Manoj Ambat's Blog dealing with Defence, Foreign Affairs, Strategic Affairs and Politics

Nirbhay Cruise Missile ( Image credits- DRDO) Source/Copy Right - The National Interest Author- Kyle Mizokami  Prioritizing the five most powerful armies on Earth is not an easy task. Each country has its own unique security situation that shapes its military in general and land power in particular, accordingly. Geographic, political, diplomatic and fiscal issues all determine army size. Does it exist in a bad neighborhood like India, Afghanistan or Jordan, or a nice neighborhood like the United States, Luxembourg or Canada? Is it internally focused, externally focused or both? How much in military spending can the government afford? The end of the Cold War marked shift of hard military power eastward. The British Army is projected to drop from 120,000 in 1990 to just 82,000 in 2020. The French Army has been cut from 236,000 in 1996 to just 119,000 personnel. The most striking cuts have appeared in Germany, where the army has declined from 360,000 in 1990 to 62,00

Battle of Saragarh Britain’s Parliament interrupted proceedings and rose to give a standing ovation on September 12, 1897 to 21 valorous soldiers — all of them Indians, all of them Sikhs — for what was undoubtedly a tremendous act of collective bravery, and one of the greatest ‘last-stands’ in military history, the Battle of Saragarhi. The North-West Frontier of undivided India, now a part of Pakistan known as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is a harsh place. Embroiled even today in bloody conflict, it has been home to a multitude of battle-hardened tribes for centuries. In this tumultuous region, between the forts of Gulistan and Lockhart, which were built by one of India’s most proficient military commanders, Maharajah Ranjit Singh, is where Saragarhi is situated. As there was no visual contact between the two forts, Saragarhi was created as a heliographic communication post to signal between them. Afridi and Orakzai tribesmen had started to revolt against British annexation of the area in

Kargil War Memorial ( Image credits- Wikimedia commons/ Arunjith) A saga of unparalleled bravery. Only Indian Army produces such real life heroes. Proud to serve in THE Indian Army. On June 2, 1999, General V. P. Malik, the then army chief held a " Sainik Darbar" at Gumari in the Drass sector after three failed attempts to recapture Tololing Hill, which stands at 15,000 feet. Fifty- nine Indian soldiers from different regiments had already died, following which Gen Malik summoned the commanders of the 2 Rajputana Rifles to present their plans. The Army chief was just not convinced by their plans when a 30- year- old commando from the last row got up, summoned all the courage that an Army Naik would need to speak to the general, and said: " I am Naik Digendra Kumar known as Cobra, the best commando of the Indian Army. Sir, I have a plan that guarantees our victory." " Explain," said the general. " Sir, the hill is straight,&q

General Dalbir Singh Suhag , New Indian Chief of Army Staff  ( Image credits- Wikimedia commons/ Anup ONGC) General Dalbir Singh Suhag today took charge as India's new army chief, succeeding General Bikram Singh, who has retired. Lt. Gen. Suhag was appointed chief in May by the outgoing UPA government despite protests from former army chief, General VK Singh, and the BJP. 59-year-old Lt. General Suhag, a Gurkha officer who had participated in the 1987 Indian Peace Keeping Force operation in Sri Lanka, will have 30-month tenure. He comes from a family of soldiers.  A village in Jhajjar, Haryana, is celebrating the rise of the boy they knew as fearless. "He had a sharp brain and worked hard. He has achieved all this because of his hard work. He was fearless," his mother said. Asked if she was happy, she said, "When my son has reached such great heights...of course I am."  His father Rajpal Singh Suhag is a retired flying officer. "Generations of our fami

Kargil War Memorial ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons/ Mail to Arunjith) As India celebrates the victory over Pakistan in the heights of Kargil today as the Victory day, it is also the time to honour those who have laid down their lives defending our mother land.  It is time we paid our respects to those who had laid down their lives in the service of the nation, who sacrificed their live to protect our freedom. It is time we pay back the dues that we owe these great souls. We should take good care of our soldiers because it is due to them we enjoy our freedom.It is also time for us to think of those families who have lost their son, father, husband or brother who was their only bread winner and who laid down their lives in the service of our motherland. It is time the government took steps for the welfare of such families. Time will forgive us if we do not look after our brave brothers and sisters in uniform and also take care of their families long after they are gone.  Le

    Defence Minister Arun Jaitley ( Image courtesy-  Wikimedia Commons/World Economic Forum) The Modi government is set to fast-track a $1.5-billion deal to acquire 197 light utility helicopters (LUH) for the army. The award of the contract was stuck with the previous UPA government, the latest delay coming after the controversy over buying helicopters for VVIP use surfaced. Sources told FE that a fresh request for proposal (RFP) for the chopper deal will be issued by the new government within a month's time. Defence minister Arun Jaitley has already been been briefed about the delayed/on hold projects, including the procurement of the LUHs. Once the RFP process is competed, it would take another two to three years before the first helicopter is delivered. The delays in the previous rounds of bidding have already hurt the army badly as it has been searching for a modern helicopter to replace the aging Cheetah/Chetak helicopter. Most of these are already running on an exte

Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket launch system ( Pic courtesy- Wikimedia commons/ Author- Hemant Rawat) BALASORE (Odisha): Indigenously developed Pinaka rockets, capable of destroying enemy positions at 40kms-range with rapid salvos, were on Thursday successfully test- fired thrice from a multi-barrel launcher at an armament base in Chandipur-on-sea, near here.  The rockets, which have undergone several tough tests since 1995, have been already inducted into the armed forces and the present trials were conducted with some improvements in the weapon system, defence sources said, adding some more tests are likely to be held.   "Three rounds of Pinaka rockets were successfully tested from the proof and experimental establishment (PXE) today at Chandipur," about 15km from here, they said.   The unguided rocket system is meant to neutralise large areas with rapid salvos. With a battery of six launchers, the system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds and neu

155 MM Howtizer ( Image courtesy- Wikimedia commons/ Author-Jason Long) NAGPUR: The indigenous 155mm artillery guns, made on the lines of the Bofors howitzers procured by Indian Army in the 1980s, will go for the last round of firing trials next month. After successful winter trials in snowbound Sikkim during March, the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is now preparing for the summer rounds of Operation Dhanush, as the project has been christened. The tests will be held in June-end and shall continue till July in the Pokhran desert. If everything goes well, this will be the last time these guns will blaze to prove their mettle. However, other tests, which include an evaluation by the directorate general of quality assurance (DGQA) of the Army, will follow before the howitzers are finally inducted. The other tests will not involve test fires however, said a source. A year ago, during the summers trials in August, the barrel of the gun being tested had exploded, pushing back

Know our new army chief: Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC is an alumnus of Sainik School, Chittorgarh. He joined National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1970 and was commissioned into 4/5 GR (FF) in Jun 1974. He holds a Masters Degrees in Management Studies from Osmania University and Strategic Studies from Chennai University. The General Officer has attended various career courses in India and abroad which include ‘Long Defence Management Course’ at C DM, Secunderabad in 1997-98, NDC Course at New Delhi in 2006, Executive Course in USA in 2005 and Senior Mission Leaders Course (UN) in Kenya in 2007. In a distinguished military career, spanning four decades, he has tenanted critical Command and Staff appointments which include tactical and operational levels of command in active counter insurgency and proxy war environment in the North East and Jammu & Kashmir. The General possesses tremendous operational experience which includes a tenure as a Company C

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