Archive for September, 2007
Sunday, September 30th, 2007
General Deepak Kapoor today took over as the 23rd Chief of the Army Staff. “My top priority would be to step up the pace of modernisation,” Kapoor said in his first order of the day to officers and all ranks of the army.
Unfortunately, like his predecessors, the general lacks a vision on the indigenisation, at least on the first day. The Indian Army is not yet fully nationalised and follows British Army traditions. Indian army is upgrading its weaponry with imported weapons in all its three wings — Infantry, Armour and Artillery.
Bikram Helipad, Udhampur, Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor (right) receiving Chief of the Army Staff, Gen JJ Singh (left) at Bikram Helipad, Udhampur, 2005 Photo: MoD
Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC, commanded one of the most prestigious Divisions of the Indian Army – the RAM Division as part of a Strike Corps, during OP PARAKRAM. He has been the Chief of Staff of 4 Corps in the North East, fighting insurgency in Assam and thereafter commanded 33 Corps, deployed on the India-China border. For his excellent command of the Corps, the General Officer was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2006. On promotion as Army Commander, he commanded the Army Training Command at Shimla. Thereafter, he commanded the largest and the most sensitive command of the Indian Army, i.e. the Northern Command from 05 September 2005 to 31 December 2006. The General Officer was awarded Param Vishist Seva Medal in January 2007. He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on June 11, 1967.
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Saturday, September 29th, 2007
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, successfully completed a missile defense flight test on 26 Sept, 2007, that resulted in the intercept of a target warhead and demonstrated the capability and reliability of the American only defense against long-range ballistic missiles.
The test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system began at 4:01 p.m. Eastern when a long-range ballistic missile target lifted off from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska. Seventeen minutes later, military operators launched an interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. As the interceptor flew toward the target, it received target data updates from the upgraded missile-warning radar at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. After flying into space, the interceptor released its exoatmospheric kill vehicle, which proceeded to track, intercept and destroy the target warhead.
The test, GMD’s seventh intercept overall, was the second intercept with an operationally configured interceptor since September 2006.
“Today’s successful test is the team’s second intercept in less than 13 months and further demonstrates GMD’s evolution to a robust and reliable capability for the warfighter,” said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
The test was highly complex, involving a wide range of assets, including the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX). SBX, a powerful new sea-based sensor developed by Boeing, tracked the target missile to prepare for the next GMD flight test, which will see SBX provide target updates to an in-flight interceptor for the first time.
“Flight tests are complex; they involve about 1,000 government and contractor personnel and integrate over 50 assets worldwide,” said Norm Tew, Boeing director of weapon systems integration for GMD. “Our government and industry partners worked together as one team to make this exercise a successful reality.”
GMD defends the US against a limited number of long-range ballistic missiles, with interceptors deployed in underground silos at Vandenberg and Ft. Greely, Alaska. An integral element of the global ballistic missile defense system, GMD also consists of radars, other sensors, command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber optic communications network. The U.S. government has announced plans to extend this capability to Europe.
Boeing is the prime contractor for GMD, the central element of the Missile Defense Agency’s overall layered ballistic missile defense architecture. Industry partners include Raytheon, Orbital Sciences Corp., and Northrop Grumman.
Posted in Military News - America | No Comments »
Saturday, September 29th, 2007
A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft on Sept. 26, flew for eight hours while carrying a 1,000-pound payload.
During its longest flight to date and the program’s 42nd flight overall, the aircraft reached an altitude of 5,000 feet near Victorville, Calif. The half-ton payload simulated the delivery of critical supplies to the battlefield. Future payloads will include a combination of sensors, weapons and systems to perform a variety of missions.
Since its first flight in June, the A160T has logged several additional flights, including a five-hour flight on Aug. 29. Ultimately, Boeing plans to fly the aircraft for 18 consecutive hours with a 300-pound payload. The A160T, a turbine-powered version of the innovative piston-powered A160 helicopter, features unmatched range, endurance, payload and altitude for an unmanned rotorcraft. The flexible payload module can carry supplies or retrieve downed personnel.
The aircraft used during the tests is the second of 11 A160Ts Boeing Advanced Systems is building for the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency.
