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The Platform for Indian Defence Industry
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S NOTE
The Army and the Air Force were due for a turnover of their respective apex leadership simultaneous with our bidding adieu to 2016. In the case of IAF, the government went along with the process that has been largely the practice and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoya took over the reins. In the case of the Army, two Army Commanders were superseded and Gen Bipin Rawat was appointed as the new Army Chief. The move, though infringing no legal provisions, did create a furor in the Army, and especially its veteran's community. The pros and cons of the MoD not adhering to the principal of seniority have been discussed by our columnists.
The Shekatkar Committee has submitted its report to the government. The committee has made far reaching recommendations, to include raising defence spending to 2.5 to 3 percent of the GDP. It has recommended manpower rationalization. The Committee has also reinforced the old argument of privatising certain logistics activities, thereby freeing manpower for attaining a better tooth to tail ratio. The requirement of a Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee or a Chief of Defence Staff has also been emphasized in the report. Essentials of the Committee's reports were published on our website in an article by our founder Nitin A Gokhale.
We witnessed the trials of Agni-V, a 5000 km range missile that covers China quite adequately. It was followed by a test of Agni-IV. In both the tests, the parameters set were achieved. These missiles are a boost to our deterrent capabilities.
Among other success stories are the last round of trials of Dhanush 155mm 45 calibre Howitzers in high altitude areas. The Ordnance Factory Board should be able to initiate production once these production-level prototypes meet user needs fully. The Army is also enthusiastic about a 155 mm 52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation. The project involves DRDO laboratories and a few leading private sector players.
At BharatShakti.in, we decided to abide by our readers' requests for introducing a Hindi section in our website. As a beginning, we have decided to post our Opinion pieces in both English and Hindi. The Hindi translations will follow the English ones. I must say that there has been a spike in our readership post the bilingual format that we have adopted.
Overall, it's been an exciting month for the defence forces. With reports being received of the Defence Minister likely to be briefing the Prime Minister on the issue of appointing a Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, I am sure we are all awaiting the course that events will take and the officer who could be the first Permanent Chairman of the Committee.
We will continue to provide you with more information and analysis on issues of import to the Indian Defence Industry. Do make our site a daily habit.
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SOME OF OUR SPECIAL FEATURES THIS MONTH
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India Dumps Archaic Seniority Rule in Choosing Army Chief
Nitin A Gokhale
In Gen Rawat's case too his greater field experience may have tilted the scales in his favour. The government came to a conclusion it could work with Gen Rawat, with his wide ranging experience better than the other two Generals in the running. Gen Rawat for instance, was commanding a Rashtriya Rifles Sector as a brigadier and the Baramulla-based 19 Division as a major general during intense counter-insurgency days in J&K besides a tenure in the UN. Read More...
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China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar Port - A New Security Strategic Paradigm
Lt Gen Rameshwar Yadav (Retd)
The Britishers started their conquest of the Indian sub-continent with a footprint that was essentially trading interests and followed by a small military force primarily for protecting its growing assets. Over the years, both trade and military expanded to engulf an entire sub-continent. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor holds out the promise of a similar progression. For India, and when Gwadar Port is taken into account, the whole region is faced with a shift in the security paradigms. Lt Gen Rameshwar Yadav analyses the issues involved and attempts a few answers. Read More... |
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Better Buying Power For Defence Acquisitions In India
Lt Gen PR Shankar (Retired)
In this article the author takes a look at the model in use in USA. Central to the acquisition model in the US is the knowledge level of the staff entrusted such responsibilities. They have a University to impart knowledge on acquisitions. The General also identifies other core thrusts in the American system and arrives at a few areas that require focus in our case. Read More... |
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The Chief Has His Task Cut Out
Lt Gen A K Singh (Retired)
The current Army Chief handed over his charge to the new Army Chief on 31 December, 2016. General Bipin Rawat is now in command of the 1.3 million strong force operating under the most varied conditions that any Army has ever operated. What are the challenges he faces? Lt Gen AK Singh (Retired) lists out a few challenges and suggests a few answers. Read More... |
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A New War Doctrine And Defence Indigenisation In India
Lt Cdr L Shivaram (Retd)
The author feels that the Cold Start Doctrine is no longer the option that can be exercised in a technology driven battlefield with a looming nuclear threat, omnipresent. He goes on to take stock of tomorrow's battlefield and opines in favour of a new doctrine being evolved that would reduce own force attrition by use of technologically superior platforms. This doctrine, in turn, needs to provide the goal posts that our R&D should be headed for with indigenisation being the key strength. Read More... |
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As Trump Fumbles on China Policy, Here Is Some Advice...
Dr Yang Jiemian
Even before he takes over as President of the United States on 20 January, Donald Trump has ruffled many feathers both domestically and in the international arena. One of his earliest moves after he was elected President in November 2016 was to speak to his Taiwanese counterpart on the phone. This was a complete departure from the past and riled Beijing no end. Since then Trump and Chinese commentators-both official and non-official-have been involved in a bitter verbal exchange. While there have been many US commentaries, it is rare to have a Chinese scholar remark on the 'Trump phenomenon.' Here's one of those opinion pieces from a leading Chinese commentator exclusively shared with BharatShakti.in. Read More... |
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Winning India's Wars with Indian Solutions
Nitin A Gokhale
As a force that is deployed across the country in varied climatic conditions and terrains, the Indian Army needs to maintain a wide variety of equipment and is faced with numerous day to day problems in its functioning. However, indigenous solutions for long terms sustenance and life cycle support of equipment have been rather elusive or erratic for the Army. Read More... |
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All you wanted to know about the Shekatkar Committee Report
Nitin A Gokhale
The Lt Gen DB Shekatkar Committee-appointed by the government to enhance the combat potential of the armed forces and re-balancing defence expenditure-has recommended a number of measures to trim, redeploy and integrate manpower under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a gradual manner to meet the objective of an agile but effective military to meet current and future threats that India faces, BharatShakti has learnt after speaking to multiple sources including some members of the panel. Read More... |
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At BharatShakti.in, our RFI/RFP pages attempt to inform you of business opportunities. While the Industry Capabilities listing page gives you details of various IDIs, their product range, niche capabilities and contact information, thus easing your search for the right partner for your business activities. Our Policy page is a repository of knowledge, hosting relevant government and departmental documents required for transacting in the area defence production. It also devotes space to FAQs on defence procurement that would be updated.
We at BharatShakti.in invite you all to be a part of our team. Do visit our pages regularly. Write to us, list your defence capabilities with us and engage with us. It's BharatShakti's faith and belief that the Indian Defence Industry is capable of addressing most of the requirements of Indian Armed Forces.
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