x19mm, 5.56x45mm

ARKA (TAVOR)

Lockheed Martin demonstrating their new lower-body exoskeleton

with load, ascending or descending stairs or navigating inclined surfaces.

In a trial run, a user was asked to exercise with a 185-pound squat bar, and he completed around 25 squats. The next day, the same person was outfitted with an Onyx and asked to perform the same exercise. He reached 72 squats before being stopped by the team. “The user was already physically capable of holding this weight, but the Onyx helped him go that much further,” Barnes says.

Onyx assists in reducing the impact of the lower limb injuries for those in challenging environment. This augmented mobility is powered by rechargeable batteries and lasts up to 8 hours. Weighing around 20 pounds, Onyx is made of carbon fiber, aluminum, plastic, fabric and a bit of titanium.

“Though it is not yet ready for water, sand, dust, shock or vibration,” says Barnes. “We are working on ensuring it can withstand any environment.”

The build-in sensors on the exoskeleton report speed, direction, and angle of movement to an on-board computer that drives

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2/2022 SP’s Land Forces

7

>> South Asia

Pakistan Support to Taliban Backfires Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group also known as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP has launched more than 124 terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Pakistan (including suicide attacks) from bases in Afghanistan Illustration: SP Guide Pubns

 Lt General J.K. Sharma (Retd)

P

www.spslandforces.com

akistan, notwithstanding who was in power, always believed that an Afghanistan ruled by the Taliban would be a boon to Pakistan’s security. The deep state continued to support the Taliban with the understanding that the militants could help deny India — which most Pakistani officials see as an existential threat — any influence in Afghanistan. But since sweeping back to power last August, the Taliban have confirmed how misguided the conventional wisdom truly was. The situation for Pakistan has become even more dangerous after the Taliban’s victorious march into Kabul.

The success of the Taliban in Afghanistan has galvanised the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group also known as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP. This group has launched more than 124 terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Pakistan (including suicide attacks) from bases in Afghanistan. The TTP’s activity has led to tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban in Kabul. Retaliatory air strikes by the Pakistan Air Force have provoked protests from the Taliban authorities. Taliban border security guards have challenged Pakistani efforts to fence the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. A senior Pakistani General, who until recently headed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had to visit Kabul for talks with the TTP, facilitated by the Afghan Taliban.

Not for the first time, Pakistan’s support for the Taliban has come back to bite it. Though itself reeling in economic crisis, Islamabad’s efforts to secure international recognition and economic assistance for the Taliban regime have failed miserably. The international community has made it clear that it would not rush to recognise the Taliban unless they change. The Taliban, on the other hand, have refused to relinquish their hard-line stance on many issues including women’s rights and allowing girls into school. Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan is a pariah state. A new Pakistani government now faces the prospect of having to prop up a troublesome ally in Kabul and a cash-starved populace next door at a time when its own economy is struggling. Years of Pakistani backing have helped the Taliban return to power but have not, in any appreciable way, helped Pakistan.

Pakistan’s support for the Taliban has always been rooted in ideology rather than in real politik. Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has based its security policies on the notion that India, its foe since inception, besides the vexed issue of Kashmir between

Pakistan provided a safe haven for Afghan Taliban insurgents and allowed the Taliban leadership to operate out of Pakistan for the last two decades 8

SP’s Land Forces 2 /2022

The Taliban have refused to relinquish their hard-line stance on many issues and under their rule, Afghanistan is a pariah state

the two, seeks its dissolution. They have also long been wary of Afghanistan to the northwest. Kabul has traditionally refused to accept the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a colonial-era artifact from 1896. As far back as the 1940s, Afghan leaders demanded the creation of “Pashtunistan,” uniting Pashtun territories on both sides of the border.

Both Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan Presidents who ruled the country between the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and their return 20 years later, spoke of maintaining good relations with Pakistan but did not change Kabul’s position on Pashtun unity.

Suspicious of both its neighbours, Pakistan feared an alliance between India and Afghanistan. Such an alliance would leave it trapped between two rivals. Pakistan assumed a major role in Afghanistan in the 1980s, when it supported the United States’ proxy war against the Soviet Union, not out of fealty to Washington but to pursue its own strategic ambitions; Pakistan had hoped to extend its influence into Afghanistan long before Soviet troops invaded the country in 1979. Islamabad deemed Islamist groups the most effective instrument for spreading its influence, a policy that culminated in the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s.

