Russian balancing act in South Asia

The changing geo-political equations in the Indian sub-continent have left Russia in a flux seeking to have a strategic balance between India and Pakistan. Even as its soldiers are in Pakistan for their maiden joint military drill, Russia on Monday supported India’s surgical strikes by contending that every country has a right to defend itself.

Russia’s Ambassador to New Delhi Alexander M Kadakin on Monday welcomed the surgical strikes conducted by India on the intervening night of September 28-29.

“Greatest human rights violations take place when terrorists attack military installations and attack peaceful civilians in India. We welcome the surgical strike. Every country has right to defend itself,” the Russian Embassy quoted Kadakin to have told an Indian news channel.

India has restrained from officially commenting on the war games between its arch rival Pakistan and arch patron Russia. The only saving grace for New Delhi was that Moscow cancelled the last leg of the military exercise "Friendship-2016" planned in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Russian Envoy tried to ally India’s discomfort at the growing proximity between Islamabad and Moscow. “India should not be concerned about military exercises between Russia and Pakistan because the theme of the exercise is anti-terror fighting. That's in India’s interests that we teach Pakistani army not to use itself for terror attacks against India. And the exercise was not held in any sensitive or problematic territories like Pakistan-occupied Indian state of Jammu", said the Russian Ambassador. The exercise is being seen a response to the deepening of defence cooperation between India and the US.

The latest statement emanating from Russia has been one of the series of statements issued earlier Moscow condemning the Uri attacks and asking Pakistan to make more efforts to rein in the terrorists in its territory.

With India seeking to diversify its defence supply has been purchasing military hardware from the US and European countries; Pakistan has tried to woo Russia and has expressed interest in buying Sukhoi fighter jets. 

 

Livewire, Red Flag to test IAF’s mettle in 2013

In the 80^th year of its inception, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is gearing up for two major war games next year – the ‘Mother of all Exercises’ Livewire and Red Flag with the US Air Force after five years.

 

 

Complete IAF will participate in the first organizational-level war games Livewire – to be organized early next year. Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Force President Pranab Mukherjee will also witness the Fire Power Demonstration at the end of Livewire. The other major participation will be in the Red Flag exercise in the US essentially meant for the country’s NATO allies. Last time the IAF fighter jets roared in the US sky was in 2008.

“The IAF has been inducting new platforms in its inventory and since the integration is over, the next year will give an opportunity to test the wherewithal of the organisation to maximum,” officials said. The exercise, brainchild of Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, was planned in 2012 but was postponed for 2013 when the new platforms have integrated well with the existing ones. The exercise would be the first in the history of the IAF and was planned to validate its new war strategies, inductions and technologies. Presently, the fourth largest air force in the world is on the cusp of a major transformation with the acquisition of state-of-the-art platforms in its inventory.

The built up to the month-long Livewire will be preceded by unit-level and command level exercises.  The exercise is planned to check the integration of the newly-acquired platforms and network-centric warfare system with the existing fighter fleet of the IAF. The mid-air refuellers were to be tested to the hilt for a war fought on multiple fronts.

The endurance-testing war games will be followed by India’s participation in Red Flag exercise, that is held every three months for duration of around two weeks and it generally involves NATO allies of the US. In 2008, IAF’s eight Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, two Il-78 mid-air tankers and one Il-76 heavy lift aircraft covered a distance of 19,000 km along with 91 officers and 156 other ranks.

As much as the IAF would have wanted to participate in the prestigious exercise every year, in view of the huge cost – last time the bill came to be around Rs. 100 crore – has decide to participate in the exercise once every five years. Left parties, an important ally of the UPA-I have been against Indian Armed Force exercising with their US counterpart. The COPE Indo-US exercise in West Bengal, Red Flag exercise in the US and the Malabar naval exercise had met a stiff opposition from these parties. 

The experience of participating along with the best of the air force in the world in 2008 has given invaluable experience to the force. In 2008, it was the first time ever that aircraft of the type of Sukhoi – a Russian built fighter jet- were in the US territory. It was the same for Indians who learned more about the French Rafale and the US F 15s and F 16s. The IAF had managed to outdo the US Air Force in visual and Beyond Visual Range combat simulations even as it kept its radars off and operated on training frequencies and not the wartime frequencies used for communication.

Pics from Indo-Chinese Passex

Six years after Indian Naval ships gave a port call at a Chinese port. Here are some pics of the Passex conducted between two countries.

On completion of the four day visit to Shanghai, INS Shivalik and PLA(N) Ma’anshan conducted passage exercises comprising naval manouevers, communication exercises and cross deck helicopter landings. 

Photos Courtesy Indian Navy

First Indo-Japan naval exercise on June 9

India and Japan will be holding their first ever bilateral naval exercise in China's backyard on June 9-10. The exercise comes as India is warming up to Japan despite China fretting over New Delhi's this Look East policy.

