The Indian Navy's Submarine Conundrum

The Indian Navy is a formidable force in the Indian Ocean region with no regional competitors matching its size or capacity. It possesses significant military assets to guard the huge Indian coastline and protect its Island territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. The Indian Navy operates one aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and is awaiting for the commissioning of the second aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in 2022. Indian Navy also makes up the nuclear triad of the country with it two SSBNs the INS Arihant and the INS Arighat both carrying 4 nuclear tipped missiles each. 

The Indian Navy is one of the few navies of the world to operate Aircraft carriers and ballistic missile carrying nuclear submarines but this is just the cream on top. the Indian Navy does possess such exclusive capabilities but there are some chinks in its armor when it comes to its submarine fleet. The Indian Navy operates three types of conventional attack submarines besides two indigenous nuclear subs and one leased Akula class Russian nuclear submarine for training purpose. 

 

Diesel Electric Submarines of Indian Navy

 

1. Sindhughosh Class (8 Submarines) 

These Russian built submarines displace 3076 tons and form the backbone of the Indian submarine fleet. The first submarine was purchased in 1986 and last one came in 2000 and out of the 10 submarines initially purchased only 8 remain operational now. 

 

 

2. Shishumar Class (4 Submarines) 

These German made submarines started joining the Indian navy fleet in 1986 and the last vessel came in 1994. This class of vessel displaces 1850 tons, although the original plan envisaged purchase of 6 vessels but due to lack of funds only 4 submarines materialized into reality.

 

 

3. Kalvari Class (3 Submarines + 3 under construction)

This is the newest baby of the Indian submarine fleet and the most potent platform to take to war. These French submarines are built in India under transfer of technology by Mazagon Docks Limited. These vessels displace 1775 tons and are the most technologically advanced submarines of the Navy and will soon be fitted with indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology as part of their first refit which will further enhance their capability and lethality. The last submarine will be commissioned in 2023 after which the Mazagon Dock facilities will be lying idle due to lack of further orders. 

Future Plans

The future plans of the Indian navy submarine fleet comprise of 4 additional nuclear ballistic submarines being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited and purchase of six air independent propulsion (AIP) enabled diesel electric submarines under the project 75I. These submarines will be of larger displacement than any of the current navy submarines and will take the place of of the ageing Russian built Sindhughosh class in the future. The project cost could go up to $10 Billion and given the constraint on budget, its going to be a tough ask. The project is in initial stages and it will be a long long walk to finalize the foreign submarine vendor, transfer of Technology terms and the final negotiations with the construction shipyard. This project is likely to meet the same fate as the Indian Air Force MMRCA program with no real output after wasting years and years of precious time because when it will come to the final stage signing the deal, the mathematics of money is not going to work out with the philosophy of desire of the Indian military. The Navy is also pursuing big ticket projects like a third air craft carrier and a new naval fighter to replace Mig- 29K and this will cause a further drain on the limited resources of the navy and the budget strings are unlikely to expand in the near future because of the Covid pandemic, which has caused a great jolt to the economy and the government revenues have been significantly impacted and this will surely have repercussions on the defense budget.

Recently there has been some talk regarding constructing 3 nuclear attack submarines instead of pursuing the Project 75I and some recommendations have been made regarding constructing an additional 3 Scorpene / Kalvari class submarines. The navy is highly unlikely to go for additional Kalvari class submarines though they look like the most feasible and probably an economically viable addition to the submarine fleet. The expansion of the Kalvari class submarine fleet will add economies of scale, save foreign exchange compared to a new class of submarine and bring the navy huge logistical and maintenance savings in the future. The cost of training a new crew for a new submarine type will also be saved but all these benefits mean little to the navy as they seek a new submarine class for capability enhancement. An unfortunate situation is likely to be occur because there will probably be no thorough study to assess the opportunity cost of such actions nor the principles of defense economics and planned budgeting will be able to alter the mindset of Indian Naval Warfare Planners who are always on the look out for better capabilities and new platforms to add to their firepower for any future eventualities. 

The construction of nuclear attack submarine plan is the second most feasible plan for adding submarine numbers, the first obviously being the purchase of additional Kalvari class submarines with AIP technology. The nuclear attack submarines can be constructed in India utilizing the platform of indigenous Arihant class submarines but these submarines will be very expensive to build, will require tremendous redesigning and most importantly a new type of nuclear reactor to power them. The probability of all these variables materializing into an executable project in a reasonable frame of time is really low given the efficiency of Indian bureaucracy coupled with  lengthy defense procurement procedures.

