Experts Speak
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May 20, 2017
North Korea – Rogue supported by rogue
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As North Korea carried out another ballistic missile test, shortly after President Moon Jae-in took office in South Korea, US President Donald Trump called for "stronger sanctions" against North Korea, while China is urged restraint.
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May 20, 2017
PM Modi’s Sri Lanka visit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)When Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came to India on a 5-day visit in April 2017, he had reiterated the invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
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May 20, 2017
New counter-Maoist strategy – Why it is regressive?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The twin Maoists attacks in Sukma on March 11 on a 110-strong CRPF column) and on April 24 on a 99-strong CRPF column, inflicted massive casualties on the...
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May 19, 2017
Phased induction of M777 in the Indian Army
By Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd)As part of its massive artillery modernisation plan, the army had planned to induct several types of howitzers through inhouse manufacture by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)/Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)...
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May 18, 2017
Expediting Defence Procurements
By Ranjit KumarIndia’s defence acquisition framework is considered to be one of the most cumbersome, time consuming, complex and fraught with uncertainties.
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May 15, 2017
Strategic partnership policy – Needs speedy conclusion
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)When Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) 2016 was released by the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Defexpo 2016, it was without few appendices, which were added later.
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May 12, 2017
Countering Maoists – Serious review required
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Post the ghastly Maoist ambush at Sukma on April 24, killing 24 CRPF personnel and injuring seven (of 99-strong CRPF column), a Gazette notification...
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May 12, 2017
GSAT-09 – Modi's gift to South Asia
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)GSAT-09 or SAS (South Asia Satellite) is the latest technological move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for integrating South Asia, a resolve he had shown at the swearing in of his government by inviting all SAARC leaders, including Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
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May 12, 2017
Another beheading by Pak Army
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)A press release on May 1 by Army’s HQ Northern Command read, “Pak Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector.
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May 12, 2017
ICJ reprieve for Kulbhushan Jadhav
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The reprieve obtained by India for Kulbhushan Yadav from the International Court of justice (ICJ) is a diplomatic victory. This is all the more special because the ICJ deals with international law involving states and not individual cases.
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May 12, 2017
'Negative' defence budget - Goes more negative
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The relationship between economy and defence is that both are dependent on each other. Defence cannot be strong without good economy...
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PM Modi’s Israel visit – Expectations?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel on July 5-6 this year, first by any Indian Prime Minster will be a historic event of extraordinary proportions since it also...
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Another joint doctrine – But who will implement?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Media is agog with headlines of “New defence doctrine to ensure Army, Navy, IAF can tackle entire spectrum of conflicts”.
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Kamov helicopters – Finally through?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In March 2017, media reported that the Indo-Russian Kamov helicopter deal had hit a hurdle, pricing and technology transfer being main issues.
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Pakistan’s ‘Jadhav’ sentencing – Rotten to the core
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)A press release of April 10 by Pakistan’s notorious ISPR said that Kulbhushan Jadhav arrested from Balochistan on March 3, 2016 for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan was tried by FGCM under section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Section 3 of Official Secrets Act 1923...
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Increased violence in Kashmir – And the enemy within
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The increased violence in Kashmir Valley doesn’t appear to have been as seriously as warranted, especially the institutionalized radicalization of the school going...
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Indo-Bangla relations at all time high – Teesta should be next step
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The four day visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (April 7-10) has taken Indo-Bangladesh relations to an all time high.
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Cyber war – Where are we?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Cyber attacks in India have been on the rise over the years, particularly against government sites and Indian missions abroad despite several layers of security measures in place to protect against intrusions.
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ISIS menace – Caution time ahead
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Bhopal-Ujjain train blast on March 7, 2017 injuring nine people is being heralded as the first strike by the Islamic State in India. It has now emerged that the members of this module inspired by ISIS, led by self-styled ‘emir’ Atif Muzaffar, had crisscrossed the country between February 2016 and January 2017 visiting...
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Minesweepers void – Not good
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As per media reports quoting the Parliamentary Committee for Defence, the existing fleet of six minesweeping vessels with the Indian Navy will be de-commissioned...
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The border infrastructure mess
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Parliamentary Committee for Defence has been rapping the government for its lackadaisical approach to defence, however, this time it is the Comptroller...
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China – Upping ante in Indo-Pacific
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Post the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claim to ‘historic rights’ in the South China Sea (SCS) brought up by Philippines last year...
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Bullet Resistant Vests
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India has been fighting cross-border proxy wars, terrorism and insurgencies past three decades plus.
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Maoists violence – Far from over
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)On March 10, 2017 an article titled ‘Is It the End of the Road for Maoists?’ appeared in the media.
