Experts Speak

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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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 and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the following...
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. His visit was the first one by an Israeli President after 1996 when President Ezer Weizman had visited India.
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 UCAV, which can carry two laser-guided missiles or bombs.
IA and PLA 'Hand-in-Hand' again
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. The Army needed 3,53,765 new jackets sanctioned as per a plan in 2009.
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. The Army needed 3,53,765 new jackets sanctioned as per a plan in 2009.
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 personnel, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.
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; India signed the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) on November 30...
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 cooperation deal with India.
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.
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...
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. The JCO's suicide note reportedly stated he was taking that drastic action not having been given the benefit of OROP.
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.
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.