Experts Speak
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October 31, 2022
ARBEL AI-based Firing System
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indian policy makers and the military have acknowledged AI as a key component of national security strategy and are focused on AI-based research
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October 31, 2022
India-UK Defence Relations – The Sunak Factor
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)With signing of the FTA on the anvil, two-way trade between India and the UK should flourish under Sunak's premiership. India-UK collaboration in defence trade is being supported by a new export licensing arrangement intended for shortening delivery times for defence procurement.
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October 31, 2022
Army Seeks Large Drone Induction
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Army is seeking 1,000s of surveillance copters to be operated in the Himalayas and provide a live feed to the battle commanders. All these UAVs and RPAVs will be sourced from Indian companies.
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October 15, 2022
SMASH Anti-Drone Weapon Sight
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The SMASH 2000L/3000 is the lightest handheld operated fire control system using artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced algorithms making it an ideal hard-kill solution against drones and small UAS
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October 15, 2022
Indigenous Armoured Vehicles
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Kalyani M4 is a Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, indigenously developed and manufactured by Bharat Forge Ltd. It offers unprecedented levels of security and protection to the occupants in case of high Kinetic Energy threats, like severe mine blasts and grenade attacks
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October 3, 2022
Priorities for the newly appointed CDS
By Lt. General Abhay Krishna (Retd)The Nation eagerly looks at General Anil Chauhan, the new CDS, for successfully taking forward the initiatives taken up by the Late General Bipin Rawat
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October 1, 2022
China's FH-901 and Russia's new EW System
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The increasing importance of unmanned platforms, loitering munitions and electronic warfare is more that apparent in the Ukraine conflict. India will need to build these capabilities speedily to cope with and win future conflicts.
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October 1, 2022
Indigenous Loitering Munitions
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Loitering munitions have revolutionised the battlefield in recent years and more of these can be expected to fill up the airspace in future
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September 24, 2022
Lawlessness in a Unipolar World
By Major General Atanu K Pattanaik (Retd)There is worrisome compromise of international institutions, agreements, treaties and arrangements that do not serve the domestic agenda of the US
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September 14, 2022
Army Chief Visits Nepal
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)General Manoj Pande's visit to Nepal was largely ceremonial though it did provide an opportunity to review bilateral defence relations and explore new avenues of cooperation
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September 14, 2022
CWG 2022 and ASI, Pune
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Medal winners from the Army have bagged 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medal in CWG 2022, which is a commendable feat considering that there were only 18 participants from the Army
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September 14, 2022
PP-15 Disengagement is No Loss to China
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Chinese side has pulled back northeast of PP-17A while the Indian troops have pulled back to PP-17. In between is the no-patrol zone which means that India troops can no more patrol up to PP-15 which was our forward PP in this sector.
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September 1, 2022
Taliban at Loggerheads with Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Thousands of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) cadres are undergoing rigorous combat training and also undergoing sea training for naval combat in order to take on the Pakistani Navy. Pakistan-TTP war may break out in the near future and this time Pakistan will likely experience much more instability and violence than before.
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September 1, 2022
Indigenous Light Tank – Zorawar
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)DRDO is working on a Light Tank named 'Zorawar', fitted with High Altitude Operable Power pack (Engine + Transmission) of 1,000hp and capable of firing multiple ammunition to meet the Army's requirement of light tanks
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September 1, 2022
Western Regulars in Ukraine
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It has become clear that the US and NATO are not only waging a proxy war but also a high-risk secret war against Russia in Ukraine. CIA, MI-6 operatives and Western Special Forces in the garb of mercenaries and civilians continue to operate inside Ukraine.
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September 1, 2022
Loitering Munitions
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Loitering munitions are in a category of their own. They are more akin to a smart missile. Once airborne, the system is designed to “loiter” for an extended time. Loitering munitions are one-time-use weapons designed to find a target and crash into it, “kamikaze” style.
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September 1, 2022
Exercise Vostok-2022
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)An Indian Army contingent comprising of troops from 7/8 Gorkha Rifles is participating in a multilateral strategic and command Exercise Vostok-2022 aimed at interaction and coordination amongst other participating military contingents and observers
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August 29, 2022
What Type of Light Tank Does India Need?
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)There is no denying the need of Light Tank but is there prudence in going for a 25 tonne with similar firepower as T-90 and capable of floatation? It would compromise on protection and other basic fighting features, no matter how much you may load it with Artificial Intelligence (AI), surveillance drones and/or loitering munition.
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August 16, 2022
India Arises @ 75
By Major General Atanu K Pattanaik (Retd)The gains since 1947 have been massive, keeping in mind that we have also evolved as a strong multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, vibrant and resilient democracy
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August 15, 2022
Indo-Maldives Defence & Security Relations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Close contact and coordination between India and Maldives in defence and security is vital for the peace and stability of the entire region in the backdrop of trans-national crime, terrorism and drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean
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August 15, 2022
India's Hypersonic Cruise Missile
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India became the fourth country after the US, China and Russia to develop and test the hypersonic technology. With this successful test, India will be making its first hypersonic missile in the next five years.
