Experts Speak
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September 28, 2018
Celebrating Surgical Strikes or Hiding Dismal Aftermath?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)What have surgical strikes achieved in the long term? Has terrorism stopped? Have the heads of terrorists groups gone underground in POK? Is there a reduction in recruitment? Has Pak Army stopped supporting terrorist infiltration?
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September 19, 2018
Coming Up – 19th Indo-Russian Summit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Russian President Vladimir Putin is to arrive in New Delhi for the 19th Indo-Russian summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5. Modi had invited Putin for the 19th Annual Summit in India at the first informal Summit between the two leaders on May 21, 2018 at Sochi in the Russian Federation.
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September 19, 2018
Chagos Islands – Victim of British Skullduggery
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There was the time when the ‘sun did never set on the British Empire’. But that state was achieved through treachery, deceit and deception, with fair amount of immorality. Post Independence of India, British conspired invasion of J&K through Mountbatten, Lockhart and Douglas Gracey...
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September 19, 2018
Chabahar – time to operationalize
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Concurrent to the Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi on September 6, India was also hosting Iran’s Roads & Urban Development Minister Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi who held discussions with his Indian counterpart Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
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September 19, 2018
Nepal in Dragon’s Jaws
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China has agreed to allow Nepal to use four seaports and three land ports for the third country trade. The seaports are Shenzen, Lianyungang, Zhanjiang and Tianjin, and the land ports are Lanzhou, Lhasa and Xigatse.
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September 19, 2018
More Muscle for Artillery
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Indian Army requires some 3,000-4,000 artillery pieces over the next 15 years. Four type of guns and howitzers are presently under induction: one, M777 155mm ultra light howitzer (ULH), two, K9 Vajra Self-Propelled 155mm Tracked Howitzer...
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September 19, 2018
India’s Amphibious Capability Deficit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Indian Navy has no amphibious aircraft. In 1997, Japan had offered to place two ShinMaywa US-1A aircraft (predecessor of ShinMaywa US-2) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands free of cost, to be operated jointly by India and Japan for sea surveillance.
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September 7, 2018
Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The first ever Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue finally took place on September 6, 2018 after two postponements over past one year.
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September 7, 2018
Visit of Chinese Defence Minister
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Commenting on multiple transgression by the across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including a major one in Sikkim post the informal summit in Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Claude Arpi...
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September 7, 2018
India-China Boundary Talks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India and China have so far held 20 rounds of Special Representative-level talks to resolve the dispute over the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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September 7, 2018
ISRO's Manned Mission – and more
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During his address from Red Fort on 15 August 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would launch a manned mission in space in the year 2022 - the 75th Independence year.
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September 7, 2018
Is Imran Khan another Musharraf
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Imran Khan is the second Pathan to be elevated to the top job in Pakistan after Yahya Khan. His radical background is well established known. His links with Taliban and his funding of the Haqqani seminary known as the 'Oxford of Global Jihad' is well documented, which earned him the title of "Taliban Khan".
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September 7, 2018
Indo-Russian Defence Cooperation
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Speaking to Russian media in June 2018, the Indian Ambassador to Russia had said that India is continuing to negotiate with Russia for jointly developing a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).
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August 16, 2018
Prime Minister's Independence Day Message
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort for his fifthtime Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke mostly about the achievements of his government over the past four years including the various schemes launched by his administration, and future dreams.
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August 16, 2018
Delhi's Missile Shield
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Delhi is to get a missile shield "soon", which the media says will be akin to that of Washington and Moscow. Going by past experience, the "soon" could be any number of months, even years.
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August 16, 2018
Quading China
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is a viewpoint that the fast developing US-Japan-Vietnam-Australia-India consort, coupled with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), would increase China's Malacca dilemma for its energy imports notwithstanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and alternate through Myanmar.
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August 16, 2018
Indo-US Defence Technology Conundrum
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is jubilation in India over the US granting the Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) that will ease export controls for high technology product sales to the country.
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August 16, 2018
Over 300 Army-men Knock on SC Door
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In an unprecedented move over 300 serving Army-men, in personal capacity, moved a writ petition to the Supreme Court on 14 August 2018 over their fundamental rights, asking whether a soldier's discretion can be put under legal scrutiny.
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August 16, 2018
Advancements in Artillery
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Chinese media has reported development of new electromagnetic rockets for artillery units that would be more powerful than most conventional artillery and ideal for high altitude regions.
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August 3, 2018
Modi's Rwanda, Uganda visit and BRICS summit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As part of his recent three-nation tour to Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rwanda, Uganda and then South Africa where he attended the BRICS summit.
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August 3, 2018
India, Pakistan in SCO drill – Option in lighter vein
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Going by media reports India and Pakistan are to be part of anti-terror mega drill in Russia under aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) next month; scheduled from August 22 to August 29.
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August 3, 2018
Chief Guest Republic Day 2019 – Donald Trump?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Going by media reports, US President Donald Trump has been invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade 2019.
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August 3, 2018
Weapon upgrades for Special Forces
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Weapons and equipment are in the pipeline for the Special Forces. According to a MoD official, "More attention is being paid to Special Forces after Para (Special Forces) conducted cross-border surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied-Kashmir (POK) in September 2016."
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August 3, 2018
DTTI and futuristic weapons
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The 7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held in New Delhi on 18 July 2018, co-chaired by, Ajay Kumar, Secretary Defence Production and US Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M Lord.
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August 3, 2018
Nuclear missile tracking ship
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to news in the media, India's secretive missile tracking / 'specialized' ocean surveillance ship 'VC11184' (yet to be commissioned) is undergoing harbour trials and is likely to be delivered to the Navy by December.
