New Joint Doctrine – but who will walk the talk?

SOURCE:

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/new-joint-doctrine-but-who-will-walk-the-talk/

                 
As per Ex Defense Minister,

he got the inspiration for the  'surgical strikes'' from Hanuman.

 [ LORD   HANUMAN WILL WALK THE TALK -                                                                                      VASUNDHRA ]

 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

            New Joint Doctrine 
     –But who will Walk the Talk? 
                           By 
        Lt Gen Prakash Katoch

25 Apr , 2017

Anything to do with defence, and there is plenty electronic excitement. So this time, the media is agog with headlines of “New defence doctrine to ensure Army, Navy, IAF can tackle entire spectrum of conflicts”. 

…who will execute this joint doctrine? Where are the command structures and the organizations that would implement this joint doctrine? 

Reportedly, this new doctrine is to be released shortly. The obvious choice will be the Defence Minister to release the 80-page doctrine. Perhaps it has also been signed by the Defence Minister, as was Army’s Sub-Conventional Doctrine signed and released by AK Anthony as Defence Minister few years back even though the latter was quite inadequate; focusing on application of combat power to enhance ‘civil control’ in affected areas, that too on own side of the border – in sharp contrast to meet the borderless settings of hybrid warfare.

As for the new joint doctrine, media quoting MoD sources says it underlines the need for “application of military power” in an integrated manner to enhance operational efficiency as well as optimize utilization of resources for a greater military punch from limited budgetary funds. It also charts out a broad framework of principles for joint planning and the need to build integrated land-air-sea-cyberspace war-fighting machinery, but also “signals” the intent of the military to the world at large.

What signal it is giving to the world at large perhaps the source can be asked to elaborate upon since the state of the equipping of the military is no secret, and neither is the fact that the military had little say in strategic security formulation in India. The bit about “optimize utilization of resources for a greater military punch from limited budgetary funds”, when allotted two successive ‘negative’ budgets including ithe current one despite the expanding anti-India China-Pakistan nexus.

Similar attitude is visible in the deteriorating situation in the Kashmir Valley with continuing sermons to security forces to show restraint, while the state administration play fence sitters ensconced by layers of security. 

But getting back to the new doctrine, who will execute this joint doctrine?  

Where are the command structures and the organizations that would implement this joint doctrine? 

Is this  meant solely for the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) or the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) with the latter anyway always looking over the shoulder because of inadequate teeth? 

Cyber Warfare, where these programs in the US and China are led by the US Military and the PLA respectively, with good reason. In India, the military has been deliberately kept away. Do we realize the significance of cyber warfare as part of hybrid war? 

The MoD source as usual can indulge in big talk but unless concrete and effective measures are taken to synergize, reorganize and equip the defence, this will remain another exercise jokingly referred to as NATO (no action, talk only). Recommendations by the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) and Group of Minister (GoM) Reports to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) remains a chimera. Adequate military synergy simply cannot come without a CDS. HQ Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) created post Kargil Conflict was to be part of MoD but this came up as a separate HQ, which killed the purpose for which it was raised. Now there are indications of some ‘middle-level’ posts in MoD being identified for military officers but that is only sidetracking the vital issue.

10 years back in year 2005, HQ IDS had ordered five studies by different organizations, which had made concrete recommendations that were agreed to by the operational directorate heads of the three army, navy and a  air force – all chaired by the (CISC). So why do we need to keep ordering more and more studies unless the intent is to continue status quo in perpetuity.

The Naresh Chandra Committee had recommended establishment of an Aerospace Command, Cyber Command and Special Operations Command. As per reports, even the truncated Cyber Defence Agency, Defence Space Agency and Special Operations Directorate are lost in red tape. Was any operational consideration given to this arbitrary scaling down  of these three proposed commands? Take for example, Cyber Warfare, where these programs in the US and China are led by the US Military and the PLA respectively, with good reason. In India, the military has been deliberately kept away. Do we realize the significance of cyber warfare as part of hybrid war?