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August 15, 2022
Indo-US Military Jointness
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Bilateral military exercises and defence exchanges are an important facet of deepening bilateral defence cooperation between friendly countries
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August 15, 2022
Indigenous Laser Guided ATGM
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)SAMHO, the all-indigenous laser guided anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) employs a tandem high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat explosive reactive armour (ERA) protected armoured vehicles in ranges from 1.5 km to 5 km
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August 10, 2022
The Choppy Waters of Taiwan Straits
By Major General Atanu K Pattanaik (Retd)US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's stop in Taipei is the first time that a US House speaker has visited Taiwan in 25 years and has fueled US-China tensions
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August 2, 2022
Chinese Muscle Flexing
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Chinese fighter jets, including J-11, have been flying close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) over past few weeks, in direct violation of the 10-km Confidence Building Measures (CBM) mutually agreed with India
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August 2, 2022
Meeting China's LAC 5G Challenge
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The need for provisioning of telecom connectivity with high-speed internet capability to the Armed Forces must be given high priority including forward deployments along the LAC because of China's aggressive moves and the era of drones and missiles giving little reaction time
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August 2, 2022
Joint Theatre Commands
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is no escaping the military logic of creating suitably constituted Integrated Theatre Commands and Functional Commands for the Armed Forces as a whole
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August 2, 2022
AI Enabled ATV and QRFV
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Collaborative work done in the field of AI is being done by the three Services, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), iDEX start-ups and the private sector
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July 21, 2022
Leaderless Not Rudderless
By Major General Atanu K Pattanaik (Retd)The 'Janatha Aragalaya' or people's struggle that booted out the Rajapakse's does not have a distinct leadership but has exhibited a distinct direction. The Aragalaya has remained to a great extent, a movement launched by a combination of a large number of youth groups which are independent of party politics.
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July 14, 2022
16th Corps Commander-level Talks in Ladakh
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)While our insistence may make China relent for the 16th or more rounds of talks, we are naïve not to acknowledge that there will be no more pull back of troops by China. China holds all the aces, so why would it pull back? In fact, China is using the talks to consolidate its positions in the intrusion areas.
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July 14, 2022
China's 5G Along The LAC
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China has rolled out a 5G network on their side of the LAC in Ladakh, which has created a problem in radio communications of the Indian Armed Forces deployed in the border areas
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July 14, 2022
The Territorial Army
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)TA units were actively involved in military operations in 1962, 1965 and 1971. The Terriers have also participated in Operation 'Pawan' in Sri Lanka, Operation 'Rakshak' in Punjab and J&K, Operation 'Rhino' and Operation 'Bajrang' in the northeast.
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July 14, 2022
High-speed Expendable Aerial Target
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)On June 29, 2022, the DRDO successfully tested an indigenously-designed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) named 'Abhyas' from the Integrated Test Range (ITR). Programmed for a completely autonomous flight, Abhyas can be launched by the military anywhere using a laptop.
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July 5, 2022
Indigenous Stealth Drone
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The development of Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft (RPSA) and its successful induction into the Indian Armed Forces will provide India with considerable air supremacy since the RPSA, with its small size, stealth capabilities...
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July 5, 2022
American and British Somersaults
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In October 2019, the US backed off from a proposal for collaboration on jet engine technology under the India-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI). Now the US has again offered to collaborate with India for critical jet engine technology.
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July 5, 2022
Indigenous Loitering Munitions, UAS Drones, ATGM
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)These are all good developments which need quick follow up actions. 25 per cent of the domestic capital procurement budget (amounting to 21,149 crore) has been earmarked for acquisitions from the domestic private industry this year. This needs to be fully utilised with necessary prioritisation.
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July 5, 2022
Indigenous Next Generation Corvettes – and more
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The DAC accorded AoN for procurement of the Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) to be built at an estimated cost of 36,000 crore by an Indian shipyard and constructed based on new in-house design of the Indian Navy using latest technology of ship building
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June 20, 2022
Defence Minister's Vietnam Visit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Both India and Vietnam shared views on the significance of maintaining peace, stability, maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as settling disputes through peaceful measures according to global norms, UNCLOS, and need to reach an efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea
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June 20, 2022
Catch 22 in Talking to Maoists
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Maoists have caught on to the technicality of the Chhattisgarh Home Minister promising 'unconditional' talks and Chief Minister Baghel reiterating that Maoists should first declare allegiance to the Indian Constitution
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June 20, 2022
Chinese Base in Cambodia
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The new secret Chinese military base in Cambodia ought to wake up America's political class, including the US Navy brass, to what is fast becoming a global Chinese challenge
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June 20, 2022
Pakistan Remains in FATF Grey List
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)FATF will now conduct an on-site visit to "check" that the reforms undertaken by Islamabad are "in place" and "can be sustained into the future"
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June 5, 2022
QUAD is Not another NATO
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)QUAD lacks any worthwhile muscular policy and the US will likely continue to sit on the fence and let others do the fighting
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June 5, 2022
Border Infrastructure Management Authority
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) plan is reportedly being prepared for integrated infrastructure development considering that the people living along the LAC be considered as strategic assets
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June 5, 2022
China's Second Bridge on Pangong Tso
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The fact that China is constructing the second bridge simultaneously from both the north and south banks of Pangong Tso indicates the urgency that is being accorded to it by the PLA
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June 5, 2022
India-Japan Defence Collaboration
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indo-Japanese defence relations have witnessed an upsurge in recent years which includes joint bi-lateral and multi-lateral exercises. The next 2+2 Indo-Japanese Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting is to be held in Japan at the earliest.