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July 16, 2018
Visit of South Korean President Moon Jae-in
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived on his first state visit to India on July 8. His four-day visit (8-11 July) marked the 45th anniversary of establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.
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July 16, 2018
Arrived – hand-held Laser Weapons
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China claims its newly developed ZKZM-500 laser assault rifle, a non-lethal weapon, can hit a target nearly a kilometer away.
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July 16, 2018
Choosing Assault Rifles and Carbines
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Ministry of Defence (MoD) reportedly sent team of military experts headed by a Brigadier to five countries to scout for rifles and carbines on June 30, 2018.
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July 16, 2018
Visit of Chinese military delegation
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In what was described as a “significant ice-breaker” by our media, a 10-member Chinese delegation led by Lt Gen Liu Xiaowu, Deputy Commander of Western Theatre Command (that controls China’s borders with Myanmar, India, Nepal...
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July 16, 2018
Tejas delay — Boosting imports?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)35 years after approval of Tejas, the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in 1983, it has missed another deadline of getting its final operational clearance (FOC) by June 2018. This is after several revisions and repeated declarations by the government that FOC will be given by June 2018.
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July 16, 2018
Another Kargil Anniversary
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Come July 26, India will celebrate Op ‘Vijay’ Diwas; another anniversary synonymous with the date of culmination of the Kargil Conflict during 1999.
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July 4, 2018
Visit of Seychelles President – and Assumption Island
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Seychelles President Danny Faure arrived at Ahmedabad on evening of June 22 for a six-day visit to India. His visit included visiting Gujarat, New Delhi, Goa and Uttrakhand.
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July 4, 2018
ISJK in J&K
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Of the four terrorists killed in Anantnag area of J&K on 22 June 2018, police identified Dawood Ahmad Salafi, chief of ISJK (ISIS affiliate). Security forces cordon and search operation with inputs about presence of terrorists turned into gunfight after terrorists fired at security forces.
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July 4, 2018
New Chinese drones - formidable challenge
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China is going full steam in developing drones. Its latest undersea drone 'Qianlong III' is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which has dived deep into the South China Sea covering a distance of some 160 km in 42 hours.
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July 4, 2018
Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue – and the trade war
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue scheduled for July 6, 2018 at Washington DC, for which EAM Sushma Swaraj and RM Nirmala Sitharamn were to travel to Washington DC to hold discussions with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretay James Mattis, has been postponed for a second time.
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July 4, 2018
Pakistan on FATF grey list – and the hogwash counter?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan was officially placed in the 'grey list' on June 28, 2018, after it failed to convince the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that it has taken significant steps to curb terror financing on its territory.
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July 4, 2018
The Civil-Military Gulf
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In her recent article 'The belief system, and some truths' published in The Hindu, IAS officer Dipali Rastogi has blown the lid off the IAS cadre, whom she describes as: meant to serve, but do not; not trained to handle vast sums of money...
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June 22, 2018
Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The first Indo-US Dialogue is finally happening almost one year after US President Donald Trump called PM Narendra Modi on August 15, 2017, congratulating him on India's 71st Independence Day, after which the White House announced India and US will start a new 2-by-2 ministerial dialogue to enhance...
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June 22, 2018
Dhanush – Ready for induction
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)On June 7, 2018, Dhanush reportedly completed the final round of user exploitation trials with a full battery of six guns firing 300 rounds at Pokhran ranges.
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June 22, 2018
UNHCR report – India in crosshairs
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The recent report by UNHCR on Kashmir, though talking of both sides of the LoC, focuses mainly on serious violations in J&K between July 2016 and April 2018, alleging some 145 civilians killed (without mentioning terrorists including Pakistani terrorists) by security forces and up to 20 civilians killed by armed groups.
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June 22, 2018
NavIC – Rollout on the anvil
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is good news in the air. NavIC ('Navigation with Indian Constellation' whose English meaning is 'sailor' or 'navigator') or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), our indigenous and fully autonomous regional satellite navigation system, is in the final stages of launch.
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June 22, 2018
Defence sector and cyber threats
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Addressing a workshop for formulating Cyber Security Framework on Jun 19, 2018, Defence Minister Sutharaman said that the defence sector is more prone...
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June 22, 2018
The mess in Kashmir – Time we addressed it holistically
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Finally, the BJP pulled out from its alliance with PDP on June 19. The alliance had come about after the hung verdict in 2015. It was clearly a marriage of convenience.
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June 13, 2018
Singapore Summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12 was historic, with eyes of the world riveted on the live broadcast.
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June 4, 2018
Modi’s three ASEAN nations visit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-ASEAN nation visit to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia from May 29 to June 2 aimed at giving a substantive boost to India’s ties with these countries in consonance with India’s Act Eat Policy (AEP).
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June 4, 2018
Alternative Communication Network for Military
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As per media reports, government on May 16, 2018, has cleared raising of budget by 11,330 cr for defence projects; more than doubled the budget to 24,664 cr for laying an alternative communications network for defence services – for the Network For Spectrum (NFS) project.
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June 4, 2018
Sagarika, long-life BrahMos, boost combat potential
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India has joined the elite club of Russia, China, US and France by equipping its latest nuclear-powered submarine with a new nuclear-capable missile that can hit targets up to 435 miles (696 km) away.
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June 4, 2018
India-North Korea relations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The visit by General VK Singh, MoS (EAM) to North Korea on May 15-16, 2018 was a surprise because in March 2018, India had imposed fresh restrictions on trade with North Korea, in line with the restrictions imposed by the UN.
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June 4, 2018
Kick-starting AI in Armed Forces
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)News reports of May 20, 2018 have reported the government has embarked upon an ambitious defence project for incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational preparedness of the armed forces in a significant way.
