World Armies - India

[Screaming Skull]

Perceived advantages of the Cold Start doctrine over its predecessor​

1. Forward-deployed division-sized units can be alerted and mobilized more quickly than larger formations. If the battle groups and the pivot corps start closer to the international border, their logistics requirements are significantly reduced, enhancing their maneuverability and the ability to surprise.

2. Even though division-sized formations can “bite and hold” territory, they lack the power to deliver a knockout blow. In the minds of Indian military planners, this denies Pakistan the “regime survival” justification for employing nuclear weapons in response to India’s conventional attack.

3. Under Cold Start, the Indian Army can undertake a range of responses to a given provocation rather than the all-or-nothing approach of the Sundarji doctrine. This has the potential to enhance India’s ability to deter Pakistan, as Cold Start presents a significantly more credible threat of retaliation which can create uncertainty in the minds of Pakistani decision-makers about the level of impunity their nuclear deterrent provides.

4. Multiple divisions, operating independently, have the potential to disrupt or incapacitate the Pakistani leadership’s decision-making cycle, as happened to the French high command in the face of the German blitzkrieg of 1940. Indian planners believe that when faced with offensive thrusts in as many as eight different sectors, the Pakistani military would be hard-pressed to determine where to concentrate its forces and which lines of advance to oppose.

5. Having eight units capable of offensive action rather than three significantly increases the challenge for Pakistani intelligence’s limited reconnaissance assets to monitor the status of all the IBGs, improving the chance of achieving surprise. In a limited war, India’s overall goals would be less predictable than in a total war, where the intent would almost certainly be to destroy Pakistan as a state. As
a result, Pakistan’s defense against Indian attacks would be more difficult because the military objectives would be less obvious.

6. If Pakistan were to use nuclear weapons against Indian forces, divisions would present a significantly smaller target than would corps. The dispersed operations by highly mobile units envisioned by Cold Start are the kind that would be required on a nuclear battlefield.

 

[Hellfire]

I was looking for some credible sources to further understand the philosophy of 'cold start' and the need and evolution of such a doctrine in the IA.
My following posts will give the reader a better understanding about this new doctrine that the IA has adopted.

its not a new doctrine ..... its been in works since 1980s

there is a thread on this .... suggest shift to that for discussions pertaining to this

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-defence/6779-india-s-cold-start-war-doctrine-revisited.html

 

[khabib]

Number of yrs for becoming full Col reduced to 15 yrs​

Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Government, in a far-reaching decision to improve the career prospects of armed forces officers, on Friday reduced the number of years needed to become a full colonel from 20 to 15. This would give the armed forces a younger age profile at the level of commanding officers needed to fight modern day warfare.

"The Government on Friday fixed 15 years of commissioned service as the minimum qualifying service for substantive promotion to the rank of Colonel in the Army, Captain in the Navy and Group Captain in the Air Force. The decision of the Government has been received at the Service headquarters," sources said here.

Until now, Lieutenant Colonels in the Army, Commanders in the Navy and Wing Commanders in the Air Force had to put in a cumulative qualifying service of 20 years after commissioning for promotion to substantive Colonel and equivalent ranks.

However, they became unit commanding officers even with just 16 years of service, as per the cadre management policies of the tri-services, but had to wait for another four years to be confirmed as substantive Colonels and to receive the salary of a Colonel. In effect, it would mean that there would be no more 'acting' ranks of Colonel, Captain and Group Captain in the services.

Sources, however, clarified that the ranks of acting Colonels, Captains and Group Captains would be picked up by officers only in exceptional and operational situations, such as war or counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North East.

Moreover, the Government decision would have no fresh financial implications as the posts of Colonel were approved posts, sources said.

Usually, armed forces officers picked up the Colonel rank when they crossed 40 years of age. But with the new Government decision, officers would become commanding officers when they are of 35 years. The Kargil Review Committee, set up in 1999, had recommended that the age profile of commanding officers of units be brought down to let younger lot of officers to assume command of fighting troops.

Also, the implementation of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC), which reviewed the career prospects and cadre restructuring in the armed forces, last year had resulted in a need to reduce the qualifying service for grant of substantive rank of Colonel. The AVSC proposals had aimed at lowering the age profile of battalion commanders.

Probably this was done to get the people promoted and not to be frustrated in terms of promotion and other. In BD military a BN commander is Lt. Colnel and it take minimum of 17/18 yrs to become Lt. Col if you are lucky. Lots of the officers cader are retiring
after 20 yrs being senior major as not enough opening and too competion for the post of lt. Col. This is creating frustration in the officers rank. to Become a Full colnel take min. of 23 yrs if you are highly qualified. Not good !!

 

[sadiqams]

thanks for the info

 

[Screaming Skull]

Hi,

I had posted these videos in the general multimedia section but I thought I must post them here too for posterity.

Thanx.

 

[Screaming Skull]

Army plays out war game to refine plans for western borders​

Fri, Jun 19

New Delhi, June 18 (PTI) The Army today concluded a five-day war game, aimed at "refining" its strategies vis-a-vis the western borders and fine tuning its tactical manoeuvres for the future. The table-top high-level war game was planned and executed with use of maps and clay models of forces on ground at the Army's Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir near Chandigarh with Army chief General Deepak Kapoor in attendance, top Army sources said here this evening.

"The war game is much more than an exercise, played out with use of real troops, equipment and weapon platforms. It looks at various options that the Army has to defend the borders and is done at regular intervals to update commanders from the unit level to the top on the scenarios that they could expect in the future," sources said.