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May 26, 2022
Pakistan Support to Taliban Backfires
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group also known as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP has launched more than 124 terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Pakistan (including suicide attacks) from bases in Afghanistan
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May 23, 2022
The QUAD – Way Ahead
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)The QUAD must prove that it can be an effective body, both to demonstrate its utility to its own members and to show to the regional community that it is capable of solving regional problems
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May 16, 2022
Boosting Indo-French Strategic Partnership
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Defence will likely continue as the cornerstone of the India-France Strategic Partnership, which has been further cemented through the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron
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May 16, 2022
The WMD Birds
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Chinese military and government agencies had been using Dove drones and related devices in recent years. Possibly, these drones are also augmented as assassination weapons with built-in face recognition software, akin to the US. These drones pose a new angle to terrorism and assassinations, especially if launched in swarms.
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May 16, 2022
Offsets and Strategic Partnerships
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The offset clause in Inter-Government Agreements (IGA) was removed pursuant a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in Parliament, which said several offset contracts built into multiple defence deals had failed to bring in high-end military technology into the country
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May 16, 2022
Spike ATGMs and Sig Sauer Rifles
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have both begun to induct ATGMs. The Army is inducting Spike LR2 launchers and missiles, while the IAF is integrating its Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopters with Spike NLOS (nonline of sight) missiles
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May 16, 2022
ATAGS User Trials Completed
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The user trials this summer have just been successfully completed at the Pokhran field firing ranges. Reliability of both the guns was proven by firing multiple rounds in various, including bursts, intense and sustained modes.
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May 16, 2022
Pakistan's Proxy War Continues
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan's proxy war against India will continue under their new Prime Minister with fresh impetus from Pakistan's DG ISI Lt General Nadeem Anjum. With Pakistan having an inexhaustible supply of terrorists, it is for India to continue in the defensive mode or transport the proxy war into Pakistani territory.
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May 5, 2022
De-conflicting Eastern Ladakh is Passé
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)We may continue military-to-military talks but any progress is unlikely unless China wants and we agree to shift our positions more west by couple of kilometres, calling them no-patrol-zones
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May 5, 2022
Of Lasers and UAVs
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There are good developments but the need is of speed, given the technological developments globally, particularly in China
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May 5, 2022
India-UK Defence Relations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated their commitment to boost the defence and security cooperation under the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and enhance engagements in support of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific
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May 5, 2022
Drone Making in India
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The government has announced easing of rules for registration and operation of drones in the country, as also the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme worth 120 crore to boost indigenous manufacturing of drones
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May 5, 2022
Toxin Hand of Friendship
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There was speculation about a possible change in stand of the new Sharif-governed Pakistan towards India. However, the fact that he was chosen for the post of Prime Minister by Pakistan's Army Chief General Bajwa, should put an end to speculation what India-Pakistan relations will be under Sharif.
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April 16, 2022
Fourth Indo-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The 2+2 Dialogue was broad based with in-person meetings between the respective Defence Ministers and Foreign Ministers of both countries, preceded by a virtual summit between PM Modi and President Biden
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April 16, 2022
Tour of Duty in Army
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Why would the youth like to join as a soldier under Tour of Duty (ToD) with uncertain future? Have we considered the dangers of youth well versed in the use of firearms let loose in the society? A much thorough analysis is needed for the ToD scheme to be enforced on the Armed Forces.
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April 16, 2022
Canada Mining Gold in Balochistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Nearly $10 billion shall be invested in Balochistan, including $1 billion that shall be invested in social upliftment projects such as roads, schools and hospitals. The Gold and Copper mining project shall make Balochistan the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Pakistan.
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April 16, 2022
Border Laxity is Dangerous
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The original deadline to complete the entire stretch of around 1,300 km roads to be constructed along the Indo-Nepal border was by 2016 at a cost of 3,900 crore. However, after a lapse of 12 years, only 29 per cent of the roads are completed.
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April 16, 2022
Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Serial Production Cleared
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)This helicopter is equipped with all-weather combat capability to support the ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force & Indian Army
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April 16, 2022
Made in India Advances
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Privatisation is the way for India's defence industry to grow as we have more than enough potential in the private sector
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April 6, 2022
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Launches Spring Offensive
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)TTP's aim is to eventually overthrow the Pakistani government, take control, abrogate the Constitution and impose Sharia Law
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April 6, 2022
Military Satellites
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Currently, India has only two dedicated military satellites - the GSAT-7 (Rukmini) and GSAT-7A (Angry Bird) used by the Indian Navy and Air Force respectively. The GSAT-7B satellite would help the Indian Army enhance its surveillance in border areas.
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April 6, 2022
Boost to India-Maldives Relations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its close and friendly relations with the Maldives
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April 6, 2022
ISIS Threat to India
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)A recent UN Report raises serious concerns over ISIS's continued attempts to revive itself in its core zone as well as expanding and strengthening its affiliates in several countries of Asia and Africa
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April 6, 2022
Airborne Exercises along Northern Borders
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Amid the heightened tensions with China, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army conducted airborne exercises to validate rapid response capabilities and seamless integration
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March 21, 2022
Ukraine Crisis Could Trigger Cascading Risks Globally
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)The global spikes in energy and food prices resulting from these supply chain disruptions will see many countries struggle with rising food and energy insecurity as well as increased inequality
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March 16, 2022
Ukraine Conflict is America Contrived
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is no prospect of peace because the US does not want it. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an American puppet playing proxy to the US, and has no compunctions about the destruction of his country.