Fiasco of the last North Korean missile test was perhaps due to a US cyber attack. And Russia is signaling that it can immobilize the US Navy with electronic bombs – something which China too is feverishly working upon. While we have cause to applaud couple of hacking attacks in Pakistan, it will be naïve to assume that NTRO        

                                          [  http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/ntro-indias-technical-intelligence-agency/ ] 

 can cope with the total military aspects of cyber warfare. Lackadaisical attitude on such vital issues can lead to strategic shock and loss of face 

…special operations need to be executed continuously at the strategic level, one-time signal through ‘surgical strikes’ notwithstanding 

Study hybrid warfare by Russia, US, NATO, China and one common tool extensively employed is special operations. Then what are we waiting for? Do we understand that intelligence acquisition is just one part of special operation, and the latter cannot be the exclusive forte of intelligence operatives?

As for human intelligence, why is the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) mandated to operate cross-border sources since its establishment not permitted to do so? Can we have R&AW  coordinating with DIA rather than stonewalling the latter fearing loss of turf? The beginning could be made by the political hierarchy acknowledging that we are at war (hybrid war), conventional war is only a part of hybrid war, and we cannot keep waiting for conventional war to happen. 

…bureaucracy in MoD would like to believe conventional war will never occur 

Post the ‘surgical strikes’, former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had boasted “we made the army realize their capabilities”, even as admits that he was unable to cope with the handling of Kashmir Valley. He had also said that he got the inspiration for the surgical strikes from Hanuman.  He and his ilk should perhaps read Chanakya who had advocated six-fold policy to deal with neighbours; co-existence, neutrality, alliance, double policy, march and war, and If the end can be achieved by non-military method, even by methods of intrigue, duplicity and fraud, he would did not advocate an armed conflict.

Perhaps that would evoke interest to actually get into the intricacies of hybrid warfare rather than saying army has lost importance because there has been no war for some time.

Of course, bureaucracy in MoD would like to believe conventional war will never occur. 

Finally this new joint doctrine, the question remains as to who will walk the talk?

                              

      [ LORD   HANUMAN WILL WALK THE TALK -VASUNDHRA ]

Jammu & Kashmir : Be Tough with Pak Sympathisers (R)

SOURCE:

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/be-tough-with-pak-sympathisers/

               Jammu & Kashmir

   : Be Tough with Pak Sympathisers

                             By

                  Khalid Jehangir

   Fellow at International Peace Studies 

 

The growing unrest in Kashmir and youth being radicalized has once again brought the ugly face of Pakistan to fore. The neighbouring country after losing the proxy war, which it launched in 1990 by promoting terrorism in Kashmir, is finding it hard to digest the defeat.  Pakistan seems to have forgotten that it lost three conventional wars and the terrorists sent by Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir were neutralized like vegetables and they proved ineffective as our alert jawans foiled all all the plans of our enemies. 

After getting a befitting reply now Pakistan for the past few years has been trying to radicalize Kashmiri youth and is encouraging them to pick up guns and throw stones. The radicalization has turned youth into canon-fodder as they don’t realize that stones are no match to guns.

Recently security agencies claimed that there are 300 terrorists active in Kashmir and operations are on to eliminate them. These terrorists carrying handful of guns need to be reminded that India has got seven  lakhs guns to deal with them. These militants are these days busy terrorizing the family members of the local policemen by barging into their houses. 

Whenever any of the local terrorist is killed, his funeral provides a chance to elements behind radicalization and separatists to glorify their deaths and misguide the youth who are present in these funerals.

Besides glorifying these funerals these elements, who get paid by their masters sitting in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), are instigating people to assemble near the encounter sites and resort to stone pelting so as to provide  a chance to terrorists to escape.

   Security forces have been exercising restraint but they have paid a very heavy price for exercising restraint. During the past few months more than 25 soldiers have been martyred in Kashmir in different attacks and encounters with the terrorists. 