Such war games had been played out by other formations including the South-Western Command headquarters in Jaipur along the Rajasthan borders with Pakistan earlier this year, source said. Western Command, incidentally, covers most of the western borders with Pakistan including in Punjab, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, apart from portions of the Line of Actual Control with China along Himachal Pradesh.

Army plays out war game to refine plans for western borders - Yahoo! India News

 

[heartwinlion]

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan


Indian arms spree on the fast track

NEW DELHI - The unexpected landslide victory of the Congress party in the general elections will unshackle the new Indian government from the tricky task of managing the earlier coalition for survival, especially the anti-American left parties.

There is no doubt that the team of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, all-powerful Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, who led the election campaign, will look to firm up some of their earlier aims, given the near majority and stability that the party and its allies enjoy.

One important aspect is defense modernization, with India expected to spend over US$50 billion in the period of 2007-2012,

aimed at building an immediate strike force against Pakistan and longer-term deterrence against China.

In a report last year, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said the country over three years (2004-2007) spent $10.5 billion on military imports, putting it among the largest arms importers in the developing world. India's military imports are expected to reach $30 billion by 2012.

In the fray are deals for 126 multi-role fighter planes valued over $11 billion, 155-mm howitzers, a variety of helicopters and long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

The interim budget for the year 2009-2010 raised defense expenditures by 34% from $211 billion last year to $283 billion in 2009-2010. The outlay includes nearly $110 billion for capital expenditure.

With the exit of the left, the role of Indian private firms in defense production should get a fillip, while American defense supplies and contracts will go up to add to the competition from countries such as Israel, Russia, Britain, Sweden and France.

In a buyer's market, India will be able to negotiate deals from a position of strength.

Offset investment requirements in local defense companies and the easing of foreign direct investment requirements should boost domestic private players.

A K Antony, who continues as defense minister, said: "India needs to push for modernization of the armed forces. This does not mean only procuring of equipment. Along with that, training of the armed forces is also important."

Modernization plans in the pipeline include developing the Agni-V inter-continental nuclear capable ballistic missile that can hit targets 5,000 kilometers away and torpedoes and planes for the navy.

According to observers, while much of the Congress-led government's energies last term were utilized in tying up the India-US civilian nuclear deal and dealing with recalcitrant communist allies that had problems with such growing strategic ties, security and defense will be a key focus.

This is especially so in the wake of the brazen November terror attacks in Mumbai and the near conflict situation with Pakistan, including fears of nuclear missiles fired by rogue elements and other such attacks.

The situation shows no sign of abating.

India has been alarmed by the release this week of Hafiz Sayeed, the founder and mastermind of terrorist organization Lashker-e-Toiba responsible for some of the worst attacks in India, including the Mumbai strikes.

Referring to instability in the region, Antony highlighted the importance of vigilance and said, "Infrastructure development in the northeast and other border areas and modern equipment in coastal areas is more important and will require fast-track procurement."

India has also been particularly concerned by the US's proposed five-year $2.8 billion military aid package to Pakistan to fight militants, arms that could as easily be deployed against India. This is in addition to the $7.5 billion civilian assistance Washington will hand over to Pakistan over the next five years

Though the Pakistan economy lags India's by quite a margin and the country is seen as a failed state, it is no military weakling. Pakistan already has in its possession American F-16 fighters, advanced artillery, radars and drones. China helped the country build its missile program.

According to a US non-partisan Congressional study, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations", India was the biggest arms shopper over the period of 1999-2006, with agreements valued at $22.40 billion, compared to second-ranked China, while Pakistan placed seventh with $10.90 billion.

Arms in process
A former senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officer has been quoted as saying, "The modernization of armed forces has become a global trend. We must also assume a new approach, taking into account a variety of threats to our national security."

India is soon to conduct field trials for the fighter jets, one of the world's biggest ongoing arms deals.

Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-16, Russia's MiG, Sweden's Saab Gripen, French Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon (a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish companies), are in the race for the much sought after contract.

A Defense Ministry spokesperson has said: "All the paperwork is over and a technical evaluation report on the fighters has been placed with the ministry. Security concerns are a top priority of the government and things should start rolling once the defense minister takes charge."

A defense team from India is to visit Russia next month to speed up delivery of the aircraft carrier Gorshkov for induction into the navy by 2012.

India's Defense Research and Development Organization declared it was necessary to fast-track a nearly $1 billion domestic weapons development program due to the renewed tensions with Pakistan.

The plans include the induction of 124 main battle tanks for the army and the first of a batch of locally made combat aircraft for the navy.

Last month, the Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first of three Israeli Phalcon AWACS, India's most potent force multiplier, capable of tracking incoming missiles while keeping an "eye" on neighboring nations without infringing on airspace. India is paying $1.1 billion for the three AWACS.

Another purchase India recently made from Israel was for aerostat radars, at a cost of $600 million, which are also used spot surreptitious guerilla attacks such as the one in Mumbai where the attackers used dingy boats to infiltrate the city.

New Delhi has also signed a $1.4 billion deal with Israel to purchase a 70km shore-based and sea borne anti-missile air defense system.

This is among the bigger defense deal between the two countries and the biggest military joint venture by India with a foreign country. Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd inked the arrangement in March this year.

India has also announced that its project to build three nuclear-powered submarines is nearing completion.

The IAF has already fast-tracked the retrofitting of Sukhoi-30MKI combat fighters with the aerial version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, post the Mumbai strikes.

The army is expediting the purchase of the latest generation Harop loitering weapon system, or missile firing drone, as well as the Heron long-duration unmanned aerial vehicles, armored vehicles and Tangushka air defense systems.

It is, however, also true that internal security and preventive intelligence are equally important to neutralize potential terror attacks.