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Parrikar's exit and its impact on languishing defence projects
By Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd)Manohar Parrikar who held the office of the Defence Minister of India for two years and four months has now returned to Goa to take over as the new Chief Minister after the recent election in Goa.
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Need for a full-time Minister of Defence
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)While the appointment of Manohar Parrikar as the Goa Chief Minister has been dictated by political expediency, this move has implications for the Indian armed forces
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Change of Defence Minister
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar having moved to Panaji due to political expediency of the state of Goa, Arun Jaitley has been given additional charge of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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Visit of Bangladesh PM – Expectations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Coming up next month in April is the all important visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh to India.
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Pakistan – Defiant Frankenstein
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)By admitting that the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack was carried out by Pakistan based terror group but that the Pakistani government had no role in it, former Pakistan National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani has managed to hit headlines while keeping himself safe.
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Special Forces – Efforts to bridge equipment voids
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Media is agog with news headlines “Army on Shopping Spree, Commandos to Get Deadlier,” reporting that after the successful ‘surgical strikes’...
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Military modernisation kaput – And the curse of committees
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has slammed the government on March 9 through its report tabled in Parliament on Demands for Grants...
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QCG and the six plus one
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) comprising the US, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan aimed to bring the Taliban on board to join...
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Of Grenade Lobbing Robots – and more
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As the battle for Mosul continues, the ISIS fights on with new technology. Tiny surveillance drones are employed to observe and report movement and positions...
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Indigenous LCH – good strides
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India’s indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), was a star attraction at the Aero India 2017...
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Pakistan’s Change of Heart – recurring utopia
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)When news came that Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistani army chief had told his officers that they should read how the Indian democracy had succeeded, media at home went gaga as usual, with many utopians forecasting ‘change of heart’ in Pakistan, little realizing that Bajwa is from the same crop as Zia, Musharraf and Co.
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FGFA redesigned?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Happenings at the Aero India 2017 signified the next chapter in the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) saga. Whether it will now move faster than the snail’s pace is yet to be seen.
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Remov AFSPA – periodic punchline
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There are frequent calls in insurgency affected areas for removal or dilution of the Armed Forces Special Power Act. Such calls are periodic in J&K and Manipur. It is also a election issue in Manipur this year, particularly by the People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) floated by Chanu Sharmila...
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India–China strategic dialogue – Hollowness persists
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)On February 22, India and China held their ‘upgraded’ strategic dialogue at Beijing. Just before the dialogue, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar held talks...
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Indo-US Defence Ties – retain the high
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There was some speculation as to how the Indo-US defence relationship would pan out under the new US President, as relationships do undergo change...
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Policy on Unmanned Vehicles – setting course is good
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)DRDO Director General Dr S Christopher’s statement on February 11, 2017 that DRDO plans to soon come out with policy document on unmanned vehicles...
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Tri-Service Commands – must get them right
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)After a lapse of over a year, news is media is again talking of Tri-Service Commands and other measures like appointing a single-point military adviser...
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Longer reach Pinaka tested
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In January 2015, Mark-II version of Pinaka rocket system was successfully tested to its full range where it was able to destroy its targets 60km away.
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Big Stride in Ballistic Missile Defence
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)February, 11, 2017 was a great day for the DRDO and the nation. At precisely 0745 hours, DRDO successfully test-fired a interceptor missile off Odisha coast and achieved a significant milestone for developing a two-layered BMD system...
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Critical shortages – Where is the money?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Media reports headlining urgent arms deals of Rs 20,000 crores have been signed to keep the Armed Forces “ready” create an impression that all is going to be hunky dory in a jiffy is misnomer.
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Make in India: Quo Vadis?
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)Only with a major overhaul of the bureaucratic establishment and the government machinery as a whole, will the highly mechanised lion representing the spirit...
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Defence Budget 2017-2018
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Defence has been allocated Rs 2,74,114 crore ($40.31 billion) for fiscal year 2017-2018. This does not include the pensions bill which itself is close to Rs 85,000 crore per annum.
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The China factor in Kashmir
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)That China is the central actor behind the problems in J&K is still not fully acknowledged by our policy makers. Not that it is a new development but the understanding remained coloured with the advice of our intelligence agencies who refused to get out of the time wrap.
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Carbines – Small arms faux passé
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to media reports, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has decided to purchase 44,000 close quarter battle (CQB) carbines via direct route and cancel the tender process.
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Why India should never join CPEC
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Khaled Ahmed, consulting editor, ‘Newsweek’ Pakistan, in his recent article titled ‘Corridor of Uncertainty’ writes that Pakistan’s General Riaz inviting India...