The Conclusion 

The Indian Navy needs to carry out a balancing act with increasing the fleet strength and procuring advanced capabilities because of the mounting challenges in Indian Ocean and the alarming expansion of the Chinese Navy also known by its weird official name as People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and those guys surely live up to their acronym as they have a serious plan for the future. The Indian Navy needs to think out of the box solutions to counter the Chinese threat and ensure a greater dominance in the Indian Ocean Region. The Chinese are not only boosting their own naval strength but also lending immense support and equipment to the Pakistan Navy. The much touted two front war scenario will be the most challenging for the Indian Navy out of all the three services. The Indian Army is likely to muster sufficient human resources and logistics to deploy on both the fronts simultaneously and the Indian Air Force plans to generate higher sortie rates and move aircraft aircraft from one theater to another as per mission requirements but the Indian Navy is unlikely to be able to do either of these things. The Assets of the Navy will be divided into the eastern and western fleets in case of a war and moving assets between the regions would neither be quick nor impactful and the Navy seemingly lacks the brute numbers to simultaneously fight on the eastern and western fronts given the vast area of responsibility it caters to as it needs to defend the tip Gujarat coast and stretch all the way up to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

The likely solution for Indian Navy is neither in adding sheer numbers nor in acquiring advanced capabilities but in efficient economics. Smart economic management coupled with indigenous manufacturing should give the Indian Navy the maximum bang for the buck and timely induction of capable platforms. The chase of prestige and high ticket purchases, though good for the long term could be counter productive in the short to medium term scenario of an untimely conflict. The Indian naval plans need to quickly adapt to the changing geo-political situation and the fast paced race for the dominance of the Indian Ocean. The onus though isn't only on the naval planners but also on the greater humans by virtue of clearing the IAS exam, our beloved God like BABUS manning the desks at the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance, who as always will play a crucial role to determine the fate of Indian Submarine fleet and and India's naval power in the Indian Ocean region.

LCA Tejas on Duty and the way ahead

 

The long awaited and beloved child of indigenous defence aviation industry the LCA Tejas has seen the light of the day. Its first squadron the No.45 Squadron called the "Flying Daggers" is fully operationalized and deployed somewhere along the western frontline. The significance of this event is immense for the Indian Air Force and it depicts the confidence it has vested in the desi indigenous fighter. The operationalization of the fighter means that it has its full range of armaments to deploy which includes air to air and air to ground weaponry and delivery of these weapons has been practiced and proven. The pilots have devised tactics to counter any possible move by the adversary and the probability of the platform to come out victorious from a battle are high. The deployed aircraft are of the IOC ( Initial operational clearance ) standard and the most basic version of the fighter jet with a pulse doppler radar of Israeli origin and air to air missiles from the Russian and Israeli stables. 

The exact location of deployment of Tejas along the western border has not been disclosed but if an informed guess is to be made, it will be deployed at the Naliya Air Force Station in Gujarat. The air force station currently houses the legacy Mig-21 fighter jets of the 101 Squadron which are soon to be phased out and the squadron will be equipped with the latest Rafale fighters from France. The LCA Tejas was conceived to replace the Mig-21 fighters squadrons and it is finally doing it now. Tejas is superior to the Mig-21 by a generation in terms of capability and technology as it has more hard points, more load carrying capacity,  better range, endurance, avionics and weapons package. We can argue for the sake of the hardy legacy Mig-21that it is faster and more maneuverable than Tejas but it holds little relevance in the Modern air battle. It may have downed an F-16 over Kashmir due to the bravery and grit of the pilot but the fighter has far outlived is utility and its chances of being victorious in an air battle are grim. The Tejas on the other hand brings a paradigm shift in terms of digital fly by wire technology, advanced glass cockpits and multiple new generation wherewithal. The indigenous Tejas fighter is a dream to fly compared to legacy Russian aircraft and equips the Pilot with modern means to shoot the enemy out of the sky with confidence. It has a larger deterrence value than the Mig-21 and far superior air to ground capabilities that Mig-21 cant even dream about. All in all it is a modern, capable and a Multi Role Fighter in its true Sense. The IOC Tejas is way better than the MIg-21 and the forthcoming FOC and Mk-1A variants are only going to further widen that gap.

The real challenge with the Tejas has been its low production rate and lack of funds with the air force to invest more aggressively in the indigenous platform. The Mig-21s in the IAF service are to completely retire by 2024 and in the current scenario Tejas is unlikely to be produced in sufficient numbers by 2024. The first 16 aircraft of its first squadron took 4 years to manufacture. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is currently manufacturing the FOC variant with no sense of urgency. The production rate for the 83 Tejas Mk-1A deal to be signed this year is projected around 12 to 16 aircraft per year with first deliveries commencing around 2022-23. The pace of production is unimpressive and more effort is needed from HAL and more money is needed from the government to be pumped into the program. The production of an additional squadron of FOC Tejas could keep the production lines running till MK-1 comes to fruition. HAL is planning to establish  production lines for the Tejas Mk-1A with each line producing 8 aircraft per year but the numbers deficiency in IAF squadrons calls for grave measures. The government needs to execute extreme steps by initiating a third and may be a fourth simultaneous production line to ensure the fighter is produced in record time and high numbers to help fill in the frontline gaps for the Indian Air force. A production rate of 24 fighter aircraft per year will accomplish the order of Tejas Mk-1A in 3 years with the 10 trainer variants coming from a separate production line set up in Nashik. The only way LCA Tejas can fail as a platform is due to poor production rates which will force the air force to import fighter jets to fulfill its requirement. The success of indigenous defence aviation industry relies on this platform and we need to come together as a nation to make it success. The pressure on HAL and the government has to be cranked up to ensure they deliver the dream of a successful indigenous fighter jet to this nation. 

The Great Afghan Game for India

Areas under Taliban control as on May 25, 2020
(Image source :RFE/RL)

The US Taliban  peace deal seems to be heading in a direction where Taliban seems like the winner. A ceasefire is being put in place, which the Taliban is yet to observe in spirit because the Afghan National Security  Forces are being killed on a daily basis. The afghan national intelligence agency NDS personnel have been targeted deliberately while Taliban have also managed to get many of their prisoners released under this peace deal which is a boost to their fighting ranks. The American hurry to pull out of Afghanistan before the US presidential elections has been efficiently exploited by the Taliban leadership and the Pakistani deep state. The Taliban is gaining more ground each day which gives them a higher leverage in a power sharing set up with the recognized Afghan government. It is an implausible possibility that, a democratic government can share power with an Islamic terror group propagating the law of Sharia but the Americans are trying desperately to make this work. The American objective is plain and simple, they want to get their troops back home and Donald Trump wants to win the next election by fulfilling his poll promise of a complete Afghan exit.  The United States exit from Afghanistan seems to work well for the US policy makers because they have understood that its a war they cannot win, their people don't support it and they are draining their resources on a lost cause. The Unites States of America is leaving the Afghan people to fend for themselves after a 20 year war against terrorism and Al-Qaeda, neither of which have been completely eliminated. The American forces want to leave because they know, they will not be able to eliminate terrorism completely or establish a functional democracy in Afghanistan but they have somewhat achieved their objective. The American national security experts are certain that Afghanistan is not a major threat to their nation anymore and another 9/11 attack will not be executed from Afghanistan because they have enough intelligence assets and preventive measures embedded in Afghanistan now. 

A low threat analysis from Afghanistan for the Americans, has a very different perception for countries like India. A strong Taliban in Afghanistan which is essentially supported by Pakistan military establishment and has close ties to the notorious Pakistani Intelligence agency namely the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) can be a grave danger to the security and peace of India. The Kashmir insurgency which began in the late 1980s was a consequence of Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and diversion of surplus religious terrorists called the Mujahideen to the Kashmir Valley. The militants of Afghan Jihad brought along with them the brutality and religious sycophancy they had used so effectively in Afghanistan. They began their butchery by targeted killings of non Muslim Kashmiris which led to the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in the early part of 1990. This kind of religious discrimination and lunacy were unheard of in India and a weak coalition government of the time could not counter it effectively. The Kashmiri populace which lived in peace and religious harmony for centuries was now religiously divided by the Afghan Mujahideen influx into the valley. History is a testament that religious extremism and terrorism cannot be limited to geographical boundaries and will affect the whole region. The Islamic radicalism from Afghanistan has had a long term effect on the economy, society, politics and culture of Pakistan which supported the Afghan terror groups all throughout the Afghan war with the Soviets. Pakistan has seen significantly increased violence, terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism after the Soviet Afghan the war than before it and a further rise is guaranteed if the Taliban is back at the helm of affairs in Afghanistan. 

The Challenge for India will be to deal with the after effects of the Taliban coming to power in Afghanistan. India will be more prone to terrorism, bombings, hijacks and Islamic fundamentalism than ever before because Pakistani establishment will exploit this opportunity to drive the insurgency in Kashmir as well as carry out vicious terror attacks on mainland Indian cities using Afghan terror groups like ISIS-K (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province ). The ISIS-K is fringe terror group based in Afghanistan created by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI which recently carried out attacks on the Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul killing many unarmed innocents. The ISIS-K was quick to claim responsibility for the attack and justified the killings of innocents by identifying them as non believers or Kafirs. A terror group like ISIS-K helps Pakistani deep state to carry out heinous terror attacks on India while protecting the Pakistani state from any blame or risk of retaliatory actions like a Balakot airstrike conducted in 2019. It is a convenient arrangement for the Pakistani establishment to carry out more and more terror attacks on Indians while condemning their own proxy terror groups on international platforms.

India is at a great risk from the combined collusion of Taliban and Pakistan Military operating out of Afghanistan and bleeding India through thousand cuts. This is the so called strategic depth the Pakistani Military is seeking to achieve in Afghanistan through the establishment of a Taliban regime. The options India has to avoid such a dreadful scenario is to either depend on the United States and hope they do not let this happen. It is the easier option and will only work if it also satisfies US interests as Americans are not known for selfless charity. The more difficult but robust option for India is to put its troops on the ground to support the Afghan National Army's fight against the Taliban. Indian Troops in Afghanistan will ensure a longer life span for a friendly Afghan democracy, deeper strategic Indo-US ties, better security for India and less terrorism in Kashmir. Indian troop deployment in Afghanistan serves American interests by helping them make a quick exit, without handing over the country back to the dreaded Taliban, who are a greater threat to India than the United States in the near term. Indian troops in Afghanistan comes with many tangible benefits but it has its cons too. The Political cost for such a move can be huge and  the resultant repercussions can have long term effects on domestic Indian politics as well as future election results. The battle hardened Indian Soldiers will definitely turn the tide of war against the enemies of India but will the Indian Politician for once show the same selflessness and courage that the Indian solider has depicted over the years for safety and security of the nation. 

Taliban Controlled Areas as of June 2019
 (Image source : Al Jazeera) 

The Emergency Purchase Syndrome of Indian Military

The emergency purchase drive of the Indian Army is in full swing due to the escalated tensions with China on the eastern Ladakh front. The emergency purchase measures have brought in more Spike ATGM ( Anti Tank Guided Missile ) which were coincidentally purchased previously under the emergency purchase drive during the Balakot Strike. Special forces have also been equipped with SCAR 17 Assault rifles under these emergency purchase measures. These powers have been granted directly to military chiefs for an order value of up to 300 crore rupees. These special powers granted to Army Chief, help finalize equipment and place order quickly with deliveries commencing within one year. The whole process takes place at a rapid pace and no bureaucratic hurdles are allowed to hamper it, hence it has become an outlet for Army Top Brass to purchase the equipment that has been planned for years but never purchased for one reason or another. The third generation Spike ATGM purchase proposal was drafted few years ago but eventually got shelved in favor of indigenous missile development of NAG ATGM which is yet to be received by the army and our soldiers are still relying on second generation ATGM missiles like the French Milan and Russian Konkurs. The army purchased 250 Spike missiles and 12 launchers last year as a fast track emergency purchase to add capability to its outdated arsenal of Anti Tank Guided Missiles. 

Ministry of Defence and armed forces have been subject to harsh criticism for these emergency purchases as they reflect unpreparedness of the armed forces to deal with the present contingency. The most common questions being posed in social media circles is, why these purchases are being made now ? Why can't the ministry timely purchase these items ? Why everything has to be done last moment ? Why do we always end up making such purchases whenever there is a crises ?

These pertinent questions are disturbing but we need to reflect why these emergency purchase measures exist ? These measures completely cut the bureaucratic red tape and everything is done on a war footing. There are no doubts raised, no questions asked, no fingers pointed, no arms lobbying done and most importantly no scam stories raised. The Finance Ministry seizes to be apathetic to the defence forces and allots the funds seamlessly. The emergency purchase route is being used by the forces to get equipment which has been bogged down into files by endless procedures and cost over runs. The amount of time it takes just to negotiate the prices in a standard defence contract is probably more than it takes for a fast track procurement to materialize from an order to final delivery. The reason for the speedy deliveries is the small order size and equipment manufacturer's ability to deliver from their excess stock or a short production run. Its unfair to compare a large scale defence deal to a fast track emergency procurement but the important thing to note is that this process gets the work done.

The larger question is can we shorten the defence procurement procedure (DPP) as its commonly known by giving more power to the experienced Generals and less to the bureaucrats who know less about weapon systems than children know about their action figures. A 'Sarkari Babu' who has not fired a single rifle shot in his life but is part of rifle procurement for infantry can only contribute objections and hurdles to the process. The soldiers know their profession and equipment better than anyone else but giving them more powers will undermine the power of Babus and they will unleash their dirty tricks warfare. The most common objection to a shortened procurement procedure is the possibility of corruption in a deal, though its a valid concern but cost benefit analysis is needed to study the same. The cost over runs of a lengthy procurement procedure should be weighed against the loss suffered due to corruption. We are losing a hefty sum of money as cost over runs when a procurement runs into a procedure of a few years and the risk of an under equipped enemy that only strengthens the enemies resolve to play mischief at our borders. The Ministry of Defence needs dramatic reforms and vesting more powers to the armed forces ensures the politics around the defence deals does not play out to the extent it did in the Rafael deal. The soldiers who risk their lives for the nation will not mind putting their jobs at risk to get things done faster for the welfare of the defence forces and security of the nation. 

The Mirage Solution possibility for Indian Air Force

The dwindling squadron strength of the Indian Air Force has been an ongoing discussion for decades. The IAF has not been able to finalize a procurement plan for over two decades now and is reeling under pressure of losing its combat edge over its adversaries, China and Pakistan. The PAF and PLAAF are similar in equipment and armament as Pakistan depends on China for military hardware after the US arms embargo. Pakistan also has some F-16 Block 52 and some really old Mirage III and Mirage 5 in its arsenal but in terms of technological superiority IAF is better than its competitors. Technological superiority in terms of combat does not necessarily guarantee a victory because the number of aircrafts are equally important along with the tactics and weaponry. 

China is much superior to India in terms of sheer numbers and Pakistan has chosen the same path by procuring a large number of cheap JF-17 aircrafts. It is a good strategy against a technologically superior enemy as they can throw a large number of aircraft to counter fewer high tech aircraft of the adversary. This strategy was adopted by the Pakistan Air Force on 27th February 2019, when they threw a package of 24 aircraft to counter Indian Air Force combat patrols of 2 Mirage 2000 and 2 Sukhoi 30 MKI. The Pakistani Air force is particularly scared of the Mirage 2000, therefore they avoided engaging the aircraft that day and took long range potshots at Sukhoi 30 MKI, which they missed like all other targets they planned to attack. The reason for fear of Mirage 2000 is that the aircraft has repeatedly turned out victorious in engagements with F-16. The most famous engagements being between Greek Mirage 2000 and Turkish F-16 which resulted in the Greeks bullying the F-16 repeatedly. Mirage 2000 is superior to anything that Pakistan can throw, therefore was the first choice aircraft to bomb Jabba Top terrorist camp in Balakot. 

Mirage 2000 Vajra 

Mirage 2000 is a single engine Delta wing fighter with combat proven abilities and Indian Air force have expertise in maintenance as well as tinkering with the aircraft. The Indian Air Force jugaad approach combined with Israeli ingenuity resulted in integration of Russian R-73 missile with the French Mirage 2000. The Kargil war was another case, when Israelis helped integrate their Litening laser designator pods on the Mirage 2000 to drop IAF's first Laser guided bombs in actual combat. 

The aircraft is highly regarded for performance, range and combat load, Mirage 2000 also shoulders the responsibility of  nuclear weapons delivery. It has so many merits but we have only about 50 of these aircraft, adding more of these aircraft to the inventory adds to both the strength and capability of IAF but unfortunately they are no longer manufactured.  A deal for a squadron of second hand Mirage 2000 purchase from Qatar was discussed in 2000s but fell apart due to pricing differences. Brazil has already retired and sold its aircraft. Taiwan, Greece and Qatar fly the Mirage 2000-5 variant besides the French Air Force. Egypt and UAE also operate the aircraft but their inventory has not been fully upgraded to latest standards and upgradation of the Mirage 2000 is a huge hurdle owing to the costs involved. 

The Possible Solution 

The solution to the falling squadron strength can be solved by additional purchases of used Mirage 2000 aircraft but this solution has its own challenges of execution. The current Indian Air Force Mirage fleet is being upgraded at a huge cost of $2.1 billion dollars and purchasing any old aircraft will add to this bill. The current fleet of operating Mirage 2000 aircrafts around the world are near the end of their airframe life but still are sturdy enough to be used after an overhaul and life extension. Pakistan Air Force has done something similar under its ROSE project where they have put to use vintage Mirage III and Mirage 5 airframes and upgraded the aircraft for limited combat role. The upgradation cost for the existing Mirage fleet is so high that IAF would not want to take that route especially when the aircraft are touted to be retired in the next decade. The upgraded standard aircraft are only available with the Greece, Taiwan or Qatar. The Qatar deal has not worked out in the past and is unlikely to be rekindled. The Greeks have the latest upgraded of the Mirage 2000-5 MkII but their willingness to sell them is not certain. Taiwan operates the Mirage 2000-5 EI standard which has no mid air refueling or ground attack ability, also buying aircraft from Taiwan will have geopolitical repercussions from China. The Egyptian Mirages are the oldest of the lot and are not viable due to their age and upgradation requirements. The UAE is currently in process of upgrading its Mirage 2000 fleet to 2000-9 standards and is likely keep the aircraft in service. The last remaining contender are the French who are in possession of more than 300 Mirage 2000 airframes, out of which 100 are in active service. The French can sell, upgrade and overhaul the aircraft but would extract a hefty price for doing so, as they are competing for the MMRCA contract and purchase of old Mirages also affects the additional deliveries of already ordered Rafael jets by IAF. The French are expected to extract very high profits from any such deal because it hampers their future business prospects for sale of their current fighter platform Rafael.

Back to the Problem 

The only viable option that can deliver good value for money are the Greek Mirage 2000-5 MkII, as they are already upgraded to latest standards and may be available at a good price owing to the current economic crisis being faced around the world. Hypothetically even if this deal materializes somehow it still doesn't solve the problem as the number of upgraded aircraft available with the Greeks are a meagre 25. It does add one and a half squadron strength to the IAF but the problem of raking up the numbers still exists as Mig-21s are to retire soon and no future procurements are finalized yet which can add up the necessary numbers. This solution does not also eliminate the MMRCA 2.0 tender which the IAF is about to float for a purchase of 114 aircraft. The IAF has looming problems and stop gap purchases of 21 Mig-29 and 12 Sukhoi 30 or even some used Mirage 2000 fighters are not going to solve them completely. The only fast and feasible solution in my opinion is to get rid of the tendering process to culminate a Rafael style government to government deal as a fast track procurement measure. The aircraft can be chosen by the IAF based on their budgetary constraints and operational requirements, as they have tested all the available aircraft in the MMRCA tender previously. The only hindrance to such a deal is the political ramifications it may cause for the ruling party but the Modi led BJP government has pulled off many stunts in its tenure and this could be another feather in their tough and bold decisions crown. 

Why more Sig Sauer rifles for the Indian Army ?

The Indian army has placed an additional order for Sig Sauer 716 G2 Patrol rifles for the frontline troops in the Northern Command which looks after the newly created union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, surprisingly this comes just a few days after Prime minister Modi's call for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. As soon as this news was announced there has been a hue and cry on social media about import of these rifles and why we cannot induct indigenous rifles. The question is obvious and valid but no obvious answers seem to exist for such an obvious question. The obvious answer is missing from the discourse because no one wants to bell the cat, everyone is avoiding to point out why we still lack an indigenous rifle. We will address the issue but lets first understand why the Sig Sauer 716 rifle is such a good choice for the army on the LoC. 

Sig Sauer 716 G2 Patrol Rifle 

The Sig Sauer 716 G2 

The Sig 716 G2 fires the 7.62x51mm NATO round, weighs 4.3 kg, features ambidextrous controls, a free floating barrel, aluminium frontend, adjustable gas regulator, adjustable butt stock and range of 500 meters with high accuracy. The rifle has all features of a modern battle rifle and a very low recoil. This rifle outclasses the HK G3 battle rifle used by the Pakistan army which the INSAS rifle currently cannot match. The rifle uses advanced materials, state of the art manufacturing techniques and comes with Sig Sauer quality guarantee. The product is no doubt world class and when used with the right optics is almost as good as a designated marksman rifle (DMR) owing to its high accuracy. The rifle has been tested by the Indian Army on the LoC frontline and the results seem to be positive enough that a second batch has been ordered by the Army.