The US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 reinforced secular and Pashtun nationalist elements of Afghan society, whom Pakistani leaders saw as being close to India or, worse, outright proxies for India. Pakistani Islamists supported the Taliban, many of whom were educated in Pakistani seminaries (madrassas), because of their shared belief system. But Pakistan’s military saw the Taliban insurgency as insurance against an India-Afghan entente under secular Afghan leaders. Notwithstanding Islamabad’s formal denials, Pakistan provided a safe haven for Afghan Taliban insurgents and allowed the Taliban leadership to operate out of Pakistan for the last two decades.

Pakistan, described its relationship with the Taliban as a hedging strategy to deal with the consequences of an inevitable US withdrawal. It did not expect a US military

withdrawal from Afghanistan to mark the end of Washington’s interest in the region.

It hoped to emerge as a key lynchpin in the region as both the pre-eminent foreign power in Afghanistan and the main intermediary between the Taliban and the United States and its allies.

During the disastrous US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistani officials remained optimistic about maintaining influence over the Taliban while retaining close ties with the United States. This was a huge miscalculation. Influence moves both ways. Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, holds sway over the Taliban through material support and personal ties with the leadership.

But the Taliban have gained powerful constituencies within Pakistan, such as conservative clerics and Islamist political parties. The Taliban and the Haqqani network, a strong faction within the militant group, may have accepted Pakistani support for years but do not wish to be Pakistani proxies forever.

Ideologues within the Afghan Taliban are unwilling to break ties with the TTP, who are responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks inside Pakistan since 2007 including claiming responsibility for an attack on an army school in Peshawar that killed 145 people, mainly school children, in 2014. Pakistan’s military has fought the TTP in the areas bordering Afghanistan and has complained in the past that Pakistani Taliban commanders have found shelter inside Afghanistan.

After the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan, Pakistan expected the Afghan Taliban to broker a cease-fire between their Pakistani counterparts and the Pakistani government. But that failed, and Pakistan has conducted several drone raids and air strikes against TTP targets in Afghanistan.

Whatever the case, this violence has dashed Pakistani hopes that a Taliban government would lead to a secure western border. In Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan Province, which borders Afghanistan, secular Baloch nationalist insurgents have also gained ground instead of being uprooted by

For any meaningful change, Pakistan must revise its approach to the Taliban. Pakistani leaders who supported the Taliban in the hope of making Pakistan more secure clearly misunderstood the real challenges facing their country. the Taliban. For years, Pakistan blamed the republican government of Afghanistan (and its Indian backers) for helping the Baloch separatists, including by letting them find shelter in Afghanistan. But since the fall of that government and the evaporation of Indian influence in Afghanistan, the Baloch groups seem to have only gained in strength, launching some of their most deadly attacks and even targeting the infrastructure projects of Pakistan’s close ally, China.

A new civilian government, which came in to power in Pakistan in April after the ouster of Imran Khan, replaced by Shehbaz Sharif, heads an uneasy coalition of rival parties that banded together to unseat him. But even this government is unlikely to change Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan, which remains the purview of the military and the ISI. Pakistan’s military leadership has shown little inclination to shed its India-centered worldview, which in turn binds it to maintaining its close ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The new government in Pakistan could pressure the Taliban militarily and economically, demanding that they share power with other Afghan factions and reverse some of their most extreme policies. But Pakistan’s generals are unlikely to embrace that option and risk losing a partner in their imagined strategic tussle with India.

For any meaningful change, Pakistan must revise its approach to the Taliban. Successive Pakistani leaders who supported the Taliban in the hope of making Pakistan more secure clearly misunderstood the real challenges facing their country. Their avowed fears about Pakistan’s security—even after the country developed nuclear weapons in the 1990s—can be better explained by psychology or the imperatives of politics than any reasonable assessment of reality.

For decades, Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy has stoked pan-Islamism, jihadism, and paranoia about India. That toxic brew has prevented Pakistani leaders from treating India and Afghanistan as trading partners, instead transforming Pakistan’s neighbours respectively into a permanent enemy and a strategic threat. Helping the Taliban win has only added to Pakistan’s problems, not solved any of them. SP

>> Artillery / Exercises

K9 Vajra shows the way for Atmanirbharta The induction started into the Indian Army in 2018. The 51st K9 was delivered in January 2019 & the 100th K9 on February 18, 2021, well before schedule.