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Improving night fighting capability
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As per media reports, MoD has approved purchases for improving the night warfare capabilities of the Army at a cost of US$3.2 billion. This is good news but going by past experience of excruciatingly long procedures, how many years elapse before this equipment actually gets fielded is anybody’s guess.
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SAAW – Targeting enemy airfields
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)On December 24, 2016 India successfully tested an indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from an Indian Air Force aircraft.
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RoboSen is good – But we have miles to go
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)DRDO has just unveiled RoboSen (short for ‘Robot Sentry’). Its employability is for guarding a house, office or industrial unit. It can move around the premises, take photographs of all suspicious objects and movement, enabling law enforcement agencies to act, as and when required.
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India joins ICBM 5000+ league
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India successfully undertook the fourth and final test firing of the Agni-V today (December 26) from Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha. This is a wholly indigenously developed ICBM, which by itself is a gigantic achievement.
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Heart of Asia – Pak proxies named
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In his inaugural address at the Sixth Ministerial ‘Heart of Asia’ Conference at Amritsar, represented by some 30 countries and international and regional organizations and co-chaired by Finance Minister of India...
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Visit of Israeli President – cementing ties
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The eight-day visit to India in November by President Reuven Rivlin of Israel further cemented India-Israel bilateral relations.
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Coming - Armed drones
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan tested its indigenous ‘Burraq’ UCAV last year and according to the Dawn quoting industry insiders, in 2015 China had offered to sell Pakistan its CH-3...
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Indian Army and PLA ‘Hand-in-Hand’ again
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India-China Joint Military Training exercise, 'Hand-in-Hand 2016' kicked off in Pune on November 27.
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Chinese submarines to Bangladesh
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Bangladesh media, quoting an Inter Services Public Relation Directorate release, reported on November 4 that Bangladesh Naval Chief Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed...
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Bullet proof jackets for Army – Trickling in
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)After a almost an eight year red-taped procurement procedure, the Army has got the delivery of 20,000 bullet proof jackets and another 30,000 are to follow.
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Terror attack in Nagrota – What beyond?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan-sponsored terrorists struck at two places in Jammu region of &K on November 29. In two major terror attacks, that rocked Jammu region on Tuesday, seven army personnel, including a Major, were killed and eight other security...
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Finally M777 howitzers through FMS
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)After almost seven years of discussion, trials and choosing, India and the US today inked a nearly Rs 5,000 crore deal for 145 x M777 ultra-light howitzers...
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PM Modi’s Japan visit – Historic nuclear deal signed
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan on November 11-12 may be termed the most historic as making an exception; Japan has signed a civil-nuclear...
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ISRO: Of Satellites, Moon and Mars
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It may be recalled that on June 22, 2016, India launched 20 satellites in one go, which was the maximum ever by ISRO.
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Blacklisting Redefined
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Since December 2014, media was reporting that a new government policy legalizing middlemen in arms purchases, a source of massive controversies...
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OROP: One-Man Judicial Commission
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Politicization of the unfortunate suicide of Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal was indeed bad.
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Internet of Things (IoT) and Dangers in Cyberspace
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Much has been said in recent years about Internet of Things (IoT); it is coming, it has arrived or it is growing rapidly. But the enormity of IoT can be gauged from the one forecast that by 2030 there will be over 26 billion connected devices that would average to about six connected devices per each person on this planet.
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Why victimise defence only?
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)The forensic audit report by Deloitte on AirAsia India has revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs. 22 crore to parties in India and Singapore that do not exist.
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Xi Jinping – China’s “Core Leader”
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Communist Party of China (CPC) has anointed President Xi Jinping as the “Core Leader” of China, which places him on par with Mao Tse Tung and Deng Xiaoping.
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Visit of Aung San Suu Kyi
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Myanmar Foreign Minister and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s four-day visit to India after attending the BRICS summit at Goa provided fresh impetus to India-Myanmar relations.
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Deriding military – Continues unabated
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The latest attack on the military’s ethos came from the MoD through the GoI letter number A/24577/CAO/CP Cell dated October 18, described by a national daily in talking about rank “equivalence” between defence officers and “armed forces headquarters civil service officers”.
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Chinese subs to Pakistan – Eye on IOR
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China recently confirmed the sale of eight attack submarines to Pakistan, what is its biggest ever military deal estimated to be over US$5 billion.
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Excalibur – Stopgap or final?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It was only four months back (July 2016) when media reported that the Army junked DRDO’s 5.56mm Excalibur assault rifle. Resultantly, Army’s quest for a state-of-the-art assault rifles got been extended.