These casualties could have been avoided had not the people and supporters of the terrorists disrupted the search operations. The new trend about people hitting the streets whenever forces launch search operations to corner the terrorists is proving detrimental for the security forces. 

Army top brass and other security agencies have taken a strong note of the casualties and the damage caused by the terrorists following which Army Chief, Bipin Rawat, issued an advisory asking people to stay away from encounter sites. He made it clear that if the sympathizers of terrorists are not reined in, it can have far reaching consequences and lead to a disaster. His message was clear that people helping terrorists escape would be treated as anti-nationals 

Soon after Army Chief’s statement the Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dr S P Vaid made it clear that “bullet knows no address” and people should not go near the encounter sites.  It was a clear warning just a few days before the by-polls for the Srinagar parliamentary were scheduled to be held. On the polling day when the miscreants tried to attack the polling booths, the security forces decided to act and teach them a lesson.  No doubt eight persons  were killed on that day but the fact of the matter is that they were killed for instigating violence and for attacking the polling stations. People who are trying to burn Kashmir and are advocating the cause of Pakistan need to be taught a lesson. Patience and restraint are no answer.

Separatists, who are running their shops in Kashmir by selling the blood of Kashmiris, too need to be handled with an iron fist as they are also responsible for prevailing uncertainty in Kashmir.  In 1990s they misled youth by making them believe that gun is the only solution and they turned Kashmir into graveyard. Now they are making the youth believe that Kashmir would get Azadi by pelting stones. The separatists are selling dreams to appease their bosses and seem to be hell bent upon turning Kashmir into yet another Syria. The security forces have been empowered to deal with the situation in their own way and within a short period Kashmir would be normal again. 

TIBET LAC : SIX NEW PLACES IN ARUNACHAL CLAIMED BY CHINA

SOURCE:
http://claudearpi.blogspot.in/2017/04/six-new-places-in-arunachal-claimed-by.html

   SIX NEW PLACES IN ARUNACHAL CLAIMED                                    BY

                       CHINA  

                  Claude Arpi 

China has announced 'official standardised' names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh.

It is a childish reaction to the Dalai Lama's visit to the State earlier this month.

The Chinese media said that Beijing's objective was to reaffirm China's claim over Arunachal, 'South Tibet' for the Chinese.

A few days earlier, Beijing had started naming ‘Tawang’ as ‘Dawang’, according to its pin yin spelling.

The Global Times reported:

 "China's ministry of civil affairs announced on April 14 that it had standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet the names of six places in 'South Tibet', which India calls 'Arunachal Pradesh', in accordance with the regulations of the central government."

The official names of the six places (transcribed in Roman alphabet) are:

• Wo'gyainling,

• Mila Ri,

• Qoidengarbo Ri,

• Mainquka,

• Bumo La and

• Namkapub Ri.

Let us have a look where these places are located.

(A) Wo'gyainling   aka  Urgyeling,

Wo'gyainling is the new spelling for Urgyeling, the birthplace of Tsangyang Gyaltso, the Sixth Dalai Lama, a few kilometers south of Tawang Town.

One understands the reasons why China is so attached to the place. Beijing is not ready to accept that a Dalai Lama could be born outside Tibet (China).

 (B)  Mila Ri. aka

The second place is Mila Ri.
It is a lake known as Mila Nagula.
Mila Ri is one of the ridges above the lake.
‘Ri’ means ‘mountain’ or ‘ridge’ in Tibetan/Monpa.

It is situated near the famous 'Madhuri' Lake, north of Tawang and South of Bumla. The place is mentioned in the 1962 War records.

(C) 'Chorten Karpo’ or ‘White Stupa’.  aka  Qoidengarbo Ri,

The third place is Qoidengarbo Ri, for 'Chorten Karpo’ or ‘White Stupa’.

It probably refers to Gorsam Chorten, the only large white stupa in the area (and the largest in Arunachal).