Photograph: Larsen & Toubro

 Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)

units, running gear, hydraulics, structural assemblies, ammunition handling equipment and 14 other key sub-systems have been developed in India by L&T. The programme involved local production of more than 13,000 types of components per gun system. The gun features up to 75 per cent indigenous content.

gun with 500 rounds of ammunition. It can withstand 152mm artillery shell fragments and anti-personnel mines.

Fire Control System. The Vajra uses a state-of-the-art digital fire control system.

In Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) mode, it can fire multiple rounds that can impact a given area simultaneously. It has a Gunner’s Primary Sight for direct firing capability, Night-vision is offered as standard in all variants of the K9. A thermal warning device is fitted which feeds the temperature of the barrel to the digital fire control system.

Crew. It has a crew of five which includes a commander, a driver, a gunner and two loaders.

Platform. The gun can elevate from +70 degrees to -2.5 degrees with 360-degree rotation through a hydraulically-powered turret. The K9 engine is an eight-cylinder water-cooled diesel unit built by MTU Friedrichshafen with 1,000-horsepower.The K9 can tackle a vertical obstacle 0.75m high, traverse a 2.8-m trench and ford a 1.8-m deep channel. It’s hydro pneumatic suspension system allows it to drive over a 30 per cent side slope, a 60 per cent gradient and turn in 360-degrees using brake-torquing similar to MBT & can operate in NBC environment.

Brief Capabilities of K9 Vajra

Induction

Operational. The K9 has a range of

The induction started into the Indian Army in 2018. The 51st K9 was delivered in January 2019 & the 100th K9 on February 18, 2021 well before schedule. There are talks about for an order of 250 additional K9s.

S

elf-propelled artillery guns are a key requirement for supporting mechanised troops & fire support in difficult terrain conditions like the desert of Rajasthan & cold desert of Ladakh. The legacy system was Abbot self-propelled gun system, imported from UK during the early 70s. It became obsolete & as an interim measure Catapult system was assembled by integrating the Russian 130mm gun with the Indian origin Arjun tank but at the best it remained an interim arrangement. Thus, while formulating Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) – 2000, requirement of 100 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) was included in it.

In 2015, L&T was shortlisted as the main vendor for the manufacture & supply of 100 K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzers which was jointly developed by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and South Korean defence manufacturer Hanwha Defence. In December 2015 the MoD began price negotiations with L&T for 100 modified South Korean SPHs. The K9 Vajra-T was an L&T version of K9 Thunder 155mm/52 calibre gun customised for India’s 2012 SPH tender. It was shortlisted for acquisition in late September after undergoing trials along with Russia’s MSTA – self-propelled gun, which had been modified to 155mm/52 calibre standard and mounted on a T-72 tank chassis. Vajra was procured under the DPP-2012 ‘Buy Global’ category & was to be built at L&T’s Hazira facility near Surat. This classification permitted domestic companies to enter into tie-ups with OEMs to offer cooperatively developed equipment and platforms to the Indian military.

L&T-made 100th K9 VAJRA flagged off by India’s then Chief of the Army Staff General M.M. Naravane at L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex Hazira near Surat

During 2017, India’s MoD signed `4,500 crore contract with L&T to procure the K9 Vajra-T. The deal included engineering, maintenance support and the necessary transfer of technology from Hanwha Defence. The first 10 guns were assembled in India by September 2019, with the rest to be delivered within the next couple of years.

The overall contract was to be executed within 42 months from the date of signing the contract.

It was to be manufactured at the Armoured Systems Complex, a 40-acre industrial unit inside L&T’s Hazira Manufacturing Complex in Gujarat. The facility is also expected to manufacture and integrate armoured systems like tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other types of main and secondary armoured vehicles. The air-conditioning units, auxiliary power

about 38 km. The K9 uses ammunition of 155mm/52 calibre; can shoot, scoot & can come into action in a minute. It has a semiautomatic feeding system which assists in carrying out burst firing of three rounds in 30 seconds, intense rate of firing in 15 rounds in three minutes and sustained firing is 60 rounds in 60 minutes. It has a secondary armament of a 12.7mm machine

Employment The Indian Army has deployed K9 Vajra in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control with China successfully. SP

Airborne Exercises Along Northern Borders Amid the heightened tensions with China, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army conducted airborne exercises to validate rapid response capabilities and seamless integration Photograph: easterncomd / Twitter

 Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

T

he continuing confrontation with China requires our military to keep honing its skills and be prepared for any eventuality. With the US-led West targeting Russia and having similar designs against China, this is an ideal time for Beijing to resolve its border issues with India through mutual agreement with irrevocable guarantees.

Amid the heightened tensions with China, along the LAC, the Indian Army conducted airborne exercises in November 2021, to carry out airborne insertion in Eastern Ladakh at 14,000 feet. Fully acclimatised troops with specialist vehicles and missile detachments were transported through C-130 and AN-32 aircraft from five different mounting bases to validate inter-theatre move, precision standoff drops, rapid grouping and the capture of designated objectives with speed and surprise.

The exercise also involved combat jumps and integrated battle drills by airborne forces, mechanised columns and attack helicopters, to validate rapid response capabilities and seamless integration.

Another exercise was carried out collectively by the Indian Air Force and mechanised forces of the Indian Army, which entailed

Fully acclimatised troops were transported through C-130 and AN-32 aircraft to validate inter-theatre move, precision stand-off drops, rapid grouping and the capture of designated objectives

parachute drops of paratroopers, combat loads, vehicle mounted-anti tank and air defence missile detachments, over a designated target area from C-130 and AN-32 aircraft. Earlier in October 2019, the Army had conducted Exercise ‘Him Vijay’ to test its new warfighting concept of Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) in mountain warfare under the 17 Mountain Corps in Arunachal Pradesh, which has an offensive role.

In January 2020, Indian Army had conducted Exercise, ‘Winged Raider’ - a large air-

borne exercise in the North-Eastern theatre, involving parachuting by over 500 troops, possibly battalion group, from the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as also using the Army’s Dhruv helicopters during the day and night exercise. The Army later said, “Exercise Winged Raider demonstrated the operational readiness of our Paratroopers and Air Warriors to undertake airborne missions.”

Again on March 25, 2022, the Indian Army conducted airborne exercises report-

edly in the Siliguri Corridor to test capabilities along our northern borders and to validate aerial insertion and rapid response entailed airlifting of airborne troops, large scale drops, rapid regrouping, and surveillance of critical targets and capture of objectives. China’s continued belligerence has shifted major focus towards our border with China. This includes upgrading and building roads in the forward areas, habitats, storage for ammunition and moving some of the advanced weapons systems towards the eastern side.

A cross section believes that future war with China will be hybrid, with China launching massive cyber attacks to target our critical infrastructure, command and control centres, with little scope for conventional warfare.

This view is more with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine where the US and allies have pumped in thousands of well armed mercenaries to fight the Russian forces.

However, hybrid warfare entails interplay of conventional as well as unconventional instruments of power and tools of subversion, which are blended in a synchronised manner to exploit the vulnerabilities of an adversary and achieve synergistic effects. Therefore, conventional operations and airborne exercises will continue to play an important role within the gamut of hybrid warfare. SP

2/2022 SP’s Land Forces

9

>> Helicopters / Modernisation

Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Serial Production Cleared This helicopter is equipped with all-weather combat capability to support the ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force & Indian Army Photograph: HAL

 Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

O

n March 30, 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the purchase of 15 light combat helicopters (LCH) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army (IA) from the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of `3,887 crore along with Infrastructure sanctions worth `377 crore. A press release from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: l Light Combat Helicopter Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state of the art modern combat helicopter containing approximately 45 per cent indigenous content by value which will progressively increase to more than 55 per cent for SP version. l This helicopter is equipped with requisite agility, maneuverability, extended range, high altitude performance and aroundthe-clock, all-weather combat capability to perform roles of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, Counter Insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments and support to ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force & Indian Army. l State-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features

Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured, LCH is an state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter

such as reduced Visual, Aural, Radar and IR signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated in LCH for deployment in combat roles catering to emerging needs for next 3 to 4 decades. Several key aviation technologies like Glass Cockpit and composite airframe structure have been indigenised. The future Series Production version will consist of further modern & indigenous systems. l Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, India is continuously growing in its capability to indigenously design, develop and manufacture advanced cutting edge technologies and systems in the Defence Sector. The manufacturing of LCH by HAL will give a further push to Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and boost indigenisation of defence production and the defence industry in the country.