(File Photo: INS Shivalik)

The decision to hold a bilateral exercise was taken at Defence Minister A K Antony to Japan last year in November.

Update on the components will follow soon.

(Update - The Indian Navy's flotilla consists of newly inducted stealth frigate INS Shivalik, destroyer INS Rana,  tanker INS Shakti and missile corvette INS Karmuk. These four are presently on two-month long deployment to countries around South East Asia and have already paid port calls at Singapore and Vietnam. They are presently conducting exercise with South Korean counterparts and on their return journey from Japan, they would also be visiting Shanghai in China and Malaysia.

The exercise is significant as both the countries have decided to take their bilateral defence ties ahead despite concerns raised by China. India has been treading this path cautiously. So much so that it decided against making the Malabar naval exercise a multi-lateral war game including Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force after China registered a strong protest against the perceived grouping against it.

The decision to hold its first bilateral exercise was taken during Defence Minister AK Antony’s visit to Japan as both New Delhi and Tokyo asserted the need for “freedom of navigation and maintaining the security of Seal Lanes of Communication (SLOCS)”.

China has been watching this warming up of defence ties between the two countries, as China had Japan have disputes in the maritime domain like the ownership of the East China Sea islands.  The islands are controlled by Japan, but also claimed by China. Relations between China and Japan hit a low point after Japanese coast guards arrested a fishing boat captain near the Senkaku islands in September 2010 following a collision. The prized interest in the region seems to be the gas reserves near Okinawa island.

(Defence Minister AK Antony last year)

In fact, in the face of an assertive China in South China Sea, India has also sought to send a strong message by developing stronger ties with Vietnam and Japan. In Japan Antony had said: “India supports freedom of Navigation in international waters and the rights of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS].  These principles should be respected by all.”)

Pics- IAF participating in Exercise Shoorveer

Hercules C-130J practicing low level tactical formation over desert of Rajasthan in preparation for Exercise Shoorveer

Mi-35 helicopters

Mi-17

Pics Exercise Shoorveer

Army Chief reviews Exercise Shoorveer

STATEMENT BY INDIAN ARMY

''The Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh reviewed the conduct of exercise 'Shoor Veer' today. The Army Chief was received by

Lieutenant General Gyan Bhushan, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Army Commander), Sapta Shakti(South western command) Command in the exercise area. The COAS was briefed on the training aspects, new concepts of warfare being tried and the conduct of the exercise by Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, General Officer Commanding 1 Corps, and Lt Gen Sanjeev Anand, General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps.

Army Chief witnessed the exercise that entails launch of theatre offensive by Sapta Shakti Command spearheaded by 1 Corps and Chetak Corps. Exercise Shoor Veer is being conducted under the backdrop of study on transformation of India Army for which Army Chief General VK Singh is the main proponent of the doctrine. The exercise displayed synergy of Army and Air Force in launching air land battle and the capability to orchestrate battle in network centric environment with integration of reconnaissance, surveillance and electronic warfare and communication assets to provide real time battle situational awareness to commanders.

The Chief of Army Staff congratulated General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Army Commander), Sapta Shakti Command on the battle readiness of the formation and validation of new concepts of warfare.''

Another wargame in South Western Army Command

Army Statement -Troops of South Western “Sapta Shakti” Command have now built up in the deserts of Rajasthan, to carryout annual summer exercise.  Presently, the formations are practising their battle drills in the designated training areas.    

   

The collective training started with honing up of basic battle procedures and tactical drills at tactical level.  A number of field firings are being carried out to check the accuracy and lethality of the weapon systems.  A large number of innovations and modifications carried out by units and formations to enhance combat power are being tested in the field.

The momentum of training is gradually building up with increased combat tempo to set the stage for a major joint Army - Air Force exercise. The Exercise SHOORVEER is scheduled to culminate, when Sapta Shakti Command along with Indian Air Force will carryout swift battle manoeuvres and joint operations.

Amazing pics of Indo-US Malabar exercise

 USS Carl Vinson

 F-18 Super Hornet prepares to take off from USS Carl Vinson

 INS Kulish guided-missile corvette passing by USS Carl Vinson (Above)

INS Ranvijay guided missile destroyer passing by USS Carl Vinson (Below)

INS Satpura, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay participating in the exercise. This is the first wargames for the indigenously-built INS Satpura - the Shivalik class stealth frigate. I happened to attend its commissioning in Mumbai last year. The last in the series INS Shayadari built under Project-17 at Mazagon Dockyard Ltd (MDL) will be commissioned sometime this year.

Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson leading the Carrier Strike Group 1

(Photos: Courtesy US Navy)

US warship that gave sea burial to Laden visiting India

Photo Source - US Navy website

USS Carl Vinson – the US aircraft carrier that carried out the sea burial of the most dreaded terrorist in the world Osama Bin Laden – has arrived in India to take part in ten day long wargames with the Indian Navy off the coast of Chennai and then in Bay of Bengal.