It is not far from Ziminthang, the tactical HQ of the 4 Infantry Division during the 1962 War.
The name may refer to one of the ridges around the stupa. 

  (D) Mainquka is Menchuka in West Siang.

Mainquka is Menchuka in West Siang.

China is not happy that India recently landed

  Watch the video. :- a   C17 Hercules transport aircraft in the area.

CLICK / GOOGLE  TO OPEN  :-  I have often written on Menchuka 

(or Mechuka, alternative spelling) on this blog.
Menchuka was occupied by the Chinese in October/November 1962.

(E) Bumo La

Bumo La is the border post of Bumla where the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA meet several times a year.

Incidentally 'bumo' means 'girl' in Tibetan/Monpa. 

(F)Namkapub Ri

Namkapub Ri is probably link to Namkha chu river, the theater of the first Chinese attack in 1962.

It is one of the ridges above the river (Hathungla?).

By naming these six places, Beijing probably wants to remind India of the 1962 War and the fact that the Dalai Lama ‘belongs to China’.
But renaming names is not new.
It has been done by all colonizers. 
In this case, it will be difficult for China to convince the local populations to join them under the Communist banner.

Below a map showing the Chinese advances toward Tawang on October 23-24 1962 (courtesy: Maj Gen PJS Sandhu, (retd) from the book 1962: A view from the Other Side of the Hill published by United Service Institution of India.

One can see Milakteng (Mila Ri) and Bumla. The stupa is not marked on the map.

Map by Brig John Dalvi, 7 Infantry Brigade commander in October 1962

The Gorsam Chorten (Stupa) and the Namkha Chu are shown. 

Labels:

 Arunachal Pradesh, border, Bumla, Chinese claims, Menchuka, Tawang, Urgyeling

7 CPC : Mr Modi, Please heed loss of Morale in Armed Forces

SOURCE:
http://www.rediff.com/news/column/mr-modi-please-heed-loss-of-morale-in-armed-forces/20170421.htm

     Mr Modi, Please heed loss of Morale 

                                         in

                             Armed Forces

                                         By

         Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd)

The non-implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, almost a year after it was implemented for civilians, is gradually beginning to hurt morale in the armed forces,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).

April 21, 2017

IMAGE: Soldiers during an encounter in Bandipore, Jammu and Kashmir, February 4, 2016.

A salient trend line in the emerging character of conflict points to the fact that future wars on land, sea, in the air and in space and cyber-space will be increasingly fought by machines.

However, military history bears out that ultimately it is the man behind the gun who carries the day.

This is unlikely to change no matter how many robotic vehicles are fitted with weapons and programmed to operate autonomously on the battlefield.

And since he is a thinking human being, the man behind the gun has emotions and feelings. He gets angry and upset, or goes into a shell, or loses his sense of discipline or sulks.

All subalterns and young captains are taught to keep a close eye on the morale of the soldiers.

If their morale is down, they lose their motivation to fight well.

Immediate action is required to be taken to restore morale by identifying the causes and adopting all possible measures to eliminate them.

The non-implementation of the award of the Seventh Pay Commission, chaired by Justice A K Mathur, for the armed forces, almost one year after it was implemented for their civilian counterparts, is gradually, almost imperceptibly, but without an iota of doubt, beginning to hurt morale.

According to the veterans' grapevine, in Sainik Sammelan after Sainik Sammelan across the country, soldiers are asking their commanding officers why they are not being given their new pay scales when their friends and acquaintances in government services have got them.

The COs have no answers as the issue is 'under consideration of the government.'

How has this sorry state of affairs come to pass?

The answer to this question is incredibly bitter. Vis-à-vis civilian government employees, the three Services found some of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, as approved by the Cabinet for the armed forces, to be patently unfair.

The three chiefs of staff felt constrained to request then defence minister Manohar Parrikar to withhold implementation of the award till some of the major infirmities were rectified.

They said the armed forces may be given a 'delayed' award, but not a 'diluted' award vis-à-vis the civilian services.