The Hummingbird features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the rotor’s speed at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds. The autonomous unmanned aircraft, measuring 35 feet long with a 36-foot rotor diameter, eventually will fly more than 140 knots with a ceiling of 25,000 to 30,000 ft. (high hover capability up to 15,000 ft.) for up to 20 hours. Operational A160Ts will be capable of persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; target acquisition; direct action; communication relay and precision re-supply missions.
Posted in Military News - America | No Comments »
Saturday, September 29th, 2007
A Rs. 36,000 crore investment is likely to be made in the Petrochemical sector during next five years. The investment will increase ethylene capacity, the basic raw material for the industry, from the current level of 2.7 million tonnes to 6.9 million tonnes. The implementation of Assam Gas Cracker project with an investment of Rs. 5460 crore an ethylene capacity of 2.20 lakh tonnes per annum is already underway. The domestic petrochemical industry employs about 3.4 lakh persons both in upstream as well as downstream processing industry and has high potential to generate employment to the tune of 3.3 million more people during the 11th Plan.
The Policy resolution aims to increase investments in the sector, capture a slice of resurgent Asian demand in polymers, creating quality infrastructure to ensure value addition and increase exports. The other objectives include to increase the domestic demand and consumption of plastics and synthetic fibres and to increase the use of petrochemicals in thrust areas. The existing per capita domestic polymer consumption of 4.7 kg is likely to be enhanced to 12 kg as compared to the existing world average of 25 kg. per capita.
The Indian Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister claimed that the Centre has decided to set up four to five new Petroleum, Chemical, Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) in various States where the Union Government would be investing around Rs.10,000 crores.
On 12th April 2007, Union Cabinet had given its approval for the National Policy on Petrochemicals Document.
The policy document , if implemented, may have following benefits:
(i) Increase investments in the sector and capture a slice of the resurgent Asian demand in polymers through additions in capacity/production by ensuring availability of feedstock at internationally competitive prices, crating infrastructure, ationalizing tariffs & taxes and promoting exports.
(ii) Increase the domestic demand and per capita consumption of plastics and synthetic fibres from the present 4 Kgs and 1.6 Kgs respectively to about 12 Kgs and 4 Kgs respectively by 2011 by increasing the use of petrochemicals in thrust areas.
(iii) Increase the competitiveness and polymer absorption capacity of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry by modernizing and technologically upgrading it and freeing it from structural constraints.
(iv) Achieve environmentally sustainable growth through innovative methods of plastic waste management/recycling and development of bio/photodegradable polymers and plastics.
Posted in Commodity And Energy | No Comments »
Saturday, September 29th, 2007
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta took over as Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) from the outgoing Chairman General JJ Singh. In a solemn ceremony held in Defence Headquarters today, Gen Singh handed over the baton of Chairman COSC to Admiral Mehta. A former resolution placing on record a rich contribution made by the outgoing Chairman was also passed in the meeting. A large number of senior officials from the Army, Navy and the Air Force attended the ceremony.
Posted in General Indian Armed Forces News | No Comments »
Friday, September 28th, 2007
ESA’s Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and a delegation of ESA experts in various disciplines is taking part in The 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2007).
During the congress, a series of top level meetings will involve him and other key players in the field, ranging from bilateral meetings between Heads of Space Agencies (US, Russia, Japan, China Canada and, in particular, India) to specific meetings at working level with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) representatives. The aim is to present on-going and planned activities and to identify areas of possible future cooperation beyond the fields of Space and Earth Sciences, in which cooperation between ESA and India is already a reality.
The first cooperation agreement between ESA and ISRO was signed in 1978 and has subsequently been renewed four times. The latest renewal is of January 2007, for a period of five years.
The first milestone in the development of the relations between the two organisations dates back to over 25 years ago when ISRO was selected to provide a satellite to be launched on the third qualification launch of Ariane: India’s first telecommunication satellite, APPLE, was successfully launched together with ESA’s Meteosat 2 on 19 June 1981. Since then, India has turned to Ariane for several more launches.
Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar mission slated for launch in the first quarter of 2008 on board an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PLSV )launcher, is a more recent example of bilateral cooperation that will see three European instruments flying on board India’s first scientific mission to the Moon under an Agreement signed in 2005.
India has built and launched 12 Earth Observation satellites (more than any other space faring country). Earth Observation activities are managed mainly by ISRO and the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) based in Hyderabad. An agreement between ESA and NRSA of 1993 allowed the latter to receive ESA’s ERS-1 radar data, and it was extended in 1995 to cover ERS-2 data. Exchange of data between Indian EO satellites such as IRS P6/Ressourcesat-1 and the future Risat-1 and ESA satellites such Envisat and the upcoming Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission (SMOS) are either already on-going or foreseen.
India is a member of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and, since 2002, party to the International Charter on “Space and major Disasters” which was initiated in October 2000 by ESA and the French Space Agency (CNES).
India has recently outlined its ambitions for its future space activities, including a manned space programme under evaluation as well as exploration activities which are high in ISRO’s agenda. In January 2007 India launched an experimental space capsule (SRE-1) which was successfully recovered after orbiting for 12 days around the Earth. All this may open new cooperation opportunities and give rise to new shared efforts between ISRO and ESA.
In view of these outstanding accomplishments, India is considered as an important space-faring nation, and ESA fosters closer relationships with ISRO to explore further cooperation in order to support and diversify European space programmes.
Posted in International Aerospace News | No Comments »
Friday, September 28th, 2007
The Keel for newly designed Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel(NOPV) to be built by Goa Shipyard Limited for Indian Navy, was laid by on 26 September, 2007.
This is the 2nd vessel of series of three vessels designed in-house by GSL, aimed at meeting the increasing requirement of Indian Navy for surface warfare operations and in order to prevent infiltration and transgress of maritime sovereignty.
The vessel is 105m in length, about 2200 tons in displacement with a speed of 25knots. The vessel is capable of fleet support operations, costal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of SLOCs, defence of offshore oil installations and escorting high value ships, The vessel has facilities of embarkation and operation of Helicopter. The vessel is fitted with state-of –the art navigation, communication and electronic warfare equipment. An advanced remote control system is provided to control and monitor the propulsion machinery.
The vessel can accommodate 118 defence personnel onboard with an endurance of 6000 nautical miles.
The vessel can stay at sea uninterruptedly for an extended period of 60 days.
Indian Navy has placed orders for 3 such Naval Offshore patrol Vessels with Goa Shipyard Ltd.
Posted in Indian Navy News | No Comments »
Thursday, September 27th, 2007
Many countries have shown interest in collaborating with Geological Survey of India (GSI) in prospecting natural resources and are seeking GSI’s support in training their manpower. GSI undertakes its activity particularly in the context of the need to augment mineral resources of India. Special Thematic Mapping (STM) followed by Geochemical (GCM) and Geophysical Mapping (GPM) have constitute the core activity in recent years. While integration of these maps will help to shortlist more target areas for minerals, such data can also be utilized for various other downstream applications. GSI extends support to mineral investigation through acquisition of airborne data. Study of Coal and Lignite is another field where GSI is omnipresent. The fields of activity under Engineering, Earthquake and Environmental Geology has undergone sea changes in recent years with renewed emphasis on hydel power and river linking projects. In formulating guidelines for mitigation of earthquake and landslide hazards GSI is giving its inputs to National Disaster Management Authority.
Highlights of the GSI achievements during 2006-07 include assessment of an additional resource of 2290.14 million tonnes of coal during 2006-07 (upto June 2007). It explored additional gold ore resource of 0.48 million tonnes in Tumkur district of Karnataka, 7.32 million tonnes in Banswara district of Rajasthan. GSI located two kimberlite (host rock of diamond) pipes each in Mahbood Nagar and Timmasamumdran districts of A.P. GSI also assessed iron ore resources in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Apart from this, GSI successfully explored various mineral resources like basemetal (copper ore) in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, Manganese and Bauxite in Orissa, Graphite in Tamil Nadu and Limestone in Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya.