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March 16, 2022
Darker Clouds Over Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The resurgence of IS-K in Pakistan is bad news for Pakistan while the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other outfits are targeting the Pakistani security establishment and their supporters
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March 16, 2022
15th India-China Talks in Ladakh
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During the 15th round of talks, that lasted for around 13 hours, the Indian side pushed China for the resolution of remaining friction points in Ladakh but there was no breakthrough
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March 16, 2022
US Assistance During Aggression
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The manner in which the US propped up Ukraine, forced Russia to invade it and is now only pumping arms and mercenaries into Ukraine has blown the aura of support that the US had built around it
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March 16, 2022
Atmanirbhar in Defence
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)“The biggest lesson is that we have to be ready to fight future wars with indigenous weapons and the steps towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence should be taken more urgently” —General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff
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March 14, 2022
Foreign Fighters in Ukraine: A Doomsday Scenario
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)Foreigners are not necessarily good for the very people they seek to defend. It has been amply proven that when foreign fighters deploy, violence against locals goes up.
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March 7, 2022
Sanctions against Russia has wider ramifications
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)Although economic sanctions are widely used, their effectiveness is often debated. For now, Western governments are putting a higher priority on their support for Ukraine but soon they will need to weigh on how much pain they are prepared to inflict on their own people.
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February 28, 2022
Lasers in Defence
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Recent advances in ultra-high-power lasers and laser weapons systems have shown the enormous potential of laser technology to revolutionise 21st century warfare
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February 28, 2022
Chinese Missile Repair Base in Bangladesh
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It is presumed that the maintenance and overhaul facility being set up will double up as a production assembly line of the FM-90 air defence missile system and its advanced variants in future
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February 28, 2022
Pakistani Duping FATF
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistan is currently on the FATF 'Grey List' but needs to be placed on the 'Black List' having duped the FATF all these years; terrorism and terror financing continuing though front organisations and changing names of terror outfits.
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February 28, 2022
China Backstabs Nepal
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In 2020, reports began emerging that China was encroaching into Nepal by removing boundary pillars and constructing buildings despite the Nepal-China border having been ratified since 1960 and boundary pillars constructed all along
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February 25, 2022
Indian Dilemma Over the Russia – Ukraine Crisis
By Lt. General Dushyant Singh (Retd)India has become closer to the US and the West in the recent past but it also enjoys traditionally a good relation with Russia
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February 25, 2022
Europe on the edge: Russia attacks Ukraine
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)On the international political front, Russia is facing condemnation from Western powers over its actions in Ukraine with the European Union vowing to hold Moscow accountable for the military operation
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February 12, 2022
Border Villages and National Security
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP), villages near the LAC in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal are to be developed. How many and where will they come up, given the aggressive posture of PLA, empowered by China's New Border Law plus road connectivity?
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February 12, 2022
Smarticle Robots - and more
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Smarticle research has the potential to make robots capable of changing their shapes, modalities and functions
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February 12, 2022
Quantum Communications
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Quantum technology is evolving quickly and no doubt will have a significant impact not only on warfare but also in terms of national security. However, experts are still not certain what exactly this impact will be!
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February 12, 2022
Comforting from the Cold
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The government could consider providing onboard heating and ventilation system in Cheetah and Chetak helicopters as well – same as being done for the Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)
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February 2, 2022
Defence Budget Allocation 2022-2023
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Defence Budget 2022-23 has been increased to 5.25 lakh crore for 2022-23 from the previous FY allocation of 4.78 lakh crore with a major push on ensuring self-reliance in manufacturing of military platforms
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February 2, 2022
China's Mechanical Yak and More
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The People's Liberation Army (PLA) may use the Mechanical Yak to bring supplies of munitions and food to plateaus, mountains, deserts and forests where standard vehicles have difficulty crossing
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February 2, 2022
SPARSH – Bane of Vulnerable Segment?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)SPARSH will create unending problems for the pensioners, widows and disabled veterans, and as such, should have been discussed with veterans before commencing its implementation
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February 2, 2022
Learning Ancient Indian Statecraft
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Our ancient texts have universal applicability and drawing the right lessons would help us not only in strengthening our cultural values but also in building credible national security architecture
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February 2, 2022
The Indigenous Rifle Saga
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The foot soldier is generally forgotten in the race of big-ticket weapon systems
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January 29, 2022
Look Beyond Traditional Contact Warfare
By Lt. General Abhay Krishna (Retd)Are we prepared today to foil a cyber-attack on our Railway Network, Banking System or Power Grid? The nature of cyber-attacks is such that it is almost always difficult to pinpoint the source of the attack, giving perpetrating nation-states plausible deniability.
