The Afghan National Army (ANA) is growing from scratch to glory. The ANA has reached its previous goal of 134,000 troops in July 2010. The current goal is to have 171,600 by October 2011. As of March 2011, there were 160,000 troops on its rolls, 4,000 ahead of the March goal. Earlier this year, there was discussion of increasing the size of the army beyond the current 171,600-troop goal, but this plan has not yet… Read More »Growing steady: Afghan National Army’s Order of Battle (ORBAT)

To be able to contain China, its neighbors, especially India will have to learn to keep two jumps ahead of the Li Hua indigenous Chinese striped cat as New Delhi is learning to its consternation over the latest Chinese incursion into Ladakh. The incursion was planned with meticulous care, keeping in view the weather, the arrival of a Japanese defence delegation to New Delhi, the deployment of several Chinese vessels around disputed Pacific islands by… Read More »Tackling dragon: China’s forward postures towards Indian borders

Whether the visit of the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang will result in a new chapter or simply add a new page in Sino Indian relations only time will tell, but it can be said without doubt that his visit has sown the seeds of a new chapter which will flower only if India plays its cards well. Though Li’s visit could also be termed as an exercise in Public Relations, India needs to cash… Read More »New gimmick: Chinese Premier’s India visit aimed at PR exercise

The arms exporting countries, who once during Cold War, selectively exported arms to their allies and dependent regimes, however tyrannical they may be, have now made a successful bid to exercise control over the use of arms sold to the third world. Now in the post Cold War days, it does not hurt their conscience, whether they sell arms worth billions of dollar, of similar nature to two warring nations at the same time. But… Read More »Cartel game: The international arms trade treaty

The Sukhoi-30 MKI which is the main stay of IAF fighter fleets will have to undergo upgradation to remain relevant to future air warfare. Although the software is wearing out too fast, the fighter remains a potent combat machine. The IAF’s SU-30 MKIs which look similar to many Sukhoi fighters is significantly different from other SU-30s in terms of capabilities. This time IAF should clearly spell out what it needs in SU-30MKIs by 2020. Often,… Read More »Enhancing potentiality: Super Sukhoi to add punch to IAF

Ever since present Chairman Ashok Nayak took over as CMD, there is an uneasy tension prevailing in the ranks and files of India’s aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). While there is a brain drain due to lack of motivation and some even term present situation as ‘depressing’, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which controls HAL is silent over the internal matters of HAL that is threatening to undercut India’s effort to create a strong… Read More »Hall of defame: MoD needs to restructure HAL urgently

A “stand-off” capability in air warfare is like a taller boxer using his longer reach to hit his opponent at will. India has learned the hard way the benefits of a longer reach in a different context. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war the naval warship INS Khukri was hit and sunk by a Pakistani submarine which had a longer-range sonar than did the Indian ship. It could not detect the threat. Much the same applies… Read More »First kill: Stand off aerial warfare

In recent years the distinction between the gun and the missile has become blurred in the employment of artillery on the battlefield. India too is following this trend with the recent test of the short-range Prahaar missile that is intended to cover the distances beyond what the 105 mm and 130 mm field guns, the Bofors howitzer, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launch system, and the Russian Smerch rockets can hit enemy targets from the forward… Read More »Flexible response: Special ammunition and artillery fire power

A well equipped, ground based tracking infrastructure is vital to constantly monitor the position of an orbiting satellite and detect its ground track with precision. The satellite pass prediction and real time satellite tracking constitutes the mainstay of the tracking activities. In the ultimate analysis, tracking is also a fundamental step towards determining the operational efficiency of a satellite for harnessing its potentials. In the Indian context, the telemetry, tracking and command network of the… Read More »War in orbit: Satellite tracking and threat of hostile satellites

The Indian aerospace industry is all set to follow the auto sector way which started its foray into the international auto market almost two decades ago as spare parts and equipments supplier for auto giants worldwide. Indian auto sector is now posing a big challenge to the international auto majors. Similarly, the Indian aerospace sector has all the potentials to emerge as a hub for supplying equipments and systems to the international aviation giants. In… Read More »Expanding footprint: Prospects of Indian aerospace industry