Production of LCH will reduce import

dependence for Combat helicopters in the country. Light Combat Helicopters are already in the import embargo list. With its versatile features built in for combat missions, LCH has export capability.

The need for the LCH was felt during the Kargil Conflict of 1999 which highlighted the void of a suitable light helicopter that could operate in high altitude areas (HAA). The LCH is a derivative of the HAL ‘Dhruv helicopter, which was inducted into the Indian Military during the 2000s. By 2010, media reported that the IAF was set to acquire 65 x LCH and the IA 114. But the LCH programme was delayed and series trials could begin only on July 1, 2012 though HAL had expected LCH to receive Final Operational Clearance during 2011.

By mid-2016, certification firing trials had commenced, these included tests of the integration of its mission sensors, such as the electro-optical system, helmet pointing sys-

tem, and of the various armaments – air-to-air missiles, turret gun and rockets – that the type can deploy. On January 17, 2019, LCH completed weapons trials with successful firing of Mistral-2 air-to-air missile at a flying target.

Unlike virtually every other attack helicopter in the market, the LCH’s biggest designed-in capability is high altitude performance, a key requirement from the aircraft users.

In February 2020, HAL had inaugurated the LCH final assembly hangar. Manufacturing and fabrication work was ramped up at HAL’s facility in Bengaluru. HAL chairman R. Madhavan said stated in mid-2020, “That (the order) will come very soon. We have concluded price negotiations. We are now awaiting financial sanction. By the end of this year, we should see the initial order for 15 aircraft. After that we expect orders for more than 150. In fact, assuming we’re receiving the order, we’ve already begun production of five new aircraft immediately. This will allow us to deliver the aircraft earlier than planned, once the order is confirmed.”

With the ability to operate over an altitude 15,000 feet, which is unique in the world, the LSP is a versatile and potent platform for the IAF and the IA. Of the initial 15 x LSP helicopters approved for purchase by the CCS on March 20, 2022, 10 are for the IAF and five for the IA. Apparently, the HAL will be able to supply the 15 x LSP pretty soon since they had ramped up production in 2020.

Recent media reports have quoted unnamed officials saying that the HAL expects followup orders as the IAF and IA have a combined projected requirement of 160 x LCHs. These would provide a good punch to the combat capabilities of the IAF and the IA. SP

Spike ATGMs and Sig Sauer Rifles Army and the Indian Air Force have both begun to induct ATGMs. The Army is inducting Spike LR2 launchers and missiles, while the IAF is integrating its Mi-17V5 helicopters with Spike NLOS (non line of sight) missiles.

Photographs: Rafael, Sig Sauer

 Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

www.spslandforces.com

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ecent reports indicate that the advanced Israeli Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), also called ‘tank killers’ have arrived in India. These were ordered under emergency procurement in 2021 due to the continued standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh since April-May 2020. The Indian Army already has Israeli-made Rafael Advanced Defence Systems - Spike medium-range (MR) ATGMs that in 2019 were reportedly deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to bolster defences. Compared to the Spike (MR), the Spike LR2 has longer range and better armour penetration capabilities.

The Spike LR2 has a range of 5.5 km at ground level and 10 km from helicopters, using an RF data-link warhead options of tandem HEAT with 30 per cent increased armour penetration or a multipurpose blast warhead with selectable impact or penetration detonation fusing, a new seeker that includes an uncooled IR sensor with a smart target tracker with arti-

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SP’s Land Forces 2 /2022

(Left-Right) Spike-LR anti-tank guided missile (ATGM); SPIKE NLOS on vehicle; Sig Sauer SIG716 Assault Rifle.

ficial intelligence features. The missile is designed with a counter-active protection system (CAPS) enabling hitting targets at higher impact angles of up to 70 compared to the 2.5 km range of the Spike MR which is also heavier.

News reports state the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have both begun to induct ATGMs. The Army is inducting Spike LR2 launchers and missiles, while the IAF is integrating its Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopters with Spike NLOS (non line of sight) missiles that can destroy ground targets 30 km away.

Media quote an unnamed defence official stating on April 24, 2022, “Both the fifth-generation ATGMs are being inducted in limited numbers under emergency procurement to plug certain operation gaps.