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January 15, 2022
Defence Budget 2022-23
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The crux of a defence budget should be to systematically improve the military's capability to meet future threats in keeping with the changing battlefield environments in the 'shortest possible period'
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January 15, 2022
14th Corps Commander-level Talks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The 14th round India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on January 12, 2022 with representatives from the defence and foreign affairs establishments of both sides present at the meeting
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January 15, 2022
Army's Quantum Lab and AI Centre
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Indian Army has recently established a Quantum Laboratory, with supports from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and an AI Centre at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow in Madhya Pradesh to spearhead research and training in these key emerging fields
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January 15, 2022
Pakistan Army Insults Own Uniform
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Pakistani army continue to disown and refuse to take back the bodies of the killed infiltrators identified as Pakistani nationals
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January 15, 2022
The Railgun
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The railgun is a linear motor, typically designed as a weapon which uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles that do not contain explosives but rely on the projectile's mass, high speed and kinetic energy to inflict damage
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January 15, 2022
BrahMos Exports Get Going
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Negotiations for BrahMos between India and the Philippines had been going on for the last few years but the obvious roadblock was Manila's budgetary constraints
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January 3, 2022
Taliban Threaten Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Afghan Taliban Intelligence Chief of Eastern Nangarhar province has warned Pakistani soldiers saying, "If you violate the boundary line, be ready for war with us. We love fighting you more than the Jews. We still have a lot of work to do."
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January 3, 2022
Samudrayan and Indigenous AERV
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)First unmanned trial of MATSYA 6000 and the induction of the first set of indigenously developed next-generation Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle (AERV) will contribute immensely to Atmanirbhar Bharat
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January 3, 2022
Agni-P, Pralay and SMART Tested
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)With the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) massed up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for possible conflict, India has conducted multiple tests of strategic and tactical strike weapons as a signal to China
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January 3, 2022
MArG 155-BR, ATAGS and Dhanush
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Modernisation plan of the Indian Army to procure indigenous 3,000-3,600 howitzers by 2025-27 as part of the Field Artillery Rationalisation Programme (FARP) has run into problems
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January 3, 2022
Sino-Indian New Year Handshake
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The gesture is supposed to cool down tensions before the 14th round of Corps Commander-level talks in Eastern Ladakh
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December 13, 2021
Indo-Russian Defence Cooperation
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The friendship between India and Russian has stood the test of times and through difficult situations. Both have now signed a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next ten years (2021-2031).
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December 13, 2021
Debauch Politicians with Pakistani Souls
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The ilk of Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other separatists know that talks with Pakistan to stop terrorism in J&K are useless because terrorism is the main forte of the Pakistani military and confrontation with India helps them retain their stranglehold over Pakistan
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December 13, 2021
SCO Cyber Security Seminar
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)This was the second time India was hosting such a cyber security seminar and first after it took over the Chair of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) Council
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December 13, 2021
UGVs for Army
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indian Army Design Bureau (ADB) had sought tailor-made technology for the Army for inducting tactical UGVs for close quarters surveillance and combat
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December 13, 2021
VL-SRSAM and Pinaka-ER Tested
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The VL-SRSAM, based on Astra Mark-1 air-to-air missile, is a quick reaction surface-to-air missile which has a maximum speed of Mach 4-5 and was conceived for area and point defence to protect naval platforms
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December 2, 2021
Tibetan Recruitment in PLA
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China has launched a compulsory recruitment drive for Tibetans in the Chumbi Valley, between Sikkim and Bhutan and some other areas, so that each Tibetan household has to compulsorily provide one youth for recruitment in the PLA
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December 2, 2021
Weapons by Private Firms
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Home Ministry held discussions with some 17 private companies for manufacture of arms. It is known that a number of Indian private companies are into defence manufacturing.
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December 2, 2021
Exploiting the Kartarpur Corridor
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, final resting place of Guru Nank Dev, situated on the banks of Ravi River in Pakistan, is 120 kms from Lahore and 3-4 km from the Indo-Pak border, and is most sacred to the Sikhs
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December 2, 2021
Indigenous LCH, Drones and EW Suit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the occasion of 'Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv' said, “For a long time, we were a nation that was a weapons and defence equipment buyer. Today the mantra is 'Make in India, Make for the World'.”
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December 2, 2021
Recent Terror Attacks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Both China-Pakistan are arming and supporting multiple terrorist groups in India. China has been supporting and arming insurgents in India both in the northeast and in the Maoists belt. Pakistan has been trying to destabilise Punjab for past several years.
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November 14, 2021
Boosting Army's Air Defence Capability
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has lauded the joint efforts of multiple agencies in developing, what he termed, one of the best state-of-the-art missile systems in the world that will prove to be a game changer in the air defence capabilities of Indian armed forces
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November 14, 2021
Agni V and LRB Tested
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Agni-V marks, through its use of a canister-launched missile, a shift in India's missile deployment approach as the warheads for such missiles would have to be mated before the missile is sealed into its canister. This would indicate that India would be keeping a proportion of its nuclear missiles in fully operational configuration.
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November 14, 2021
Is China Readying for a Limited War?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China is hardening its force posture including in Eastern Ladakh; demonstrated by the series of operational and tactical measures it is continuing to take. This is hardly to only intimidate India.
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November 2, 2021
China-Turkey Arming Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)A China-Pakistan-Turkey triad will be adverse for India both in the conventional and sub-conventional spheres, given that China-Pakistan and Turkey-Pakistan have already been collaborating at the sub-conventional level.
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November 2, 2021
China's Nuclear FOBS
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to reports, China undertook not one but two FOBS tests this summer. The FOBS has implications for nations in China's crosshairs particularly for Taiwan since there is no defence against such a weapon presently.
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November 2, 2021
China's Anti-Stealth Radar
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The radar was touted to be revolutionary technology which is a significant addition to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) anti-stealth capabilities and is seen as a major challenge for America's highly advanced F-35 and F-22 fighter jets
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November 2, 2021
New Army Aviation Brigade
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The function of the new army aviation brigade is largely for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities but it can support the Army for other tasks...
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November 2, 2021
All Weather Road to Tawang
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Under construction at an altitude of 13,500 feet with latest Austrian technology and outlay of over 7,000 crore the Sela Tunnel is an engineering marvel.
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October 16, 2021
Minority Killings in Kashmir Valley
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)It may appear that the above minority killings in the Valley are in response to signs of normalisation returning and hindering government plans to return Kashmiri Pandits to J&K
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October 16, 2021
13th India-China Military Talks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During the meeting, the Indian side made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals. The meeting thus did not result in resolution of the remaining areas.
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October 6, 2021
Rocket Force and Theatre Commands
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)A committee was constituted that includes Vice Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and representatives of other ministries and departments, to resolve internal differences of Armed Forces, consult external stake holders like the MHA and MoF and look into the structure, composition, nomenclature and reporting channels of the proposed tri-Service commands
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October 6, 2021
Simulators for Armed Forces
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The policy document lays emphasis on indigenous design and development as well as outsourcing of operation and maintenance of simulators to the Indian companies
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October 6, 2021
Prime Minister Modi Meets Global CEOs
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The excellent initiative taken by the Prime Minister in meeting with the CEOs of global firms will help improve the technological prowess of India, improve the economy, contribute towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and open up more employment opportunities
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October 6, 2021
More Arjun Main Battle Tanks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Infused with 72 new features and more indigenous content from the earlier variant, the Arjun Mk-1A is expected to provide effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night
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September 16, 2021
India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Both India and Australia agreed to work jointly to realise full potential of the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
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September 16, 2021
Forces Arming for Drone Warfare
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)All the three services of the Indian Armed Forces are moving ahead speedily for the acquisition of Drones and Anti-Drone technologies, mostly indigenous systems that are developed by Indian companies
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September 16, 2021
Afghanistan - Terror Renaissance
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Taliban's interim government includes some 14 UN-designated terrorists. Out of the 98 US-designated terrorist organisations globally, 20 are located in Afghanistan-Pakistan region - 13 in Afghanistan and seven in Pakistan.
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September 6, 2021
Decoding the Taliban Puzzle
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)There is ample proof of Pakistani regulars and Mujahids fighting alongside Taliban in covert mode, with Pakistani officers even leading Taliban columns. The Taliban were raised in Peshawar, not in Kandahar as believed.
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September 6, 2021
Coming - 70,000 AK-203 Rifles
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The contract for these 70,000 was signed between the MoD and Russian representatives, in the presence of officials from Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd. These rifles are expected to begin arriving in the country from November this year.
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September 6, 2021
China's Kabul Diplomacy
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan lost no time in opening diplomatic dialogue with the Taliban, indirectly signaling China's recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan
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September 6, 2021
Light Drone Interceptor
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The terrorist threat to India has gone up with the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan. The possibility of terrorists using drones has certainly gone up, as is the possibility of CBRN attacks.
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August 21, 2021
Geopolitical Shifts Could Unfold Post T-Afghanistan
By Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd)China is entering this space created by the withdrawal of US troops. It will like to swiftly maneuver in order to gain significant advantage towards solidifying its continental strategy driven by BRI.
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August 19, 2021
Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)Although Pakistan plays a major role in Afghanistan in practically all segments, yet Afghanistan would not like to be seen as a mere crony of Pakistan.
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August 15, 2021
Army's Contribution in Olympics
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Army has always contributed sportsmen at national and international sports events. For the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 12 Indian Army personnel formed part of the Indian contingent.
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August 15, 2021
Seventh War Olympics
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The competition fosters military to military cooperation while building upon the best practices of participating nations.
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August 15, 2021
US Superpower Image Cracks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)With the pull-out from Afghanistan, the superpower image of the US has taken a severe hit and that too at a time when Washington may have to deal with China and Russia collectively
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August 15, 2021
K9 Vajra Mountain Trials Successful
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)According to sources in the defence and security establishment, trials of 3 x K9 Vajra which were sent to Ladakh earlier this year have been successful and because it is tracked, the movement in the mountains becomes easier so the system can be deployed strategically.
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August 6, 2021
Xi Jinping in Occupied Tibet
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During Xi's visit to Lhasa, public movement was restriced, work in factories and sites was halted and flying of kites and drones prohibited
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August 6, 2021
Coming - MQ-9 Reapers and Armed Herons
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Once cleared by the DAC, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will need to give its final approval before procurement of the Predator-B armed drones can move forward
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August 6, 2021
China Breaching Indian Security
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indian companies are aiding China breach security at various levels in India by supplying fake and cheap spare parts and sub-standard quality Chinese surveillance devices for use in our military equipment and defence establishments
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August 6, 2021
Clipping Wings of OFB Worker Unions
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Essential Defence Services Bill-2021 effectively rules out future strikes by workers' federation of OFB unless they want to defy the bill by going on strike and challenge the government to collectively dismiss them
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July 22, 2021
Success of MPATGM: Huge boost to indigenisation
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)The timing of the success is even more significant as it has happened at a time when the border stand-off with China still continues
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July 19, 2021
The Disengagement Quagmire
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)After Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to complete disengagement in September 2020, China has continued to dither disengaging from Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang
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July 19, 2021
Procuring Kamov Helicopters
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Armed Forces urgently need 498 light utility helicopters to replace their obsolete single-engine Cheetah/Chetak fleets, which have been dogged by a high crash rate and serviceability problems.
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July 19, 2021
The Drone Challenge
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Drone Rules, 2021 will lead to an explosion of drone use in India. The number of unregulated but active over 6,00,000 drones in India could jump to 10-20 times that number of drones, regulated through self-certification.
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July 19, 2021
The Taliban Game Plan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Taliban want to establish an Islamic Emirate ruled by Taliban rule and with Sharia imposed throughout Afghanistan. The peace talks are more of a game for Taliban concurrent to their offensive.
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July 17, 2021
Air Defence Gun Systems - Light at the end of the Barrel
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)The projected requirement would be a minimum of 1000 guns in a phased manner and it is obvious that 6000 crores is not enough. More funds will be allotted depending on the success of the project.
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July 6, 2021
Jammu Drone Attack is Wakeup Call
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Drone threat is not merely cross-border but equally potent from the hinterland. Therefore, merely deploying drone defence dome systems along the borders will not be enough.
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July 6, 2021
Russia Sprut Tanks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)During the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Russia in September 2020, Russia offered the Sprut SDM1 light tanks in response to Rajnath mentioning that India was looking for light tanks. Now Russia has responded to the RFI with the same offer.
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July 6, 2021
Beyond the Decision to Corporatise OFB
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Government has approved restructuring of the OFB and the 41 OFs into seven Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) but their accountability, efficiency and competitiveness will improve only with privatisation
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July 6, 2021
Defence Cyber Command
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Indian Government is planning to set up a 'proper' Cyber Command in the hinterland of Madhya Pradesh for providing a fighting edge to the proposed Theatre Commands
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July 6, 2021
Child Soldiers of Pakistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)US has added Pakistan in the list of countries under Child Soldier Prevention Act (CSPA) which prohibits the issuance of licenses for direct commercial sales of military equipment to such governments
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July 6, 2021
Agni Prime Successfully Tested
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Agni Prime is part of a much larger arsenal that India wants to deploy in the Indo-Pacific region to effectively deter China in the maritime domain
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July 2, 2021
Drone Attack: Are We Prepared Enough?
By Lt. General J.K. Sharma (Retd)While the discussion around the use of armed drones is not new, not only do these concerns remain unresolved but, with drone warfare continuing to expand and evolve, new layers are being added to the controversies posed by the use of armed drones
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June 22, 2021
The Taliban Factor
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India has lagged in establishing contacts with the Afghan Taliban despite writing on the wall over the past several years that they will likely come to power in Kabul after the exit of US troops from Afghanistan or have a major say in governance
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June 22, 2021
Second Negative Import List
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)An all around growth of our defence industry is required, not through the DRDO-OFB-DPSUs alone with role of private defence industry and MSMEs relegated to being subcontracted to the governmental defence industrial complex
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June 22, 2021
Border Infrastructure
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Chinese aggression in 2020 has woken up India to its strategic inadequacies including in border infrastructure
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June 22, 2021
FRCV to The Fore
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In conformity with the emerging future threat spectrum and the technological advancements, the Indian Army intends to induct a new state-of-the-art and technology-enabled tank
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June 19, 2021
Pearl in the String
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier had some misgivings on the economic viability of CPEC and that it represents a debt trap but on May 24, 2021, he met China's Ambassador to Pakistan and reiterated the highest priority accorded by his government to the CPEC
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June 17, 2021
Integrated approach to Air Defence in India
By Lt. General A.P. SinghThe AD architecture world over, throws up three types of integration i.e., geographical integration, resources/assets integration and the functional integration.
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June 11, 2021
FRCV - Aimed to Shock and Awe
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)The RFI states that the Indian Army requires state-of-the-art Main Battle Tank namely Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) to replace the existing tank fleet.
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June 11, 2021
Army Triggers Atmanirbhar
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)The Indian Army, to boost self reliance, has set up its own Army Design Bureau (ADB) for indigenous procurements and reduce import dependence
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June 6, 2021
Another Chinese Conquest in Colombo
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China getting 220 acres on 99 years lease and 49 acres free-hold in Colombo Port City is a massive strategic victory for Beijing
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June 6, 2021
The Offset Googly
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Offset clause in Inter-Government Agreements (IGA) under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP 2020) was removed and a new category for leasing military equipment introduced.
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June 6, 2021
Bhutan's Summer of 2021
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Over the years China has occupied a large swath of territory in Western Bhutan through salami slicing
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June 6, 2021
Counter Maoist Operations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Maharashtra Police had undergone training at the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare (CTJW) College at Kanker in Chhattisgarh between 2008 and 2011, after which they established their own training establishment near Nagpur employing a veteran army officer for initial few years
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June 6, 2021
New Runway in Mauritius
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)India is fully financing a new three kilometre long runway on the island of North Agalega to develop the Agaléga islands and resolve infrastructural problems faced by the inhabitants
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June 2, 2021
Unite to Fight Corona Delta and Pernicious Forces
By Lt. General Dushyant Singh (Retd)Investigations on the CORONA being a bio warfare are already on and the circumstantial evidence points too strongly towards China. Hope India was not a victim of bio warfare as efforts to bring down India...
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May 20, 2021
American Sunset in Afghanistan
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The US war in Afghanistan is the longest in which some 2,312 US military personnel have died since their invasion in 2001
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May 20, 2021
Military Officers As Bureaucrats
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Appointment of serving military officers as Additional Secretary and Joint Secretaries in the DMA is not a big deal as is being made out
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May 20, 2021
2-DG Drug Helping COVID-19 Patients
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)DRDO affiliated Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) worked in partnership with Dr Reddy's Laboratories for the clinical trials showing it to be effective in controlling the pandemic
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May 20, 2021
Plugging Armed Forces Criticalities
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Armed Forces are looking at leasing more military equipment and platforms from foreign countries to plug critical operational deficiencies
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May 20, 2021
India-UK Defence Cooperation
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The Modi-Johnson virtual meet and adoption of the India-UK Roadmap to 2030 have opened new vistas for taking the bilateral defence relationship to the next level
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May 14, 2021
Army needs Light Tanks
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)The main gun of the Light Tanks should have advance multipurpose 'Smart Munitions' and be able to fire tube launched anti-tank guided missile with the capability to defeat tanks and soft skinned vehicles.
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May 14, 2021
Update on China's intrusion in Ladakh
By Lt. General Naresh Chand (Retd)Chinese side made several attempts to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in other parts of the Western Sector which included Kongka La, Gogra and North Bank of Pangong Lake.
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May 6, 2021
Did Beijing Trigger Second Virus Wave?
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Within India, Delhi (the national capital), Mumbai (the financial capital) and Bengaluru (the IT capital) are most affected. This creates the impression that akin to 'tactical nukes' China has developed 'tactical bio-bombs'
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May 6, 2021
China Deploys Long Range MLRS
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The MLRS will enable the PLA to strike deeper across the LAC especially with China having extended its map grids into India that will enable acquiring targets on the Indian side
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May 6, 2021
Light Tanks for Indian Army
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The new RFI issued by the Indian Army calls for a light tank featuring a multiple, modular and upgradable weapon system with the capability to destroy and offer countermeasures
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April 20, 2021
Major Maoist Strike - no lessons learned
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Another tragedy in counter-Maoist operations indicates that lives of the jawans is cheap and the hierarchy, both political and the police force, remain lackadaisical
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April 20, 2021
11th India-China Military Talks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Unlike the last few rounds of talks, there was no India-China joint statement. This is maybe because China is not for anymore disengagement.
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April 20, 2021
India in China's Cyber Crosshairs
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has recently stated that China is capable of launching cyber attacks on large amount of Indian systems
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April 20, 2021
India-Kyrgyz Republic Special Forces Exercise
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Both countries have signed several framework agreements, including on culture, trade and economic cooperation. Joint Special Forces Exercise 'Khanjar' has now become an annual affair.
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April 6, 2021
US Secretary of Defence visit to India
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Austin said elevating the India-US defence relationship is a priority for the Biden administration while describing the partnership as a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific region
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April 6, 2021
HPM Armed Drones
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The counter-drone arms race is leading to advance research and development to implement technologies that will detect and defeat swarms
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April 6, 2021
Mine-Proof FICV and High Altitude Vehicles
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In mid-2017, US offered US-India-Israel trilateral production of FICV under the India-US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) but little has happened over past so many years
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April 6, 2021
Light Specialist Vehicles
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)These LSVs are capable of performing in extreme terrain, with maneuverability, high speed and stability, has the provision to mount a rocket launcher and machine guns, and can be airlifted and dropped into enemy territory, for use as an advance fast strike vehicle
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April 6, 2021
Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook's India Visit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Defence and security relations between India and Republic of Korea have been on the rise with regular interactions at multiple levels including at ministerial levels
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March 19, 2021
First Quad Leaders Summit
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)The first ever Quad Leaders Summit did give a new signal to China. But the question is whether the Quad will force China to back off?
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March 19, 2021
Rohingyas in Jammu
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Nationality verification for them is being done and on this basis the procedure for deportation will be initiated. However, India has no extradition treaty with Myanmar. The problem of Rohingyas in Jammu is far more serious as it also endangers security.
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March 19, 2021
Beijing's Venom in Myanmar
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)China's economic investments, military exports and sub-conventional hold over Myanmar ensures that whatever happens in Myanmar is orchestrated from Beijing
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March 15, 2021
QUAD 3.0: Window of Opportunity for India
By Lt. General Dushyant Singh (Retd)In the First QUAD Summit, held on March 12, 2021 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japan PM Yoshihide Suga and Australian PM Scott Morrison met through virtual mode and shared their vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific
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March 8, 2021
The China-Pakistan Threat
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)In an article published in Pakistani Media, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi explained that China will continue to work with Pakistan to strengthen their iron friendship and that relations between the countries have become a strategic asset that both sides cherish
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March 8, 2021
Beyond 10th India-China Military Talks
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Having achieved its aim of India vacating strategic heights south of Pangong Tso, according to reports, China is now reluctant to discuss further disengagement, leaving out Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang.
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March 8, 2021
The Lacuna in FATF Blacklisting
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Despite Pakistan being the epicenter of terror generation and its record of nuclear proliferation, it has continued to escape the FATF 'Black List'
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March 8, 2021
Boosting India-Maldives Security Relations
By Lt. General P.C. Katoch (Retd)Government of Maldives has signed a pact with India for enhancing the capability of the MNDF and Maldivian Coast Guard