They must have also reminded him that many of the anomalies of the Sixth Pay Commission had still not been resolved and they did not wish to inflict a similar situation on the rank and file again.

The minister agreed to take up the matter and promised them that their 'core' concerns will be given immediate attention.

The rank and file were informed and told to wait patiently

Since then, over six months have passed, but the problem has still not been addressed.

To be fair to the PMO, a committee was reportedly appointed to look into the issues raised by the armed forces. However, it is not known whether the committee has submitted its report and it is under consideration, or if the committee is yet to submit its report.

Incidentally, there is not a single member, serving or retired, from the armed forces on this committee.

For that matter, there has never been a single member of the armed forces on any Pay Commission despite the fact that their personnel form a huge chunk (29 per cent) of total central government employees and their service conditions are far more challenging and hazardous.

What were the core concerns expressed by the army, navy and air force chiefs?

The major disparities pointed out included the following: Non-functional upgradation (NFU), already being given to civilians, should be given to the Services as well; the Defence Pay Matrix (DPM) should be brought in sync with the Civilian Pay Matrix (CPM); and the Military Service Pay (MSP) given earlier up to the rank of Brigadier should also be given to Major Generals.

An anomaly in the MSP given to JCOs and the Other Ranks also needed to be corrected.

The new anomalies have further widened the existing gap in status and parity between the armed forces and their civilian counterparts.

Two additional increments were already being given to IAS officers. This facility has now been extended to the IPS and IFoS as well.

The Pay Matrix approved for the armed forces will result in officers stagnating and drawing lesser pay, pension and percentage based allowances.

The armed forces have been short changed while fixing risk and hardship allowances also.

A Superintendent of Police posted at Leh or Shillong will receive Rs 54,000 as Special Duty allowance, SDA. Army officers posted at Leh will get Rs 13,900.

In Shillong army officers are not entitled to any allowance at all.

While civilian personnel who suffer disabilities will continue to get disability pension according to the existing 'slab' system, which is advantageous, armed forces personnel have been relegated to a 'percentage' system of calculation.

Consequently, while a soldier retiring with 100 per cent disability will receive an additional monthly pension of Rs 12,000, a civilian official with similar disability will be given Rs 27,690.

It is not so well known that as many as 46 anomalies of the Sixth Pay Commission have still not been resolved satisfactorily.

The more important ones among these, called 'core anomalies' include incorrect fixation of basic pay, incorrect fixation of grade pay, non-grant of common pay scales for JCOs and Other Ranks, non-grant of non-functional upgradation (NFU) for armed forces officers and not placing lieutenant generals in HAG plus scale.

The three Services had requested the government to resolve these anomalies before the implementation of the award of the Seventh Pay Commission so that there is no distortion in fixing revised pay and allowances. However, the ministry of defence was unable to do so.

Soldiers, sailors and airmen cannot help but feel a sense of bias against them and rue the Commission's failure to recognise the risk that they take and the hardships and deprivation that they suffer on a day-to-day basis.

Successive Pay Commissions have also failed to appreciate that personnel serving in the armed forces retire at an early age, so that a youthful profile that is so necessary in battle can be maintained, and therefore need to be better compensated by way of pension.

The delay in implementation of the award of the Seventh Pay Commission has come on the heels of the OROP imbroglio, in which the government had inexplicably diluted the definition of one rank-one pension while implementing the long-pending pension reform.

As such, the non-implementation of the award was bound to have had an adverse impact on the morale of the nation's defenders.

A dip in the morale of armed forces personnel must ring alarm bells in South Block.

The government must move post haste to rectify the core concerns of the armed forces and approve just and reasonable pay and allowances for them.

The government owes it to the men in uniform to ensure that they do not feel let down and do not think that all their sacrifices have been in vain.

Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) is Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

Related News: 

Seventh Pay Commission, Military Service Pay, Sixth Pay Commission, Gurmeet Kanwal, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses