|
The Platform for Indian Defence Industry
|
|
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S NOTE
It's been a month packed with events globally that's kept us riveted to the news screens. For us, the most important issue was the Chinese intruding into Bhutanese territory with the specific objective of constructing a road through the Doklam area. They would thus bypass Indian defences and overcome the lack of maneuver space in the Chumbi Valley, as they buildup to threaten our narrow link near Jalpaiguri to the north-eastern states. As on date, both sides are deployed eye ball to eye ball. While we were asked to send forces by Bhutan, the Chinese have done so on their own. We have run quite a few interesting articles on the issue, including one by our founder Nitin Gokhale. Analysis of the issue has also been provided through our Opinion Page.
The ISIS has almost lost its last foothold at both Mosul and Rakka. The Americans are busy working out a ceasefire agreement between the parties that contested ISIS. It's Trump's first attempt at building peace. The world hopes, the Syrians will get an opportunity to live in peace, hereafter. Iraq will also hopefully stabilise and start its next cycle with the focus on growth and prosperity. ISIS fighters will of course look for new battlefields. We will need to guard against their building up on the strengths of existing fundamentalist networks in our country.
Our Prime Minister undertook a few historic visits since our last newsletter. The first one was to the US. The meeting with Trump was apparently a very successful one. Both countries need each other and their mutual relationship nurtured for long years inspite of regime changes at New Delhi, has advanced. The much touted F 16 deal did not get inked.
The PM also visited Israel. This was the first visit of an Indian PM. Israel provides us a variety of military equipment. Over the years we have been able to develop our relationship and it was definitely time for the PM to visit.
In terms of equipment, the field trials of M 777 155mm Ultra Light Howitzer of BAE Systems have begun. The gun will undergo rigorous testing, especially at higher altitudes. The Indian Army surely awaits the induction of the howitzer.
As far as the Russians are concerned, they remain one of our bigger suppliers in the military equipment segment. The two countries are scouting for docks to start construction of frigates, together. The contract for Triumf S 400 air defence system continues in its negotiation stage. In fact, the Defence Minister was recently in Moscow.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) of Singapore conducts the Shangri-La Dialogue annually. A fair mix of global top leadership from various fields like government, industry, media, academics and journalists attend the proceedings at Singapore. Like last year, Nitin Gokhale, Founder BharatShakti.in was invited as a delegate. His article on the meet can be accessed in our archives.
We have also remodeled our website design slightly in order to provide more knowledge at your fingertips. A page for 'Issue Briefs' has been added. We have just started populating it. Over a period of time we hope to make it a rich reservoir available to our readers.
The Understanding Policy page has also been updated. Under the 'Related Documents' tab, should you navigate to 'SCOMET Items', you will find the Revised SOP for Review of Authorisation for Export of Munitions List - 2017. The SCOMET List - 2017 has also been provided separately.
We do hope you will continue to follow BharatShakti.in, as we look forward to providing information and analysis of issues of import to those who have a linkage to the defence industry.
|
|
|
|
SOME OF OUR SPECIAL FEATURES THIS MONTH
|
|
India Hosts Myanmar Military Chief Amidst China Standoff
Nitin A. Gokhale
New Delhi is quietly reclaiming its space in Asia by forging alliances with China's neighbours. In a way, India is converting its much talked about Act East Policy to Engage East practice. Vietnam and Myanmar - to name just two countries - have of late reciprocated India's effort to re-calibrate their respective relationship. Read More... |
|
|
Aircraft Carriers and Submarines of The PLA Navy (PLAN) and The Indian Navy
Major General P K Chakravorty (Retired)
The Chinese Navy is growing in strength. Currently the 2nd largest in the world, it also has plans of rapid growth. Though, as yet not too formidable in terms of its aircraft carriers, it has a large submarine force of mixed vintage. Chi-nese are also developing bases in Gwadar and Djibouti where they would be stationing marines. It has already devel-oped the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka and upgraded ports in South Asian countries. The author provides an incisive view of the Chinese Aircraft Carrier and Submarine strength and carries out a threat evaluation from the Indian perspective. Read More...