The Current Scenario

The current scenario for the Indian army looks grim as the AK-203 7.62x39mm caliber rifle, which was touted as the replacement for the INSAS rifle, has not yet materialized into production. The INSAS has outlived its life and utility and no other indigenous rifle program has come to fruition. The indigenous Excalibur rifle did not make the cut and nor did the MCIWS ( Multi Calibre Individual Weapon System). The OFB also manufactures two indigenous AK 47 clones called the the 'Ghatak' made by the Ishapore rifle factory and the TAR ( Trichy Assault Rifle ) made by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirapalli. These two rifles have been adopted by the Central Armed Police Forces like BSF, CRPF and some state police forces. These two rifles are in the same class as the AK-203, both the rifles are operational without much complaint. There is loud buzz in indigenization enthusiasts questioning, why these indigenized AK style rifles can not be adopted by the army instead of the AK 203. The answer is pretty simple, although these rifles are decent and do the job but they are not the best available in the world. When you send a soldier into a firefight you ought to give him the best gear so that he comes out victorious. You can't ask him to promote indigenization at the risk of his life and therefore, he deserves the best gear available. The rifles used by terrorists are as good and capable as the ones used by the security forces currently so we need to arm our soldiers with better ones and AK 203 is the answer to that as and when it materializes. 

The Conclusion 

The additional rifle procurement from Sig Sauer is a smart and timely move by the army, as no indigenous options are available in the 7.62 x 51 mm class of firearms. This category fires a much bigger and heavier round and provides the necessary range and punch that the soldiers will need at the LoC. The Indian soldiers have lost their lives due to malfunctioning of INSAS rifles and these replacements are a boon and necessity. The indigenous arms need to be promoted but its not the job of the frontline troops to promote them. They face firefights and cease fire violations (CFV) almost on a daily basis at the Line of Control and they need a firearm that is better than the enemy to give a befitting reply.The soldier and the gun both win the war collectively, we have the soldiers to win any battle but the battle winning rifle has been missing till now. 

 

Captain Vikram Batra (PVC) - The Immortal

Capt. Vikram Batra (PVC)

In this world of over seven billion people, men come and go but some leave an impact for generations and Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra is one such man. He made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland 21 years ago on 7th July 1999 and he did it with a smile. The man is a legend like no other, his bytes of interview captured during the Kargil and his infectious smile live on, in the minds of one billion Indians who will always be indebted and grateful to him. The stories of his valour travelled far and wide and have lived on in the hearts of people and will continue to do so for many many years. The real life hero has been immortalized on the silver screen by reel life hero Abhishek Bachchan in J.P Dutta's war epic LOC Kargil. The portrayal of his character on screen gives the common man a glimpse of his bravery but for the people who saw him in flesh and blood in the battlefield still find it difficult to find words to talk about the man. The smiling warrior known by his codename "Sher Shah" and his unit 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles ( JAK Rif ), known as the "bravest of the brave" is a golden letters entry in the glorious history of Indian Army. Everything about this brave soldier is a tale that has left deep impressions on generations, like his victory signal "Yeh Dil Maange More" is still recalled with fondness by his then Commanding Officer now Lt Gen YK Joshi, who has often stated that the victory of Kargil war must be credited to the young officers like Captain Batra, brave jawans and JCOs who fought against all odds.The last mission he undertook and successfully completed was the capture of Point 4875, that mountain today is known as Batra Top in honor of this mountain of a man. 

The charisma of the man was not only limited to the battlefield, his personal life is fit for another magnum opus bollywood film. Dimple Cheema was the love of his life and they were to get married post the Kargil war but he never returned so she never married. She knew maybe there could be no other man like him and she continues to live with his memories and family. Vikram Batra has an identical twin brother Vishal Batra who would tell you a story or two about the brother that he was but while listening to the story you would for a moment feel that may be Vikram Batra never left us. In reality he has not left us and he never will, he will continue to inspire the youth of the nation and young officers of the Indian Army. The stories, the bravery and the charisma of the man will outlast many generation to come. The bravest of the brave soldier is an Immortal in the truest sense of the word.