The much larger requirement for ATGMs will be met through ‘Make in India’ projects. The pilot-controlled NLOS missiles, which can be armed with different kinds of warheads, are primarily meant for specialised ‘behind the hill’ missions by IAF helicopters.”

The Spike LR2 and the Spike NLOS will boost the combat capabilities of the Army

and the IAF. On the ‘Make in India’ front, it is interesting to note that Larsen & Toubro has entered into a joint venture (JV) with European missile manufacturer MBDA to produce an indigenous Fifth-Generation ATGM, ‘ATGM5’, with a range of 4 km. The ATGM5 is likely to feature state-of-art disruptive technologies including latest passive dual band seeker and is to be fielded in man-portable, vehicle/APC mounted and inflatable boat mounted versions.

The ATGM5 offers non-line of sight (NLOS) launch for obscured/defiladed targets at extreme ranges and selection of

>> News / APPOINtMENTs third list comprising major equipment/platforms announced

to join the Officers Training Academy, Chennai & was commissioned into the Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018.

Defence Minister invites companies for joint ventures in India

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the third positive indigenisation list of 101 items, comprising major equipment/ platforms, in New Delhi on April 7, 2022.

The list, notified by Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of Defence (MoD), lays special focus on equipment/systems, which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders in next five years. These weapons and platforms are planned to be indigenised progressively with effect from December 2022 to December 2027. These 101 items will, henceforth, be procured from local sources as per provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

First lady officer to join Army Aviation Corps

The Defence Minister while addressing the members of American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India) through video conferencing during its 30th Annual General Meeting on April 21, 2022, invited the US companies for co-production, codevelopment, investment promotion and development of MRO facilities in India. He exhorted US companies to take advantage of the policy initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Rajnath Singh pointed out that US companies have not only been a source of FDI & employment in India, but are also contributing to India’s defence exports, totalling around $2.5 billion to US in last five years, which is 35 per cent of total exports achieved during the period. He underlined the importance of strengthening the commercial and economic pillar of the IndiaUS partnership to advance economic growth.

There has been a rebound in bilateral trade between the two countries over the last year, surpassing $113 billion in goods. AMCHAMIndia is an association of American business organisations operating in India.

Pinaka Rocket Systems successfully flight-tested

Captain Abhilasha Barak became the first lady officer to join the Army Aviation Corps.

She earned her wings on May 25, 2022, as a helicopter pilot, after completing a yearlong training at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik, Maharashtra.

Captain Abhilasha Barak hails from Haryana, is the daughter of an Army officer, alumnus of The Lawrence School, Sanawar & holds a B Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Delhi Technological University. She was selected

Pinaka Mk-I (Enhanced) Rocket System (EPRS) and Pinaka Area Denial Munition (ADM) rocket systems have been successfully flight-tested by DRDO and Indian Army at Pokhran Firing Ranges on April 9, 2022.

A total of 24 EPRS rockets were fired for different ranges during the last fortnight.

With these trails, the initial phase of technology absorption of EPRS by the industry has successfully been completed and the industry partners are ready for user trials/ series production of the rocket system. The Pinaka rocket system has been developed by DRDOs laboratories -Armament Research and Development Establishment, supported

by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory. Secretary Department of Defence R&D

preferred launch mode: fire-and-forget or ‘man-in-loop’, with LBL or LAL features.

It will also feature smokeless propellant with soft launch and muted back-blast for indoor launch, a critical and preferred facet for fighting in built-up areas. Tandem HEAT warheads are likely to have capability to penetrate more than 1000mm of reinforced armour.

Concurrently, there is news that the MoD has decided against inking the `700crore repeat order it had approved in late 2020 for 72,400 ‘Patrol’ Sig Sauer assault rifles (SIG716 7.62×51 mm rifles) from the US due to the weapon’s operational glitches which surfaced with earlier imports of an equal number of similar weapon systems a year before. Of the total imported SIG716’s, the Army had received 66,400 rifles, the IAF 4,000 units and the Garud Special Forces 2,000 of these rifles.

The Army had been using these Sig Sauer assault rifles in units deployed along the Line of Control in Kashmir and on counter-insurgency operations in the region since December 2019. When firing locally produced 7.62 mm rounds, the weapon tended to jam or caused barrel bulges rendering the weapon inoperable.

The ammunition for these weapons had been imported in limited quantities and had since been expended.