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Thursday, September 27th, 2007
The CBI raided the author and publisher of the book “India’s External Intelligence: Secrets of RAW,” invoking official secrets act. Major General (retired) V K Singh, a former Joint Secretary in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — India’s premier external intelligence agency, who published the book earlier this year is highly critical of RAW’s functioning.
The book blows whistle on several cases of corruption, indiscipline, lack of leadership and negligence, where the names of the persons involved have been mentioned.
Key among them are:
• The SPG purchased communication equipment of doubtful security from a foreign company, without obtaining clearance from the Systems Analysis Group. Why has no action been initiated against the officers involved?
• The Telecom Division of RAW purchased VHF/UHF antenna from a foreign company at prices much higher that what was paid by other agencies, such as signal intelligence and electronic warfare units of the Army. Why has no action been initiated against the officers involved?
• RAW has a CSD canteen which sells items that are authorized only for defence personnel. Why have the Sales Tax and Excise departments not taken cognizance of this?
• The present chief of RAW did not attend office for eight months when he was superceded for promotion from additional secretary to special secretary. Why has no action been initiated against the officers involved?
• Mr. Amar Bhushan continued to occupy his office in RAW even after he was posted out. Why did this happen? Why has no action been initiated against the officers involved?
• Rabinder Singh’s escape to USA was facilitated by several senior officers in RAW. Why has no action been initiated against them?
Its is not just Major General (retired) V K Singh, B. Raman’s book “Kaoboy’s of the RAW” laments of the bad apples in the organisation. He writes about RAW officials amassing illegitimate wealth, not returning back from the country of posting and other such incidents. However, he has not named anyone.
The Indian Government has charged Vivek Garg, owner of Manas Publication, the publisher of the book, on the ground’s that book reveals secrets that can harm national security.
Vivek Garg has raised several valid points,”this is not the only book about intelligence agencies in India. Several other authors such as Ashok Raina and B. Raman, have written about RAW. Books have also been written about the IB. Why has only my book been targeted?”
On the question of equipment purchase by RAW Vivek Garg say’s, “equipment whose details have been given in the book was purchased from foreign countries. These details are known not only to the country from which the equipment was bought but to several others to whom tenders inquiries were sent. If the details are known to foreigners, how can their disclosure to the Indian public be considered harmful to national security?”
On the issue of names of several officers have been mentioned in the book, the publisher say’s “They were all posted in India, and not in cover appointments abroad. How can the disclosure of their names affect national security?”
In addition the publisher said, ” the charter of RAW is external intelligence. Any secrets it has pertain to foreign countries. RAW does not possess any information regarding India’s defence capability, war plans, nuclear potential, space facilities, missile technology etc. Disclosure of information held by RAW can harm the national security of foreign countries, not India. In addition the details of RAW and ARC are available on the Internet. The Wikipedia even gives a photograph of RAW headquarters and its map coordinates (latitude and longitude). It also gives the location of ARC bases, with map coordinates, and the type of aircraft held.”
In 2006, the second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended that the Official Secrets Act, 1923, be repealed.
Declassification of past records has started becoming an issue in India. With the advent of RTI Act, the government is under increasing pressure to declassify past records. Past records of US and Russia have been declassified, there is nothing new about it.
Another issue is RAW’s accountability to parliament. B. Raman’s book shows that barring South Asia, RAW has very few successes to show.
A lot of intelligence books have been written all over the world with startling disclosures. Major General (retired) V K Singh’s book is nowhere near it.
On 26 September, the CBI failed to move forward in the case against Major General (retired) V K Singh, as the agency told a local court it was yet to ascertain whether there was any violation of the Official Secrets Act.
V K Singh’s counsel, Kunal Khullar, argued for his client, and provided a copy of the book in the court and claimed that Singh had not violated any provisions of the Official Secrets Act(OSA).
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Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
The automation plan worth Rs.2.32 Crore is getting implemented in the Directorate General Quality Assurance (DGQA), is in the final stages. It will provide provide online Quality Assurance Services to users and production agencies. It will link all the to link all Technical, administrative and Units of R&S Directorates.