About a year back, the dead body of the world’s most wanted terrorist was on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson before it was lowered into the sea – Laden’s final resting place somewhere in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Run on nuclear fuel, the 31-year-old Vinson was also deployed around Iran in 1990’s and in the north Arabian Sea to launch first strikes of Operation Enduring Freedom against Afghanistan after 9/11 terror attack.

Floating deck carrier Vinson has led the US 7^th Fleet comprising of guided missile cruiser USS Bunkerhill, guided missile destroyer USS Halsey and logistics ships UNNS Bridge. Los Angeles- class submarine USS Louisville and a P3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft to India for the 16^th edition of the Malabar exercise that began in 1992.

Based in Japan, the 31-year-old Vinson has been responsible for transporting Laden’s body to his sea burial after he was killed by US Navy’s Seals from his safe house in Abottabad, Pakistan. Presently it has reached off the coast of Chennai on the Western shores with a 6000-strong crew. The ship goes by the nickname the "Gold Eagle" -- so called for the eagle prominently featured in its seal. The eagle, which is meant to be emblematic of the country, carries a banner displaying the Latin phrase, "Vis Per Mare," which means "Strength from the Sea" and is the ship's motto.

Vison’s crew along with those onboard other warships will take part in table-top exercises here for the next four days beginning April 7. Thereafter the 7^th Fleet will move to the Bay of Bengal.

In the Bay of Bengal, right under the dragon’s neck, Vinson will undertake naval wargames with the Indian Navys’ flotilla comprising of indigenously built guided missile frigate INS Satpura, guided missile destroyers INS Ranvijay and INS Ranvir, missile corvette INS Kulish and fleet tanker INS Shakti. Maritime patrol aircraft Tu-142M and other rotary wing aircraft of the Indian Navy will also take part in the exercise.

Except for the 2007 edition the exercise has never taken place in the Bay of Bengal. Also the Indian government has been wary of making Malabar a multi-lateral exercise lest it irks China.  India decided to not to expand the Malabar exercise after the neighbor in the east- China strongly objected to the 2007 edition of the Malabar exercise that saw five countries - India, US, Australia, Japan and Singapore exercising in the Bay of Bengal. Beijing has seen the exercise as a grouping of democratic countries in the Asia-Pacific Region to contain the rise of the Dragon.

Sources say that both the forces will simulate in anti-submarine operations, submarine to submarine operations, flying operations and cross deck embarkations. During the exercise, alternating control and command will also take place, under which the Indian fleet commander will take over the command of the US fleet and vice-versa.

Yudh Abhyas in full swing

Army's Statement - Exercise Yudh Abhyas is part of an ongoing series of joint exercises between the Indian and United States Armies since 2005, agreed upon under the New Framework of India-US Defence Relationship. Commencing at the platoon level, the exercise has graduated to a command post (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX). 

The seventh edition of Yudh Abhyas is currently underway since 05 March 2012 in two locations under the South Western Command. The US Army contingent is from the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), part of their Pacific Command (PACOM). The Command Post Exercise has an engineer brigade headquarters with its planners from both sides, while the Field Training Exercise comprises troops of 2nd Squadron 14th US Cavalry Regiment from 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii, along with a platoon of Strykers, and a similar sized Indian Army contingent of mechanized infantry. The event is all the more interesting as a number of key surveillance, communications and Improvised Explosive Devices detection and neutralisation technologies, available with both sides have been fielded in the exercise. 

On 13 March 2012, the two sides executed a joint cordon and search drill to neutralise suspected insurgents, in a specially constructed training area at the ranges in an abandoned village. The FTX, codenamed  Desert Lark, saw the Indian and US troops establish a cordon using their combat  vehicles at night and then conduct dismounted searches by day to flush out insurgents as  also use the third dimension (helicopters) as part of the drill. 

The CPX (Sarvada Saviours) at Bathinda focussed on the challenges faced by Sappers in the domain of countering threats of  Improvised Explosive Devices,  infrastructure development in strife torn regions and  inaccessible areas and execution of rescue and relief operations during natural calamities or  disasters. The exercise provided an excellent opportunity to both sides to understand functioning of Engineer Brigades with special emphasis on operations under United Nations mandate in troubled areas. 

US Army displays Stryker during Yudh Abhyas - 2012

Here are some pics from the ongoing Indo-US military exercise in Rajasthan. Besides working on the interoperability of the two armed forces, the war games also give a forum to tap the large defence market in the Indian Army by putting on display various weapons and platform. In 2009 it was Javelin man-portable surface-to-air missile this year it is the eight wheeled, four wheel drive armoured fighting vehicles.