The indigenous ammunition reportedly also generated higher recoil to the shooter compared to the AK-47 variants or the 5.56×45 mm INSAS assault rifles.

The advantage of the Sig Sauer is that when firing bursts in semi-automatic mode, the shooter can fire two-three rounds at the target with a single pull of the trigger. Also, in the instant case, auxiliary add-ons like the optical day, night, holographic and LED-powered reflex ‘reddot’ sights were not allowed to be procured since imported sights would cost upwards of 50,000 apiece, and the reasoning given was that indigenous substitutes were cheaper, some of which were reportedly under evaluation.

The media has quoted a senior Army official, saying, “Since these purchases were processed by an Empowered MoD Committee headed by a senior service officer, it is inexcusable that a new weapon system procured at great cost needed to be locally modified before being fully employed. It not only revealed obvious flaws in the army’s qualitative requirement (QR) formulations for the rifle, but also in the MoD’s overall acquisition procedures.”

In January 2019, then Defence Minister (now Finance Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman had authorised procurement of the Sig Sauer rifles after the US Company’s bid emerged as L1 or the lowest from among three competing vendors for the tender.

The Sig Sauer episode requires us to acknowledge the following: l First and foremost, the quality of our indigenous ammunition production, whether for artillery or small arms

APPOINtMENTs Lt General Baggavalli Somashekar Raju took over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff on May 1, 2022. He was commissioned in the JAT Regiment on December 15, 1984. Prior to taking over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, the officer was tenanting the appointment of Director General Military Operations during the standoff on the LAC. Lt General Manoj Kumar Katiyar assumed the appointment of the Director General of Military Operations on May 11, 2022.

Prior to this, he was commanding the prestigious STRIKE ONE. and Chairman DRDO Dr G. Satheesh Reddy has congratulated the teams.

Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ successfully flight tested Indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ was successfully flight tested on April 11, 2022 at high-altitude ranges as part of user validation trials. The flight-test was jointly conducted by the teams of scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF). The flight trials were conducted from an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and the missile was fired successfully engaging simulated tank target. ‘HELINA’ was again successfully flight-tested from Advanced Light Helicopter on April 12, 2022. Successful trials of ‘Helina’ have already been conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan, which proved the efficacy of the missile in desert. The missile is guided by an Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker operating in the Lock on Before Launch (LOBL) mode.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the Indian Army for the maiden achievement through joint work. SP

needs to be at par with that of imported ammunition. l It is apparent from reports that these rifles did not have any problems till the imported ammunition was being fired. l Where was the need to send an Empowered Committee of MoD abroad when the foreign firms were ready for trials (truncated or full) in India at their cost, where any modifications or fitment like of indigenous sights could have been done? l On the contrary, some (one or two) members of the Empowered Committee fire limited rounds in the foreign country under conditions that the concerned company wants. l The suggestion of Empowered Committee is invariably by the bureaucracy and MoD official(s) from the Acquisition Wing are essential member(s) of the Empowered Committee, for whom the foreign company makes separate staying arrangements abroad. l This is not the first time that essential auxiliary add-ons like weapon sights have been left out. The users would certainly want them but these are left out at MoD’s behest citing financial constraints, though political statements continue that money will never be the constraint for equipping the Armed Forces.

Finally, the question is whether we will learn anything from this episode as these types of mistakes have recurred periodically over the decades. SP

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal Deputy Managing Editor Neetu Dhulia Senior Editorial Contributor Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) Senior Technical Group Editor Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd) Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) Principal Correspondent Ayushee Chaudhary Contributors India General V.P. Malik (Retd), Lt General Vijay Oberoi (Retd), Lt General R.S. Nagra (Retd), Lt General S.R.R. Aiyengar (Retd), Major General Ashok Mehta (Retd), Major General G.K. Nischol (Retd), Brigadier S. Mishra (Retd), Rohit Sharma Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal Executive Vice President (Planning & Business Development) Rohit Goel Manager – HR & Admin Bharti Sharma Deputy Manager – Circulation Rimpy Nischal Group Research Associate Survi Massey Design Sr. Designer: Vimlesh Kumar Yadav Designer: Sonu Singh Bisht Group Director – Sales & Marketing Neetu Dhulia Deputy Director – Sales Rajeev Chugh SP’s Website Sr. Web Developer: Shailendra Prakash Ashish Web Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma Published bimonthly by Jayant Baranwal on behalf of SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.

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