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Hand in Hand is Good – But what about Stab in the Back?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indian and Chinese army troops carried out a joint exercise in Eastern Ladakh on October 19, led by Brigadier R S Raman and Senior Colonel Fan Jun respectively.
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India-Russia relations take next step
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The recent meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin of Russia on the sidelines of the BRICs summit at Goa and the deals signed between India and Russia have silenced the critics that the Modi Government is putting...
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Surgical strike in cyberspace
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)While the surgical strikes by Indian Special Forces in PoK on September 28 was heating up the digital media both in India in Pakistan, opposition parties baying for proof and Nawaz Sharif in denial till Ghulam Akbar, SP of Mirpur spilled the beans, surgical strikes by Indian hackers were also hitting Pakistan in cyberspace.
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Big ticket acquisitions – Overshadowing cutting edge again?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)As per media reports, the MoD is working towards seeking an annual hike of eight percent in terms of capital expenditure in the next decade plus in order to procure...
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SAARC shuns Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan is blaming India for pulling out from the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet scheduled to be held in Islamabad...
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Coming up – Israel type border fence
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Post the visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Israel last year and Pakistan’s heightened hostility and persistent infiltration attempts...
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Give more to private sector
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During the second half of 1980’s the Army went in for import of man-portable paratrooping parachutes from South Korea and Poland. Since the imports were done in bulk to make up operational voids there were no elaborate tests within India.
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New Long Range SAM
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India successfully conducted the second test of the new Indo-Israeli surface to air missile (LRSAM) on September 20 from the launching complex - III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea.
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Army Design Bureau is good but need to look far beyond
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Setting up of the Army Design Bureau (ADB) in August this year is a good step even though late by few decades. Its charter covered in this magazine earlier includes...
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When will our military get its due?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India’s Presidents have said that the military is the last bastion of India. The typical example of today is that while the J&K State Administration in the Valley responsible for the current messy situation went ineffective and the police abandoned their posts, the Army has been tasked to re-establish the rule of law.
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The Rafale Deal – Finally Inked
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)16 years after the IAF projected the demanded for new multi-role fighters and four years after the Rafale deal was mooted in 2012...
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Equipping Units – Slapped by UN this time
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to recent media reports, the UN has deducted $50.45 million (Rs 338 crores) from payment to India against equipment that was meant to be carried but was not held by the units on UN missions under the MoU signed with Government...
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Terrorist State – Will Pakistan get the tag?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)September 20 was historical with US Congressman Ted Poe, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, introduced ‘H.R.6069, the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act’ in the US Congress.
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Indian Army Launches Surgical Strikes along the Line of Control
By Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd)Since 1989 Pakistan has waged an unrelenting asymmetric war on India which we call “Proxy War”.
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Beyond the Surgical Strike
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)The Indian Army has now been given a free hand to take appropriate action against the enemy operating across the LoC from PoK.
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India Responds to Uri Terror Strike
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India executed surgical strikes against multiple terrorist launch pads-cum training camps in four sectors of POK on night September 28-29.
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Rafale – Finally a Reality!
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)The Rafale combat jet packs a powerful punch that will be a potent force multiplier for the IAF and a deterrent for the Pakistan Air Force.
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Uri Attack – Same story, more lethal
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In a well planned and coordinated terrorist attack Pakistan struck the army camp in Uri in the early hours of September 18. 20 soldiers are already reported dead and 32 injured.
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A brief history of Kashmir dispute
By Lt General V.K. Kapoor (Retd)The latest attack on India by fidayeen group in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, has pushed India-Pakistan relations to the edge again.
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The Kashmir Imbroglio
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)In the last seven years, there have been as many as 20 major attacks of this nature in the State of J&K by terrorists groups sponsored by Pakistan.
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Indo-Afghan friendship scales greater heights
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s recent visit came at a time when Pakistan’s exposure as a generator of terrorism has gained momentum.
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Indo-Russian Strategic Partnership – No reset required
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) between India and the US has been a subject of intense debate in the media.
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Of Helmets and Bullet Proof Jackets
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to media reports, “The Indian Army is still nowhere near getting desperately-needed modern helicopters, howitzers and air defence weapons, or even new assault rifles and carbines, to plug its critical operational deficiencies.
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The China-Pak Economic Corridor – Problems galore
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Raising the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan in POK being Indian Territory and the Pakistani genocide in Balochistan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent tremors across Pakistan.
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OROP and 7th CPC – Course correction required
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It is quite apparent that civil-military relations have reached the lowest ebb with the military sick of being sidelined and continuously denigrated.
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Visit of Nepalese PM – Resetting friendly ties
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The recent four day visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi commencing September 15 has helped in resetting Indo-Nepalese ties and dispel the unease...