Disclosing this in New Delhi today the Director General of DGQA, Lt Gen G Sridhran said that, the testing capabilities of various laboratories of DGQA are being strengthened. He said a Predictive technology lab to ascertain the remaining shelf life of ammunition is being established at Controllert of Quality Assurance (Armaments) Pune. He also informed that testing facilities of night vision devices at Controllert Quality Assurance (Instruments), Dehradun are being strengthened.
Gen Sridharan informed that DGQA has entered into Reciprocal Govt Quality Assurance (RGQA) agreement with various countries. Similar agreements are in offing with other countries. This would be beneficial for DGQA to align its working with prevalent international Quality Assurance practices. Considerable savings have been achieved by revising proof schedules thereby cutting down proof expenditure. A Committee has also been constituted to further reduce expenditure on proof.
DGQA is celebrating its Raising Day tomorrow. DGQA traces its roots to Inspectorate of Armaments established at Ammunition Factory Kirkee in 1869. With the transformation in portfolio of Weapons & Equipments, the Organisation has undergone many changes over the decades. The existing semblance of the Organisation structure dates back to 27th Sep 1957 when the Controller General of Defence Production was raised under Maj Gen Pratap Narain.
DGQA is service provider with multi disciplinary, multi-location organization with multi technology orientation. The organization is very important component of the Defence Equipment Management as it provides total QA cover for all types of arms, ammunition, equipment & stores required by the Armed Forces. DGQA is responsible for quality assurance of defence stores produced by Ordnance Factories, Public & private sector units as also procured through import. It initiates all actions necessary to ensure that the Armed Forces get the entire range of arms, ammunition, equipment & stores of the desired quality so as to enhance combat efficiency & effectiveness of the fighting forces. DGQA provides quality assurance services not only to the Army but also marine engineering, weapon sensors & support systems of the Navy. The services are also extended to Air Force for common user items.
The other customers of DGQA Quality Assurance Services are suppliers i.e., Ordnance Factories, DPSU & private sector units. DGQA carries out quality assurance activities for foreign vendors under Reciprocal Government Quality Agreements. It has skilled manpower and wide network of laboratories having NABL accreditation to carry out its task effectively. It has its own dedicated Proof Ranges for carrying out proof of armament, stores manufactured indigenously as well as through import.
The organisation has kept itself alive abreast with emerging technologies having potential for its adoption in Military Equipment and contemporary Quality Management Systems to ensure that one of the finest Army of the world gets the best quality assured equipments. The organisation also provides its services for entire life cycle of ammunition & equipment.
DGQA traces its roots to Inspectorate of Armaments established at Ammunition Factory Kirkee in 1869. With the transformation in portfolio of Weapons & Equipments, the Organisation has undergone many changes over the decades. The existing semblance of the Organisation structure dates back to 27th Sep 1957 when the Controller General of Defence Production was raised under Maj Gen Pratap Narain.
The organization was awarded National Award for Economics of Quality by the President of India in February this year. DGQA provided services beyond call of duty in extracting live ammunition with clinical precision from tank involved in accident due to fire, thereby, avoiding accidental injury to troops and civilians of that area.
Posted in General Indian Armed Forces News | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
The first six Indian Air Force (IAF) flying instructors have successfully completed their ‘Convex Flying Programme’ on the BAE Systems Hawk 132 aircraft.
Once the first Hawks have been delivered to the Indian Air Force later this year, these instructors will develop the new advanced fast jet training system and begin training students who will be the IAF’s next generation frontline pilots.
Under the 10-week programme the pilots carried out ground school training and UK orientation simulator sorties at RAF Valley, avionics training at BAE Systems Brough, and sea survival training, prior to undertaking flying training. The flying phase covers 15 flights per pilot (including night flying) over a 5-week period, demanding a particularly high flying rate.
Paul Comer, Indian Hawk senior instructor pilot, said “The course has been very wide ranging, covering all aspects of fast jet flying training. Despite the unseasonable UK weather, the 90 required sorties have been flown in just 5 weeks using, on average, only 2 aircraft. This rate of flying is quite an achievement for the aircraft and all of the Indian Hawk Convex team. The six IAF pilots have all adapted well to the new aircraft and have achieved a good standard in all the disciplines.”
Posted in Indian Air Force News | No Comments »