|
|
|
Shangri-La Dialogue: Flagging Asia's Security Issues
Nitin A Gokhale
Despite no official presence except its High Commissioner to Singapore, Javed Ashraf, India found mention as im-portant player in the region in the speeches delivered by different ministers at the summit. Mattis in fact quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "As Prime Minister Modi of India has stated so clearly, respecting freedom of navigation and adhering to international norms are essential for peace and economic growth in the interlinked geography of the Indo-Pacific," Mattis said rather unexpectedly in his speech. Read More... |
|
|
Red Zone Over Kashmir Valley
Air Chief Marshal PV Naik (Retd)
The author, an ex Chief of Air Staff provides a rather passionate account of the Kashmir Valley of old and goes on to assess the situation prevailing now. He opts for Governor's rule being the correct administrative model in the current situation. The Air Chief Marshal defines a new command and control structure, delves into the resources that would be required and the methodology to be adopted to restore J&K to its old pristine glory. Read More... |
|
|
Military Helicopter Market in India
Lt. Gen. B. S. Pawar (Retd.)
The assessed requirement of the Indian armed forces is over a 1000 helicopters of various types in the next decade or so. The Indian helicopter market is certainly one of the biggest, globally. So far dominated primarily by the Russians and French, other players have now made firm footholds. Further, with the Strategic Partnership model having been finalised, the Indian private players have an option of gaining traction in an area, so long the preserve of HAL, primarily. The author makes an evaluation of the various categories of helicopters required and the progress made so far. He also throws light on the private players who have started creeping into the market with the competition bound to hot up in the days ahead. Read More... |
|
|
US-India Defence Partnership to Set the Tone for the Modi-Trump Meet
Ratan Shrivastava
Indo-US ties overcame the "hesitation of history" to become "the most defining partnership" of 21st century during the last 3 years of Obama-Modi bromance. The nomination of Kenneth Juster, a key Presidential aide and an expert at Indian economic and commercial markets, is an indication that India has surely not fallen off the radar for the new administration though it may not be as agile as India would have wanted it to be. Read More... |
|
|
China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Kashmiri Angles
Lt Gen P R Shankar(Retired)
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is undoubtedly the showpiece of the grandiose Belt and Road Initiative of China, and is making news almost daily. In the author's previous articles on CPEC, he had analysed what it would mean for various actors in this Great New Game. In the current article, the author analyses the issues with the lens focused on J&K. He concludes, that whether or not CPEC succeeds or fails, Pakistan, Kashmiri separatist movements and terrorist organizations have nothing to gain, either. Read More... |
|
|
India Stood By A Friend. Now It Is Time for Diplomacy.
Nitin A. Gokhale
Tactical military compulsion apart, there is a geostrategic reason why China chose to up the ante. That Beijing made its first public statement on the standoff at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the US for his first meeting with President Donald Trump clearly shows China's annoyance with India's perceived tilt to-wards the US. Peeved with India's refusal to join the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing chose to make a series of aggressive statements against India including one that sought to remind India of the 1962 war between the two, which India lost. The remark on 1962 received a riposte from India's Defence minister Arun Jaitley that '2017 is not 1962.' Read More... |
|
|
Strategic Partnerships - Still A Long Way To Traverse
Amit Cowshish
The strategic partnership model has been announced after considerable delay since the time when Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 was released in the public domain. However, will the model as defined by the MoD, really work? The 'Make' procedure introduced by the government in 2006 has not led to positive results as yet. The author feels that perhaps the greatest obstacle the Ministry of Defence is likely to experience in making the strategic partnership model work is the attitude of the staff manning the MoD. He perceives the need for far greater dynamism and responsiveness at the MoD to be able to drive the new model through and achieve tangible results. Read More... |
|
|
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.
|
|
